OY! KRISTEN

A New Season at Serenbe Farms.

This is a story about a couple who tried desperately to have a normal, fun day OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.

Stevie & I decided to do something extra special this past weekend and take the trek out to

, one of our favorite getaways on the southside of Atlanta. Serenbe is a posh country community, made up of mostly second and third homes to tired urban dwellers. This is the place where they escape for a bit of fresh air amidst the slow southern charm. Serenbe consists of a zillion acres of woods, lakes and ponds, along with an organic farm and all the appropriate barn yard animals to match. There are hiking trails, dotted here and there with luxurious (but tasteful "country-style") homes, and a dainty little downtown. It's a very darling, and sort of daunting, kind of place. Only because it's so spookily Stepford-perfect. Every so often my entire family visits Serenbe, mostly to dine at the incredible

Farmhouse

restaurant (which we tend to do over the holidays), and also to watch my dad horse whisper. So it's delicious and entertaining.

We decided it was the perfect weekend to take Everett to this favored place. The weather was ripening into the perfect almost-autumn day, and we had nothing to do and nowhere to be. Ah perfection. We drove 30 minutes out to the farm, windows down, the cool breeze wafting gently through the car, and Everett sleeping, quite literally, like a baby. We got to the restaurant, hoping to be seated on the old patio, so we could enjoy the weather and have the outdoors as a baby-crying buffer, if need be. Unfortunately there were a few events going on outdoors So the hostess walked us to our table, inside. Gulp. As we followed her, people stared at our portable baby car seat, which we were doing our best to tote gracefully (ha, yeah right), along with the diaper bag, baby carrier and other infant paraphernalia. I mean, we were prepared for a day at the farm with a baby, you know? We packed all the tricks we had. I hoped we wouldn't be a nuisance to the other diners.

Thankfully, my dear boy Everett kept snoozing, so we excitedly ordered drinks and appetizers. I decided something: going to lunch is the perfect new date idea for me and Stevie, since going out to dinner is sort of not doable these days. But this! A perfectly beautiful, organically grown lunch on this divinely romantic farm? This is totally doable. We're doing it! We're having a lunch date and I even have makeup on. I mean, talk about starting to feel like a lady again.

You know where this story is going, right?

Suddenly, my baby whipped his head up and screeched with the might of an overly-crowded Sunday school nursery gang. He was UP. Again, the onlookers LOOKED. Oh geez. I could feel my face filling with hot redness. In one fell swoop, my hero of a husband scooped up my darling boy and exited the restaurant, attempting to soothe him along the way. Hm. What shall we do? What should I do? Well. I started eating Stevie's appetizer, obviously. Those fried green tomatoes are seriously prize winners. But then I decided to be the mom that apparently I am, so I grabbed my diaper bag and left the restaurant the same way I came, making sure to tell the hostess that my husband would be back to gather the rest of our items and pay the bill.

Why did I think we could do this yet? Our son is barely 8 weeks old.

Well, the experience was only slightly embarrassing. I got to the car, where Stevie was pacing with my howling progeny, and we realized that he had pooped on his adorable Polo onesie (serves me right for dressing him so pretentiously adorable). So we changed him and I climbed into the front seat to nurse him. Funny. I had never just sat in the parking lot of the Farmhouse. But it was still lovely. It really was. Birds flying overhead and butterflies prancing. My precious child finally calmed down and my precious husband brought me a boxed meal to-go. We laughed and decided to try round 2 at Serenbe.

Everett slept blissfully for the rest of the afternoon while we ate our boxed lunch outside on a bench. You know what? That fried chicken tasted just as delicious as it would have indoors. We walked around, enjoying the gorgeous greenery, marveling at the craftsmanship of the homes, and shopping just a bit. It was a perfect re-do. I keep using the word perfect, but that's because it truly felt that way. Just a simply sweet day with my two favorite boys.