Crossin' Dixie

Happy Birthday Evangeline and Ben!

2011-02-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

In the past couple weeks, two of our good buddies have had great birthdays!

First up was Evangeline's at Incredible Dave's...which really is incredible...bowling, bumper cars, jumpies, indoor bungee jumping/trampolines, a huge arcade, playground, etc!

You old timers may recognize Evangeline's aunt, yep, it's Jamie!

The Birthday girl, Taylor [that's Megan and David's 2-year-old], and Mary Thomas

Jumpin' Jane with Evangeline

Where's Mary Thomas? Driving Nascar. She's from Alabama.

Next up was Ben's FIRST!

Ben's bash was a music party downtown at Shine...and it was great!

Mary Thomas is so happy that Dad's finally updated the blog that she "covered her boobies with her pants!"

Love to all of you who actually still read this -

Happy 2011

2011-02-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

The new year came in like a lamb for us...which I suppose is not abnormal for parents of two and four-year-olds. My good Tennessee pals Yen and Mandy came to Louisville to celebrate downtown with friends, so early on December 31 we went down to their suite at the Galt House to hang out:

Two white girls gave one Asian a pedicure

Played makeup

Jumped on their beds...and then went home to our own.

Our perfect version of a Happy 2011!

The next morning we went back down to New Year's Day brunch at Rivue, a superb restaurant atop the Galt House designed by a fantastic young architect.

...and payed another visit to the Gingerbread Village

where they gave us the biggest lollipops we've ever seen:

All that food made Yen and Mandy need a nap:

So Jane and Mary Thomas tucked them in.

Update on Mary Thomas:

She's 98% got the hang of this and wearing big girl underoos to school all day now!

She may have a future in kayaking...

...or she may just head to the convent and be Sr. Mary Holy Water

Thanks to Gigi and Aunt Jamie this Christmas for the aprons...we've got some cooks in the kitchen!

Love,

Dueitt Christmas 2010 - Part Two

2011-02-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

A couple days after Christmas, another 4/11ths of the Dueitts made the trip up I-65 to pay us a Christmas visit. We were SO excited to have them!! We played and partied for several days straight and had a great time!

Christmas dinner...a few days late

Uncle Julian got some lips from Catwoman Mary Thomas

[yep, Halloween costumes never really get put "away" here]

~~Shirley Temple~~ Frances and Jane

Sleepy Bennett...

...was probably tired from putting this together. I'm amazed that the baby nephew I gained when we got married is a smart young man who can now make sense of hundreds of tiny legos.

Aunt Marie's good pal Catherine lives in Lexington. One afternoon while they were here, we met Catherine and her two sons in Shelbyville for lunch - at The Colonel's Lady! That's what old Kentucky folks call the real Bluegrass home of KFC. Y'all go get ya some.

The Colonel [yep, that was his real house...with a hot tin roof too, don't ya think] still had some snow left over from Christmas. This is a big deal for the Katz kiddos, who'd never seen enough of the white stuff to play with. So...

Bennett made a snowman

Marie and Julian also happened to be in town on the big Fairmeade Christmas dinner night out, which was at everyone's perennial Louisville favorite - Pat's Steakhouse. A great, great time:

I may or may not have had three drinks before my food arrived

Great picture.

Two minutes later the Tennessee Vols blew the bowl game. We retreated to the bar promptly...

...and solved all the world's problems.

Aunt Heather, we missed you this Christmas!!! Must. see. you. SOON!

Love,

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-02-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Living Nativity

Our girls' school back in Birmingham did this and it proves to be the best way to explain the holiday to them. We trekked down to Hillview, Kentucky to see this one and it was great - well worth the drive, freezing temps, and late night to see how the first Christmas all went down.

With Mary's donkey

The Magi's camel

O Holy Night...finally a Christmas Eve back at our home parish church

Seeing the newborn

Milly came too

Kung Fu Mary Thomas

Merry Christmas

Callie was the best gift to our family this Christmas...and for one year only, she fit in her Momma's old stocking at Grandma's house

We fed the reindeer and headed off to sleep. While some more snow fell...

Santa came down our chimney!

Santa brought the grocery cart, Billy and Megan brought the dog [to visit]

Want a cheese straw?

Merry Opie

Merry Siblings

Singing Happy Birthday to Jesus...with Jane on the pink guitar.

Thanks Santa!

My parents' five grandchildren -

that all came within five years

...enter the grand-dog!

Christmas Callie

Just the fourteen of us...

Love,

I think there are more than twelve days of Christmas...

2011-02-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

We went downtown to have brunch with the Sugarplum Fairy and see The Louisville Ballet's incredible version of The Nutcracker:

Not too sure of the rats...until they took off their heads and we discovered they were cute blondes.

One angel...which one do you think is her?

With a jockey...who jumps out from under Madame Derby's dress.

Y'all remember this from grammar school field trips, no? Here in horse country, she's Madame Derby and little jockeys come out...it's pretty fresh.

It snows in Whitney Hall just before intermission...I was impressed.

Snowy, happy girls

Santa came to our neighbors house just before the big day for one last check on our behavior and lists

Mary Thomas wouldn't get any closer than this

Love Aunt Meg

Also, as some of you know, our gals go to a Jewish day school, so not only did we get to rock out for Jesus' big birthday this year, we also celebrated our newest favorite winter holiday - Hanukkah!

Mary Thomas' menorah

Dr. Mama was REALLY busy doing bone marrow transplants on Hanukkah party day, so Grandma April came and enjoyed latkes [potato pancakes] with us!

I'm 98% certain my mother is reciting Hail Marys in her head right now and thinking, "well Jesus was Jewish"

Jane and Marleigh

John Gage!

The legendary Louisville guitar teacher and kids entertainer - and look who's front and center. Aunt Marie's niece - all she needs is a tambourine.

Jane and Erin

Santa Banana

Mixing up reindeer food for the big night

Santa Pajama

All the Kute Family together again for Christmas! Our schedule over the past SEVERAL years had always clashed with this super event, so we were so happy to be there this year! The Kutes are an unbelievably fast multiplying bunch and we have so many FAST and FUN cousins that next year we're going to handout cross country uniforms and run laps around the Crowne Plaza hotel!

Love,

Dueitt Christmas 2010 - Part One

2011-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we were really luck to stay put and 10/11ths of the Dueitts made the trek to Louisville to visit us and our [new to us] Old Kentucky Home. Gigi and Papa came just before Christmas and evidently hijacked Santa's sleigh on their way northward!

Mary Thomas, the chapstick queen and her Papa...she only wanted "lips" for Christmas

Silver bells are ringing

WE LOVE PAPA!

Gigi is such an awesome designer/seamstress that Jane and Lulu got matching Big Orange checkered dresses. Mother-in-law of the year award!

Looks pink, but I swear they're orange.

Lulu and Milly [and they're doppelgangers that Santa later brought] got closets for all their loot.

Showing Papa his first baby boy, Freckles, who lives on our bookshelf now.

Three generations of Dueitts -

all lit up at the Galt House's Kalightoscope Christmas

Me and Gigi staying grounded while everyone else climbed the huge drum

Candle maze

It's never far from Derby Day in Louisville; and Santa's winning as they come down the stretch!

Gingerbread Village in the Conservatory

The girls requested Gigi and Papa bring their awesome puppets from Mobile so we could have a show here.

Trying on Gigi's peepers

Mary Thomas might be taller than Gigi next Christmas

Grandparent Love!

A framer for their bedroom - the day Mary Thomas was born was the last time we got this picture with just Jane!

So glad to have the Baxters...

and Wimsatts over to catch up all the Fairmeade Road Christmas scoop!

Merry Christmas Gigi and Papa! Thank you for coming and please come back soon! WE LOVE AND MISS YOU!
-

Love,
TK

Meet Callie Grace!

2011-02-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

Tina, Matt, Claire, and Gus welcomed our new cousin on December 10! Meet Callie Grace!

Callie's named after her great-great-great-great grandmother Callie Burks Clayton [1862-1933] who was the matriarch of the Burks Distillery down in Loretto, Kentucky. Y'all know that same joint today is in much better hands with a far better recipe. Callie's middle name, is from Uncle Matt's sister Megan Grace. Our girls know her better as Aunt "Mey Mey"...they adopt all their cousins' family as their own.

Meeting Uncle T, a few hours into this crazy thing called life

In a stroke of blind scheduling luck, Gigi and Papa came to Louisville for their Christmas visit the same day Callie came! So they got to meet her too!!

Sorry for the upskirt, but anyone remember this? [Scroll wayyyyyyy down to where we brought her home]

A quick snowstorm brewed up while we were in the hospital seeing Callie; so we had to get our Gulf Coast grandma back in the heat!! Gigi does not miss the Louisville winters!

After getting her own self well, Mary Thomas finally got her hands on her newest gal pal shortly thereafter!

Girls rule.

Love,
TK

It began to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-02-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

The stockings came out

The tree went up

The snow came down

We built Frosty

Went to the park on a snowy day...

...and went back on a freak warm day!

We like our snow boots...

...and playing in snow makes us tired.

Santa came to check and see if we were being nice...

...and Claire hated him.

But we love each other!

We made cheese straws...

...and Christmas cookies.

Rockin' around the Christmas tree

Lovin' Grandma

Four quiet cousins

Merry Thomas

Night out for Snow Ball 2010

Holiday Love,
TK

THANKFUL for a long and happy life!

2011-02-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it turned out that Thanksgiving 2010 in Louisville was a complete blur.

I have to provide some back-story, since this blog will serve as the baby book for both of our daughters. My Grandpa Gus Dattilo had been declining in health for several years and was still living at home when we moved back to Louisville. My parents, uncles, and aunt dedicated HUGE portions of their life to his care night and day. When we moved back to Louisville, I wanted to do something to help, so each Wednesday night from June to November we took care of taking Gramps' out to dinner and got to spend some good time with him. We hit up all Gramps' favorite [read: inexpensive and unhealthy!] spots in town - Fazoli's, White Castle, Steak and Shake, Lonny's Chicago Dogs, and Frisch's Big Boy. The food wasn't superb, but the company was priceless. I knew he wouldn't be around forever, and I wanted our girls to get to love and know him well. After an October hospital stay, Gramps was sent to Four Courts at Cherokee Park, a rehab facility right near our house up over the park. He was supposed to be relearning to walk there and regain his strength...but his health declined over his five weeks there, and on Thanksgiving Day this year "the angels from Heaven came down and picked up Grandpa."

Despite Gramps poor condition on Thanksgiving Day, I thought that for the Dattilos and Kutes here in town it would be good to still visit with him early in the day since it was still Turkey Day whether he was healthy or not. So I culled the troops for late morning cocktail-and-Skype party because Tina was at Matt's family's house in Somerset, Billy was at Megan's in Springfield, and all the Phil and Jim Dattilos were in Charleston, SC for the holiday. Here's some boozy Skype action from the Four Courts foyer:

Gus III, Mary Thomas, April, Jane, and Gus, Jr.

And sad but true, while all of us where there noshing and celebrating the holiday, Gramps hit the highway to Heaven. Seriously. At the Thanksgiving tailgate. Everyone was there. It was kind of chaos, but beautiful at the same time, and we were ALL there together.

The Dattilos aren't known for being really articulate or calm around the dying, so I have to give a huge shout-out to Dr. Blakely, who immediately rose to the occasion that day and gave her hefty $0.02 to the nurses as Gramps was struggling and helped my Dad clean out his room. If she goes before me, I'm screwed.

With Grandpa enjoying the Thanksgiving banquet in Heaven, the four of us headed to Audubon with Mom and Dad for some turkey:

Having two happy kids around made an otherwise pretty sad and awkward holiday still seem really great.

GUS DATTILO, SR. - we love and miss you!

2010 Kentucky Derby week

Grandparent's Day 2010

Happy 4th Birthday Jane!

Happy 2nd Birthday Mary Thomas!

Happy Halloween 2010

The Monday after Thanksgiving, we took Gramps to church one last time. I said this after Communion:

For Gus Dattilo, Sr. :: Monday, November 29, 2010

Well I can promise I'll never plan another Thanksgiving morning cocktail party for any of you ever again...

When I was about eight years old my Grandma Wanda Dattilo duped Billy and I into attending the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Elizabeth in Germantown with them. She deceptively told us we wouldn’t have to get dressed up early on Easter Sunday and we could spend the better part of the day eating Easter candy. Many times we had been to St. Elizabeth’s very short, regular Saturday afternoon Mass with them. But hours into the Vigil liturgy as the priests were blessing everything in the sanctuary; a very antsy Billy and I both needed a bathroom break. Grandpa immediately jumped to volunteer to take us. In the back vestibule he told us there was no bathroom at St. Elizabeth’s though – and that we’d have to walk across the street - to Check’s. After shuffling across East Burnett, we quickly used the facilities and came back to find Grandpa at a table, with Cokes and potato chips for us, watching an NBA game. After catching some of the game and having finished our snack, I asked him, “Do you think we should go back to Mass now, Grandpa?” To which he replied, “Not just yet, we’ll get back for Communion.” So we all had another Coke, watched the end of the game, and we still made it back for Communion.

It is said that the infinite pleasure of grandparents is to spoil their grand-kids rotten and then return them to their parents. For their thirteen grandchildren, Wanda and Gus Dattilo may have very well been the poster example for this. For most of the first two decades of my own life, I had the privilege of living less than a mile from 3009 Louisa Avenue. I remember spaghetti and meatballs - A LOT of spaghetti and meatballs, using their backyard dog run as a zip line, wearing ties to fine dinners at Ferd Grisanti, summer nights behind the Redbirds' home plate, hours-long water fights on the Fourth of July with our entire extended family, and long naps under their basement staircase. Many Saturday mornings were spent at Preston Street bakeries picking up donuts and learning to read a racing form at the trackside kitchen. I actually think I read a racing form before I read anything else as a child. With the twin spires towering across the Infield, we befriended outriders and grooms on the backside at Churchill Downs for tips [first] and pony rides [obviously second]. Into high school and college, Grandpa shuddered to think my friends and I would pay $40 cash to enter the Infield on Derby Day [because everything to Grandpa was too expensive], so he'd pile us all in his car, drive into the backside, and his friend would be waiting nearby with a golf cart to shuttle us into the Infield at no charge. It will be a treat until my own last day to sit in the clubhouse and look over the winner’s circle at Churchill to the backside where I think Grandpa was his happiest.

Our grandfather was a standout athlete, lettering years in basketball, football, baseball – and became an avid, lifelong golfer. When he hung his own uniforms up, he coached for decades and was a dedicated fan for every sport his grandchildren took up. My cousins Anna, Rachel, and Gemma introduced him soccer and despite having no idea what was the premise of the game, he went anyways for his beloved girls. Beyond his athletic talent, he poured perfect cocktails for customers for more than fifty years, was a great father, and loved my Grandmother to the moon and back. Many of you here today were with us twelve Novembers ago when we bid farewell to Wanda. But it is what Gus did for the FIFTY years before she left us that will always stand out to me. Grandpa taught me “always a gentleman first.” A gentleman walks on the curb, opens the door, dances with a lady, and always tells a woman how pretty she looks. For the fourteen years he cared for my sick Grandmother, I learned a gentleman also becomes a dedicated and selfless nurse when duty calls.

Those of you who knew my Grandmother probably remember her love of fine jewelry. I actually think Grandpa enjoyed buying it all and giving it to her as much as she loved wearing it. I knew my entire life that when I found the right girl, I wanted to shop for her rings with Grandpa. That time came and unfortunately, my Grandmother was gone by then. But Grandpa’s jeweler came to his house; we sat around his back porch table, studied diamonds, haggled prices, and finally found one that we both liked. I remember like it was yesterday turning to him and asking him if he thought Grandma would like it. He opened his eyes wide over his big glasses hanging low on his nose and said straight to me, “Grandma would love it. And so will Blakely.” So it’s the one on her finger today.

Fellini said: “There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.” My Grandfather was pretty great at it. We’ll miss you Big Gus.

After Mass, we took Gramps out Preston Street one last time to put him with Grandma.

This awesome man came from the track in his red coat and played the Call to the Post and My Old Kentucky Home. The sun shined bright too.

Then we all went back to Audubon and celebrated a life well-lived.

We miss you Gramps!

Love,

Lady Vols in the Derby City

2011-02-04T14:41:00.000-08:00

Some smart soul at The University Louisville booked my beloved Lady Vols to play [AND SMACKDOWN] the Lady Cards for the women's home opener of the KFC Yum! Center here in Louisville. It's a spectacular new arena downtown at 2nd and Main Streets:

When fun things happen anywhere nearby that remotely involves the Big Orange, they come running:

Me, Stacey, Josh, Ryen, Ethan, Emily, Blakely, my Mom, Jane, Mary Thomas, and my Dad

Nice, huh? They blew up an office building and wedged this joint right in between Main and the Ohio River

Rocky Top Tennessee!!!

Happy Bird with Aunt Emma assisting the moves

Ethan and Jane hanging over Interstate 64 and the river on the curvy glass wall in the lower left of corner of this pic:

Scoreboard! Coach Summitt on there too. Lady Vols win by 13. Woots.

Party back at the house

on Ethan

Under the table

Emily introducing Jane to the latest iPhone apps

Mary Thomas finding gold

The fall meet at Churchill Downs was still underway, so we took everyone on a backside tour and watched the first race...and all lost our one and only bet.

Jane with the horse that finished dead last in last year's Derby

and Mary Thomas too.

New shoes

Meet our new best animal friend:
Gray Hart's Girl

She likes peppermints, a lot

She also likes to run, and gave Calvin Borel his 1000th victory:

Most of these cats have done Derby before, but it's much different for the fall meet!

Parting is such sweet sorrow:

Bye Stacey [MT loves Ethan in the back...awesome]

Bye Ethan

Bye Yen

Bye Ryen

Finally the Big Orange win something I go to...
Love,
TK

Civil War Weekend 2010

2011-02-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

I lost again. Congratulations honey.

Mandy in the shadow of Neyland

Apple pie moonshine. Thank you Lindsay!

Love

Calhoon's Friday night

New west press box = schmancy

Tailgate

Hotel decorated just for us

Orange Love

More moonshine.

Melanie, before her sleepy Friday

Miss Moonshine herself

Bloody Marys at Half Barrel

Post-game, happy Blakely

Lai Taxi Service back to hotel. Bless her.

Alabama's finest

GO VOLS -

Halloween 2010

2011-02-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

The better part of October at our house was spent readying for Halloween, which seems to get better and better as our girls get older. It's sad to see these next photos first, but what a treat it was to...

Have a trick-or-treat visit with Great-Grandpa Gus at the Four Courts

Gramps and "his babies"...whenever we'd visit him on Wednesday nights for dinner, he'd ask us right away "Where's my babies??" God bless him.

Painting pumpkins

Ditto

With Claire [and Gus] too!

"I'm a dog! I'm a cat"

- Mary Thomas Kute, October 2010

PS: You old timers may remember the first incarnation of the cat.

Pumpkin scooper hand

Cutting the lid off

Seeds!

My pretty pumpkins

Try a nose on for size

You too M.T.

And eyes

The finished product, with LOVEly eyes

Dry run on Halloween at the Zoo; Ballerina and Princess Tiana

Belle meets Tiana...and note nervous Jane. Fingers in mouth, ALWAYS.

Buzz Lightyear Andrew and Spider Jane

Jane scaring Katie, our neighbor, carving away at her pumpkin

Pumpkin pizza face

Aunt Lauren came to trick-or-treat with Blakely while I gave candy...a whole new thing for us to live on a flat street with sidewalks and nice, fun people who party on Halloween! Praise Jesus! I marked my words back then, and meant it!

Spooky porch and four girls ready for some CANDY!

First Halloween in the new digs

MT and Lauren enjoying the first of the loot

Jane the spider with Katie and Jonathan our next door neighbors

Candy lips

Katie and Jonathan's tough pumpkins

The effects of candy starting to show!

Mary Thomas, Gus, Jane, and Claire

After we made our way around our neighborhood [and Mary Thomas rode in the stroller the 12' between houses], we bopped across town to my parents' neighborhood.

Elyse, Jane, Tori, and Claire...our favorite summer swim pals!

Gus and the monkey's uncle

Candy duty on the Faller's porch

At the Diemer's, my third set of grandparents. I trick-or-treated there before I could walk.

Mary Thomas gives Big Bobby some Halloween goodnight love

...and found a puppy friend outside...

...then crashed.

With candy still pumping through her veins WAY past bedtime, Jane kept going a couple more hours.

Happy Halloween!
Love,

We had guests!

2011-02-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Our good pals Jeff and Allison brought their new baby boy Reid back home to Kentucky [from Boston] to Baptize him. We missed the Mass [and now I have no recollection of why...but we were running late getting back into town from somewhere], but made the party:

Three high school pals and our six offspring. Wow.

Jane and Cooper swinging

Allie, the newly-Baptized Reid, Cooper, Jane, and Blakely

After discovering their mutual love of sprinting around our hall, kitchen, dining room, and living room, Jane and Cooper became good buds.

Friends

And a little too short on the skirt there, Bird. Easy does it.

Our new friend Will also payed us a visit. Will's parents are Tristan and Ethan and they live in Vermont now. We hope they move home soon too.

Our gal and her namesake: Mary and Mary

Love,

Fall 2010 came and went...

2011-02-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

but before it got too cold [and wasn't so miserably hot], we went to see our elephant friends at the Zoo. The Birmingham Zoo doesn't have them, so these were our first encounter.

The giraffe feeding spot is REALLY close to the giraffes, even when it's closed.

We walked up to this guy and Jane said, "Oh that's Bart. Hey Bart!!!" I just kind of shrugged it off until the trainer lady started talking to us and as it turns out, Jane really knew it was Bart. Bart the sea lion left Louisville about four years ago to stay in Birmingham while the Zoo here rebuilt Glacier Run. Turns out we did near the same thing. Weird - oncologists and sea lions keep approximately the same schedules.

Obligatory carousel ride...

...that Mary Thomas did not enjoy.

My Birmingham friend Dawn and I at UK vs. AU

So the trees turned and football season brought the Auburn Tigers to Commonwealth Stadium over in Lexington. After a few years in Alabama and working with more than twenty War Eaglers, I had some friends to visit that day, so I went over with Billy and Megan for the weekend, did Keeneland, etc. Sorry for the slacker on photos...but the bourbon and food was so good I didn't have time.

Proof that it pays to work with nice people in Alabama...good seats. I was extremely neutral that day and was actually hoping for a Wildcat upset, but it didn't happen...and we all know where AU went after that.

Our neighbor Andrew [left] had a swimming birthday bash after it got cold...but luckily it was inside at Lakeside!

Bird enjoys

Allie, Andrew, Jane - the posse from the block

Train cake!

First visit to the Science Center

Jane and Mary Thomas, multiplied

Me in a bubble

Blakely emphasizing heart health...

and lungs.

Making smart food choices

Waterworks! My favorite museum exhibit since 1987

Mary Thomas aboard a TARC bus

Jane exercising a skeleton

Our curious little medical one with a real, human stomach

After lunch downtown, Jane wanted to see where Blakely and I got married [yes, she knows the church was the Cathedral], so we walked them over to The Seelbach and up the steps where some of our wedding pictures were taken.

What a difference six years make...

A quick spin in the ballroom upstairs

Love,

Sorry to just be...

2011-02-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

catching up on late summer now that it's February 2011. Sorry...life's handed us a full deck and the blog naturally gets shoved to the back of the bus.

Here we go:

Me, Mary Thomas, and Frankenstein

"Timeout" on top of fridge; perfect spot for feet tickling

Jane clobbering her sister for wearing my shoes and not Blakely's heels

Toy box

Timeout for two

Ballerina, rain boots, stroller

Jane's version of cornhole.
Note that her feet are covering the logo of Vanderbilt University. Good girl.

Mary Thomas rocking one of her first ponytails

Stretch!

Gus and Mary Thomas enjoying a snack in the library...

...and squeezing their way into the fireplace.

Town & Country - Jane's favorite periodical. Seriously...she pulls "sparkly" things from it monthly and decorates her room with the tear sheets.

Mary Thomas out of diapers and into big girl pants!

Jane's getting into lifting weights

My socks are a little large on Birdie

Meet our new cousin, Opie! Opie is Billy and Megan's new pup and we LOVE him.

So does Gus

Four quiet cousins...VERY rare

Basement landing art session

Big sister reads to little while waiting...waiting...waiting...

Another night in Whoville

Cool weather came...which means coats and tights

Panties and loafers...Mary Thomas' fall fashion 2011

Jockey Mary Thomas, Horse Jane

Love,

Mary Thomas is...

2010-11-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

TWO!

Mary Thomas was still slightly hungover from Jane's princess water slide backyard extravaganza and asked for something slightly smaller to celebrate her second year. In all seriousness, she doesn't yet have the Social Register slot that Jane tows...and she's happy as a clam with her two cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Mary Thomas, Jane, Claire, and Gus

Billy, Megan, Tina, and Matt also partied with us...but the photographer missed them! Fire him immediately.

Powdered sugar lips and Grandpa = a happy 2nd birthday!

Happy Birthday Cricket!

Love,

Jane is...

2010-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

FOUR!

Grandma indulged our girl in her very own spree at The Disney Store, while...

Gramps got his knee scoped on Bird's birthday.

When the weekend came and nap was over, a...

princess castle jumpy and water slide arrived for the Bird's 4th birthday bash!

Jumpin' with Mama,

Grandma,

cousins, second cousins, neighborhood buddies,

aunts, uncles, school friends,

Nashville/Frankfort/Lexington/Cincinnati friends,

and even our Great Grandpa Gus!

Aunt Marie made the cupcake cups

Extreme closeup for The Paper Menu shoutout! We LOVE The Paper Menu!

Sister loves icing...

...and so does Gus!

The four of us celebrating Jane's big four!

Happy Birthday to you, Birdie!

Love,

It's Football Time In Tennessee!

2010-11-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

Mary Thomas celebrating a Big Orange touchdown!

Grandma was in New York shopping and partying with our Aunt Heather, so Grandpa came to watch football with us one Saturday

Notable: Jane's hand under Mary Thomas' back. You wouldn't know it by all the screaming, but they do love each other!

Borrowing Jane's shoes

First day at the NEW school...after "summer" school was over.

Ready for Hat Day at school

Happy MT

Mom studying, ballerina Jane doing her hair, Mary Thomas streaking.

Mary Thomas streaking through a dining room rest

Grandpa Gus bought them Derby/Oaks nightshirts at the track

Mary Thomas REALLY likes to slip away and play at the bathroom sink.

Trash the guest room!

Happy breakfast

Nancy, Lulu, Minnie, and Big Brown dressed for the ball

Candy mouths

Momma after a long day in the health care profession: Red wine and Cheerios

I'm on a roll now!
Love,

...and we're back!

2010-11-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

As y'all know, we moved home to Louisville for Blakely's new gig. Doesn't she look official?

Here's a closeup:

This was one of their first days of school back when we got here. I think.

Welcome to Kentucky. Booze at Taco Bell.

This is our buddy Ben Schulte. He's getting a lot bigger now.

This was a fun dinner party at Ben Schulte's house.

Bird brushing teeth...

...and then helping Gramps swap out the ugly light fixture.

Dining room when we first moved in...

...then ripped down the chandelier. It's pink now and lives in the girls' domain upstairs.

We had an impromptu 3rd of July American potluck dinner!

Our pals from Birmingham Amanda, Rees, and Dillon have family in Louisville too. They came to visit us too:

and Dillon went night night.

Mary Thomas almost ran out of diapers at school.

Two are trouble.

Reading with Grandma in the "library."

Back story: Our house has a diminutive breakfast room off the kitchen where we stuck a couple chairs and all the girls' books when we moved in. It works well to read to them there [away from the TV] before bed, we read the morning paper in there, hang out while dinner's cooking, etc. A few days after we moved in, Jane kept referring to the room as "the library" because her books are there. So the name stuck.

Mary Thomas lovin' on Grandpa Thomas

Brush before bed.

After one false start, our cousin Claire sleeps over now too!

I had to do some work in Nashville - Lord only knows how long ago this was - and caught up with Ryen, Josh, and Mandy over beers on Broadway...

...and found Tammy Wynette sizing me up in the men's room. And I'll be damned if Loretta Lynn's not the First Lady of Country Music. False advertising!

I've got catching up to do!

Love,

...please pardon the three-months hiatus.

2010-10-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

I regret the long blog silence! We indeed made it to Louisville safely, have moved into our new digs, and re-introduced our girls to the Derby City as their home. Frankly, the last four months have been pretty much a blur. As you might guess, the time and energy spent gathering and editing photos and writing a blog hasn't been there...sleep and rest has been far more important! Both Blakely and I have been REALLY busy professionally, the girls have started and switched schools already, we've created some sort of decently livable order to our 1940s Tudor house, and we've been spending as much time as we can with Grandpa Dattilo! Both girls have had a birthday since we've been home, but we'll get to all that...

Louisville's welcomed us back home with open arms:

Jane met the Louisville Slugger down on Main Street

Biking by the river

Meeting the Flock of Finns

[you savvy readers may notice the curvy new building behind the park - it's at Second and Main - it's the new home to the Cardinals basketball team...and it is AWESOME.]

A little putting practice with Claire and Gus

Cherokee Park picnic

Field hockey at Sacred Heart with Aunt Lauren

Feeding the ducks on the North Shore [that'd be Indiana...a whole new state for our gals]

Walks in Louisville's exceptional parks to meet...

dog friends!

ArtSparks at the The Speed Art Museum where we also met:

Andy Warhol

Cinderella's REAL glass slipper

a ballroom from a castle [it's actually almost 400-year-old English wall paneling] and...

Henry Moore in the sculpture court.

My mother's father - Grandpa Gus - is still hanging in here with us despite his fair share of health woes, and Mary Thomas didn't really "know" him at all while we lived in Birmingham. I wanted to make it a point when got home to make sure they got to know him! We had been really lucky up until recently that we could get him out and take him to dinner on Wednesdays. He and both girls have developed a really great friendship in the past few months. They enjoy helping take care of him, love to ask him all sorts of questions about when grandma [April] was a little girl, and have developed hearty Italian appetites! Gramps hasn't been so well in the past few weeks, so please keep him in your prayers.

Back around Father's Day, Gramps was still on his feet, eating, smiling, and enjoying the company of all four of his kiddos!

While Aunt Trudie and Uncle Phil were in from Houston, I dragged Trudie all over downtown Louisville re-introducing her to now-really-different college town. Here she is at the 21C Museum Hotel admiring their really cool tornado sculpture on the ceiling of the gallery.

Despite marrying a baseball player and raising two of her own, she'd never been to Louisville Slugger either!

As I find some time, I'll update again soon and give you all the full rundown of two birthdays, jobs, house, and our never-dull moments here in Louisville! Stay tuned.

Love,
TK

Son, he said, grab your things I've come to take you home. [Peter Gabriel]

2010-07-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jane and my Dad when he drove our moving truck to Birmingham:

...and when he came to get us:

Same Grandpa, same Jane, same room, same chair, and one new girl.

No one ever tells you the hardest part of moving is the emotion of leaving a school, the teachers, and forty kids and their families who you all know and love. I'd advise anyone to move in the summer, because a farewell party for a roomful of three and four-year-olds is emotionally exhausting!

Even at sixty, Gramps has a way with the ladies!

Love Miss Jemela

Love Miss Carla

Love Miss Toni...Jane's first teacher in Birmingham!

Miss Toni's eyes look silly because she was shedding some tears seeing her now-big girl head out for the last time. Like I said...this was tough.

Checking out for the last time

Mary Thomas' buddies

Love Miss Pam

Love Miss Mona and Miss Amy

Dillon Denham came over to help us load up...

The Denhams, Brad Sloan, Carrie Marquette, and my Dad get all kinds of blog love and thanks for their help loading up Casa Del Ray! Papa's truck a few weeks earlier [after the ballet recital] was also awesome help getting furniture cast-offs donated. Blakely and I COULD NOT have done it without you all!

Our beds were packed in the truck, so we spent one last night camping out in Casa Del Ray...

Then it was time to hit the road!

Happy to leave a great house to a new happy family to enjoy!

[click to enlarge]

Bye Gramps! See you in Kentucky!!

There is a time for departure even when there's no certain place to go. [Tennessee Williams]

2010-07-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Some months ago, Blakely was called up to big leagues. Her residency in Birmingham was nearing the end and The James Graham Brown Cancer Center here in Louisville wanted her for a fellowship position. She is a fine physician already, and hopefully this opportunity in Louisville will make her an even better Oncologist [that's a cancer doctor for those uninformed...you DON'T want to have Blakely treat you!].

As residencies end, celebrations begin!

Over the past three years, our Sweet Home [in] Alabama has been really great to us. It has been the single choice we've made in our marriage and our own family that has taught us the most about ourselves. Like Dr. Seuss said: "...head straight of town. It's opener there in the wide open air...don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening too." And we did.

Moving four hundred miles away to a vaguely familiar city with a seven-month-old was not easy. At first for me, it was a deathly frightening professional jump and I had no idea where I'd land...or if I could do it alone while Blakely worked the long hours as a first-year resident. But with a lot of faith and trust in each other, Blakely and I really built and enjoyed a great life in Birmingham. I never would have dreamed it then, but now I miss a lot about Birmingham. I was blessed to find a good job working in a big office full of smart young architects and designers. I learned more about good, honest architecture and quality building materials than I could have ever imagined - and gained about sixty awesome friendships with my talented coworkers. It's very hard to leave a well-paying job that you really like, with smart clients who appreciate good design and your hard work for them.

But like we did three years ago, it was time to say goodbye again...and my two great bosses wished me well, gave me a drinks party, and off we went.

Last lunch with my team at Niki's...the home of this famous lovely:

One last look at Blakely's day [and-sometimes-night] home for the past three years

The UAB Internal Medicine program gave a spring banquet/band party to celebrate this year's class finishing the program. Ironically, the banquet was at WorkPlay in Birmingham, the same place where Blakely and I celebrated her finishing the MCAT [the test you take to get into medical school] eight years earlier.

Four of The Fantastic Five: Anna, Carrie, Deepa, and B

[Amanda is sadly absent because her brother got married that night...we miss y'all Denhams!]

Here's Amanda from the slideshow:

Last year I was in the bathroom when Blakely won an award...but I did not miss this one!

Two superb mothers [of two daughters each] that double as superb doctors...actually "Outstanding Senior Residents" as their plaques say.

...and the husbands who take care of the rest while they do it.

Aunt Augusta had us and the Riddles over for a dinner before we left too!

I really hope Mary Thomas didn't plant Camilla there!

One last Bottega dinner...

...which was also a celebration of my own 30th year.

Springing in Birmingham

2010-07-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

My new friend Derek Dooley came to lunch with me in Birmingham. He's a great guy and I hope he turns out to be a good coach for us. Given due time, I'm optimistic. Go Big Orange!

Love sisters

Sticker book

Bride and Maid of Honor

Ballet encore

Pudding anyone?

Ridin' high!

When watering the flowers out front, Mary Thomas REALLY enjoys being watered herself

No bathing suit required

A few of Jane's school buddies were turning four and had a PIRATE birthday party, complete with a huge inflatable ship with slide...

in the East Room of The Country Club of Birmingham.

I wonder if they'll get The White House for their weddings.

Mary Thomas hiding behind a fine example of a Tuscan column

Showers bring flowers...and change for us. Can you see the sign above Mary Thomas' head???

Ballet in Birmingham

2010-07-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

On May 20th, Jane had her first ballet recital in Birmingham!

She'd been practicing for months with Mrs. Claire and this brigade:

and for the big night,

Papa came!!

Here are some shots that a very nice guy took for us with his super zoom camera:

Far left is our girl

It was really fantastic! It's a great day as a parent to sit for the first time and watch your three-year-old child do something that she's incredibly proud of. We weren't sure if stage-fright would set in or how it would go, but she did great. She still wears the costume every couple days and can't wait to start ballet again!

Papa drive his truck up from Mobile, which we found the bed liner also doubles as a...

pool!

BIG HUGS for Papa as it was time for him to head home and for us to get movin' too!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-07-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

[I've got a couple months to catch up on here...so hang on for the ride]

A few moons ago, I had to go do some construction administration work on a beachfront house in Pensacola, Florida....here's the view from the house's front porch:

Assuming this oil is cleaned up in a timely manner, it'll be a fine place once it's completed.

Pensacola isn't too far from Mobile, and my work trip coincided with Mother's Day, so we took Gigi's house by storm for the weekend!

Four ways of sharing Cheetos

The kid who crawled at our wedding now gives piggyback rides

I got my brush guard fixed by a mechanic who was packing a loaded handgun

My all-star nephew took home a game ball

We wished the oil cleanup crews well while Uncle Julian...

...anchored us

Blakely and Jane fished

Aunt Marie fished too!

The oil was still was still well off-shore, so we took a....

swim!

Jane snuggled up to Papa

Frances snuggled up to Blakely

Jane snuggled up to Julian

Co-captains

Boating makes for tired girls

We met a fish

Some friends invited us to their own beach

Best gal pals at sunset

Ditto

Papa's girls!

Sunday was Mother's Day:

We headed to Mass at Spring Hill College...to the church where Gigi was Baptized!

Look closely above: There's Jane, her mother Blakely, Blakely's mother Ann, and Ann's mother Jane. Four generations all in a row...on Mother's Day!

Bennett and Frances came too! It's awesome to have a great-grandma!

Popsicles!

Four generations of mommas and their babies

Meme Jane and Mary Thomas

Again, sorry I'm months behind...we have a lot to catch up on! Mother's Day weekend in Mobile was really fantastic. We were really glad to get one last trip to Mobile in before our lives changed big time...more to follow!

Happy Derby 136!

2010-05-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Unless you live under a rock, you saw Super Saver smoke 'em at the finish this past Saturday in the Kentucky Derby. Here at our place it was a two-week do-dah, because I had to be in Louisville the weekend prior to Derby for some work things [Blakely sadly had to stay in Birmingham and work], and then this weekend we were back home to watch it on TV.

On the way to Louisville, we stopped in Nashville to pick up some framing from THEE best antique print dealer in the region and to visit with THEE best graphic designer in Music City [she's an Auburn fan, but we still love her a lot].

Mandy, graphics gal and Ryno, print dude. Our girls LOVE some Nashville [and Jane can point out the skyline in a photo], because all they ever do there is party!

The City of Louisville is really at her best the three weeks leading up to Derby, so it's ALWAYS great fun to be there at this time. We were lucky to be there for the Balloon Glow, of which Jane went with Grandma and Grandpa:

It was too windy for the real Balloon Race on Saturday morning and I worked straight through the mini-Marathon, but that afternoon we headed to Churchill Downs for opening day on the backside with Grandpa Gus:

Twenty-five years ago he did this with me:

Gus Dattilo teaching Jane Dattilo to read a racing program

And he took the time to tell her which ones were the pink ones. Seriously.

This will be their expression when they sneak their bourbon in the Infield at Derby 150.

I'll give y'all one guess why Jane liked this horse the best:

PS: She can tell you what blinkers are...and my heart sings.

Oh, and I bought a racing stable; here are our saddle blankets getting cleaned up.

JK.

It started raining at the track, so we met Gramps for lunch!

Too much Churchill for one day will wear a girl out.

Sunday, I planned to leave Louisville and head back to Birmingham around nap time for optimal car sleeping. But Aunt Lauren called Jane with tickets to The Little Mermaid at Sacred Heart [that's Blakely's high school for you non-Kentuckians]. Knowing we need to plant the high school seed early and often, I called the boss in Birmingham, conferred, and we decided to stay and let Jane have an afternoon with Ariel and the generous [read: brave] Aunt Lauren:

After the show was over, I picked her at at Sacred Heart and we hit the road back to Birmingham!

Four work days later, I slaved through the fifth [ON OAKS DAY - grrrrrrrrrrr] and finally it was Derby Day! We made some Benedictine:

Got the julep cups out,

[hers contained milk, FYI]

Got our jockey caps on,

Popped the top and placed our bets,

Sang "My Old Kentucky Home,"

and watched Super Saver take home the roses with some good friends! Bentley - who somehow escaped being in a photo - but has been a Birmingham Derby guest of ours all three years - took home the cash! A very, very small consolation for being in Birmingham this Derby was that our family room was high and dry, as everyone in Louisville at the track got soaked all day. We WILL be there next year. Babysitter nominations are happily being accepted now.

Happy Derby!
Love,

About Town

2010-05-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Now that spring is here to stay, we've been pretty slammed with outside activity. Jane's pal Addison turned four and had a Pump It Up party. For those unenlightened, Pump It Up is a suburban office park warehouse FULL of HUGE inflatables, loud music, cake, ice cream, and a very excited staff on weekend mornings. I have no idea how they could ever hold an insurance policy [you sign a waiver - and probably your own and your kids life away when you enter], but here's some fun from Addie's fourth:

I can't believe I'm a father of a child who has nearly thirty friends and I know all their names and enough about them all to have a conversation with Jane about all of them. You really dedicated longtime readers can't possibly remember when Addie turned two...look at this!

Our pal Augusta invited up to The Club for dinner - speaking of I still need to mail her a check [sh*t!] - and thee view and thee sunset was incredible. Exhibits A:

and B:

Blakely's on night float this month, but last month she wrapped up her overnight call services and the girls and I made our last few trips to dinner at UAB Hospital:

[Pardon the panties, Jane]

Five-story sky bridges and parking decks over public streets make most medical centers look like Lilliput compared to UAB. It's a pretty incredible operation down there...

Burger King = new favorite for Dr. Jane. Tiara-shaped chicken nuggets and they give out crowns at the drive thru window. Everyone wins.

If the Little Caesars gave us a heart attack, we were in the right place.

Finally, a lovely from a local car stereo shop:

Note the cross above it all. Jesus'll help wit' 'dem blowed up speakers.

Love,

'Round here...

2010-05-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

On the home front, spring has:

brought some cool new bugs that we had never seen and a

snake on the patio!

Sunshine calls for:

shades and a

touchdown!

We've had some spring rain

But Jane's still good in princess slippers.

It's been warm, so we've had our first

pool day!

The five women in my life: Blakely, Jane, Mary Thomas, Lulu, and Milly

We found the wishbone from Thanksgiving. Six months later, they broke it

and Jane won.

Mary Thomas likes the vanity nowadays

White coats for the girls: 2010 Dress-Like-Mom Day at school

Crazy socks and two colored pigtails for silly day

Jane unloads the dishwasher now...

and Mary Thomas sleeps in a big bed! It's even in the middle of the room now. Our crib days have been gone for over a month!

RARELY do I find this kind of serenity and can grab the camera quickly enough

This from forever ago and I just came across it...but when Mary Thomas was in the crib she had some terrible diaper rash so we let her nap without a diaper and with her beloved pacifier because her bottom was so sore. I went to check on her and this cracked me up.

Happy "twins"

Finishing Easter in Birmingham

2010-05-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

We're going for quantity, not quality here people. I feel like a terrible failure as a blogger [this doesn't pay sh*t, so I don't care all that much], but this will all make sense at the last entry I make [hopefully] tonight, so bear with me! It's been an ABSOLUTELY crazy several weeks for my own professional career, so I'll fill you in when I have a moment. But here's what we've been up to:

We went to the early and still-very-crazy Easter Mass, Jesus went to Heaven, and the bunny hid eggs out front at nap time again:

After Mass, my VERY talented coworker/friend/architect/photographer Richard and his wife Lynnielle met us at the Birmingham Botanical Garden to take some pictures of us. Easter is prime time at the BBG [really it's fantastic and I don't get all jazzed about plants and the mosquitoes that come with them]...and the four of us rarely get cleaned and dressed up together in daylight hours, so I REALLY wanted to document our family of four as our days in Birmingham are numbered. Check out the pictures here.

From the most blessed holiday in the Church, we move on to Mary Thomas' ongoing interest in the loo:

Spring finally arrived on Del Ray ['bout damn time!]:

We really like Chutes and Ladders:

And the Sloanes had us for dinner [God knows how long ago...again, sorry for the delay folks]...and we got a surprise when we got to their house and our old Louisville pal and now Oxford, MS resident Mary was there!

The Sloans' nephew Hayes came over from Oxford too! He's a little miracle who we prayed long and hard for his arrival and we were thrilled to finally meet him! And break his high chair [thanks Mary Thomas], share cookies, and party for night in Birmingham!

Catching up!

Love,

Springing through Mobile

2010-04-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Not content to sit still for more than four days, the weekend before last, we went four-for-four in a row and crossed Dixie again to visit the family in Mobile. In all likelihood, we won't ever be this short of a drive to Mobile for much longer [more details on that later], so we thought we should get down for a pre-Easter visit to check on Meme and see whole brigade.

We did some swinging with Papa:

and Gigi:

Watched our three cousins win two tee ball games:

Bennett,

Will, and

Frances and Jane made some fine cheerleaders:

for Bo's grand slam:

Aunt B with Will and Bennett

Our three nephews [for those calculating...Will and Bo are actually Blakely's first cousins' sons...but it all runs together with a zillion Palmers, so basically if you're under about 12 years old, you're still a niece/nephew], their pal, and Mary Thomas

Aunt Marie - please send me the pic of Meme with the girls from the ballpark. My camera battery died and I forgot the charger, so my partner-in-crime [and partner in beer drinking] stepped in to help!

Mary Thomas [and Blakely] lovin' on Papa...

...and Gigi

Enter Jane

2/3 of the Sisters Dueitt...miss and love you Heather!

The Family Katz

The sunset over dinner on Mobile Bay from the eastern shore

Santa Claus brought an early present to the Dueitt-Katzes in the form of a BOAT, which we were really excited to see and give it a run! The only thing better than owning expensive toys is having close family who own expensive toys!

Yee haw!

Aww the sweet children driving the boat...

Mutiny on the bounty!

Nice upskirt whale watching

Fishing under Papa's watchful eye

Frances is ready for the South of France Big Game Fishing Tournament

Finally on Sunday before we headed back to Birmingham, we had a little early Easter with our cousins and their Midtown neighborhood egg hunt:

and dyed some eggs...

...then it was nap time and we crossed Dixie back to Birmingham!

Many thanks to Gigi and Papa for having us! The fun of being in Mobile took the edge off the Vols and Cats losses in the NCAA. Hell, drinking cold beer on the water at sunset could take the edge off anything. We hope to see you guys again soon!

Love,

Bored? Let's get out of town.

2010-03-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

As Old Man Winter has finally begun to loosen his grip on Birmingham this week, but the past few weekends we've been escaping gray skies and misty rain by getting the heck out of dodge and entertaining ourselves with a change of scenery. Blakely and I luckily share the trait of getting out and seeing something new and exciting when bored, so two weekends back while we were having coffee at home on a London-fog Saturday morning, we decided to jump in the car and head to Atlanta for the day. It was a Scott's weekend and we'd never been before...and everyone in Birmingham talks at length about how great it is. If you have a Southern house that's worth a damn, I guarantee something in it has passed through Scott's at some time. I highly recommend a trip there - without children and with a very large U-Haul. Sorry for the lack of pictures, Blakely and I were corralling the crumb crunchers around millions of dollars worth of architectural artifacts and antiques.

I did get a shot of the A-T-L and Turner Field on the way uptown to visit the St. Clairs

Gavin, me, Mary T, and Uncle Jon

Arranging a marriage - or maybe just a good friendship when they both enroll at UT in about eighteen years

The wild Kute girls overtake Gavin's play table

Anyone see Jane?

Sometimes when you don't make plans to do anything, it works out better and you actually get to visit with more folks than you would had you tried to really plan. After our visit as Casa St. Clair in Midtown, we called the Davises [Blakely's UA pals] and soon-to-be Renfroes [old Louisville pals] and both could swing a dinner with us! It was cool to introduce them to each other and maybe now they can kick it together in ATL.

Konked out after a long day in the Peachtree City, headed back to Birmingham...

---

Fast forward one week

---

Lots of things have been going on in Louisville in the past few months and we've been missing everyone up there, so we made the trip up there this past weekend to meet Ben Schulte, visit with our extended family, and we had planned to have a big lunch and playdate with the growing RoBards family.

First, meet Ben and adoring Mom Meg:

There's Aunt Lauren, Uncle David [the dentist who Jane is somehow scared of, having never opened her mouth for him and living six hours away...weird], Ben's BIG sister Taylor, and Aunt Blakely. Also, meet Clifford - the Schulte's big red van!

Sweet Taylor, Clifford, and their colossal double stroller! I have tremendous respect for people who push those things around. When Jane learned to walk, her stroller days were over.

I wasn't the fastest uncle to get home to meet Ben. But I felt a little better that his greeting was still on their chalkboard by the time I made it.

While we sat and watched...

Megan and...

David served up a great dinner party for us! Holy sh*t we are old! And y'all have a van!

My cousin's son Keegan stopped by to visit too...he's a charmer...and obviously doesn't hang around girls much, because they all showed him the way around Grandma's three-story dollhouse and he was actually interested.

We had planned a pizza lunch and to spend Saturday morning with the RoBards clan [including the 8-months-preggers-Mom Leigh], but on the way to Louisville we got a text from them that her water had broken! A few hours later - and on St. Patrick's Day - their second daughter and FOURTH CHILD, Roxie arrived! Check her out:

She even smiled for us! And that's a MOTHER OF FOUR. God Bless y'all!

We had to bag the pizza lunch plan [see what I mean about planning...it always goes to hell when you try hard] and visit the hospital instead!:

Of course, we spent a lot of good fun time at Grandma's with Claire and Gus too:

Tina was out of town for work all of Saturday and Uncle Matt invited Jane over for dinner and a sleepover. I always knew Matt was a Saint for marrying Tina, but taking Jane off our hands for a few hours was over the top!

Sunday came all too fast and it was time to cross Dixie back to the real world in Birmingham...but even at 70 miles per hour, I managed a shot of Jane's favorite Kentucky landmark:

Remember this?? [scroll all the way down to the bottom of it]

Always an adventure!
Love,

Oh my NOLA...

2010-03-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

Every so often, my good group of college friends and our associated significant others [the ones who aren't currently hindered with teeny tiny children] meet up somewhere to relive our footloose and fancy free days. Two weekends back, several us made the trip to New Orleans. Before we left Birmingham, Grandma and Grandpa Kute came to town to take over parenting the Jane and Mary Thomas machine:

My Mom and Mary Thomas shared their mutual love of Frosty the Snowman pajamas:

And off we went with a very full car, a just-landed surprise from a Hawaiian, and a big ole cooler of cold beer:

One of many interesting characters we met along the way

Boozing by candlelight...the LETHAL [and very orange] hurricanes at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop

PS: They are NOT like Pat O's, but they ENSURE a very fun night.

Even inebriated and unable to walk straight, I can spot a better way to frame an eave than the pork chop. Forget the rake and fly rafter, extend the siding straight out, bring the drip-edge flashing down, return the gutter around the side, and the downspout goes at the corner...perfect. We do have big shutter trouble here though.

We found a Steinway somewhere along the way...

Boozy eyes are [somehow] still able to see the birthplace of one of my favorite words in the English language - DIXIE.

"Home" to Ryan's Irish Pub...when you're from Louisville, this is basically your pied a terre in New Orleans. Long story, just take my word for it. A great, great place with years of good memories for Blakely and me.

Old Crow, anyone? Derby Day too.

Beignets, coffee, and powdered sugar handprints on boobs at God-knows-what-hour of the morning.

PS: Ethan, I know she left you in Hawaii, but rest assured it wasn't a dude who did that.

The one New Orleans native among us

Goodnight St. Louis Cathedral

The "legendary" Breakfast at Brennan's. DO. NOT. DO. IT.

ESPECIALLY HUNGOVER.

Our trip happened to coincide with the big St. Joseph's Day celebration - which you Italian-Americans should know. It's basically an Italian feast of Thanksgiving for prayers answered in the Middle Ages when Sicilians where starving of famine and living off their cattle's feed of fava beans. St. Joseph delivered then and now there's a huge bash of a weekend every year in New Orleans. Saturday night there was a huge parade through the French Quarter and hundreds of guys in tuxes handing out red, white, and green flowers in exchange for kisses in typical overtly, boozy Italian fashion. I felt completely at home! When not slowly nursing my ginormous Budweiser, the parade got me thinking about the Dattilo brigade and all their hilariously fun Italian-American friends back up in Louisville who always seemed to have the best parties and weddings.

In typical Southern fashion, they, of course, dress up all their single daughters [from about age eight and up] in white gowns and parade them through the Quarter waaaaaaaay past their bedtime. Deep in my Italian-American heart I kind of wish Jane Dattilo Kute were up there too.

Early Saturday morning when I felt like death warmed over and was dying for fresh air, Blakely and I walked over to The Roosevelt Hotel to get coffee. Gus and Wanda [my Italian-American grandparents] honeymooned at The Roosevelt over fifty years ago and it's just recently reopened post-Katrina under the Waldorf=Astoria flag [it was the Fairmont before and huge awnings covered those front windows...looks really different and better now]. I knew the coffee there would be good and my morning eyes could look at something beautiful rather than another alcoholic beverage.

When your sidewalk looks this good - and the valets wear Abe Lincoln-style top hats - it's probably going to be alright.

The solid bronze and onyx French lobby clock from 1867

The Blue Room supper club...I have to ask my Grandpa if they heard a band and danced here on their honeymoon.

The Sazerac Bar...yep, where the drink was invented

Thee actual bar.

Weird story: One minute before I took this picture, Blakely and I walked in the bar and standing there was our old friend Peter [from high school in Louisville], who neither of us had seen in ten years. He, naturally, was closing his bar tab from the night before and was dashing out to the airport and had been in New Orleans on business. Had we been there five minutes later, we'd have never run into each other. I failed to get a picture, but we exchanged numbers and when we get home we're going to meet up with him and his new wife. Serendipity.

We ran all over town in New Orleans looking at restored Katrina houses, ate ourselves sick on delicious local flavor, gawked at great old houses, shopped up and down Magazine Street, and generally had a grand old time. Sunday afternoon we headed back to Birmingham to get home to these two:

Weekends don't get much better than that.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Love,
TK

Ballet with Jane

2010-02-27T20:45:00.000-08:00

I know nothing about ballet.

I last saw The Nutcracker when I was probably in sixth grade. Jane's school offers ballet starting for the three-year-olds and she wanted to do it this year with all her girlfriends. She got the getup and the classes for her birthday and just this past Thursday, they held Parents' Day at class. Blakely and I were excited to see what they've been up to, because Jane's usually too shy [or worn out] to show us any moves at home.

With her best pal AnnaBelle

Miss Claire, the teacher

Our ballerina is the caboose

Proud as punch

With AnnaBelle and Silvia - their new buddy who just moved to Birmingham from Madrid [Spain!]. Silvia's learning English as all these kiddos are doing beginner Spanish, so it's a pretty good match.

They're having a recital in May, so more to follow on the ballet...

Love,

Quick dash to Nash...and around the house

2010-02-27T20:19:00.000-08:00

Vols [and a few stragglers] abound in Nashville - I had to run up there for a quick overnight for work. As ever, had a blast and even talked this guy...

...into proposing to his beautiful girlfriend Stephanie a few days later. Congratulations to the soon-to-be Gills! And thanks for the guest room accommodations!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

Flip floppin' through winter

Comfortable artist position?

Mary Thomas actually relaxed on the couch for the first time EVER

Clear heels!

First HOMEWORK assignment for our distinguished student...

...and getting it done!

Ponytail

Sad about not being able to swing during 30-degree weather

Still ready for spring in madras

Play-doh

Too big for the high chair

Drinkin' and drivin' [a zebra]

Happy jockey

Sparkle shoes and crown search outside

Dinner with Mama at the hospital [well actually it's Taziki's two blocks north]

So much for sterilized linens in this UAB Hospital [call] room!

Never a dull moment!

Love,

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

We made a weekend of it...

Heart-shaped waffles...

and Krispy Kreme heart donuts for breakfast...

...and snack too.

Gave Mom a foot massage

My three Valentines at the Village Tavern, 4:30PM. As they were removing all the large tables and setting up tiny romantic two-tops, we were coloring, jumping, and partying our way through dinner. Romance at its finest!

Dessert party at home

The aftermath

More snow for good measure

LOVE,

Our sartorialists

2010-02-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

They like to change clothes. A lot -

Thank you Jamie and Jacob for Lulu and Milly's new outfits! They like to change just about everyday like these two.

From our wardrobe to yours -

Love,

Enough with the snow already

2010-02-27T18:39:00.000-08:00

What about my Ansel Adams skills:

[Sadly, the sun sets over our across-the-street neighbors' house, so that's not our house in the near-perfect shot]

Winter 2010 doesn't seem to ever want to end here in Birmingham...but we're making the most of this unseasonable February and the girls are enjoying it:

Mary Thomas, in her beloved Crocs [in the snow], ready for spring.

Love,

Rounding out Christmas in a snow-covered Kentucky

2010-02-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

The weekend after New Year's, we hopped a quick Southwest flight from Birmingham to Louisville to celebrate Christmas with the Kutes. We've done this every January since we've lived here and let me tell you, if your two sets of in-laws live far enough apart, it is the absolute best way to do Christmas. We don't rush anywhere, we don't all have to be dressed to the nines and be on time to a Mass, and we can basically enjoy a weekend with very little organized activity! Add that Kentucky had about five inches of snow when we arrived and it poured about two more while we were there, it really was a White Christmas!

Off the plane and into the snow = Happy Jane

My Dad lit up this fir tree in their side yard that he, Billy, and I planted on Arbor Day almost twenty-five years ago. When it went in the ground it about eighteen inches tall and now it's probably over fifteen feet!

The night we arrived there was a much more exciting event happening out in Pasadena, California for the Crimson Tide nation. We left the girls with Grandma and Grandpa and hooked up with about 50 UA alums from the the Louisville chapter at the Fox & Hound. Eight of our best buds came to cheer on the Tide with Blakely. Above are a few - L to R: Logan, Benjamin David Schulte [who has since arrived on the scene], Megan, Blakely, and Ashley. Y'all know the outcome, this Vol can't bear to talk about it anymore.

Santa brought a few things down Grandma's chimney too...

Snow White, Cinderella, Gus, Mary Thomas, and Grandma

PS: Gus is wearing my Santa hat from about 1981.

Father and uncle of the year nominations gladly accepted

"Christmas" at home with the Kutes to me really means getting there one evening with the twelve of us [while the tree is up] to sit down and have the traditional dinner that my Grandma always made for Christmas. Those are about my only two criteria to actually feel like I've been "home for Christmas"...so on Friday, we did just that:

I took this to prove that Tina helped in the kitchen! It was cold outside, maybe hell did freeze over...

Mom was so proud of her fireplace DVD that we actually watched it all night and burned the real fireplace simultaneously. It felt really warm.

Post-dinner and stuffed to the gills, we sang a late Happy Birthday to Uncle Billy too.

The "Happy Birthday" chorus line with their much-loved Uncle B.

The girls

The boy

The Grandpa [breaking up another girl fight...probably over a candy cane]

With my belly full of Italian goodness and a fresh cocktail in hand, THIS IS CHRISTMAS.

Dashing through the snow...

Angels: Jane top, Claire bottom

My parents' 40" hill proved to be good introductory terrain for Sledding 101 with Jane and Claire...

and me for old time's sake.

Before we flew back to Birmingham, we went to visit Ashley's prime new digs that are actually right across the street from Aunt Marie and Uncle Julian's first house!

Looks great in the snow!

Ben Schulte was still inside then, keeping his Momma very uncomfortable. Gladly, he's here now and doing well.There's Aunt Lauren too, blowing through the hallway!

Ben's big sister Taylor [above with Mary Thomas] met us at Ashley's to kiss her gal pals goodbye too!

One last story, hugs, and Christmas love to take back to Birmingham with us

Thanks family, friends, and Louisville for a great White Christmas!

Love,

This one won't be easy.

2010-02-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

After we wrapped up Jesus' Birthday extravaganza, kissed the whole Palmer gang goodbye until a warmer Spring, and made it back to Birmingham, we got a call that our awesome 89-year-old Gandy went into the hospital down in Mobile with a pneumonia...and it wasn't looking terribly hopeful. We had plans to celebrate New Year's Eve with our friends the Hassingers down at their family's homestead in Greensboro, Alabama. Getting out of Birmingham to do something casual around a small town campfire with the kiddos in tow for New Year's Eve was going to be great. But proving that God always has bigger plans for us - and on our way to Greensboro - Blakely's Dad called us to let us know that Gandy went to Heaven that evening while most of the Palmers were at a New Year's Eve Mass praying for him.

We drove onto Greensboro, had a great night with the Hassinger/McCoin/Cook brigade, and rang in 2010 with a special toast to Gandy and his new home in Heaven.

I feel incredibly strange blogging about a family funeral, but this silly blog has become a record of our family doings - and will likely serve as the baby books for our two daughters - so please believe me that every word I write is coming from an incredibly respectful place. I also like to believe that Gandy can read this too and wouldn't want him to feel left out. I love ya, Gandy!

So six days after Christmas, the Palmer bunch was reduced by one and we culled a plan to get back to Mobile for a more somber occasion than the all-too-recent Christmas. Although a father of nine and a civil engineer by career, Gandy was a big supporter of the medical profession and in his will directed that his remains go to science, so a small memorial Mass was given at the Visitation Monastery in Mobile.

WELL BEFORE anyone arrived at the Sacred Heart Chapel, I snapped a picture inside. It was a neat old Church too, because the Sisters there are cloistered, the altar faces two directions [like an L].

Keeping children corralled for a couple hours of visitation in a 1895 Romanesque wood and marble chapel proved difficult, so I perched Mary Thomas five feet above the floor in a deep window sill. Maybe Jesus [above] could have kicked some sense into her.

Then the crumb crunching brigade discovered the [very beautiful, but very not-building-code-meeting] curved staircase in the sacristy. Literally - LORD HELP US.

The Mass began and Mary Thomas lasted for all of three minutes, so we walked and looked at architecture...

It was cold, so then we went driving and she fell sound asleep a couple blocks away. We made it back for Communion!

On our way to the Carrington's [for the after-party - we're talking about the Palmers here - there's a party before and after everything], we passed That's Hott, a fine local boutique that sells "WOMEN APPARELS" in the Crichton neighborhood of Mobile. You know Crichton as the home of this gem.

Sending some love and happiness up to Gandy

Uncle B has a really great bear on his den [get it?] wall that Mary Thomas seriously loved! She really liked putting her face in his mouth!

Sharing a pacifier with Papa

Meme Jane and Aunt Heather...looking great and hanging in there strong. Shortly before I snapped this photo, Bennett [my 6-year-old nephew] assured Meme that she was going to be just fine because "now you can go on dates again."

Five sisters and a beautiful red-headed Mom getting through the tough times just like we do the not-so-tough times. Love is all you need!

We miss you Gandy. Pray for us while we pray for you!

Love,