In Atlanta with Alora

This weekend we've been enjoying time with just Alora, which is something of a rarity. We drove down Friday night and got here late, late, late. Then we got an early start yesterday, heading up to Dunwoody to run a 6K. Cara's foot is still recovering, so she sat out but Alora & I ran. Well, in the 80 degree heat with 90% humidity I had to stop and walk a couple times, but Alora ran the whole thing.

Then we came back to Alora's place, had some brunch, and took a nap. We were awakened by the arrival of Colleen & Avery, who we haven't seen in 2 years. Colleen has been talking to her sister again for a few months now. Avery is super cute, sharp as a tack, and prefers mint chocolate chip ice cream which we were able to buy for her at the Atlanta Ice Cream Festival. It was Alora's idea to attend the festival, and Avery latched on to her older cousin immediately. They were fairly inseparable as we wondered through Piedmont Park. Ian also joined us for the outdoor sweatfest that is this time of year in Hotlanta. Ironically we'd never been to Piedmont Park before. There's actually a ton of things in Atlanta we've never done, which is odd since we grew up here and lived downtown for 4 years in college. But Alora is exploring it with the gusto of a new city. She bikes to work every day and has plans to bike to Stone Mountain before the summer's out. For my part I got a little camera happy having my niece who I haven't seen in half her lifetime there.

We headed back to Alora's apartment to cool off in her newly fixed air conditioning and switch to some non-sweaty clothes before heading up to Peachtree Corners for dinner at my brother's house. Avery didn't want to part from Alora, but hopefully they'll get to see more of eachother now that she's living down here.

Earlier in the day while Alora & Cara napped I snuck out to an organic plant nursery (Ansley is quite particular about what's allowed in their house) to pick up a plant for Ellie - their daughter, my niece. I knew she would learn and enjoy from the experience of watching a plant grow and harvesting its fruit to eat. Some of my funnest early childhood memories are of gardening with my parents or at my grandparents' house. My original plan was for a cherry tomato plant, but I'd missed the boat on that one unfortunately. But they did have a little goji berry bush that was already bearing fruit and had plenty of flowers & buds that fortold of later fruit.

Ellie had been a bit scared of me last time, so I was ready with that sweet plant to try and win her over. Ellie, just like Avery, loves Alora. And Alora had stayed with Packie & Ansley when she came down to Atlanta to interview, so Ellie jumped right into her arms. She wasn't interested in the berries at first, but with Alora's assurances she discovered their yumminess.

Eventually Ellie let me read her a few books though. Then she took me up to her room to show me her rabbit stuffed animal and we had many giggles as silly Uncle Brad made them dance around to his do-do-do noises. It's funny, because Ansley gives Packie a hard time about the do-do-do noises being something our dad does but I'd never realized it wasn't something everybody does with kids. Life needs a soundtrack...

Catching up with Ansley & Packie was also nice, and we stayed too late and drank too much like we always do with them. Then it was back to Alora's to go to bed, where she and Cara still are this morning as I sit here at Starbucks typing this blog. Alora's only been here a week, so she hasn't had the time or need to set up internet at her place yet.