Nashville, TN

We did a quick trip down to Nashville the other weekend.  It’s a little over 4 hours down, so we left Friday morning (Chris had Good Friday off) and got in around lunch time.  We looked up some fun places to eat and Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack was our first stop.  It was and absolute hole in the wall in a terrible neighborhood.  If it hadn’t been featured on the food network, you’d never know about it.  It was crowded and obvious that finding a table wasn’t going to happen.  Getting it To Go wasn’t any faster though; we still waited a half hour walking up and down the dirty strip mall with our 1 and 2-year-old with the smell of pot in the air.  When we got our chicken, we drove to a nicer area and settled into a McDonalds, purchasing a drink and an ice cream for the use of their facility.  The chicken was awesome.  Chris got the hot and I got the medium.  I could feel the edges of my lips burning, but Chris was sweating and periodically wiping his brow as he ate his spicy chicken.  I can’t imagine what the 3X Hot is like. We headed downtown and spotted a pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River.  We spent some time up on the bridge and then walked into the fun down town area.  It threatened to rain a few times, but we only got sprinkled on a tiny bit.  We got some dinner drove around Vanderbilt University and headed to the hotel where Peter gave us the worst night of sleep in a long time.  Peter is not good at sleeping when he can see us in the room.  We were up all night with him trying to keep him quiet so Jane and whoever wasn’t with Peter could sleep.  It was a pretty miserable night.

This little bridge light fixture cage was the highlight of the day for these two kids.  They loved being closed in it and Peter found his own special little spot.  We had to tear them away when we finally decided we needed to move on.

After breakfast, we planned out our day and decided to do the Easter egg hunt at the Hermitage (Andrew Jacksons old home).  I figured we’d have to pay extra to go inside, but the House and gardens looked beautiful and we thought it would be fun to see it from the outside.  When we got there, we discovered the Easter egg hunt was on another part of the property and the home itself we not visible at all except to those who buy the tour.  We were pretty disappointed.  The Easter egg hunt was fun, but it’s not something we would have paid for if we’d known.  Jane loved collecting the eggs though.  She’s not a very aggressive hunter, but she got enough to keep her happy.  Peter passed out in the car on the way over and slept a little in Chris’ arms before the hunt.  He was a little too groggy to participate, but he enjoyed walking around holding an egg that Jane had given him.  They had little games and treats afterward and the Easter bunny was there too.  Jane liked him, but Peter was a little more wary.  

We got Jane a cookie, but she’s so funny about sweets.  She’s picky about her treats.  She did NOT like the cookie, and couldn’t even handle washing it down with lemonade until she got a napkin she could spit it back out into.  (I was pretty glad she wanted a napkin.)  We got her another cookie with frosting and sprinkles, but it was still a disappointment to her.  Peter was more than happy to eat all of Jane’s leftovers. 

We went over to the Parthenon next to marvel at why they would build a Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. We didn’t go inside, but it was fun to walk around it and take some pictures.  We spent a little while at the playground, so Jane could go on the swings and Peter could go on the slides.  They definitely have their own preferences. 

We did a late lunch at the famed Loveless Café.  It was a two-hour wait, but only about 20 minutes to get your food TO GO and sit outside on the picnic tables.  The weather was gorgeous, so we were happy to do that.  They have a big property with a cute country store and some outdoor games and things to keep you busy while you wait.  It is really fun place to stop.  When our food was ready, I picked it up and hand my hands full with our lunch.  Chris was carrying a sleeping Jane, and Peter was trying not to be picked up.  He’s learned this little spin move so I can’t grab him.  Chris tried to lift him for me by holding his hand and we both heard his little arm pop.  We weren’t entirely sure there was anything wrong at first.  He had been crying before we picked him up, but soon we noticed he wasn’t using his right arm and he kept up a very sad cry as we tried to eat lunch.  We called up Dr. Johnson (everyone should have a Dr Brother-in-Law in their lives) and explained the situation.  He told us it was “Nursemaid’s arm” and told me how to pop Peter’s elbow back in place.  As soon as I did, he started using his arm again and was picking dandelions in no time.  It was one of my first real Doctor Mom moments (Thanks to Dr. Johnson). 

There was a popular park nearby that we decided to go see while we were in the area.  When we got there we discovered it was an Equestrian track.  We sat up on the stone stairs of the bleachers and ate our desserts from Loveless Café.  The view was gorgeous.  The kids were playing around us and while we were there, Peter took a tumble down a few stone stairs and then rolled right out of it with a few scratches on his knuckles.  I was surprised he hardly cried, especially after the day he had.  The neighborhoods near this park were full of incredible homes on huge lots.  It was so fun to drive around and look at these picturesque mansions.  It was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.  And with that, we drove home.