Commencing

Can't believe I haven't blogged about KJ's graduation!  She had a busy couple of days leading up to the actual ceremony . . . grad parties are a BIG thing here!  Friday night, Saturday and Sunday she went to several different parties with some really cute themes!  Marcus, Flower Mound, Lewisville and Hebron all had their graduations on Sunday and Monday so the kids were running around trying to hit all the parties. 

 

 

Kendall's sweet friend, a foreign exchange student, who leaves the end of June. 

Paige is attending Colorado School of Mines

 

 

 

This is her friend Emily who will be attending Ole Miss in the Fall! 

 

 

Sunday was KJ's grad party and we had such a great time!  She did an open house kind of thing because there were so many parties to go to and we had a steady stream of kids from 2 to 6 PM.  We had Fuzzy's cater everything and it was awesome!  They come in and set it all up . . . easy peasy!  They gave us a ton of food and we had leftovers for two days!  Coach and KJ totally over-ordered but I was happy not to have to cook!! 

 

 

There were 841 kids in her graduating class and that ceremony started promptly at 8 PM.  The speeches were kept very simple -- no political messages -- just nice sentiments about high school, making your mark in the world, get out there and do great things.  I think we were done by 10 PM, out of the parking lot by 10:15 PM.  

 

Recreating this tradition: 

 

Hoover High School; May 2012

Ole Miss; May 2016

 

 

Kendall and her friend Averie (one of the first friends KJ made when we moved to Texas; they were on the high school volleyball team together!)

 

 

And there you have it!  We are now the (extremely!) proud parents of a Marcus High School graduate / incoming Ole Miss Freshman!  #hottytoddy #RebelwithaCos

Are you Ready???

Last week was KJ's Freshman Orientation at Ole Miss.  Even though I've been through this once before with T, it was a great refresher with a lot of new information. 

We got to Oxford Wednesday night, completed early registration, got set up in our dorm rooms and had dinner w/ my wonderful Godson, Z.  He was still on campus for ROTC but drove back to Cincy Friday afternoon.  We had dinner at Old Venice (personal fave!) and I was so tired I went back to the dorm and settled in with my book.  I didn't sleep good that night but Thursday night I was out like a like by 9 PM and slept like a rock star!  KJ's orientation roommate got in late Wednesday night and we all went out for breakfast before Orientation officially kicked-off.  She was from the same small town as T's very own Pony Boy!  What are the chances??

As this was not my first rodeo, I was very prepared for my 2-night stay in the dorm.  I had my fan, my own pillow and blankie, my own towels, my make-up mirror and even a small lamp, plenty of water and snacks.  I felt bad for some of the kids and parents who had to fly in to Memphis, rent a car, etc.  Some of them had never even stepped foot on campus before and you can just see the looks of utter confusion and anxiety on their faces. 

I think I actually learned more at KJ's orientation versus T's.  I was so overwhelmed way back then.  T had graduated from high school on a Thursday (I think) and we were at Orientation two days later.  It was a lot to take in.  I was much more relaxed and confident knowing daughter #2 will be in good hands.  Ole Miss does an OUTSTANDING job of disseminating information and allieviating any fears you (or your child!) may have.  It's truly a family atmosphere and several administrators give out their personal cell phone numbers.  How awesome is that???

Spring into Summer Already???

Busy as a bee the next couple of weeks.  I think we're are booked until July and then August will be taken over with moving KJ to Ole Miss and all the good stuff that comes with that . . . shopping, packing, unpacking, etc. 

Tomorrow is Marcus' prom and I love KJ's dress.  It's very casual, very flowy and has a pretty print.  She is also going to Flo Mo's prom May 5 and I love that dress, too!  It's a V-neck, more streamlined silhouette, with tiers.  She's getting her hair and make-up professionally done again this year for her  prom, not sure what she's doing for Flo Mo's. 

Although she had senior photos done last year a couple of times last year (at the studio the yearbook uses for those dorky cap and gown pics) and with a local studio, we wanted some fun things for her graduation announcements.  Her friend Averie is really into hair and make-up and her sister Madison took the pics earlier this week at TWU and they came out awesome!  I kinda like them more than the expensive fancy professional portraits I paid an arm and a leg for! 

Next Friday she leaves for NYC for a few days and the week after that we're having our girls weekend in Ox with friends.  Coach has some traveling to do this month and next and we also have Freshman Orientation @ Ole Miss in May.  Graduation is mid-June so I've taken some vacation days to be with my family and then the girls leave for Iceland for 10 days.  KJ will be spending some time in B'ham with T again this summer.  Coach has already bought their Slossfest tixs.  She luvs, luvs, luvs having an older sister with her own apartment. 

T has been keeping busy this spring, too.  They've gone camping a few times, she had a bachlerette party in Nashville, she's getting ready to move into a house, etc. 

Thankful Season

No surprise that Thanksgiving is my fav, fav, fav holiday but man!  It goes by so fast!  T arrived very late Tuesday night as she drove from a meeting in Muscle Shoals.  I went into the office for a little bit Wednesday and am so glad my girls are old enough to want to take over the cooking responsibilities!  I received a huge bird from my hotel and our sweet realtor gave us an apple pie that was as big as a hubcap.  My friend LCM recently introduced T to splotchcocking and it cut cooking time in half.  T had also cooked a turkey using this method on Sunday for her B'ham Friendsgiving.  It's not a pretty presentation but it's delicious!

The girls did a fabulous job with their menu -- we had two different appetizers:  a prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and a baked brie with blackberry jam.  Besides the turkey and apple pie, they made green beans, stuffing from scratch, crock pot mashed potatoes, a mixed greens salad with feta, walnuts, cranberries and an apple cider vinegrette.  I really don't mind doing all the dishes if someone else cooks!

The previous weekend was spent w/ the Martins in Oxford.  As always, a super great time!  LCM hooked us up with the most perfect hotel rooms, Z, AG & KJ took care of the tent Friday night and now that KJ and Z are both 18, T and Pony Boy let them tag-along in Oxford.  Coach and Dean-o tormented our server at Old Venice and we did a little bar-hopping and ended up at the Round Table and spent some time at the fire pit at the hotel.  LCM is very creative and made an awesome banner for the tent and her table décor was perfect!  Of course we love walking around the Grove to sneak a peek at what everyone else is doing, too.  Game day started of kind of iffy weather-wise.  The rain didn't hit until 2 or 3 hours before kick-off and we hunkered down in the Grove.  And the rain brought much, much cooler temps and we were all kind of wet and cold and miserable because of the score.  LCM and the girls and I headed back to the hotel while the guys stuck it out at the game.  We had so much fun sitting in the hotel late night, BS-ing, laughing and finishing off our adult beverages and snacks. 

I've only gone Black Friday shopping once and I swore I'd never do it again.  I have been doing a lot of my Christmas shopping on-line and now those Amazon packages are piling up on the front porch.  KJ is at a weird place this year -- she had a bunch of dorm things on her Christmas list.  T and Pony Boy are going to Dublin for New Year's (yes, she has ants in her pants and gypsy in her blood) so her list consists of travel items and clothes.  And Coach continues to be an enigma.  He is the hardest person to buy for.  I mean, seriously.  What do you buy the man who has everything???? 

Lax Season is Upon Us !!!

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

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

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

Gearing Up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get 'Er Done

I fell off the blogging wagon for a few days but now am back.  It's been a busy week in our house!  Cosmo has been travelling a bit this week and is all over the place.  I had a haircut this week and had to exchange a pair of sexy shoes I bought for Cabo, KJ had two volleyball games this week -- one on Monday and one yesterday.  Monday's game was an absolute blowout -- they only had to play two games.  KJ is the starting setter but honestly, she barely touched the ball Monday afternoon.  I don't think she even got to serve in either of Monday's matches.  The other team was so bad, they couldn't return a serve so the two games went pretty fast.  We didn't even have to play defense and Sarah-Sparkley Headband just ran the board.  Yesterday's games were a little different and we only won one of the three matches.  We should have beat them in two but let's just say there were a lot of missed opportunities.  In the first match KJ had an incredible run and put up 11 or 12 points.  I lost track.  One thing is for sure though, KJ is her father's daughter through and through.  She's very, very competitive and very hard on herself.  And has high expectations of her teammates as well.  She has a couple girls on her team who just phone it in and it pisses her off to no end.

When volleyball is over, KJ will be faced with the decision to play travel volleyball again this Spring or to maybe play lacrosse.  She's torn -- she's a little worried that she may be "behind" the Maryland girls since she hasn't played lax in a couple of years (and also because she played in Alabama -- not exactly a traditional hotbed of lacrosse).  To which I said, Pish Posh.  She's very athletic and I think she'll pick it up again very easily.  Plus, The Legend can help her with her stick skills.

T is having an awesome Junior year so far and we're only a couple of weeks into the semester.  She will be a DJ again on Rebel Radio, she has an internship with the Lyric http://www.thelyricoxford.com/ a live music venue on the Square in Oxford) she's writing a few pieces for a Greek-life magazine and she found out she will be the Thursday night anchor for NewsWatch!  We are so incredibly proud of her!

This weekend I'll be in PA for my cousin's wedding, Friday KJ is going to the football game w/ friends, Saturday she has a b-day party and Sunday we have Redskins tickets.  I doubt I will be home in time for the game so it will probably just be Cosmo and KJ at the game (which makes me SO mad!!!  I'm the Skins fan in this house -- those two are Ravens fans!).

So, on to the next batch of Miss America photos!!!

Summer loving

You know things are serious when your daughter e-mails you requesting a family conference call for later in the day!

T called last night to discuss her summer plans.  I've kind of always known in the back of my mind that she probably wouldn't be coming "home" (wherever that is!) for the summer but last night confirmed it.  She's got to stay in Mississippi for her Miss Jackson/ Miss Miss commitments so she might as well take some classes, too!   But even before Miss Miss, I didn't think she'd come home; I knew she'd want to stay in Oxford for the summer.  And I was fine with it.  I really am (the only thing I'm really having a hard time with is the fact that sophomore year is almost over and she'll be a JUNIOR in the fall!!  When did THAT happen???  And, on top of it, KJ will be a high school FRESHMAN!!!  Impossible!).

I'm glad T's flying in for Easter, though!  Cosmo and KJ haven't seen her since Christmas; I at least got to see her end of February/beginning of March when I flew in for orientation.  My parents will be here for Easter and I think Cosmo's niece and husband will be joining us too!

She has to stay to make sure all her residents are out of the dorms after this semester ends and then that Monday she'll start classes.  I think the May session is kind of quick, only two weeks or so and then she might be able to come home for Memorial Day and go right into summer session which will end up around her birthday.  From there she'll be in Vicksburg for the pageant and after that will, hopefully, be able to relax by the pool for a couple of weeks until she has to be back in Oxford for Rush workshop and CA training.  Busy, busy girl and she wouldn't have it any other way!

Weekly Recap

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

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

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

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

Miss Miss

Still recovering from my trip to Mississippi.  I flew out a week ago and landed in Memphis with no problems.  T picked me up right on time and we went and had spray tans.  I was a spray tan virgin and only agreed to it because I needed to wear dresses over the weekend and my legs were Casper-the-Friendly-Ghost white.  Like, glow in the dark white.  It was interesting to say the least.





After our spray tans we went out to dinner at our favorite restaurant in the Square, Boure`.  http://citygroceryonline.com/restaurant.php?boure  T's friend Tana joined us as well as T's new friend, J.  After dinner J's friends were playing at the local dive bar, Frank & Marlees http://www.frankandmarlees.com/.  The band was really, really good and we had a fun time.  Tana picked me up on her way home from the library and I spent the night on her futon.  And I am way too old to be sleeping on a futon.  T picked me up in the morning and we had breakfast at our favorite breakfast spot, http://citygroceryonline.com/restaurant.php?bbb  After breakfast we had to pick up a few items on the square and then we headed to Vicksburg for Miss Mississippi orientation.






Friday night was a meet & greet and all of the local contestants had photos taken (they also took photos by college -- there were a TON of Mississippi State girls and 9 or 10 Ole Miss girls), were interviewed by the local radio station and received all of their costumes for the July event.  I also got to meet T's  directors and several of the other girls and their mom's.  Afterward we all went out for dinner at a Mexican place and had a lot of fun. 








Saturday morning the girls had to be at the local YMCA for rehearsals.  I went back to the hotel for a little nap and then had an amazing massage and pedicure at a cute little salon in Vicksburg.  The tech who did my pedicure also does the hair for the pageant MC's and had some funny stories to tell!


After my spa day I had to stop at the local mall and buy a short sleeve shirt.  It was almost 80 degrees in Vicksburg and although I had packed capri pants and my cute new sandals, I didn't have the right shirt to wear.  T had to be back at the mall that evening for the little princess crowning.  It was very cute and I got to meet T's "teen" (she's Miss Metro Jackson Teen and works with T's director as well).  It was also the first time I got to see T in her crown and sash. 






Sunday morning we had to be back in the auditorium for a long, long day of meetings and information.  I also like to refer to Sunday as "Miss Miss Boot Camp."  Holy cow.  There was a lot of information.  It's all good though.  They talked to the contestants and parents about expectations, social media, judging, etc.  There was a lot of great information but I think it was a wake-up call for some of these girls. 






That night we drove back to Oxford and had dinner at http://www.oldvenice.com/.  I had never been there but T loves the artichoke dip and the lobster ravioli.  It was delicious.  I spent the night in T's dorm on a futon cushion from one of the girls down the hall.  T has her own room and a loveseat that would have been horribly uncomfortable for even someone only 5 ft. tall.  When we woke up to go to the radio station for T's show, it was snowing like crazy!  And it snowed all day.  I walked across campus to get T's car in front of her dorm while she went to class and had to stop at the campus bookstore to buy some gloves.  It was 18 degrees in Oxford.  It was 21 in DC.  It was actually warmer in MD than in MS.  We had lunch at the AOPi house and I finally got to meet T's big, Anna.  When I was in Oxford in November, Anna was terribly sick with the flu.  I also met a couple of the girls T is going on Spring Break with.  Very nice group of girls. 






T's friend drove up to Memphis with us so T wouldn't have to drive home from the airport alone.  I sat on the runway for a along time for de-icing and barely made my connection in Cincinnati.  And by barely I mean they were paging my name for final boarding.  My flight from Memphis arrived at Gate 3.  My connection was at Gate 32.  I was walking briskly and when they paged me, I started to run.  In heels.  A sweet little old man driving a golf cart saw me hustling and told me to hop on!  If it wasn't for him, I probably would have had to spend the night in Cincy.






It had snowed here all day Monday so rather than drive all the way home from the airport, I just spent the night at my hotel.  I had a hard time falling asleep but when I did, I slept great!  It was weird getting ready in the morning and just walking downstairs to my office! 

Chicks !!!

Fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

(John Mayer)

So happy to have "all my chicks in the nest!"  (So dorky but that's one of my favorite sayings!). 

I drove out to Oxford Friday morning and pulled up in front of T's dorm around 12 noon.  Her car was already packed and ready to go so we took my car and had a nice leisurely lunch on the Square, did some shopping, she returned a couple of textbooks, re-newed her mail box, etc.  We had my nephew's Flat Stanley with us and took some photos of Flat Stanley at the Grove, the Walk of Champions, in front of T's sorority house, on the field at the Vaught, etc. 

T was so organized for move-out it was crazy scary.  She is one of the most organized people I have ever met in my life.  I don't know where she gets it from.  I'm organized but she takes it to a whole different level.  The only thing left in her room were her mini-fridge and a garment bag w/ cocktail dresses.  Other than those two items, she had her car totally and completely packed.  She swept out her room, called her RA check her out, we slid the mini-fridge in my backseat and off we went.  Basically, I drove out to Oxford to pick up a fridge.

Love having T-bone home; she's such a big help to me!  This morning KJ had to be at school early so T drove her (I heard some type of yelling in the garage before they left --KJ was wearing a pair of T's shoes w/out asking), the girls have menu planed, grocery shopped and plan to cook every night this week and they've even played tennis a couple of times.  T starts her internship tomorrow morning and has to be at the studio at Zero Dark Thirty.

Egg Bowl

As long as we've lived here I've always wanted to go to the Iron Bowl.  The year we have Egg Bowl plans, a friend calls and offers us two tickets to the Iron Bowl!  We thought about it hard for about 5 minutes and decided the Iron Bowl was going to be a blow-out and we should head out to Oxford as planned.  Glad we did!  Heard the traffic on 459 was awful and our suspicions were correct:  Alabama spanked Auburn and Chizik got fired (please refer to my September 2012 post for my prediction regarding Chizik's dismissal:  http://cos4.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-little-foosball.html). 

As a "Yankee" born and bred, nothing and I mean NOTHING prepares you for Saturday in the South.   I've been to countless Jets games, Giants games, Bengals games, Falcons games, Saints games, you name it.  NOTHING compares to a Saturday night game in the South.  It doesn't matter if it's the grand-daddy of all SEC football -- Alabama -- or if it's UAB, Troy University, Samford, UNA, whatever.  Saturday in the South IS football.  I kid you not, I get chills up and down my arms when the band comes out.  And when the national anthem plays in the stadium, the little hairs on my neck prickle.  Being in the stadium on Saturday is truly electryfing. 

This was our family's first official Egg Bowl's experience -- we had a lovely drive to Oxford on Saturday morning, visited with T a little, pre-gamed a little bit, busted out the corn-hole game and made a round of the Grove.  Cosmo made his famous raspberry Corona-ritas (a recipe I found on Pinterest and he now loves to make for the games). 

The weather was absolutely GORGEOUS and once the sun went down, we were all snuggly in our Ole Miss sweatshirts and hats.  KJ really gets into the games and looked super cute in her Ole Miss jersey.  She loves to do the "Are You Ready" (provided by James Franco this week!) and she also made Cosmo and I "lock the Vaught" with her.  http://vimeo.com/53180740 She also likes to do the "Landshark" hand motion.  A bunch of students made a video/rap called "Feed Moncrief" and they played it several times during the games.  Somehow KJ already knew all the words.  She said it had been going around You-Tube.  http://hottytoddy.com/feed-moncrief/

The game was very exciting and I'm glad Bo finally cut his hair.  Right out of the gate, less than 2 minutes into the game, his first long pass was a beautiful 42-yard missile to Moncrief.  They stuck with what works and used the play over and over and over.  Bo threw for 294 yards and five touchdowns -- including three to Moncrief.  After going into the tunnel tied up at the half, the Rebels had a huge second half to beat Mississippi State 41-24 for the first Egg Bowl win under Coach Hugh Freeze, the first Egg Bowl win since 2008 and became bowl eligibile for the first time since 2009. The energy on campus is so exciting this year.  The kids LOVE Coach Freeze and have whole-heartedly supported the team from the very first game.  The student section totally ROCKS each and every game. 

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen's personality has added some spice to the Egg Bowl in recent years with the Bulldogs dominating the series and not being afraid to gloat about it (one of the highlights of the game was a short video clip shown during the final minutes of the game -- Coach Mullen's locker room speech where he promises "we will NEVER lose to this team" while holding the coveted Egg Bowl Trophy).  The heightened emotions on Saturday were evident even at the coin toss, when the captains from both teams had to be separated by officials. And the action started early with Ole Miss needing less than two minutes to score a touchdown.  The Rebels scored two plays later on a 25-yard pass to Mosley. A packed Vaught-Hemingway Stadium went wild, but the celebration was short lived. Mississippi State returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to tie the game at 7-7. It was the first of many early mistakes for the Rebels. Bo was Bo and had flashes of brillance combined with catastrophic plays.  Although he threw two touchdowns in the first half, he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Mississippi State pushed ahead 14-7 late in the first quarter on a 42-yard touchdown pass.  Ole Miss responded with a 43-yard field goal by Bryson Rose and then pushed ahead 17-14 when Wallace found Moncrief on a 77-yard touchdown pass. But the Rebels exploded in the second half for 24 straight points while Mississippi State's offense managed just 115 yards after halftime. Wallace had no turnovers in the second half. 

After the game all the Rebel fans rushed onto the field (jumping over the wall is more like it).  Security finally wised up and just opened up the gates for everyone to calmly walk on.  So of course KJ had to lay down on the 50 yard line. 

Shop Small Saturday

No Black Friday shopping for this kiddo.  I went once, when KJ was only 6 weeks old, with my SIL and that was the one and only time. 

The FL fam was visiting us for our first Thanksgiving in Alabama.  My birthday was in September and KJ was born a few days later in mid-October.  I asked Cosmo not to buy me any b-day presents so that I could go shopping for some new clothes after the baby was born.  We didn't head out super early or at midnight; I think we left the house around 8 AM and had no problem finding a parking spot.  I honestly don't think SIL actually bought anything and I only went into clothing stores trying to find clothes to fit my 6-week post partum body.  We weren't out at Best Buy or Walmart or anything like that.  We had lunch at the mall and the guys took the kids to the McWane Center for the day.

Of course I shop at big mass-merchandisers out of necessity like everyone else, but I would much rather shop small if I could.  I love when Ross Bridge has it's Farmer's Market, I love shopping at the Wrapsody's in Patton Creek, I like to buy unique one of a kind items on Etsy and I would much rather meander here than anywhere else: 



http://www.anncaudle.blogspot.com/

 

 

Well, except maybe here: 

 

 



Orient Me Please

Had such a wonderful, informative Orientation session @ Ole Miss yesterday and today!  Very, very organized and my head is overloaded with meal plans, text books, dorms, alcohol awareness, etc.  We got on campus Tuesday night and had incredible filet's and smashed potatoes at our favorite place on the square.  I had a dorm room to myself while T shared a room with a girl from St. Louis.  Only 1 girl showed up in the room next door so T and her roomie dragged the other girls mattress in their room so she didn't have to be alone. 

I have always felt pretty good about T's decision to go to Ole Miss and Orientation just confirmed she made the right choice.  It truly felt like one big family from the minute we got our dorm keys.  They had greeters out front of the Residential Dorms, music blaring, tote bags for the parents, backpacks for the students filled with a campus calendar, maps, pens, a coffee mug, a travel mug, orientation schedule, etc.  The Orientation leaders were extremely honest, upbeat and very helpful and had lots of advice for the incoming freshman from managing your money, to calling your parents regularly, to volunteering and being open minded. 

The students broke off into small groups while the parents attended information sessions.  We had a meet and greet w/ the dean of Journalism and had a great lunch in Johnson Commons.  T and I had about an hour to spare before our next session so we walked over to Bishop and she introduced herself to the newspaper's editor in chief and the TV Station manangeer.  They gave her a tour of the facilities and took her name and # so she can start broadcasting right away.  One of them even left her a message saying it was nice to meet her and please call if she had any questions.  One of the things that amazed me the most about Orientation was everyone we spoke with, whether it was the Dean of Students, the Dean of the Journalim school, everyone gave us either their home # or their cell phone #.  They truly care about each student and are really there to help not only with the transition from high school to collge, but throughout their time @ Ole Miss. 

The parents ended the day with a double-decker bus ride around campus and an ice cream social.  There were a lot of parents (and students) who had never been on campus (one girl was from Manhattan Beach, California; another girl was from Seattle, Washington; and a boy was from Connecticut.  Obviously, lots of kids from MS, a bunch from Memphis, a lot from St. Louis, a girl from Arizona and a couple from the Chicago area, but T and I were the only ones from AL.  The kids ended their night with a comedy troupe and a dance party at the Student Union. 

Today's sessions were a little more serious and touched on disciplinary actions, alchohol awareness, finances, etc.   Again, I feel very, very prepared and very confident about sending my child off to college in the Fall (well, move-in day is mid-August). 

After Send-Off we stayed for a short sorority meeting and T and I walked over to her dorm to check out her room.  Although she couldn't get into her exact room, they did have several rooms open and decorated for us to look at.  She's in a traditional dorm, it's a little older and a little smaller than some of the other newer dorms but she's still incredibly excited and she really lucked out.  Her dorm is very convenient to the Student Union, the Grove and her Journalism building.  Before we headed home we stopped in to visit the lax coach and then walked from the Athletic Office to the football stadium.  Can't wait for that first game! 

T had an absolute blast during Orientation.  In fact, she had so much fun she was named MVP at today's send-off!  That  kid makes the best of every situation and participated in everything, asked questions and was enthusiastic.  We always joke around that she could have fun at a funeral.