Out Like a Lion

“In like a lion, out like a lamb” has always seemed a straightforward enough proverb: when March starts, it's still winter, and by the end of the month spring has begun. 

March is behind us and honestly, I couldn't be happier.  Holy cow what a rough month!  We started off the month removing the bathroom carpet and having tile and hardwoods installed.  Yes, you read that correctly.  We had carpet in our bathrooms.  All three of them.  Obviously, we hated it when we bought the house but we put off removing it until the last chick flew the coop.  It looks amazing!  We did tile in the two full baths and extended the hardwood into the half bath. 

And then we spent Spring Break in Colorado.  Our trip was filled with mountains, wildlife, vandalized Cadillacs, Cadets, snow, board games and some (alleged) ghosts. 

After Spring Break we had to cut down the big beautiful tree in our backyard which was so upsetting.  I loved that tree and it was one of the reasons why I fell in love with the house but the roots were starting to mess with the coping around the pool and the patio so something had to give.  It was either cut down the tree or re-do the pool and patio area.  The tree shaded our backyard from the relentless Texas sun and I will miss it terribly.  But, on the flip side, we won't need to heat the pool! 

And then I had a car accident and totaled my little Benz.  And yes, I loved that car.  And of course all of this fun stuff happens while Coach is out of town.  And then I found a big fat ferocious frog in the pool filter.  The thing was HUGE and I was so over it all -- the tree, my car, work, the freaking frog -- I said "F all of this" and shut the cover to the filter and walked away. 

Spring Break 2017

Had a really nice couple of weekends in the Casa de Cos.  This past weekend was the first weekend in a couple that Coach was home.  His last couple of weekends had been with lax trips and one of the weekends KJ accompanied him to Arkansas (each time she visits she loves it more and more but on the drive home she told Coach, "you know I'm going to go to Ole Miss, don't you dad???). 

The weekend they were both gone was rainy and dreary but I had scheduled a facial and a massage on Sunday so I was pretty content.  I had my books and my comfy blanket all weekend and when I came home from the spa treatments I was a very relaxed puddle.  Although I take incredible care of my skin, I hadn't had a facial since I worked at Ross Bridge!  This weekend is a mani and pedi.  I've been doing just a regular pedi but KJ got me hooked on those gel mani's.  They last SOOO long! 

This most recent weekend was great, too!  Cosmo had been in meetings all week in Dallas and one of his vendor's paid for the hotel through the weekend so I met him at the Anatole Friday night
http://www.hiltonanatolehotel.com/ and we had one of the most incredible dining experiences I've ever had at Nick and Sam's http://www.nick-sams.com/  Apparently it is THE place to be seen and it did not disappoint.  Cosmo swears Donald Trump Jr. was there.  I personally did not see him but there were some type of bodyguards / Secret Service wandering around the whole night (earpieces and everything).  I found out yesterday morning that Junior was indeed in Dallas over the weekend so Cosmo may have been right.  The caviar was incredible, my filet was perfection, service was outstanding and the drinks were flowing.  It was a super fun night!

Saturday we got planted some flowers and did some yard work.  Before Christmas we had our railroad tie retaining wall removed and the 6ft fence taken down.  We had a new brick wall put up and an 8ft. fence installed.  The landscapers also laid sod around the pool and planted some trees and flowers in the new retaining wall area and put down mulch.  We just added some more flowers and puttered around the yard.  My roses are already blooming nicely and several plants from last year are starting to come in so everything will look great in a week or two.  I can't wait to put out my patio cushions and relax outside with a Moscow Mule in hand! 

Sunday we had a new cleaning lady come out and deep clean from top to bottom.  She was GREAT and we will definitely be getting on her regular schedule.  I actually enjoying doing laundry and having fresh linens on the bed so I never expect a cleaning lady to do that.  That just seems so personal.  She kept saying, "I shouldn't be saying this but your house is so clean and organized!  Why am I here???" 

Haven't seen daughter #1 since Christmas and I'm not sure exactly when we'll see her again.  She and Johnny Frat Boy are going to Chicago this weekend to spend St. Patrick's Day with friends and her sorority little doesn't go home to VA for Easter so they are having a girls weekend in Savannah.  I don't think we'll have any special plans as it's just the 3 of us for Easter.  The past two years we've done the Easter Brunch at the Westin http://www.thewestingalleriadallas.com/north-dallas-restaurants and I'd be happy if that became our "go-to" Easter tradition!

Tomorrow we'll have some celebrities in the house and when they make it really big, we can say "The Burning Peppermints slept here!" kind of like George Washington!  The band is on their way to South by Southwest in Austin and crashing on our couch on there way to/from Birmingham. 
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2017/events/MS40087  South by Southwest is a HUGE deal and the guys are going to do incredible!  So proud of Jake!  He is INCREDIBLY talented and I expect nothing but greatness! 

Some Blog Lovin'

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

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

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

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

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

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

dagnabit!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Yes, But I'll Have Nice Teeth

Flashback to Spring  Break 2008.  We're all on the beach in Fort Meyers, FL enjoying the sunshine and the kids are frolicking in the waves.  KJ comes rushing out of the water holding her mouth.  She somehow got hit in the head by a wave and broke her front tooth.  That June she got a veneer.  Over the years her mouth has changed and her teeth have shifted and the veneer has popped off a couple of times.  Easy fix though, the dentist just pops it back on. 

 

Well, the night before Champ & KJ headed out to Baltimore, the veneer popped off and we had to make an emergency visit to the dentist.  This past weekend she bit into a sandwich, the veneer popped off and she almost swallowed it.  Another quick trip to the dentist today.  Except this time we decided it's time for a brand new veneer.  $900.  Cash.  Insurance doesn't cover it because it's considered "cosmetic,"  Other than my engagement and wedding rings, I told KJ I don't own anything that costs $900.  I have some great designer handbags, some good jewelry, some expensive shoes but not one single item that comes close to costing $900.  My wedding gown wasn't even $900 way back in 1982.  And now my child has a tooth that cost $900.  I told her she's got to take care of the temporary veneer until the new one comes in because I can't keep taking off from work to get her to the dentist.  I teasingly told her I'm probably going to get fired.  She said, "Yeah but I'll have really nice teeth."  Smart Ass.  

All the Chicks

Had all the chicks in the nest for a very brief moment on Easter Sunday!  Which was great because neither one of them were supposed to be home.  T texted us Friday night that she was planning to come home Saturday afternoon and KJ got home from the beach a little ahead of schedule so they were able to see each other before T drove back to Oxford. 

KJ had a GREAT time at the beach!  She came home with a little bit of a cold and a lot of laundry.  I wouldn't say she's tan by any means but she does have a nice little glow.  It was a low key, laid back trip but she had fun at the Track in Destin and enjoyed kayaking. 

T got home Saturday around 2 PM and we had to hit the mall.  She was invited to a fraternity formal at the end of April and needed to find a dress.  The mall was positively insane but thankfully daughter #1 is a "one and done" kind of girl.  I had been at the mall earlier in the week and saw some cute dresses at Cache.  We walked in, she took several things into the dressing room, tried one dress on, loved it and walked out with it.  Absolutely gorgeous silver sequin cocktail dress with an open back -- makes her legs look a mile long!  Went to Belk for shoes, tried on one pair, walked out with them.  One and done baby.  That's how we roll.

We had Easter dinner with friends and had such a good time!  They have two boys who play lacrosse for Coach and had just gotten home from SB'13 the day before.  She was in no mood to cook and since we originally thought it was just going to be me and Coach, I wasn't planning on cooking either.  We decided to have dinner at the hotel instead.  How awesome is that -- no cooking, no cleaning the house before, no clean-up after and someone else did the dishes.  My kind of holiday!

So it's the beginning of April and as far as I'm concerned, it's over with already.  This time of year gets so hectic.  We have plans for every weekend in April and it's going to be insane.  Lacrosse, volleyball, Double-decker festival/sorority parents weekend and my parents are coming for the weekend on their way from FL back to PA for the summer.  I will be living out of a suitcase for most of April. 

It's OK Thursday !!!

...to be footloose and fancy free this week!  KJ is at the beach w/ friends for Spring Break so Coach and I have been enjoying date week!

...to have my 13-year old tell me that driving in the car with me is like being in a music video -- sunroof open, music blaring, cruising down the highway. 

...that I will not be cooking for Easter!  Whoop!  Whoop!  Having brunch with friends! 

...that I work with a total and complete Debbie Downer.  Her problem.  Not mine.  I refuse to allow her negativity to bring me down and have started to avoid her at all costs. 

..that Coach and I watched Rock of Ages the other night and I knew the words to every song. 

SB'13

So now it's KJ's turn to celebrate Spring Break at the beach!  I hope she has decent weather.  It doesn't really matter how cold the water is, she'll go in no matter what.  That kid is a mermaid for sure and if there's a body of water, no matter how small -- a bucket, a baby pool, a bathtub -- she's in it! 

I think she's all set -- yesterday she got her eyebrows waxed and we picked up some last minute items.  I made beach bags / gift bags for KJ and her little buddy with custom monogrammed beach towels, sunglasses, Frisbees and a bunch of other girly fun things for the beach.  She's packed and ready to go!



#SB13#

Getting ready for back to back Spring Breaks for the girls.  T is driving in Friday night to pick up her friend from Auburn and then on Saturday everyone is driving to FL.  As of right now, there will be 14 girls at the house this weekend.  We've basically turned into a bed and breakfast.  Seriously.  They'll go out for dinner Friday night, I'll find them breakfast Saturday morning and send them on their merry way.  And then they'll stop back here on their way home from Spring Break.  Again . . .  bed and breakfast.

Tonight KJ and I did some major shopping for her Spring Break trip.  She got 5 pairs of shorts, 2 bathing suits, 7 tops, 2 belts, a pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers.  And a bunch of make-up.  The poor thing didn't go to school today and Poppa Bear took her to the doctor.  She has an ear infection and a sinus infection.  But shopping cures everything. 

Busier than a . . .

take your pick:

1.a one-armed paperhanger with a case of the hives.
2.a one-eyed cat watching nine rat holes.
3.a one-legged man in a butt kickin’ contest.
4.a one-toothed man in a corn-on-the-cob eating contest.
5.a mosquito at a nudist colony.
6.a one-armed paper hanger.
7.a cross-eyed air traffic controller.
8.a set of jumper cables at a country funeral.
9.a cat with puppies.
10.a weatherman in a tornado (made me think of James Spann!!)
11.a desert cobra at a mongoose convention.
12.a termite in a saw mill.
13.a dog scratching fleas.
14.a one-armed-pimp in a bitch-slapping contest
15.a one-armed trombone player.
16.a rooster in a henhouse.

Some of these are pretty funny.  My dad always said he was "busier than a one-armed paperhanger."  I've never heard the "with a case of hives" part before. 

Got a lot going on . . .
-- really like my new job so far.  It's keeping me busy. 
-- trying to get KJ packed and ready for DC. 
-- she's had a lot of vball; weekly practices / weekend tournaments.  I feel like all I do is wash uniforms and vball socks. 
-- we've had a lot of lax (Ole Miss and Hoover) and the Hoover season doesn't officially start until Saturday; got our annual auction this weekend which is always fun!  Made up a tailgate basket (it's actually a cooler, not a basket but I guess it could also be used for a picnic) to auction off (a variety of gourmet beers, fun bottle-opener, blue corn chips, mango salsa, some kind of beer potato chips, crackers, sausage, cheeses, etc.).
-- getting ready for the Ole Miss to stay with us when they play Bama.  Not sure yet if the ENTIRE team (approx. 30 girls) or HALF the team (approx. 15 girls) are staying with us but that weekend couldn't be any crazier . . . they'll play 2 games on Saturday and 1 on Sunday so that means they'll be with us 2 nights (which means the woman who HATES to cook will be cooking for a small army).  Cosmo has Hoover lax games that weekend and KJ is supposed to be in Nashville for a vball tournament.
-- then we head into Spring Break.  T and the girls will be stopping here on their way to SB'13 to pick-up a friend from Auburn who will be joining them.  Not sure of the number but it could be anywhere from 5 to 10 girls.  I volunteered to make a lasagna and salad for them for that first night in the condo so they don't have to cook.  Who am I kidding?  I'll get Cosmo to make the lasagna.  KJ has SB'13 the week after T and was invited to the beach with friends.  I will probably end up cancelling the condo I had for the week and Cosmo and I are thinking of taking a quick, romantic, child-less trip for a couple of days.  I don't care where we go.  I just want to sit at a pool and/or get lots of spa treatments. 

Popcorn Day

Alabama weather is positively crazy.  Thursday we had snow, early dismissals, cancellations and a 2-hour school delay on Friday.  Today, my neighbor's kids are running around in shorts and I've got windows open.  It is the end of January already and Spring does come early to Bham.  T's got her SB '13 plans in place and I booked the condo for the rest of us.  But may end up cancelling it -- my mom and dad want KJ to fly to them for the week.  And, of course, she's all for it.  She thinks she's so cool getting to fly around the country all by herself! 

 

Today is National Popcorn Day.  Which is pretty much every day in my house.  I love, love, love my air-popcorn machine and haven't bought microwave popcorn in forever.  I think we've had this air-pop maker almost 15 years now and counting.  When this baby goes, I don't know what I'll do.  I don't even know if they make them any more.  Cosmo and the girls make fun of me but it really is my favorite snack.  I very rarely eat chips (except when at a Mexican place), I don't do cake or cookies.  Very rarely do I keep ice cream in the house (except for the holidays -- have to have my Mayfield's Peppermint Stick!).  I probably should go buy a spare pop corn machine.  Just in case.  

BCS

Just a quick shout-out to my good natured friend Dean Martin.  He's one of the biggest Notre Dame fans out there and he put up with a lot of trash talk from me the last couple of weeks.  We had a friendly rivalry going back and forth but in the spirit of friendship, it never got ugly.  And I will behave and won't rub last night's win in, either. 

Cosmo was in Nashville last night and T went to TTown w/ friends to watch the game so it was just me and KJ.  She's fun to watch games with.  Thankfully both of my girls know their football better than most men and make intelligent observations throughout the game.  I hate when girls/women just repeat/FB/re-tweet whatever the announcer or their husband just said.

Still feeling really, really cruddy.  Just can't seem to shake this annoying cough.  And I'm really tired all the time.  God, I hope I don't have mono.  Never had it before, don't really need it at 45 years old.  Ain't no body got time for that.  I've never had strep before and neither have the girls. 

KJ's volleyball is in full swing.  Practices have started and we have a tournament at the end of the month.  T has an incredibly long break and doesn't have to be back in Oxford until the end of January.  She went to Tuscaloosa last night to watch the big game with friends and  I think she has plans to visit friends in Auburn next weekend and then stop in Starkville on her way back to Ole Miss. She has been asked to represent her sorority in the Ole Miss version of the Beauty Walk (I think it's called Walk of Beauties??) and then she goes right into lax season.  She's got Spring Break plans already, too.  Not sure what KJ and I are going to do this year.  She's going on the Washington DC trip with school, I may just hit the beach by myself for a few days.  Aaaaahhh, that would be heavenly!!!  Me, my nook and a margarita or two. 

Phantom Photographer

I was all set to blog about Spring Break and upload some photos from the beach but found these on my camera instead. I've got quite the aspiring photographer on my hands.

Spring has Sprung !!!

Spring is definately upon us! Cosmo & I switched cars this week and when I got out to the parking lot after work, his car was positively covered in that sticky, icky yellow pollen! I'll be a good wife and run it through the car wash after work today. I luv, luv, luv his new car and I'm not sure if he'll get it back any time soon!

We have the most beautiful Dogwood tree in our side yard and each morning while I'm getting ready I can see it through my bathroom window (at least I think it's a Dogwood tree. Let's face it . . . Flora and Fauna are not my forte.). It makes me very happy to see everything in bloom! Our gardenia (bush? plant? tree??) looks good as well as the big azaelea bushes. We also had a lot of yardwork done last week -- a couple of trees cut down, the flower beds were weeded and mulched. Looks good!

Still No Balls

Yep. Two Christmas trees are up in the house and neither of them have balls or any type of ornamentation. Both trees have lights on them, but nothing else. We had such a busy, busy weekend it just got put on the back burner. Hopefully tonight we can have a nice family meal and then decorate the tree.

Thursday I went to see T perform at halftime of one of the basketball games. I luv, luv, luv that Christmas routine and the new costumes looked GREAT! They had a busy week: Wednesday was the bonfire, Thursday morning they had a pep rally and danced at 2 basketball games and Friday was the state championship game at Bryant-Denney. T went out with the girls Friday after the game as is their post-game ritual. Saturday afternoon they also danced at a local pageant and Saturday night she spent the night at a friends.

Not really sure what to say about the State Championship game. It was a GREAT game and I hate the loss for the seniors. The coach had a tough call to make and, although it didn't work out the way we all wanted, it was the right call. We had a lot of fun sitting with friends, the weather was perfect and I was a little sad because it was T's last football game. The night before the game I told her to "just enjoy the moment, rock the sparkley and work those boots!" One of their very last positions during the half-time show is is one hand in the air holding a long ribbon and the other hand is on their heart. While they were performing I watched her close her eyes at this point and take a deep, soulfull breath. I knew she was savoring the moment and that gave me chills. I am just so incredibly proud of her and I know she's had a lot of fun as a Bnette. She cried a little after the game but said she cried not because they lost but because it was over.

Saturday Cosmo & his little shadow finished decorating the outside and put up the rest of the lights. I did some shopping, ran a few errands and took a little power nap before we headed out to the engagmenet party. KJ was originally planning to go to the party but got invited to a friend's house at the very last minute. T met us at the party and left early to go out with friends. Had a nice time at the party, the food was wonderful, M's house looked beautiful and G&H are a very sweet couple!

Sunday we drove up to Ross Bridge to get some Christmas card photos done and Cosmo joined us for a bit on his way to his lax lesson. It was such a gorgeous day out we decided not to rush home and ended up walking around downtown and taking some photos. Cosmo called after his lesson and we met him for a late lunch at Cucina Superior in Brookwood. T was operating on about 3 hours of sleep so she came home and took a little nap and then met with friends to discuss their Spring Break 2012 plans. By the time she got home, no one felt like decorating the tree. Hence, we have no balls.

Spring Break Recap

Had a really really nice Spring Break. Very low key, no drama. T went to Destin w/ friends and had absolute blast despite the cold. Cosmo, KJ & I went to Ft Myers to visit w/ my folks for a few days. We arrived late Sunday night and spent Monday at the beach. The sun was shining but it was very, very chilly. I enjoyed it immensely. I really hate to be too hot. Tuesday we hung out at the pool, Wednesday was rainy so we ended up going shopping and that night we went to one of our favorite restaurants...Bahama Breeze (I know it's a chain restaurant and there were plenty of local joints we could have gone to but I really like their Bahamaritas and the Bahama Breeze here in Bham closed a while ago. I also like their Calypso Shrimp Pasta and we always order a delicious shrimp appetizer that is served w/ the most wonderful Cuban bread!). Thursday wasn't exactly a beach day either so we ended up going to a manatee park in the morning and went on an air boat ride in the Everglades in the afternoon. It was one of those great, unplanned days that ends up being wonderful. The manatees were really neat and we saw TONS of alligators on the air boat ride! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and looked just like Larry the Cable Guy. After dinner we played mini golf and went for ice cream.

I'm all caught up on my laundry and now I'm gearing up for a crazy, crazy week...lots of lax, lots of dance, big lax tournament this weekend, etc. It never ends.