The Evolution of a Girl's Trip

Before we get onto the actual meat of this entry (theme: I'M LEAVING FOR VEGAS IN A FEW HOURS!!!!111!!!), let's talk about something real quick.

My boy - who is not quite six - came home from school yesterday with a girl's phone number.

Said girl called him last night.

No.  No, no, no.  Too fast!  Too fast!  Somebody pour me a drink!

Anyway.  Moving on.

We were in the NEX the other day.  The Swarovski crystal guy was there doing a promotion and giving away a free necklace.  He gave a ticket each to me, Eddie, Kyan, and Karis.  When it came time to listen to his spill there were two people -- me and one other guy.  I had my four tickets; Other Guy had one.  So when it came time to draw a ticket for the free necklace, well, HELLO.  I had a four out of five chance of winning.  FOUR OUT OF FIVE.  And guess what?  I didn't win.  All I could do was laugh.  Who loses with odds like that?  This, my friends, this is why I do not gamble!

I won't be doing any of the gaming in Vegas this weekend.  (Okay, so I might lose about 10 bucks in the slots but that's it).  This will be my fourth girls trip to Vegas and I've never gone for the gambling.  The pool? Absolutely.  The drinks? You know it.  The company? Better believe it.  The food? Oh yes, please, come to MAMA. 

I was thinking the other day about how much our girls trips have evolved in the past few years. 

Let me give you a pictoral view:

2009

We were there two nights

Both nights? Dresses and heels

2010

We were there four nights

Three nights - dresses and heels

2011

We were there four nights

Dresses and heels - only ONE night

Which brings us to 2012, this year, TODAY.

We will be there three nights.

There is not one single shoe with a heel in my suitcase.  Every shoe I've packed is flatter than Kristen Stewart's chest and I could not be happier.  The only dress in my suitcase is hardly club appropriate.  There are shorts and bathing suits and I am so glad we've adapted this "casual Vegas" policy.

The world is a much better place when you're more worried about comfort than cute.  Some things about getting older sooo definitely ROCK.

Thursday Things

1) Is it Friday yet?

2) We have not taken much advantage, in the past, of shopping at the commissary.  When we lived in Dallas it was just too far to make the trip to the base out in Ft. Worth at any sort of regular rate.  We've lived in this area - and a mere 20 minutes from the nearest base with a commissary - for three years (officially three years come Sunday!) and up until a couple weeks ago, I had never been to the base at all!  At any rate, I did my grocery shopping at the commissary the other day and, ya'll, I saved so much money!  Not only that,  but I was there right around noon and there were quite a few men in uniform doing their shopping as well.  Nice scenery plus saving money?  Yes, please, and THANK YOU.

3) Speaking of the military and saving money . . . it is CRAZY how much money we've saved this year thanks to the  military.  With our trip to California and using a military rate when we booked our cruise, we have most definitely saved into the THOUSANDS.  I'm so glad there are such great deals out there for military families.  There would've been no way we could have done more than one day at Disneyland without the discount.  It's just . . . awesome.

4) My four-year-old has taken to critiquing my appearance.  So far, he's let me know that he doesn't like my lipstick and doesn't want me to wear my hair down but he thinks my eyes are "cute."  I've got to tell ya, the whole "go take that stuff off your lips" thing aside, this kid is pretty delightful at four.  I may have to retract my former statement about all four-year-olds being assholes.

5) We are in full on BIRTHDAY PARTY PLANNING mode.  Jaidan will be six in THIRTEEN days!  We went the other night and tried out a few bouncey houses.

We are inviting several of his friends from school and I'm just hoping - really, really hoping - that a few of them will show.  I think he's the first one in his class to have a birthday and there have yet to be any invitations.  We don't know any of the parents of his classmates so I'm not sure what kind of turn out will have.  *Crossing fingers*

6) For some reason, a scrapbooking freebie search engine has been picking up my blog posts whenever I post an Instagram pic.  If you found my blog through that search engine, my apologies.  I have no scrapbooking freebies for you.  For your trouble, though, I will throw you this picture of everybody's favorite naughty prince:

This weekend, Harry!  This weekend!

7) Daily Instagrams for the week:

9/20 - Man-made

9/21 - Sometimes

9/23 - Up

9/24 - Before Bedtime

9/25 - Three things

9/26 - Frame

9/27 - Near (More Kardashian breeding = the end must be near)

8) Man, the show Parenthood gets me EVERY SINGLE TIME.  I can't watch an episode without crying.  Even still, I LOVE that show.  I'm also kind of digging The New Normal.  "You can vote for whatever incumbant black president we tell you to vote for!" 

9) This is my 801st published blog post.  801!  That's a lot of blogging!

10) This.

What Happens in Mexico, Stays in Mexico. Unless you have a Blog. Or Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Instagram. Or ...

Eddie and I did the whole "pull the cart before the horse" thing when it came to marriage and babies.  As a result, I was 7.5 months pregnant on our wedding day and our honeymoon was postponed several months.  When Kyan was about six months old -- and a good eight months after repeating our vows -- we took off for a week on southern California and Vegas.  This was technically our honeymoon but it doesn't really count because Eddie got sick and, OMG.  If you've ever been around a sick man then you know.  Not the stuff a honeymoon - or any kind of vacation - is made out of.

Don't get me wrong -- we still had a pretty good time.  It was my first time being any further west than Colorado.  And, in the few days we were there, we got to see and do so much stuff.  There was a night out in Hollywood, Knott's Berry Farm, my first ever trip to VEGAS, a Clippers game, Santa Monica Pier.  We got to see a lot and do a lot.  However, at the risk of sounding whiney and like a brat, it just wasn't . . . it wasn't what we expected.

We've been talking about taking a cruise, a second chance at a honeymoon, for a while now.  At least since '09 when I was pregnant with Karis.  It's never worked out, usually due to finances or little things like being pregnant or whatever. 

But.  Last week, we finally bit the bullet and did it.  We booked a cruise!

We're leaving out of my favorite city in the whole wide world (New Orleans) and visiting one of the most fun cities in the whole wide world (Cozumel).  We will have five wonderful days where reality won't matter and I won't have to hear "Hey Mommy, look at me!" and we can eat whatever we want because calories don't matter when you're abroad.  Eddie and I have not been away, overnight, since April (and that was for less than 24 hours).  Believe it or not, we have had a total of two date nights in all of 2012.  TWO DATE NIGHTS.  To say we need this week away is such a huge understatement.  We still don't have all the details worked out (details like a confimed babysitter - I didn't want to book before we had someone confirmed but we found a rate that was so awesomeOMGexcellent that we were afraid the price would go up and just bit the bullet) but they'll all work out, right?  And in just over a month we can be sunning ourselves in the Caribbean.  Ahhhh.

This will be Eddie's first ever cruise and my second.  I went on a seven-day out of Galveston several years ago.  We made stops in Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, and Cancun and it was just such a wonderful time.

** Apologies for the quality of the pictures -- I took pictures of pictures with my phone 'cause, ya'll?  That was nearly ten years ago and who EVEN knows where those digital files are

I was 24 and single and childless and heartbroken from a recent breakup and on the trip with three girlfriends.  The food was delicious, the "stuff to do" was fun, and I could not get over the scenery -- up to this point, my only beach experiences had been with Texas beaches!

I can't wait to do this with the husband.  To eat the delicious food and do the fun stuff and lap up the scenery.  Of course, there might be a few differences . . .

Watch out, Mexico!  We're headed your way!

It Happened This Week

Oh, hi.

I've been so busy this week. Busy polishing my MOTHER OF THE YEAR award.

It started Tuesday when I didn't check the weather and the little people were most definitely not dressed appropriately for the temps.  As in, I saw kids with COATS (overreact much, parents?) while mine were in flip flops.  Oops.

Then Thursday rolled around.

Oh, Thursday.

Thursday, Thursday, Thursday.

My kid -- the one who turns SIX in a couple weeks -- the one I broke all blogger karma laws and bragged about this week -- CUT HIS OWN HAIR. Yeah. We managed to make it five years and (quite a bit of) change without one of these jerks thinking they were Vidal Sasson. Now it can be added to the list of shit my kids have done.

Won't lie. I totally lost my shit on Thursday morning when I saw his hair. I yelled. I carried on. I took an upset little boy to school and that wretched bitch known as Mommy Guilt showed up as soon as he walked through the doors without pausing to wave goodbye to me. He always waves goodbye to me. Always. I worried about him through out the day: worry mixed with the whole "Dubya TEE eff was he THINKING." When I picked him up from school, his teacher told me he had been "sad" when he got to school but she told him he was handsome and funny and a good friend, that hair can always grow back and he's such a good person and that's what really matters anyway. In that moment, I wanted to hug her for being such an incredible, sweet, wonderful teacher (and person) for my kid. But I also wanted to kick myself. I was a straight up asshole Thursday morning. What he did was wrong, very wrong, and he knew better. But the thought that I sent him to school so sad just broke my heart. Crumbled it.  Stomped on it a bit.

THEN. Friday rolled around and we left his backpack at home. I had to take him to his classroom - bringing Karis who was still in her pajamas and munching in a (leggo my Eggo) waffle along with - and explain things to his teacher.  Friday wouldn't have been that big of a deal if Thursday hadn't happened.  And none of these would have been much to think about had they not happened ALL IN THE SAME WEEK.

Thankfully, blessedly, next week at this time I'll be sipping endless mimosas and not having to worry about getting a child to school happy, appropriately dressed, and with all needed gear.  Oh Happy Day.

Sunday 9/16:

Monday 9/17:

Tuesday 9/18:

Wednesday 9/19:

Thursday 9/20:

Friday 9/21:

Saturday 9/22:

It's Good for the Soul

How about a confession post for this beautiful Friday?

1) I bought something from the Kardashian Kollection the other day.

In my defense, it was on sale ($50 to $14.99 with an additional 50% off). Oh, and also? Shut up.

2) So I'm married to one of those types of men who believe "the bigger the better" when it comes to their women. He would be deliriously happy if I'd put on about 20 pounds. When we booked my Vegas ticket, he told me - since he knows me oh so well and knows I go into full on beast mode before a trip - that he didn't want to see me on my bike at all. I've been trying to avoid the bike when he's home. Not because I think he can tell me what to do when it comes to my body/ exercise but because I didn't want to listen to his nagging.

The other day he told he he was going to get his haircut so I hopped on the bike and was happily peddling the calories away. I heard a car door, looked out the window, and that jerk was back home after no more than 15 minutes! I quickly jumped off the bike, tried to take my shoes off and put my shirt on (I was in a sports bra) at the same time. He walked in the room just as I pulled my shirt over my head. He must've wondered what the hey hey was up in Crazytown.

3) My girl had a tiny bit of a stomach bug earlier in the week. Nothing too bad. Just enough to make her a grump-a-saurus Rex and totally zap her appetite. I gave her extra cuddles and snuggles. Both because she needed them and because, well, I could use the appetite suppressant part of that stomach bug ...

4) I let my kids walk to school the other day dressed in shorts and flip flops even though it was only 68 degrees with a north wind. (I'm pretty sure this could be added to my #southernpeopleproblems meme). I felt like an asshole for not checking the weather. And we were running late so we didn't have time to go back in and change. Mother of the year.

5) Truth: there are blogs I read purely for the snark factor.  Oh, you know you do it too.  I stumbled across one the other day and, at first, I was all "PLASTIC SURGERY ATE HER FACE" and "HER HANDBAG COLLECTION COST MORE THAN MY HOUSE."  But then I got to reading it and goshdarnit if I don't LIKE this chick.  Judging myself.  Totally judging myself.
6) Since I'm confessing blogger related things, I'll let this text message do the talking:

Disclaimer: I do not hate Kelle Hampton as, with the exception of Pete Carroll, I don't make it a habit to hate people I don't know. I am ragingly jealous of her though. I am ragingly jealous of anyone who has that much free time to edit photographs of their own feet.

7) I'm suddenly wondering if this entry is too bitchy/ mean.

8) In the event of a bitchy/ mean blog entry the best thing to do is bring up something pleasant.  What's more pleasant than NUTELLA?  I am trying not to eat any junk/ high calorie food until I go to Vegas (trying to do the whole preventative maintenance thing with the scale.  Oh.  And I'm working on a theory that what I eat will be even more mouthgasmic if I throw down on oatmeal and rice cakes the week before I go).  So sometimes I let my kids have Nutella on their breakfast waffles or toast JUST SO I CAN LICK THE KNIFE.  You know calories totes don't count when it's just a taste, right?  Riiiight?

9) I love the Backstreet Boys.

Thursday Things

1) The other morning it was about 70* when we set out for our walk. And Kyan informed me that he should've worn his coat. Yeah. The whole thing made me think that maybe I needed to start a #southernpeopleproblems meme. But then I remembered this BEST PIN EVER and realized that somebody pretty much already has:

There are not adequate words to express how much I love this or just how motherlovin' TRUE it is. The fact that they're holding milk and bread? *Dead* I can even overlook the fact that homegirl is sporting an Alabama shirt!

2) Speaking of rammer jammer yellow hammer blah blah Alabama ... Those of you unfortunate enough not to be well acquainted with the world of college football may not know that they gave my Razorbacks a hell of a beating the other day. They made bacon out of us fo' real. I think even the most dedicated of Hog fans knew we'd end up with an "L" but no one expected the ass whoopin' the Tide dealt us.

As a result of our (second in two weeks) national embarrassment, I something on Facebook that disturbed me.  Humongously.

Some asswads are hoping Pete Carroll will fail so miserably as coach of the Seahawks this year that we can lure him away from the big leagues to ... Fayetteville, Arkansas. For starters, Pete Carroll is too much of an arrogant pissant to ever end up at Arkansas. And second, I HATE THAT GUY! I have since the crybaby forced a split national championship the year USC - who everyone knows doesn't even play in a REAL conference - was edged out of the national championship game by two MUCH BETTER teams. Again, I HATE THAT GUY. 

3) Eddie and I booked a vacation (just the two of us) the other night. Seeing as it took us the ENTIRE EVENING - and I missed Parenthood (thank you, sweet baby Jesus, we live in the Age of the DVR) just to book, I'm no longer sure I want to go with him. Oh, I totally want to go. It's just the 'with him' part I'm feeling all stabby over. #marriedpeopleproblems

4) I am o-fficially back at my pre-DC vacation weight! For all the traveling I did over the summer, I really didn't gain THAT much weight (6ish pounds?). I expected to lose it faster. Funny how weight doesn't just fall off when you sit around eating bacon cheese fries and develop an affinity for Lay's Stax Adobadas flavor.

5) Speaking of weight -- overall, I weigh about 10 pounds less than I did this time last year. Know what the difference is? I've (almost) completely given up sugary sodas. I still have a Coke very, VERY occasionally but I've been pretty much coke-free in 2012.

6) Since I've devoted the past two paragraphs to weight and weight loss, lemme just go 'head and tell you: next weekend I plan to eat my way through Sin City. Watch out, Vegas buffets! Brandi is coming!

I can't wait until that magical age where I don't worry about getting fat and I'm old enough to feel comfortable with heart disease, high blood pressure, and all that (because if they don't take me something else will, right?)

7) My Instagrams a day for the week:

9/13 - Table

9/14 - Pirates

9/15 - First thing I see

9/16 - Strange (that many socks from someone who lives in flip flops nine months out of the year)

9/17 - In my fridge

9/18 - Price

9/19 - Underneath

By the way, you should follow me on Instagram.  @Brandi1010  It's my latest social media addiction of choice.

8) Since it's election season and all, I reserve the right to get political for a minute here.

So, the other day on Facebook (of coursse) I saw something that basically said, "somebody told me they weren't going to vote for Romney because he's not a Christian.  So they're going to vote for the Muslim instead?"

Then my head exploded.

Dude.  Mormons consider themselves Christians.  Obama-the-Muslim was sooooo 2008.  And even if neither one of these men were Christians does it REALLY MATTER in a nation where we have separation of church and state?  Oh, and thinking that all Muslims go around blowing up shit is akin to thinking all Christians are Westboro freaks.  Mmmkay? 

I'm so ready for this election to be Over.

9) See this guy?

I posted his picture on Instagram the other day.

This asshole.

He is my nemesis.

He parks right at the end of my street every single day when school gets out.  Why is this a big deal?  Because I happen to live RIGHT BY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.  I have to go past him every day when I'm walking my kid - who happens to LOVE overpriced ice cream - home from school.

GO AWAY, CREEPY ICE CREAM MAN.

By the way -- when did ice cream man quit being that friendly looking guy in a truck and start being the chester-looking asshole in a kidnapper van?

10) I pinned this yesterday and have been singing that opening of both songs EVER SINCE.  Since I can't seem to make it stop, I'll subject you all to it.

Dum dum dum dum da dum dum . . .

Validation

I know there are a lot of people out there who want their children to grow up to be doctors or lawyers or sports stars or just plain old millionaires.  I want my kids to grow up to be happy.  Content.  And not the kind of content that amounts to getting high in someone's basement but the sort of contentment that comes from knowing that they are living their life to the fullest, making the most of their days.  There are really only two things I don't want my children to become: screw ups and the kind of successful adults who sit around and say "I became all this IN SPITE OF how my parents raised me."

The thing with parenting is that 90% of us try to do our best but we never know the fruits of our labor until our children are grown.  And even then it's not always a true reflection on our parenting.  I've known some awesome, kick ass parents who have raised absolute tremendous losers.  And I've known some super shitty, bottom of the barrell type of moms and dads who have churned out cream of the crop kids.  You just never know.

For the 90% of us who are trying to do our best by our children, receiving a little bit of validation every now and then is pretty much the best feeling in the world.  Even if your kid is only five and you still have decades left to screw up his life.

I'm going to sound like a bragging asshole the remainder of this post.  And since I'm already going to sound so assholeish, let me just go on 'head and throw out this gem from Bob Carlisle in Butterfly Kisses: "for all that I've done wrong, I must've done something right."  Isn't that an insanely awesome feeling?  For knowing everything we do wrong . . . in life, in parenting, whatever . . . to have that moment where we know, we have validation, that we did something right, it feels amazing.

I received this kind of validation the other day.  And I totally had a Moment.  Right there in Jaidan's kindergarten class, sitting in a tiny five-year-old sized chair with my knees nearly up to my chin.

You see, Jaidan never went to preschool.  PreK isn't free here and I . . . just . . . couldn't . . . send my kid to preschool when I could do the very same thing right here, at home, for free.  It would've been different if I wasn't home all day.  But I was (am) and paying someone to do what *I* could do just wasn't going to happen.  So when Jaidan began kindergarten, everything he knew was due to . . . me.  That's kind of scary, y'all.  I had every faith in my abilities to prepare him for kindergarten.  BUT there was still that lingering doubt.
At parent teacher conference the other night, Jaidan's teacher went over his beginning of the year testing.  This was the testing done before he even made it into her classroom.  He was exceeding standards in everything.  Everything!  Several times she told me "he came to me this way" and several times I thought I was going to burst into a great big old Farrah style ugly cry right there in the classroom (I might have been a little hormonal.  Just a little).  Nothing - nothing -beats being told you've done right by your kid.  Nothing.  I won't lie to you.  I'm proud of me!  I am !  I'm proud!
But I'm a thousand times more proud of my kid.  He is well behaved in class, loves to learn, and when he's in the classroom he's not in play mode, he's in learn mode.  And that made this Mama's chest swell up with pride.  I know this is only kindergarten and we have a long road ahead of us.  Right now we're dealing with beginning sounds and learning to read.  What lays ahead is scary -- algebra and foreign language and chemistry and I don't even want to think about it.  But, here, in the now, I'm going to soak up this small victory.

And smile when I see my boy so happy to go off to school.  And smile when I see his homework papers with "good job" and "way to go" written on them.  And smile when he comes home rattling off about everything he learned during the day.  And smile when I catch him in his sister's bed at night sounding out the words in books, trying his hardest to read.

For all that I've done wrong, I must've done something right! 

I Don't Care if They Do Show Reruns of Will and Grace. Let's Boycott Lifetime.

The other night I was minding my own business, watching The Elizabeth Smart Story on Lifetime (judge me! I cried like a baby at the end). That's when I saw it. A commercial for a remake of Steel Magnolias.

A commercial for a REMAKE OF STEEL MAGNOLIAS.

I'll give you a minute for that to sink in.

If you don't have anything nice to say about this then, well, COME SIT BY ME.

People. Friends. Y'all. YOU DO NOT REMAKE STEEL MAGNOLIAS.

That would be like remaking Pretty Woman! Can you imagine, I don't know, Blake Lively and Ryan Gosling as Vivian and Edward? No? That's because those characters belong to Julia Roberts and Richard Gere!

Much like Truvy IS Dolly Parton. Clairee is no one other than Olympia Dukakis. Sally Field and Julia Roberts were - and still are - perfect as M'Lynn and Shelby. Darryl Hannah was born to play Anelle. And, let's be real, no one other than Shirley MacLaine will ever - ever - be Ms. Ouiser. And I love you, Alfre Woodard, but that includes you.

The cast of this despicable remake is pretty awesome for a Lifetime movie. There's Alfre Woodard, Phylicia Rashad, Queen Latifah, and Jill Scott. All amazing. But really? And who - who??? - saw Queen Latifah as M'Lynn? I.dont.get.it.

Steel Magnolias is, hands down, my favorite movie of all time. I can sit here and rattle off dozens of movies that I absolutely love, adore, cherish (DirtyDancingPrettyWomanGhostWhenHarryMetSallyRememberTheTitansTheSandlotSleeplessInSeattle) but Steel Magnolias is always number one. Always.  I love it more than my luggage.

It was bad enough that some asshole director got it in his head to remake Footloose.  And apparently someone has decided to redo Dirty Dancing -- presumably with actors who weren't even alive when the original came out.  What's next?  Is someone trying to tap Ludacris to play Cliff Huxtable in a remake of The Cosby Show?  Are they going to mangle The Golden Girls or Boy Meets World?  Are they trying to destroy EVERYTHING GOOD ABOUT MY CHILDHOOD?

Back off of Steel Magnolias -- especially with the extra cheese that's known as a Lifetime movie.

They already gave us our "thirty minutes of wonderful."  We don't need a "lifetime of nothing special."

I wish I had blogger OCD. You know what I mean? I have no desire to possess the real OCD ... the kind that's life altering and slightly devastating. I'm talking about the kind that bloggers always talk about. "Omg! I'm like totes OCD! I cannot stand for anything to be out of place in my closet!" Yeah. I want that kind if OCD. Or I want one of those peeps to come to my house and have a fit at the sight of my closet and whip into shape.

It's not just my closet either. Pretty much nada in my house is organized. I get the sads just thinking about it. I want to be organized! I do! Reality is, though, I'm a great big hoarder. And if there's a way to be an organized hoarder ... well, I haven't found that pin on Pinterest yet.

I bought some fake Toms the other day. I didn't buy any no show socks when I made the purchase because I knew I had some. Yesterday afternoon, the hubs was in a football coma and the children were occupied. And I found myself with ... time on my hands. Say whaaaa?

I decided to hunt down my no show socks. Once I got started, I went on a full scale organizing spree, just me and mah dresser.

Y'all.

I keep so much stuff! I try to purge a couple times a year but somehow I still ...

Let me give a few examples.

The outfit I'm wearing here? I finally threw out the pants yesterday. The outfit was at least a year old in that pic. And, oh yeah, that pic was taken the day Jaidan was born. SIX plus YEARS and seventy pounds ago. The crotch hung to my knees. Why was I holding onto it?

I also threw out old lounge pants that can remember purchasing circa 2005, a hoodie that I bought to wear to early spring baseball games back when I was DATING a guy that I broke up with in '04, and a couple of nursing bras (yeah, my baby hasn't been nursed in a good two years).

The worst, though ... the socks. I threw out a pair of Tommy Hilfiger socks. I remember buying them. I had a Dillard's gift card with *not much* left on it and ended up picking up the socks to use up what I had left on the card. When was that? NOT IN THIS MILLENIUM.

I can't be the only person who does this, right?  Hoards clothes?  And this junk I threw out yesterday was all just that -- junk!  It wasn't even stuff I could donate to Goodwill or giving away.  WHY WAS I STILL HOLDING ON?

The worst part of all this?  I never did find those no show socks I was looking for.

Now.  One of you with Blogger OCD . . . want to come organize my closet for me?

It Happened This Week

Truth: college football season is more fun when you're team is the one kicking ass and taking names.  Please don't think I'm being a fair weather fan -- I'm definitely not.  I proudly bleed Razorback Red.  But last football season?  You know, the one where we made it up to #3 in the polls?  Much more fun than this season . . . what with losing to Louisiana Monroe in overtime and being made into bacon by Bama.  Sigh.

A look at our week.

Sunday 9/9:

Monday 9/10:

Tuesday 9/11:

Wednesday 9/12:

Thursday 9/13:

Friday 9/14:



Saturday 9/16:

Crushin'

Just because.

A few of my favorite things right now.  Things I'm totally loving.  Crushing on.

1) Pumpkin spice Hershey Kisses.

These, my friends, are little morsels from Heaven.  They are mouthgasmic.  They are fall wrapped in a foil wrapper and exploding with flavor in your mouth.  I heart them.  I heart them long time.  In fact, I heart them so much that I'm now forcing myself to do 25 jumping jacks every time I eat one.  Cause, you see, my waistline really really likes them.  And holding onto them.

2) SoBe Lifewater.  I love the blood orange mango and the strawberry dragonblahblah.  Good stuff.  Also, the cherry pomegranate is like WOAH.  It's too bad I didn't realize the bottle wasn't calorie free until I finish it.  :/  It makes me stabby to drink any calories.  Except alcohol.

3) My new camera.

This thing is so awesome!  I can't wait to get to Vegas and try it out in the pool.  It has an underwater setting!  How cool is that?

4) How into being "crative" my oldest spawn is.

He is constantly wanting to draw and color these days.  As someone who is naturally pretty "crative" myself, this makes my heart smile.  Large time.

I'm also loving the report I got from his teacher yesterday.  I'll save it for another post but let's just say -- this Mama?  She's proud.

5) My new bed.

6) Chili.

I have always loved chili.  Always.  It's warm and hearty and filling.  You can make it very low calorie.  And you can do so many things with it.  Chili dogs, chili cheese fries, Frito chili pie, over crackers, with cornbread, on a baked potato.  It's pretty much the best stuff ever.  And I've finally found - and tweaked - a recipe that my entire family loves.  I even make it meatless for Meatless Mondays and nobody seems to notice. 

Did I seriously just write an entire love sonnet to chili?  Sheesh.  Down, fat girl.

7) Prince Harry.  Ryan Lochte too (totally had a dream the other night wherein my husband -- who was named Eddie -- was a tall, skinny, white dude with Ryan Lochte's face).  But Henry Charles Albert David, Prince of Wales wins because he . . . well . . . he's a prince.  And a naughty prince at that.  Oh Harry.

^ He is going to Vegas with me.

So don't be surprised if you see him sunning beside me in a pool chair.  Or attacking a buffet.  Or dancing on a table after guzzling cheap beer.

8) I'm hesitant to say this.  Because I know I'm going to jinx it and all.  But.  I am totally - TOTALLY - loving how well my kids are getting along these days!  Believe me, the boys are still known to totally duke it out from time to time.  But they are getting along so much better since J started school.  And, man, these little dudes are in love with their baby sister.  Bedtime last night was a long drawn out ordeal of night night kisses.  Love.it.

9) Roseanne. 

Oxygen has been showing reruns all the time.  And I love it.  If you have to fold clothes then, by all means, you should be able to fold clothes while relating to the Connor family.

10) Pumpkin.  Pumpkin anything.

I realized I discussed the pumpkin spice Kisses already -- and they deserve their own paragraph -- but, ya'll PUMPKIN.  Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin candles, pumpkin balls, candy that's shaped like pumpkins. I LOVE PUMPKIN. 

Thursday Things

1) I was watching my kids play in the backyard Tuesday afternoon, the eleventh anniversary of 9/11.  They were running and laughing and just carefree and without a worry in the world.  And it hit me that they'll never truly understand or appreciate the significance of 9/11.  They'll probably understand that it's a somber day and respect it in the way generations following Pearl Harbor have a healthy respect for December 7th.  But they will never watch an old episode of Friends and feel a lump in their throat when they see a shot of the New York skyline, complete with the Twin Towers.  They will watch Home Alone and wonder how it was possible for the family to be running so behind that they forgot a kid and still managed to catch an international flight.  They will take me to the airport in a few weeks and drop me off at the curb.  They'll never stand at the gate, noses pushed to the window, watching my plane take off.  I'm raising the first generation of post 9/11 kids and the world isn't anywhere even close to the same as it was when I was a kid.  It's not even the same as it was September 10, 2001.

2) We have our first ever parent/ teacher conference this afternoon.  Jaidan's behavior has been awesome thus far.  In fact, his teacher even stopped me Friday afternoon to tell me, basically, that Jaidan is rockin' the shit out of kindergarten.  (My words, obviously).  Today we'll get to find out where he is in all the learnin' and stuff. 

3) I have yet to find the candy corn Oreos around town.  This is unacceptable.

4) Instagram daily challenge:

9/6 - Everyday (Homework)

9/7 - Natural (My hair is naturally wavy)

9/8 - Night (Wine and football)

9/9 - Most weekends (enjoying the sunshine)

9/10 - Black and white (black coat, white snow)

9/11 - Hero (never forget)

9/12 - Together (Presh)

5) Kyan loves Halloween so, of course, he loves the Halloween aisle in every store we go into.  He couldn't resist trying on the Obama and Romney masks the other day.

I've been trying to talk him into dressing up as Obama - sans the mask - for Halloween.  Would he not be the cutest in a little suit, walking around with an "Obama '12" sign?  Yeah.  He wants to be a Power Ranger. 

6) Speaking of Ihateitwhentheyhavemindsoftheirown . . . I desparately want to throw a Halloween party for Jaidan's birthday this year.  He, however, wants a Superhero party.  WHAT ARE THESE KIDS DOING TO ME.  Can some kid just do ONE thing I want for Halloween?  Jeez.  Quit thinking for yourselves!  #sarcasm

7) Can I just say that I LOVE the fact that Parenthood is back on?  I was so afraid it would be cancelled (I believe there was some buzz that that was a possibility). 

8) My Razorbacks play Alabama this weekend.  I already don't want to talk about it.  AND I already need wine.  Lots of it.

9) Jaidan has developed a seriously uncool habit of inviting his little friend over to dinner before asking me.  Please bear in mind that I'm normally feeding six people as it is.  Adding more more -- even a small person -- is just "nuh-uh."  OMG, JAIDAN, STOP DOING THAT SHIT.

10)

Just Call Me Mrs. Freeze

I'm 'bout to be all domestic and shit up in this mofo!

^ I feel like I have to throw in some "gangsta" to balance out the overwhelming amount of Betty Crocker in the remainder of this post.  I feel like I should post some Gucci Mane or Rick Ross video.  If it was 2004, I could just enunciate everything with a Lil Jon style "YEAH" or "OKAY." Because, YEAH, it's THAT domestic.  OKAY?

I have turned into the freezer queen.

I suppose it's Pinterest inspired.  I don't know.  But I've been preparinig freezer meals like crazy.  And not just meals either.  Things like french fries (did you even KNOW you can freeze oven fries?  I totally didn't!  I thought you couldn't freeze potatoes) and onion rings and summer fruits and veggies and beans.

We bought a deep freeze several years ago, back when we still lived in Texas.  Other than occasionally - and not often enough - stocking up on meat found at a good price, we haven't really made the most of it.  Honestly, it's generally been used to store frozen pizza and popsicles.  No more, though!  I have all kinds of things stocked in there these days -- lasanga and chicken enchiladas and chicken taco soup and breakfast burritos and pancakes and mozarella bites.  Just to name a few. 

Since this whole freezing thing has gone so well for me, I thought I'd share a few tips and hints and websites I've found that have helped me out.

1) Pickyourown.org has a FABULOUS tutorial on freezing squash and zukes.  I've developed a love affair with both here lately and the thought of not being able to have roasted squash in the winter was giving me a serious case of the sads.  I bought extra last time I hit up the grocery store and blanched and froze more than half of what I bought.  I plan on doing the same thing the next time I go to the grocery store too -- I want to have as much as I can stored up for winter.

2) I used this tutorial when it came to freezing my peaches.  Most tuts I found involved canning and that sort of thing -- I don't have the time nor do I have the want to.  This way of freezing peaches was pretty simple and not very time consuminig.

3) Meals4Moms is an ahhhhmazing website and their potato plan changed my life.  Dramatic much?  Probably.  But.  I love oven fries.  We have them often.  But as much as I love them I kinda hate making them.  Washing the taters and cutting them into fries and blah, blah, blah.  It's not something you can do if you need fast, quick, and in a hurry.  Frozen fries are so much more convenient.  Which is why I'm so so so so glad that you can, in fact, make your own frozen fries!  Now, whoever wrote the potato plan bakes her fries much longer and at a higher temperture than I do.  Maybe she cuts them much thicker (and I thought my fries were pretty thick!).  I don't know.  But I baked mine for half an hour at 425 before freezing.  From the freezer, I baked them for an additional half an hour and also at 425.  They baked up perfectly!  Super yummy.  Now I just make up a bunch of fries as soon as I buy potatoes.  It's time consuming but it's a one time thing, you know?  The next several times I make oven fries, it only takes half an hour!

4) Ya'll.  Can someone please explain to me why I've been buying canned beans all these years?  Dry beans are the way to go!  The hands on time to cook them is practically nothing and they go so much further than canned beans.  And!  They tast better too!  Budget Bytes has a tutorial on cooking them if you're a dry bean virgin, as I was.  I now have black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and lima beans all stocked in my freezer.  It'll be a while before I have to make any again.

5) If you're on Pinterest, I know you've seen the frozen breakfast burritos so this one is probably nothing new to you.  I decided to give them a try so we could have an easy and filling breakfast for school mornings.  She only made eight in the tutorial but I was able to stretch the filling (I used sausage, egg, and cheese) to make 12.  Jaidan and Eddie both love them!  Another breakfast favorite that can be frozen is pancakes.  I can't remember the website I used as a guide but these were pretty much a no-brainer.  The past few times I've made pancakes, I've made some extra.  After the extras cooled, I did a flash freeze on them.  Once they were frozen, I wrapped them in plastic and put them in a freezer bag.  They can be reheated in the microwave or toaster and still taste delicious.

6) Life as a Mom has tons - tons - of tips on freezer cooking.  Seriously.  What you can and can't freeze, various tips, storage, etc. 

It Feels Like Fall! Except it Doesn't. Alternately Titled: Put Away the Boots and Hoodies Before You Make Me Burst a Blood Vessell from Giving You the Stank Eye

It stormed here Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night.  Thursday and Friday mornings we woke up and it was steamy and humid and gross.  Karis and I went for a walk Thursday morning and by the time we made it home (before 10:00!) I was dripping with sweat, looked like I'd been in some sort of wet t-shirt contest for the over 30-with-droppy-boobs crowd.  Friday night's storm brought a cold front along with it, though, and when we woke Saturday morning we were greeted with FALL.  Except not.  The 80's we had on Saturday were so much nicer than the OMGHOT we've had from this cruel, cruel summer that it felt much cooler than it actually was.

Which brings me to one of the things - maybe even THE one thing - I hate most about this time of year.  As soon as the thermometer dips below 90, people are pulling out their hoodies.  Putting on their boots.  Stowing away the shorts and tank tops and flip flops.  Ordering pumpkin spice lattes and hot chocolate.  And this, my friends, MAKES ME STABBY.  Okay, everything except for the pumpkin spice anything (totes bought my first bag of pumpkin spice Kisses the other day).  And I plan to have chili simmering in the crockpot within the next hour.  And maybe, possibly in my euphoria from taking a walk and not having to come home and immediately jump in the shower, I posted a "woo hoo fall!" status on Facebook the other day.  But the hoodies are still packed away and the boots are in the back of my closet.  It's not fall.  Yet.  Let's just be happy with the slight cool down, with the weather that allows us to enjoy being outside but still makes flip flops possible, that we can feel "in season" with a pumpkin spice latte OR a strawberry slushie.

Speaking of all things fall related - FOOTBALL.

Yeah.

Football.

Saturday was brutal to Razorback nation.  Several injured players and we lost - in overtime - to St. Mary's School for Wayward Girls.  Now, I will be the first to tell you that when the preseason rankings came out and we were at #10, I felt disloyal in thinking "nuh-uh."  Believe me, I love my Razorbacks and I would like nothing more than to see them deserving of being on top of every poll in the nation.  However.  The offseason was - how do we put this delicately - a little rough.  Still.  I may have thought #10 was a little more than we deserved but I did NOT think we would lose to Louisiana Monroe in the SECOND GAME OF THE SEASON.

It's probably karma on my part for poking fun at Texas A&M for losing their first ever SEC game.

Regardless.  I'm a Hog fan and we all know bad games happen.  Bad seasons happen.  And, from the chorus of "Bring Bobby Back!" on Facebook, it seems like there's a good chance that everything old can be new again come next season.

Woo Pig!

It Happened This Week

Jaidan's first day of school was one month ago today.  One month and I've already been sick twice.  I have been sick twice.  Me!  Jaidan had a bit of a snotty nose and Kyan and Karis both had some congestion mess but I've the one that's been hit - and hit hard - twice.  So.not.fair.  So, yeah, the second half of my week was spent feeling sorry for myself.  I really wish we had picked up some "daycare immunity" before starting kindergarten.  I don't even want to think about how sick we're going to be when cold and flu season really comes around!

Sunday 9/2:

Monday 9/3:

Tuesday 9/4:

Wednesday 9/5:

Thursday 9/6:

Friday 9/7:

So, I got a new camera a couple months ago.  And it is awesome and I love it and, yes, I would totes marry it.  But, it's bit and bulky and expensive and, therefore, will never, ever, ever be allowed on a whores trip with me.  The tiny little point and shoot I have had seen mucho better days so we replaced it.  I bought a Nikon that is both shockproof and waterproof.  Ummm, can I get a HELL YEAH?  It came in Friday and we played around with it.  This picture and the next were taken with it.

Saturday 9/8: