The Finn Files: June 2013

Bon Voyage Preschool!

Preschool graduation is just around the corner and these kiddos are going out in style! We took a water taxi ride to the aquarium, where we spent the morning exploring the aquarium and learning about all of the cool fish and animals who live there. We capped off the day with a picnic overlooking the Charleston Harbor (where we spied some dolphins!) and a water taxi ride back to Mt. Pleasant. It was a great day and the kids had a blast--such a fun way to end a really great year.

Saying Goodbye

Some of you may remember that I blogged earlier about my grandmother, Geraldine (or Geri as she preferred), taking a health turn for the worse in the beginning of the year. I was fortunate enough to be able to fly down to Miami and spend a weekend with her. It was a special time, made all the more special because it happened to be my last time with her. She passed away on May 6 at 93 years old. She was one-of-a-kind. She had an amazing story and one day I hope to write it. It is hard to lose someone you love, but in a way a relief. She was in a lot of pain and wasn't able to be her true self. I have no doubt she is in a much better place . . . most likely wearing her tennis whites, watching her favorite game shows and enjoying a box of weight watcher ice cream bars (eating the entire box is ok by her standards because it's weight watchers!) all from a comfy perch in Heaven.

We celebrated her life with a small, immediate family only service in her birthplace of Lakeland, GA. Her childhood home there has been purchased by the Historical Preservation Society and will be turned into a museum. Geri's father was governor of Georgia and she lived in the govenor's mansion for a while. Like I said, a pretty amazing story.

Posing with one of her six great grandsons

90 years young

Her father, Gov. Rivers, in the car with for the parade for the Gone with the Wind premiere at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta

She hosted the cast of Gone with the Wind at the Governor's mansion

Geri's father and her fiance's father ran against each other for the democratic nomination

There were literally hundreds of newspaper articles, clippings, photographs and artifacts--these were just a few. It was pretty cool to walk through her home and see pieces of history (mine included) wallpapering the walls of a home she treasured.

Saying goodbye

Teeball: The Cheetahs

This spring marked our first foray into organized team sports. Up until now, Finn had shown zero interest in playing anything or being on any kind team. So, we just let it go . . . forcing a determined 5 year old to do anything he doesn't want to do does not rank high on my "to do list." But, this spring, Finn had a change of heart--he decided he would give t-ball a try because his cousins Luke and Mary Daniel play. We signed him up for the Isle of Palms rec league and got the good fortune of getting a great coach and fun team. Finn's only problem was that he didn't like wearing a purple jersey. Because technically purple is a "girl" color. I swear, he comes up with this on his own.

I wasn't sure how it would go, but Finn really surprised me. He tried really hard and improved so much over the course of the season. He loved batting and running the bases, especially sliding whether it was necessary or not (mostly not) . . . playing outfield, eh, not so much. It helped that he had some great coaches who were really patient and made practice fun. His favorite part was sliding and getting red dirt all over his uniform and getting snacks after the games. Some things never change . . . I remember the snacks being a major motivator in getting me to play sports.

Anyway, a great first t-ball season and Finn says he is ready to play again. Stay tuned!

Super star