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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday Week 20

Linking up with Lindsey!


green and white striped tank - gap
green v-neck t shirt - old navy
skinny cropped khakis - loft outlet 
brown roman sandals - rack room shoes

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

My Ducks Were in a Row

I called Chris at 4:48 the other afternoon.  He is supposed to leave work at 4:45.  He was in a meeting.

He didn't get home until a little after 6pm.

And I wasn't {shockingly enough} upset about this.

Why? 

Because this is how my day went..

5:30am - the alarm went off.  I began praying that it was a mistake.  It wasn't.
5:45am - in the shower.
5:55am - waking up my children.  crazy.
6:30am - driving to work
7:15am - 3:20 - at work (it was a good day.  lots of classes.)
3:25pm - stopped by the bank
4:15pm - dropped the girls off at the house.  changed clothes.  did a few things on my list {like make a pair of earrings.}
4:35pm - leave for the gym
4:45pm - 5:10 - 1 mile on the treadmill, 1 mile on the elliptical {for no other reason than to satisfy my ADD}
5:15pm - pick up Q
5:35pm - home.  reload dishwasher, clean up kitchen from breakfast, preheat oven to cook the artichoke chicken that Chris prepared the night before. 

See?  I was productive.  Had my ducks in a row and was wildly crossing things {like earrings} off my list for the night.  Fantastic.

I love days like that.  Even when my husband gets home late.








Monday, August 29, 2011

How I Know I've Made the Right Decision

I think Chris and I have both spent some time doubting our decisions to take jobs in Athens.  As a family we've had to make a lot of adjustments and no one has been left in their regular routine...even the boy is spending longer hours at daycare and the dog is having more daily crate time.  Which leads to more bad behavior at night.  The girls have had to switch schools.  Both of us have longer commutes.

The list could go on and on.  (And wouldn't that be fun?)

But this is how I know that we have made the right decision.

For those of you who know where I live and where my new school is and how I should get there...

I've decided not to take the loop.  Instead I drive through town in the morning (its a different story in the afternoon).  Its just before 7am and no one is awake there yet.  The University is still asleep.  The shops aren't open.  Its quiet.  Except for the few people going into the Starbucks.  Quiet.  And beautiful.  And I breathe a sigh of relief at the red light at Broad and College every morning.  This is my home.  I feel most like myself at that particular time every day.  Its my Angie moment, when everything inside me is still and happy and knows without a doubt that we have made the right decision.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Roller Skating 101



You may be wondering where Casey is at the beginning of the video.  Just hold tight, you'll see her and her skating prowess approx 12 seconds in.  Trust me.  You'll want to stick around for that.


New Duos!



{coffee quartz and falling leaves duo}


{orange crush duo}


{giraffe print duo}


{chevron and stripes duo}

All in the shop later tonight!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

New!

{In the shop later today!}

4 Girls

{Chandler, Lucy, Elizabeth, Casey}

The girls were having a slumber party at Elizabeth's house tonight for her birthday.  I am so happy that these four girls have each other.  In the blink of an eye they will all be in high school together.  And I like to think that they will remain friends through college and weddings and children.  I like to think that they will be lifelong friends.  And I think their mamas like to think the same things that I do.  :)

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hey. I wrote a guest post.

No.  Really.  I wrote a post on someone else's blog.   I love doing that.  Check it out...here!

And if you're here from there...Welcome!  I'm so glad to have you.  :)


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Snacks. They rule.

You know how I like for things to be prepared?  How I lay out the kids' clothes for the week on Sundays?  Well, I've added another Sunday chore.  Its the snack preparation.  Not for the kids, but for Chris and I.  All perfectly portioned and ready to eat.  If it needs a spoon, then its packed with a spoon.  Knife?  Packed with one.  Done.  And all we have to do is grab it out of the fridge in the morning.

Here's what it looks like...


Just in case you're interested...from left to right...
1.  Melba toast with a wedge of laughing cow cheese and a plastic knife
2.  dannon light and fit yogurt (45 to 50 cal/serving).  I add a scoop of bare naked granola in my bag to mix in the yogurt along with a spoon.
3.  yogurt veggie dip for the carrots on the end :)
4.  mix of peanuts and almonds
5.  blueberries
6.  carrots

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday Week 19



argyle sweater - jcrew outlet
perfect white tank - banana republic outlet 
navy blue khakis - old navy
pink sandals - dansko
drusy necklace - Ike & Co 

Oh, my.  We're going to need a closet look at that necklace, I think.  I am in love with it.  So.In.Love.  I will have some up in the shop shortly.  :)  They glitter.  And sparkle.  Big sigh.  Love.

 
The sparkle in person is ooh la la.  Seriously.  


tunic dress/shirt??? - Target
capri leggings - Target
black roman sandals - rack room shoes

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Weekend Recap

1.  Friday night I was exhausted.  Super tired.  I don't even remember what we did.  That's kind of sad, isn't it?

2.  Saturday...went to the post office, went to the bead show  (hip! hip! hooray!)  Oh, there are some super fantastic things coming your way!!  Came home, worked on jewelry on and off for hours.  It was a small slice of Heaven.  And then I talked to Molly for a chunk of time Sat night.  I love talking to Molly for a chunk of time.  Especially around 11pm.  It makes me feel young.

We also cut Quinn's hair on Saturday.  Its the best haircut he's ever had.  Really.  Which was kind of shocking because he is not all that great about getting his hair cut and he was really less than stellar on Saturday.  He spent more time in time out than not.  We tell him to "go to the mat" meaning the rug in the foyer at the front door.  By the end of the day he had rolled the rug up and hid it under the table in hopes that if there wasn't a mat then he couldn't be sent there.

3.  Sunday...I had to go back to the bead show.  I couldn't stop thinking about a few things that I didn't buy and wished that I had.  So I went back.  And now there are a few more things that I wish I had bought.  Don't you hate it when that happens?  I went grocery shopping.  I worked on jewelry.  (yay!) I cooked dinner and fed the kids while Chris was at choir practice.  Then we had a dance party in the kitchen to songs that are mildly inappropriate for the girls.  I can't help it.  I have an affection for inappropriate songs.  I bagged up my snacks for the week.  (that could be a whole post on its own...maybe it will be)  And then I ran my 5k.  :)

Another long week ahead.  Meetings out the wazoo.  Chris starts teaching a gifted cert class Tuesday night.  We are thankful for all of the amazing opportunities that we have received lately, but man, is change rough.




Monday, August 22, 2011

Dude. I ran a 5k.

Yep. Uh-huh.  Its Your Birthday.  Woohoo.  Uh-huh.

Dude.  Did you read that?

I.  Me.  Angie. I ran a 5k.

Although I do think that article, "a" may be a little misleading.  

It was me and some old men on the treadmills in the gym.  I put the view on 5k trail run.  So that my 5k would be legit.

It could be a while before I really run a true 5k.  I don't like bugs.  Or hills.  Or other people running with me.

But let's go back to the news...  I.Ran.A.5k.

Prior to tonight, I have never run that far.  Even if someone had been chasing me I would have waved a white flag and given up.

For weeks now, I have felt terrible about myself for giving up at 2 miles.  In the moment I always feel like I can't do it.  And then on the way home I think that I give up too easily.  So, I had to do it.

I hadn't been to the gym since Tuesday.  Eek!  Tuesday.  I knew it was going to be painful.  I prepared myself with a new mix.  I was too complacent with my Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, House of Pain, Beastie Boys mix.

Here's the new one....feel free to judge...I can take it.  And I am kind of embarrassed by it.  Just so you know.
1.  Hey Ya - Outkast
2.  Last Friday Night - Katy Perry
3.  Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
4.  Roses - Outkast
5.  Tik Tok - Ke$ha
6.  Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae
7.  We R Who We R - Ke$ha
8.  Second Hand News - Fleetwood Mac
 My thought was a run, walk, run, walk, etc mix with a fantastic cool down song.  Only its really more like walk, run, walk, walk, walk, walk...but, whatever.

At mile 1.75  I started becoming delirious.  Usually, I get really embarrassed when I catch myself singing out loud.  Not tonight.  I was running a 5k.  People could kiss my hiney if they didn't want to hear me sing.  Or watch me raise the roof.  Which is what I did as my 2 mile celebration.  I also practiced some running dance moves.  I think they complimented my dance face.  No joke.

At 2.92 I was ready to crawl.  I was so close to the finish line.  And then 3 miles came and went.  And I was furious.  I had no.idea. - none - that a 5k was 3.1 miles.  What the hell, people????  Why did no one ever tell me this???  I just kept running and running and running and at that point I had no idea when it was going to end.

When I shared this information with Chris he laughed at me.  He thought everyone knew that.  Sheesh.

So.  There it is.  3 miles.  

Sunday, August 21, 2011

New!

I went to the bead show yesterday and then stayed up super late working on things!  Yay!  It felt so good to be making something.  Creating.  Good for my soul.  I can't wait for you to see all of the new supplies that I got!  Double yay!  These items will up in the shop later today.  (You know, after I run some errands and do the grocery shopping.)





Saturday, August 20, 2011

Dance Class



Really super pictures, right?  :)  I had PTO Thursday night at my school so Chris and Quinn had to take the girls to dance class.  Without me.  The first one of the year.  It made me kinda sad to miss it.  This year they are taking class at the Hamilton Mill Studio (whew!  yet another drive to make!) because with all of the changes in our lives, I wanted somethings for the girls to stay consistent.  Miss Bethany is that consistency.  Can I tell you how much the girls (Casey especially) adore her?  A.Dore.Her.  I am really excited about this year.  Chan has decided to go back to dance after taking a few years off.  She's in ballet and jazz.  And Casey has moved up another level for her ballet and tap.  I can't wait to see what this year holds for them.

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Car Ride Home

I let the girls play with my phone on the way home one day this week.  They left these treasures on there...






Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Bead.

Chris was at choir practice Sunday night.  The children had gone upstairs to watch a show in our room.  I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner.

After about 5 minutes, Quinn came downstairs.

Quinn:  Mama.  I got a bead up my nose.

**And then my heart stopped.  And I felt a surge of panic.  But I tried to stay calm.*

Me:  What do you mean you have a bead up your nose?
Quinn:  I put a bead up my nose and now it stuck there.

**And this is when I went, "Oh, crap."  And my stopped heart sank into my stomach.**

Me:  What kind of bead, Quinn?  (One of mine?  One of the girls'?  We have a lot of beads in our house.)
Quinn:  Ummmmm, a purple bead.

**And then he shoved his finger up his nose to the second knuckle.**

Me:  Oh, no, Quinn!  No, no!  Don't put your finger up there!  Here, let Mama take a look.

**And then I tipped his head back and sure enough, there really was something up there.  My stopped heart that was in stomach plummeted to my knees.  I frantically dialed Chris's phone.  I mentally began calculating how long it would take to get Ike in the crate, the girls up to CB's house, and how long of a drive it would be to ER.  Chris was already in Athens, he could meet us there.  Panic.  Sheer panic.

Sidenote:  When I was 17, I had cat scratch fever (no, really, its true) and my parents had to take me to the children's hospital and there was a small child screaming in a room while the doctor extracted an acorn from her nose.  I envisioned this being Quinn.  It didn't help the situation.**

As the phone continued to ring, Quinn began blowing through his nose.  On the 3rd blow, the bead shot across the room.  Quinn took off after it.  Upon retrieving it, he commented....

Quinn:  Oh!  Look, Mama, its a yellow bead, not purple!

Close one.  We have discussed in great detail how nothing should be shoved up one's nose....ever.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday Week 18

Linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy again this week!

Sadly, I only have one outfit to share.  Ugh.  This is what back to school does to me.  I just can't get my act together enough the take the pictures.  Sheesh.



top - tj maxx homegoods
pants - limited via tj maxx homegoods
black roman sandals - rack room shoes
earrings - the lovely crystal b

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Aladdin Water Bottles


The girls about died when I took this picture in our local Target.  I'm sure it wasn't the first time that I did something that made them want to die, nor will it be the last.  But I kept forgetting to take pictures of my water bottles at home and remembered while looking at them in the aisle.

I spent a LONG time picking out a water bottle.  Sad to say, but I had never had one of my own before.  Prior to buying one, I used the girls' Hello Kitty water bottles (with the suction thing at the top that you pull up to open, push down to close) and I knew that I didn't like that kind of top.  I had also used Chris's aluminum water bottle where you have to unscrew the top to open it.  And I knew that that kind wouldn't work for me either.

Slightly on the choosey side, right?  But I knew that I would never use it if I didn't loooooooove it.

So I spent a ridiculously long time picking one out.  I even looked at several different places before making my final decision.  Lame, I know.

And then I found these Aladdin water bottles at Target.  And I loooooooove them.  I am not kidding when I say that I am now drinking (religiously) 12 to 15 glasses of water a day.  Because I fill my water bottle up 4 to 5 times a day.  I just keep it with me.

The bottles on the top shelf?  Yep, that's similar to what I have.  The size is perfect - not too wide that it feels awkward in my hand - the opening is perfect - a flip top lid that bends to hug the side (completely out of your way) and easy to travel - I often time have it (standing up) in my purse.  It hold 24 oz. so its not ridiculously heavy, either.

And there you have it.  I love Aladdin water bottles.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Successful Parenting Moment

I feel like there are PLENTY of times throughout the course of a day...week....month...that I am failing my children as a parent.

I constantly doubt myself.

Chris and I handle everything as a team.  We are constantly "checking in" on how the other one feels about certain situations, behaviors, etc so that we can stand as a united front.

And then this happened...

Sunday morning Quinn called to me from the top of the stairs.  "Mama!  Mama!  Chandler crying!  She crying, Mama!"

And so I went upstairs to investigate.

Chandler was sobbing, hysterically and uncontrollably, on her bed, while Casey sat coloring at their desk.  When I asked her what was wrong, she went into this long drawn out story (while whining and whimpering) (I'll spare you the long drawn out story) about how she and Casey had been dancing ballet together in their room and that Casey kept correcting her and telling her that she was doing everything wrong.

And then she said, "And Casey said that I couldn't do anything right and that I was a bad dancer."

I am quite certain that Casey was correcting her, but doubtful that Casey would flat out say something like that to Chan.  Especially since Casey is so excited that Chan is getting back into dance and she was unbelievably sweet to Chandler at the dance store last week while getting her shoes.

So I poked a little bit and the truth came out, Casey made her feel that way, but hadn't actually said those words.

And she was still hysterical.  Wailing.

So I suggested that she stay home from church with me to collect herself and maybe go back to bed for a little while and wake up in a better mood.  She agreed.

Overall I think they really needed some time apart.  So she stayed home and read in her bed and watched me make jewelry and we ate lunch together and we had a conversation about being overly sensitive and sometimes overreacting to situations.  She knew that she may have taken things a little too far.

When Chris and the kids came home, Chandler threw herself at Casey as soon as she walked in the door.  She wrapped her arms around her and kissed her cheek and they both apologized to each other.  Casey asked if they could go dance some more, Chandler agreed and they held hands while skipping through the foyer.

I kid you not.

And then Chris walked in and we finally had a moment to discuss what went down in our house that morning.

Seems that while I was having my conversation with Chan, Chris was having a conversation with Casey on the way home from church about not criticizing her sister and being encouraging to her because it has been a few years since Chan has danced ballet.

A successful parenting moment.  And then we bumped fists and blew it up.  Go us.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

New!

{all items are in the shop!}

Turtle Trek

So, you remember how crabby I was  yesterday morning?  And I felt overwhelmed and frustrated?

Well then I had to drive up to the post office and when I passed by Crowe's Lake there were a billion people (ok, maybe not quite a billion, our little town doesn't have anywhere near a billion people) and tons of bouncy things and tents of fun set up for the annual Turtle Trek.

I decided that I should just scrap everything that was on the agenda for the day and we should take the kids to this and blow everything else off.

So we did.

Just so you know, this did not involve real turtles.  You adopt rubber ducky type turtles - you get the number that is written on the bottom of your turtle, then all the turtles are dumped out of a dumpster into the lake and "race" across (people in canoes push the turtles along).  10,000 of them.  (I'm not exaggerating about that part.)  It costs $5 to adopt a rubber turtle.  If your turtle wins, you get $2500.  Its a fund raiser for a children's organization.

So we went and I thought it was going to be awesome and that Q would have the time of his life.

It was a bust.  He is not an event kind of guy.

Here he is exiting the enormous bouncy obstacle course and slide.  It was "too hot" and "not fun," according to the three year old.  And then we went to a big giant bubble blower, which was fun...until he took off for the woods.  That part wasn't fun.  Note, he is wearing a leash backpack.  For a reason.  Only he thought that he could handle running in the bubbles.  He couldn't and we learned our lesson.


Then the kids went on a pony ride.   Quinn did enjoy this part.  Notice the hold that Chris has on his arm.  Not because we thought he would fall off but because we thought he might dismount on his own and take off for the woods again. 



Casey was actually on a horse, not a pony.  She said she felt like a real cowgirl.

And then there was this rock star...


My favorite part of these pictures are the port-a-potties in the background.  Every parent there was snapping pictures left and right with these lovely things in the background.  If I had planned the event, I think I would have done that arrangement a little differently.  Just sayin.

Then the girls wanted to drive the police golf cart.  They actually had goggles that made you see like you were a drunk driver, but the girls didn't need those on.  They drove like drunk drivers without them.  I wish I would have taken more pictures of this because it really could have been a blog post all by itself.  A few times I thought they might flip the cart.  There were cones set up and they successfully ran over all of them.  After witnessing this, I am thinking that they are NEVER getting their driver's license.  If you had seen them, you would be thanking me for this decision.

Here's Chandler getting ready to take off.  I don't know why I didn't take any of Casey.  I think I was too stunned by the whole experience to document it properly.


And then Quinn had a melt down and we went home.

The end.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Behind the 8 Ball

OMG.  That's how I feel this morning.  Behind the 8 ball.

I have laundry to do.  And the bathrooms need to be cleaned.  I have to clean out my closet today. 

3/4 of it no longer fits.  I'm not exaggerating.  And even though I have faithfully been going to the gym 3 to 4 times (more before I went back to work), logging my food onto livestrong and drinking 12 to 15 glasses of water a day, I have gained 2 more pounds and my clothes still do.not.fit. You have no idea how upsetting this is to me.  Seriously.  I feel like a monumental failure in this department. 

And at this point, I might as well sit around eating McDonald's (haven't had it since the end of June) and potato chips and enjoying my life rather than torturing myself by walking into the grocery store where I scream "DANGER! DANGER!" in my head for the 45 minutes that grocery shopping now takes (I used to be able to do a 25 minute super market sweep) while picking out produce and greek yogurt and lean meats. 

I don't feel better about myself.  I feel worse.  Which I thought really wasn't possible.  Last night I ate 3 pieces of veggie pizza in a state of rebellion and then felt guilty.

The gym is still not fun.  Not fun at all.  I dread changing into gym clothes.  I feel stupid in them.  I have to talk myself into it the whole drive there, and then I pray that no one watches me while I am in there.  I can't even write blog posts in my head while I am there anymore.  Its that depressing.

And then there is the whole "priorities" thing and adding one more thing to my plate now that we are back to work and I know exactly how spending an hour and half in the car everyday feels like...  Like, what is a "priority"?  Its been after five by the time we've all gotten home, and then dinner and the kids have showers and soon homework will be added to the mix.  I have chores to do during the week, like laundry.  Chris has choir practice and his own gym time.  I need time to work on shop things (because I love doing that).  And then there's the fact that I have a 5:30am wake up call now, so at least one night a week I have been going to bed before 9pm.  I need sleep.  Badly. 

So, for the past two weeks of being at work, the gym has not been a priority (don't get me wrong, I have still been going) and the forcing makes me hate it even more because then I feel that it is taking time away from something that I would much rather be doing.

Like scrubbing my toilets.  Because that sounds more enjoyable than the dang gym.

And I really just want to cry about it, but I think that might push Chris over the edge.

I didn't mean for this to become some kind of crazy rant.  We have no coffee in the house this morning (because I have to go grocery shopping and I hate going there now too) and I am blaming this post on the lack of caffeine.  

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Ants Go Marching Two by Two...

...or four by four, 53 by 53, one trillion by one trillion.  I'm sure that's how many we currently have in our house right now. 

Its not good times.  I can't even bring myself to say "Good Times" sarcastically and very little stops me from that.  Apparently ants in my house does though.

It started Tuesday morning, in the dog food in the pantry.  Chris sprayed them and it looked like a massacre had occurred in there by the time we got home.

On Tuesday night  there were a few (10 to 20) in the front room/craft room.  Chris was hoping that they were a few strays from the pantry.  Then they were UPSTAIRS in the girls' room.  And in between the kitchen and living room.  And on the landing of the stairs.

Last night they were in the foyer and on the bottom stairs.

Today they were all over the counter by the canisters in the kitchen and on the floor in Quinn's room.

I swear, we do not keep a dirty house.

We've had a ridiculous amount of them in the flower beds around the house this summer.  Apparently they've decided to move in.

I wonder if they would pay the mortgage so that we could move to Athens.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Me: A to Z

I think its going around, but I saw it on Casey's blog and thought it would be fun...  So, here goes nothing.

A. age : 33 (and a half) although sometimes I feel like I'm much older.  I think it may be all the gray that is coming in.  And then other times I feel 18 again.  Like when House of Pain comes on.  Ok, when I turn House of Pain on.

B. bed size : king, which is nice since there are currently 4 of us sleeping in it.

C. chore you hate : Honestly, I'm at the point where I hate all chores.  None of them are fun.  There was once a time when I loved (seriously. looooooved.) cleaning my house.  I felt accomplished.  I could clean everything in a Saturday morning.  And the whole house would sparkle.  The house was also teeny tiny.  And so we moved and I HATE cleaning this house.  And now that there are 5 of us, I hate doing laundry.  I also hate cooking (which is why Chris does it).  I don't have the ability to just "make something."  I have to follow a recipe step-by-step, stopping to reread each step as I go.  And so it takes me a billion years.  And I don't enjoy it.

D. dogs : Ike.  Ikey.  Bike.  Bikey.  Ikus.  Ikey Poo.  Devil Dog.

E. essential start to your day : coffee, with fancy creamer, and a shower.  I used to have a Diet Coke every morning, but haven't done that since the DCD.  (diet coke divorce)

F. favorite color : white. (to wear) And otherwise I just love all colors.  Really.

G. gold or silver :  Both.  I'm an equal opportunity jewelry lover.

H. height : 5'7 and a smidge

I. instruments you play : In middle school I played the trumpet.  My family would probably beg to differ with the "played" part.  It was more like blowing air into it and hoping that a sound that was maybe a teensy bit pleasing to the ear came out.

J. job title : School Librarian, Mama, Wife

K. kids : Casey, Chandler and Quinn

L. live : just outside of Athens

M. maiden name :My mother said I'm not allowed to tell you.  :)

N. nicknames :: Ang.  Or if you're my mother, you can call me Honey.  Or if you're a certain friend of my dad's you can all me Angelina Boscalina. 

O. overnight hospital stays : Having children.  I pretend that I'm at the spa when I'm there though.

P. pet peeve : Oh.  I don't even know where to start with this one.

Q. quote : "In the end it will all be okay.  If its not okay, then its not the end."

R. righty or lefty : Right.  Although as a child I desperately wanted to be left handed.  I also couldn't wait to get braces.

S. siblings : I have two younger half brothers and two younger step brothers.  They are all Awesome.  With a capital A.

T. time you wake up : I'm rocking the 5:30am these days.  Boo.

U. university attended :  University of Georgia.  For all 3 degrees.

V. vegetables you dislike: I love them all.  Except beets.  Are those a vegetable?  And sprouts.  I don't like sprouts.

W. what makes you run late :  These dang children.  And it drives me insane in the membrane.  I am an on.time.person.  The little people constantly slow me down.

X. x-rays you’ve had : I've broken my leg, my arm, a toe (that was a spectacular experience...they x-rayed it...although I am pretty sure that when your pinky toe is perpendicular to your foot you already know that its broken.), I've had a hernia (but that was a cat scan), and then, of course, the billion at the dentist and orthodontist (when I did finally get braces).  And there was this one time (at band camp...just kidding) when I had a tissue infection in my elbow and they x-rayed that one too.

Y. yummy food :  I'm pretty much in love with all food.  Except fruit.  And meat on the bone.  And the aforementioned beets and sprouts.

Z. zoo animal favorite :  Otters.  Hands down.

New Owls!


Perfect for heading into fall!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

What I Wore Wednesday Week 17

Linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday!

God knows its been at least a month since I wrote one of these posts.  In part, its been because for the month of July I was hitting the gym more days than not (deserves a whole post on its own) and so then I was in gym clothes.  Not really cute clothes.  Although some gym clothes are indeed really cute.  Just not mine.  :)  The other reason is because I just kept forgetting to take pictures.  Shame on me.


{one}

3/4 sleeve pea green slub cotton shirt - target
pique print skirt - target (on sale last week for $13!!!)
brown and gold sandals - kohl's
{two}

floral print sleeveless ruffled shirt - loft outlet
magenta 3/4 sleeve cardi - loft outlet
cream pants - ann taylor
brown roman sandals - rack room shoes

 
jewelry from my shop!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Matt + Chalise.

When Matt graduated from high school he packed up his tahoe and moved to Texas.  I'm pretty sure that we all thought he would be back.

Seven years later, he's still there.  He has a great girlfriend and they built a lovely house together and I'm thinking that he might be there to stay.

We spent the day in Athens with them...


Matt and Chandler.  Yes, there was a headlock involved.  That's how Uncle Matt rolls.  I know this from growing up with that kid.  He'll put you in a headlock at the drop of a hat.

Some of my favorite Athens places...



Back at the house, I tried to take a decent picture of Matt, Chalise and the kids.  This is what I ended up with...


Pretty much a spectacular roll of outtakes.  This one was my favorite.  I think I'm going to put it up in my office.



What in the world is that child doing???  I also really love how Casey is pointing at him.  Like I haven't noticed what a weirdo that one is.  Sheesh.

And then there was this....  Q kept asking Uncle Matt for piggyback rides and then jumping onto his back.  So eventually Uncle Matt told Q that it was his turn to give Matt a piggyback ride.



And in this picture, Quinn is saying, "I can't give you piggyback.  My legs are too little.  I got too little legs."

A Long Week and My Dog Chased a Runner.

Great title, isn't it?  That's kind of how I feel this morning.

It was a really, really, long week.  The first week back is always for the birds.  It makes me long for summer.  Its also really hard to be the new kid at school, which is what I've been this year.  Everyone has been really great, but there just isn't that feeling of comfort yet.  And being a new media specialist is much different than being a new teacher.  Because a new teacher has their own classroom - that's theirs.  A new media specialist is using a space that the whole school uses and any changes that are made affects everyone in the building.  Its kind of like being a tightrope walker.

So it was a really long week.  Chris is trying to learn the ins and outs of his new job.  Meeting a billion new people a day and trying to remember how to get to his office.  Its a little tricky when the building that he is in used to be a mental facility.  Kind of funny, right?

We've started a sticker chart for Quinn to work on using his listening ears.  At this point, when he listens the first time, he gets a sticker.  5 stickers = a treat.  This is because I am at my breaking point with him - he pretty much refuses to listen to me.  Not so fun.

And then this morning we're trying to get ready for my youngest brother, Matt, and his girlfriend, Chalise to come visit.  They live in Texas and are rarely home.  They're in town this weekend and I am super excited, but we're trying to get all the laundry done and some straightening up before they get here.  Therefore, I did not have time to be screaming and chasing Ike at 9am this morning.

He was finishing up his pee when a lady ran down the hill on the other side of our house and around the corner.  As soon as I saw her, I braced for the barking and the lunge.  What I did not anticipate was Ike snapping his collar and chasing after the runner.  And then I stood there, looking like a jackass with the leash and collar in my hand with no dog.

Mind you, I had just rolled out of bed.  Hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet.  And here I am in my front yard, with my 1995 Berkmar High School student council t-shirt on, yoga pants and birkenstocks.  No bra.  No brushed teeth.  No brushed hair.  Awesome.

I chased after him, alternately screaming for Ike and Chris.  Chris never heard me.  Ike jumped up and bit the back of the runners shorts.  In the cul-de-sac behind my house, where the runner was heading, there was a little girl (toddler age) out in the front yard in her underwear while he dad was cleaning out the car and I saw my life flash before my eyes.  The blood drained from my head and a clammy sweat took over. 

Thank God for these things....
1.  The runner stopped running and started sweet talking Ike who then began wagging his tail.  (Of course, he still chased her when she tried to run again)
2.  He was distracted before he noticed the child in the cul-de-sac.
3.  He eventually settled down enough for me to pick him up and haul his ass back inside.

When I returned to the house and replayed the story for Chris, Quinn said, "No stickers for Bikey.  He not usin his listening ears."

Right you are.

Now you may be asking yourself why he didn't have on his trusty harness.  That would be because he ate through it yesterday.

Have I told you the dog is medicated?

Well, he is.  Clearly that isn't working for us.

He's a gem of a dog, isn't he? 

Thursday, August 4, 2011

One Year Ago.

I usually leave my iphoto on the last twelve months setting.  I love seeing the pictures from where we were a year ago.  Today this is what was first in line...


Pics from last year's first day of school.  I love how Q HAD to be in the pictures with his sisters.  While our old county went back today, our new school doesn't start for the kids until Monday.  And then you'll get to see how super cute they look in their uniforms.  :)

Monday, August 1, 2011

Checking In

Hi Friends.  I think I may end up a little behind in the blogging world this week.  Chris and I both officially started back to work today - both in new jobs - both with long commutes.  By the time all the kids were picked up it was 5:30ish when we got home.  I know that this is normal for lots of people, but it's about an hour or so later for us and we're feeling it.

I've decided that the only way we are going to make it through all of these transitions is to pray more and worry less. 

Please remind me in 3 days that I said that.  :)

ps.  My mom bought the girls new sneakers for school this weekend.  OMG.  One child is wearing a 7 in ladies and the other is wearing a 6.  After they made their purchases, Casey said to my mom, "I love being a woman."  Puh-lease, that child is too much!