Jun 7, 2016 | Friends & Fun, Uncategorized |
A brief snapshot of our afternoon:
1:25- Annabelle goes down for a nap. She falls asleep immediately.
2:00- I hear a lot of coughing through the monitor.
2:05- “Moooommmmmmmy! I spilled my lunch! I frew up in my crib!”
2:05- I died a thousand deaths. Every trip we’ve taken to Texas comes flooding back into my memory.
2:07- I was gagging and trying not to pass out from the smell. Luckily for me I got there just in time to stick a towel under her chin to catch the next round. What a great day to be a mother.
2:15- Annabelle was in the bath and I was stripping her bed of all contaminated items. She sleeps with 12 stuffed animals so I had a lot to clear out.
2:37- Nap round 2.
2:39- I collapse on my bed to recover and pray she falls asleep again. No such luck. She was bouncing on the mattress, turning the light on and off, asking for the window to be opened and saying “bless me!” every time she sneezes. “I get up now! Mama! You dere? I want to get up!”
3:05- I march into her room and very sternly ask why she’s not asleep. “I sleep many long years ago.”
Happy Monday!
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Michelle and Gracie’s visit was everything I dreamed it would be and more. We are basically the same person. We both understand the importance of nap time, popcorn, and The Bachelorette. We watched two episodes and laughed the entire time. One look and we would instantly know what the was thinking. I haven’t had so much fun in months. I asked Christopher if he wanted to watch with us and this was his response.
The girls played nicely, albeit separately in their own areas, and enjoyed mutual snack time. I highly recommend M and G as house guests.
I’m currently looking for a realtor to find Michelle a house in our neighborhood. We need to be close enough for daily visits.
Apr 21, 2016 | Friends & Fun, Uncategorized |
Well. It has been a while.
How are you? How’s the family?
Usually when I disappear from the old blawg it’s because absolutely nothing worth nothing has happened. I can only write about going to story time or grocery shopping so many times. This time I have a good reason for my unintended break- we’ve become world travelers. Or more accurately, eastern United States travelers. We left home last Thursday and have been going ever since.
As usual, I tried packing light but I failed. It takes all my strength to pull the suitcase into each new hotel. I think AB was trying to give hints about packing less when she was taking things out of the suitcases as I put them in. Christopher couldn’t come because of work but he probably would have only packed four articles of clothing and a toothbrush.
Our first stop was Columbus, Ohio to visit our good friends Michelle and Gracie. Gracie was a perfect angel who sat on the couch giggling at nothing. My child spent the visit unpacking Michelle’s yarn, taking all the toys out and getting cracker crumbs on the floor. We didn’t have nearly enough time together so we’re planning a visit for my birthday. We’ll have some wild times out by the kiddie pool. You may recall the time my car was broken into during our first visit to Columbus. During our second visit something from the car in front of me flew into my car which resulted in needing a new bumper. I expected a car issue this visit so I wasn’t surprised when the malfunction indicator light came on as soon as I left Michelle’s house. Ohio hates my car.
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You’d never know by looking at this that A & G are (supposed to be) best friends.
They like to keep their enthusiasm under wraps. |
The main reason for our cross-country tour was my cousin’s wedding outside of Nashville. It was held outdoors at a mansion and was absolutely delightful. At one point during the ceremony the officiant started to pray so I told Annabelle to fold her hands. She thought I wanted her to pray so she folded her hands and said, “Dear Jesus. Thank you for my food and my grandma.” I’m glad my lessons on prayer are sinking in but I guess it’s time we focus on when to not pray out loud.
As soon as the dancing started after the reception twenty people rushed to the dance floor. Nineteen of them were my close relatives. We’ve got moves and we aren’t afraid to show them.
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| Spending quality time with her constant dance partner, Mr. Lion. |
Next up on our tour was a quick visit to Fort Campbell, our former home. I know a lot of people don’t like being stationed there but I did. I know where everything is in Clarksville, we made wonderful friends there and it’s where we had Sesame. I was extremely sentimental during the whole visit. Sweet Tiffany let us and our 8 bags spend two nights at her immaculate house. AB found a piece of styrofoam and when she wasn’t putting it in her mouth (“I eating snow, Mama!”) she spread it around the house. You know what I hate cleaning up? Little pieces of styrofoam. Tiffany is having a baby boy in September so we had a little baby shower for her last night. I’m so sad I won’t get to meet him right away. So many friends who live far away are having babies right now. I need people to consult me before getting pregnant so I can schedule my life around their due dates.
SPEAKING OF BABIES. In January Daniel told me Erika was pregnant. I cannot fully convey my excitement. I’ve been waiting for them to have a baby ever since October 24th, 2009 aka the day they got married. I have been planning their baby shower since they got engaged. I’ve even had a gift for that long. When I found out my dream was coming true I did the following:
1. screamed
2. kicked party planning into high gear
Erika’s due date is May 19th so the plan was to drive from Tennessee to Massachusetts and have her baby shower on April 30th. I have never been so excited about a new baby. Quite possibly I’m more excited about this baby than I was about my own baby the day she was born. (People don’t admit if the day their baby was born wasn’t the best day of their life but I am. I’ll even start a group if anyone wants to join.) I was bummed about not being able to see her right when she’s born but I was planning on making a trip down in June.
BABY IVY WAS BORN THIS MORNING.
On an excitement scale of 1 to 10 I’m somewhere around 570.
She’s just shy of a month early and mostly healthy but she’s in the NICU for precautionary reasons. I’ve seen pictures and she was wearing a hat with a flower bow so obviously I’m a very proud aunt. We were planning on leaving Tennessee today anyway but this big news kicked us into high gear. When Mom was talking to Daniel this morning he said, “There’s no need to rush back.” AS IF WE AREN’T GOING TO SPEED THE WHOLE WAY.
Nov 30, 2015 | Friends & Fun, What's going on |
Despite my best efforts, I’ve turned into a once a week blogger. I blame my poorly paying, time-sucking little boss.
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| Ya talkin ’bout me? |
Throughout the month we wrote things we’re thankful for on little paper leaves. I hung them on branches I collected in the backyard and made a Thankful Tree. When we asked Sesame what she likes that God gave her, she said “Pasta. Tennessee and Texas. Pasta and sauce. Pasta.” Such a good little Italian.
For the third year in a row we hosted Thanksgiving at our house. Elizabeth came up to visit two weeks prior to Thanksgiving and Dad, Mom and Aaron came up the day before. We cleaned bathrooms, planned menus and sorted out cooking times. I scheduled us to eat at 3 but around 2:15 I noticed someone had turned the oven off. It was barely even warm inside. Cue the despair. I almost ordered pizza. SEVEN HOURS after I put it in the oven the turkey was finally finished.
I took advantage of the 500 hours it took the turkey to cook for a mini photo shot. I bought this 12 months dress in the summer and crossed all my fingers and toes it would fit. I was prepared to squish her in like a sausage but it fit perfectly.
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Elizabeth always says she only comes to visit so she’ll make an appearance on the blog. Here I was thinking it was because she loves and adores me so. She recently got her permit and begged me to let her drive my car. She mostly did a good job, but I did grab onto the door handle a time or twelve. I got SO irritated when Mom would do that when I was learning to drive yet there I was doing the same thing. She did well except for the time when I had to say, “Let’s have a little less dancing and a little more driving.” She said she was trying to imitate my driving. I can’t be held responsible for what I do when All About that Bass comes on the radio.
We visited a Christmas decor store this afternoon. When we got home I went through some of my Christmas boxes and pulled out some of the 19 snowmen statues we were given last year. I found a gingerbread recipe and my gingerbread cookie cutter. I think I’ll light my fir tree candle. It’s beginning to look like the most wonderful time of the year.
Aug 4, 2015 | Friends & Fun, Uncategorized |
When Joanna came to visit a few months ago she was talking about how her birthday last year was terrible. I knew we would at home visiting over her birthday so Autumn and I planned a surprise birthday party to make up for last year.
Autumn was housesitting for her aunt so we made plans to meet there then go out for a while. Joanna wouldn’t suspect a thing. As I was leaving for Aunt Jen’s around 3 o’clock, Joanna called and said she was still driving home from vacation and wouldn’t be able to meet until 7, two hours later than we planned. This time change gave Autumn and I more than enough time to make the meal, frost the cake and decorate the house. Instead of making hay while the sun shone, we took our sweet time making sangria, discussing people we know who turned out better than we expected, and generally not doing much of anything.
Then Joanna texted at 5:52 and said she was on her way. CUE PANIC MODE.
We literally smacked into each other running opposite directions through the same doorway. We didn’t think through a few small details of the party which is how we ended up taping the banner to the wall with electrical tape. Contrary to how it looks, X does not mark the spot. We did not have a pirate themed party.
Joanna was completely surprised. She cried partly from shock and partly because she was tired. After she stopped we asked how her birthday turned out this year. She answered, “Not well when you consider I hit a motorcycle.” There’s always next year.
When Autumn and I got together for party planning we took to pinterest for ideas. Autumn looked up “cakes for nerds” but nixed that idea when all the cakes were multi-level hobbit homes or detailed Darth Vaders. Joanna would have loved either option but our cake decorating skilz have limits. We decided on a Scrabble theme. We play Scrabble every time we’re together so it seemed the most appropriate.
We planned on making this Scrabble board with words that have meaning in our friendship before Joanna arrived but again, no time. We made it together after supper and I think it was more fun that way.
Autumn is my only friend whose hair colors match her floral shirt. She is always changing her hair color and wearing the funkiest accessories. She goes to week long music festivals and is the friend with the bar stories. Joanna is the blunt one who say what she thinks. She also says things like “When I go for my Masters…” which I assure is NOT a sentence you will hear from Autumn or I. I round out the trio by being the one who wears the birthday girl’s discarded tiara. Somebody has to be the princess.
Apr 21, 2015 | Friends & Fun, Uncategorized |
Elizabeth left today after being here since AB’s birthday party. She told me the other day that “the only reason I’m here is so I maks a blog appearance.” And here I was thinking it was because I am her most favorite sister in the whole wide entire universe and she can’t live a day without me.
She was a big help. She swept the floor, entertained the baby, loaded the dishwasher and took a flattering photo of me climbing through the kitchen window when I was trying to prove that I can be a cool mom. I’d post the picture but 80% of it is my backside and frankly that’s not the type of blog I operate around here.
Her 21st birthday is next month (HOW CAN THAT BE) so we had a little party for her yesterday. She doesn’t like real cake so I made her a fruit cake instead. I know it looks like three candles for a third birthday but it’s supposed to be 2 big space 1. I am constantly explaining my cakes.
It was a sad time when she left. As she pulled away AB went to the window and starting waving and saying, “Bye bye bye bye!”
I’m sure she’ll be back soon. She can’t live out of the blog limelight for long.
Jun 28, 2014 | Friends & Fun, Uncategorized |
On Wednesday afternoon my friend Scherrie and I got together for our ladies lunch club. We’d like to have lunch together every couple of weeks, but the last time we did was before Christmas. We’ve welcomed a new member into the club since then. She got her own chair but did not get her own chips and salsa.
We met at a Mexican restaurant and we were so early that the restaurant wasn’t even open yet. You don’t know how proud it made me to sit in the parking lot and wait for the person without a baby to arrive. My pride is important to remember when I get to my next story. We asked the waiter if he would mind turning on the outdoor fans so we could sit on the patio. Apparently the fans are difficult to operate because it took 7 men to figure out how to get them on. The whole time I was thinking of the joke that goes “How many Americans does it take to screw in a light bulb?” I’d make a joke here about how many Mexicans it takes to turn on a fan but Christopher will read this and make some comment about how I can’t go around saying things that might seem racist in the internet. #GodBlesstheMexicans
Yesterday we drove to Nashville to meet Kacy. Due to a series of unfortunate events involving heavy traffic, a man selling newspapers IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE, the gps telling me the park was on the right when it was on the left, and parking two blocks away we were only able to visit for about 28.5 minutes. And just like that all my pride over being on time the day before melted away. But it was worth it!! Kacy looks so good for not only being pregnant, but also for having been forced to stand around in the heat for two hours waiting for us. A lady was there getting videos for the weather channel so Annabelle much more interested in her tv debut than in taking a selfie. My face is so round I look like I ate 12 doughnuts for breakfast. Moving on.
Annabelle and I got caught in a downpour on the way back to the car. Basically I participated in a wet tshirt contest that I did not sign up for. So much for your video of sunshine and blue skies, weather lady!
As if our social calendar this week wasn’t exciting enough, Alaska Sarah from church came over to visit today. There are two Sarah’s in Sunday school so to cut down on confusion we call her Alaska Sarah after her home state. (This idea works better in theory than in reality. I’m fairly certain Christopher and I are the only ones who refer to her as such and since I don’t refer to myself as Sarah when talking about myself, naturally I’d be talking about her if I say “Sarah did such and such”. This is the look Sesame gives me when I over explain.)
Annabelle says Alaska Sarah is her BFF. Normally she doesn’t like sharing the blog spotlight but she said she’d be willing to move aside for Sarah’s blog debut.
