Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween











Chris, T and KJ carved their pumpkins last night. Chris is so much better at this kind of stuff than I am. I have zero patience. He's always done the Halloween thing, he puts together toys at Christmas, etc. I'm more of a "behind the scenes" kind of person.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Astology and the Presidential Race


Saw this on a website and thought it ws interesting (particularly about Obama being a Leo and commanding attention -- doesn't mean he has anything good to say, though!):

To do a complete reading, astrologers need the birth date, the exact accurate time, and the location of birth. Obama is the only one who has his birth certificate posted on his website; using it we can get his full astrology chart. With John McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, we only have the birthday and location to work with, so we can't get the complete picture – just more general information.

Like many Leos (President Bill Clinton, Madonna), Barack Obama is great at commanding attention. His Aquarius Rising (which governs first impressions) makes him very conscious of working within a larger community. He is very adept at analyzing a situation, coming up with a cause for the greater good, and with the help of his Gemini Moon, selling that solution to the powers that be. The positions of both his Sun and his Moon make him charming, witty, gracious and popular.

There are several positive aspects in his chart that give him the ability to use his instincts to his advantage and not allow his emotions to get in the way. In contrast, he has two important oppositions creating disharmony in his chart: he can be guarded and mistrustful of people, and can too often see the dark side of a situation. With Venus in the 6th house, he likes his work environments to be harmonious and beautiful, so look for him to hire many women and create an atmosphere of cooperation in the White House.

Joe Biden has a rare alignment of Saturn and Uranus that gives him a great ability to think for himself and to put these unique revolutionary ideas into motion. His Scorpio Sun makes him wildly protective over his charges and gives him a deep desire to help society. He cares so deeply that when he sees injustice, it can truly upset him. With his Scorpio Sun hugging Venus, it makes this intensity a bit more gentle, likeable, and easygoing.

Both Obama and Biden are idea people and likely to work with the merits of a concept, to cross party lines and make Washington a nicer place for everyone on either side of the aisle.

John McCain is a Virgo, a sign that is known as a perfectionistic, detail-oriented workhorse. If he is elected president, he can be expected to have many meetings with his cabinet, get deeply involved in all aspects of running the country and take full responsibility for everything in his administration.

He is a force to be reckoned with. His Mars is in Leo, giving him a dramatic energy that has sudden blow ups as it fights with his Uranus and lucky breaks as it makes an appealing aspect to Jupiter. He is a practical and powerful man who will be very conscious of the decisions he makes and how they affect the entire country and the entire world.

McCain's very strict upbringing appears in his chart as does his tendency to be a bit controlling with his own family, wanting them to grow up with the same moral values and discipline that he has had.

An intellectual, analytical Aquarius, Sarah Palin is a true revolutionary. In her chart, Mars and Saturn sit next to her Sun, and they give her tons of energy and the ability to work hard and rally the troops. In the mid-60s, there was a rare meeting of the heavy-duty planets of Uranus and Pluto, giving everyone born between 1964 and 1968 the true nonconformist, revolutionary attitude that is so evident in the Palin we see today, although due to her Mars-Neptune opposition, there are times when she may not really even understand her own motivations.

The bottom line?
Where as the white house of Obama/Biden will be a free-thinking, intellectual, harmonious place to work, we can expect a McCain/Palin White House to be fueled by radical ideas, impulsive outbursts and a lot of practical bravado!


Stacey Wolf has been a practicing astrologer and medium in New York City for more than sixteen years. She is the author of Secrets of the Signs and Never Throw Rice at a Pisces, the first wedding planning guide for brides who like astrology. You can read more about her on staceywolf.com or neverthrowrice.com.

Crystal Palace


I totally stole this picture from the Madrid Daily Photo web-site. I have to double-check w/ my mother but I think this is the place where you can rent rowboats in Madrid. My mother has told me a story about how when I was very, very little, we (my mom, dad & me) went out on a boat at the Crystal Palace and I totally and completely freaked out. My mother said I was crying so bad she thought I was actually going to jump out of the boat. They had to turn the rowboat around I was screaming so bad. Maybe it was the ducks. I don't like ducks. They are nasty. And geese, too. blech

Have my house back

yay!!! Chris is at WORK today!! His new job wanted him to sit on a client meeting this morning so he was up and out of the house early (after dropping off our delinquent, gum-chewing, insubordinate freshman at morning detention).

I drove KJ to school this morning and I've discovered if I leave later, like after 7:30 AM, we get to school in record time. I totally buzzed in and buzzed out today.

Supposed to warm up a little today and be in the high 60's. I love this weather -- I love sweater/sweatshirt weather.

Last night we went to Party City to buy some last minute items for KJ's Halloween costume. She needed bat wings. Ended up finding them at the Halloween store near TJ Maxx. We bought T a new winter coat at the mall and met Chris for dinner @ J. Alexander's (we had a $100 gift card -- love gift cards!). After dinner we went to the ATT store to look for a new phone for me. My phone is starting to crap out on me and disconnect and shut down. It's only a year old (I had to get a new phone after my b-day last year when that phone died on me in Vegas). Anyway, we looked at Crackberry's thinking I was due for an upgrade; turns out I'm not and the phone was going to be a lot more than we're planning to spend right now. After the phone store Chris & T went shopping. Chris really needed some new clothes for work.

I know my sister-in-law doesn't like when I post pics of the kids on my blog (Heather & Al -- do you remember the "bar across the face' incident??) but this one doesn't count because you can't see any one's face. She sent this pic last night of my brother and nephew in their Halloween costumes. My brother has been a Star Wars nut since he was a little boy and this is totally his dream costume. The Vader helmet is one of those voice changing helmets and he said my niece runs around the house wearing it. She can't see out of the helmet very well and bounced off the refrigerator door.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

It was a wee bit

chilly last night sitting at the last home Freshman football game. KJ & I were prepared though and each had a blankie with us. At half-time the score was 20-zip. We ended up winning something/something to 6. We left as soon as T finished performing. I like this new routine. Ah, well. Now basketball season will be upon us.

I like a cold house and we were all snuggled in sweatshirts and warm socks last night. At some point Chris got up and turned on the heat. Now I'm all stuffed up and have a headache this morning.

I've been working in the "sneaky spot" for the last 2 days. It's a little room at the top of the stairs w/ a parquet floor, shelving, and a phone line. When we first bought the house, T saw the little office and said, "OOOOhh! that's my sneaky spot!" and she used to have a bean bag chair in there and read books and play dress up and she had her kitchen set up there. We've outgrown dress-up clothes and stuff so now I'd like it for my office. OMG. KJ is the messiest child on the planet and cannot grasp the concept of putting something away when you're done with it. She just throws everything on the floor or wherever she feels like. I've thrown away one trashbag full of junk, working on trashbag #2. Where does this stuff come from???????

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Oh What a Wonderful Sunday

What an absolutely beautiful day today has been! Chris was up and out of the house super early to set up a tent at the lax clinic and I got the girls over to the clinic at 10:30 AM this morning. Actually, only KJ was registered for the clinic but T came with us and did her homework until her regular Fall Ball session at 3 PM. After the boys Fall Ball session she had her All-star practice. Needless to say, T is pretty wiped out. So I sat up at the field, took pictures, hung out, passed out pizza, got a sunburn on one side of my face, etc. KJ & I left the fields around 2:30 PM and came home and hung out. (OK, I'll admit it. I took a little nappy on the couch)


I've been asking KJ for more than 2 weeks to clean her room. I finally told her today that if she didn't clean her room I wasn't feeding her. Anything. No dinner, no snacks, no water. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm sure DHR has a big fat report w/ my name on it somewhere. She did spend the afternoon in her room but I'm not totally satisfied w/ the results. I have a feeling she shoved a lot of stuff under her dressers.


Had a lot of fun last night watching the Alabama game and the Penn State game. This is Chris's favorite night of the year. He puts two TV's out on the deck and lights a fire and just enjoys the fresh air. Ann & Keith and their 2 little girls came over, Troy came over, our next door neighbor Gary stopped by for a couple of beers w/ the guys and Rick L came over for the first half of the Bama game. It was such a beautiful night and Chris had a great fire going. Ann & Keith brought home-made pizzas, I made meatballs, a chili dip and some wings. The girls made s'mores and everyone was happy. I went to bed around midnight and the men were still out on the deck. Chris said the guys left around 1:30 AM. I was out like a light and never heard a thing.


T is going to ATL this weekend w/ her dance studio for a big dance clinic/tournament kind of thing. She's not competing or anything but Ms. Shannon felt it would be a good experience for her. She recently started taking a Saturday morning class and now she said Ms. Shannon wants her to take a Wednesday night class. Wait. What??? Wednesday is our only "free" night. I love my Wednesday nights. I look forward to Wednesday night. I guess if she's gonna take a Wednesday night class, she better do it now before lacrosse season starts because I know for a fact that she'll have lax on Monday & Wednesday. So, let me get this straight: Monday is freshman football games (the season will be ending soon). Monday is also All-star lax practice. Tuesday is dance night, Wednesday will be a dance night now, Thursday is a dance night, Friday is a dance team night and Saturday morning is dance. Sunday is lax fall ball and All-star practice. Hmmmm----something's got to give. Although, I'm thinking this may not be such a bad thing. Keeps her out of trouble.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Caylee Anthony

Oh boy. This is a delicate subject. On the one hand I feel for the grandparents, particularly the grandfather. He seems like the only one in the family w/ a clue. The grandmother desperately wants to belive the little girl is still alive but I'm so tired of her constant excuses for her POS (piece of sh*t) daughter. I've seen news reports recently where she claims that Casey (aka Tot Mom) has told her Caylee could be in Texas or Mexico. The grandmother was the one who originally called authorities saying there was a horrible smell coming from her daughter's car trunk. Now she's saying that a body could have been planted in the trunk. I'm also starting to get annoyed w/ all the wasted time and energy on this case. Don't get me wrong, I feel for this family, I really do. If it was my child or my grandchild, I'd go to the ends of the earth to find the child. However, the family doesn't really seem to be out there looking. They seem to be pointing the finger and demanding to know why the authorities aren't doing more. Honestly, the authorities don't even know where to begin looking. Tot Mom has told so many lies, she's sent everyone on numerous wild goose chases. There's one person who knows exactly where this little girl is and she's not talking.

Another Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Had a good time @ last night's football game. It was a little crazy getting all of us there but w/ the help of some friends, we worked it out. KJ went home w/ Joe Lev on the bus and hung out at their house for a little while. When Chris finally completed his 2-day journey home from NY, he met the Levs for dinner and exchanged KJ. I had to be @ the high school at 2:30 PM to help set-up and serve the dance team dinner and then I had to stick around until almost 6 PM and help carpool the Freshmen over to the Met for the game. I don't know why, put for some reason the Freshmen can't ride the bus w/ the band. The dinner was really good. It came from Costas and we had a HUGE salad, tons of fresh bread, a tray of fettucine alfredo w/ chicken and a tray and a half of 5-cheese macaroni. That was my favorite! We also had 2 cookie cakes for the girls and the Freshman girls gave the Buccanettes Vera Bradley luggage tags as a gift. Anyway, it was a good football game and we left after the 3rd quarter. This was the senior's last home game and they honored the cheerleaders, the dance team members, the band and the football players. We knew a couple of kids and I just can't believe they're graduating already. Dang!




Chris took T to her 8:30 AM dance class this morning and KJ & I picked her up and took her to the mall where she was meeting her friend Sara. They were getting haircuts (hopefully T gets her eyebrows waxed, too!) and then going back to Sara's house. Later a bunch of them are going ice skating. KJ & I did some grocery shopping after we dropped T off and now I need to clean before some friends come over to watch football today. I've got windows open to let in some fresh air. I'm sure Chris is going to put the TV's out on the deck and have a fire out there. He's been dying to it for the last couple weekends now.

Friday, October 24, 2008

It was a dark and stormy night (day)

What a dark, gloomy, cold, rainy Friday. I love a dark, gloomy, cold, rainy day as much as the next person-- just not on a Friday! I think the weekend is supposed to be nice, though.

Chris is on his way home from NY. He left after Drew's funeral Thursday afternoon and spent the night in VA. He should be home later this afternoon and plans to attend the football game tonight. I have to be at the High School at 2:30 PM today to help set up and serve dinner for the dance team so KJ is going home w/ Joe L after school and Tracy & Rick will bring her to the game (providing it's not pouring out!). KJ had pajama day today and she looked so snuggly in her flannel pants and hoodie. She also mentioned something about a banana split party. Ah, elementary school. Those were the days.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

thursday




A bit chilly today and kind of gray. I think it's supposed to rain a little today and tomorrow. Drew's service at church was this morning and I spoke to Chris briefly before they were heading to the cemetery. He wasn't doing so great.

KJ had a her friend Gabbi come home w/ her yesterday afternoon. She's a very sweet girl. They jumped on the neighbor's trampoline, they played on the swing set and they painted their toenails. KJ went to bed pretty good last night but did not wake up very well. She's like her mom, definitely not a morning person. We also had another little visitor in our house last night, our neighbor's dog Tee-Tut (don't ask! the dog was already named when they got him/her). He/she (I have no idea!) followed the girls around last night while they were playing and came into the house w/ KJ. He/she has done this several times before and used to follow Buddy into the house all the time and drink out of Buddy's water dish and eat his food. T came downstairs after doing her homework and Tee-Tut jumped on the couch and snuggled w/ her. KJ, very discreetly and very subtly, said, "It's awful nice having a dog in the house again, isn't it Mom?" Yes, KJ. I know, I know. You want another dog. I get it. She's relentless and will wear us down until we beg for mercy (or buy her another damn dog; whichever comes first!).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Double the fun


Chris called around 7:30 AM to say that we're a great aunt & uncle again! His niece Lisa, his sister Lynn's daughter, had her babies some point last night. I don't know all the details but I know there's one of each: a boy and a girl. Lisa wasn't officially due until end of December/early January. Her water broke over the weekend and she's been in the hospital since then. So, Chris and the rest of the family are in NY attending their brother Drew's funeral and Lisa has her babies. What a way to make an entrance! KJ is super, duper excited. She was very very worried about Lisa this week and cried a lot when she heard Lisa was in the hospital. She's also a little jealous. Chris has seen Lou & Melanie's baby Eva and we haven't and now Chris is going to see the babies before us. Everyone is headed to the hospital this morning to see Lisa and the babies (and George, too!) and then on to Drew's wake later this afternoon.
Last night there was an evening session and one of our buddies from high school came up to see Chris. We've been joking that it's a New York thing but everyone reads the obituaries. A couple of friends from home have also commented on our Facebook pages that they saw Drew's obit in the paper. I think Chris is going to get together tonight w/ a couple of the guys and go out for a few beers and try to unwind. Also, Chris's high school football coach drove up to see Chris. We graduated in '85 and Coach Caserella saw Drew's obit in the paper and drove all the way up to New Windsor for the viewing. Very impressive. He told Chris he knew all about the MTV show and he heard that Chris had started the lacrosse program down here. Almost 25 years later and he's still keeping tabs on his boys. Chris said he hadn't changed a bit, just a little grayer. He's one of those coaches that a player will remember forever. We used to laugh in high school because Caserella would have a 5 o'clock shadow by 2nd period. He was a very hairy Italian man. And he couldn't say the word "three." He used to say "one, two, tree." Isn't it funny the stuff that sticks out in your mind??

Monday, October 20, 2008

Freshmen Football


Got a few things done in the house today. I took down our bedroom curtains and washed them, just need to rehang them. Cleaned our ceiling fan and dusted our bedroom set. I still have a huge mountain of laundry to tackle. Never ends.

T had to dance at tonight's Freshmen football game. We left after the half and we were losing by a TD. Not sure what the final score was. The girls danced to a new song; I loved the new routine, the girls weren't that happy/comfortable w/ it. I had to drive Austin and Will home and then KJ "booed" her friend on the way back (yes Margaret, that was us! The dog biscuits are for your canines, not for Ella. ha! ha!).

Nice chilly night sitting at the football game. KJ was wearing a warm sweater and she kept snuggling up to me and bought us hot chocolates. You know it's football/fall when you have hot chocolate!

Made a big bowl of popcorn, watched Gossip Girls and got everyone to bed nice and early. Chatted w/ my mom for a few minutes and I'm about ready to hit the hay myself.
True conversation between me & KJ in the car tonight listen to Fall Out Boy on the radio:
KJ: I love Fall-Out Boy. I think Pete Wentz is so cute!
Mom: Really?? He wears mascara and nailpolish.
KJ: I know! Isn't that awesome??!!
Mom: What if Daddy started wearing eyeliner and make-up??
KJ: EEEWWW! Mom! That's just gross!!!

Not a good weekend

Chris's brother Drew passed away Sunday afternoon after a long tough struggle w/ pancreatic cancer. Please keeep Drew's wife Janet, and their two grown children Travis & Jessica in your thoughts and prayers.

On top of that, we also found out that Chris's neice, pregnant for the first time and expecting twins, is in the hospital. Her water broke at some point over the weekend but she's not due until end of December/early January. Please keep her and those babies in your thoughts too!

Chris and I went for a long walk this morning to clear his head and talk about what needs to get done. My pedometer said we did 3.51 miles. Chris thinks that is inaccurrate but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Like a Kid in a Candy Shop


Check out the Vintage Pic from a Tupperware Party.


12:30 Sunday afternoon and I have the whole house to myself for the next couple of hours. Whoopee! Chris & The Girls have left for fall ball. I've been cleaning out some of my dresser drawers and have a trashbag hanging from my bedroom doorknob. That's the only way for me to clean. I just toss everything away, refold what I need and I'm good to go. I had some bras that lost their elasticity, some pajamas that were nasty and just needed to be burned, workout clothes that don't fit or had sweat stains, etc. Trying to simplify. I also need to clean out my tupperware cabinet. I love my daughter to pieces but when she empties the dishwasher, she has a very bad habit of just throwing the tupperware in the cabinet and shutting the door rather than trying to match the bowl to the lid. I also have a lot of sippy cups and stuff like that which have now been replaced by sports bottles. KJ just turned 9, I doubt she'll be drinking from a sippy cup anytime soon. I really need to have a garage sale. What I really need to do is contact a couple of my neighbors and do one down in the cul-de-sac. The one neighbor has said they are starting to think about downsizing -- one daughter has graduated and moved to New Orleans and is working for FEMA, the other daughter is a sophomore at Alabama and only comes home to do laundry and get money. The other neighbor has also talked alot about moving lately.

Absolutely gorgeous weekend. I have all the windows open, lots of fresh air and sunshine. This is my favorite time of year in Alabama. No bugs and I'm not sweating like a pig (or like a whore in church as my husband likes to say).

Editor's Note:


My brother is obviously pleased w/ the outcome of yesterday's Penn State vs. Michigan game.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Go Bama Go Bama Go Bama Go

T & I went to the mall this afternoon for some retail therapy. She had a rough time @ dance class this morning. She's not a very emotional girl so I was a little surprised how upset she was when she got in the car. She was moved up to a more advanced ballet class and was a little intimidated by the other girls, she said she had a hard time learning the combos, she felt like an idiot, etc. So, we went to Macy's for our Clinique bonus.

Chris & KJ are watching the Bama vs. Ole Miss game at the neighbors. I have the game on TV. Boy that Nick Saban is a nice looking man. I think I have a little crush. Would that be a man-crush or is that when a man has a crush on another man?? Anyway, Cory Reamer looks like he's having a good game. Don't think my brother is too happy w/ the Penn State vs. Michigan game. I'll have to call my niece & nephew and make them say "Roll Tide Roll." That will really aggravate Stephen. ha. ha.

We were supposed to get some stuff done in the house today. It's 4:40 PM and the only thing(s) I've accomplished is a shower and I made our bed. Whoopee!

Forgot to mention --

yesterday we rec'd a phone call about Buddy. One of the families up on the hill that T babysits for called and asked if we ever found our dog. She said her kids have been playing w/ a little dog and the elderly man in the cul-de-sac near them told her kids he found the dog and it neeeds a good home. Barb didn't actually speak w/ the man so she didn't know how long ago they found the dog, where they found the dog, etc. I hated to get KJ's hopes up but we can't ignore any leads, either. We ran up there and it was a shih tzu but it was a female. Very cute dog. KJ handled it very well and in the car ride home I mentioned that it was a cute dog and I'm sorry it wasn't Buddy. She said, "Can I have it Anyway??" I promised her that once we knew what we were doing, staying or going, we'd get another dog. Poor thing.
P.S. Chris, if you're reading this, SURPRISE!!! We're getting another dog! Luv U hon!

Tea & Pop Tarts

Just sitting here eating my pop tarts, drinking my tea waiting for T-bone to call from the dance studio so I can pick her up. Chris is @ lax practice and KJ is watching cartoons. Nice & quiet morning so far. The house is a total disaster so I/we have a lot to do today.

KJ's feeling better but her stomach is still bothering her. She hasn't eaten much the last couple of days. Last night we opened the couch and watched TV while T was at the football game helping out the Buccanettes w/ their half=time routine. I had to pick her up at the high school and I was pretty impressed. That band operation runs like a military operation. She called to say they were loading the bus and on their way home. I drove up to the high school to get her and they had cones out and people directing traffic for those of us there to pick up our kids. She hopped off the bus and jumped into the car. Nice & easy.

The football team won and remains undeafeted. Although they're wining, I don't think they're playing well. Apparently Nick Saban was at last week's game to check out some Mt. Brook kids (hopefully he was impressed by some of our players, too!) and this week Rush Propst (the former coach) was at last night's game. He must have had a bye-week.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Trash-Can Bears -- Oh My!

Rainy, dreary Friday. Still have the sickie home, her fever's gone but stomach's really bothering her today. She's doing the no-pants dance today and is chillin' on the couch in a t-shirt. The kids get out at 1 PM today and since she's still not 100%, there was no sense sending her to school today.

I think this is the first weekend in a long, long time that we have no major plans. Chris is in Charlotte today and should be home around 6-ish. Tonight's football game is away and we don't have plans to attend. T will be there helping out the Buccanettes. Chris has lax practice Saturday and T is now taking an 8:30 AM dance class on Saturday morning. Sunday is Fall ball. Don't know what time the Alabama game in Saturday but Chris mentioned Penn State is playing Michigan. This is the game he usually has some buddies over and puts the TV out on the deck and has a fire.

My nephew cracked me up on the phone the other day. He had kind of a "rough" day at pre-school and he told me it was because he was tired and cranky. He said the trash-can bears kept him up all night. You see, trash-can bears are different from other bears. When it's dark and everyone is asleep they go thru your trash and make a lot of noise. I asked him if trash-can bears were indigenous to Pennsylvania and he said No. There are trash-can bears all over the world. We also had a very nice discussion about polar bears (FYI -- they are white and very furry) and sharks and dolphins.


Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Vominator

Yup. KJ threw up around 3:30 AM today. It all started yesterday when she was outside playing w/ the neighbor. She came in for dinner but was crying and said her stomach was killing her. She didn't eat any dinner and took a long bubble bath in my tub. She went to bed but came back downstairs just as the debate was finishing up. She was shaking like a leaf and had a temp of 103. I slept on the couch w/ her and around 3:30 she woke up and threw up. Thank God she made it to the powder room. Anyway, it's now 10:30 AM Thursday morning and I've been rubbing her temples and giving her ice water and cold cloths to put on her head. She's really out of it.

T & I watched the debate last night. Although I'll never vote for him in a million years, I was glad to see Obama finally address the concerns over some of his political alliances. Roe v Wade was mentioned several times so I had to explain that to T. We've never had to discuss that before. http://www.bpmdeejays.com/upload/hs_sal_in_Harlem_100108.mp3
Take a listen to this little tidbit I found on-line. It's Howard Stern and this sound-bite confirms many of our suspicions: Obama supporters are uninformed and are purely voting based on race. Nothing more.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Hump Day


went for a long walk last night while T was at dance. My pedometer says I did 2.72 miles. Funny thing happened last night, a couple of younger guys (I have no idea how old they were, mid-to-late 20's perhaps?) were on the football field kicking the football thru the uprights for a while. I thought they left but they were standing by their cars when I finished w/ my walk. As I was getting into the car one of them said, "Thanks for letting us watch you walk." The only thing I could think of was I had a v-neck shirt on and maybe they were watching my boobs jiggle as I walk. It certainly wasn't because of the rear view.


KJ didn't go to dance, she was starting to get a headache. Chris was doing some lacrosse lessons so he met us at the dance studio and took her off my hands so I could walk. They went to the halloween store for her costume and brought home a pizza.


Nothing going on tonight except the Project Runway finale! YAY!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Sugar High

Getting a few things done around the house today and trying to come off the sugar high I've been on since Saturday night's Melting Pot finale. KJ had a nice b-day, quiet but nice. Report cards come out Thursday and she's anxious to see if she made the honor roll or the A/B honor roll (3rd grade is the first year you get actual numerical grades, not just an "S" for satisfactory). T-bone, on the other hand, isn't so excited. I think AP biology is giving her a hard time.


Tonight is Crazy Dance Night so I'll get a walk in while the girls are at dance. I know I've definately lost some weight and I know I've kept off the weight I lost in Europe. I still seem to flucuate between a pound or two but I chalk that up to too much salt and PMS. I try not to weigh myself but I can tell by how my clothes fit. I hadn't worn the pair of jeans I put on Saturday afternoon to go to the Melting Pot since last year and they were really baggy. Sunday when KJ and I were in DQ buying Chris's cake, I ran into a lady I haven't seen in 7 or 8 months and sometimes play bunko with. The first words out of her mouth were "WOW! You look like you've lost weight." That's a good sign. Still have a long way to go, though. Dairy Queen ice cream cake 2 nights in a row isn't helping any!!!


I finished reading the 3rd book of the Twilight series. I'm definately Team Jacob. As much as it kills me, I'm going to have to read book 4 and see how this all turns out. I've read some newspaper articles/exerpts from book 4 so I do know some of the storyline. Hmmm....

Monday, October 13, 2008

Scenes from an Elementary school Cafeteria



Chris I met KJ for lunch today and brought her some cookies to share w/ the class after lunch. The princess has requested shrimp scampi for her b-day dinner so I stopped at Bruno's to pick-up all the fixin's. We still have more than half of the DQ peanut butter blizzard cake we bought for Chris's b-day yesterday so she said she just wanted to finish that off for her b-day cake tonight. Thank God! You never know w/ KJ -- I thought she was going to wake up this morning and ask for a 3-tiered confectionery masterpiece.

Wicked Pics

A couple of pictures of KJ from her b-day spent in Atlanta at the Wicked Musical.





Sunday, October 12, 2008

Wicked Wicked Good

KJ & I had a great time today! We took Chris to Panera for some bagels for his b-day early this morning and we left for Atlanta from there. We made it to the Fox Theater in plenty of time and went to the potty, visited the gift shop and had refreshments prior to curtain call. I think KJ really, really enjoyed herself today. This Glinda was funnier than the one T & I saw in London, but the Elfie in London was better. KJ sang along to almost every song and clapped and cheered. She slept most of the way home and we stopped at Dairy Queen on our way home to get a cake for Chris's b-day. He & T went to girl's all-star lax practice this afternoon and he made baked macaroni for us for dinner.

One birthday down, KJ's to go tomorrow!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

busy weekend

Had a lot of fun last night at the football game w/ the Lev's. We allowed ourselves plenty of time to tailgate.
So today is mine & Chris's 16th wedding anniversary and our niece Britt's b-day, tomorrow (Sunday) is Chris's b-day and Monday is KJ's 9th b-day. The original plan was for us to take 2 cars and drive over to Atlanta for the weekend -- take KJ to American Girl perhaps and then out to dinner, spend the night and in the morning KJ & I would go to the 1 PM Wicked show and Chris would head home for lax. Well, we kind of modified our plans a bit. He had men's practice this morning and got home a little late. I felt like we were rushing around trying to get over to Atlanta so we decided to stay home instead. We took KJ shopping for her b-day and then we went to the Melting Pot on Hwy 280 for dinner. OMG. We had such a good time! Dinner was awesome! I had an incredible pomegranate cosmo. We started off w/ Swiss cheese fondue, Caeser salads, the next course was our meats and veggies (shrimp, steak, chicken, red potatoes, mushrooms, etc.). For dessert we had the chocolate fondue w/ peanut butter (we dipped marshmallows, cheesecake, strawberries, rice krispie treats, etc.). Chris wanted the Iron Man DVD for his b-day and a new snuggly blanket so we came home and will watch our movie. They want to open the couch up so we can get cozy. We'll go out for breakfast in the morning and KJ & I will head to Atlanta for the show. T has all-star lax practice Sunday afternoon. She spent today at Austin's house and tonight a whole bunch of them were going to a haunted house.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Twilight Trailer


Last night T-bone came home from dance and was chatty Cathy. We talked about the Twilight series (I'm more than halfway thru book #3, she just started book #1) and whether or not we'd go see the movie when it came out in November. Here's the movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNW5A0HfzDM
The movie actually looks better than I thought it would. Several weeks ago Entertainment Weekly had the actors portraying Edward and Bella on the cover. Edward had on more makeup than a Maybelline ad and I was totally and completely turned off. I still don't like his possessive, manipulative and controlling attitude towards Bella in the books and she annoys the heck out of me with her whole "I'm not worthy" whining. I am totally Team Jacob.


Thursday, October 9, 2008

Whoopie



I haven't watched The View in years and I can not believe how sloppy Whoopie Goldberg looks. Today she is wearing what appears to be a men's denim/chambray cotton button-down workshirt and a pair of jeans. I understand she's a casual kind of person but she looks downright messy today. A nice pair of pants and a decent shirt would be much more appropriate.

Chris comes back from NY today. He flew in and out of Atlanta, stopped in at Melanie & Lou's and got to see our newest little great niece, Eva. The girls & I haven't seen her yet. Although this wasn't a fun visit for Chris, I think he's glad he went and got to spend some time w/ his family, especially Drew. Chris actually got to see pretty much everyone on this trip: saw Mel & Lou in ATL, when he got to NY his brother Tony was in from FL and he also spent some time w/ his sister Lynn and his niece Lisa (who's expecting twins!). I haven't slept very well while he's been gone.

Looks like the rain has moved out; hope it's nice for Friday night's football game. KJ & I are very excited to see Wicked on Sunday for her b-day. I can't wait to use my new Vera Bradley Puccini weekender bag LCM sent me for my b-day!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Nice Day w/ KJ


KJ & I had a lovely day together. She's such a different child when she's had some sleep and is well rested. We snuggled on the couch for a while this morning, tried to nap in bed for a while but the phone kept ringing. She drew me a picture, we compared thumbprints (still not sure what that was all about), had soup for lunch, read for a little while. The rain has stopped and now she's painting something on the back deck. She's out there w/ a paper bag, some paint and some ribbon and a pair of scissors.

Sicky

Got a sick child home today. KJ's got the cough, sore throat, headache, etc. No fever. Her cough sounds bad but I think it's one of those things that sounds really bad right before it gets better. I feel better just my nose is stuffed up.

Monsoon conditions as I drove T to school this morning. It was raining so hard we couldn't even hear the radio. KJ & I are snuggling on the couch watching cartoons and it is so dark outside. Looks like 7 o'clock at night.

I need to go grocery shopping but I hate going in the rain and I especially don't want to drag KJ along (somehow ice cream and a lot of junk food end up in my grocery cart). We're out of pop tarts, lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Crud

Fighting thru this cold -- have a sore throat, head ache and the sniffles.

T danced last night at halftime of the Freshman game. The girls did a great job! I think it really makes a difference if they really like the song. They've been wearing big baggy black sweatpants and their orange tank w/ the skull and crossbones. Pretty gangsta. A couple of parents are aggravated because they aren't wearing the costumes we spent a fortune on but as T said, some of their costumes don't really "fit" the song they've been dancing to. They also have the rest of the football season, the entire basketball season and some dance competitions to wear all their costumes.

So it rained a little bit this morning.which is good for the sod Chris just put down. I think it's supposed to rain Wednesday, too.

Tonight's our crazy running around dance night. Last thing I need when I'm not feeling good.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Lazy Sunday


Got KJ to Sunday school this morning for the first time this year. Didn't make it to church, though. It's nice that she can now go to Sunday school @ 9:30 AM rather than 8:30 AM. While she was at Sunday school I got some bagels for breakfast and picked T up from her friend's house.

The girls & Chris had lax today and I was supposed to go to Yoga but KJ isn't feeling so hot. So, KJ & I stayed home while Chris & T went to lax. KJ took a HUGE nap on the couch after we watched the season premiere of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader show on CMT (I know, I know! I'm a sucker for reality TV). Seriously, it's a great show! The girls work very, very hard to make the squad. I don't think I have the perseverance (or the hot body). KJ & I have watched the show since it started a year or 2 ago and we each have our favorite girl s we're rooting for. It's really upsetting when a girl gets cut from the squad.

This afternoon T is trying out for the girls All-star team which is going to Tampa the weekend before Thanksgiving. This can go a couple of ways: she doesn't make the team, she makes the team because she's good and deserves a spot or she makes the team because Daddy's lax store is sponsoring the All-star team. I asked Chris if he was going to help evaluate the girls during try-outs but he said he's staying out of it.
Spoke to my niece and nephew yesterday and made Mr. B say "Roll Tide Roll." My brother was in the background yelling "We Are! Penn State!" I also tried to get Little Miss C to say "Go John Parker." She's 2 years old so that was a little difficult. She sounds like a little munchkin on the phone.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

7 Things:

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die
1. Travel to Australia and Spain
2. Buy a beach or lake house
3. Get my real estate license
4. Watch my girls accept their college degrees
5. Go wedding dress shopping w/ my 2 daughters
6. Have grandchildren
7. Grow old and happy w/ Chris

7 Things I Do Now
1. Shop
2. Read a lot
3. Blog often
4. Decorate for each and every Holiday
5. Yoga
6. Enjoy traveling
7. Watch a lot of lacrosse

7 Things I Can't Do
1. Whistle
2. Carry A Tune
3. Play an instrument / read sheet music
4. The Moonwalk
5. Get over my fear of very long, very high bridges over large expanses of water
6. Get a full night's sleep
7. speak Latin

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex
1. A great smile
2. crinkly lines in the corner of the eyes
3. kindness
4. sense of humor
5. intelligence
6. a sense of style
7. a nice head of hair

7 Things That I Say Most
1. You've got to be kidding me!
2. No Way!
3. Sweet!
4. Freakin' (as in Freakin' this or Freakin' that)
5. Knock it off
6. No
7. OMG

7 Celebrities That I Admire
1. Diane Lane
2. Brooke Shields
3. Sandra Bullock
4. Ellen
5. Diane Von Furstenberg
6. Mariah Carey
7. Denis Leary

7 Favorite Foods
1. Sushi
2. Mexican
3. Potatoes...prepared just about any way!
4. Shrimp Scampi over linguine
5. Eggplant Parm
6. Tiramasu
7. Popcorn

7 People Who Need To Do This
1. Tracy Lev
2. Shawn
3. Heather
4. Angel K.
5. Christopher

Cuz She's TNT


KJ's been listening to a lot of AC/DC lately and has been bugging me to put some AC/DC on my blog. There's a new Sirius station that is all AC/DC all the time and she listens to it w/ Chris n the car. Swear to God, she just told me her favorite song is Hell's Bells. She also likes TNT, Back in Black and the song they play at the end of School of Rock -- It's a long way to the top if you want to Rock 'n Roll. She does her best Aussie impression and says, "the name AC/DC came from the back of my sister's toaster." It's hysterical! She told Chris she wants to get a big henna tattoo of AC/DC if we go to the beach for Spring Break.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Pep Rally




Checked KJ out of class this afternoon and met Chris at the high school for the Pep Rally. Definately the place to be @ 3 PM on a Friday afternoon. KJ had no idea what to expect. I tried to explain to her what exactly occurs at a pep rally as best I could. The band sounded great and the upperclassman took a backseat today and let the freshman squads perform (cheerleaders and dance team). The seniors wore really cool "life is good" t-shirts w/ "seniors '09 written on the back. The "life is good" figure on the back was a buccanneer. I'd like to get my hands on one of those shirts. The freshman dance team did great! I was very, very proud. Before the pep rally I met T in the dance room and all the girls were really nervous. Tonight T does not have to dress since it's an away game but she is going w/ the band to help out the Buccannettes w/ their half-time routine. Chris & KJ are planning to go to the game and bring T home after half-time. I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet and maybe have a glass of wine while I catch up on my TiVo.

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree”

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. -- George Eliot
My outside table on the front porch

"Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night" -- Hal Borland


2 views of the Foyer table
Just a couple pics of some of my fall decorating. I need to finish the dining room and I'm not satisfied w/ my mantle. I think this weekend I'll start to put Halloween stuff outside. KJ's loves that! I don't put out the really scary stuff until the day of Halloween. Otherwise we look like the creepy house on the block.





Up-close view of front door
The Freshman Dance Team gets to participate in today's pep rally at the senior center. T really wants us there so I'm going to check KJ out of school early so she can see T perform. I'm sure the ladies at the front desk at the elementary school just love me! Whatever! C'mon, it's her big sister.
No major plans this weekend. Still not sure if we're going to tonight's football game. Then we also have a football game Monday night. That might just be too much football for me to handle in such a short period of time. Chris has men's practice Saturday morning and then has plans to help the Birmingham-Southern men's team w/ their first fall game. I think T is babysitting almost all day Saturday. Leaves just me & KJ. Wowza.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

MetroNaps (Genius!!!)


T's home sick today. I've been sleeping in the guest room the last couple of nights because the A/C's been out downstairs. The guest bedroom is right next to T's room and she was up all night coughing. At 4:30 AM I went into her room and turned off her alarm and told her to just rest today. She woke up around 9 AM and is enjoying some hot chocolate. I think I'm gonna make her clean her room and her closet while she's home today. She's not running a fever, just has an annoying cough.

New A/C is being installed today. Of course it is. Today is supposed to be in the 70's. The days don't bother me, it's been very comfortable in the house. Just too hot for me at night.
I need it to be sub-zero in order for me to achieve optimum REM. I like it to be so cold I actually slip into a deep cryogenic catatonic sleep. I've heard about a company called "MetroNaps" in NYC. It's on the 24th floor of the Empire State Building. For less than $15 you can go in during your lunch time and take a little nappy in a sleep pod (similar to the photo above). Each pod is equipped w/ white noise machines and a “wake-station,” with mints, refreshing spray, hand towels and a locker for your things. The sleep pod has a privacy bubble and built-in full body buzzer-as-alarm clock. To make sure that people don’t have to make a decision between their bellies and taking a nap in the pod, MetroNaps does offer a mix of sandwiches and salads that can be ordered when you start your nap and ready to go when you leave. MetroNaps is quick to point out the science behind the value of naptime (preaching to the choir here! Trust me! I know the value of naptime!). The Pod, allows the napper to elevate the feet to increase circulation and take stress off the lower back. I wonder if you have to bring your own blankie???

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"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." -- Dr. Seuss

"Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful." -- Sophia Loren



"There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them." -- Sylvia Plath

“Life is too important to be taken seriously.” – Oscar Wilde

If people are truly, madly, deeply in love with each other, they will find a way.~Gilda Radner

“Never judge a day by its weather. Sunshine is uplifting; rain, nourishing; wind, exhilarating; snow, cleansing; hail, stimulating. Any weather is better than none.” -- Author Unknown

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." -- Sophia Loren

"I know I'm vulgar, but would you have me any other way?" -- Elizabeth Taylor

"After thirty, a body has a mind of its own." -- Bette Midler

"Cherish forever what makes you unique, 'cuz you're really a yawn if it goes." -- Bette Midler

“I know I can be diva-ish sometimes, but I have to be in control. The nature of my life, the nature of what I do, is divadom, it really is." -- Mariah Carey

"I want minimum information given with maximum politeness." -- Jackie Kennedy Onassis

"I've been called a diva, queen diva, diva supreme, and I love it. However, that's really for others to decide, not me." -- Aretha Franklin

"No one loves a party more than I. I am a people person." -- Aretha Franklin

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." -- Jackie Kennedy Onassis
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