Carousel of Progress

There is a " boring" ride at Disney World by this same name and it is only ridden by sticky melting parents, desperate for some relief from the heat for 30 minutes in a moving theater that is air conditioned. I feel bad in saying boring, since Walt himself imagineered this ride, but other than a place to nurse a baby, it isn't a showstopper. The ride goes through our history of "progress" with electronics and other handy devices that have changed the way we do things for the better. Well, I have nicknamed our house the Carousel of Progress, b/c it is always undergoing some change or renovation. It's real name , since I have to name everything, is Hawk Hill,( we had hawks circling one day for hours and one landed on our trash can and Rick called him Trash Hawk), but I digress. Back to the progress.

Here are my pride and joys that have been my blood, sweat and tears( real tears people when you see what Adeline did only minutes after I had completed Reece's room) for the last 2 weeks. Bask in them and say, Wow, will Jackie come paint mine if I pay her in Starbucks gift cards? And the answer is Maybe.

The Maiden Voyage of the S.S. Huffington

For those of you who know me, everything as to have a "cute" name. Rick's truck is Trucky, my mini-van is Gimlet( don't ask) and the list goes on and on. So, when Rick purchased a Sunfish sailboat from a Boyscout troop this week, we christened it with the name S.S. Huffington. My kids favorite show is Max and Ruby, which is about a brother and sister bunny family and it is very cute. Ruby babysits for a little bunny baby named Baby Huffington, and we used to call Reece that when he was little. Hence the name S.S. Huffington!

A mile from our house is Bayou Texar and last night Rick took us all for a little jaunt out on the boat. The kids loved it and jumped off the boat in their life jackets. This will be a fun way for us to escape even on a weeknight for a little trip around the Bayou.

Kids Shouldn't have this much fun in PotteryBarn

You would think I would have to worry about my kids smashing expensive breakables or running through a glass table with hands full of decorative baubles to shove in hurricane glasses on your $100 shelves. But, NO, they were kicked back in the new summer collection having too much fun for young kids in a store made for yuppies. For those close observers, YES it is mid-afternoon and YES Reece is still in his pajamas at a shopping mall. That's a bull-headed three year old for you. Well, as Rick would say, " He won't be wearing pajamas to high school."

Red, White and Blues Weekend at Pensacola Beach

Every 4th of July here in Pensacola is Blue Angel Weekend. A way for the Blues to thank the public of Pensacola for the support through the year. They hold the event out at the beach and for three days you can see the practices and airshow. Our kids have disliked going in the past b/c of the loud noise, but this year they seemed to handle it. Of course, Adeline had no idea what she was in for. We go to the bay side of the beach(Quietwater Cove), since once the airshow starts the beach side is prohibited from going in the water. We have gone to the main beach in the past and been forced to sit under the umbrellas for the entire length of the show along with the other 10,000 beachcombers. Then the second the show is over, the lifeguards blow the whistles and we all run into the giant redneck saltwater port-a-potty. Rick swears he could feel the water temperature rise a few degrees. So, we have forgone that beach with a great view, for the less crowded one right next to Bamboo Willies so we can get a frozen Bushwhacker while we watch. For those not local, a bushwhacker is a chocolaty drink made with every conceivable liquor and tastes like a milkshake, so beware.

Fat Albert kicks off the show and when the low hum of the C-130 approaches I can't help but get nostalgic for Rick's days of flying that plane. The kids love him b/c he's "quiet" and easy to spot in the sky.

When the Blues started the kids all plugged their ears and to our surprise so did Adeline. She's pretty resourceful for a 1 year old.

Anytime you want to visit the Blues shows are in July and November and are worth the trip.

Spaqua bathroom

Yes, spaqua is a color and you can find it in my guest bathroom. I feel like I'm looking at Florida when I walk in there. With the help of Becky before she moved, her and I tackled the cream flowered wallpaper and oak trim, with gusto. After we had finished killing the wallpaper, the transformation took shape. The kids love it and I feel a sense of accomplishment from doing it all myself. No male influence or muscles. And to quote Dr. Cox from Scrubs " This fine painting machine works on props." So let me hear it now, Jackie Jackie Jackie Jackie

The Great Opazibo Comes to Town

Our newest guest to visit the new Parrish digs, was Rick's Dad and his wife Jean. They stopped through on their way to Jean's son's wedding at St. George's Island off the coast of Appalacadingdong. Alright I made that last word up for lack of knowing how to spell Appalacacola. Sp? I like my version better. Maybe there really was a Native American word ending in dingdong. Could've been! You never know. We headed out to Flounder's to go somewhere for dinner with three kids that will allow us to actually have an adult conversation during the meal without losing our minds. We had a great time, even if it was a quick visit. Next time allow for a whole week and we'll get a pontoon boat this time and you can rip down some wallpaper in our house and cut down a few giant shrubs.

Independence Day 2008

After defeating the evil alien from planet Zorgon, who came in his underwear and fluffy hair, the Parrish's celebrated the 4th at Quiet Water Cove along with 500 other scantily clad Americans guzzling Diesel Fuels and Bushwhackers from Flounders. Adeline still hates the water and screams about being dunked. But at least I could coax her onto the blanket to lay under the umbrella and people watch. Rick took the kids along the piers to look at boats. Our 4th ended with neighborhood cul-de-sac fireworks with the new neighbors and then taking the older 2 to the Pensacola City fireworks. Happy 4th of July