My Baby Turned Eight...

Over the weekend we celebrated our Bean's 8th birthday. It is hard for me to believe that my youngest is now 8 years old. Where did all of that time go?!

Bean is a girl that is full of imagination. She loves bright colors, butterflies and crafting her little heart out. I wanted to capture all of that in her birthday celebration.

I decorated with ribbons, flowers, butterflies and brightly colored candies. The birthday girl and her friends made ribbon hair elastics, tye dye butterflies from coffee filters and pipe cleaners and scratch and design butterfly ornaments.

Bean was in her element and I never saw the smile disappear from her face the entire two hours of the party. It warmed my heart to see that with each gift she opened she took her time to read the card first and then made several comments about the gift before moving on to the next. It warmed my heart even more to see that each gift was so thoughtful and represented all of the things my little girl loves. When I asked the girls if Bean had given them any ideas of what she wanted for her birthday they all told me no and that they just knew her very well.

My favorite part of the party was before we sang Happy Birthday to Bean. I asked each of the girls to share something they liked about Bean or liked doing with Bean. I wanted my girl to know how she makes her friends feel and what they like about her. Her face lit up and she giggled with some of the words they used to describe her and my eyes well up now as I think about them.

When I asked Bean what her favorite thing was from her party, she told me that it was hearing what everyone had to say about her and that her very favorite was what her big sister, Ash, had said about her in front of everyone. (It was pretty amazing. I wish I would've recorded it.)

My Bean is an amazing girl. Yes, she received some awesome presents but she knows what is truly special about birthdays...that they are all about love and friendship.

I count my lucky stars every day that I get to be the one she calls Mommy.

Saturday Morning Cartoons & Cereal...

Most children now have access to cartoons 24 hours a day if they want it. Between the cable channels now dedicated to children shows and On Demand where they can choose from hundreds of episodes...there is no shortage of cartoons.

When I was little though, it was all about Saturday mornings. I would anxiously await for the week to wrap up so I could plop myself down in front of the TV in our family room and watch some of my favorite cartoons.

The cherry on top of Saturday morning cartoons was that I got to eat a bowl filled with sugary, crunchy goodness and milk. Yes, I am talking about cereal...yummy, yummy cereal! I couldn't wait to choose from the boxes of Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Captain Crunch and Honey Nut Cheerios in our cupboards.

Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Patricia on Pinterest

I would carry my bowl cautiously from the kitchen to the coffee table in the family room. Then I would sit down with knees swung to the side because we had a coffee table that had open legs but that had a band of wood that went around all four sides. It didn't make for the most comfortable seating but with the first bite of cereal, none of that mattered. I was taken to another place...

A wonderful place with a mouthful of my favorite cereal and my friends Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Tom, Jerry, Smurfette, Papa Smurf, Alvin, Simon, Theodore and all of The Super Friends.

I wanted to know what cereals people liked best when they were kids, so I went to Facebook and Twitter. Here are some of the answers...

This Gal's Journey - By far...Peanut Butter Captain Crunch!!!

Momma Made It Look Easy - Fruit Loops.

The Harried Mom - I loved cocoa puffs! Chocolate milk left in the bowl after the cereal, total score.

Illusion of Sanity Oooh, I liked Lucky Charms. :)


Cyndi Z. - Captain Crunch!!!

Fractured Family Tales - Quaker Instant Oatmeal Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

I Delight in You - Peanut Butter Captain Crunch


What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid?

A Game of Pass It On...

Want to play a game of Pass It On?

Part 1. I will answer the following questions from a There's Just One Mommy post, where I was tagged.

Part 2. I will tag a few fellow bloggers in my post AND hope they answer my questions.

Part 3. A list of new questions for my fellow tagged bloggers to PASS IT ON…

Part 1:
1.  What’s on your nightstand? too many hair elastics to count, a phone, a book (currently Night Road by Kristin Hannah), Neutrogena lip balm (I put it on every night before I go to sleep)

2.  Have you ever been embarrassed by a child, either your own or someone else’s?  Share your story. Hmmm...there was this one time when Ash was in Pre-K 3 and we went in for a Mother's Day party. All of the kids answered questions from the teacher and the teacher wrote them down for them. There were about 5 questions each child had to answer. One of them was - What do you parents like to do together? Most children answered with a date night. Ash told her teacher (who then read it out loud to the party) that Chris and I like to snuggle up in our bed together and shut the door. The other moms that attended cracked up while my face went red.

3.  What’s your favorite Disney movie? Really, just one?! I'm giving you two..."Mary Poppins" is my ALL time favorite but "Up" really moved me.

4.  What’s your least favorite chore? Again, just one?! I would say scrubbing the shower and tubs. I never minded it so much when we were on city water but now that we have well water and I am constantly battling well water and rust stains...UGH!!

5.  Describe your favorite thing to cook. Tacos...hands down. It is one thing that I know Ash will eat and will ask for more.

6.  Name one thing you’d change about your house if you could.  What is it with the limit of one?! ;-) I would definitely go with kitchen. It is the heart of the home and ours just doesn't make me happy like the one in our previous home did.

Part 2:
Here are the bloggers I’d like to tag: (They are in random order.)

1.  Fractured Family Tales - SAHM of three that is funny, witty and has a huge heart that is breaking because she is separated by thousands of miles from her husband who had to take a job in another state.
2.  Mayor Gia - Single girl who cracks me up. She draws on her blog almost every day and writes her life like it is. (She can throw out some swear words so don't visit if that offends you.) She isn't hurtful with her swear words...just humorous.
3. Mommy Inconsistent - Mommy to two boys who writes whatever pops into her head and/or heart. She has been incredibly supportive to me since I started blogging.
4. Confessions of a Recovering Supermom - I look forward to this mom's blog showing up as a new post. I feel like I get to know the real woman behind the blog.

Part 3: 
My turn to ask the questions!

1.  What’s the first thing you do when your alarm goes off in the morning?
2.  What does your favorite date night consist of?
3.  What is your favorite comedy movie?
4.  What was your first car and how did you come about ownership?
5.  What is your go to snack while chilling in front of the TV?
6.  Name a famous person in present day that you would like to go shopping with and describe why.


If you were tagged, you can add your answers to a new blog post like I did or as a comment below.
Not tagged?  Pick one question from above and answer it in a comment. It's a great way to get to know all of my readers better.

Also, GREAT BIG THANKS to There's Just One Mommy for including me in this fun blog game. If you haven't checked out her blog, please do. If you have children...she is the go to for fun, EASY crafts. If you don't have children...she has a big heart, great sense of humor and the crafts may be fun for you too ;-)

Weekend Breakfast at Our House...

For the most part, on Saturdays my husband and I try to sleep in a bit and catch up from the week. We can hear the girls playing down the hall in either of their bedrooms. Sometimes they play Littlest Pet Shop (okay, most of the time it is Littlest Pet Shop), other times it is school for their AG dolls and stuffed animals and other times it is just pure imagination without any props.

After a while, they become hungry though and since it is the weekend...they want Daddy's pancakes.

I listen from upstairs (because I still haven't gotten my lazy bum out of bed) to a Daddy and his two girls playing chef. He gives sweet instructions on where to find everything that they will need from mixing bowls to ingredients. I hear them giggle every once in a while because Daddy is doing something silly. Very soon I am aware of the wonderful smell of pancakes making their way up the stairs and shortly thereafter I hear, "Mommy, breakfast is ready."

This is when I finally get out of bed and go downstairs to usually something like this...

This a breakfast morning from 2006
on Bean's 2nd birthday
and the fun with their Daddy still continues

P.S. I love their Daddy's pancakes too...especially when he adds cinnamon!
 

Once Upon A Time...

When Galit and Alison announced that they would be teaming up yet again for their wonderful project, Captured Memories, and partnering with Picnik, I was more than excited. This was such a fun way to link up and get to know so many bloggers.

The timing of this link up is perfect too because my husband and I are about to celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary this week. I think this is just one more fun way to capture it.

January 20th...several years ago

I'm A Crazy Sports Mom...

Yes, I am one of those moms who yells like a wild and crazy person at my girls' sporting events. Yes, I have a lot of people that stare at me. Do I care? No. Do you know why I don't care? Because I am there for my girls...not for them.

Saturday morning I awoke with a horrible headache. I had a couple cocktails the night before so I thought maybe it was from that. A few hours later, I felt awful and saw floaters come across my line of vision. It wasn't a headache from the fun of the night before. It was a full blown migraine. Ash had a basketball game at 4:30PM. I do not like to miss any of my girls' games. I stepped into action by taking some medicine and a little nap. I woke up and was feeling a bit better but my migraine was still there.

On the drive to Ash's game I told my husband that I would sit still, be quiet and just focus on taking pictures with my new camera. We weren't even two minutes into the game before I started to open my mouth. I seriously tried with all of my might to not say anything. I sure didn't last very long, did I?!

Ash after a practice shot

I can't help but yell, cheer, instruct. These are my girlies and I am so proud of them. I can't believe the athletes they are. I can't believe how much they love every sport. I can't believe
we didn't have to push them to sign up for a single sport they play. My husband and I waited until we thought they were ready and then asked them what they wanted to play. We even asked at the end of each season if they wanted to play again, try something new or not play anything at all. These girls WANT to play! They love sports!

Bean racing down to defend

Today was Bean's very first basketball game ever. She was nervous because she was going up against a team that had two of her closest friends on it. Last night she told me she didn't even want to play against them. I didn't want to push so I told her to sleep on it. I reminded her that she had played against other friends in field hockey too. I reminded her that it was just a game and they would all still be friends at the end of it.

She woke up this morning and was ready to play. She was excited to put her team shirt on. She even wanted to borrow Ash's ribbon with basketballs on it to tie around her ponytail.

We got to the game and I warned everyone about how loud I would be cheering Bean on. My friends laughed and in the corner I overheard Ash talking to one of her besties. She said, "Oh, she really is loud and crazy. She's not exaggerating AT ALL! I love it though. Just don't tell her."

So I took my seat and I did what I love to do...I cheered my little blondie on!

Are you a crazy sports fan? Do you jump up and down? Do you yell at the TV for pro sports?

An Obsession From The Past...

The other day Mama Kat mentioned Candace Cameron Bure on one of her tweets. Do you remember who that is? Most of us remember her in our hearts as DJ Tanner from Full House. I remember her very well because as a girl with curly hair I wanted DJ's hair so badly!


This look I could pull off
with ease



Yes, I am a bit older than she is but I still thought she was super cool! I wasn't one of the girls who bought Teen Bop magazine and had my walls plastered with posters. (Reason #1 - My mom would not allow that stuff on my walls. Reason #2 - We all know I have clutter issues. All of that stuff on the walls would send me running to therapy.) I was one of the girls that never missed a show though and read the ripped up, shredded copies of the teen magazines at my doctor or dentist's office. (I mean really, a girl has got to be on top of the teen trends at least twice a year, right?!)

So, as most girls my age were looking to more "grown up" actresses for hairstyle inspiration I was looking to DJ Tanner. I mean the girl had some curls and wasn't afraid to show them. Then she showed up one day with these wing things and long straight hair. Took my by surprised but yes, I tried it. This one wouldn't work for me. I'm sure if you ask Candace personally now, she will tell you it didn't work for her either. I can still remember the episode where she came onto the screen with her long hair chopped though. This is where I saw a bright aura surrounding her head. I was instantly obsessed with copying that super cute bob! OBSESSED!

Do you know how hard it is for a girl with hair as curly as mine to straighten hair that short?! There is not enough hair to grab with the curling iron. (History lesson here - back then, flat irons weren't on every shelf. They were a rare find and extremely expensive. Especially for a teenager who preferred to spend her money on clothes at The Limited on Outback Red.)


This super cute bob...not so much!



So, I would try to smooth my hair out with the curling iron after searing my hair with a super hot blow dryer and round boar bristle brush. (My biceps were rockin' it back in the day. They got a pretty good workout trying to recreate the DJ Tanner look.) On rare occasion, this would be a huge success and I would dodge every bit of moisture in the atmosphere to keep my hair from frizzing. On more occasion than not, that one little molecule of humidity in the air would send my hair into looking like a cross between electrocution and a groovy 70s afro. Not a good look, people. All I can say is, thank goodness those pictures were thrown out lost.  

It was all worth it though because however many years later now, I know how to straighten my hair like the top stylists who charge hundreds! I can say it is all thanks to my obsession with DJ Tanner's hair and be proud of it. You know why I am proud of it?! DJ Tanner turned out to be a pretty good character to look up to on TV and Candace Cameron Bure who played her is an even better role model in real life.

Who was your favorite character from TV when you were a tween/teenager?

To give credit where credit is due - Picture #1 comes from buddytv.com and Picture #2 comes from brunchatsaks.blogspot.com

A Surprise Run in With Santa...

We went to the 8:00 mass at our church on Sunday. Yes, it was early. Yes, the girls looked like zombies walking out to the car. Yes, we told them that if they could pull it off without complaining and fully participated in mass then we would take them out for breakfast afterwards.

Little did we know that Santa was still making visits to one of our favorite breakfast spots. We walked in, placed our order and began our search for a table. That is when we spotted the jolly man in the red suit and hat with rosy cheeks.

After we claimed our table, we got in line with the girls to visit Santa. They weren't bouncing off the walls excited like they did when they were younger. They were calm, like they were in line to visit an old friend.

When it was their turn they approached Santa with warm smiles that made a smile instantly appear on my face. Santa welcomed them with a friendly Ho Ho Ho and asked them how they were doing. Then he asked if they had been getting along as sisters.

Santa directing his conversation
toward Ash

He turned to Ash on this as if it was on his list of things to ask her about before putting her on the nice or naughty list. As much as Ash loves Bean, she can sometimes be the bossy, big sister. She can also snap at Bean sometimes and not even realize she is doing it. Bean tends to take it with ease most times because she knows that Ash loves her and isn't like that 97% of the time. Ash admitted to Santa that she isn't always the best big sister and said she would try harder.

Santa turned his attention to Bean

Bean said that she would be a good sister too. With that Santa moved them to the nice list and ask what they wanted for Christmas. My girls always see things they like but when it comes time for anyone to ask them what they want...they can barely name a thing. This happens every year! I guess it is a good thing though. It means they really don't "need" anything and that they are happy with whatever they get and aren't greedy children.

Ash, Bean & Santa

Santa wished them a Merry Christmas and politely reminded them to get along before asking the girls to leave him a cookie and a glass of milk.

As we left the restaurant, not only was my stomach full but my heart was left full with the memory of my two beautiful, honest girls with the magic of Christmas sparkling in their eyes.

The Little Black Dress...

Well, I did it!!! I can't thank all of you enough for your support on my last minute, mad dash to the mall to find an outfit to wear on Friday evening's cocktail party. My husband thanks you too! HE LOVED IT!!!

As I was racing through the mall from store to store among the mass of holiday shoppers, trying on tons of clothes (which I despise...the lighting is horrible, mirrors angled three ways are an awful thing to do to anyone and the sales people tell you lies to get a sale) and feeling defeated, I would hear my phone alert me of a new email. Those emails were all of your comments with support and advice and it gave me the strength (along with my Coke Zero) to keep going and find something that was not only very pretty but super comfy!!

I ended up finding a dress in Lord & Taylor that was made out of that comfy, bouncy yet silky material (my fashion knowledge is obviously lacking). It was black (score! black looks good on everyone!), they had my size and it was on sale. It wasn't just on sale...it was on sale, marked down again and then another 40% off of that price. I ended up getting a dress that was originally $158.00 for $40.00 (I rounded...there was some change but it was minimal). YIPPEE SKIPPEE!!!

This dress even made me happy in the fitting room with white tube socks on! (A girl has to wear sneakers when she is on a mission like I was!)

So, I headed home and got myself ready and this is what I ended up looking like as I headed out for an evening filled with friends, a lot of fun & a husband who complimented me all night long...

Notice the comfy elastic waist

A BIG smile because I found something
I not only loved for the cocktail party
but can wear again & again

Now, if only I could take you all with me the next time I head out shopping for myself! Thanks again, everyone!

Holiday Magic...

I'll admit it...this time of year tends to make me emotional. I can hear a Christmas song on the radio and feel the hair on my arms stand up. I can glimpse a commercial about a family being apart over the holidays and I feel a lump in my throat. I can watch "Yes, Virginia" with my girls and bawl my eyes out.

This time of year makes my heart grow three sizes just like it did to the Grinch when he heard the Whos singing Christmas morning, hand in hand, even after their presents and decorations had been stolen. This time of year is when I look for the good in people and let go of the bad.

I've always enjoyed the holidays as an adult but they have truly come to life again since the birth of my daughters. Seeing things through their eyes brings back the magic and wonder.

Christmas lights decorating houses were just something that I drove by and gave a hurried glance to before my girls. Now I slow and point out the detail and ask them their favorite house on the particular street we are on. Now I go the "long way" to/from our destination so they can see as many lights as possible before all of the houses go dark again for a year.

The tree and reindeer in our
front yard

Putting the ornaments some years seemed a chore for me. I loved the finished product but I didn't want to take the time to unwrap the ornaments and hang them all. Now my girls sit with me and get excited with each ornament that unveils itself from behind the tissue paper or bubble wrap. We go over the history of it and then search for the best place for it to go on our tree.

Some of the ornaments on
our Christmas tree

Starting new traditions, like the Advent Ornament Tower, that my MIL sent to my girls brings even more warmth and excitement. They wake each morning asking the date, rush to their own small tree to open the box in the tower, find their new ornament and decorate their tree day by day. It is a wonderful way to share in the fun of counting down the days until Christmas with them.

Ash & Bean decorating their
own tree with the Advent Tower
ornaments

The Christmas surprise of searching and finding Candy Cane, our Elf on the Shelf, has become a lot of fun. I love to hear them laugh about what he is doing when they find him and their thoughts about what he did and said at his report to Santa the night before.

Candy Cane on one of my
favorite Christmas
decorations

Just as I have been trying to slow down and enjoy the minutes of our every day, I am trying to do the same during the holiday. I don't want my girls to miss a thing. I don't want to miss a thing. It is easy to get caught up in the rushing around with all that has to be done and all that is on our calendars but we are making an effort. We are sitting down to dinner at our table (even if it is with Chickfila), lighting our Advent wreath and saying our prayers as a family.

Our family made Advent wreath

We will not let the holiday magic slip away and we will welcome every holiday surprise! I wish for all of you to enjoy this holiday magic and that you hold it close to your heart! The holiday spirit is there if you let it in!




This post is sponsored by T-Mobile

Dasher & Dancer & The Preppy Girl in Pink...

I know, the song does not name The Preppy Girl in Pink as one of the reindeer that help guide Santa's sleigh throughout Christmas Eve delivering presents to all of the boys and girls but I am leading to something fun.

I am linking up with KLZ at Taming Insanity for her "Antler Up" link up. She wanted to bring the fun into the holiday and I liked the idea so much that I decided to join in. All you have to do is link up with a picture of you or something (anything really...as long as it is G-rated) in a pair of antlers.

So, here I am with my antlers...

The Preppy Girl in Pink Reindeer
Christmas season of 2007

My husband took this picture of me in 2007 as we were on a tree farm with my brothers as they searched for their trees. I found this branch and immediately put it to my head as antlers. I totally cracked myself up too! (I tend to do that...a lot, even when no one else finds it funny!)

Here's to enjoying some good ol' holiday fun!!

Our New Advent Tradition...

About two weeks ago my mother in law called me with a surprise she had for the girls. It sounded like a wonderful idea over the phone. It was even better when I saw it in person.

Our Advent tower

There are 24 little drawers on this Advent tower. They have to turn the tower to find what day of December we are on and in each drawer my mother in law made an ornament for each of my girls. (I only peeked at one drawer and it happened to be the one that had ornaments that were our girls favorite animals.)

My girls have a 4 foot Christmas tree that stands at the top of the stairway in our hallway upstairs near their bedrooms. Last year was the first year for this. The girls made their own paper cut decorations for it without even asking me if I had ornaments for it. (I had a few but I was going to look for more "kid-friendly" ones without hooks and that weren't breakable.)

The girls' bare tree waiting for a
new ornament to be added each
day as they countdown to Christmas!

This year they will be decorating their tree with an ornament each day as we count our way down to Christmas with our Advent tower. They are still sleeping as I write this but they are extremely excited to start this new tradition this morning.

Ash is going to open the boxes marked with the odd days (she will start the fun since she is the oldest...see that, there is an advantage to be the oldest!). Bean will take the even days. The Advent tower stops with day 24 so my mother in law gave each of them a special ornament to open the morning of Christmas before we head down to open their presents from Santa.

Each morning, I will take a picture of the girls opening their box and putting their new ornament on their tree. I will be posting them to my Twitter account at @KristenPGIP. I think this will be a fun way to keep track of the countdown.

Happy December everyone!!!

I'm sharing our new Advent countdown with everyone at Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Stop by and check it out! It's a lot of fun and may just put you in the holiday mood you have been waiting for :-)

Our Family Made Advent Wreath...

It feels good to be back on my blog for the first time in a week. So much happened over the Thanksgiving holiday but I will leave that to memory (or block some of it from memory) and move forward with the excitement that fills me right now and that is getting ready for Christmas!!

On Saturday, we went to our church and made our first Advent wreath as a family. I don't know why we waited so long to do this. We walked into the social hall and the smell and music of Christmas was in the air. I could feel the change in my mood. I went from turkey, pumpkin and brown leaves overload to fresh pine, holly and sugar cookie joy!

I love the symbolism of the Advent wreath. The circle shape has always been symbolic of eternity and the evergreens represent life and hope. There are three purple candles and one pink candle. The candles are the first light of this joyous season. You light a purple candle each week until you progress to the final week of Advent season where you light the pink candle. The pink candle is a symbol for the rejoicing to be had around the world.

If you would like to make your own Advent wreath you will need:

• Oasis wreath form (wet floral foam)
• Candle holders designed for floral foam
• 3 purple taper candles
• 1 pink taper candle
• Assorted evergreens such as pine, holly, boxwood and if you would like...some special touches such as sage, rosemary and/or lavender





Our beautiful smelling greens



The family working out the plan for
our wreath design



Candle holders placed at 12, 3, 6 & 9

Ash & Bean following the circular
pattern of inserting the greens
so they will lay nicely

Almost done! I wish you could smell
this thing!!



Holly is going in near the candle holders
for that "special" touch



The girls putting the candles into
the wreath

Ash & Bean with the finished
Advent wreath
Note - sugar cookies in their hands :-)

I think this will become a new tradition in our home. It was so much fun, so simple and the girls couldn't wait to light the first candle at dinner last night. It also reminds us that Christmas isn't just about packages with pretty wrapping and bows. It reminds us that Christmas is the celebration of the life that has been given to us. A life we should cherish and be thankful for!

Now, if we can only remember to water it every 4-5 days...

Do you have a holiday tradition (no matter what holiday you celebrate) in your family to start the season off on a meaningful note?



A Love Letter to Coke Zero...

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop has challenged us bloggers once again with some great writing prompts. The very last prompt on the list was to write a love letter to an inanimate object. I think I've got this one covered...



My dearest Coke Zero,

I never believed in love at first taste until I met you. At the first feel of your icy, cold can in my hand I had goosebumps from the anticipation (and partly from you being an icy, cold can). As I lifted your metal tab top and heard the rush of carbonation mixed with the pop of the metal, I felt dizzy.

As I brought you up to my mouth, I giggled from your little carbonated bubbles tickling my nose. With just a tilt of the can, I knew you would be all mine and no one else's (mostly because I am not good at sharing and well, it is only 12 ounces and I have no problem drinking that down!). The rush that came with that first taste...it was one of confusion, a new found love and soda goodness all wrapped into one.

I felt like I was drinking my x-soda, Coke, but I knew in my heart you were different somehow. I knew you weren't going to weigh me down like Coke did. He was so full of sweet talk (yes, I'm talking about the sugar)! I just couldn't handle it anymore. Over the years, as much as I loved him, I knew it wouldn't last. I knew I could never stay with someone that couldn't bring me the satisfaction without bringing all the extra stuff that I didn't want or need with it (like calories).

With you, I have all the taste I desire and none of the baggage (zero calories, people! this stuff is amazing!) that has come with my past relationships with soda. You are a fresh start. You are my new love. Some may even say my addiction (mainly my husband & close friends).

I can tell you this, Coke Zero, we will be together forever. I have a need for you like I have never had for another soda before (I'm pretty sure I have a caffeine problem). This relationship was built to last. I thank the Coca-Cola Gods for you every day. Please don't ever leave my fridge or my heart empty!

I love you like crazy!

Five Question Friday...Linky Good Times

I had so much fun participating in Five Question Friday last week that I am doing it again today! I stopped over to Mamma M's My Little Life several times and found out that I like reading everyone's answers as much as I like reading the covers of the magazines while in line at the grocery store. Good times to be had!





So, here we go with this week's five questions!

1. What's the last thing you spent too much money on?

 

Ummm...hello?! My husband reads this! Just kidding!

 

This is a hard one to answer since I have been trying to watch my spending since resigning from my job in April to stay at home with our girls.

 

I'm going to have to put this one in a bit of perspective that works for me right now. I'm going to go with any drink that I purchase at Starbucks. I love you, Starbucks but some of your drinks cost as much as my sushi lunch from Fresh Market. Seriously, what is your profit margin?!

 

Sad thing is...I'll be back again. They've got me right where they want me. With our new budget though, they won't have me as often!

2. What celeb chef would you want to make you dinner?

 

This one is super easy for me and may shock quite a few of you when you read this (not my husband though...he totally gets it).

 

Hands down...Anthony Bourdain!!! I know...he swears, has lived a very wild life but I love who he has settled into as a person and when I get the rare chance to see him cook on TV now...it always looks so darn delicious!!! I also adore his wife. Tony would definitely have to bring her so she could join us for a table for four when he was all done with all of the cooking.

 

Now, what celebrity would I like to have clean it all up???

3. Where do you hide things when visitors pop over or do you let them see the real deal?

 

Since we moved into our home three years ago, I have to say that there is not a lot of hiding. I am also not a fan of clutter around our everyday living spaces. Thankfully, we have a good amount of storage space but if the visitors were to look into those storage spaces...well, they would see a somewhat organized chaos. What I mean by that is that it started out organized and now has become complete chaos!!

4. Who is your oldest living family member?

 

My Great Uncle Art is my oldest living family member at 82 years of age. He is seriously the cutest and sweetest Great Uncle out there. He wears his jeans rolled up at the bottom like he did way back when in his hay day and I love it. It fits him so well. He is also incredibly kind to my mom (his niece).

5. What is your favorite DQ treat and/or Sonic drink combo (ie: cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper)?

 

Neither one of these places is close to where we live but they are building a Sonic not too far from here and I am super giddy about it! The first time I went to a Sonic though was complete disappointment. I was so excited to finally try one of the drinks that I had seen dozens of commercials for but could never taste. So, while I was in Kentucky, my friend and I stopped at one and instead of going with the drinks that had tempted me for at least a year on the big screen, I went off of the beaten path. I went with a chocolate crushed ice drink. It was gross! It tasted like chocolate water and not good chocolate water like a Yoohoo. It tasted like bad chocolate water. If you ever go there, I highly recommend you do not order that! YUCK!!

 

Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend!

Remembering Why We Fell In Love...

Chris worked all day yesterday so I took advantage of some relaxing time at the beach & pool. I wasn't on a schedule. I didn't have to take care of anyone. I just had to force myself to stop and enjoy the alone time. I tend to not do well when I have nothing to do but I knew that really was just what I needed.


So, I read a book on a hammock, walked in the ocean, swam in the pool and ate both my breakfast and lunch beachside. The views made the stress of my day to day life melt away. Chris had a really productive day at work too and when we met up at the hotel to head out for dinner, I saw smiles on both of our faces that I hadn't seen in a long time. We leaned in for a kiss very quickly. We reached for each other's hands in unison. I could feel that he was relaxed and I knew I felt the same.


We went out to dinner with a group of the team that Chris is working with. We ate on the water, had great conversation and enjoyed each other's company. After dinner we went to a few of the local bars. Chris loves live music so we hit two places with very good bands that had you jumping up out of your seats to find a place on the dance floor. Chris and I danced until the bar closed. We laughed and smiled so much my cheeks were hurting!


This couple I am writing about fell in love with fun & enthusiasm. Last night we were reminded of that. Today, I still feel it and I am going to hold onto that feeling and live it everyday instead of just trapping it to memory. We were given this rare opportunity to spend this quality time together for a reason and I will not let it go to waste.

I am sharing this AWESOME feeling with Momma Made it Look Easy because she loves to spread the feeling of AWESOME and I think that is a very good thing!

Couple Time in Key West...

Chris and I have been letting life get in the way of living lately. We have let his job, the girls' activities and mine get in the way of us being a couple. When Chris got word that he needed to go back down to Key West for business...we jumped on it!

My parents love to have Ash & Bean and they love to be with their Grandma & Papa. All we had to do was pack everyone up (Jamaica too...she loves to go to my parents' too where she gets lots of belly rubs and treats).

We headed for the airport in the early afternoon on Saturday and have been laughing and smiling since. It's wonderful to have the time to stroll down memory lane and remind each other of how we fell in love in the first place. We have been holding hands, Chris has been opening doors for me (I know, call me old fashioned...but I love that), I have offered suitcase space for him (big deal in our house...I'm not the best at sharing suitcase space or ice cream) and we have talked about way more things than just our children.

In the two days that we have been away from our everyday lives, we have found that it is a lot easier to fall back into place than we thought it was. We are going to take better advantage of my parents only living 30 minutes away. (They offer to take our girls but our schedules can be so crammed that we often say no or use it as a cop out.)

We are going to put ourselves in the top three things on our "to-do" list. We'll be right up there with Ash & Bean. We know that being happier with each other makes us happier at home and that is something we don't want to lose sight of ever again. We were given this opportunity for a reason and we are going to make it count!

Mom & Dad, Thank you for making this possible! This was a much needed break on both the couple side of things as well as the parenting side.

Chris, I love you! Thank you for always telling me to order whatever I want off of the menu even though I tend to have very expensive taste in red meat!

When was the last time you put yourself first? Are you still holding on to it or have you let yourself fall to the bottom of the priority list again?

Five Question Friday...Linky Good Times

Today, I am linking up with Mama M. at My Little Life. I ran across her Five Question Friday and thought it would be fun to try it out. You really can learn a lot about someone in 5 questions...



1. What movie do you love to quote? The Goonies


"HEY YOUUUU GUUUYYYYSSS!!" "That's what I said, that's what I said...I'm setting bootie traps!" "This is ridiculous! It's crazy. I feel like I am babysitting, except that I'm not getting paid." "Mikey, this ain't the kind of place you want to go to the bathroom in." "Goonies never say die!"

2. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?

Motorcycle...no, but they used to call me Evil Knievel on my moped!

3. What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

My favorite thing to do on a rainy day is to complain that it is a rainy day. I can't stand rainy days. The grey skies make me depressed and I throw a big ol' pity party! Anyone want to join me next time it rains?! Open invitation...its lots of fun in a depressing, pouty kind of way!

4. Do you prefer a bunch of small gifts, or one really big, (expensive) gift?

I love a bunch of really expensive small gifts! Just kidding...I like a bunch of small gifts unless someone wants to give me a really big, expensive gift. I am totally open to that. Besides, I wouldn't want to be rude and hurt any one's feelings by saying "No, thank you. I prefer a bunch of small gifts over your really big, expensive gift." I'm nice that way ;-)

5. Do you ever lose track of days and show up somewhere wrong?

Ummm...I feel like this question should ask "Do you ever show up anywhere on time and/or on the right day or place?" I am getting better now that I have everything set on alarms on my Droid. (Yes, I wrote alarms because I set a week reminder, then a 2 day reminder, then a 24 hour reminder, then a 12 hour reminder then finally a 2 hour reminder. If I don't make it there after all of that...it just wasn't meant to be.

Happy Weekend Everyone!!!

The End of the Field Hockey Season...

I have been staring at this computer screen for quite some time. I keep looking at pictures from the field hockey season instead of writing. I'm afraid that once I actually put down the words that all of the emotions will come out. I don't want to admit that the end of the field hockey season is here.

I know you are all probably sick of reading about my love of coaching this team but I had to take one more post and dedicate it to them...my team, The Yodeling Peacocks. Don't ask me how the girls game up with this name. I just know that there are three other teams in the same age division in our town that are all called the Gators and my girls wanted to be original. (I don't think you can get any more original than The Yodeling Peacocks!)

The Yodeling Peacocks before the start of a game
with sticks in for a cheer

One of the girl's parents even treated our girls to having peacock feathers in their hair for their last weekend of games. How awesome is that?! Feathers in your hair are such a big thing right now. My team was so excited and surprised when they showed up at my house for what they thought was a skills & strategy session and found a stylist waiting to clamp a peacock plume into their hair!!


LOOKS CRAZY COOL!!

 There was more fun to be had too! Another mom helped the Assistant Coach and I make signs for the girls that we hung on the fence facing the fans in the bleachers. We walked into the stadium as a team and surprised the girls when they came down the steps to the turf field. They were tickled to see their name in "lights". I also made programs with the help of Chris's sister that we handed out to the families of the girls. (I can't show you those for privacy issues but the girls loved those too!)

We made one of these for each girl in a different pattern and color

Apparently, the girls were up to their own surprises because they made signs for my Assistant Coach and I too!

How sweet is this?! LOVE IT!!!

Before the game started, my Assistant Coach and I had one more surprise for our girls. We handed out a pair of socks to each girl in order to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our girls looked absolutely adorable in their black socks with pink ribbons running down the field.

Ash (#4) with one of her teammates

After the game, (which we won 2-1) the REAL fun started...

The parents made a tunnel for the girls to run through
(That is Ash heading out)

We went to a local pizza place for some food, fun &
very thoughtful presents
(The team gave my Assistant Coach & I a framed photo of the team
and all of the girls signed it)

The team waiting so patiently for their pizza.
Such a great group of girls!!!

My Assistant Coach & I telling the girls our favorite things
about them and the season



The PROUD coaches with Ash



The PROUD coaches with Lily
(Assistant Coach's daughter)

It was a wonderful day from start to finish. I could have not wished or hope for more. My girls had a blast and so did my Assistant Coach & I. There were a few tears shed but there were a lot of laughs too! 

We grew as a team this season. We grew the love of the game this season. Most importantly though...we grew the love of each other this season. 

What coach could ask for more?!

I love all of THE YODELING PEACOCKS!