Missing a Chick

I'd love to say all of our chicks are in the nest but sadly we are missing one (she's in MS with her future in-laws for the holidays).  Chick #2 (but #1 in our hearts hahaha!) arrived yesterday after a two-hour delay (typical KJ fashion!  That kid is never on time!).  

But seriously.  We're just glad her flight arrived safe and sound and better late than never.  She was supposed to get in around 4:30 PM and her dad made arrangements for the suite @ Hyde at the Crypto.com arena (formerly the Staples Center) for the 6:30 PM Lakers game.  Unfortunately she didn't land until 6:30 PM, the shuttle bus from the gate to the terminal took forever and her luggage didn't hit the carousal until almost 7:30 PM.  The trek from LAX to the arena was clocking in at around 30 minutes with LA traffic so, we decided to forgo the game and just grab a bite to eat at a cute little pizza place in El Segundo.  

We have lots of fun stuff planned while KJ is home for the next 10 days.  This afternoon she and Coach are doing some shopping, Tuesday they are going to Disneyland, Wednesday they are going to a Beastie Boys exhibit in LA, Thursday we are going out on a boat in Newport to look at the Christmas lights, Friday she's getting her hair cut and colored, not sure what we're doing Christmas Eve but Christmas Day the two of them are going to the football game.  Coach and I have off from work Monday, Tuesday we have seats in the suite for a Kings game and then she leaves Wednesday.  Whew!  

July

"Answer July—
Where is the Bee—
Where is the Blush—
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July—
Where is the Seed—
Where is the Bud—
Where is the May—
Answer Thee—Me—"
-  Emily Dickinson, Answer July 

 

 

July is more than halfway over and it's been a wonderful month!  We got to see T-bone and the Dew twice (on their way out west and on their way back to Birmingham to pick-up KJ).  Coach and I had a very, very relaxing week while KJ  was gone.  Cruised around in her convertible a couple of times (drives her crazy when we send her Snapchats of us in her car!), hung out in the pool a lot, watched a couple of good movies, got a few things done in the house.  She had an awesome visit with her big sister and called me from the airport yesterday crying.  It was all good; happy tears.  She got to see some old friends, spent lots of time with T and they went to Sloss Fest with friends over the weekend.  She gets like me . . . I get overwhelmed with happiness and being incredibly blessed and cry for no apparent reason but it's really happy tears.  T was crying too when she took KJ to the airport and Coach said KJ was crying when she got off the plane.  She just really had a good visit with everyone. 

T and the Dew had an amazing trip out west.  T's pics are incredible.  They hiked, went on a hot air balloon ride at dawn, did the Grand Canyon again, camped and hiked some more.  They never sit still. 

 

It's been very, very hot the last couple of days ~ high 90's with the heat index putting us in the triple digits.  All I can say is, "thank God we have a pool!"  When we were moving here I told Coach I could not move to Texas without a pool.  We luv, luv, luv our pool.  We are in the pool almost every night and pretty much all weekend.  We just float, talk, relax, listen to music or watch TV (Coach bought a TV to attaché to one of the breezeway's post and it flips around so we can watch it from the pool or from the cozy corner of the patio.  Despite the heat, Coach is still playing men's league lax once a week.  Fortunately, it's late at night when the sun goes down (some games start at 9 PM) but it really doesn't make much of a difference when it's still in the low 90's. 

 

My job is winding down this week.  Because I haven't been here a year I don't qualify for the FLMA and the company is not legally obligated to hold my position while I'm recouperating from surgery.  I've had a couple of clients take me to lunch and my Front Desk and Housekeeping buddies are sad.  I've enjoyed this job very much.  I've learned a lot and met some wonderful people.  But, at this point, I'm just glad to be getting this over with.  I've suffered for so long and now I finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. 

 

 

And Another Surprise!

So over Easter I was the one surprised but the following weekend it was my parent's turn!  They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and my brother and I threw them a fantastic party (actually, not so much me.  and not so much my brother.  More like, "my wonderful sister-in-law threw them a fantastic party!").  I couldn't do much being so far away so she organized everything and I wrote a couple of checks.  My parents were positively floored and we had a wonderful time! 

The month of May was pretty busy with typical end of year stuff -- end of year lax games, end of year lax tournament, KJ played in the Junior vs. Senior powder puff football game, she was inducted into the Spanish National Honor Society, our beautiful niece extended her business trip and stayed with us a couple of days, KJ had a blast at prom and my hotel was the host property for the Texas Elvis Festival over Memorial Day weekend! 

June is just as busy -- Coach starts men's league this week, he flew to Denver last week to visit w/ his college buds and they went to a Rockies game and the Metallica concert.  This weekend we're going to the Texas Rangers game.  I'm not sure who they're playing.  While KJ's been in Costa Rica, Coach and I have been tooling around town in her cute little convertible and spent Sunday at the local lake.  Of course, now Coach wants a boat.  I'm not opposed to a boat, I just don't know much about them. 

KJ left for Costa Rica on Thursday and is having the time of her life!  They've been white water rafting, zip lining, they hiked to a waterfall and swam, kayaked, went to a pineapple farm, visited a coffee plantation and also went to a chocolate farm.  One night they did a late night rain forest tour and she said it was wild!  She has seen SO much wildlife -- she said howler monkeys were on their bungalow roof one day, lizards and iguanas are everywhere, frogs (poisonous ones!), a bunch of different birds, etc. 

T and Johnny Frat Boy are going out west for a hiking/camping trip the end of June.  On there way back they are stopping in Dallas and taking KJ back with them for a week.  I think they have plans to go to Sloss Fest and then she'll fly home the day after.  And a few days after she gets back home, I am scheduled for a hysterectomy.  I haven't been feeling well at all the last couple of months and had an ultrasound in February.  At the time they found several little fibroids that were about 1 to 1 1/2 cm each.  They have grown rapidly and now are over 3 cm each.  And I have a cyst on my left ovary.  And severe endometreosis.  And scar tissue from my two C-sections.  So.  Go me! 

Tulips and Bluebonnets

Last year KJ and I spent a wonderful day at the tulip farm cutting our own stems for a bouquet.  This year the tulips were peak during Spring Break and since I'm working and she was in San Antonio for break we kind of missed it.  However, I found out there's a bluebonnet field near my office so I might have to go check it out!  We teased KJ terribly when we were moving here that it's a right of passage to have your picture taken in a bluebonnet field.  She declined. 



Speaking of the office and work . . . holy hell!  (As my pappy used to say) "I am busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger!"  But seriously!  The phone DOES NOT STOP.  It's wonderful to sell two gorgeous, popular properties but sometimes I just want to shut my office door and put my head on my desk for a nappy.  I love having a career vs. a job and love what I do.  And I can't wait to spend my bonus. 


Lax season is kinda sorta but not really winding down.  Both Coach and KJ still have games but there is light at the end of the tunnel.  TCU has already had their end of year banquet and KJ's is at the beginning of May.  This time of year seems to go by in a blur --- all that end of year stuff gets smushed in.  She's got prom mid-May and leaves for Costa Rica the beginning of June. 


This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous!  One of the most beautiful weekends I can remember.  Both days were sunny, warm and bright blue skies.  Coach had a game @ SMU Saturday and afterward we went downtown for a little Mexican on the patio.  Sunday he had a game @ TCU but I didn't go.  I've been having a cleaning lady come on Sunday's (since I don't know her well enough to leave a key for her I prefer to be home). 


We've got our Easter brunch reservations made.  This will be our 3rd year in a row at this restaurant.  T and her sorority little are having a girls weekend is Savannah so it's just going to be the 3 Cos's. 


We've been getting the pool and the backyard ready and Coach is thinking about buying some wave runners so we can spend some time at the lake, too.  I don't care about the wave runners, I just want a paddleboard.  I'd probably have to stick it out my sunroof since I don't think a paddleboard would fit on my car.  I love, love, love to paddleboard and really need to try paddleboard yoga, too! 

Some Blog Lovin'

I've been AWOL for a couple of months now and today is the first day in a long time where I feel like I've had a bit of a respite.

After moving the fam out to Dallas and getting everyone settled, it was high time I got my butt back to work!  I am so excited about my new(ish) job as the Sales Manager for two hotels in the Plano area!  I started mid-December and so far so good!  OK.  I'll admit it.  There were a couple of days shortly after the training process where I thought I should just throw in the towel but I've hung in there.  I have a bit of a commute but it's not terrible (once some of the construction is finished, my drive will be fine).  I use the time in the mornings to mentally prepare for my day and in the evenings I decompress.  The best part of going back to work is KJ and Cosmo taking over the cooking! 

Lax is in full swing / full spring at the Casa de Cos.  Cosmo has had a couple of games under his belt this season and KJ's season is kind of just getting started.  She had a tournament @ A&M and a lot of practices so far.  She's also working a lot and has just completed her schedule for senior year.  She actually has enough credits to graduate in December but I don't see the need for her to graduate early. 

We've had some work done in the backyard this year and can't wait for consistent warm weather to enjoy it (today is almost 90 but tomorrow's high is supposed to be mid-60's)!  We had a new retaining wall installed, a new fence, sod laid in the little space by the pool (seriously, I could cut our backyard grass with a pair of scissors it's so small), new mulch in all the flower beds, a few trees and plants in the new retaining wall area and the trees in the front yard were cut back. 

We don't really have any spring break plans this year but we are all looking forward to our upcoming cruise to celebrate our big birthdays and our special anniversary.  We've had a lot of fun researching our trip and planning our excursions.  Oh!  And of course, KJ is incredibly excited about her trip to Costa Rica this summer!  She got a GoPro for Christmas so she could document her adventures!

T and Pony Boy are having some adventures of their own.  They celebrated the new year in DC and they've gone hiking/camping/kayaking several times.  They are having so much fun in Birmingham and are constantly on the go.  She somehow won a Super Bowl party sponsored by a local radio station so they held it at Frat Boy's house.  All the drinks were handled, all the food, one of those huge inflatable screens was put up in the backyard, the station played a custom playlist on the radio for an hour before kick-off and some guy came and played the guitar!  And this week she won a sales contest at work and won an Apple Watch! 

"And all at once, Summer collapsed into Fall"

Saw that quote this morning and thought it most appropriate for today's blog post!  There's a definite change in the air and although Autumn takes a bit longer to reach Texas, you can tell it's on its way. The sun is still super strong but there's no humidity and there has been a nice breeze in the air the last couple of weeks. The change from Summer to Fall is subtle but tangible.

Football is in the air, too.  Friday we made the 30-minute trip to the Allen Eagles stadium for the Hoover game.  We have been incredibly impressed with all of the high schools we've been to since moving here and Allen did not disappoint.  Seriously folks.  Everything really is bigger in Texas. Every one of the high schools KJ has played lax or volleyball at has been state-of-the-art and Allen was by far the nicest facility we've ever seen. And, it wasn't just the beautiful football stadium, it was the people. The citizens of Allen were incredibly hospitable to the visiting team.  We went out to dinner before the game and had a guy stop at our table to welcome us and wish us luck (KJ and I were wearing plain black shirts but Coach was wearing a Hoover polo so he was more easily identifiable).  Of course we explained that we haven't lived in Hoover for over 3 years now but he was genuine and sincere when he said Allen was excited to play Hoover.  We parked our car next to some Eagles fans and they wished us luck as did the police on the Segway, the lady at the gate who took our tickets and the volunteer who was on hand to direct me to the ladies room during the lightening delay.  It was just easier to smile and say "yes, it was great, thank you" when repeatedly asked "how was y'all's drive in?" rather than explain we live in Texas now. Some guy even clapped Coach on the back and said "we sure are glad you're here and hope Everyone's been treatin' you well."

We've had such a wonderful summer filled with many blessings  ... a beautiful baby (great) niece was born into the family last weekend, our beautiful niece is getting married this weekend, and our nephew got engaged!  So incredible to watch the next generation growing up and carrying on.  We are all so so excited about the wedding this weekend!  We haven't really seen Coach's side of the family since his mom passed away January 2015. And, of course, I can't wait to see T and Johnny Frat Boy!!

KJ had a great first week of school.  I can NOT believe this kid is driving herself to school each morning. Each Friday from now until after Homecoming (basically the entire football season) is dress-up day. Last week was Hawaiian day, this week is Fisherman Friday, I know there's a nerd day in there somewhere, a twin day, a super hero day, a jersey day, etc.  She has finally decided on a career path and has joined a couple of clubs to reflect her choice and she's got a couple of scheduled college visits coming up. Yikes. And, of, course, she's counting down the days until her Costa Rica trip.

T-bone is loving her new job, her nice paychecks and her cute apartment. She loves her location and is always tickled when she runs into people in the darnedest places. She goes to yoga regularly, the farmer's market each week, catches a baseball game when she can and has dinner with friends.  When Frat Daddy comes into town they rent bikes and explore. She has a couple of girlfriends in T-town for grad school so she sees them regularly and a bunch of them recently met in Nashville for a friend's birthday.  She and Johnny Boy have also had a couple of weekends at the beach.  Yep. She's got it made. My friend LCM has always said, "T is a rock star and I wish I had her life." She is 100%  right. T has always done things her way and has always had a ball doing it.  She's a combination of Mary Tyler Moore, her friend Rhoda and Carrie Bradshaw all rolled into one. #CosLife

dagnabit!

Can't believe its been a month since I've blogged .... feels like just yesterday!  Soooo much has happened the last couple of weeks!

First and foremost in our minds, our hearts and our prayers is one of Coach's former lax players. Just days after the 10th anniversary game where he came by the fields to say hi to Coach (he couldn't play in the alumni game that evening because he was attending an engagement party), we found out that Coop had been in a horrific single-car accident.  His vehicle caught on fire and was helped from his car by bystanders driving by.  Since the accident, Coop has been airlifted to a burn center in Augusta, GA and has had to endure many surgeries and procedures. His mom was T's 3rd grade teacher and we absolutely adore his dad. Christian is one of those special players that Coach misses greatly .... he was in that first group of boys who played all four years of high school.  Christian was one of the first players that Coach graduated.  Please pray for Christian and his wonderful family. 

After our weekend in Hoover, Coach and I enjoyed a kid-free weekend in Austin, TX. Yup, we left KJ home alone for the first time and yes, the house was still standing when we got back!  We stayed at the Renaissance off of Congress and spent Friday and Saturday exploring.  Friday afternoon was just gorgeous and we rested at the hotel's patio with some margaritas.  Friday night we had a wonderful Italian dinner right near the hotel and then walked over to 6th to hear a band that a friend recommended.  Still so much more I want to do and see but am proud to say I ate at my very first food truck!!

The following Friday KJ and I flew to Ft. Myers for Spring break.  We arrived late Friday night but were ready for the beach bright and early Saturday morning.  We took out one of the pontoon boats and went down to a side of Lover's Key, anchored, shelled for a bit and had lunch.  When we got back to the marina we hit Bonita Bill's for happy hour and had so much fun!  Sunday we had breakfast at a cute little café and drove to Sanibel and Captive.  We had a late lunch at the Green Flash, got dessert to go from the Bubble Room and watched the sunset sitting on the beach at Captiva.  Monday we went shopping and Tuesday we met up with my sister-in-law and niece for the afternoon.  Wednesday we played mini golf in the evening and Thursday we went to the other side of Lover's Key and rented paddleboards. We had the most amazing time and saw tons of manatees. They look like huge brown rocks in the water but once they get moving, watch out!  At one point, a mama and her calf were right under my board!  It was kind of scary! 

We flew home Friday afternoon and spent the weekend planting and doing yardwork with Cosmo.  KJ had a game Tuesday night and scored 4 goals. She's playing so well!  Saturday TCU beat the pants off of Baylor and we celebrated with our traditional post game burgers at Dutch's and on the way home we did some shopping in Grapevine.  Sunday we had incredible filets on the grill and ran some errands.

Meanwhile, T and Pony Boy spent their spring break on the slopes in Breckenridge.  We have the most amazing friends who took wonderful care of those two (and the dog!) and they enjoyed the snow and being out West!

Happy New Year (a couple days late)

2016 is off to a great start in our household!  Coach and KJ spent the evening at Jerry World watching Alabama play, T was in New Orleans with Pony Boy and friends for the Sugar Bowl and I ushered in the New Year with a glass of wine and a bubble bath.  I think I was asleep by 10:30 pm. It was glorious!

Christmas was really great.  Very quiet with just the four of us but very relaxing.  Since the girls were very little, we've always gotten a new game for Christmas and we played it Christmas Eve.  We all slept in on Christmas morning and had our traditional breakfast casserole.  I think everyone was happy with their Christmas gifts (Coach got a FitBit, the girls and I got lots of Kendra Scott, James Avery jewelry, Hunter boots, Michael Kors bags, clothes, etc.).

Lax season is fully underway.  KJ is super duper happy with her lax team. It's a combined FloMo/Marcus team and she said the girls are all incredibly nice and have been exceptionally welcoming.  A couple of the girls knew a couple of her volleyball teammates so that was a Nice ice breaker.

The weather has been so crazy the last week or so.  Last week I had the heat off and some windows open, the weekend was noticeably chillier and the heat is back on. 

We've had a nice relaxing 3-day weekend. Friday KJ had a half day and the three of us had an awesome lunch at a little local place we've been dying to try.  We also did some furniture shopping and ended up buying a new patio set.  Saturday was rainy and dreary so Cosmo and KJ started painting the office. It was a dark, dark green and felt like an old man's office (previous owners had dark window treatments and old, boring golf prints).  I picked out a nice light color that's hard to explain ... not tan or beige but not ivory either.  The color perfectly matches the tab-top curtains I had in the upstairs hallway in our Alabama house.  The room looks so bright and airy now and ten times larger than it did!

Sunday the sun came out and warmed up a bit so KJ and I spent the afternoon walking around Grapevine. Such a cute little Main Street with great shopping!

We also bought new light fixtures to go over the kitchen island.  I like all of the light fixtures in this house, they had all been updated before we moved in.  However, I positively hated the dark Tiffany stained glass pendants. We bought very simple ivory shades to lighten things up and it makes a huge difference. 

The patio set was delivered Sunday afternoon; now we just need the weather to cooperate so we can have some steaks on the grill!

So Happy It's Friday

So, So Happy It's Friday!  It's been a lllloooooonnnnngggg week. KJ is supposed to have her very first official high school lax game today but it looks like this freaky Spring storm may cancel it.  They had a great scrimmage Tuesday afternoon and I know she's really looking forward to getting the season underway!  She played great -- a little attack, a little defense (she likes attack better) and, of course, Daddy's been warming up the goalie for the team.  I knew he couldn't stay away.  Lacrosse, to him, is like the Mafia.  It pulls him back in.  It's like crack.

Really looking forward to the weekend -- we have absolutely nothing to do!  No where to be, no games to sit at, no commitments.  Unfortunately, KJ does have a viewing to attend at some point this weekend.  One of the girls from her volleyball team's father passed away suddenly Wednesday night.  Very nice family and my heart just breaks for Jenna.  She's a very sweet, very quiet young lady and her parents were at every game, every event and always held hands.

I think it's time for Cosmo to stary looking for a new car.  He has my old Lexus (which has 250K+ miles on it!).  It's time to say good bye.  I loved driving the Lexus and hope he gets something similar.  We definitely need some type of SUV for our "stuff."  The Lexus got great gas mileage and I don't think we need to get a big rig or anything like that.  We're down to one kid so it's not like we're carpooling and doing a bunch of stuff like that.  We're beyond that.

Easter is fast approaching and I'm so glad the four of us (possibly 5 of us!) will all be together!  Last year T flew home but because of the limited number of direct flights from BWI to Memphis, she had to fly out early in the morning and didn't even have Easter dinner with us.  Matt and Kristen came for dinner so that was nice.  This year I think we're going to have brunch at the Gaylord or something.  IDK.  Cosmo is handling it.  Although I don't mind cooking, it will be nice to have someone else doing it.  And cleaning up!  :-)

We received some additional info about our cruise to Europe and couldn't be more excited!  Rome, Florence/Pisa, Cannes, Barcelona and Naples.  Whoop!  Whoop!  T and I have been to Rome, Florence and Pisa but I am SO looking forward to experiencing those cities with Cosmo!  This will be a different trip -- definitely more romantic than when I traveled with my high school freshman!

Lax Season is Upon Us !!!

Excited for lacrosse season to officially begin!  Tomorrow KJ has her first scrimmage as a Damascus Hornet.  It's supposed to rain but that's OK.  Between Cosmo coaching and the both girls, I've sat through hundreds of rainy games -- lax, soccer, softball and even half-time at football game.when T danced.

The lax team had a fundraiser the other night at one of the local restaurants we had never been to before.  Cosmo was out of town but I went and had a great sandwich and then took her to volleyball practice.  The poor thing is just exhausted this week but she's been a trooper.  She's had lax practice every day this week after school until 5 PM and she's had volleyball practice from 8 to 10 PM three nights this week.  The nights she's had volleyball we don't walk in the door until 10:30 PM or so but she's gotten up pretty good every morning this week.  She takes after me -- the girl needs her sleep and likes her naps!

T had a successful Spring Break despite not leaving Oxford.  At the last minute she decided to forgo a trip to the beach so she could work with the local Boys & Girls club.  She said she had a lot of fun and the kids were pretty great!  One day she had little kids (pre-schoolers), the next was a little older (maybe 1st or 2nd grade) and they made cards to be delivered to the local veterans.  A couple of the kids made cards for T instead and they were so sweet!  The last day the kids were a little older (10-12).  Yesterday she spent the day in Amory with her pageant director and this weekend she and Pony Boy are heading to his hometown and then to the beach for a few days.

Gearing Up

Gearing up for another round of rough weather over the next couple of days.  Depending on where you live in the Metro DC area, you can get up to 10".  Of course, we fall right in that area.  It's all good.  The snow doesn't bother me one bit.  We're a snuggly family and love spending the day in our PJ's, relaxing, watching a good movie or reading a book.  KJ usually goes sledding with the neighborhood kids and we all pitch in and shovel the driveway.

Had such a great trip to Mississippi this past weekend!  Both my in/out flights were great and I had my luggage when I arrived!   My flight from BWI to MEM arrived more than 20 minutes early and was practically empty.  My "friend" Karen was working the Southwest counter in Memphis when I flew home Monday night and remembered me from this past summer.  Too funny!

Lots of new faces at this year's Miss Miss orientation, some familiar friendly faces, too!  It was nice seeing the girls and their parents again and we had a lot of fun at dinner Friday night.  This year's production should be great and the costumes looked super cute.

When I landed in Memphis Thursday night T, Pony Boy and I met Mel, Lou and the kids out for dinner.  What a hoot!  We laughed so much and got the kids really wound up.  That's what Aunt Valerie does best!  After we got to Oxford, T and I met Tana and Laney out for daiquiri's at Funky's and I spent the night in her dorm.  I was freezing cold but slept pretty good all things considered (meaning = considering I'm 45+ years old sleeping on a air mattress in a college dorm!).  Friday morning we had BBB and T got her nails done while I ran to Rebel Rags for a t-shirt for KJ.  We made it to Vicksburg in plenty of time for Friday night's meeting and Saturday she was at the YMCA for most of the day with her little ones learning their production numbers.  Thankfully T loves little kids.  There are almost 100 prince and princesses this year.

T's had a busy week and it's only Wednesday.  She had classes Monday morning, worked for a couple of hours, drove me to Memphis Monday afternoon, had Chapter meeting Monday night and on Tuesday she volunteered at the local iHop for National Pancake Day which benefit's one of Miss America's charities, the Children's Miracle Network.  The pic above is with a couple of other Ole Miss girls that will be competing with her in Vicksburg this summer.  France (left) is the current Miss University and Kristen (right) is Miss Southern Heartland.  Kendall, Carol and Ivey are Ole Miss girls who are local tittle holders as well.  After iHop, T attended a broadcast seminar/luncheon on behalf of one of her professors and from there she campaigned on campus for one of her sorority sisters who is running for something or other.  Next week is Spring Break and T did have plans to go to the beach but at the last minute the local Boys and Girls Club asked if she would speak to the kids each day so she decided that was more important.

KJ had lax try-outs this past weekend but we haven't heard if she's made JV or Varsity yet.  The weather is killing the season before it can even get under-way -- the fields are covered and they've had to do a lot of their practices and conditioning in the gym.  She was so excited to get her spirit wear the other day.  I made her try everything on and she said came out of her room and said, "I look like a big green bean!"  In a little nod to her daddy, she's wearing his old lax number, #17.  I'm so freaking proud!

She's still got volleyball going on.  This year's season seems to be going on a bit longer than last year's.  Her coaches sent out info about a Memorial Day weekend tournament.  Usually her season ends by April.

Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine

Interesting post title, huh?  Answer will be revealed at the end!

The weather has been absolutely positively fabulous the last couple of days!  The service opened our pool on Wednesday and we had a ton of rain basically all day Thursday and Friday morning.  Cosmo put the pool heater on and by 12 noon on Saturday KJ was swimming (it wouldn't matter if the heater was on or not; she'll swim in anything!  If there is a body of water nearby, that kid will be in it).  And she had the dog in the pool with her.  It's so funny to watch!  Trixie jumps in and can swim from one end of the pool to the other.  Her little legs go a mile a minute and she looks like a little wind-up bath toy.

First weekend we didn't have volleyball and we were able to get so much done around the house.  We cleaned all the patio furniture, Cosmo put some mulch down around the pool and the patio and surprised me with several hibiscus potted plants and gerbera daisy pots to put around the pool deck.  We're having company Memorial Day weekend so I got all of my pretty plastic plates and serving pieces out of storage and washed them to get ready for some al fresco dining!  I also put away my "Spring Shabby Chic Parisian Flea Market" tablescape and my dining room and entrance way are full-on "Summer Beach House" mode.

Saturday night we decided to drive to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis to see the Bayhawks play the new Florida Launch.  We got to see Coach's buddy PT play.  They met at a lax camp they did together and have been friends ever since.  Always great to see great players such as Queener, Kevin Crowley, Polanco, and Mikey Powell.  The weather was perfect, we had great seats and KJ had a lot of fun.  She forgot to bring a ball with her so she didn't get any autographs this time.  MLL games are so fun because the players are so accessible.  No egos.  Most, if not all, of the guys also have regular day jobs and several of them also coach youth leagues.

Looks like we're going to have a busy, fun summer!  My bro and his fam will be here for Memorial Day as well as some friends from Alabama.  June 6 is KJ's 8th grade formal and apparently everyone's coming to our house for photos.  June 13 is 8th grade graduation and there's a weekend at the end of June that we will get to see our friends from Cincy as well as some Bama friends.  My cousin's wedding reception is mid-June, too.  After that we transition to full-on pageant mode and will have some free time mid-July to mid-August.

Post Translation:  

(Manly Deeds, Womanly Words)

http://www.netstate.com/states/mottoes/md_motto.htm

Torch Relay

Usually I love Sunday's but today I'm not a happy camper.  I just don't want this weekend to end!

Saturday we drove to my nephew's lax tournament and got to spend quality time with both sides of my family.  The drive was lovely and the weather was spectacular!  Not only was Mr. B playing, but my youngest cousin John (who's 8 weeks older than KJ) was playing in the tournament as well.  So, I got to see my mom's baby brother and his wife and watch John play.  As an added bonus, my dad's baby brother drove up from NJ to spend the day with us so I got to spend some time with him (I hadn't seen him since my brother's wedding 11 years ago!).  Mr. B played well and played a LOT.  This season he's been playing long pole but will also go in as a middie.  He's so super fast I personally prefer him as a middie or at attack but he really likes being on defense.  They played 3 games basically back-to-back and by the end of game 3, he was pretty much done.  He got some words of wisdom from The Legend / The Guru / Champ and we're trying to talk his mom into letting him go to Coach Cos's Hustle Camp (or, at the very least, attend a local camp in MD where he can get some stellar instruction from a professional -- Georgetown, Hopkins, Loyola, Maryland, you name it).  I don't think his mom is ready to let him go to a sleep-away sports camp just yet.  Very weird to watch my brother coach and my nephew play instead of Coach and one of the girls.  I guess he's passing the torch.  After the tourney we all had dinner and just relaxed and caught up.  On the way home, we stopped at Jimmie Cone for some dessert (natch).  

Today I got some things done around the house while Cosmo and KJ did some shopping.  They originally went to the mall but ended up at the outlets by the National Harbor.   http://nationalharbor.com/  Cosmo needed some spring clothes and new sunglasses and naturally KJ got some stuff, too.  I put away my china and crystal we used for Easter dinner, I did a shload of laundry (shit + load = shload) and organized my closet a bit as well as one of the linen closets.  

T's evening gown competition dress came in this week and she is so super excited!  The fit, the color, the silhouette are all perfect!  She said it is ever so slightly long and she'd like to have a sliver taken off the bottom.  She said when she walked she had to kick it out a bit and she doesn't want to have to deal with that on stage.  She is so incredibly pleased with her wardrobe for the pageant and she made some great selections!  She looks best in jewel tones and didn't even bother looking at anything pastel.  She had to have a royal or navy blue gown for the opening number (she went with royal blue), she needed a gown with a train for the parade and went with a dusty blue strapless high/low dress and her swimsuit is emerald green.  She's been packing up her stuff the last couple of days and said The Boy will help her move across campus next week to her new dorm for her May and June sessions.  It's a bit of nuisance but not a big deal.  

Weekly Recap

Not much going on this past week. It was busy but nothing out of the ordinary. KJ had her usual vball practice and has a tournament in Northern Virginia tomorrow. I like the one-day tournaments; two-days are rough and that one we did at the Convention Center in DC over President's Weekend was mind-numbing.

Champ got to see one of his former BamaLax players this week at Georgetown. Justin plays at Furman for Coach Meade (Coach Meade was the coach from Navy who recruited Brye and is starting up the new Furman team).  Coincidentally, one of the boys from Damascus is playing with Justin on the Furman team and Champ said he was incredible.  Justin played well, just not enough (according to Champ).  In any event, I love the fact that even though we've moved on, these boys will always be a big part of Champ's life.  He will do anything for his boys and will always stay in touch with them.  And if one of them is playing within driving distance of wherever we are, Champ will be there to cheer them on.  I love when the boys text him to check-in, ask for advice, etc.  Once a Coach, always a Coach.  I know he misses the game and the kids but I always tell him he's definitely made an impact on these kid's lives (he does not miss the parent drama or the other crap that came with coaching, just the game.    He misses being on the field).  KJ is toying with the idea of picking up her stick again.  But she wants her daddy to coach.  Hmmmmmm......not sure how I feel about that.

Found out this week that Champ is flying T-bone home for an Easter surprise.  I was so happy to hear that!   I thought she would stay in MS or go to dinner with friend's but she's definitely coming to DC and I think she's bring a friend with her.  She's had a wonderful Spring Break and is heading back to Oxford today. She went with a really nice group of girls and there was zero to no drama.  She got to see some Hoover friends on the beach / Whale's Tail so she was happy.

Cosmo and KJ haven't seen T since Christmas.  If she doesn't come home for Easter, they won't see her again until May or July (she's got several commitments from now until the Miss Miss pageant and only has a week in May to possibly come home.  So as to maximize our time with her, we're in the beginning stages of planning a family vacay.  Just not sure where we want to go or what we want to do.  I think we may be taking a cruise out of Baltimore.  The only airfare we'd have would be getting T from MS to MD and we all just want to relax and spend time together.  KJ, of course, wants to go to Disney but I think we've talked her into the cruise.  We're probably going to go to the Bahamas and she's looking forward to being at Atlantis and doing the aquatics there -- big water slide, swim with the dolphins, etc.

Well Hello There!!

Wow.  This is the longest I've ever gone without blogging.  It's just been super busy the last couple of weeks and we've been enjoying the recent snow.  KJ had snow days last Monday and Tuesday.  They could have went on Monday but Tuesday was pretty messy and it was probably good that they cancelled classes.  She's enjoying sledding down the hill in our backyard and the dog likes frolicking in the snow, too. 

For the first time in our family's history we cut down our own Christmas tree last week.  We went to
http://www.butlersorchard.com/, the same place we got our Halloween pumpkins.  It was a gorgeous day and we had so much fun.  Finding the perfect tree was a lot harder than I thought! 

KJ started volleyball practice two nights a week and is really enjoying it.  The other night we saw 3 deer walking down our street, 1 deer as I turned out of our sub-division, two more deer on the way to the school for practice and I saw 4 deer in someone's front yard on the way home. 

I've got most of my Christmas shopping done, Christmas cards are out, decorating is done.  I still have wrapping to do and one package to mail out.  We'll bake next week when my mom gets in.  My parents arrive on Saturday and T got in this past Saturday.  Her flight out of Memphis was delayed 3 hours due to the weather here.  We had some snow Saturday afternoon that turned into rain by the time her flight got in around 10 PM.  One of her residents was on her flight so I was glad she had someone to travel with.  Her "little" lives here in Arlington so I'm sure they'll get together over break. 

Cosmo flew to Bham Friday to do a few things at the house and do some lax stuff.  He got to see his lax boys on Saturday and ran into a bunch of friends Friday and Saturday nights.  He misses lax a little bit and is toying with the idea of coaching here.  Which I'm OK with. 

Couldn't be Happier!

Got a surprise call from my aunt and uncle late last night.  They were in DC visiting my cousin Al and wanted to come over this morning for a visit.  They brought bagels and donuts and we had a nice visit!  I hadn't seen them since Christmas last year.  This is exactly the kind of stuff we moved home for!  Cosmo and KJ are heading to VT this weekend for Alumni Weekend and a lacrosse memorial game for one of Cosmo's teammates/friend who passed away way too early.  They spent last night at my mother-in-laws and this morning they had breakfast with Lynn, Lisa and the twins before everyone headed out for the day. 

Last weekend KJ and Cosmo made a quick trip to Bham to take care of a few things at the store and at the house.  KJ had a good time catching up with friends over the weekend.  Friday she spent the night with Mo and Saturday night she spent the night w/ the Twins.  A bunch of them went to Sloss Furnace Saturday night and had a frightfully good time.  They had such a good time, KJ actually lost one of her shoes because she was running for her life and had to go back thru the Zombies and find her shoe! 

We were so, so worried about moving/relocating during her 8th grade year but in retrospect we made the right decision.  Last night, out of the blue, KJ said she misses her friends from Hoover but she really likes Maryland.  She said she loves our house and she loves always having something exciting to do.  She luvs, luvs, luvs her school but the only thing she'd change if she could is the start time.  She'd prefer school to start around noon.  That's my girl!!! 

Happy Happy Happy

I mean seriously!  What's not to be happy about today?  It's Friday, the sun is shining, I'm wearing some super cute arm candy,  had the sunroof open and the tunes cranking on my way into the office this morning, my girl is coming home for the weekend and oh!  Did I mention it's Friday??!!

KJ is feeling better and headed back to school today.  She's been on the antibiotics and ear drops for two days now.  She went to volleyball last night even though her coach told her to stay home and rest for this weekend's tournament.  KJ really loves this team and I was very surprised yet pleased when she said she wanted to go to practice even though I knew she was feeling puny.  We love, love, love her coaches this year.  Coach B is super sweet yet firm with the girls and uses every opportunity to coach.  She's very positive and encourages the girls to do their very best and to support each other. 

Coach had a rough night last night.  They pulled out a win but played horrible the entire first half.  He calls this game the annual meet-up of the Catholics vs. the Convicts.  I think the Catholics were a little annoyed that they didn't end of with MAR in a green uniform and came out a little more aggressive than anticipated.  A decision was finally handed down late Wednesday evening after Coach, MAR and his parents presented their arguments regarding the situation.  What tipped the scales in Hoover's favor was the revelation that there were several players on other teams that were playing outside of their zones.  So, #MarkAllenHasBeenSaved

Lax, Football & Some Girl Power

Had a quick, but still great, visit in Oxford this weekend.  The mens & women's teams hosted a tournament in honor of their teammates, John & Sarah Wheat who were both killed in a car accident last fall.  It was cold and rainy and at one point it was even hailing but everyone played on.  T scored a goal in the GA Tech game, didn't score in the FL game.  The girls lost both games, not sure how the boys did.  The girls definately have some work to do and it seems not everyone is on the same page.  Some are very dedicated and others don't always show up to practice.  Kelly, the girl who stepped up and offered to play goalie in honor of her friend, had never picked up a stick before in her life.  When Coach is in Memphis, he tries to attend practice so he can work with her.  He doesn't want to step on anyone's toes but the girl definately needs some goalie-specific coaching. 

So, in between games we took T to lunch and did some shopping at Rebel Rags.  After the loss to FL we went back to T's room for a bit and visited w/ BB.  Friday was her 19th b-day so her family was in town, too.  Poor Cosmo!  Being in an all-girls dorm makes him horribly uncomfortable.  He's afraid someone is going to walk down the hall naked or something. 

Sunday KJ had some friends over to watch the Super Bowl.  Seriously, my girls love any excuse to have friends over.  Full Moon?  Let's have a party!  Daytona 500?  Party!  Gemini is in Mars Retrograde?  Duh!  Party!  T always had kids at the house and it looks like KJ is following in her footsteps.  The kids played a little pre-game cornhole while it was still light out and then watched the game.  Cosmo took the TV out of our room and put it in the living room in case they wanted to play the Wii while they were watching the game but I don't think they ever turned it on. 

After the black-out I kind of lost interest in the game and went upstairs and read my Nook.  Several parents started to pick up their kids at that time so it wasn't a terribly late night.  My favorite commercial was the old folks / Taco Bell commercial.  I always love the e-trade baby and I thought the Doritos goat commercial and the dad's dressing up ones were funny too.  Hate, hate, hate GoDaddy.  So demeaning to women.  I also liked Amy Poehler in Best Buy and I thought the kid getting punched at the Prom was good.


Even though it was a football game, there was a lot of girl power going on last night!  I thought it was awesome to see 9 year-old Sam Gordon sitting with the NFL Commissioner and Jennifer Hudson and the Newtown Choir was beautiful.  Not really a fan of Alicia Keyes and I didn't really care for her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.  Just sing the damn song. 

And now on to the half-time show.  I think Beyonce put on a helluva show but it was just that.  A show.  A performance.  Don't get me wrong.  She looked incredible and can move like no body's business.  I just didn't think there was a whole lotta singing going on.  She definately had some kind of pre-recorded track playing and my favorite part was when the two other girls from Destiny's Child pop up out of nowhere!
Beyonce Halftime Show Read more celebrity gossip at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/videos/beyonce-halftime-show/#ixzz2JwiSD3U0