Part V: New Bern

[If anyone is still reading, bear with me. This is the last of these posts! But I promise lots of pictures on this stop for all the MB stalkers!]

Our last stop before heading home was a little jaunt east over to New Bern to see Kirby and Monnieeeeee [as Mary Bullock so charmingly called her over and over and over and over. It's really quite annoying after a while, but she only does it to people that she loves, which is the charming part.]

We picked up Lee at the airport in Raleigh, and MB scarcely let him out of her sight the rest of the day. He had to pry her little arms from around his neck just to put her back in her car seat. I think we both cried a little-- it was so sweet.

Then we headed out on a tour of Eastern North Carolina [more farm land, more crops I can't name] before arriving in New Bern.

MB quickly familiarized herself with Kirby's gear before I sent her to her rack for the night. She needed her rest for her big day at Tryon Palace!

[This is the back of her new back-to-school outfit, which she found in her bag and insisted on wearing. I am already beyond arguing with her about her clothes. The girl is stub-born. But I'm saving a picture of the front for her first day of school. Stay tuned!]

Ever since our trip to the mountains, Mary Bullock believes that flowers are grown for the sole purpose of being picked and put behind her ear. Again, we don't argue.

This is Tryon Palace, the first permanent capitol of colonial North Carolina. I came here on a tour when I was in fifth grade and have always wanted to go back. It hasn't changed much, although the tour guides no longer wear the huge whale bone skirts, which was kind of a bummer.

We toured the kitchen garden, which inspired Lee to start dreaming of our next big project, which I promised him we could start right after we figure out what is going on with the house AND finish our last project--the headboard. So, I figure this buys me at least until 2012.

There was no photography allowed inside the house, so you'll have to visit yourself if you want to see all the good stuff.

The effort involved in keeping Mary Bullock from swinging from the palace rafters sent us all home in need of a nice long break. We spent the afternoon in the backyard watching Mary Bullock explore [i.e. get really stinking dirty] and being devoured by mosquitoes. Needless to say, she was super psyched.

When we thought we'd pretty much been eaten alive, we went inside for Mary Bullock's first tumbling lesson.  Luckily, Uncle Derby has a room with one big rug and very little other furniture. The perfect tumbling spot.

She was thankful for her lesson and didn't want to stop to go to dinner. Who would, though, really?

It's safe to say we were all pretty pooped after that. It takes all of the effort of four adults to keep up with my one enthusiastic toddler.

God help us all come December. 

No really. I mean it.