Bragging Rights

Didn't get to watch any of the game but Canada beat the USA in hockey today. I was at KJ's lax practice (yes, Cosmo & I got suckered into "helping" her little team in our "spare" time) and all the parents were rushing to get home or in the car because it was tied up at 2 and getting ready to go into overtime. Cosmo TiVo'd the game with the intentions of watching it when he got home from Memphis. He begged everyone on the bus not to tell him the outcome.

He seemed to have had a good weekend in Memphis. Both JV and Varsity won last night against Houston, TN but both JV and Varsity lost to Christian Bros today. Last week a bunch of boys were rapping on the bus and I was surprised at how good they were. He said last night the boys were in rare form on the bus. He said he wasn't really paying to exactly what they were saying but one of the seniors was rapping about him and kind of ended the rap with something like "and I kissed the coach's daughter."

KJ had a friend sleep over Saturday night and although we didn't make it to church Sunday morning I did manage to get everyone to Sunday school. I am not a morning person so this was quite an accomplishment for me. Today was an absolutely beautiful Sunday. Really gorgeous day and I was so happy to be outside. T had lax practice from 2 to 4 PM on one side of town, KJ had it from 3 to 5 PM on the other side of town. I know close to nothing about girls lax (I know so much more about the boys game) so I don't think I was much help to the Head Coach. I don't even own a stick (pretty sad considering my hubby owns the ONLY lacrosse store in the entire state of Alabama!). After only a few practices (I think we've had 3 so far but this is the first one I attended), the girls looked pretty good. It's a 5th and 6th grade team and some of the girls have never played before. KJ definitely has the stick skills but she doesn't have any speed.

I had such a wonderful weekend. Didn't do anything exciting or spectacular and in spite of being fairly busy, it was kind of relaxing. T had her "faux" Sadie Hawkins Friday night and we had such a nice chat before she went out w/ friends. Cosmo had taken KJ to her lax practice so it was just me and T in the house. No one to interrupt us. We had a really good heart to heart and all weekend I've been thinking about what a good kid she is. I am not a particularly religious person and definitely need to go to church more, but I do know when to sit back and count my blessings. She truly has her head squarely on her shoulders and I am so proud of her. Her friend Ronnie picked her up here at the house and they met the rest of their group at the Japanese steakhouse. The gang stopped here for photos on their way back to one of the girl's houses for a little get-together. Really, really nice group of kids. Very personable and very friendly. Two of the boys went to a different middle school and I don't them very well but they were very out-going and laughed and joked w/ Cosmo for a bit. T has known the one girl since elementary school (I think they were in Kindergarten or 1st grade together). My point is, right now, T seems to be making good choices. That all could change when she starts driving and has a little bit more freedom, but for right now, she's doing good and is right where she needs to be. Daughter #2 is a whole 'nother story. I ain't gonna lie. She's a handful. She knows it and I know it. And she knows that I know it.

Lax Season is Upon Us

That's my girl! Wheelin' and dealin', going coast to coast. I don't think she scored here but it's a pretty good picture! Oh, and she got the first yellow card of the season, too. So, so proud. :-)A little chilly this morning at T's season opener. The girls got to the field about an hour before face-off and it was a good thing, too! They got the jitters and the giggles out of their systems. First half wasn't so great but they played much better the second half. I am proud to say that T-bone scored 3 of her teams 5 goals. We're still a very, very young team....only 5 returning players (2 are freshmen, 2 are sophomore's and I think the 5th girl is a senior but only with a year under her belt).

KJ had lax practice yesterday and this morning Cosmo is headed up to Memphis with both the JV and Varsity teams. I can't remember which day they're playing which team but they will be playing Houston and Christian Bros.

Sadies (Sort Of)

T-bone's original Sadie Hawkins dance was postponed a couple of weekends ago due to the weather and was eventually cancelled. They (the girls) decided they didn't want their new outfits to go to waste so tonight her group of friends got together for dinner and a party afterward.

I luv, luv, luv these shoes and it kills me that her feet are several sizes larger than mine!

My New Favorite Website: Operation Beautiful

The mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL. You are enough... just the way you are!

So, Operation Beautiful got me thinking about me and my body and whether or not I'm "beautiful." I came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter if I'm "traditionally" beautiful, my family and friends love me for who I am. I guess the saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is certainly true. I'm short, definitely could loose a few pounds but overall, I'm happy with my body and who I am today. I like the journey I've taken and don't really have any body hang-ups. It is what it is.

I'm blind as a bat, I had a sprinkle of freckles over my nose when I was a little girl, I was really bow-legged in middle school and my early high school years and I think one eye is slighter bigger than the other one.

I have good hair days and I have bad hair days (hence my love for hats!). I have skinny days and I have fat days. I love my feet, I love my boobs and I like the color of my eyes. I used to have really nice hands before I got married and had kids and indulged in weekly manicures. Now my hands tend to be a little on the dry side thanks to the harsh chemicals associated with motherhood (I am the bleach QUEEN).

I've given birth to two beautiful daughters and have the c-section scars to prove it. I've had a breast biopsy and have the scar on my right breast to remind me every day to live in the moment. I have a scar on my forehead from when I was very, very little and fell down a hill at a picnic (long story but the scar reminds me of my godfather, my Uncle Zip, every time I put my make-up on). After the birth of both of my girls I experienced SEVERE hyper-pigmentation on my face and had horrible dark patches for years and years whenever I stepped foot in the sun.

I don't diet per se but try to eat healthy. I don't get as much exercise as I'd like but I'm a good mom and a good wife and I take care of my family. If I had to choose between exercising my mind or exercising my body, I'd definitely choose a good book over a good run on the treadmill any day.

Dangerous Hot Dogs, Susan Sarandon & Transvestites

The following story on hot dogs as a choking hazard disturbs me on so many levels it's not even funny. The article starts off with "When 4-year-old Eric Stavros Adler choked to death on a piece of hot dog, his anguished mother never dreamed that the popular kids' food could be so dangerous. Some food makers including Oscar Mayer have warning labels about choking, but not nearly enough, says Joan Stavros Adler, Eric's mom." This mom, an attorney, also claims to have been educated about children's safety; her son had eaten hot dogs before without any problem. These kind of things anger me so much. While I hope to never know the anguish this mother must feel, I don't think blame lies entirely with the hot dog manufacturer. Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35511567/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

While hot dogs are a dangerous choking hazard to children and in no way a joking matter, this following story on Susan Sarandon is kind of funny. My dad went to high school with Susan Sarandon (his big claim to fame!) and I always laugh when I read articles on her or see her on the news for her political activities. I especially find it amusing when she (or her publicist) shave a few years off her age. She's at least the same age as my dad or quite possibly a year older. I've also seen articles where she claims to be "New York born and bred" when in reality she grew up in Central New Jersey (she may have been born in NY but definitely went to high school in Edison). This weekend, while travelling to/from Shreveport, LA on a charter bus, I found out that one of the boy's dads went to school with a famous actress (who shall not be named) and they even went to prom together. This actress allegedly suffers from eating disorders and he said sometimes they (the media) use their prom photo as a "before" photo when discussing her problems. He said he's been in People, US Weekly, In Touch, etc.
http://evilbeetgossip.film.com/2010/02/20/transvestite-vomits-on-susan-sarandon/

Today I picked up my new glasses! Yay! I luv, luv, luv them! Last week I lost a contact (that sucker went straight down the drain!). Thought I could just call my neighborhood optometrist and order a new one, but no! My prescription was a couple years old so I had to go in for a full exam. So, I ordered the new contact and while I was there I looked at frames. My eyeglasses were from 6 years ago so I definitely needed a new pair. I'm kind of limited to what I can get because I have a small head and I also like my eyeglasses to have the matching sun glass clip. This pair is metal (which I never thought I'd like) but they are kind of funky at the same time.

Today I also received 10 pairs of sunglasses in the mail. I know that sounds crazy but let me explain. A friend had told me about a deal on a website that was 10 pairs of sunglasses for $9.99 (plus $5 shipping and handling). I've had designer sunglasses, I've had cheapo Wal-mart sunglasses. It doesn't matter. I've lost them, broken them, left them on the counter when I washed my hands in the restroom at the beach, my girls "borrow" them and never return them, etc. So I thought 10 sunglasses for less than $2 a pair would be a great deal (and it was!). Turns out all 10 pairs were "Mudd" brand sunglasses and they are all very cute! Nice variety....a couple pairs were black frames, a couple were tortoise frames, a couple were pink-ish frames, some had some bling on the sides. I found 3 pairs that I really liked, 3 pairs that I think KJ will like and 4 pairs that I think would look good on T-bone. Now I can leave a pair in my pool bag this summer, leave a pair in the car, leave a pair in my lax bag, etc.

Playing Catch-Up (updated)

Whew! Got a lot of laundry to do today! Thank god Chris let the boys take home their jerseys last night or else I'd be stuck washing over 40 smelly and wet lacrosse jerseys on top of my regular wash.

Had a great, great weekend despite the crappy weather in Shreveport, LA for the lax game(s). We left Saturday AM from the high school parking lot and got to Shreveport around 5 PM. The bus ride there was relatively quiet. We stopped for lunch and since the game didn't start until 8 PM we had dinner at the hotel before heading out to the stadium. It was kind of chilly but not unbearable. It kind of felt like football weather actually. Despite losing 10 to 6 to South Lake Carroll, TX the boys played pretty good and Chris was pleased. When we got back to the hotel we had a bunch of pizzas in the lobby for the boys to take back to their rooms.

Sunday's game didn't start until noon so after breakfast we headed over the field. I sat in the bleachers and called my folks and my brother while the rest of the parents and my 2 girls went on a Starbucks run. It started raining and the wind was terrible. T-bone sat under the tent during the game and helped one of the dad's keep stats and helped with the penalty clock. KJ & I joined a bunch of other parents up in the press box to get out of the rain. Sunday's game got a little ugly and there were a lot more penalties. And, on top of everything else, my hubby almost got thrown out of the game. He got a flag thrown at him because he got a little vocal with one of the refs. Ok, it was more than a "little" vocal. Cosmo is funny like that. He'll be the first one to get on the boys and yell at them for doing something wrong but God help you if a ref makes a bad call or worse, no call at all (which is exactly what happened....a couple of Shreveport players were basically ganging up on one of our senior players and for a minute there it looked like there was going to be a fight on the field. Cosmo yanked the player off the field and called him out. When that player served his penalty and got back on the field, the Shreveport players really went after him in retaliation. Cosmo blasted the ref for turning a blind eye and the girls & I thought for sure he was going to get thrown out of the game for the first time ever in his coaching career.). So, in a nutshell, the boys played well on Saturday but lost, didn't play as well on Sunday and won. Go figure.

On Friday, my mom & dad's oldest and dearest friends, Frank & Ellie came for a visit. They left their house the end of January and visited family & friends all over Florida and swung by here on their way back north. They spent the night and on Saturday they were headed to Chattanooga and then on to friends in Northport, TN. We had such a good time! I think, other than family, Frank & Ellie have known me longer than anyone else. We lived 2 doors down from them in our first house in NY. We moved into that house when I was 4, just a few weeks before my 5th birthday and moved to our house in Stony Point when I was in 7th grade. My mom always tells the story about how she didn't know anyone in the neighborhood and Ellie knocked on her door one day and said, "Would you like to go shopping?" They've basically watched me grow up and our families have always been a part of each other's lives....communions, christenings, graduations, weddings, baby showers, grandchildren, etc. Frank & Ellie's son Chris is 2 years older than me and their daughter Trasy is 2 years younger than me. They also have a daughter, Alicia who is 13 years younger than me so I don't really know her that well. We reminisced and had a lot of laughs. I think the girls enjoyed listening to old stories, too. We went on a lot of family vacations together, our parents bowled together for years, went to the swim club together every day (we'd all pile into some one's station wagon with the wood panel sides, no seat belts, with the back window down sucking up exhaust fumes). Lots of block parties, lots of flashlight tag in the summer, lots of sleep-overs, snowball fights in the winter and intense kickball games. Mom & Dad, Frank & Ellie, Margaret & Ed, Phylliss & Billy, Richard & Anna all still get togheter fairly regularly. They sometimes meet in Mrytle Beach for a week or sometimes everyone meets up at my mom & dad's place in PA for a long weekend.

When we got home late last night I checked messages and we found out that Cosmo's aunt Gertrude passed away. She was 87 years old and an absolute pistol. Really a lot of fun, very out-going, energetic. She loved to sing and dance and I vividly remember her doing the electric slide at our wedding all those years ago. I only met her a couple of times but she was a very sweet, sweet lady. One of her daughter's, Alice, is Cosmo's godmother. Aunt Gertrude was married to my mother-in-law's brother John and was from Staten Island.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS0R5IU2im8

Vancouver (or, as KJ calls it, Wancouver)

Awesome day for USA at yesterday's Olympics! I can't say anything about Shaun White that hasn't been already said. He's so cool and such a wonderful ambassador for his sport. Not only are his tricks phenomenal, but he gets to biggest air ever! I tried snowboarding once. It was before we were married and we were visiting friends in Breckenridge. Holy cow. I totally sucked at it. Cosmo's buddy Bob spent the afternoon w/ me on the slopes and there were little toddlers in helmets snowboarding better than me. It was embarrassing. Chris snowboarded a lot in college (Killington was just a few minutes away) and he was pretty good.

Lindsey Vonn had such an incredible comeback. For days we've all thought her Vancouver experience would be cut short by her injuries. Then, to watch all those women crash and burn on the course, she had to have been a nervous wreck (I had to explain to KJ what I meant when I yelled out "YARD SALE!"). Shows what a true champion, a true athlete she is. She was totally in the zone. And I love her USA knit hat!

We used to ski alot but I haven't skied since before Taylor was born (so basically 16 years). I wasn't very good but really liked it alot. I didn't like the moguls. I love the snow, the cold, I'm a total winter girl. I liked going up the ski lift. I liked having cute, matchy-matchy ski outfits (I had a hot little body before kids and used to be able to wear the tight ski pants that showed off my butt) and I liked coordinating my goggles, my boots, my hats and gloves. I liked going in the lodge and having chili and cornbread for lunch. And a big cup of hot chocolate. I liked when it's really really cold but the sun is shining and you can take off your skis and sit on the deck and soak up some sun. I like when you get that crazy tan line on your face from your goggles.

I would love to take the girls to Colorado for a ski trip but I think it would cost us a small fortune. All four of us would need to be totally outfitted from head to toe, airfare, lift tickets, hotel, etc. I think I'd need to win the lottery first.

For an update on Olympians of yesteryear, check out the following on College Candy:
http://collegecandy.com/2010/02/17/olympians-of-yesteryear-where-are-they-now/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+collegecandy/full+(College+Candy)

Holy Cow! Madonna's daughter Lourdes is absolutely beautiful!
I also found this article on Celebrity Dream Couples pretty funny (and pretty spot on!).

http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2010/02/17/celebrity_dream_couples

We Are the World

The Original:

The Horrible Remake:

Am I the only one on the planet who HATES the new "We Are the World" song and video? It's terrible! We couldn't come up with something original for the people of Haiti? It reminds me of when Elton John did a re-make of his "Candle in the Wind" (originally about Marilyn Monroe) for a Princess Diana benefit. And what the hell is Vince Vaughn doing in the back row?

SNOW again!

Took T to lax practice @ 6 PM last night and could have sworn I saw a couple of flakes. Ran to Target on my way home and when I came out, it was snowing like crazy! The wind was blowing quite hard and it was really coming down! When I got home, KJ was standing outside w/ her mouth open trying to catch some flakes. She said she felt like she was inside a snow globe.

So funny to live in the South and hear everyone complain about the snow. Getting snow in Alabama is really the best of both worlds....the kids can still go outside and play for a little while, make a couple of snowmen, throw some snowballs, etc. It rarely sticks to the road and there is virtually no shoveling involved and it's usually gone in a couple of hours. We do own a shovel but I don't think it's ever been used for snow. Cosmo mainly uses it for leaves in the fall.

On a different note, KJ found out yesterday that she made the broadcast team at school. She was SO excited! She will be an anchor-person. T did broadcast in 5th grade and loved it and is still taking broadcast classes at the high school.

Unrelated story: My Vera Bradley pattern (Cambridge) has retired and I had told Cosmo & the Girls that I wanted the large duffel for Christmas. They couldn't find it anywhere and Cosmo HATES e-Bay so he refused to even search on-line for it. It went on sale the other day so I ordered it and told him he could give it to me for Valentine's Day. Fed Ex delivered it Saturday night, I knew what was in the box so I didn't really rush to open it. I finally opened it on Monday and had it on my bed. KJ came home from school and asked "where did you get that from?" I joked around and said, "My boyfriend bought it for me for Valentine's Day." She looked at me and said, "Seriously Mom. Other than dad, who would go out with you???" That's my girl. Always keeping it real.

Weekend Recap

Friday we had a bit of snow so the kids were dismissed from school early (and the Sadie Hawkins dance was cancelled as well). KJ, of course, couldn't wait to get out there and play (we don't have a sled so KJ goes down our front hill ghetto style....with a cardboard box). That kid loves the snow. Cosmo really needs to take her out to our friends in Breckenridge, CO and get some skiing and snowboarding lessons. She stayed outside on Friday until it got dark and I had to call her in.

Saturday was a crazy day....Cosmo had lax practice in the morning and then met with some of the team dads to finalize some upcoming travel plans.

T had to be at the High School by 1:30 PM to start getting ready for the pageant. One of the other girls missed the rehearsal on Thursday night so T was asked to teach her the opening number. The pageant was really a lot of fun. KJ & I had a great time but I think Cosmo wanted to pluck his eyeballs out. It was very, very warm in the theater and he had a terrible headache (probably from having too many beers at lunch w/ the other lax dads). T did great! We were very, very proud of her. She really rocked the opening number (she had to wear jeans and a white t-shirt and she wore her cowboy boots to mix it up a bit) and she answered her interview question perfectly. They asked her about her favorite lacrosse moment and she said it was when her all-star team won the national championship in Tampa and how it was a great moment because they all worked so hard! I had a good time at the pageant because T was older and I didn't need to run to the back to help her get into her dress or help her with her hair/make-up. I don't think I would be a very good pageant mom if she was younger and I had to constantly help her.
Immediately after the pageant we rushed over to the 5th Annual Lax Auction and had such a good time! I look forward to this event every year and it's a nice chance to meet some of the new parents. We had a lot of really great donations this year....lots of local restaurant gift cards, some spa days, a couple of over night stays at Ross Bridge with breakfast for 2 the next morning, some golf clubs, some sports memorabilia, a digital photo frame, and an MP3 player just to name a few. I bid on and won a sock monkey for KJ (she LOVES sock monkeys and has slippers and a nightgown to match so it was a silly little gift). I also came home with a beautiful lemonade set...it's a ceramic blue pitcher, 4 tumblers, lemonade mix, lemon and white chocolate chip cookies and it's all on a pretty wooden tray. I also won a 7-piece ceramic popcorn bowl set and a candle set.

So it's Winter Olympics time! I thought the opening ceremonies were amazing. KD Lang was wonderful and I loved it when the guy came through the Olympic rings. My favorite part of the night, however, was when the whales swam across the stadium floor.

Mags

Some really neat celeb photos in Esquire and Vogue. I luv, luv, luv Tina Fey. I think her beauty is often overlooked because she makes us laugh...kind of like Lucille Ball. I saw some old photos of her the other day, real Hollywood glamour-type of photos, and she was simply stunning but you always think of silly I Love Lucy when you think Lucille Ball.

Luv, luv, luv Dakota Fanning. I think she's got her head on straight. Hopefully she continues to make wise career decisions and doesn't become a trainwreck / hot mess a la Lindsey Lohan.

These photos of Leonardo DiCaprio are amazing. I love a nan's face w/ character and think he is getting better looking with age and he really doesn't make a bad movie.

OneK

Yay!!! This marks my 1000 post!!! I think I started blogging in 2007. Wow. That's a lot of blogging! I plan to spend the day baking Valentine's Day cupcakes and hope mine look as beautiful as these! Have a wonderful weekend!

Separated at Birth???

This is Chicken Little:

This is my sweet, silly "great-niece" Eva:

Am I the only one seeing this???

Toddlers & Tiaras

This is a beautiful confident young woman: This, unfortunately, is not:

Ok, I'm not gonna lie. We love this stupid show and we also love Little Miss Perfect (for clarification purposes, when I say "we" I mean me and the girls, totally not the Hubby). These shows are total and complete train wrecks and we love it! We TiVo the shows each week and can't wait to watch the insanity.

We watch these shows not because we like "Glitz" beauty pageants for little girls, but because the parents are completely CRAZY! I feel terribly sorry for 99.9% of the girls on the show because their parents are total PSYCHO's! Seriously, there is a big difference between a composed, poised, confident young woman competing in local pageants (ages 15+) and these crazy "glitz" pageants, "Wow" wear, and the beauty competition. I crack up when they show these wacko parents standing behind the judges table trying to get the girls to smile and do their routines correctly. These parents readily admit they have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on entry fees, pageant coaches, hair, make-up, spray tans, flippers (fake teeth) and clothing and accessories (not to mention hotel, gas and/or airfare for the weekend to attend the pageant). One mom said they spent "well over $30,000 in the last 6 months." Are you kidding me? Where are these people getting $30K? Wouldn't you be better off taking that $30K and putting it in a college fund? T is participating in her first pageant this weekend. It's actually a charity event, no swimsuit, no "Wow" wear, no talent and I think it's an on-stage interview. She's participating because her friend, the pageant organizer, invited her and the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. The entrance fee was $50 and I think she gets a t-shirt. She borrowed a gown from a friend and we found shoes on the clearance rack at Belk's for $19.99. Her nails will be done from the Sadie Hawkin's dance the night before.
These little girls are spray tanned and air-brushed to within an inch of their lives and the parents (yes, there is such a thing as a pageant dad!) all swear that "they will stop doing pageants if little Susie doesn't want to do it anymore." My favorite line is: "this is our special mother/daughter time." Mother/daughter bonding is wonderful but really, how much bonding is actually going on? There's always one kid on the show who cries when she's getting dressed, cries when she's getting her hair done, cries when she didn't win a trophy and the mom ends up yelling or crying because the little girl's not listening and everyone is stressed out to the max. So, who's having fun here?

In all fairness, I do believe these pageants get a bad rap, some of it deserved, some of it not, and the whole Jon Benet Ramsey thing didn't help. On the flip side, on the "male" side, I see the same thing with kids sports yet it appears to be more acceptable.

Both of my girls have cheered for rec football, they've both played lacrosse, they've both played soccer and they've both danced. We've seen it all. I have personally witnessed parents pace up and down the sidelines, stand behind the backstop at home plate when their kid is up to bat or when their kid is pitching, scream and yell at the coaches and the officials. We know parents who have their 1st graders in speed and agility training (which just seems harmful to me). We know tons of kids that have had private lessons in their sport of choice. We know kids who have top of the line equipment...baseball/softball bats valued at over $500, etc. Does any of this stuff make your kid a winner? Does it increase his/her chances of making varsity? It's usually the kids that have no chance in hell of taking their game to the next level that have the most pushy, the most obnoxious parents. Like Cosmo always says, there are just some things you can't teach. He's coached a couple of boys over the years that just have "it" (that mysterious, elusive "it" factor that everyone talks about regardless of whether they are a pageant judge or a sports coaches, it's all the same thing).

So, in conclusion, is the sports dad any different than the pageant mom? The sports dad thinks his son is going to be the next MVP of the World Series or a Super Bowl champion and the pageant mom thinks her daughter is going to be the next Miss America. Aren't they both just living vicariously through their children?

Vera, Vera, Vera!!!

So the other day we were chilling on the couch watching TV and the show "Say Yes to the Dress" came on. The show takes place at the legendary Kleinfeld store on West 20th Street http://www.kleinfeldbridal.com/ and follows brides as they shop for a wedding gown. I like when I bride walks in and has a specific style of gown in her head but when she tries the gown on it doesn't really look right on her and the flamboyant fashion director swoops in, makes a few suggestions and saves the day! Yay!!

Seriously though. We were in the middle of the episode and KJ turns to me and said, "You do realize don't you that I plan to wear Vera Wang on my wedding day??" She's 10! Honestly, I had NO idea she even knew who Vera Wang was!!! She said, "you know, like in Bride War's."


She then proceeded to tell me all about her big ideas for her wedding day. She told me she plans to get married on the beach in Jamaica in her Vera Wang custom creation and then change into a less formal dress (designer unspecified at this time) for the reception and dance the night away under the palm trees. She and her hubby will hop onto a pair of beautiful horses and ride off into the sunset to a private location where they will walk into the ocean together (fully clothed hence the need for a second dress).


T-bone just looked at her and said, "Wow. Really?" T & I were pretty shocked KJ had put this much thought into her wedding day! I asked T if she ever thought about her wedding day or theme or gown and she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Nah. Not really." Here's hoping Daughter #1 doesn't call us in the middle of the night in a drunken stupor and tell us she pulled a Brittney Spears and got married in Vegas in a t-shirt and jeans and flippy-floppy's. Or worse, like Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee (or like Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock)...in a white bikini. Sheesh.

Superbowl Recap

Yesterday T and Cosmo had lax practices at the same time so KJ and I went with them and did the track while they practiced. It was crazy cold out there but it felt good to have some fresh air on my face after being cooped up in the house for so long (due to the weather and the crud I had last week).

KJ had been bugging me to make Chex Muddy Buddies with her so on our way home from the field we stopped at the store for some SuperBowl snackage. We made the Muddy Buddies and holy cow are they good! I've only ever had them once before and had totally forgotten how delicious they are! I'm not a big peanut butter fan and I'm not a huge chocoholic (yet I do love me some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) but dang those Muddy Buddies were addictive! We also made our usual game day chili dip and had shrimp cocktail. Cosmo had played in a men's game Saturday night and was pretty wiped out by the time he got home from Varsity practice Sunday afternoon so he participated in a pre-game nap on the couch. T was at Superbowl party with some friends.


I didn't think any of the Superbowl commercials were particularly outstanding this year. I did like the two Bud commercials that had Lost references and today I found myself saying "here we go" alot. Loved the Betty White Snickers commercial. A little surprised at the ending of that one, I honestly thought Abe Vigoda died years ago. I always love the little baby from the e-Trade commercials. I crack up when he calls the older man a "shank-a-pot-a-mus" and last night's commercials were pretty funny too.

As much as my girls & I luv, luv, luv Peyton Manning, I was totally rooting for the Saints and so happy to see them win! I've always loved New Orleans and was very glad to see that city finally have something to celebrate (plus, the fleur-de-lis is one of my favorite "symbols"). There were a couple of really outstanding plays but I think everyone's favorite imagine from last night was Drew Brees and his baby:

Baby Mama Drama

Sitting here on this crappy Saturday morning supposed to be folding laundry and instead I'm watching Baby Mama and blogging. I have never seen this movie before and it's pretty funny. Amy Poehler cracks me up and the doorman is funny too. Usual Saturday morning here...Cosmo is at lax, T is at dance. This horrible weather is really getting depressing and it's affecting my health. No lie. I get really bad migraines when it rains like this and my nose and throat are still a mess.

So yesterday I went to a job fair. I've never been to something like that before and let's just say it was interesting. Felt like I was at an American Idol audition. Pants on the Ground. Pants on the Ground.

KJ didn't go to school yesterday. She woke up with her left eye almost closed shut and it was all pink and crusty. Fun fun fun. She looks much much better this morning.

Getting ready for the 5th annual Lacrosse Auction next weekend. I've been putting together a basket of gift certificates and items from local merchants. Everyone has been awesome and I've got a lot of great donations which I will put in a backpack embroidered with the school logo. I've also been putting together a Valentine's Day basket with chocolate, heart shaped pasta, some chocolate martini mix, Valentine's Day plates and napkins and it's all in a red plastic picnic basket. It's all about the presentation! The lax auction is a fun event and can sometimes get very competitive!

Friday night is the Sadie Hawkin's Dance. Not sure yet where T's group is going for dinner prior to the dance but I know everyone is coming here for pictures and I think she's having an after-party. I swear, if that kid doesn't go into broadcast journalism, she needs to be an event planner. Party over here, party over there. Party all the time. And the great thing is, she brings together kids that normally wouldn't hang out together and it somehow works...she invites lacrosse kids, the "smart" kids from her AP classes at school, some neighborhood kids, girls from her dance studio that don't even go to her school, she doesn't really care.

Starting to think about Spring Break. T's got definite plans, the rest of us have not finalized our plans, got some fun things in the works though. It's just going to be me, Cosmo & KJ so we can kind of wing it this year and go with the flow. Looking forward to spending some quality time with KJ. She told me the other day "it's very difficult living with T."

I'm so sick of my winter clothes already and have been looking forward to spring. I bought a couple of cute things from Old Navy on-line but had to return the shoes. I loved them but they didn't fit quite right. I had ordered a 1/2 size up from my normal size because last time I bought from Old navy they were too small. I also bought a tank and a cardigan to go with my khaki skirt and a very springy tote bag. I bought 3 bathing suits at the end of the season so I should be OK in that department. I love my capri's and don't think I need much for Spring....maybe just some new t-shirts and some new flippy-floppy's. I buy the Old Navy flip flops in every color when they go on sale for 2 $5. I am NOT looking forward to shopping with KJ. She hates to try on clothes and is very, very picky.
I also came across this adorable trench coat but I think the sleeve length would bother me. Other than 3/4 sleeve t-shirts, I really don't like that length. I always feel like my clothes shrunk when I wear 3/4 length sleeves.

I found these cuffs that I absolutely adore but can't decide which color I like. The tortoise one would go with just about everything I own. I'm a very neutral person when it comes to clothes, lots of brown, lots of black. I don't look good in bright splashy colors. Except red. I do have a red v-neck sweater and always receive lots of compliments when I wear it. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if it's because it goes well with my coloring or if it's because it's cut kind of low and it makes my boobs look good.

I need to give Cosmo some ideas for Valentine's Day. I usually select some items at the Brighton store and he and the girls pick something out for me. I really don't know what I want this year. We don't buy big expensive things for each other but I do like to get presents. And he always picks out very romantic cards. My dad used to drive my mother insane because no matter the occasion, he always forgot the card. I can't say that about Cosmo. He has always (and I do mean ALWAYS!!! Since 1982!) bought me very wonderful, romantic cards for Mother's Day, Christmas, Valentines, my b-day, our anniversary, etc. And he doesn't just sign them, he always adds a very personal note. And, I think I've saved just about every card he's ever given me.

I am SO mad At Tim Tebow

That's right. I said it. I'm a little aggravated with Tim Tebow right now. While Mr. Tebow and his family have freedom of speech on their side, what about me? What about my rights as a parent? We, like many other families on Sunday, will be watching the Super Bowl together. Normally the actual game itself is quite boring. The commercials totally make the Super Bowl. Thanks to Mr. Tebow and his family, I will now have to explain abortions to my 10-year old.

Yesterday afternoon I heard Gloria Allred on the Ryan Seacrest show while I was in the car driving the girls around to their various activities. She basically called Tim Tebow's mother a liar. She threw around words like allegedly, reportedly, purportedly. Gloria Allred said that abortion is totally illegal in the Philippines with no legal exceptions. Meaning that despite Mrs. Tebow claims, there is no way a Philippine doctor could have or would have advised a patient to have an abortion.

So, is the network allowing the Tebow's commercial because it's the all-great and powerful Tim Tebow or because of homophobia??? The network is, in my humble opinion, sliding down a slippery slope. If you are going to air the Tebow's commercial, why not air the gay dating service commercial? I'm not sure of the exact name of the dating company but it's the equivalent of Match.com for gay men. Honestly, it's much easier to explain homosexuality to a 10-year old than it is to explain the concept of abortion. Hell, let's get it all out on the table. Let's allow all special interest groups the same amount of air time. Let's hear from the right, the left and everyone in between...the NRA, the KKK, the Aryan Nation, the Bloods, the drug cartels, GreenPeace, you name it, they should get equal air time.

GiveAway!!!

check out the great giveaway on Miss Northern Belle's blog:
http://missnorthernbelle.blogspot.com/
Love those boots! I think the black & white zebra print are my favorite. So sassy!

Sicko, Lost and Teenage Sex

Germs, Germs everywhere
Even on your teddy bear
Germs, Germs everywhere
Even where you can’t stare
Germs, Germs in our hair
But even when they’re out of sight, there are so many ways for us to fight…Germs

Holy cow! I am so flippin' sick! I can't stop sneezing and blowing my nose. And now, my hands are super dry from constantly washing them and my lips are chapped from breathing out of my mouth. Fun! Fun! Fun!


So last night was the BIG final season premiere of "Lost." Honestly, I was so doped up on NyQuil I had no clue what was going on. I mean Seriously!! Does ANYONE know what is going on with that show? I love it but week after week I look at Chris and say something along the lines of "What the hell just happened?" or "I'm so confused." I'm going to go on the record here and now and say that I hate Jack & Kate, love Sawyer, Hugo and Sayid. I really liked last night's show and the way they went back and forth...only problem is I couldn't tell if they were flashbacks or flash forwards. (See map below if you have any questions)

Today is Wednesday and the craziness starts for me. I love Mondays and Tuesdays because they're pretty laid back. T has lax on Mondays but she has plenty of time to come home from school, start her homework, grab a bite to eat, etc. Tuesday Chris has his boys lax practice but he either goes to the field right from the office or runs in the house and changes into shorts and runs right back out. Wednesday and Thursday are dance days which means I have to pick T up at the high school and run her over to the dance studio and somehow shove some dinner down her throat.

There's a new study out regarding abstinence and teens from the U of Penn. I caught part of it on CNN yesterday and today Hoda & KLG are discussing it. Yesterday the host of the CNN program got a little nasty with one of the professors she was interviewing. The professor, not involved with the study but on the panel of "experts," made a comment about the study not being very accurate because it was ONLY conducted on African-American teens in Philadelphia. The CNN host said, "What does race have to do with it??" Well, I'm not a sex therapist or sex educator or an expert of anything, but I would imagine race, as well as financial status, family history, religious upbringing and education levels would have a lot to do with it. I guess what I'm saying is that if your family is comprised of several children with different parents (not a by-product of divorce), your parents may have a much more relaxed attitude toward sex. If your family is trapped in the vicious welfare cycle, you may have been raised with a different attitude towards having children. Your religious upbringing will also play a large role in your views on pre-marital sex. So yes, I would agree that there are many factors when surveying teen's attitudes toward sex.

Which brings me to my next topic: promise rings. Do they really work or are they more for the parent's peace of mind? I know of several teenage girls who have promise rings and while they may still technically be virgins, they are rumoured to participate in other sexual activities. Are parent's fooling themselves into thinking "my child (boy or girl) isn't having sex because they wear a promise ring?" Is the promise ring just a phase popularized by young celebrities like the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks and even Miley Cyrus? Does the "promise" really mean something to these kids or is it just a cool accessory?

This generation scares me...the whole "hooking up" attitude, the "oral sex isn't really sex" stuff bothers me. Shows like Jersey Shore, that stupide Brett Michael's show on VH1, the Bachelor, Real World, etc. don't help. Look, I'm no angel nor am I naive enough to think Daughter #1 is always going to be an innocent a little girl playing with her Polly Pockets (Daughter #2 is still a little too young for this although she does overhear alot my conversations with Daughter #1). Sex is just so casual to this generation. T has a couple friends who had sex as early as 9th grade and totally, totally regret it. This morning we had a conversation about one of the girls at the high school who is pregnant (and from what I hear, there are a couple of girls expecting babies). The pregnant girl's friend is in T's French class and she told T that the pregnant couple are planning to get married and the bride-to-be has asked this girl to be a bridesmaid. She kind of joked around to T and said, "how are we supposed to plan a bachelorette party? we're 17!!!" She also made a comment about this couple is also trying to figure out how they can attend Prom this year. Um, I think you have bigger issues at hand than Prom.