Pool Yet?

So hard to believe May 1 will be upon us. Time for our annual pool membership dues. Last year was the first year our pool opened up to non-residents and it wasn't a big deal. I knew a couple of the mom's and met some new ones. This year sounds like it's going to be a whole different ball game. Last year the YMCA pool had problems w/ it's filter and stuff and a lot of people left and joined other local pools. This year, one of the local pools is having some type of legal issues and now those folks don't have anywhere to go. I think there will be a lot of new faces at the pool this year and hopefully there will be some little girls for KJ to hang out with. There's always tons of little boys at the pool and kids T's age but there's not a whole lot of girls KJ's age. From what I've been hearing, some of the mom's that are planning to join the pool are very nice, some are total drama mamas. Whatever. I usually do my own thing at the pool. Now that KJ is older and doesn't require constant supervision, I usually fall asleep, catch up on my magazines and books and listen to my MP3 player (maybe I'll get an upgrade to an iPod this year for Mother's Day!).

Some, ok, most, of those drama mama's crack me up. They "swear" they hate the drama but man they are right in the thick of it and they talk about it constantly. My friend and I have a theory about it....these women have either missed out on a portion their own teenage / high school years or they are living vicariously thru their kids. And yup, I'll be the first one to admit I got sucked into it last year with some things that happened w/ T but I am so far removed from that now it's not even funny. Yes, I will always worry about my girls and will always have their best interests at heart (and God help anyone who messes with me and my family) but I no longer waste my time on trivial matters. I am a grown woman, not a 16-year old.

crazy lax fans

Today T has a game up in Huntsville so Cosmo & KJ drove up there with the stipulation that I would stay home and catch up on my cleaning and laundry. As of right now, I'm really not too motivated.
The last couple of weeks there has been a lot of craziness going on in our little lax community. Whacko parents yelling at refs, refs yelling at parents and kids, terrible calls, exceptionally rough hits (with injuries), etc. Fortunately it's not any of OUR parents, coaches or players. Hoover always gets a bad rap for one reason or another (most of it's just jealously....great school, great athletic programs, etc.) but there has not been ONE single issue at the JV or Varsity level, boys or girls teams. All of our parents, coaches and players conduct themselves in an appropriate manner on and off the field. There have been a lot of snarky, ignorant jabs at the Hoover program over the years (one weasal in particular decided to hide behind a user name and post comments on a local message board rather than be a man and talk directly to my husband) but we've never had a parent or a coach ejected from the game (I'm not 100% sure but I don't think we've ever had a player ejected from a game either. However, at the rate Tbone is going w/ her yellow cards, there's always a first). As much as my hubster yells on the sidelines, he has NEVER EVER been ejected from a game which is more than I can say for some of the other coaches in the league. He's a yeller for sure (I think it's just that his voice "carries" on the field) but I've also seen him pat a player on the helmet after a great play and I've seen him pull a player aside and put an arm around his shoulder. I've also watched him talk to opposing players after a game and tell them congratulations. It's easy to forget that Cosmo knows almost every single boy in this league thru BamaLax, the store, camps and clinics, etc. It's very hard on me to listen to some of these parents bad-mouth my husband or the program during regular season play as Hoover's beating the snot out of them and then come all-star time they are sucking up just to get their son on the elite team.

People (parents) just get so competitive its crazy. Cosmo is one of the most competitive folks out there but he still makes sure the boys show class before and after a game. Before each game lacrosse players line up and shake hands and after a game they do the same (KJ loves it because her coach makes sure she goes first as the goalie and it makes her feel very special). Recently, we won both of our games against a rival high school and after each game a certain player refused to shake hands with any of our players or coaches. One of our assistant coaches mentioned it to their coach in a casual, totally non-confrontational manner. The other coach, instead of saying something along the lines of "sorry; I'll speak to him about his sportsmanship" and just leave it at that decided to come back with "yeah? well, your parents are rude." This is a 40+ year old man making an ignorant, immature comeback. As a coach, you had better be in control of your players at all times. As a coach, you are not responsible for what goes on in the stands. "Yeah? Well, your parents are rude" Doesn't that sound like playground crap? "Yeah, well your daddy's on welfare" (which was the ULTIMATE playground insult when I was a little kid which is so funny because we didn't even know what welfare was!).

Housewives and Friendships

I've always been a fan of the Real Housewives franchise. I've watched the Real Housewives of the Orange County (RHOC) since the very first show (it was actually a special on their children and grew from there). Anyway, relationships are fascinating, especially female friendships. Female relationships are a very complex thing. Even at a very young age. Little boys duke it out, little girls are more emotional than physical.

So, after meeting Cosmo and the girls for lunch and taking T shopping earlier today, I caught up on my TiVo this afternoon, more specifically, I caught up on Real Housewives New York (aka RHNY). If you don't watch the show, I won't bore you with the details but Jill and Bethany have a rocky friendship and are sort of ending their relationship. So, it got me thinking about some of my relationships over the years.

Relationships change for whatever reason . . . you grow apart, you may move to another state, interests change, you're at different stages of your life, etc. I've got girlfriends who have never been married, never had kids. I have friends who have never lived more than 15-20 minutes from their place of birth, I have friends who have gone thru divorce, dating and second marriages. Basically, the total opposite of me and my life (I've been with the same man since I was 15 and have lived in several different states, different time zones, even!). I have friends who have supported me in everything I've ever done, I have friends who I've encouraged and provided support and helped thru some rough times. Some friendships are 50-50, some are 60-40, sometimes even 70-30.

A couple of friendships have ended naturally but I love Facebook and have reconnected with a lot of friends I've lost track of over the years (hey! when you move around as much as we have, it's hard to keep up!). I've also had to end relationships . . . those toxic friendships that just aren't healthy and totally suck the life out of you. Two relationships come to mind, one of the friends I really, really miss. The other one, not so much. The one friend has really changed a lot since we first met and I really don't care if I ever set eyes on her again. The other friendship makes me very sad. I enjoyed being with this person and looked forward to spending time with her. We had a lot of fun and had very similar interests and backgrounds. Her husband is a great guy and Cosmo really liked him, too.

Celebrity Know-It-Alls

College Candy is one of my favorite websites. I know I'm way past my college years but this chick totally tells it like it is. Obviously, a lot of her posts don't apply to me (topics such as "hooking up," "national Pot day," "dealing w/ roommates," etc.) but sometimes I come across one of her posts that cracks me up. Case in point, this link regarding the Kardashian sisters (and every other celebrity who thinks they are an expert on some topic or another). Kate Gosselin and Brittney Spears' mom giving parenting advice, Kim Catrall giving relationship / sex advice (she co-authored the book w/ her husband, gushed on talk shows about how much they were in love and how great their sex life was and divorced mere months later). Just because I watch you on TV or in a movie, doesn't mean you're in any type of position to give advice. I think the only celebrity book I've EVER purchased is Valerie Bertinelli's book. She's so darn cute, struggled with her weight and has managed to keep it off for quite a while!

http://collegecandy.com/2010/04/19/the-kardashians-want-to-save-your-relationship/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+collegecandy/full+(College+Candy)

Yahoo!

Getting my hair cut & colored Wednesday. Good God I need it! I can't remember the last time it was highlighted....I know I had it done before Britt's wedding in August and I think I had it done again around Christmas. I don't know how some women get their hair done every six weeks faithfully. I don't have the time or the money. The thought of scheduling something 6 weeks in advance makes me nuts. I don't even know what I'm doing this weekend. How can I know where I'll be in 6 weeks from now?

No, this is not me but yes, this is what it looks like and feels like. hahahaha

Another GREAT Weekend!

Starting to feel a bit like Tony the Tiger from a box of Frosted Flakes....they're gggrreeatt! Well, the weather here the last couple of days has been gggrrreeeatt!

Friday night T went out to dinner and a movie w/ her good friend Caroline. They don't get to see each other much so I'm glad they spent some time together. Caroline dropped her off at the studio for the annual sleep-over and then I picked her up after her usual Saturday morning class. We filled up the cooler at Publix w/ lots of gatorades, waters, fresh fruit and fried chicken (yeah, I know. Not the healthiest combination). KJ had the 12 noon game and the 3 PM game. In between games we sat at the picnic pavilion and had our lunch and then walked over to the softball fields to see her friends Megan and Lauren play. Lauren and her mom stopped at the lax fields on their way home to catch a bit of KJ's game. KJ won the first game but lost the second game. She asked for some aspirin during half-time of the second game but continued to play. I guess she was working on a migraine because she barely got her gear off after the game and she threw up on the sidelines. Poor little thing. I took her and my mom home and rushed back for T's 6 PM game. They lost and T got a yellow card. What else is new?

T's friend Devon came to her game and afterwards we went to our local Mexican place. I was in bed by 10 PM and have no idea what time Devon left. I think he went home around 11 or 11:30 PM. He's a good kid. He's actually a year behind T in school but is really only 2 months younger than her. He missed the September cut-off date. Back home in NY, the cut-off date was December 1 so if we lived up North, he and T would really be in the same grade.

I woke up this morning w/ a wicked headache. Not sure if it's hormonal, pollen-related or what but I am not a happy camper. Cosmo bought bagels this morning and I took a nap in T's room for a long time. Her room is awesome! It's like a cave up there. You can't hear the phone ring, the doorbell, the dog....nothing. She has huge ceilings and has an industrial strength ceiling fan. It's like a white noise machine and blocks everything else out.

KJ has a 3 PM game today but I've just taken some more advil and hope to get rid of this headache.

Holy Crow!

I don't think the past couple of weeks could have been any busier. As my dad used to say, "I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger." I never knew what he meant until I got much older.

'Tis the season for lax, lots and lots of lax. KJ and I also got pedicures this week and T started Bucanette practice 2 days/week in addition to her 3 days @ the Studio and her lax commitments. I'm a little worried about her. She had a slight melt-down last night which is totally unlike her. She walked in the door really late from dance, hadn't eaten anything since lunch, had a TON of homework and Cosmo got on her back about something. She just stood in the kitchen and cried. She's the type that does not like sympathy or pity so any offers of help or encouragement are met w/ resistance. I picked her up at the high school this afternoon and took her over to the studio and during the drive I explained to her that she needs to take care of herself. She needs to know when to take a breather and when to walk away from something.

Last night KJ and I ran some errands and stopped in at Justice to get her some new spring/summer clothes. She got a pair of capri's, and I think 6 shorts/shirts outfits. We agreed on almost every purchase. A first!

Speaking of my dad....my parents will be here for the weekend. We are the lay-over on their way home from FL to PA.

Cosmo will actually be in ATL Friday and Saturday participating in the Legacy Cup. http://www.legacylacrossecup.com/ His team was invited to play this year and it's a true honor. Check out the link for the wonderful inspiration behind the Cup.

Haha. Another "speaking of my dad" . . . long story short but today I ran across a man polishing his dress shoes. Shoe polish has such a distinct smell, I immediately thought back to my childhood. I vividly remember my dad polishing his shoes everyday before going to work. That brush has a certain sound, the polish has a certain smell.....just one of things that brings back a wonderful childhood memory.

Spring / Summer Dreams

Last night T made her confirmation at church. It was a very lovely service and the bishop was wonderful with the kids. My friend Margaret was the perfect sponsor for T. She took her role seriously and I think she was pleased to have been asked. Afterward we all went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Iguana Grill (aka Igwana Gwill).

Such an absolutely gorgeous day! Cosmo has been out there doing yard work today while I picked T up from her morning dance class. We had to run over to Homewood to the dance store to pick up some things she needs for recital (black tights, black fishnet tights, black jazz shoes) and then we went to Academy to pick up some stuff she needs for dance camp in June at the U of Alabama (4 pairs of black Soffee shorts, 1 pair of orange Soffee shorts, a couple of black jog bras and a gray jog bra). On our way home we stopped at a little garden shop and bought some red petunias and some white petunias. I'll plant them later today or tomorrow.

So, on this wonderful spring day, I've turned my attention to our outdoor space(s). We need new cushions for our wrought iron dining set and we also need a new umbrella for the table. I had bought one last year but that damn squirrel chewed huge holes in the top of it.

I love to entertain and dine al fresco. I especially love crisp fall nights when we have a fire going in the fire pit and sit outside and watch a football game or have a glass of wine. The other day Cosmo & I were talking about our next move and I told him our next house has to have some type of outdoor space. I don't care if it's a screened-in porch, a nice flagstone patio, a wooden deck. I want a really, really nice outdoor room. I want an extension of the house. We're pretty casual people so it can't be super fussy or anything. I really like rustic design and I also like cottage/shabby chic/flea market style.

I love the lantern in this photo!

Who wouldn't like to have a margarita or a glass of wine out here?

I would have dine al fresco every night if I had a spot like this!

This is one of my favorite photos. I luv the candelabra on the table and the mixture of formality in a casual setting.

While I love the look and theme of this, I don't think I'm funky enough to carry this off!


I think out of all these inspirational photos, this is the one that describes me the best! I luv, luv, luv all the candles and the casual charm!

Weekly Recap

Woke up this morning to a wonderful thunderstorm. I loved it! The rain washed all the horrible pollen away! Last Friday Cosmo & KJ washed my car for me. By Monday afternoon my normally black vehicle was a dull yellow. Blech. I ran thru the car wash Tuesday after T's lax game and today's rain has kept it clean.

T played Mt Brook this week and was an animal on the field. They lost a very respectable 11 to 15. T scored 5 of the 11 goals and had several assists. She was on fire. It was a great game and they totally owned the second half.

Tonight Cosmo's JV played Mt Brook and won by one. I didn't get to the field until 4th quarter but it sounded like it was a good game. Varsity played immediately after but I had to leave by half-time. When I left we were down by two, T texted me from the game and at one point we tied it up and then were winning by one. Mt Brook went ahead with the win. I had a nice time at the game w/ my lax family and enjoyed visiting w/ friends I don't normally get to see. There was a nice crowd at the high school tonight.

So tomorrow night T makes her confirmation at church. Tonight was rehearsal and I got to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. Yes, we were chatting during rehearsal. But we were way in the back and no one could hear us.

Happy Easter!

Such a wonderful, relaxing weekend despite the crappy rain Saturday morning during T's lax game. It poured and poured but she still managed to score a couple. We took 2 cars to the field and T and I ran a bunch of erands after the game. The girls are getting a bit too old for traditional Easter baskets but the Easter bunny still tries to surprise them. T really wanted a pair of Tom's so we buzzed over to Whole Foods and Mountain High Outfitter to find her size and the color she wanted. The Easter bunny brought KJ a new Kavu bag. Her old one is very small and she can't fit her DS and other things in it. We also ran to the mall for a few things and Target. T's friend Kyle met us at Target and the two of them went to Moe's for lunch. She also went to dinner and a movie with a bunch of friends Saturday night. Friday T went out to dinner with a "friend" that we've actually known for years. Funny story...he used to live here and they went to elementary school together. His family moved out of town and now goes to a different high school. They found each other on FB a while back through mutual friends and ran into each other again on Spring Break. He called and asked her to dinner. They had a good time catching up and came back to the house for a little while. Super nice, super out-going, very friendly young man.

Today we had a great family breakfast and for Easter dinner we had spiral ham, mashed potatoes, crescent rolls and T made asparagus for the first time. We've had it several times but have never made it at home. I grew up in a fairly "meat & potatoes" kind of home and Cosmo's introduction to vegetables was even more limited...he ate a lot of pasta.

T & I spent the morning getting her dance lists together. She's got studio photos and recitals coming up in the next couple of weeks and she has a 2-page list of stuff she needs for UDA camp in Tuscaloosa. We ordered some stuff on line and organized her recital costumes (she's in 5 different routines this year). She's also starting to get some of her B'nettes outfits so we organized those as well. I don't know how she keeps it all together.

YOWZA!!!

So, so much going on the last couple of weeks, don't know where to start!

Last week was dance team try-outs at the high school. Talk about nerve racking! The whole house was on edge for a week. T had practice each night at the high school until 6 PM and from there she went to her dance studio for a couple of hours to practice some more. I think one night she walked in the door close to midnight. Happy to report that she made the squad and we are so incredibly proud of her! She worked so hard for it this year and really tried to perfect her technique. We kept telling her this was her year (she's on the every-other-year-plan...she made it in 7th, didn't make it in 8th, made it in 9th, didn't make it in 10th). After auditions the director posts the list of names on the high school website and a group of seniors come to the house and "kidnap" the younger girls. and take them back to the school for a little get-together. This year the list was kind of late to be posted (I think the girls kidnapped T around 9:15 PM and it still wasn't updated). I actually heard the girls honking the horn and blasting the music in our cul-de-sac and yelled to T "the girls are here!" It was so sweet! They really fussed over T and took photos and gave her a princess crown and a cute purple dance t-shirt.

Last weekend was also the big annual Dan Anderson lax tournament. Saturday was absolutely gorgeous, Saturday night T had the 8 PM game and it was a little chilly when the sun went down. Who am I kidding!??!! It was downright cold! Sunday morning it poured and the fields were a mess. We've been going to this tournament for years now and have NEVER had nice weather both days.

Last weekend was also Prom weekend. I luv, luv, luv looking at the kid's pics on FB. I luv seeing the boys cleaned up and looking spiffy and I luv looking at the girl's dresses. Such a special time in their lives. I very distinctly remember shopping for my senior prom dress with my parents. Some girls really know how to work it...they know what color looks good on them and how to dress for their body shape. I was a little disappointed in a few girls this year....their dresses looked like beach sarongs. No beading, no special details. Very boring.

This house is in full-on lax mode....Monday T had practice, Tuesday we had to attend a mandatory dance team meeting while Cosmo & KJ went to his JV and Varsity games vs. Vestavia. Wednesday was a blur and Thursday afternoon T had costume fittings at the high school while KJ had her first game of the season at one field and JV and Varsity played Spain Park at another. KJ played awesome in the goal and her team won 9 to 5. I didn't get to see any of the JV game but they won and I was able to see all of the Varsity game. Hubby has a GREAT group of boys and those kids totally have his back. Not sure of the details but apparently the opposing coach made a snarky comment to Chris pre-game in front of several of the boys. They saw that muscle in Cosmo's eye twitch (never a good sign) and knew he was trying to keep it in check. One of the boys said to Cosmo, "Coach, don't worry about it. We'll handle it on the field." And they did. Think the final score was 14-8.