Coffee Shops and a park in Bristol

Like I said last week we hung out in downtown Bristol a bit so here are a few more pictures from our time in Bristol. The first picture is from inside Java J's Coffee Shop a cute little place with the regular coffee shop items. After we came in there was another family with a little girl around Chance's age. They played together the whole time we were in the shop. They "played" Connect Four by putting all the checkers in the stand then taking them all out again over and over.

On one of the days we brought Deedle with us from the hotel so we could totally free up the room to let the maids clean. It is kind of hard coordinating getting the dog and Chance out of the room at the same time for the maids to do their thing, luckily they were able to clean while we were gone so it all worked out. Anyway while in Bristol we went to this neat little park right next to where Scott is working. I never found out the name of the park but it is obviously to honor men and women in the military. There are sculptures, a duck pond, a stage, a really cool water fountain which would be great if it wasn't FREEZING here and this awesome helicopter. Chance had a good time running around exploring everything and so did Deedle for that matter. I was trying to have fun but was pretty stressed between watching Chance and trying to keep Deedle from barking his head off at everyone he saw, but it was a lovely park.

Another day we went to the Manna Bagel Company on the Tennessee side of Bristol. A great little place for coffee, breakfast and lunch items and of course lots of different kinds of bagels. They also make all their bagels on site. Although Chance wasn't allowed inside the room they let him stand in the door and watch as they make the bagels. They have a big machine for mixing the dough and then another one that cuts the dough and shapes it into an 'O' then sends it out on a belt where a lady grabbed it up and placed it on a large baking sheet ready for the oven. It pays off making their own bagels because it was the best bagel I have had since we were in New York over 5 years ago. These are a few of Chance's personally posed pictures he did while we were sitting at our table in the Bagel Company. This is his serious face, his sleeping face and his singing face according to him by the way he isn't actually singing in the last picture it's just a pose, he's so funy.

Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee

Bristol, Virginia is a cool little place. It's considered the birthplace of country music by congressional decree. Actually it is where a lot of early country and bluegrass musicians got their start like The Carter Family. Out of all the downtowns we have been to so far Bristol is definitely the most hip, artsy and fun. It's also a bit weird for instance the main street, State Street is half in the state of Virginia and half in the state of Tennessee. It's split right down the middle if you walk down one sidewalk you are in VA then cross the street to walk back the other way and you are in TN.


The station where Scott is working is one block off main street in Bristol, VA so we have spent a little time on main street while picking up and dropping off Scott last week when we were able to take the car. There are a bunch of little coffee shops, a theater, antique shops and a few Artist co-ops with really nice handmade items as well as other places that offer what looks like a fun nightlife. The area also has lots of art shows and music festivals there is even one while we are here but I'm not sure if we will be able to go or not yet.
Chance and I had a good time on this overcast day walking around downtown taking pictures.




Pic #1: the Bristol sign one side is in VA and the other is in TN. I love their city's moto "A good place to live" Pic #2: Chance on the sidewalk in Bristol, VA with the sign in the background, Pic #3: Chance standing by a piece of art in Bristol, VA

These are a few little strips that I put together. Chance has gone from not wanting me to take his picture at all to asking me to take his picture while he poses. These first two strips are just him in the car posing and asking me to take his picture.

This last one is me and Chance while we were down at the pool the other day. Even though the pool is heated it is still a bit cool when the temperature is in the 40's outside so we didn't get very far into the pool but we had fun anyway.

Ice

So it's been so cold today that we just decided to stay inside. The original plan was to walk to Chuck E Cheese but a 20 minute walk in 40 degree weather with wind and the prospect of rain did not sound like a good idea so inside we stayed. We were getting a little stir crazy then it started to rain and since we have a big window that was pretty entertaining. Then it hailed and then it came down for ten minutes or so really icy. After the ice stopped Chance and I went down to walk Deedle. That was when we found this, patches of ice in all the corners and along the buildings. It was cold and wet outside so not really weather to play but Chance was kind of amazed that there was ice where there hadn't been earlier today.

Jonesborough, TN

Between digging fossils and the covered bridge we stopped in Jonesborough, TN which is the oldest town in Tennessee as well as boasting the title Storytelling Capital of the World. And was at one time the Capital of the state of Franklin which was the area that succeeded from North Carolina before there was a state of Tennessee
The main street where we walked around was full of history and pretty cute but all the shops were really touristy so there weren't a lot of things I was interested in purchasing. The walk in the great weather and all the history was well worth the drive to Jonesborbough.
Pic # 1: Chance sitting on a stoop on the main street of Jonesborough, Pic #2 & 3: The Christopher Taylor house and plaque, Pic # 4: Chance in front of the Christopher Taylor House, Pic # 5: Chance in front of the house where the first abolitionist papers were printed and Pic #6: the plaque so you can all read the history too.

Dinosaur dig

On Tuesday Chance and I went to the Gray fossil site and Natural History Museum in Gray, TN. Turns out when they were putting a road through this area a few years ago they unearthed elephant bones which led to the road being moved and a 5 mile area being protected. The Museum was built on a site after lots of time spent finding the right spot within out fossils underneath. It is still an active dig site with a full lab and paleontologists on staff.
First, Chance and I went through their traveling exhibit, a dinosaur maze. Chance had a good time winding his way through the maze at each juncture there was a question about dinosaurs, if you answered correctly the arrow pointed to the correct path if wrongly then you were led to a dead end. Amazingly Chance picked correctly nearly ever time. I don't know if he really knew all the answers or was just really lucky but he does read lots of Dino books and watch lots of shows about Dinos so it's possible he just knows the correct answers.
After the maze it was time for our tour, we must have been early because we were the only people on this hour's tour. We were allowed to go out to the dig site and actually sift through dirt ourselves. With the help of the guide we found some ancient tree bark and a bone . We aren't sure what kind of bone it is but the paleontologist confirmed it was in fact a bone probably from just after the last Ice Age.
After our tour we walked through the permanent exhibit which was a whole room set up to take you back in time to what it would have looked like in that exact spot between 4 and 7 million years ago. Chance had a really good time in both exhibits and as long as we were moving he enjoyed the tour, he's still too little to stay interested when the guide is standing still just talking but I really enjoyed that part too and since it was just us i got an opportunity to really talk to tge your guide so I didn't miss anything while Chance was being antsy.
Pic # 1: Chance running through the Dino maze, pic # 2: Chance walking on this quishy material in the Dino maze, pic # 3: Chance wearing dino paws and walking on the quishy material to make footprints, pic # 4: Chance playing in a "dino nest" he said he was hatching from his egg.

Elizabethton - the covered bridge

We've been to Elizabethton, TN twice now too. The first time we had already had a big day of Dinosaur digging ( more on that later) and by the time we got there Chance had fallen asleep so I parked really close to the covered bridge then walked a few feet away to get a couple pictures and look through the bridge while Chance continued to sleep.
The next day after spending some time downtown Bristol ( more on that later too) we were driving around trying to find a way into Cherokee National Forest which surrounds this whole area. Even though we found quite a few twisting little roads with spectacular landscapes each road eventually turned into gravel forest service roads with nowhere to get out and run around. When I finally gave up on that idea I realized we were really close to the covered bridge and with Chance wide awake this time we decided to stop again.
This time we walked all the way across the covered bridge twice and followed the walkway along the river for a while. A man stopped us to give Chance a four leaf clover, he said he has always been able to just look down as he is walking and find them, today he found three and gave them to us. Chance stopped to throw a few rocks in the water and we both had a good time exploring the area.

Pic # 1: I took a picture of one of the 4-leaf clovers since I was sure they would get crushed dispite my best efforts, pic # 2: the covered bridge, pic # 3: me inside the covered bridge, pic # 4: Chance by a stump that is the remnants of the tree where one of the first courts in the land were held, pics # 5 & 6: the plaques by the stump so you all can learn the history too, pic # 7: Chance inside the covered bridge, pic # 8: the plaque by the covered bridge and pic #9: Chance playing with a stick by the river, the first bridge you see is the new modern bridge and under that in the background you can see part of the covered bridge.

Steele Creek Park

So I've been having a hard time updating the blog because the Internet connection in the hotel room is pretty bad but I am going to try to update the blog through the phone. We'll see how well this works. And since I can't see the pictures while I type these posts might be a little disjointed. I usually use the pictures to guide the story. Which also means I'm going to theme these entries by place instead of day so they won't be in chronological order either.
All that said we got into Johnson City, TN on Monday night. On Tuesday Scott went into work while Chance and I wondered around town. Wed, Thurs and Friday we had the car while Scott was working so we were able to venture farther from the hotel.
One of the places we've been to twice now is Steele Creek Park. It is in a beautiful area on Steele Creek in Bristol, TN Scott is working across town in Bristol, VA so the first time we went to this park we were waiting for Scott to call us to pick him up. I wasn't sure where to park so Chance and I had a nice stroll through the park to reach the playground and water.
The park is full of trees and flowers in bloom with beautiful mountains in the background so our walk in the park was a pleasant one. Chance had a good time running around to get his energy out and playing on the playground.
We never made it to the water on our first trip so the second time we went straight to the water. Scott was able to come with us this time and since I knew where to go we were able to get right down to the water right away. Where we walked on some small railroad tracks (they must have a train that runs on the weekend or maybe the summer) then sat by the water and threw in rocks. After a while we walked around a little more, played on the playground for good measure then left to get some dinner then go back to the hotel.
p.s. in the first one Chance didn't want me to take his picture but the background was so beautiful he makes a good contrast.

Hanging with Daddy

Chance misses Daddy more and more every time he travels, as he gets older he has a better concept of him traveling and that makes him want to hang out with (and on to) Daddy much more when he gets back. Daddy is supper popular these days which is great for me and besides it is really neat to see them playing and working together. Today we went to a Build and Grow Workshop at Lowes this time the project was a flower box. Scott set the nails in the right places and Chance had a good time pounding them in with his little hammer. You can see his hammer moving in every picture. We were going to buy some seed but we decided to wait since we will be in Tennessee/Virginia for the next two weeks and won't be able to tend them properly. We will definitely plant seed when we get back.

Next we went to the library where they were giving away free books and bean bag chairs again. Chance loves books and his beanbag chair and I needed to go tot he library anyway so we thought, why not? Chance held his library card and showed it to the lady at the first desk who gave him a lollipop, we put that in his pocket then moved on to the pile of bean bag chairs. We let Chance pick which ever one he wanted and this time he picked a big fuzzy orange one. As Scott went to put the chair in the car Chance and I moved on to the next table where he was allowed to pick out two books. He picked a great little book by Mo Willems (a local author) and a Pokemon book which is a little old for him and he doesn't watch pokemon but it has a bright cover and it is what he picked so maybe he will just love it (what do I know?). Then we moved on to another table where they gave Chance yet another book, this one was about handling money, he didn't get to pick this one out himself but they had money handling books for different age groups and now he has a money book just for his reading level. Bean bag chair and books in hand we went inside the library where I needed to drop off some items, renew some items and pick up some items I had on hold. While I was doing that Scott and Chance found a quiet corner to read one of Chance's new books. Which is right were I found them when I had finished my business.

Aquarium Visit

When we were in Florida this last time we noticed that Chance needed a new travel bed, his cot was great while it lasted but because it has a support bar in the middle Chance's back hits it now and so we needed something more comfortable for him to sleep on while we travel. So, we ordered him a kid size Aero Bed. It's a little air mattress with a raised bump all around to discourage them from falling out and the best part is it comes with it's own electric pump so you just plug it in and it's inflated in seconds. We opened it up and blew it up yesterday just to try it out and it was great. Chance really liked it so I left it set up in his room for a little bit. A little while later I was sitting on the couch and he was playing in his room when he got quiet. I asked what he was doing and he said "nothing" (didn't take him long to learn that response) after a few more minutes of silence I got up to check on him and this is what I found:


So sweet but since we had a playdate at the aquarium all lined up he didn't get to sleep very long before I woke him up for our walk to the streetcar then our ride to the aquarium.

There is a little garden next to a real estate office on our way tot he streetcar that Chance just loves. He always want to stop an look inside, it's very pretty right now, Spring is here and all the flowers are in bloom.


I think this tank is his new favorite at the Aquarium. There are lots of pretty fish in it but Chance is drawn to it for the little rusty truck that shoots bubbles out from under it's hood.


He can now see just inside this tank from underneath all on his own. I used to have to go under with him and lift him up so I couldn't really get a picture but now he can see for himself which he likes a lot.


After our adventure inside the Aquarium we walked out and sat in front right by the river to watch the ships, munch on cheerios and relax in the beautiful weather. Chance didn't do much relaxing but he is such a good boy he stays close by so I could sit down and watch the water. After a little running around Chance came to sit next to me and we watched The Natches which is an old fashioned steam powers paddle-wheeler with a calliope also powered by steam. I didn't get a good picture of it but will try next time. You can go for cruises on it, maybe I should look that up it sounds like fun.

We've entered the stage where he must conquer things and challenge himself to accomplish things and so begins the walking the curb as if it were a tightrope. Here he is practically hugging this wall at times just to stay on, but in the end he made it all the way without falling off and was very proud of himself.

Working on the House

As you all know we have been working on the outside of our house recently. Well, we finished pulling the siding off of our side of the house, we have renters in the other side of our house so we want to get one side all finished so we know exactly how much time it will take to finish the other side before we tackle the other side. Anyway we pulled all the siding off, puttied all the little holes, sanded it down, primed it up and now we are moving onto the real color. We chose Mystic Purple for the main color of the walls then we are painting the trim around the doors and windows white and the inside of the doors and windows a very light purple. The white makes both colors (wall and inside window) pop perfectly. After we finish painting the walls and windows Scott is going to start making the shutters which will be painted blue. In this picture you can see where we started and what we have left to finish down by the electrical box.

I made a folder just for this project on Flickr and will add photos to it as we go along you can go straight to the folder here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/qemorio/sets/72157623154319220

Read-A-Thon

I'll be doing the Read-A-Thon again tomorrow though I am not sure how much I will get done because it is just me and the little guy you can keep up with how much I AM getting read over at my reading blog, www.momsnotall.com or through my tweets which are linked up here in a widget on the right side of this page near the bottom. I will be posting on my reading blog throughout the day, feel free to stop by and leave comments to keep me motivated, also you can find more about the Read-A-Thon at http://24hourreadathon.com/

Easter Part 2

This post is a few days late but that's ok. Scott left for Las Vegas today so I will be catching up on my blogging over the next few days. We were still in Florida for Easter this year so we did a second round of egg coloring with my Sister and Mom. Chance had did a great job dropping the eggs into each color. It was so much fun for me hiding the eggs for him to find in the morning. I set his basket, which was really a metal pail that he can use later in a sandbox or the beach or to carry things around the house for that matter, right in front of our bedroom door so he would see it first thing in the morning. As soon as he opened the door he said "hey Mommy, what's this?" As soon as I told him it was his he grabbed the toys and started to play. He ate a couple pieces of candy but then was ready to find the eggs so we cleaned out his bucket so he could put his eggs in.

He found all but two with no help at all or course they weren't very hidden but he did a good job finding each of them. After he found all the eggs and we all had a little breakfast Chance and I got all dressed up and went outside to take pictures. As soon as you get Chance all dressed for posed pictures he immediately doesn't want his picture taken at all so it was hard to get a picture with both of us that was very good but we tried. Chance looked super cute in his little suit and I was wearing the dress Scott brought me from Dubai.
After Chance's nap we all sat down to a lovely Easter dinner. It was great to be able to spend the holiday with family though I was missing Scott.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Sorry I forgot to turn my camera around again when I took this video but this is Chance looking for his Easter eggs. He is still in his jammies but I already have my fancy dress on and he tells me that I look like a ballerina. So sweet!