Festivities - Botanical Gardens Style

Last weekend, we thought it would be a good idea to take Frankie to the 'reindog parade' at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It was a good idea, but as usual, the execution was a bit sloppy. Frankie was acting quite the grump, especially when it came to Santa Claus. We managed to walk through the gates just as Santa opened up for daily business, so we walked right up and tried to plop Frankie on the big man's lap. Santa thought Frankie was a girl (surfer-punk hair starting to backfire?) and Frankie wanted nothing to do with him. I ended up in all but one photograph, as if my presence would somehow coax cooperation from the tot.




Trying to get away from Daddy, amongst the poinsettias.


The 'reindog parade' was actually a costume contest for pooches dressed in Christmas finery. This little wiener dog was our favorite.


Frankie had a bit of fun with the dog agility course.




After making Frankie suffer through dogs on parade, we took him to the children's garden, where we watched a kid poke his eye out somehow on the slide. Of course, Frankie then spent the next thirty minutes going down said danger slide and came up with both eyes in tact at the end. Whew!



After all of that fun, we were all beat and needed some food. After a delicious lunch at Dakota Blue (a restaurant that wisely provides half-broken toys for children to throw while waiting for the meal,) we all took two-plus-hour naps. Success!