Spring Break in Hot-lanta!

It's that time of year again.  The long week of "Spring" Break.  When it's not really Spring enough to go outside, so you have to come up with extraordinary things to do inside.  My heart picks up speed as I imagine myself going around in circles for 7 days straight, collecting toys, food wrappers, random clothing items and mud from the floor.  Muttering.  "Why can't you guys pick up after yourselves?!"  Going faster and faster in my little circular loop as the week progresses until finally I spin myself into orbit.  But wait.  What's that.  A commercial about the Georgia Aquarium.  ting.  

On Friday night I inform Tom that I am taking the kids to Atlanta for a 2 day, 1 night trip.  He says he wants to come but has to juggle his schedule a bit.  We tentatively make plans for the following Thursday and Friday.  Along with about every other family in the southeast looking to escape their houses for "Spring" Break.  All of the hotels surrounding the Aquarium are booked!  silent scream. Undeterred, I begin looking for other days.  The horror of being couped up in the house for 7 days with nothing to break up the endless string of days begins my heart racing.  Alas!  Rooms available for this Sunday and Monday.  I ask Tom if he has a meeting on Monday? Poor unsuspecting guy says "no".  Bam!  Pack your bags, we're going to Atlanta in 36 hours.  "Uh-okay," he says faintly stunned. 

Suddenly, we are in a flurry of packing, buying tickets online for the Aquarium and World of Coke.  The one thing holding us back is....Khaki.  All the kennels are booked.  Dang those ever-prepared pet owners who probably scheduled their boarding times months ago.  Dang them!  This is not going to stop my trip--oh no!  Thankfully, we found someone to come let Khaki out and fed/watered a couple of times while we were gone.  Whew!  Close one.

We had a great time in Atlanta.   The Georgia Aquarium is a marvel.  Hays touched a nurse shark, quite by accident I assure you.  She was trying for the sting ray.  Jack and I played with starfish and sea anemones.  Madden stared and stared at a school of fish, particularly watching a little yellow guy race around.

Tom was a little skeptical of The World of Coke.  It met all of MY requirements for a good time though.  Tom, Jack & Hays loved watching all the robots "making" the bottle of cokes.  Such little engineers.  I liked going to the giant room and tasting all of the coke products from around the world.  Take note...the pineapple drink from Greece, not so good.  But the mango drink from South America, gooooo-ooood!

Sometimes the fly-by-the seat of your pants, totally unplanned, spontaneous trips can be better than the ones you spend hours and hours planning.  Less gray hair, too.