Defined

Staycation (sta*ca*shun) - A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer.

After much deliberation and numerous possibilities, we finally decided to stay around town for this weekend. While we might have been able to pull off going out of town, we figured that with all the hectic wrk and drama as of late that it would be best to just take it easy this weekend.

We did get to do one thing that we had never done, despite 13 years in Atlanta - we all went to see the fireworks at Lenox at dusk.

After spending the morning in relatively quiet form, we took the kids after naptime down to Buckhead. Starting in the middle of the afternoon, they opened up a really big kids' zone that was basically a big block party.

After several hours of inflatable rides, food, and navigating big crowds, the fireworks began at about a quarter to ten. It was a short show - it took longer to get out of the Lenox parking deck (30 minutes) than it did to watch the show (20 minutes).

This was the first really big fireworks show that both the kids had seen up close. Despite the late start, both of them behaved ridiculously well. Sammie was not scared by the loud booms and bright lights in the slightest - and I saw a lot of kids older than her who were crying, melting down, or just scared of the noises and lights.

Sammie and Alex, on the other hand, were ready for more. I think they are both almost ready to go rage in Vegas - which might be where we go next year.

That, or New York.

Now that we've done the Atlanta show - well, once was enough. NY was definitely a longer show (probably about 45 minutes to an hour from what I remember) and I Vegas generally doesn't second-rate anything.

Still, it was a fun way to celebrate the Fourth.

Today was another quiet day - while Kim slept, the kids and I went to the Farmer's market, bought grapes and lemonade, and sat in the park eating grapes and playing.

That's probably better than sitting in a car for five hours.