First breathing house guest.....

Tony finding 'the American way'

Well Tony arrived last wednesday.  Paul picked him up from Atlanta airport and they headed into the city itself to watch the Lakers vs Hawks basketball game.  The said it was an interesting experience, as most of the fans were Lakers, and were booing the home team.  I had booked them into a grotty down town hotel for the night, so they headed to a bar, where they continued drinking.  A few Grey Goose later, and they wandered back to the hotel.  You don't even want to know how much those drinks cost......

Thursday they drove back here.  They arrived just after I had got Isaac from school.  We had a quick hello, and discussed afternoon/dinner plans.  I was already planning on going to Greenville to look for the mice on main street.  Isaac thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks to the wonderful clues from Liene.  We headed for a civilized adult coffee (yeah right, with 4 kids between us), then on for an ice cream.  A few of my friends have mentioned Marble Slab to me before, but I had never experienced it.  My golly it was good.  Nice price too....  The boys had hoped they would make it in to Greenville to meet us, but they had said they would pick up Oliver, so they didn't make it.  I headed home, rejoicing in the fact I did not have to do a school run.  Both Seb and Isaac fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Normally this would have been a huge hinderance to bedtime, but seeing as we had already decided we were going out for dinner it was actually a good thing.  The boys were so pleased to see Tony.  They all played beautifully together before we headed out for dinner at Tavern 24.  I had plans that evening to go to the cinema with a friend, so after dinner Paul and I swapped cars.  This was the first time I had driven his car ( a 3 series convertible).  It felt so low to the ground and really bumpy.....  My friend and I went to see Oz: The Great and Powerful.  Quite a good film, well worth seeing in 3D.  By the time I arrived home, Tony was already in bed.

Friday morning was spent doing the usual school runs for me.  We decide we would go out for lunch, then on to Walmart to get a BBQ, and the rest of the garden furniture.  Obviously we took 2 cars.  Good job too.  It ended up with all the garden furniture in the back of the X5, with the boot tied closed, the BBQ in the passenger seat.  I had to drive Paul's car, again, with the boys in the back, and the rest of the shopping in the boot.  The temperature was creeping up, and I couldn't even put the roof down.  We got home and Paul and Tony started building the furniture, while I went and got Oli in Paul's car, with the roof down.  He hated it!  The boys had some dinner, while the men started on the beer.  After the boys had gone to bed, we cracked open the blackcurrant moonshine we had purchased up in the mountains.  That really did not last long.  I flaked about 11.30, and took myself off to bed (so proud of myself for this, if I had kept drinking I would have been seriously unwell....)

Carolina Ale House

Instead, I awoke saturday morning with a monster hangover.  It was a lovely bright warm morning.  Oliver had baseball practice at 10am, so we all trundled off to watch this.  After a slight confusion in the pitch arrangements (not helped by my thumping head) we eventually arrived at the right place.  Oliver is really enjoying the baseball.  The men took the other 2 off to the park while I got chatting to another English mum. I swear, they are finding me!!!!  We headed to the supermarket, and picked up the supplies for a BBQ.  This was good fun.  I made up a berry sangria type drink, and Paul cooked.

Sunday, the heads were not thumping too much (I had cheated and taken some paracetamol the night before).  We headed into Greenville to see if there was ant St Patricks day celebrations going on.  The town was very festive and full of cheer.  We went to the Carolina Ale House for some lunch, beginning with cocktails of course.  I had the Carolina Hurricane, it was lush.....  We took Tony down to Falls Park, and across the Reedy River,  and showed him a bit of the town.  The boys continued drinking in the evening.

The fountains at Falls Park had been turned
green for St Patricks Day

It was Paul's birthday on Monday.  I had got him loads of clothes, and some Lego Architecture.  Tony got him a Lakers top.  We were exceptionally bad this day, as we ate out twice.  We took Tony to show him the mall, and had lunch in the food court.  We then went to Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner.  The drive home was not fun.  There was a massive thunder storm going on, some very loud thunder an bright lightning very close.  The ran was more than torrential.  Horrendous driving conditions. A few more drinks were had when we got home.

Tuesday Paul and Tony went to play golf in the morning.  I say play golf, they went to the driving range.  By now we were all feeling the excesses of drinking too much, and staying up to late.  Thats what you do when you are on holiday.  They stopped at a sports store on the way home, as Tony wanted some bits.  Paul got a baseball mitt for Isaac (he's a lefty, so can't really use Oliver's) and a bat so he can have hitting practice.  The adults spent the afternoon hitting in the garden.  I have quite a good swing, it went over the fence quite a few times... We had another BBQ, an early one as Oliver had baseball practice.

Tony and  Seb playing

Wednesday was a sad day.  I took the boys to school as usual.  Both Paul and Tony slept in.  They kicked around the house in the morning, till just before I had to get Isaac.  Then they headed out to Get some more purchases for people back home, and met us in one of the many McDonalds in Greenville.  We then went up to the zoo for our usual wednesday afternoon walk around.  The men headed to get Oliver (hurrah no school run for me), while I took the other 2 home.  It was very hard to say good bye to Tony, especially for the boys.  Isaac in particular really does not like good byes, and will refuse to give kisses and cuddles.  He timed it quite well, as he left just as they started computer time, so they had a distraction.

They made it to Atlanta airport at 7.37pm, an hour before Tony had to be there.  They even managed to stop at at outlet mall on the way.  Tony's flight wasn't till 11.30pm.  He must have been so bored!  Paul got back here about 10.30, absolutely shattered.

It has been an absolute joy having Tony as a house guest.  I am quite glad he was the first one.  There was a really nice chilled relaxed atmosphere in the house.  Too much sport in the telly, perhaps, but thats about my only complaint.  It was also nice for Paul, as he took the week off work and was able to feel like he was on holiday too, despite doing morning school runs with me for the first few days.

See, too much beer......

So on to the next...... My mum arrives next week.  In fact this time next week, she will be here.


This time next week, we will have been living here for 6 months

yowzers.......