So I had to go to Atlanta for a couple days. I used to be a multi-year Platinum traveler...only rode coach when I was catching a standby flight (to get home to the husband sooner, of course). So I miss it. Or I thought I did.

Here is the view from my room--it was actually a lovely hotel plunked into a weird spot. I was overlooking the infamous Varsity! You can also see the Olympic torch to the right there. I was tempted to run across the street for a shake...nah. I'm saving my last trip to the V up for our 50-State Adventure.

Travel has changed so much (or maybe I have). Security is horrible--the most trouble we had was having to turn on our laptops to prove they weren't bomb cases. The biggest change to me was that technology has made the traveling world a lonelier place somehow. The help desk in the Delta concourse has been replaced by a bank of help phones. Wireless (yes, I had to go hover in a phone carrel in the Crowne Room on a MODEM) ensures that every person keeps his nose in a laptop. People actually walk around with earbuds in, completely oblivious to others around them. I may just be overly sensitive (or completely used to five boys tugging at me), but there is a new sadness to it.

I'll tell you one sad thing. The gloves ONLY protect the stinking security people. I put my Kate Spade bag, my new white coat, and my nice new mini laptop in, only to hear a conversation about the person in front of me...something to do with a nasty, big bottle of perfume...did they change the gloves? Noooooo. Those nasty gloves went straight into MY STUFF. That is just nasty, people.

We can't believe Cam is two. He is huge, and wearing size 3 clothes already (90th percentile!), but it just seems like yesterday that we brought him home. He is an absolute clown, but amazingly sweet. One would expect that we'll be even more adventuresome now that we have to pay for plane tickets.

Camden loves books. He will dance with surprisingly good rhythm to any music. I am not sure where he got his moves--certainly not me. He still makes the funniest noise ever to soothe himself to sleep on the odd night that he doesn't conk right out. He is really affectionate to all people, animals, and stuffed objects--for about a second, then he is ready to be-bop onto the next thing. And he plays hard with his brothers, and races back to Mommy for occassional battery re-charging, as we call it.

Those are supposed to be giraffe spots on the cake. An artiste I am not. But it was fun to try. And it is four layers. Also fun (and yummier that way).

The weather was cooooooold last week, but turned perfectly beautiful for our birthday weekend. It is mid-70's and sunny today...the kids are outside having snacks at their playground picnic table. They have it rough.

So Camden LOVES animals. Just loves them. He thinks they all either say woof, baa, or (insert throaty pig noise), but he loves them anyway. So we ended our run of kid birthday outings to Disney with some Animal Kingdom fun. We tried it in June when it was shoulder-to-shoulder people, 1 bazillion degrees, and (no kidding) at least 100 minutes' wait for every attraction. And I smashed my finger in the gate and nearly died. So we said we would try again in January, and it was indeed a good time to go. Walked right onto the Safari attraction, which was wonderful (they acted like we were on rickety bridges over the crocodiles, and we really were in an open-air car and saw some great animals). Camden was breathless with excitement, which was the point. Travis got ice cream, handed one to Cam, then handed him a napkin. Cam promptly used it to blow his nose, then handed it back. HA!

We played some games, and Camden got a giant red (?) octopus for being the birthday boy. Always announce your special day at Disney.

This was possibly the best Tigger character EVER. We had to get a shot of Travis with his alter-ego, Eeyore. This is Travis on Mondays, right?

So we were walking the dog Saturday night and the reindeer were out. They get bolder by the day. Then we heard something in the hedge--thought it was the deer, but realized it was this lovely armadillo. Travis got in up close so I could have a Critter page shot. Is that the ugliest face you've ever seen?

Today was a big day...the Rs had their first day of tennis! There is a little tennis clinic for their age group, and no one else was signed up, and the tennis coach (who happens to be our neighbor, conveniently) offered to open it up just for them. They were SO CUTE. They had to start out by running a lap, and finished up by picking up the balls. Riley was totally on top of his game...loved it!

One of the other coaches was chatting with me and sent Tal to do something, then remembered he was only ten. He chuckled and said that he always forgets that Tal is so much younger than he talks and acts. Then he mimicked him rambling about refinancing his tennis racquet or something and we had a good laugh. It was so very Tal.

So we have a serious squirrel problem. Our deer are turning into a problem, but at least they are pleasant to look at. The squirrels are basically laughing at us, eating our trash and dog food, and worst of all, making messes in the garage. They are really disgusting rodents. So our friend Mike nonchalantly says, "Oh, get an owl." So I order an owl on Amazon with high hopes. This thing turns its head, hoots, the works. And the only beings it has terrified so far are the humans. The squirrels are apparently scurrying past it.

What do I do? One friend posted this on FaceBook today:
Squirrel Catapult