Priceless

And then sometimes we get to experience moments that are priceless.

Yesterday, I hear the very sweetest, “Do you know how much I love you?” and “I don”t ever want you to leave.”

Before you think I went all mushy and whoops, a little early for Valentine”s Day, aren”t we? I”m talking about tiny little four year old love. The Best Friend kind. Two little girls who love each other so, not even a real physical separation can break them apart. Not even a real life separation, dare I say it again today? A move initiated by a J-O-B cannot quiet their bond.

Are you blessed with a friend like that? One you would take the day off on a Thursday, to drive two hours to see? What about a take the day off on a Thursday, and drive two hours, with two small children in the car, to see a friend like that, for your FOUR YEAR OLD? That”s the level of friendship we are talking about here.

Her Mom”s not so bad either.

 

She has curly hair.

What, you need more than that to validate her? Geez, tough crowd.

She taught me I can run, as far as I ever want. We used to head out to the Greenways in Charlotte, both of us with a DOUBLE jogging stroller, and race down the trails. Yes, I”m talking, do feel a little pity for those “runners” out there who just got passed by TWO double jogging strollers. That”s 4 small kids waving “Hiiiiii” to you, leaving a trail of goldfish and Fun-Dip trail dust for you to follow. She encouraged me to take a small idea to the next level and apply to be a fitness instructor. She shared with me the list of foods I REALLY MUST buy organic (Beef, Not Chicken, Potatoes, Celery, Blueberries, Apples, and DON”T use Microwave popcorn.) She”s an awesome mom who settles a discussion of “She said I couldn”t be the leader, I wanna be the leader” with “Honey, YOU can be anything you WANT to be.”

THAT kind of awesome friend and mom.

AND she gave me the Holy Grail. The FREE ADMISSION ticket. ( That would be the perks of .)

So we took our kids to the Biltmore Estate yesterday. I haven”t been since probably elementary school, and I would have never thought to take 4 kids under 5 there, but she swore by it, and see above, I listened. Our kids had A BLAST. She said she took her kids there SIX times in one week. This is the part where I confess we didn”t even go inside the Castle.

I had fun driving up with my girls, as the road in very closely resembled Belle and her father”s journey to the Beast”s castle. (Amazing how quick one”s perspective is altered once you have kids.) We had a very interesting conversation about what happened to those wolves and if they were out in these woods. And then we saw it! It actually DOES pass for the Beast”s castle, if you want to tell your kids that!

 

We opted to skip the castle first, and head to the Greenhouses and Gardens to let the kids run around and explore. My tree-hugging babies love plants and flowers, and we have never seen a greenhouse like this before. Babies, smelling flowers, that”s another one to store in those invaluable memories.

The gardens were kindof bare, this being January, but there were still neat paths to explore, and honestly, the kids love this as much as any playground.

 

Then we headed over to the petting zoo. (Seriously? I NEVER knew there was anything behind the castle) The kids attempted to “pet” a rooster, we saw a Hen LAY AN EGG, and then had some all out laughs with some good ole fashioned “Chicken Chasing.” I made that up. The Old Fashioned Part. I don”t know if it is or not, but my word, it was hilarious.

And there was more. A barn with tractors to climb on, a clean restroom (especially notable due to my squat-and-hover experience later that day on an interstate exit ramp), some other mild activities that would”ve entertained the kids the rest of the day, had we not had to hit up the Maze, the Cave, and the Free Wine Tasting.

You had me at Free. And Wine. That joke never gets old.

So now we are the people who bring FOUR kids to a wine tasting. We had a nice spot in the back of the room. The kids even had a grape juice and cracker sampling. Mine was still bragging about those Marshmallow- shaped crackers six hours later, when Daddy asked her what she did that day.

We then tried to hit up the Castle, but we didn”t make it in time. Yes, a whole day at Biltmore, and we didn”t even go inside the castle. I did have an option to upgrade my free pass to a membership that day, and it was quite a tough decision. I obviously wouldn”t make it there six days in one week, but the bond between those two little lovies makes me want to go and visit every chance I get.

And that was a day that was PRICELESS.

 

And you just gotta see those girls chasing chickens: