My Little Lion is Four

I'm all for having birthday parties for kids under four as long as it's economical and we're all honest that the party itself is for the adults. I'm also a little wary of a 4 year old getting 30 presents - a bit overkill if you ask me. I mean, "happy fourth birthday" and to make sure that you are well on your way down the road of materialism and being consumed by stuff here are 30 gifts . . . probably need to save that for a later blog post :). With that said, Luke's birthday party was great! Both sets of Grandparents came down from Indianapolis and Uncle David joined us to help us celebrate this momentous occasion. Highlights included the Lightning McQueen birthday cake, a pirate hat, the "storming Nortons!" (my own title), and the grandparents! K and I gave Judah a set of Lincoln logs (again, probably more for daddy) and our old digital camera - hoping to get the artistic juices flowing early. The gala was held at the park a mile from our house and was replete with lightning McQueen accessories (paper plates and napkins), hors d'oeuvres (a veggie tray), and an amazing entree (PIZZA!) Throw in a lightning McQueen balloon and this party was a true success coming in just shy of the $50 mark.

"I'm Not Complaining, But...

I'm hungry, tired, and my arms don't work. [pause] Well, at least I wasn't complaining until I got into the car," declared my 29 week pregnant wife. I grinned; all I had asked for was a little internet research on the iPhone. The kids were subdued in their seats fighting off sleep in attempts to hold out for lunch. It had been a full morning at the pumpkin patch.

The tractor ride into the pasture where the kids fed a small herd of cows was a big hit. Shout out to the wife for finding the discounted coupon! Our adventure had proven successful for the alpha-male, but economical, hunter who had bagged a decent size pumpkin for $6. We're planning to have Papa carve the pumpkin next weekend . . . I have not so fond memories of my hand being forced into the pumpkin guts! (oooo! It makes my spine tingle) Thanks dad!

The highlight for K and me was watching the kids chase the free ranging chickens (Ava Marie actually cornered a couple). I could see Mic in Rocky II grinning and saying out of the side of his mouth, "Greasy, demon lightning speed!" (Go watch it, it's a classic). K would like to have a gaggle of chickens as we cycle through eggs like none other, she would also like a cow for milk, a cow for meat, a churn for butter, and garden for greens. Ok, so I exaggerate with the churn. I myself would like anything that I could grow for a profit (economical and a capitalist). I'm thinking watermelons in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. Could pay for the kids education. Note to self: talk to granddad about watermelon and pumpkin growing. I digress . . .

Luke grinned with delight when the miniature goat grabbed a mouthful of his jacket . . . Ava Marie just squealed, but couldn't quite pluck up the courage to touch the goats. Oh you could tell she wanted too. Probably refrained because she thought they were trying to eat her brother.

All in a a great time! Though I think K would find parallels in her chasing the kids and the kids chasing the chickens. Sure hope we get her arms fixed!

It's all about me?

The night before I left for my three day business meeting in Dallas, my wife asked, "Are you excited?!" I replied, "Yes!" But as an exemplar of woman she felt the need to push a little more on my pithy male response. What are you excited for? "The flight," I answered, but I wasn't sure why? Typical male!

So the next morning I did a little study and this is what I found. I like waking up when all is quiet and dark. I enjoy grabbing a Dunkin Doughnut's coffee on my our long transit to the airport. I was pleased when I found parking close to the terminal and delighted when I went in to the Delta Sky club and realized that I could request to be shifted from the middle row to an isle seat. Enjoyed going to the Delta Sky club, very bourgeoisie! I loved watching the Monday morning commuters hustling through the airport to catch flights (people watcher - thanks mom!). I was a satisfied customer when I discovered that I had been given the isle seat right behind 1st class. I, I, I . . . why do I love flying, I guess because it's all about me

Benton "Babymoon"

We ditched the kids for a long weekend and headed for Lake Rend near the quiet town of Benton, IL. Benton is a small town of 7,000 an hour over the Southern Illinois state line. Our journey to Benton took us through Metropolis, an exit with a handful of gas stations. It was well worth the stop as it affirmed what K and I had always expected -that we were super-heroes.

Once in Benton we enjoyed the local couisine (at Seasons we had bread in a pot), saw a train that Judah would have loved, roamed the Walmart, and took in the stars.

Benton's town square was quaint with an interesting twist. Vehicles entering the square have the right of way?! It was surreal and remind me of It's a Mad Mad World! Just for fun I drove around the square on several different occasions the last time I made it around three times before my pregnant navigator told me she had had enough!

"Bobby breakfasts," Bonfires, Boats, and Bees

I believed I was a car camping afcianato but when our campsite-mates pulled up in two vehicles, unloaded three coolers, a griddle, a colman camping stove, and "the oven" (a Weber grill in which biscuits could be cooked - awesome!), and declared two simple words - "Bobby breakfast!" - I knew that we were about to transcend to a level of tent camping that I had never dreamed possible! I had also never seen anyone stand on a picnic table to sweep it off before putting down a table cloth.

We rustled up scrumptious breakfasts ranging from pancakes to biscuits and always including sausage, bacon, and eggs, found a perfect spot for the hammock as well as three treasure troves of wood nearby to keep our fire stoked with large oak and pine stumps. Coupled with a half bottle of liquid fire, our fire was quickly ignighted and smores were patiently perfected (by those who have or have considered industrial engineering in their pasts). We swapped stories of snakes, near death experiences ("we ran over Bobby!"), and past lives (college seems so long ago). Sounds perfect - did I mention it was stinking hot and humid?!?

As our five collective kids swarmed over the campsite, highlights included sweeping the dirt, playing with toy trucks in the dirt, riding bikes through the dirt, and just playing in the dirt. Did I mention it was hot and humid? Ava Marie looked like an urchant by the time breakfast was over, glorious chaos. Fortunately there were showers and the lake where, not surprisingly, Ava Maria prefered the sand over the water.

I coaxed Luke out onto the tube and he couldn't decide if he was having the time of his short- lived life or if he was scard to death. When Wallace would whip me off of the tube Luke would yell, "Get my daddy back in the boat!" and he clapped happily when my tour behind the boat was done. I personally think you get one shot at rolling an innertube after which your arms are too pulverized to successfully roll in the next runs. Unfortunately, the draw strings on my trunk weren't cinched on my first pass which meant that I had seconds, while being dragged underwater behind a boat underneath a fifty pound tube, to chose to keep my modesty versus completing my roll. Since I am too modest to tube buck naked in broad daylight I let go. I was really proud of Luke's courage to face his fear and tube with his daddy!

We arrived back at the campsite to find that Katherine and "the bump" had packed the entire tent - "way to go Kramer!" Following this highlight, Luke and I caught a moment of tranquility hanging out in the hammock (pun intented) before all turmoil ensued thanks to a yellow jacket ("bee") stinging him on the finger. Five minutes toward home both kiddos were sacked out in their car seats thanks to Benadryl, a missed nap, and an amazing camping trip with the Reynolds and eleven other PCBC family friends.

My "pretty-princess" is two years old!!

Time flies and I no longer have a baby girl! Ava Marie turned two on the twenty-sixth! To celebrate this grandious (that's a fancy name for "great" ~ Fancy Nancy books) occasion she got Chick-fil-a - pronounced "Chick-fuw-a" - for lunch and pizza for dinner (sure sign mommy and daddy are running a little behind in life:). After poking at a couple of sprinkles she spurned the cupcakes that her momma had lovingly made.

The highlight of the evening for Ava Marie was opening gifts. The lowlight of the evening for Luke was watching his little sister open gifts. The play kitchen was the big hit of the night and the following morning it precipitating several time-outs with siblings sitting side by side looking mournful. The little people house (dad and mother) and the turtle book (pa and ma) have gained momentum as the novelty of the kitchen has worn off. Aunt Julie/Uncle Sherwin gave a pretty fan and the gg's chimed in with a check. All in all the "pretty-princess" had a fabulous (that's a fancy name for "wonderful" ~ Fancy Nancy books) birthday. Daddy rocked his little girl to sleep, thinking that she is growing up way too fast!

Asheville, North Carolina

As I loaded up the "froggy" potty, I tried to remind myself again that my paradigm of vacation has been drastically redefined. You would think this would come easy as I lugged up all the loot that accompanies 2 kids and a pregnant wife. The day dreams of silent mornings with a cup of coffee on my chest blissfully lost in thought with my Bible by my side, wondering through the other world estate of George Biltmore listening to a fascinating audio tour, taking a romantic walk each evening around the lake, or devouring three books has been indefinately suspended for the next 20 years. Sadly, vacation is no longer all about me!

While we did enjoy coffee each morning while the kids decimated Granddad's pancakes, wondered the Biltmore Estate - two of five floors before the kids could take no more, enjoyed several family walks around the lake with a running commentary coming from the doublewide stroller, and managed to read 91 pages of an adult book and a half dozen "little people" books, vacation was very much an "us" event and not entirely a "me" occasion. Couldn't my self-centeredness die on another field of battle? Shout out to Granddad and Grandmother who joined us and for whom I am developing an ever deeper respect. They have the opportunity to have "me" vacations but instead choose to join "us" and thereby bring a little redemption back to the "me" side of things. Thanks Grandmother and Granddad (though we know you come for "them" and not for "us":)!

Highlights of our "us" vacation:
Throwing rocks into the stream at Montreat
Feeding trout at Mount Pisgah National Park
Swimming at the pool and playing in splash fountains at Black Mountain
Seeing "the ducks, goose, and geese" at Lake Tamahawk (notice the water theme)
The "castle"
Watching PBS cartoons at our "vacation home" - if it was "me" we'ld be watching Masterpiece theatre murder mystery instead of Curious George and Cat in the Hat
Sophia's aquiring of jellie beans through froggie potty successes - as I lose control over the definition of vacation, she gains contol over her bladder!
Bubbles and puzzles - grandmother's favorite was Sophia turning 360 degrees when told to "turn" the puzzle piece
Judah's broom horsie rides after dinner
Sophia's mastery of the stairs

Highlights of the "me" vacation:
Rhododendron Cottage which had a stone fireplace and screened in porch (w/ fireplace)
The Biltmore - the grounds were amazing; next time the lodge replete with fly fishing and bicycling
Eating: My Father's Pizza (casual), Maddison Inn (had a chef), the Biltmore (wonderful buffet), the Corner Kitchen (quaint and romantic), and Phil's BBQ Pit (awesome name).
Jogging around the .55 mile Tomahawk Lake; obviously not easy in light of above
Dominos in the evening which has absolutely no strategy as Katherine who doesn't have a strategic bone in her body was the family champion and I never came close to winning
Grandmother's cooking, grenadine (which has 4 tspoons of sugar per serving), and preztle m&ms
"wrestles," "readings," cuddles, answering a barrage of questions, and watching Grandparents with grandkids
Visiting my 47th state!

What Makes Texas so "Grand" Anyway?

Having moved from Texas to Georgia, I am amazed by the floral array of Atlanta's spring and the lush greens that its wooded terrain affords. Despite the beauty of Spring in Georgia, I find myself looking forward to my brief jaunts back to Texas for our companies' senior leadership meetings. Though my kids are Texan by birth, I never thought I would become attached to this vast, wide open state where the hotels proclaim their Texan pride from the back of their room doors, but flying in to Dallas Forth Worth airport coupled with the view from my hotel room window, I found myself missing the wide open spaces and ambiance of Texas.

Bidding $65 on price-line had landed me at the Grand Hyatt rising up out of the middle of DFW's vast series of runways. With soundproof rooms, a pool on the roof, and a view that would make any Texan proud (you can see Dallas and Fort Worth from the roof) the Grand Hyatt afforded me a first: the unique opportunity to watch a huge airport wake-up while ironing my shirt. They say "everything is bigger in Texas!" I guess the 'Grand' Hyatt lived up to its name.

Whale Sharks are Lucky!

With uncle S, aunt J, and "m," in toe, we zipped out of church to experience the Varsity (local eatery next to Georgia Tech) and take in the Georgia Aquarium. While post church Sundays are not prime time for people under four feet to be active, we relied on van naps and were prepared with a smorgasbord of snacks.

The Varsity gets an A for history but a much lower grade for food - three hours later the term "grease pit" was being used and the adults were feeling the side effects. Fortunately those under four feet were oblivious, I supposed if the adults had the luxury of car naps we wouldn't have complained either!

The Georgia aquarium - the world's largest - was impressive. It boasts three whale-sharks, several manta rays, sharks (hammer heads included), and beluga whales; but the museum was very crowded. Ok, it was extremely crowded and for a border-line introvert who likes to take a nap on Sunday, it was a little overwhelming. The silver lining was Luke enjoyed the whale-sharks, sea otters, and sea horses. Fortunately I enjoy living vicariously through my three and a half year old; not sure Ava Marie was quite as impressed.

A staff member shared that the whale-shark's throat (it's really a sifter - it eats through its gills) is the size of a quarter. I suspect all of the adults in our crew were jealous of a whale-shark as it couldn't have made the same mistake we did by eating at The Varsity!

Savannah

I expected Savannah to be more like Charleston. While they had similarities, Sothern city ports with lots of history, Savannah was unique in it's own right.

Three things that stood out:
- Savannah is the second busiest port in the US (who'd a 'thunk' that!).
- General Sherman decided not to burn the city as a Christmas present for Abraham Lincoln. The city was not destroyed because the 12,000 confederate troops gave up their positions in the face of Sherman's 34,000 federal troops. There were 16,000 residents of which 8,000 were slaves!
- You can track the arrival of denominations to America by the churches that emanate from the harbor as the city grew: Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Congregationalist, Catholics and Baptists.

Two things you should know:
If you like history the trolleys and squares are a must!
River Sreet is reminiscent of San Antonio's river walk (more energy, less romantic) - you want to board here or near one of the squares.

One thing you shou ld avoid:
Savannah can be very humid, you want to miss the hot season.

Honorable Mention:
Tybee Island is nice if you are interested in light houses or a family friendly beech getaway.

"Who is J.K. Polk, will be no more asked!"

This declaration by Andrew Jackson, whose political capital propelled James Knox Polk to the eleventh Presidency of the United States, seems ironic as Polk for all intents and purposes is one of the forgotten presidents of the modern day. Yet Polk's influence on the executive office is arguably the strongest prior to Abraham Lincoln and the civil war.

Upon assuming the Presidency Polk declared, "In any event I intend to be myself, Presidents of the United States." This proved to be helpful as Polk would find big egos and agendas in his contemporaries such as "Old Fuss and Feathers" (Gen. Winfield Scott), Santa Anna - the resilient Mexican dictator, Gen. Zachary Taylor - the 12th President, and Sam Houston - the father of TX.

Polk's agenda was clear: resolve the joint occupation (w Britain) of Oregon - "54'40" or fight", acquire California (Mexico), reduce the tariff (there was no income tax at the time and this was the federal governments main revenue stream), and establish an independent treasury. In short, Polk was successful.

Under the promise of a one term Presidency, Polk would expand the geography of the United States by 38% (if counting Texas, Oregon Territory, and California). After one term Polk, whose political ambition had always been the Presidency, was happy to leave. Polk would die shortly after leaving office, many historians agree that his early demise was due to the strain of the Presidency. - The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America: Polk - Borneman

Running in the Snow

“Whoever thought of this tradition is uninvited next year,” declared my father-in-law as we all loaded up in the cars to head out for our three mile road race. I think that this is now the second holiday in a row that I’ve run a road race, a little disconcerting and it was colder this time! The kids stayed warm though, don't they look happy! After the race we shared “high-low,” my high was definitely McDonalds and a cup of coffee post race, the low was at my first mile when I looked at my watch and realized that I was pacing at 7 minutes; I was in shape for 8 minute miles. It was a rough last two miles, but not as bad as my brother-in-law’s low. Katherine asked Jerry to go in and look for Jon, when Jerry came back out the 200 people who were standing expectantly at the starting line in the 22 degree weather a moment ago were nowhere in sight. No worries Jerry, next year you will be in Greece on stint and I will be running around a parking lot in Shelbyville in sub-arctic temperatures! And please no comments about the lime green running shirt!!

That little stinker!

How do you keep a fifteen month old and her three year old brother quiet for a nine hour car ride? Two words, Diapers and dumdums! Our first pit stop was right outside Chattanooga at a “real” Wal-mart where an overly friendly attendant made an unfortunate comment about Katherine’s hair. A mile later, I realized that I had inadvertently left Ava Marie’s diaper on the top of the van, we were not going back! Breakfast and nap #1 kept the kids content from Chattanooga to Nashville where Katherine discovered that the diaper was still on the roof! A mile later, she realized that she had forgotten to throw it away! Nap #2 kept the kids quiet from Nashville to Louisville where we finally threw away the diaper which had collected no little amount smog along its five-hundred mile rout! From Louisville to Mooresville we sang Veggie Tale tunes and passed out dumdums. I know you probably wish you were there to partake, just don’t forget the diaper on the roof!

Running in the Rain

K said I whined the whole way there! Actually, I think I started whining the night before. The idea of getting up early on Thanksgiving Day and running four and a half miles in the pouring rain has never been my idea of fun. Yet, thankfully my alarm went off at 6:45am and thankfully it didn’t start to rain till after the first mile and thankfully K and I both finished under 45 minutes. I was not Thankful when the guy wearing the air-Jordan high tops and big baggy sweat pants passed us at two miles. I hate being passed by non-runners, but I love my wife.

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner cooked by my favorite m-i-l (the sweet-potatoes and the dressing were my favorite). Side note stuffing goes in the bird, dressing goes outside the bird. The blue-berry pie was the “bomb!” Rounded out the day by meeting my new niece who that morning had a parade thrown in her honor in morning.

Five Cremes and One Flying Kick: Thanksgiving 2010

We pulled away from Dunkin Donuts only to discover that the not quite awake drive through attendant had been confused by our order. “Five crème and sugars are better than two crème and sugars and the nine hour car ride from GA is better than the sixteen hour ride from TX,” I thought as I sipped my super sweet coffee and mentally prepared for our nine hour trip to “granddad’s house!” At the TN line the kids woke up and after munching on doughnuts, Luke enjoyed his toy circulars while Ava Marie tried not to become too embitter over being strapped into her forward facing “torture” seat.

McDonalds, while attempting to meet our dietary needs and failing miserably (“Mcgross”), provided me with the highlight of my day. Side note McDonald’s now charges for water! Does this bother anyone else? Is the economy really that bad or am I just “Mccheap?” After using the facilities, I told Luke that he could flush the toilet. Without batting an eye, he reached up with both hands and grabbed the bar next to the toilet to brace himself and sent a flying kick at the toilet lever. I’m not sure where he learned how to do this, must have been his mother.

The ABCs of Thanksgiving

A - Apartment Life and Alpharetta, GA
B - Bunkbeds, Bible Study, and Braves Games
C - Computers and Chick-fil-a
D - Dunkin Doughnuts: "smooth" coffee
E - Etowa: little "m" born
F - Fifteen - hundred square feet: Seven Pines Apartment Complex (no rent)
G - Grandparents
H - Health
I - Ipoletos
J - the John's Sunday school class
K - Kohl's cash: they keep sending us free money :)
L - Leadership Development: staff of six and senior leadership
M - Marta: runs all the way to the airport
N - No: to tv, it's a time chewer with nothing to show for it
O - Ocean: I love beach vacations - Thankful that the Paschal's have this in their blood
P - PCBC and the preschool ministry: the kids love church
Q - Quiet Life: a much simpler season of life
R - Reinsel: have learned a lot of leadership and people skills from MJR
T - Talladega & Twisted Taco: one was free and the other one comes with chips
U - Uncle David
V - Vance and Susan Garison: young married class
W - Wednesday night church: opportunity to teach after a six month hiatus - "God can use me, but He doesn't need me!"
X - Chi: Christ, where the source of all joy is found
Y - Yes: to extra time off the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas - Indy trips
Z - Zero: the amount that I miss dark, cold days!

The Presidents: General Andrew Jackson - "Old Hickory"

The 7th President of the United States, General Andrew Jackson was to say the least colorful. Jackson was first and foremost a soldier who whether on the battle field or the political stage led boldly with his emotions. A passionate man, Jackson was tempered by his loyalty to family, friends, and faith (Presbyterian by birth - became more centric later in life). To most Jackson alluded a charming and charismatic personality, but those who stood in his way knew Jackson's unrelenting fury and were viewed by Jackson as enemies who must be crushed or vanquished!

Jackson believed that he represented "the people," and for better or worse Jackson saw himself as the supreme representative of the people - a paradigm shift in political thinking. This coupled with the spoils system was the single greatest impact Jackson's Presidency brought to the American political life!

Jackson's life reflected a life of extremes. "The good" of Jackson's Presidency, which were aided by his unbending will, was his thwarting of the Nullification Process (Jackson's foes: Calhoun and Clay) - South Carolina's power struggle with Jackson over the issue of state vs. federal power - the rumbling before the outbreak of the civil war. Abraham Lincoln would ultimately quote Jackson to validate his pro-union position. Jackson was a staunch believer in the United State's policy of Manifest Destiny. While most of his contribution to this end was accomplished as a military man - Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War, the Seminole War, and the Battle of 1812 where he was the triumphant victor at battle field of New Orleans - his Presidency reinforced the prevailing attitude of the day.

While not apparent during his lifetime, history would look back on the removal of the Native American as "the bad" of Jackson's presidency. Jackson has the distinction of being the first President to face an assassination attempt (there have been 10 attempts to kill Presidents; 4 have been fatal; there have been 44 Presidents; I don't think I want to be President!).

"The ugly" of the Jacksonian life can all be tied to Jackson's female relationships. His mom died do to a cholera epidemic during the Revolutionary War; Jackson blamed the British. His wife Rachel, is suspected to have died from the rigors of campaign trail rife with personal attack and animosity; Jackson never forgave those that defamed him (Jackson fought 13 duels primarily over honor in which he took several bullets and killed one man). His need for family drove Jackson to surround himself by his protegees and their wives which would eventually lead to the "petticoat affair;" in response Jackson disbanded his first cabinet.

Loathed by his enemies and loved by his friends. Jackson's Presidency and era were an age defined by American military accomplishments and expansion. Driven by Jackson's will and reflecting his personality, America embodied the persona of its self viewed father figure. It was truly, the age of Jackson!

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House
- Jon Meacham

Talladega, AL

What do Indiana, Florida, and Alabama all have in common? Give up?
Super Speedways - enormous races tracks to be exact!

My memories of automotive racing are fond ones. My grandparents lived in Speedway, Indiana, home to the worlds "greatest spectacle in racing!" As a kid I had been to several Indy qualification days, the race itself, and even had the privilege to sell candy bars for little league baseball to drunk fans after the race (would have made a lot more if I was selling beer). During high school I attended the first inaugural Brickyard 500 but with all of this past racing history somehow I have never become a avid racing fan.

This is not the case for my dad! Who would want you to know that NASCAR stands for "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing" not "Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks." From the pictures showing my dad kissing the start finish line, it would appear that at some point during my college years, my dad become NASCAR fanatic!! For this reason and this reason only I had him fly in this last weekend to head to Talladega. Apparently the only place on earth where it is kosher to invoke the name of Jesus at the end of a prayer after having belted out a Sweet Home Alabama - what's Lynyrd Skynyrd got against vowels anyway!? Since Lynyrd decided to be short on vowel's I will attempt to be short on words.

Our day in phrases:

"You can't buy these tickets!" - in answer to what tickets would normally cost
"Your parking space is right under your seats below the track inside the gates."
"The pits and garages open at 8." - we had passes to both
"Remember this when you finalize your will." - me to dad as he inspected Jeff Gordon's car
"This isn't racing; it's Talladega!
"I got a great deal on these 2 seats, $375!" - the guy sitting next to us
"Gentleman, start your engines!"
"Bump-draft"
"If you got it this far, I'm not going to stop you!" - the security guard in reference to our 2 over-sized cooler housing our lunch and tasty snacks, a polish sausage was $8!!

Ok, so maybe this hiatus to "Dega" wasn't just for my dad! After all our seats were the Presidential seats from which we had a bird's eye view of the entire track and the opportunity to watch 44 very loud stock-cars riding each others bumpers for 500 miles only comes around (the track) 188 times once a year! Dad, I guess this means your buying Daytona?!

Etowah, TN - Native American for . . .

Her screams pierced the air! I started at of my REM sleep and glanced at my iPhone. My brain struggled to register that it was 12:30am. I was sure that the entire campground was now awake as Ava Marie continued to holler inconsolably. As Katherine tried to calm her, I scrambled out of my warm bag to the rude greeting of the brisk 38 degree temperature of the night air. Throwing on my jeans, I grabbed Ava Marie and hustled for the van. Secure in the inter-sanctum of the van, I breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Ava Marie continued to wail, but the tranquility of the campground had been restored!

As Ava Marie laid on my chest, I took stock of my circumstances. My torso was warm thanks to the sobbing heater on my chest, but my t-shirts and jeans were not going to keep me warm for the long night that lay ahead. I strapped Ava Marie, who was now calm into her seat, sprinted back to the tent, grabbed my bag and several blankets, and began to clear the back of the van for the first of two restless nights. As my mind focused, I began to brow beat myself for taking a 1 year old and her 3 year old brother camping, what was I thinking? Restful weekend?! It was now 1:00 am and the cold coupled with the prospect of lack of sleep had me wondering if this memory was worth the making.

Etowah (Native American for "camping with young children not wise!") is a sleepy little town in Tennessee nestled next to the Great Smokey Mountains whose main attraction is the Hiwassee River Rail. Boasting a 3.5 hour train ride running along the Ocoee River venturing into the Cherokee National Forest. The train can be picked up at the Gee campground, very convenient for a tired camper who spent the night in the back of a van. It was a tranquil ride replete with beautiful scenery.

For sustanance and because not all are expert roasting weenies over a camp fire, I'd recommend either Michael's or Memories for dining (Michael's . . . Memories, I crack myself up). Two warnings: there is no place in town to get fresh doughnuts (the "Pig" sells doughnuts in a bag) and the McDonald's makes their coffee thick.

The second night of our stay there was a forest fire at the top of the mountain next to us. As darkness set in the orange glow from the flames could be seen pulsating above us. Fortunately, wild fires always travel up-hill so my second night in the van was just as cold as the first!

Our weekend trip was rounded out by a quick stop in Chattanooga where we dined on a lunch river cruise (thanks mom and dad!!). All said and done a nice memory was made, but camping with young kids remains to be defined by one word, "work!"

The Presidents: Mr. Jefferson I presume

Next on my quest for the Presidents was Mr. Jefferson, the 3rd President and possibly better known as the pen behind the Declaration of Independence. The book, Thomas Jefferson: American Sphinx, an interesting and very apt title!

The highlights of the Jeffersonian presidency in Jefferson's eyes were two fold. First the Louisiana purchase which doubled the size of the US overnight for a mere $15,000,000. Possibly the beginnings of America's love hate relationship with dictators, thanks Napoleon! The second was the retiring of the national debt while implementing the reduction of "big" government (the embryonic seeds of the Republican party).

Jefferson was a Deist who declared himself, "a Unitarian by myself." His self written epitaph states, "HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA."

Jefferson was a model figure of the Enlightenment which helped to define Jefferson's aspired values but often did not seem to inform his realized practice. Jefferson championed the ideals of liberty and justice, but had a row of slave quarters outside his estate at Monticello and was the driving catalyst of the removal of the native Indians from their lands. Jefferson hated debt, but died penniless because of his lavish lifestyle. Jefferson a great friend and admirer of the French upper class, condoned the butchery of the French mob as he thought it similar to the revolutionary spirit of "1776." Jefferson believed that working the land was the highest call and was suspicious of industrialization, yet Jefferson ran a nail making factory on his farm to subsidize his income. Jefferson cherished above all the ideal of family, but he isolated himself for a better part of his life from his children and ordered his life in such a fashion that he was rumored to have had sexual relations with a slave, Sally Hemings, whose children lived in slavery on Jefferson's plantation. Jefferson idealized Cicero's withdraw from politics into private life, but in the later years of his life Jefferson was consumed with writing his own biography to better reflect (and nuance his position in light of historical development) his personal political position to the eye of history.

JFK once quipped at a reception of 47 Nobel prize winners, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." In light of Jefferson's political and intellectual brilliance, his life (and possibly character) are marked by inconsistency; for all of Jefferson's historical fame and glory, his personal life seems to have been marred by a lack of joy or happiness!