Tuesday (but it felt like a Monday)

I love Monday holidays because they make Tuesday's seem like Monday's but then it's actually Tuesday. Know what I mean?? No? Oh well.

Matt had a late night of poker last night (but he won $80) so he slept in and cooked us all some oatmeal for breakfast. Come to think of it, ever since GG has been here Matt has been winning at poker. How do we talk her into staying?!?!

After Matt ventured off to work GG and I showered and then headed out ourselves for a fun day of some Macy's shopping. I had a gift card from my brother and sister-in-law that has been burning a hole in my pocket. I found a sporty summery sweat suit and a couple pairs of jean shorts and GG found a couple sweaters and a nice shirt. She's so good at bargain hunting and found some good steals. I, on the other hand, was raised with the knowledge (some might say "belief") that "you get what you pay for" so I tend to not pay close enough attention to the price tag. Sorry Matt.

The kids did fabulous during our shopping trip but were getting hungry so GG offered to treat us to lunch. I had heard of a new little community near the farm where we used to get our produce baskets last year and wanted to check it out. The houses were so cute, extravagant and totally original and the community seemed so homey and inviting. I'm bummed I didn't get any pictures. We found a little bakery offering salads and sandwiches and stopped there for lunch. I had the best Greek Salad I've ever had at the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop. It was so peppery and spicy and like no other. If anyone comes to visit I'm taking you there!! GG had a cobb salad and Lauren had a peanut butter and honey sandwich and Tyler had a grilled cheese sandwich and about 1/3 of Lauren PB&H sandwich. The kids ate so much at lunch that they barely touched their dinner. (Which was Lite Chicken Salad w/ bread and raisins & bananas.)

Back home the kids went down for their nap and I headed to the basement for a General Hospital workout. I LOVE these!! I set the treadmill for some preset workout (today it was P3 which is Speed Interval) and workout during my entire soap opera. My workout ends up being over an hour (and today I burned 700 calories) and I don't really notice how miserable it is because I'm so engrossed in my soap. lol.

After the workout I hosed off in the shower and then made up the Chicken Salad (again from my Everyday Food magazine) for dinner.

After dinner we took a short walk along our street because it looked threateningly like rain and then back at home Matt turned the box of our new patio furniture into a playhouse for the kids. They loved this and shrieked and played and had a good time right up until their bath and finally bedtime.

Now Matt is watching his car shows on TV and GG is waiting for me to finish this post so she can have something to do (read what I just wrote and check her e-mail.) And so the time has come for me to sign off. Enjoy the pics below.

Our new patio furniture...I love it.

Lauren playing in the patio furniture box, peeking through Daddy's custom windows.

And finally we have Tyler just looking plain CRAZY!

glimpse of Savannah thru GG's camera

Here is an example of the typical house in the historical district in Savannah, GA. We saw this and many more during our trolley tour on our first full day there.

We stopped for lunch at this neat little joint. We had our choice to sit in a train car but since the weather was so beautiful we opted to sit outside instead. Here's a great picture of my two favorite boys.

Here's a shot from our day at the beach. Tybee Island was warm, sunny, windy and packed full of Memorial Day vacationers. We found our little spot of paradise in the warm sand and took in the sights. The kids even got their feet wet and their swim suits completely sandy.

Goofing around in the hotel room

GG's dinner at the Pirate's House. DELISH!

Pantless Tyler (he soaked through his diaper and drawers on the way home) running from the elevator into the hotel room.

Good times....Good times.

Summary of Savannah

Hi Y'all. We made the trip home today in record time. We woke up and had such a filling breakfast at B. Matthew's this morning that we made the whole trip home (4 hours; 9 min. according to google maps) without stopping. I don't believe we've ever made such a trip since we've had kids. We had a blast in Savannah. The best part was that GG kept saying that this was the best vacation ever. This was also Matt's first time to enjoy the city. He's been here numerous times on business but has never got to relax and see what the historical city is all about.

Friday evening after dinner we spent some time walking around...as much as GG and her cane "Henry" could handle. We walked along the City Market, peeked into the art galleries, listened to the street music and watched the horse carriages wander along the streets. Lauren and Tyler had fun walking along the ledges of the sidewalk back to the hotel.


On Saturday we took a trolley tour offered by Old Savannah Tours. Although this seems cheesy, it's a good way to learn of all the history associated with the city. And what a deep history this city has. Both Tyler and Lauren took naps during the door but the rest of us were able to learn a great deal. We got off once for lunch and then it was back on until we got off for the final time at River Street. During the tour they talked a lot about the book & movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'

I happened to spot a picture of a movie? or gentleman's club?? production of the Lady Chablis who was in the book/movie...who's no lady at all. =)

After the trolley tour Matt and I took the kids to the hotel swimming pool. They had a lot of fun splashing around. Once Tyler found the hot tub though it was all over. He and I sat in there for probably 20 min. We were in there until we heard thunder. It was good that we packed it up right then because within 30 min. a major thunderstorm poured down over us.

An hour after the thunder storm happened it, just as quickly, went away and out came the cloudless blue skies. (my kind of storm.)

That evening, GG offered to stay with the kids while Matt and I went out on a date and had dinner together. We got GG and the kids pizza from the little pizza joint next to the hotel and then Matt and I ate a super delicous dinner at The Olde Pink House. After we finished eating we took a bicycle tour of the city. By bicycle tour I mean a gentlemen biked us around while we sat in the back seat of his bike. It was a wonderfully warm evening and such a fun ride around the city. After the tour we walked along River Street and enjoyed the sights.

The next day we had breakfast at Clary's and then we headed out to Tybee Island and the beach. It was crowded and windy at the beach but we all had a good time. The kids played in the water and mostly in the sand. Here are a couple pics of the kids on the way back from the beach.

After the beach we headed back to the hotel where Matt and the kids went swimming again, I worked out in the hotel gym and GG got to read some of the new books we bought while touring Savannah the day before.

That evening we went to the Pirate's House for dinner. This was a fabulous meal and according to GG...the best she's ever had. That pretty much made the whole trip worthwhile. The kids were picture perfect there although I didn't take any pictures of that meal. You'll have to ask GG about those pictures.

After dinner GG read books back at the hotel....



And that brings us up to this morning where we woke up, packed up the car and headed out to breakfast and then our record trip home. Back home we unpacked, did laundry and Matt put together our new 7-piece patio table and chairs. I'm sure I'll get pics of it soon.

Currently we have a Lauren emergency that I need to go take care of. Somebody pulled her hair and "nothing is fair". So I'm signing off to make everything better. G'night All.

Greetings from Savannah

Just a quick post as we are out the door to take a trolley tour of the city. Yesterday we made the trip over to Savannah, GA and arrived safe and sound. The weather was a little drizzly but we were able to get out and walk around a bit and enjoy a delicious dinner on the front patio of Tapas by Anna in the City Market. It was a fun evening.

quick post tonight

We have a ton of tv to watch tonight. We have 45 min. left of the movie "There Will Be Blood" and then we have to watch CSI and Without a Trace while Tivo records the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I'm looking forward to the summer when I'm not tied down to the TV so much.

This morning GG got her hair done by my hair stylist Cary. It was just a wash and set but still a nice treat for GG. While she got her hair done the kids and I ran to the grocery store and I intended to get back to the salon to pay for her up-do but while at the store GG said she was all done and paid. So...it's the thought that counts right?! I intended to pay.... hmmm. Now GG is looking like an authentic southern belle for our trip to Savannah tomorrow.

Back home the kids had a snack. It was Oreo balls (from the 100 calorie snack packs they sell.) Lauren ate hers in a civilized manner but Tyler shoved all 10 balls into his mouth and ran around foaming at the mouth until they all dissolved. It was a hoot to watch...he was pretty crazy during this dissolving period. =) Then it was nap time for the kids and exercise time for me. I had a great workout and I'm all set for Savannah now. Hopefully I'll find some time to get some exercise but I know I worked out pretty hard this week so it won't be too detrimental if I don't get in a good workout while on vacation.

For dinner we had tasty Greek Pita Pizzas. GG and I ate a whole one each and Tyler and Lauren shared a whole one...which is saying a lot because I don't believe they've ever ate any pizza that wasn't just plain cheese or pepperoni. I'm still stuffed from dinner but with all this tv watching ahead of me I'm sure I'll have some room left for popcorn.

After dinner I gave the kids a quick bath and then sent them downstairs to read books with GG while I showered off my earlier workout. When I came down I found Tyler wrestling with GG's cane "Henry" and saw him almost take both those girls out. He thought he was pretty cool.Now the kids are in bed and I'm finishing up this post while GG gets comfortable in PJs and then it's TV time until we crash into bed. G'night Y'all.

"look at your big bottom"

Today was a good day until my daughter opened her big mouth. =) I had just finished a marathon of a workout and she had just woken up from her "quiet time" (we don't take "naps" anymore.) Anyway, I was changing out of my sweaty clothes into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Lauren was watching me. When I put on my shorts she said, "I love those shorts, they fit just right." But when I leaned over the drawer to pick out a shirt she said, "Wow, Mommy, look at your big bottom!" I said "what did you say?" and innocent as day, she said, "Wow, Mommy, look at your big bottom!" Hmmm. Gotta love those kids and their honesty, huh? Tomorrow my workout will by an hour and a half. hmph.

Other than hearing sweet nothings from Lauren we didn't do much today. I needed a few things at the grocery store so we got dressed and headed to Kroger in the morning. Tyler opted to stay in the car with GG while L and I rushed through the grocery store to get batteries, milk, butter and bottled water.

Later, while I made dinner (ground chicken & sauteed veggie burgers) GG, Lauren and Tyler sat on the stairs (where the old child gate used to be) and read book after book. They looked so sweet and I took a ton of pictures. Hopefully one of them will turn out for this post....let's see....
After dinner the kids wanted to watch ANOTHER Thomas the Train show. I've been seriously thinking how to cut down on the TV shows. Bystanders (GG and I) can only take so many Thomas shows in one day. So I've made a couple of rules. Rule #1) Toys must be picked up before we watch a show. If we are going to watch TV then we aren't playing with our toys. Rule #2) After we watch one show we turn the TV off and play with toys, play outside or anything but watch the boob tube. Does anyone else have any suggestions for curbing TV usage. (side note: do not say to cut it out entirely because I NEEEEED it sometimes to get things done or enjoy a brief moment of Only-Mommy time.)

And to close...since I think GG is getting tired of reading bedtime stories to the kids as I write this... i will add this sweet picture of Tyler showing how much he loves Lauren. He grabbed his "blankie" (as he calls it) and snuggled up to Lauren while she was still eating her dinner. He's such a sweet boy and loves his sister soooo much.

thunder storms are so cool

I'm writing this as lightening is flashing and thunder is roaring. There's no fear of a tornado with this storm...it's just a powerful thunderstorm....so cool! Here's a pic I took outside before it came over us. It just looks eerie (even moreso than can be seen in the pic.).

Here's a recap of the past couple of days...if I can remember.

Sunday was a relaxing day for some of us. Matt mowed our lawn and demolished a part of the basement bathroom to get it ready to put in a toilet and shower. Maybe we'll finally finish it...although I'm not looking forward to cleaning yet another bathroom. But it will sure be nice to have a bathroom downstairs for the poker games and also the guest bedroom we have down there. While Matt was so busy I took off alone to get my nails and toes done, buy the weeks groceries and then headed back home to cook dinner. We had a Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad from my stellar Everyday Food magazine that I love so much. The salad was delicious as expected.

GG kept herself busy doing puzzle after puzzle with the kids and also folding about 5 loads of laundry. I tell ya...everyone needs themselves a GG. I'll be so sad and lonely when she's gone.

On Monday, GG decided she needed some new puzzles to do. She couldn't stand to put together the Thomas or Butterfly puzzle one more time. So we loaded up the troops, stocked the juice-water and headed to Fayetteville to Toys R Us. We found 2 Mickey Mouse puzzles to add to our repertoire. After Toys R Us I stopped at a couple more stores but the kids quickly lost interest and became PAINS. Note to self....hit Toys R Us as the last stop in a series when shopping with the kids. Otherwise they don't want to go to anymore stores....duh.

Monday night I went out to dinner with Dana and Mary and Matt had his Monday night poker game. GG got to have the TV all to herself that night.

Today, Tuesday, Matt left early for his flight to Spokane, WA. He'll be there for a couple days. The rest of us hung out at home. We relaxed and took it easy just like we love to do. GG did some research for our upcoming trip to Savannah and I got the main floor vacuumed and got a workout in so it wasn't a completely lazy day. Since our men were out of town (Dana, Mary and myself) we all got together at my house and had fajitas and Puerto Rican rice and a delicious dessert brought my Mary. It was chaotic since we had Mary's two boys - Houston & Cabe, Dana's - Shep & Emma and My - Lauren & Tyler. But thankfully the weather held out and the boys were able to play outside before and after dinner.

When all the company left we quickly got a bath in and GG was able to read 2 books. The kids were so tired at this point that the last half of the 2nd book was read with both of them in tears. I'm sure they'll sleep well tonight...despite all this house rumbling thunder.

Ok...I'm off to watch the season finale of Dancing With the Stars. Night y'all.

Here's a pic of Tyler testing my statement of "stay off the coffee table" He thinks he's so funny.

Let's go Braves!!!

Let's see...what can I say about Friday. We accomplished a big step in our family development today. We took the gate at the bottom of the stairs down. Tyler is able to crawl up and down by himself now so we really don't need it collecting dust and just being in the way anymore. I'm surprised to say that it makes me quite sad that the kids are old enough to not need a gate. I want my babies back!! Other than that monumental event we had our Friday playdate. It was my turn to host again. Last time, I let the kids make their own pizza. In order to keep up with what I started I figured I had to plan some activity. So this time I made home-made jello with orange juice. I cut it into 4 big pieces...for Lauren, Tyler, Abigail and Isabella... and gave the kids shape cutters to cut their own pieces. Tyler ate his entire piece but everyone else thought it was a bit sweet and took some home as leftovers.

The kids (well the three girls) played together so well and for so long. Tyler chose to snuggle with me and chat with the adults. It was a fun morning.

Later that evening we had Morgan from across the street come to watch the kids while GG, Matt and I went to Frank's Family Restaurant to celebrate Mother's Day (or Grandmother's Day in GGs case). Frank's is a hole in the wall joint located behind a gas station about 5 minutes from our house. The food was excellent, however. We bought 2 turnovers (apple & cherry) to enjoy for breakfast.

This morning (Saturday) GG, the kids and I spent a couple hours soaking up the sun on the back deck while Matt trimmed and mowed Mike and Connie's lawn and also Frederick and Maria's lawn. He needs to earn his poker money somehow. He was going to mow our lawn too today but the fertilizer company came and sprayed. He'll have to do it tomorrow instead.

After naps Matt and I left the kids with GG while we headed up to Atlanta for the Braves v. Oakland Athletics game. When we got home GG and the kids were all in bed so we don't know how it went but I'm sure it was smooth sailing. The kids love their GG and Lauren does anything she can to help out. We'll find out for sure tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the Braves lost but Matt and I had a good time together. We got there early to eat dinner at the restaurant in the stadium where we caught a glimpse of batting practice and then we made it to our seats right at the fair ball line in left field. No complaints from me for our free tickets. There was a group of loud mouthed, yet funny, New York business men sitting behind us. They kept us laughing with their antics and New York accents. (we heard "yous" a lot in their converstion.) It was sure a fun night.

Here's a picture of our view...the game was not sold out...which was a little surprising since it was a Saturday and BEAUTIFUL weather.

Matt and I at the game

Last Day of School

And Lauren is off to school for her last day of 3 year old pre-school. It was a busy morning for all of us. First, we dropped Matt off at a gas station near the interstate so a co-worker could pick him up for a short overnight work trip. Then it was off to school for Lauren. After dropping her off, Tyler and I came home to pick up GG before heading back to school for the Art Show and End of Year Picnic. We got to see a lot of Lauren's artwork from throughout the year and also brought a picnic lunch/snacks which we briefly enjoyed before the rain came.

After the school party we headed to Chik-fil-A to meet a couple ladies from church. The eating part was fine. Both kids enjoyed 2 piece chicken tender kid's meals with chocolate milk. When all the kids went out to play on the playground is when it got not so fine. There were a lot of bigger kids who would trample the smaller ones and both Lauren and Tyler spent most of the time crying. It wasn't long before I gave up and we headed for home for much needed naps...for everyone.

After naps I made dinner while GG and the kids played and put together puzzles. Here Tyler is clapping because someone put in a puzzle piece correctly. Puzzles are all the rage these days.

For dinner we had Quick Fish Chowder. It was easy to make (read: microwavable) and filling and delicious. Ingredients included....(since I can't find a link to the recipe)... cod, bacon, onion, celery, potato, orange bell pepper, diced tomatoes and chopped parsley. Plus a secret ingredient.

here is the secret ingredient...yuck?, yum? all together it tasted pretty good

After dinner GG volunteered to keep the kids while I went to community group. It was my week to bring dessert so I had to go even though Matt is out of town. I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and for the kids brought Vanilla ice-cream and Strawberry Rhubarb topping.

GG said the kids did great. Lauren was a big help...especially when Tyler threw his blanket downstairs during the bedtime routine. He probably knew GG has a little trouble making it up and down the stairs. Lauren was such a big helper, however, that she went downstairs and brought his blanket back up for him. The kids gave her no trouble and didn't even cry like they usually do when I left. GG has this all figured out. Which is good because at community group I was given 2 tickets to the Braves game for Saturday night. Ya wanna go with me Matt?

Tuesday and Wednesday (for lack of better title)

Lauren had her 2nd to last day of school on Tuesday. They celebrated Aloha days. She came home with stickers, a headband and a bunch of other little thingies she earned by doing stations during her Aloha party. It didn't seem like the parents were invited so GG, Tyler and I went shopping instead. Boy, did we do a good job. I had a coupon and GG found a dress and a jacket on sale. To get full use of the coupon I had to sacrifice and buy myself a pair of jean capris and flip flops. I'm always game to take one for the team. After the successful shopping stop we dropped by Tuesday Morning to kill some time and I found a Thomas the Train lunchbox/puzzle and also a little something for Matt.

That night we watched Emma during her brother's baseball game. She really latched onto GG and sat on her lap or talked to her the entire time. Finally we sent all the kids out to play in the sandbox so GG could get some breathing room.

On Wednesday I had my follow-up Drs appointment. It was during the kids' nap so I left them with GG. I was in and out of there so fast that I even stopped at the grocery store and they still hadn't woken up when I got home. At my appointment I got the results back from the blood work they did and she said I'm perfect on paper. My main concern was cholesterol. LDL was 96 (should be under 100) and HDL 60 (should be b/t 40-135).

The rest of the day we spent playing....

Here's a new game for Tyler.

He's full

Lauren, what are you doing to me...these obviously aren't my size!

This just may be the funniest picture ever. Poor Matt was even home when Tyler wanted to try on the shoes. Funny thing is he walked in them better than Lauren did. We all got a good laugh at watching him.

Today was a good day. We got up and played for awhile. Lauren, GG and Tyler put together their favortie puzzle and we got a couple of sweet pictures in the process. We just need to teach GG how to look at the camera when requested. =)

Here is the final piece of the puzzle....




We drove to Atlanta to meet Matt for lunch today. GG was impressed with the city. She was amazed at all the greenery and how many trees are planted around the city. For lunch we went to Mellow Mushroom and all had delicious baked hoagies. They were out of this world. Since I'm a big eater...I ordered a "small" greek salad to go with it. The kids devoured huge pieces of pizza. We were all so full afterwards. The kids were asleep 15 min. into the drive home and once home we all took a nap...save for GG who read and almost finished her new book, "The Memory Keepers Daughter."

For dinner we had Anitpasto Salad. Spinach greens mixed with macaroni topped with pepperoni, kalamata olives, sundried tomatos, fresh mozzarella, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Again delicious...if I do say so myself.

After dinner I went to my step class at the Y and it kicked my a**. The kids stayed home with Matt and GG. When I got home GG was reading them bedtime stories. Lauren was snuggled up against her shoulder and Tyler was sitting on the other side of her. I think Tyler is warming up.

After they were in bed the 3 of us headed to the basement and watched "In the Shadow of the Moon". This is a documentary on the Apollo missions including the first man on the moon. It was a great movie and I'm not usually one who jumps to see documentaries normally. But y'all should see this movie. What's the next new and great thing mankind will do??

Today was my Birthday

(posted by Matt)

Today was my birthday and it's the first time that I had to actually do the math because I can't remember if I'm 35 or 36. Anyone know? That means I'm getting old.

Even though it's mothers was day we really didn't treat the day any different. This morning we were trying to figure out who had to make breakfast. I mean I would but it's my birthday, and Christine would, but it's mothers day, and GG would but she's a mother too...So it was the kids responsibility. We starved. Seriously, being a mother is much harder than staying alive, so my birthday was secondary and I made breakfast. My kids have the best mom in the world, go ahead and try to argue with me, you'll lose.

We had a mellow day. Christine went grocery shopping while GG and I entertained the kids. I went to Home Depot to get some stuff during the kids nap. Christine is now watching Survivor...you know same old stuff.

Tonight I was supposed to go to see Van Halen with some guys but we all decided we were too lazy and just weren't up for staying out all night and trying to get into work tomorrow. (note: this is another piece of evidence that I'm getting old) Why would Van Halen reschedule (they actually rescheduled twice) for a Sunday night, lame!!! I'm wondering how many people are in the same boat as us and just said forget it. Idiots! Mr. Buddy next door saw them a week ago up north and said it was not the same Van Halen we were used to. I guess David Lee Roth is getting older faster than me and isn't as cool as he used to be.

Anyway, later...

Bunko aka Drunko

Thursday was GG's first full day in the life of our little southern family. We carried on as usual for the most part. Lauren had school and in the meantime, Tyler, GG and I went to church to help out with the Sunday school prep and then it was clean, prepare and clean some more for Bunko on Friday. Lauren took some time out to pose (she prepped the entire shot herself...from the hat right down to the chair)

I'm am so pleased at how Bunko turned out. Matt took to kids next door to Mr. Buddy's house which was where a few of the guys and kids were hanging out tonight. Back at the Bunko prep party, GG helped a lot and so did Dana from next door. This is the first time I ever entertained for 14!! And it couldn't have gone any better. For appetizers I had veggie slices with ranch dip and chips and salsa. For dinner we had Lasagna Primavera, Parmesan Chicken, Summer Salad (with fresh strawberries, pineapple and bananas over romaine) and Garlic Knots. We only had a small plate of leftovers. Dessert was made by Andi (another Bunko broad,) it was a delicious raspberry tiramisu. And for the (apparently) most important item....beverages. I had water, coke, diet coke, decaf coffee, sweet tea (made from scratch!) red and white wine, coors light, Corona, Smirnoff triple black light, bucket of mojitos, bucket of cosmos and grape vodka mixed drinks. We ate and drank and played the absolutely no skills required game of Bunko. I ended up winning $5 by getting the most losses. I also was reimbursed $20 out of the pot because I had to provide a door prize too. (salsa and serving dish plus $15 Starbucks gift card) The party wound down around 11:30pm and Dana and Mary stayed and helped to clean things up. GG put most of it away before she went to bed so it wasn't very difficult at all. Bless their hearts for all their help.

Today GG felt the pain of all her (much appreciated) effort. Her leg was really bothering her so she opted to stay home and rest instead of attending Emma's 5th birthday party at Jump 2 It. This is the same place we had Lauren's party. Lauren and Tyler had a great time as you can suspect. Here's some pictures to clarify the point....

Both kids played so hard at the party that they were asleep before we finished the 15 min. drive home. They both slept for a solid 3 hours at home and would have slept more but I woke them up at 5:30. We had to eat dinner (soup, frozen potato wedges, fruit and rolls,) get a quick bath in and then head to church at 7pm. Mothers Day was the theme of the service. GG got to see what a southern "Bible Belt" church is like. People come as you are here. Jeans, shorts, sweats anything goes. It was a large turnout even for a Saturday night and GG was impressed that there was a police escort stopping traffic so we could make the turn out of the parking lot.

That pretty much catches you up. We'll probably take it easy again tomorrow...it's nice to rest after being so busy preparing for Bunko last week.

to close, here's a picture of Tyler playing with his big Thomas while waiting for me to finish making dinner.

29 and still holding

Happy Birthday to me (yesterday.) Whoo hoo...another year older. It's just not as cool any more. To celebrate, Matt went to the Braves game with some co-workers. I didn't feel like moping at home alone so I went and bought myself a birthday cake and full fat ice-cream and invited Dana and the kids over for dinner and cake. The kids sure enjoyed singing and eating the cake. Lauren called me "Christine" for the first time after hearing Emma and Shep sing "...Happy Birthday Dear Miss Christine..." It sounds really weird when your kids call you by your first name.

I've been running around like crazy the past couple of days. Cleaning and preparing for Bunco. I'd say I was cleaning up for GG's visit but she's family and therefore has to like me. The Bunco ladies don't so I need need need clean baseboards and blinds. Matt thinks I should host every month after seeing how clean and free of extra junk the house is getting.

The kids have been troopers the past couple of days. I'll take breaks to play Candy Land, put together a puzzle and read a story here and there but a lot of the time I'm cleaning something and they're entertaining themselves (or watching Thomas on TV.) Lauren really enjoys helping me out so every chance I get I offer to have her do something. like fetch this or that or dust.

This evening we loaded up the troops and headed out to the airport to pick up GG for her month long visit. The kids were SO! excited to see her. When we got home they were running around like crazy. Lauren was chatting her ear off. We are going to have a ton of fun during this visit. As GG says it will be the trip of a lifetime. I'm sure it will be for everyone.

Creedence Cleawater Revisited

I can't believe it's Monday already. It was pretty much an all or nothing weekend for us. Seinfeld on Friday and then Creedence Clearwater Revisted on Saturday. That was the "all" part of the weekend. The "nothing" part was that Matt was sick with the flu bug on Saturday and couldn't go to the concert and I was sick with aches and a bad headache on Sunday. Even Tyler seemed a bit under the weather yesterday. Today everyone seems just fine except the kids have runny noses. I was a little worried we were going to be sick when GG comes to visit on Wednesday. I think we're in the clear now though. I'll just Lysol the house really well.

Creedence was a lot of fun. Our neighbor is a Coke rep and had table tickets to the concert. Unfortunately he wasn't able to go. It was Mr. Nelson and Betsie, Gabriel and Mary, Buddy and Dana and dateless me. We all brought appetizers and drinks and had a light dinner before the opening band came out. I made Tex-Mex Tortilla Rolls. These were easy and since I wasn't feeling up to par I didn't feel like making anything too difficult. They went over very well and I will definitely make them again. CCR is actually a cover band of the original CCRevival. The drummer and bass guitar are the original members and the lead singer is the old lead singer of the Cars. All together they put on a great show...lots of energy.

Since Matt held out with hopes of feeling better until later in the afternoon we still had Morgan come over to sit with the kids. Matt stayed in bed and I just left Morgan her money on the counter telling her she could go home after the kids were in bed. She left a nice note for me saying the kids were wonderful and that Matt stayed in his bed and wasn't any trouble either. We like our baby-sitters!!

On Sunday I rested most of the day to shake this bug and headache. The kids and Matt got to play all day. I know they all loved it. Especially the kids. Matt took them to Walmart to buy new sand (this time it was RED!!) They stopped at McDonalds for lunch (since I wasn't there) and also played at the park for awhile. They sure love their days with Daddy.

Today my plan is to tackle all the bathrooms. (I can't believe we're thinking about adding another bathroom in the basement!) I need to get ready for GG on Wednesday and also Bunko on Friday.

Seinfeld at the Fox Theatre

Last night was a lot of fun. We left our house for dinner around 4:45 and due to traffic and lack of parking we didn't make it to a restaurant until 6pm. The show started at 7 and all the restaurants around the Fox Theatre had an obvious wait. So we found a tiny (empty!!) bar right across the street from the theatre. I'm assuming it was empty because they don't start serving food until 8:30. Matt and I shared a bottle of wine and talked the bartender into giving us some pita bread and hummus. It was a large serving and made a perfect light dinner.

Seinfeld was very funny. I'd describe it as a bit predictable however...PG jokes about being married, jokes about kids etc. etc. But it was so much fun to see a famous comedian and at the Fox Theatre of all places.

After the show we were both pretty hungry so we drove to Charlie's...a pub near Matt's work and shared a sandwich and fries. We caught just enough of the last half of the Celtics v. Hawks game for me to think the Celtics would win it. Pleasantly surprised I was to find out the Hawks pulled it off thanks to a technical and 3 needed points. On to game 7 now.

It was a fun night but Matt seems to be suffering repercussions. He's been out of commission ALL DAY!! We didn't drink that much so I don't believe he's hung-over. It's either a reaction to our late post show meal or he's really come down with a bug. Yesterday I felt a bit achy with flu like symptoms but so far they haven't gotten me down.

Hopefully he'll perk up in the next hour or so because we have tickets to Creedence Clearwater Revival tonight at the Villages Amphitheater in Fayetteville tonight.

is this a foodie blog?

Flank Steak with Snap-Pea and Asparagus Stir-Fry
my serving (this is actually a small plate even though it looks pretty big in the picture)



the kids version
Dinner was good. I normally have a problem with overcooking any steak I make because I overestimate how long I think it should cook. This time I adjusted a bit and it turned out great. The peas and asparagus were very spicy due to the red pepper flakes and I used beef broth instead of plain water when I cooked the rice. It was (as Tyler says) "delish."

As I look back through my postings I notice I talk a lot about food. It has become a passion for me...trying new recipes and tweaking them occasionally. I'm very blessed that I have the time and support to be able to plan weekly menus and put together healthy meals for my family. Thanks Matt for letting me keep this a priority...along with everything else that staying home to raise my kids entails. And in confessing to being a "foodie" here's a few other blogs I'm "addicted" too.
http://www.carrotsncake.com/
http://goodthymesandgoodfood.blogspot.com/
http://mizfitonline.com/

And since this started off as a blog about the going ons of the fam I suppose I'll mention a bit about our typical Thursday we just had. Lauren had school and learned about the letter "Y". She's pretty excited to finally get to "Z". She's asking me how many naps until they will learn the last letter of the alphabet. Since she only has 2 more weeks of school (4 school days) I assured her it would be very soon. While she was at school Tyler and I went to church so I could volunteer. When I picked him up from the children's area they said that he didn't smile at all. All he said was "no" the whole time. Apparently my kids are a bit on the "not so social" side. Oh well....they're still cute though.

Back home the kids took a nap and I FINALLY finished "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice. I have been reading this book FOREVER. And I have to say I'm soooo disappointed by the ending but I'm very glad to be done with it. My next book will be one that requires no effort or thought.

The kids have had their baths and are in bed now and I'm watching Survivor waiting for Matt to get home. He should be home within the next couple of hours or so.

And tomorrow night we are seeing Seinfeld at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Matt bought us tickets for my up-coming birthday. YAY!!