OY! KRISTEN

9 Holes of Golf (Sort of.)

Stevie is having a bit of a moment. He has a baby boy.

So obviously, he has taken Everett out to do some man-ish things. Like throw the football. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. Meaning, he has put the baby in the stroller, wheeled him onto the grass outside, thrown the football around the yard to NO ONE, and explained the basics of the game to my drooling, dribbling 3-month old son. I'm pretty sure Everett needs to be able to grasp Sophie the Giraffe for longer than thirteen seconds before we move on to toying around with pigskins. I watched from the window and howled with laughter. I mean, STEVIE.

Of course, that was a few weeks ago. His latest, greatest idea for some father-son bonding was to take Everett for a round of golf. Yes. Though, for this outing he decided he would need the help of his trusted assistant, so mommy had to tag along. I thought this was going to be the worst of Stevie's ideas for rushing Everett into adolescence (hello, golf balls flying through the air?? Safety hazard!!) However, it was surprisingly fun. And quiet. We walked the course instead of carting, so it was excellent exercise. And we went at 5pm on one of those recent, freakishly warm weekdays, so we weren't rushed with people playing the course behind us. It was utterly calm, quiet and truly, stunningly beautiful. I kind of get why people like to play golf. I even chipped and putted a bit. And yes. Everett completely dug it. As much as a 3-month old can.

// Showing Everett how to practice his swing. Oh geez. //

// Sometimes daddy got boring, so... SELFIE! //

Another Family Date SUCCESS.

Is a golf course the best place to bring a baby? Maybe not. But its certainly not the worst. The fresh air, the setting sun and the spacious, quiet course. It was a green dream. And Stevie? Well he was simply giddy to be showing and explaining the game to our son. Whether or not the boy actually absorbed a single thing from it. It has been my mission to find some fun family dates that work for us in this new season of our life, and this was another great (unlikely!) one. Here's to making the most of the great outdoors before winter is upon us!

A Picnicing Trio.

Lately I've been feeling a little bit claustrophobic and cooped up. I have a newborn and we spend our days indoors, while I beg him to nap and he begs to differ. So when the weekends roll around, all I want to do is have FUN. And my definition of fun is getting redesigned, since there are only a handful of places that we can comfortably take our newborn child. Without getting glared at. I wish we were in a phase where would could easily tote our little babe along anywhere, but that's just not the case. Enter the perfect solution/afternoon plan: the picnic.

Ah, the picnic. A great American pastime. The darling weaved basket, the iconic food, the oh-so-slurpable wine. Picnicking is what adorable people do, like couples in endless love or families with golden retrievers and approximately 2.5 children (probably donning Land's End polos. Yes, the retriever, too.) Then it dawned on me. WE THREE SHOULD PICNIC. I mean, we live in Georgia again. There are lawns around here. We might not have a precious pup or an assortment of prepster gear, but we like to eat! We should be having some picnics.

// Lake McIntosh //

// What a babe. Both. //

// We thought we would read. The folly. //

// How bout them Braves, son. //

So last weekend we took off for our impromptu outdoor family date. And it was SO fun. We stopped by the fancy Fresh Market, treated ourselves to deli sandwiches and chips and some other tasty delights (that Fresh Market, my oh my, it's almost as decadent as walking through a Tiffany's.) We took our bounty out to a hill, overlooking Lake McIntosh in Peachtree City. Okay, we might have crashed a golf course and spread ourselves out on the lawn aplenty. But it had been a long time since I experienced such peace and joy. I breathed in the crisp air and held my baby close. Laughed at my awesome husband who has done everything in his power to make me happy. We ate and laughed and talked and played with our baby. And it was so so fun.