chronicles of a southern scrapper

currently...

2012-01-26T21:43:00.001-05:00

time: 7:15 p.m. on thursday evening

feeling: frustrated that coleman just broke his fireman hat (that he loves) because he was acting psycho and hitting it with a plastic bat. and that i didn't have the umph to stop him.

watching: olivia

listening: coleman singing "the itsy bitsy spider"

wondering: how he can rationalize that he can't take his medicine while he's pooping, yet he manages to play baseball while pooping???

hoping: that he does OK at daycare tomorrow. pretty sure he's feeling well and will be fine, but there's always that fear.

wishing: tomorrow's weather was forecasted to be better than it is.

eating: nothing. ate a spaghetti taco for supper though.

drinking: a glass of wine. white zin. which i don't normally drink. but the bottle was open and it's light. and i'm pretty sure a dry wine would wreak havoc on my recently-healed sinuses.

waiting: for coleman's bedtime. don't judge, i've been stuck inside with my little munchkin for 2 1/2 days. no help. no break. no daylight. if i want bedtime, i think i'm justified.

planning: for a busy day tomorrow. mentally preparing.

laughing: because i thought i could do this post spontaneously. coleman had other ideas...the post had to wait until after bedtime, but we had this awesome webcam photo shoot, so it's all good...

the silver lining

2012-01-25T09:04:00.001-05:00

today, i am on round three of cabin fever and figured it would be a good time to focus on my blessings.

today i am thankful that...

:: coleman's meds are kicking in

:: we have good health insurance and didn't have to think twice about two dr visits within a few days of each other

:: my boss has a family and is understanding of my having to be home (again)

:: despite the cabin fever, we have a home that is cozy and i love being here. even when feeling yucky.

:: we have a DVR. and iPhones. sick day entertainment at its laziest.

:: the three bouts of sickness have been separated by a few days so I could at least make an appearance at the office.

:: i can do some work from home as coleman allows or after he's in bed.

:: his illness and mood could be a lot worse. he has handled it all relatively well.

:: matt was able to take him to both of his dr appointments

project life

2012-01-17T21:08:00.000-05:00

i feel a little cliche, but i've jumped on the bulging bandwagon...i'm tackling project life.

on the off-chance that you've been hanging around here for several years, you may recall some similar attempts.

back in 2008, i tried taking a photo a day. i added digital journaling and printed the snapshots, adding them to a regular photo album. i didn't finish.

in 2009, i purchased becky higgins' project 365 kit and tried it that way. i didn't finish. i made it to august, if i recall correctly.

though it was disappointing that neither project lasted the full 365...i don't regret tackling them. i was able to capture everyday memories in a unique fashion. and that's worth something, regardless of how long it lasted.

so where does that leave me for 2012?

my key word for this project is *realistic*. my expectations have to be just that. here is where i am with this project...

:: i have not purchased any new products. despite the temptation of becky's awesome assortment, i'm working with what i have leftover from the 2009 kit. if i'm still going strong by the time these are gone, then i will "reward" myself with new stuff. and believe it or not, i'm totally ok knowing that the pages won't match.

:: i'm keeping it simple, simple, simple. my focus is on completing the documentation. no frills. no fuss.

:: i'm not worrying about taking a photo a day. i'm concentrating on documenting the week. i will use whatever photos are available (whether a lot or a few). i will add in pieces of life and varying levels of journaling.

:: i must be flexible. if things go spiraling out of control, i may do a two-page spread that captures two weeks or a month. and that will be okay.

:: i vow to offer myself grace and forgiveness in this project. this is supposed to be fun.

from this project, i hope to gain a few things. the obvious one is the finished project of having our family's life well-documented. i am also hoping it will help me to slow down a bit and better capture the little things. and maybe, as a result, better appreciate those little blessings. i also hope that it will help force me to prioritize a little creative time each week. a piece that's been lacking in my life for quite a while now.

here's to a third time's a charm. cheers.

one little word: grace

2012-01-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

despite not feeling the drive to reflect on last year's goals and set out a list of specific resolutions, i do feel compelled to choose a word for 2012. i'm not sure why, but i do.

i've mulled over it a few times these past few weeks. i've made lists and was pretty sure i had a word. and then it hit me...two weeks into the new year. i was totally off-base and the word just showed up. which is kind of what i would expect it to do. so when it did, i didn't really question it.

my word is grace.

strangely enough, i always thought of this word as a characteristic of a person ("graceful"). it wasn't until the last year that i started to understand it in a biblical sense. the act of grace.

other words that i considered for this were adequate...but they were either action words ("balance") or implied searching for something ("contentment"). but grace...grace has already been given to me. everyday. by Him.

my struggle is granting myself grace. (and accepting grace of others.)

i read something this week that really hit home for me. it was about subtracting things from our lives at the new year, rather than focusing on what we can add*. the last thing i need in my life right now is more.

but i do need more grace...given to me, from me.

yes, i have struggles and things to work out. but in the grand scheme of things...my life is good. and i need to remember that. one reason i can't see it is because i can't get past the flaws and the faults and the mistakes of everyday life.

so in 2012, i will grant myself grace.

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"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:8-9

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in case you are curious...

last year's word was focus

in 2010, i began my year with the word strive

but then changed it mid-year to balance

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if you are unfamiliar with the concept of *one little word* i recommend checking out ali edwards' blog here: one little word

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*oddly enough, what i read that inspired me was also written by ali edwards. appropriate. it was part of her newsletter series. highly recommend signing up (it's free).

moving forward...

2012-01-14T15:41:00.000-05:00

i started writing a post reflecting back through 2011 and how i did with the goals i set a year ago. but in reality, my heart wasn't in it. i've also contemplated a long post of goals for 2012...and again, my heart is not there. it's not that i don't care about my past or my future. but i'm busy, and have been for awhile. and i'm pushing along in survival mode.

i wish i was able to blog more, but when i do blog... i want my heart to be there. so, i didn't do a recap of my goals or favorite photos or highlights of 2011. i'm just rolling on...

i do have some things for 2011 that are top of mind and i'd consider "goals". i don't have a formal list, but they are in my mind and my heart. oh, what the hay, i'll go ahead and throw out a quick list...

organize. purge. home projects. balance. project life. pinch pennies. cut calories. move more. communicate. love. kindness. intentional. grace.

really, it's not much different than any other year.

here's to a (late) start to the new year. cheers.

merry christmas

2011-12-25T06:43:00.001-05:00

from our family, to yours...

tis the season: santa - round three

2011-12-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

round three with santa clause...and in this case, mrs. clause as well (isn't that precious???)...

this time we didn't even try to get coleman to play along (i totally would've, but matt's a wimp and wasn't willing to test c's patience in a fancy smancy room full of respectable adults!).

so...what's a girl to do when there is a santa, mrs. clause, and no willing child? well, she's to force her teenage stepson to pose with her of course! he's such a good sport!

tis the season: deck the halls

2011-12-21T22:17:00.000-05:00

i'm gonna be honest...decorating has been a tough thing this year. i lacked my normal motivation and christmas spirit. the thought of certain decorating tasks felt like....well, tasks! i wanted our home to feel like christmas with the warm glow and scents, like it always does. but executing it was a different story. add in to this that our floors were being redone in the middle of december...on the main floor of our home...where most of the decorating is done...yeah, that really helped with the motivation.

so, i took a more minimalist approach...focused on the things that bring happiness to our little crew of four. things moved more slowly than normal, but eventually we got to a point of a decorated home, though much less glamorous than past years.

coleman had this tree in his room last year but didn't pay it any mind. but this year, i decided to put it on a small chair at his level (rather than on his bookshelf). i gotta give myself props...good move! it made all the diffference. he was so excited and proud of his little tree that he decorated all by himself. it didn't matter that there were trees in the house nine times as tall as his, with sparkling lights...all that mattered was this was his tree.

earlier this year, i lucked out and finally found the fisher price nativity scene (even got it for a great price at target!). i was a tiny bit worried that maybe coleman was getting too old for it. but that was unnecessary. he loves it. our windowsill in the breakfast nook is the perfect toddler-height spot for it.

after a long day of decorating...these two were pooped out, apparently (but i pressed on!)...

these lights here...they have been the heartache of the season. the garland on the stairs was stripped of its old lights and restrung. this photo was taken right afterwards when all was working. it didn't last for long. the bottom half went out first...and now, as i type this, the garland is completely burnt out. and i don't have the "umph" in me to restring it. again.

the pre-lit fake tree upstairs...similar story. multiple parts of it were no longer lit. matt, spencer and i all struggled to fix it. we tried everything we could. no luck. ultimately, i restrung the top portion of the tree so it would look presentable from the entrance of the house and left the rest (the only way you'd see the back of the tree is to go into coleman's or our bedroom). but alas, another portion of the tree has sense burnt out. needless to say, this normally gorgeous display of twinkle is looking pretty dim this year.

but let's move on to more positive things...

coleman was totally into putting ornaments on the tree this year. it's nice to have an enthusiastic helper again. (spencer still plays along but his heart just isn't in it like it used to be!).

and this photo just makes me smile...this is an empty reel (designed to hold christmas lights) and a pot holder destined for good will. he insisted on playing with them both and kept saying "it's a party". cracks me up.

and proof that spencer does still help with a smile...here he's putting the ceremonious first ornament on our live tree.

and here is our posed picture. every year we make matt hang one ornament...and he has to do it slowly so i can capture a photo. future generations will have false illusions that matt actually participated in the christmas decorating activities.

tis the season: santa - round two

2011-12-20T20:40:00.001-05:00

this was coleman's second meeting of santa this christmas season.

the event: a morning event hosted by matt's company

the attempt: matt's willingness to sit with santa also

the hope: just one good photo. maybe? sort of?

the outcome: good enough :)

at least there were no tears...

and one photo where his head isn't buried.

baby steps.

tis the season: christmasville

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

several years ago, our city began hosting a christmas festival called christmasville. matt and i were immediately fans. (matt loves the city, i love fesitvals. perfect match). with spencer being older when it first began, we have struggled to find things for everyone. this year was no different. coleman was old enough to enjoy some pieces...and we just drag spencer along for the ride.

we did some shopping with local vendors. we checked out the gingerbread house contest (always one of spencer's highlights). we toughed out a long line so coleman could take a train ride...and it was worth it. look at this face....

and these faces aren't too bad either...

the last thing we did was catch a dog comedy show. it was pretty darned entertaining! i think we all enjoyed it! here are my boys in the audience...

tis the season: penland tree farm

2011-12-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

one of the reasons i love the holiday season so much is because of traditions. christmastime just screams "family traditions", and i'm not quoting hank williams, jr. here. i'm all about trying new things, but i also adore finding something that works and sticking with it. making memories each year. passing those things on to new little folks and even new generations...

penland tree farm is one of those meanignful traditions for our family. it's only a few years old (see, to find awesome traditions, you have to be willing to try something new!!). all four of us love and look forward to choosing our tree there.

instagram photos; collage created in diptic app

it's not just the christmas trees. it's the ambience. the overall experience. the free hot chocolate and coffee (spencer's favorite) and the bonfire. it's the huge hill for climbing. it's the incredibly nice staff and even the reasonable prices. (though i would gladly overpay for the tree to get the experience).

i adore this photo of matt. i don't even remember why exactly he laughing so hard but i love that i captured a moment of true joy.

and this is the hill. the hill that creates a battle with coleman every year when it's time to leave. but it's worth it. the boys have a blast, despite the decade between them. they go home filthy, happy and exhausted.

what big brother does...

...so goes little brother...

...monkey see, monkey do...

and the photo of the day goes to this snapshot.

in full disclosure: this was edited. the original photo included the silhouette and the sunset. but i tweaked it in PSE7 to make it a bit more dramatic. so sue me.

career mama: a new low

2011-12-16T16:15:00.001-05:00

so, i may have just reached a whole new low. or maybe a high. depends on your perspective, i suppose.

i just made goody bags for the daycare christmas party. in the car. while driving. including curly ribbon. and when I realized I didn't have scissors within reach (because they are in the car somewhere), I just used my pocket knife. cuz I'm classy like that. (and yes it worked...curled like a charm).

for what it's worth, this wasn't my original intent. I brought the stuff to work thinking I'd whip them up there. I have no idea WHY I thought that, other than I must've been smoking some mighty fine crack. When I left work early, i figured I'd run my errands and throw the bags together at home before hitting the party...and then I hit the interstate, which greatly resembled a parking lot. at that point my brain went into improv mode. by the time my speedometer hit 60, I had one wrapped teacher gift and 8 goody bags adorned with redneck-curled ribbon

final analysis of this experience:
+2 points for thinking quickly and finding a solution
-10 points for doing something so stupid while driving
+5 points for pocket knife use
-4 points for being lazy and not having done the bags the night before
+3 points for sharing my new low in a public forum so other moms can feel better about themselves
-3 points for typing this post while driving
+2 points for actually writing a blog post at all.
+3 points for actually using numbers and the word "analysis" in a post about goody bags
+2 good behavior points for not flipping off the suburban in front me going 60 in the left lane.

Did you do the math? It's a wash. But the bags are done and I'm alive.

tradition {letters from santa}

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

a couple of years ago, i discovered the most amazing website that sends letters from santa to your child(ren). the price is reasonable and letters can be entirely customized by you. they come in a shiny package with authentic north pole postmark.

spencer with the letter from santa - 2009

spencer was already eleven years old when i first began this and he was still pretty excited about it. even last year, at 12, he thought it was cool. he enjoyed opening the letter and reading it to his little brother.

photos from letter arrival 2010

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disclaimer: i have no affiliation with this site, nor have i received any free product from them. i simply think it's awesome and would highly recommend it to anyone to help bring the spirit of santa into your home.

celebrate {july 2011}

2011-12-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

celebrate {big moments}

happy independence day with multiple celebrations
we celebrated my 33rd birthday
reached 1,000 on my one thousands gifts list

celebrate {little moments}

we all went shopping at ikea - mainly for work
the end of spencer's spring/summer baseball season
spencer tried out for fall baseball
neighborhood playground

celebrate {struggles}

i had two more flat tires. no, not on the same day.
almost house fire
laptop died

celebrate {family}

wrapped up our family beach vacation
fourth of july at britt's house - cookout, pool

celebrate {friends}

fourth of july shindig at the chandler home
fireworks and water play time with the monks
spencer's friend, heath, spent the night
coleman and i went on a park playdate with cassidy and giada

celebrate {home}

captured a week in the life (in photos via iphone + instagram)
matt tried diligently to clean our home of the smoky smell
organized some of spencer's old school work

'tis the season: daniel stowe botanical gardens

2011-12-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

while michelle & maggie were in town for thanksgiving, us girls (and coleman) decided to do something christmasy. we looked over our options and chose to drive up to daniel stowe botanical gardens. it had been a few years since i had been (and this was coleman's first go 'round). i knew he'd love it. it's all about running around outside and checking out awesome christmas lights...what rambunctious toddler wouldn't love that???

as soon as we arrived, we hopped over to see santa clause. coleman wasn't a fan last year and i wasn't expecting much this time, but why not try??? i went to santa, so he followed, but on the other side of me (see top photo below). he was forced to walk in front of him and gladly took the offered candy cane...but that was it.

later, after we were back inside, aunt sherry had her photo taken with santa (standing up casually, not a "formal" setting). i seized the opportunity to sneak up beside santa. there was a little more interaction this time. still apprehensive but no tears and an overall good experience. we were lucky that santa is so kind and wonderful with children! maybe this positive experience will help coleman warm up to the jolly ole fellow!

all photos taken on my iphone 4 and edited with the instagram and diptic apps.

celebrate {coleman - november 2011}

2011-11-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

coleman...so full of personality. i love all of the awesome and quirky things you say. here's a little piece of who you are. right now.

"my pennies" a new found fascination with coins. all of which you call "pennies". you will dig and search to find them wherever you can. line them up. stuff them in your pockets. count them.

"no" a favorite word these days...full of attitude and defiance. despite that adorable face, you are quite the handful. you are independent and so very strong-willed. i love that you have these characteristics. seriously. they make our everyday life quite difficult. you are testing and pushing...and your dear mama just isn't the most patient chicadee in the world. i won't lie. it's tough. but you know what? it will be worth it. i want you to be strong and independent. if that means a few battles along the way, i'm ready.

"more candy, mommy?" you have realized the awesomeness of tasty treats...and you apparently have a nice little sweet tooth. this made the concept of trick-or-treating quite appealing. you thought it was pretty cool that you could just go to people's door and they'd hand you more and more candy! you particularly love lollipops and ring pops (a treat that you learned to associate with baseball games). you immediately point to the concession stand, knowing it's the temple that holds your special treat! you also took a liking to candy corn and i even caught you climbing on the kitchen counter to get the bowl i'd already hidden from you!

"no pockets?" you insist on only wearing pants with pockets. sometimes when you have on your pj's you will look down and say "no pockets???" with a confused tone. this usually leads to a request for clothes. i have to carefully check your pockets when i do laundry. there's no telling what i might find - pennies, rocks, acorns, scraps of paper...

"my bag" you love to put things into bags and containers. you will hijack any bag you see, whether it's a ziploc bag, grocery bag, pocketbook, tote bag, suitcase...it doesn't matter. at night, we often have to search through your bags to see what you may have tucked away in them.

"handy dandy notebook" it took awhile, but it seems mickey mouse has moved to second place. blue's clues is your new favorite show. you are so adorable, mimicking the motions and singing the songs. but your favorite part is the handy dandy notebook. you have accumulated a variety of them...basically small notebooks and pads that we've given you. you draw and write in them all the time!

the little details...you are wearing size 3T clothes and an 8 in shoes. you wear size 5 diapers/pull-ups. you still do not go potty at home. you don't use a pacifier anymore, but you like to have at least one in your crib. you tend to nibble and graze on your food. you nap better in daddy's recliner than you do in your crib.

celebrate {june 2011}

2011-11-22T21:22:00.001-05:00

disclaimer: i realize how ridiculously late this is. and though it would be easy to walk away from these monthly recaps, i truly want them documented here - regardless of punctuality. so, i will press on...even if they are six months late.

celebrate {big moments}

nephews on both sides of the family graduated from high school
family beach vacation, including a baseball tournament
spencer and i went on a helicopter ride

celebrate {little moments}

spencer had three baseball tournaments
coleman had a field trip to the petting zoo; spencer had a field trip to the real zoo
spencer wrapped up his sixth grade year
we all watched the gamecocks win another college world series
got a facial (mother's day gift) and pedicure (for the beach)
coleman and i planted some basil seeds

celebrate {struggles}

our neighbor spent some time in the hospital
i got a flat tire
i dealt with the hassles of an office move
coleman got a haircut (long story)

celebrate {family}

mom, michelle, marion and maggie were in town for a weekend
we celebrated father's day
spencer was with us a lot and we loved it!

celebrate {friends}

lots of pool time in the yard with friends and neighbors
plenty of visits from scott, cameron and xander

technology wonders

2011-11-19T15:25:00.001-05:00

yesterday i realized that google had FINALLY released a blogger app for the iPhone. i posted about spencer from the charlotte airport using a photo i'd snapped on my phone last weekend. (the app needs some improvements but it's free and at least it exists).

i upgraded my iPhone to the new software and i'm slowly figuring out this *icloud* thing.

today i write this message from seat 29E aboard a delta flight back from atlanta. wi-fi on planes = awesome. i'm also listening to glee music...which is awesome too. what's not awesome is that i'm two weeks behind on watching the show...but i digress.

yesterday, one of the highlights was a text message from my 19 year old nephew who said he wanted to swing by for a visit on sunday...I haven't seen him since he left for college in august. awesome.

last night at dinner, all of the traveling career mamas shared photos of their little ones that were being texted by their hubbies. (see photo below).

yes, i could list a million ways that technology is bad for society, but really...it's just badass.

thank you techie geniuses for creating super coolness.

adios from somewhere over south carolina.

(post written "in air" yesterday but failed to publish...maybe technology isn't that great...)

celebrate spencer {november 2011}

2011-11-17T10:35:00.001-05:00

spencer has had quite an interesting two months.

he flabbergasted every adult in his life when he got sent to the principal's office. and then we shrugged it off when we realized it was all a little silly.

then he got sent again. and was written up. and got iss (in school suspension). this time it wasn't quite so funny.

but he has gotten his act together. for now.

his first report card of the year brought 3 As and 1 B in his academic classes. which means he made the honor roll and we got to attend a recognition breakfast. it was a small cozy event honoring 250+ kids. what?!?! apparently his school is really smart.

but the recent highlight was spencer's performance on day one of his baseball tournament last weekend. the last one of the year.

he pitched. an entire game. seven innings. his first time doing that. the first time his coach had ever let a player do that. it was awesome. I still get misty-eyed thinking about. we are so ridiculously proud.

31 days: happy halloween

2011-10-31T10:35:00.000-04:00

happy halloween

today marks the end of "31 days"...again, my apologies for not being able to keep up. i hope you will forgive me. look at the adorable face above...how can you not be in a forgiving mood???

story: the photo above is my sister's attempt to rectify our lack of pumpkin patch photos this year. we have tried FIVE times to get to a pumpkin patch (an annual tradition in our family). each one has failed. i'm not sure what happened, but apparently it wasn't meant to be! so, coleman picked a pumpkin at aunt sherry's house.

31 days: daycare life

2011-10-29T13:01:00.004-04:00

one of the things that i love about the lady that watches coleman is that she sends me photos on my phone. it's always a welcome bright spot in my day. these are all photos sent back in june...

learning with your baby can read

best buddies

doing puzzles

painting

bless this food...

31 days: coleman's summer portrait

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

one of the things i love about the in-home daycare that coleman attends is that she goes above and beyond. sometimes it's the little things, ya know? and one of those little things is the fact that she tries to get someone to take the kids' portraits once or twice a year. love that.

this is coleman's portrait from early summer (pre-haircut). he has such a sweet look on his face, dontcha think??? love that he is wearing a hat (a current obsession). love that he is wearing a nautica polo shirt just like his daddy. and of course, love that he has the ball and bat. (fyi - i did not know the ball/bat were going to be in the photo so no one can accuse me of intentionally matching his outfit to them!!!)

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this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

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31 days: current road trip

2011-10-21T21:19:00.001-04:00

this morning, coleman and i hit the road...headed to conway to visit family. despite how much i love and adore coleman, i have to be honest...he has been a handful lately. he is the epitome of "terrible twos" and is testing us on a regular basis.

matt had a seriously tough day with coleman yesterday. particularly in the car. though we've made this trip many times, i was quite worried...

but it was unwarranted. he was a perfect angel for the entire drive. he slept for over half of it and then we spent the rest of the time singing and dancing to some fun music.

and our first few hours in conway were easy peasy as well. and then it was time to leave. coleman has given me some trouble getting into his carseat...but only on occasion. and we can usually work our way through it. not so much this time. he fought me so hard, i could not physically restrain him long enough to get him buckled. what a nightmare. i don't know how long it actually took. it felt like an hour. i'm sure it was much less...but we eventually made it.

and then he was fine. here he is enjoying a yummy snack. waiting for the parade to start. wearing my sunglasses. of course.

back at the house. dirty boy all cleaned up. chilling with aunt michelle's ipad. we sent this picture to daddy as a christmas hint... (love that michelle has one of the old toy phones that was a small character in toy story three. coleman also loves it).

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: my birthday

2011-10-20T11:00:00.002-04:00

the other day i had to stop and do the math to figure out how old i was. seriously. i'm pretty sure that's a sign that you are getting old. when you can't remember how old you are. ouch.

anyway, i turned 33 (i think) back in july. i documented the day via instagram photos...my favorite cheater's way of memory keeping.

every birthday has to start off with a coffee treat (well, at least my birthdays do). i went big - venti chai latte. this is my newest froo-froo drink of choice when the pumpkin spice latte is not in season.

lunch. time for another treat. my favorite is mexican but since i knew we'd be doing that for supper, i went with some tasty chinese take out. i needed something quick.

and my birthday outfit. new cardigan - love the bright color and fun ruffle. the pretty scarf was a birthday gift from my mom -- seemed appropriate to wear on my actual birthday, right?

unfortunately, work doesn't wait for birthday celebrations, so the bulk of my day was pretty typical.

a little inside joke here. coleman went through a phase where he started calling me "maw maw". we have no idea why, but luckily it was short-lived. spencer & matt thought it was hilarious. these signs greeted me when i got home. (maybe i should have this photo as the wallpaper on my phone so i will remember how old i am!)

spencer made me this special birthday "card" which is actually a full 12"x12" size. he raided my scrapbook supplies. i told him the most impressive thing was the fact that he got in and out of that room alive and managed to find enough supplies to create something!

holly + birthday = mexican food. yay! i could eat this everyday. almost. no, definitely.

when we got home from eating, matt surprised me with a birthday cake! (i forgot to snap a photo before the candles were blown out and removed).

and no celebration is complete without fireworks, right? no? that's not normal? well, when your birthday is the week after the fourth of july, sometimes you get lucky and have leftovers!

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: pinterest

2011-10-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

since i haven't made posting a priority (well, it's a priority in my head, but the execution...not so great). anyway... i thought i would share what i have been doing with my time. with some help from pinterest. which is rocking my world right now.

flooring: once again, matt and i are trying to tackle the decision for new flooring in our main living area. we tried this once already and never pulled the trigger. because i suck at making big irreversible decisions. (and i suck at not using the word "suck").

we have dark cabinets. i want white. but i can't have them, so we are trying to find the best solution. wish us luck. we need it. this is a time sucker. numerous trips to lowe's and home depot + too much time online looking for inspiration. not to mention i'm getting a crick in my neck from staring down at our floor for long periods of time.

studio: an ongoing struggle is the room in our house that was a scrapbook studio in a previous life. now it's a disaster begging for some serious TLC. my birthday present was for matt to help me get it in order with some new shelving, etc. my birthday was in july. i've struggled with decision making here too (see a common theme?). the good news is that i think i finally know what i want. i feel a trip to ikea coming...

organization: i have been in a serious purging mood the last few months. and that is awesome!!! it is such a good feeling to drop off a car full of crap to goodwill. and i'm not done. i've been tackling small organization/purging projects and it's paying off...slowly but surely.

fashion: not all of my attention has been on our house. i've also been kind of obsessed with fashion lately, though i have no idea why. stripes and cardigans and plaid button downs and tall brown boots and splashes of color. happiness. i have a (childless) shopping excursion planned for this weekend. kind of excited.

come follow me on pinterest. it's fun!

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: i suck

2011-10-18T09:31:00.000-04:00

so, i tried to tackle this 31 days of chronicles posting thing. but i suck. (that's a word i use a lot. and i shouldn't. because it sucks. see...there i go, again. seriously, it's obnoxious. i need to stop saying it. i think i remember my dad used to fuss at me for using it. i guess some habits die hard.)

today i should be posting the 18th post of the month. but i'm not, because i ~~suck~~ stink. this is actually only my 12th post. and the ones i did do...most were backdated.

and i'm not any more caught up on photo editing from june, july, august or september. that's right. i'm over four months behind in my "photo process". ugh.

hopefully you will forgive me. i will try to do better over the next two weeks. but seriously - i'm not making any promises.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: the plan

2011-10-14T15:20:00.002-04:00

you know how it's said that God laughs when we make plans. that's kind of the world we live in right now.

we had planned to take the boys down to a cool corn maze next friday. then we found out he already had plans at his mother's house.

then we planned to get him out of school early today in order to do this. then we found out he was sick.

we had planned to spend our weekend at a baseball field this weekend...but again, he is sick.

i had planned to make good use of a day off today. but i woke up with a migraine, had a long wait at the dr's office and spent much more time working than you should on your "day off."

i had planned to be in orlando next week for a business trip. but today it was cancelled.

we had planned for coleman to take a mid-day nap, but he's asleep in matt's recliner right now (late afternoon).

none of these things are earth shattering. but they sure do show you that planning is almost pointless. at least to a degree.

no worries. this type-a, calendar-loving chick will never stop trying to plan. but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

happy weekend everyone.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: vacation in instagram

2011-10-10T21:14:00.002-04:00

prior to our beach vacation in late june, i became smitten with the instagram app on my iphone. i love it's simplicity, ease and just super level of coolness.

but ultimately...i love the freedom. when i make the decision to document something with my iphone and/or instagram, the level of guilt and responsibility gently slips away...

and so, i present...our beach vacation via instagram photos (a few of the many i took):

no beach vacation is complete without a preliminary pedicure...

and in my house, vacation is synonymous with overplanning and overpacking...

the drive down -- plenty of techie entertainment for the whole family...

the view from our hotel (two night stay, baseball tournament)

the best view of the week. ahhhh, relaxation....

signs of summer. and the beach. and a little toddler exploring the sand.

big boys finding water entertainment....

a week full of college world series games...couldn't ask for better vacation entertainment....

goofiness at a new favorite restaurant...

(thanks for the recommendation michelle!)

the boys exploring the ocean...

the tastiest southern treat around (at this point, i didn't know this would come close to ruining my house!)

surviving the drive home with a little dance party....

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this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: splish splash

2011-10-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

coleman did not have much exposure to the beach or pool prior to our beach trip this year (i mean, other than the prior year's beach trip). the vacation began with a natural level of tentativeness. he liked the idea of the water, but just wasn't quite comfortable with all that water (and that it comes towards him). it didn't take him long (less than two days, actually) to completely change his tune.

we went from a tepid water watcher to an aggressive wave jumper! as a result, he loved any opportunity to swim after that. these two videos were taken at matt's brother's house on the fourth of july...just a few days after returning from our vacation.

you will notice the "thing" he's wearing (i have NO idea what it's called). this was recommended by one of matt's coworkers. i bought it but was 100% convinced that coleman would pitch a fit the first time we tried to put it on him. BOY, was i wrong. it was perfect. though it looks incredibly uncomfortable, it allows a great level of freedom (aka - flotation) and movement in the water. much better than the old school swimmies.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: a shared first

2011-10-08T20:20:00.000-04:00

our summer vacations to the beach are pretty routine. we stay at the same beach house (my brother-in-law's). we sleep in the same bedrooms. we spend our days doing the same things (pool and beach). we even tend to eat at the same restaurants (hello, japanese steakhouse!). and in most cases we don't fall victim to the tourist traps.

but, this year was different. it seemed everywhere we went, we passed signs for "cheap" helicopter rides. i'm not stupid, i knew there was a catch. but it was obvious that it had caught spencer's attention.

and he had never done it. and i had never done it. (and matt is scared of heights, which is cool because someone has to watch the tot, right???)

and so we did it. and we fell victim to the "upgrade". and spencer loved it. and i loved it. and together, we shared a first.

seeing the myrtle beach coastline from the air is not an everyday opportunity. and neither is bonding with a twelve-year-old boy. it was money well-spent and i'm so glad that spencer and i were able to share our first whirly-bird experience together.

sidenote: it totally freaked coleman out to watch spencer and i get up on the helicopter and fly off.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: hot now

2011-10-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

our family has a weak spot for krispy kreme doughnuts.

we don't have any locally, so when we are on trips it's impossible to resist the hot now sign. healthy...not so much. delicious? oh heck yeah!

april 2008 -- charleston, sc

it's such a nice treat, not something you get everyday. and nothing beats getting a hot doughnut straight off the conveyer belt!

june 2011 - myrtle beach, sc

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: brightening my day

2011-10-06T06:26:00.000-04:00

it's been a tough couple of weeks at work. super busy. few breaks - physical or mental or emotional.

sometimes (or alway), when things get tough...you have to take matters into your own hands.

so earlier this week, i grabbed these two recent photos off my iphone and printed them.

on crappy office paper. and stuck them to my office wall. with tape. no frame. no frills.

and you know what? they make me smile and breathe a little easier every time i look at them.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: one of the big boys

2011-10-05T13:53:00.000-04:00

it's no surprise that coleman idolizes his big brother.

and it's not really that surprising that spencer is a great brother, tolerating coleman most of the time.

and it's no surprise that coleman became obsessed with baseball after watching his big brother.

or that he wants to be "one of the big boys".

what's surprising is how cool the "big boys" happen to think coleman is.

we are lucky that spencer's baseball team not only tolerates, but enjoys coleman...who is now lovingly referred to as the team mascot.

top photo taken during the spring/summer season of 2011;

second photo taken at the beginning of the fall 2011 season.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: moments missed

2011-10-04T06:43:00.000-04:00

it's not ideal that i spend my days in an office, rather than raising my son. but we are truly blessed to have a kind and loving caretaker for coleman when are working (that's her in the yellow shirt up there).

and you see that adorable little guy in the wifebeater and clashing hat??? yeah, he's mine. all mine. i love him all the way from his bad hair cut to his dirty little toes! but i digress...

i struggle with not staying home with coleman. it's a luxury we can't afford, and in the spirit of complete honesty, i'm not sure i'm emotionally or mentally capable of pulling off the stay-at-home-mom gig. but, i often have regrets and worries.

i think of things i did with spencer, when he was coleman's age, and i'm sad that i am finding it such a struggle to make time for the same things now. and he has milestones, and i miss them.

this is one of those. he had two field trips close together this summer. i was able to go on one, but not the second. i didn't realize until i got this picture on my phone that the field trip would involve a pony ride. his first pony ride. and i missed it. and horses are kind of a big deal to me. you know, in my "i think i was a cowgirl in a previous life" world.
when i chose to participate in this project, i was uneasy about it simply because this is a rather "public" forum and i honestly didn't think anyone cared to read about the ins-and-outs of our days... boring, right?

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on day one of october, i happed upon another blog doing a similar format and she included this quote. all i have to say is AMEN SISTA!!

“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” ~ Cyril Connolly

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: spencer's penguin

2011-10-03T13:40:00.000-04:00

this is george the penguin. not really. he doesn't have a name, but i feel like he should. so i am calling him george. which, in our house, is the "go to" name for random things. it's matt thing. my grandfather's name was george, so it's a little weird for me. but i digress.

last year, in sixth grade, spencer made this penguin in art, towards the end of the year. it's hard to get a twelve year old boy to talk much about school. but when they were working on this project, he talked about it frequently. you could tell he was excited about it. and i was excited to see the final product. and therefore felt obligated to photograph it.

i think spencer has a penguin fetish. it's not the first time he's chosen penguins as the subject of a class project. i wonder what the appeal is? regardless, i think george is adorable.

and now he's the most over-photographed clay penguin around...

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: one sister, one aunt.

2011-10-02T06:30:00.000-04:00

michelle.

my older sister. the middle sibling.

aunt to the boys.

she lives a few hours away.
close enough to be convenient.
far enough away to be inconvenient.

she gives and asks nothing. she worries with her heart.
she loves my coleman and cherishes her time with him.
she tries to give me a break. sensing the need.

she accepts spencer as our own.
and has from day one.

an awesome sister.
an awesome aunt.
thanks michelle...you rock!!!

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 days: bo's graduation

2011-10-01T21:25:00.000-04:00

rewinding back to early june, my oldest nephew, Bo, graduated from high school. i experienced such mixed emotions - proud of his accomplishments, sad that he'd be heading out of town for college, worry for my sister as she said goodbye...and of course, the realization that i was old enough to have a nephew in college. really???

ultimately, the emotion that always swelled to the top was pride. headed to not just any college. but the citadel. as an athlete. just super proud of the man he has become. it's hard to even believe it, but he truly is a man. it even feels weird to use the term "nephew" because, for me, that is associated with a child.

at the risk of slipping into a ridiculously cheesy moment...i totally remember the day he was born. hours on end in the hospital waiting room. and then, finally the word that my sister would have to deliver via c-section. only fourteen years old with practically NO knowledge of childbirth, i fell apart. my mom and a nurse, rushing to my aid (um, after giving birth, i realize how ridiculous this is...seriously, why were they worried about ME???). ginger ale and soothing words.

and to be honest, i don't remember the first moment i laid eyes on bo. i was fourteen, and selfish. instead, i remember the moment i walked into my sister's delivery room and she said "hey boo". a nickname i had not been called in years. a reassurance that, despite the new addition to her life, i was still there. her baby sister. and still important. i doubt she knew how important that one word, "boo", would've been at that moment. but, nineteen years later, it's clear as day. (and for what it's worth...the nineteen years since that day have fulfilled that moment's expectation...she's a freakin' AWESOME big sister).

so, in summary. congratulations bo. congratulations sherry & chip for raising an incredibly fine young man. despite making me feel old as dirt, i look forward to watching bo mature even more. bo, thanks for being funny and awesome and caring. we've always said he has an "old soul" and it still rings true.

*****************************************************************

this post is part of a thirty-one day series.

my goal is to get my story telling groove back.

photos + words = chronicles

find links to all the chronicles here

*****************************************************************

31 Days of Chronicles

2011-09-30T15:50:00.000-04:00

a short while ago, i happed upon something that was coming up in the blogosphere. it was "31 days of change". eight bloggers (a few of which i already follow) were participating during the month of october. they each had their own topic and would be posting daily about it on their own blog. the nester shared this post encouraging everyone to participate! (that same post also includes a list of the 8 main bloggers with links.)

i was immediately smitten. i brainstormed ideas of fantastic topics that would amuse the masses. and then reality hit. i can't even post a few times a month right now. i'm swamped with life. it's a fact. open your eyes. so i begrudgingly withdrew my fantasy of participating in this fun challenge.

but a few days ago, i decided i would settle on a happy medium. yes, i would love to use this challenge to get my blog groove back on, but it's just not realistic at this season in my life. but i miss blogging. and i miss writing. i miss sharing stories. i miss photos.

as a result, i have settled on thirty one days of chronicles. i have posted practically no photos or stories over the last three to four months (with the exception of week in the life in late july). so, this is a way to challenge myself to get back into the groove of prioritizing telling our story.

i am not focusing on any one topic in particular. anything that is happening in our lives or has happened in the last few months and i deem important enough to throw on my blog. i know these posts will not be entertaining or exciting to most. but if nothing else, hopefully it will get me back into the routine of blogging...possibly leading back to some more "meaty" content for any readers i may still have left.

i am also hoping it will help me get back into the groove of taking more photos...something i've really slacked with lately.

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if you are participating in 31 days, leave me a note - i'd love to check out your post!
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31 days of chronicles :: day by day

1 :: bo's graduation
2 :: one sister, one aunt
3 :: spencer's penguin
4 :: moments missed
5 :: one of the big boys
6 :: brightening my day
7 :: hot now
8 :: a shared first

celebrate {coleman - sept 2011}

2011-09-28T21:36:00.000-04:00

i have not been posting these monthly updates due to lack of pictures (multiple long stories there). this update is late, very late... and only comes with this one photo. an iphone (instagram) photo that i love and adore and cherish. it is so coleman. it captures everything that he is right now.

so here goes...long overdue:

my dear sweet coleman...

right now you are nothing short of amazing. your vocabulary grows daily. the rapid development stops me in my tracks, but your adorable words and sayings keep us entertained!

i love how you use certain words correctly but also sometimes incorrectly. one of your favorite words is "heavy". though you often use it properly, you also use it in place of the word "hard" or "difficult". if you are struggling with something, you will say it's "heavy". but you actually pronouce it "hovy"...almost with a british accent.

the other word you sometimes misuse is "fit". any time you don't like how something is happening, you will say "no fit. no fit".

you are obsessed with bags and pocketbooks. you will grab one and fill it with whatever. you will gather your toys. trash. anything that's not nailed down. and then proudly you prance around with your bag...daddy gets a little worried about this sometimes :)

despite my best attempts to prevent it, you are loving the wiggles. it's all about the music and dance moves. and honestly...despite the annoyance level that four color coordinated jiving british guys bring--i get it. i totally see the appeal. and many days i've walked around with a cheesy tune in my head. but it's all worth it to watch you "bust a move" in your white boy way.

our morning routine includes you playing with my makeup. despite how sleepy and/or grouchy you may be...it's the one thing that can (almost) always get you out of your rut. you usually end up looking like a colorful leopard, your cheeks spotted with a combination of mascara, foundation, blush and eye shadow.

counting is your thing right now. you count slow and steady with lots of drama. always with a pointing finger. i love it. you can go well into the teens, occassionally missing a number along the way. but overall, you are quite good!

little guy...you are my everything. thank you for being so dang cool.

video {coleman...our piano man}

2011-09-21T20:49:00.000-04:00

during this lapse of *real* blog posts...here is something to keep you entertained...
taken during our stint at a hotel, coleman doing an interpretive dance (and occasional singing) to billy joel's piano man. i'm a bit biased, but i think this is hilarious.

thirteen years

2011-09-15T06:30:00.000-04:00

today...spencer is thirteen years old. a teenager.

four weeks ago, he started seventh grade. though this is his second year of middle school, he changed schools...his is brand new. he is now a timberwolf! (i think it's super cool that the kids wore matching "opening day" shirts...pictured above). he even made the front page of the paper!

he's off to a great start. a few less-than-stellar grades at the very beginning have been followed up with consistently strong performance. the good grades...impressive. but the best news? he loves his new school and teachers. he struggled with his teachers last year and i think this change will make a huge difference.

back in july, spencer had to "try out" for the new season of his baseball team. (we were told it was more of a formality for returning players). he *made* the team and began practices a few weeks ago. same coach. many of the same players. a few new ones. he loves it. and tournaments start this weekend.

we are super proud of our him...hard to believe. thirteen years.

finding a happy place...

2011-08-29T14:38:00.000-04:00

hello out there...do y'all remember me? i can't believe how much i have not blogged this month. and i find that it's difficult to get back into the swing of things after such a long (though unintended) break. so, today i'm just writing for the heck of it...

ever since our almost-house-fire and our "soft goods" being returned at a time when we had no *time* to deal with them...well, our house has been a disaster. chaos. not a happy place.

but this weekend felt better. this weekend was good. matt was working nights (not the good part) and we didn't have spencer (also not the good part). but we had no plans. nothing going on. and it was a happy mixture of long overdue quality time with coleman and seriously needed productivity....

:: several loads of laundry

:: lots of morning cuddles and snuggles with my best little guy

:: new wire shelf liner + a little purging = a tidier kitchen pantry

:: coleman and i took an adventure into the woods and did some collecting (of pretty leaves, pinecones and bug bites)

:: finally, finally got our master closet back to normal...do you hear the angels singing???

:: morning coffee and play time with the neighbors

:: loaded PSE7 and iTunes onto the new laptop

:: coleman and i ate supper at the table like a real family...even if it was just the two of us

:: updated computer with email addresses and websites of spencer's new teachers

:: pool time for coleman and colton

:: tidied up and purged spencer's room

:: supper with neighbors

:: we made the slightest progress in coleman sitting on the potty

so there you have it. our low-key, git-r-done weekend.

week in the life {back story}

2011-08-16T20:58:00.000-04:00

if you followed my week in the life posts, then you know there has been a lot of rambling about our bad luck and "almost" house fire. i should've posted this story prior to beginning the daily week in the life updates...but, alas, i didn't.

so here we go... (warning: text heavy, no cute or fun photos).

it all began many moons ago, or maybe just a few weeks ago. it seems like a lifetime, at this point. i got an itchin' for some boiled peanuts (a tasty southern treat). i decided that purchasing them from our favorite roadside vendor was no longer acceptable and that it was time for me to step up and become the southern domestic goddess that would make my ~~husband~~, ~~mother-in-law~~, oh heck...it'd make someone proud!

though "boiling peanuts" seemed obvious, i decided i should check in with a few experts and asked my two sisters, who happen to be peanut boilin' pros, how to go about doing this... good thing i did. turns out you have to use green peanuts (who knew???). and so the hunt began...it took me a few weeks of calling and visiting every grocery store and roadside stand until i found my lovely green peanuts (which for the record, are not green...of course, right?).

somewhere in this couple of weeks is when a sane person would've just given up and bought some darned boiled peanuts. but, i found the elusive green peanuts and they were expensive and i was excited.

proud as a redneck having caught a big 'ole bass, i hopped in the car and headed home. i pulled out my biggest pot and started boiling away. now, for those of you that are not to my southern domestic goddess level, let me explain that boiled peanuts take several hours to reach their prime level of yumminess.

i was doing a fantabulous job of checking on my pet project. adding water and salt as necessary. things were going peachy. and then...

a few moments away from the oven and suddenly our precious home was full of smoke. just. like. that.

the boys were quickly ushered outside. a glance at the stove top showed the most bizarre thing we'd ever seen...the pot had melted. literally, there was liquid metal all over our stove.

the amount of smoke was unbelievable, making it so difficult to breathe. we never had flames, but the incident resulted in an unimaginable amount of smoke damage.

dear hubby spent his entire week off scrubbing, cleaning, trying desperately to restore our home to a livable state. but to no avail.

a week later, we gave in and filed an insurance claim. a few weeks later, we just spent our first night back in our clean home full of fresh, breathable air...after ten days in a hotel.

and that, my dear bloggy friends, was the reader's digest versin of our "almost" house fire.

week in the life {sunday ~ july 31}

2011-08-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

day seven...

this is coleman's new thing...taking everything out of my pocketbook, spreading it out on the kitchen floor and playing with it. the good thing is that it makes it easy to do a quick clean up of the contents. as a result, i've also found some pretty funny things later on (like a nickel stuck in a tub of lip gloss).

after several months, i finally hit *1000* on my list of one thousand gifts. what an awesome feeling. i have no plan to stop though.

this morning, i pulled out coleman's (very limited) selection of playdoh and toys. he desperately needs a real set of this stuff... he hasn't mastered the concept of playing with it yet, but he seemed to have fun and i'm sure he'll *get* it more if i actually remember to let him play with it more often.

and while coleman played with his playdoh, his mommy flipped through the newspaper ads.

and clipped coupons... i haven't been doing nearly as well with my couponing efforts as i used to...but i'm still clipping and saving money. saving something is better than paying full price, i suppose!

sunday afternoon, coleman and i went over to hang out with the monks (a summer weekend tradition). the boys played in the kiddie pool and the inflatable water slide. coleman and colton absolutely love this thing! they have a blast on it every weekend.

later on, inside, the boys snuggle together to watch a movie. this adorable moment actually didn't last long, but it was cute for a minute! the two of them do play really well together and it's nice that we are just two houses down. we ended up eating supper with tara and warren before heading home.

you can see all of my week in the life photos here at flickr.

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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week in the life {saturday ~ july 30}

2011-08-07T14:54:00.000-04:00

day six...

our morning snuggle time. coleman is playing with matt's iphone. while sitting in my lap.

in the car before 8:00 on a saturday morning...very unusual. though it feels kind of good to be up and at 'em that early. hit the mcdonald's drive through and picked up an iced coffee for myself and a strawberry lemonade for cassidy...

coleman playing on the slide at cedar crest park. we met cassidy and giada there for a playdate. we went super early (8:30), in the hopes of beating the obnoxious heat. the kiddos both had a good time. it's a great toddler-friendly park! i know i took a picture of giada but it disappeared. i can't find it!!! ugh! anyway... we lasted until about 10:00 and it really started to get toasty. it was great to catch up with cassidy. much overdue.

my outfit for the day. nothing very exciting.

coleman and i headed to old navy, after i realized i had a groupon that was expiring today. he was very good in the store (a huge improvement from our last shopping trip there). apparently, behaving that well must be really exhausting since he pooped out on the way home...cuddling with his new soccer ball.

i didn't buy much at old navy, but i saw this shirt on a mannequin as soon as i walked in, and fell in love with it. i was tickled that they had it in my size and it was on sale. yay! (i think this dark shade of yellow might be my new fall color). the only other things i bought were the soccer ball and a winter coat for coleman. pretty impressed with my willpower.

coleman brushing his teeth. as part of his routine, he pulls out his stool and puts it in front of the sink. he turns on the water and i put the toothpaste on his toothbrush. he insists on brushing his teeth himself...though it's not very thorough.

after brushing teeth, comes bathtime. he usually enjoys his bath but he does go through phases where he likes it more or less. he loves his bath toys and transferring water from different containers.

we are having a hard time with "potty training". he cooperates and does really well at aj's house, but simply is not interested at home. this photo is actually the first time we've been able to even get him to sit on it at home. it only lasted a couple of seconds and he didn't go potty...but at least he sat on it!

rio and cooper...very thirty doggies...

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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week in the life {friday ~ july 29}

2011-08-02T05:32:00.000-04:00

day five...

a slight recovery from yesterday's scary low photo count....

so today transitions into a different schedule than most of the week. monday through thursday, matt was off from work and spencer was with us. however, matt is now working nights over the weekend and spencer went back to his mother's...

this photo was taken approaching my office in the morning. this streetlight is at the intersection that leads to the lowe's campus. if you squint and tilt your head slightly to the left, you can see a building ahead on the left side of the road (to the right of the water tower). that's where i work.

i was dressed particularly casual for work today because we were doing work at the planogram facility. at the last minute, i grabbed my newest friendship bracelet (in gamecock colors). i (re)learned how to make these recently and have been kind of having fun with it!!

after a long morning of real work, as mentioned before, mike (my boss) and i grabbed a late lunch from panera bread before heading back to the office for more work (less manual labor though).

aj sent me this photo of coleman playing outside. i love, love, love that she sends me picture messages of my sweet baby boy during the day. sometimes i will send her a text asking how he's doing because i know she will follow up with a photo (shhh...don't tell my secret!!!).

our temperatures lately have been ridiculous. this is actually a bad representation of what we've been dealing with, as far as weather is concerned. this screen shot shows a "feels like" that is lower than the actual temperature. many days have had a heat index well above 100 degrees. oh...and that 26% humidity...that's a dream day!

pumping gas. something i do a lot. too much. i am not a fan of having to stop, so i always fill up completely. matt, however, usually only gets a little bit of gas at a time. and considering he drives a gas-sucking monster, he literally stops for gas every day. and since i'm the one that balances the checkbook, it annoys the bejeebers out of me that he has so many debits! just fill it up!!! i forgot to take a photo of the sign with the gas price...we are averaging around $3.50 a gallon right now.

coleman sitting at his little table, enjoying some supper and a bottle of water. looks like he is chowing down on a nice healthy hot dog. that's my go-to lazy supper. it's quick and he always eats it. purchasing this table last christmas was the bestest thing ever (yes, i know that's not a real word).

apparently my dinner was tasty...some concoction on a tortilla. when matt works night, i just make whatever for supper. it's usually totally random and often on a soft tortilla. while we ate, i made my weekend to-do list.

so, did you know that smoke can kill a laptop??? well, apparently so. it's dead. gone. finito. ugh!

looking at this picture, i can smell clean baby. i love, love, love a fresh, clean baby (or toddler...whatever!). actually, even spencer smells pretty good after a shower - ha!

and then there were the bracelets. i'm trying to remember when he started this...maybe a month ago? two? he wears a combination of my hair bands and a few silly bands on his right wrist all the time. bed - check. bath - check. swimming - check. daycare - check. everywhere - check.

*all photos were taken and edited on my iphone with the instagram app

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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week in the life {thursday - july 28}

2011-07-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

day four...

supposedly, the mid-week days are the worst for picture taking...i like to help prove statistics correct (apparently). i was actually kind of shocked when i realized i only had six photos...and not very good ones at that!

cooper peeing...now, isn't that something that you really wanted to see????

this is my load of crap that leaves with me in the morning. it's pretty ridiculous (and this is a day i don't even have to take coleman - and his stuff - to daycare!!!). so, what is all of this "must have" stuff????
pocketbook. work bag. lunch bag. grocery bag of food (that wouldn't fit in the lunch bag - not a daily thing, but typical after a grocery trip). coupon binder. tennis shoes. travel coffee mug. folder with some papers that i needed (and i was too lazy to put in my work bag????).

matt + spencer wraslin' (that's wrestling for those of you that don't live in the South). they do this a lot. and have forever. sometimes it's cute. sometimes it's funny. sometimes it's annoying. (i'd like to blame the difference on them, but i'm pretty sure it has a lot more to do with my mood!)

i realized at this point that i had taken two pictures of cooper and none of rio. the nice thing about this pain-in-the-arse dog is that when you call him and tell him to pose for a picture, he actually does. he's better trained than the rest of the boys in our house!

spencer watching matt play video games. their most often played game is call of duty (whatever the newest one is that month). they can play two players, but for some reason don't like to do that (???) so they take turns. i think it's weird, but i'm a girl.

matt dressed coleman today and happened to put him in the newest baseball tee, which was a gift from my mom (a.k.a. grandma sharon). i took this (horrible) photo to send to her. but now that i'm looking at it, i don't remember if i ever did. DUH! oh well, she will probably read this blog post and then she will know that her adorable grandson looked nice (and blurry) in his new shirt.

*all photos were taken and edited on my iphone with the instagram app

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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week in the life {wednesday ~ july 27}

2011-07-28T21:18:00.000-04:00

day three...

an apple for breakfast at the office. i'm a horrible breakfast eater. i never eat anything at home. sometimes i get around to something at work. i try to remember to bring in some easy things (fruit, granola bars, etc). i get up at 5:00 and don't get into work until 8:00. most days, i don't touch food until at least 9:00. this is not a good habit and i know it.

my life binder. or home management binder. or whatever trendy name you choose... i look at this now and think "when the h*ll did i have time to make this look cute???"...whatever. parts of this are really working for me, parts are not. i need to re-think it a little bit. but overall, i like it and glad i put it together!

my work to-do list. at the front of a moleskin notebook. i love lists. i love moleskin. i love narrow-ruled paper (yes, that's weird and i'm ok with that). a list on narrow-ruled paper in a moleskin notebook with bunches of things scratched out and some sticky notes added in...pretty much this is a snapshot of what heaven looks like! do you think God has a to do list? probably not. but i bet his angels do. i mean, working for God...that's a tough gig, right???

my work outfit. i wore jeans because...well, because i could. this sheer striped shirt is ridiculously old. i think it's from old navy...like, before the logo update. crazy.

when i started going into the office everyday (as opposed to working from home twice a week), part of the agreement was that i'd leave early a few days. it's a tough thing...a constant battle of where i'm "supposed" to be...the balance of work and family. today, i did leave early and hit the grocery store on my way home. here you see the bread section of harris teeter, my most often shopped local grocer. (perfect example of being torn: upon entering the store, i had to pull my cart over - next to the nice floral displays - and send a couple of emails to deal with some open issues.)

and no grocery trip is complete withput my coupon binder. i've been at it for a while now...around two years, i believe. the "glory" of saving money is long gone. but now that i know what can be saved, it's impossible to accept full retail. i struggle with keeping my coupons clipped and filed in a timely manner, and i don't save as much money as i used to, but i'm still living the dream ... one doubled coupon at a time.

and the final product... the full buggy. (that's what we call shopping carts in the South). see my list on the left? yes, it's typed. spencer makes fun of me. i yell at him. no we don't eat that many potato chips, but when they are buy two get three free, ya gotta stock up. it's a rule. well, a rule for those of us that have no regards for our health. but whatever.

speaking of health...here is my precious toddler eating yogurt. that's healthy, right??? granted, it's "fun" yogurt. and it's not organic. and it's probably not that good for you. but maybe. of course the sad part is that i'm not crazed enough to even know if it's good for him or not. oh, and he's eating this a few minutes before dinner. because that's how we roll.

and here i am in my not-work clothes. because they are so dramatically different than my snazzy work clothes, right? i found this camo shirt tucked in the back of my closet. i haven't worn it since my weight loss. which actually means i haven't worn it in years because i was too fat to wear it but i really like it so i refused to get rid of it in the hopes that i wouldn't be fat and could squeeze into it again. and i did. thank you very much. (p.s. please do not point out the muffin top because that will totally ruin the moment for me.)

speaking of muffin tops...this is what causes them. not the salad. maybe the croutons and bacon bits and chicken strips...but really...it's that darned ranch dressing. it's heaven in a plastic tub (not to be confused with the moleskin heaven...cuz that's different). oh, if you're wondering - this deliciously unhealthy salad is a to go order from the white horse, which a local restaurant that my husband adores...i don't get it. well, maybe a little because their ranch dressing is heavenly...did i mention that? wanna know why we ordered out after i spent two hundred dollars at the grocery store? me too. matt's logic..."i saved thirty bucks on your tires today, let's order white horse." ummm....ok?

*all photos were taken and edited on my iphone with the instagram app

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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week in the life {tuesday ~ july 26}

2011-07-28T20:50:00.000-04:00

day two...

today was unusual because i worked from home. though i used to do this a couple of times a week, it's now an exception to the rule. the original plan was for matt, spencer and i to spend our afternoon helping out at the fundraiser golf tournament that his baseball team/facility was coordinating...

but alas, life happened. with tires to be replaced, walls to scrub, and carpet to shampoo...volunteering wasn't going to fit into our day.

when i work from home, i forfeit the 5 a.m. alarm and let this little fellow wake me up. a very loud "mommy" hollered through the baby monitor is my wake up call. we stumble downstairs...and i plop him on the kitchen table (cuz that's safe, right???) while i let the dogs out. then i take his picture (which apparently this little booger doesn't appreciate!)

and then there's the coffee. coleman loves to help me make "fockee" with our keurig. (for the record, it's very unusual for the dogs to be let out before my coffee is brewed. i'm just mean like that. they must've really been making a racket to win over "fockee"). oh, and this coffee cup is totally christmas...but i love it and refuse to put it away with my christmas decorations. it has a matching small plate that i also leave out year round.

oh, the glory of the early morning snuggle. i mean...really???? what could be any sweeter than this? mornings for coleman and i include cuddling in matt's recliner with the red blanket (over my lap, under his legs)...coffee and milk on the table...mickey mouse on tv. and did i mention snuggles and cuddles?

apparently cooper thought he needed some early morning snuggles also. which is weird. normally he's happy and content hanging out on the sofa alone, still in a bit of an early morning slumber...happy to be left to himself. i have no idea why he felt compelled to not only jump on my lap, but get all up in my bizness. see the look on my face? that says it all.

after matt and i realized that volunteering at the golf tournament was not going to happen, i put together the silent auction donation for the event. a friend of mine donated the thirty-one tote and i filled it with duct tape and glues. later in the day, matt dropped it off at the country club.

matt and spencer wiping the walls down with dry chemical sponges. i don't even know what that is or why it supposedly works. what i do know is that spencer "working" only lasted about 30 seconds after this photo was snapped. but poor matt...he worked his tail off trying to get our house to smell better.

no summer is complete without some ridiculous gamecock scandal, right? and of course it has to involve the law and alcohol. and lucky for us, this time it also included peeing in public...by a COACH???? we got the news via text message from matt's best friend, scott.

my collection of drinks from the day...first it was coffee, then some water with lunch, and an afternoon treat of root beer. in a koozie of course. i simply can not drink a canned drink without a koozie. i'm not very high maintenance, but i gotta have a koozie.

as is typical, spencer has put off his summer reading until very late in the game. here he is finishing up the first of two books that he has to read before school starts.

here i am, looking all sexy in my work-from-home outfit. these long shorts are totally not flattering on me, but are incredibly comfy (and i got them dirt cheap at old navy). the long gamecocks sweatshirt is randomly yellow, but also super comfy. and yes, there is a heat wave. but my husband keeps our house frigid, so i'm always dressed for winter when i'm indoors. it's actually shocking that i'm wearing shorts. do you like my hair? i styled it special for the picture...

this is what happens when a two-year-old picks out his own shoes and socks. but whatever...i happen to think his quirkiness is his most endearing personality trait. look at those calves...dang!

spencer is such a good "bubba"...constantly playing baseball with coleman. i mean, really...i'm not exaggerating. ok, maybe a tad...he does have to eat, sleep and pee. but other than that, he is almost always entertaining and playing with his brother. so sweet!

i can not stand drinking bud light. but for some reason, bud light lime...tolerable. no, it's actually good. it's a great light, summery beer. and at this point in time, i wondered to myself "if i drink enough of these, will my house start to smell good?". it never smelled good...so i guess i didn't drink enough.

what a great snapshot of our life. you can see our "machine" (which is the 2nd one...they dropped off another one so we could keep one upstairs and one downstairs). and then there is matt playing video games. and, of course, there is spencer playing soccer with coleman (SEE...told you he is a kicka$$ big brother!).

then, when coleman goes to bed...he makes and delivers a root beer float to me... i have no idea why, but he's awesome like that. i better stop bragging on him - if he reads this, he's going to get a big head. oh wait, his head is already huge. and so is coleman's. but mine's not. and matt's isn't...wonder where they inherited big heads???

a close up shot of my root beer float. so tasty and frothy. yuuuuummmmmmmm.

matt, spencer and i watched master chef on tv. matt is obsessed with all chef gordon ramsey shows. and there are a lot. that dude is a total workaholic (ramsey, not matt). but, i must confess that i enjoy master chef (much more than hell's kitchen). i also enjoy kitchen nightmares.

and then there was laundry. i worked on it all day, but didn't manage to get it put away before bed. tsk, tsk. the white laundry basket belongs to matt and me. the brown is coleman's. spencer's is the red one (which is actually gamecock).

time to go night-night. that's a wrap.

*all photos were taken and edited on my iphone with the instagram app

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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celebrate {may 2011}

2011-07-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

celebrate {big moments}

spencer played the second half of a baseball tournament. they went 2-0 and won the silver championship.
later in the month, they played another tournament and came in second place.
i treated myself to a new camera!!!
the four of us attended the gamecock fan fest at knights castle

celebrate {little moments}

coleman, michelle and i went to the edventure children's museum in columbia.
the four of us had a little cinco de mayo celebration, complete with mexican food and maracas
we had a ton of stuff going on at work. i worked a jimmie jam concert (got to see montgomery gentry perform) and the coca-cola 600.
spencer had awards day at school
coleman had a field trip to the lazy 5 ranch and i was able to tag along
spencer went on a field trip to riverbanks zoo

celebrate {struggles}

spencer continued to play rec baseball but was not particularly happy with his coach
coleman got ringworm. we don't know how, but luckily it was small and did not spread.

celebrate {family}

watched bo race in the state qualifier (he did not qualify)
we had a small birthday celebration for maggie's 13th at my house after our columbia adventures.
coleman and i went to sherry's church to hear bo speak in honor of his graduating
coleman and i spent mother's day at sherry's (mom, michelle, marion & maggie were in town)

celebrate {friends}

attended a gathering at the chandler's house
we had an impromptu (kiddie) pool party - in attendance were the williams and monk families.
coleman and i attended giada's second birthday party

celebrate {home}

we finally purchased a fridge for our garage. i love, love, love it!!!

week in the life {monday ~ july 25}

2011-07-26T16:49:00.001-04:00

and so the week begins...

as most weekday mornings begin, i rose at 5:00 a.m. at the sound of my alarm. after showering, i enjoyed about thirty minutes of quiet time/bible study. i prepared for the work day and coleman finally woke around 6:30 (this is actually late for him). i woke matt up so i could head out the door. i try to get an earlier start on the days when matt is home with the boys.

i drove matt's truck to work because my car had yet another flat tire. i feel at home in my car. i love my car. i would rather drive my car. possibly feeling inspired by a different set of wheels, my commute was a tad different as well. i bypassed my normal exit onto the interstate so i could stop at dunkin donuts for some coffee. then i decided to take I-485 to I-77, which I never normally do. oh yes, i am living on the wild side!

plenty of early morning emails start flowing onto my blackberry. i know i shouldn't look at them while i'm driving, but with an hour commute, it's hard not to find ways to entertain yourself. and yes, i have two phones: a blackberry for work and my personal iphone.

exit 33 ... mooresville, nc. that's me. everyday...over sixty miles. each way. yes, i'm crazy. i actually spent more time than usual in the car because later in the day i had to drive up to the lowe's planogram facility, which is located north in troutman, nc...even farther from home!

even though i drove matt's truck mainly due to my flat tire, i needed to drive it anyway. over the weekend, we went to ikea and bought some stuff for my office. part of the loot is pictured. we have a lot of work to do!

matt and spencer went to the movies...they caught the matinee showing of captain america. they both seemed to enjoy it. we do not go to the movies often, so i was a bit shocked when i saw the cost!

i must sadly confess that i caved in and got mcdonald's for lunch. i didn't pack anything. it was late and i was starving. i had to drive up to the POG facility...so i went for easy. i have got to get my act together!

traffic...always traffic. story of my life.

and when i got home... this is our new best friend. it's a big loud machine that sucks the yuckiness out of the air. after our "almost" house fire, everything stinks. bad. thankfully, sister sherry was able to hook us up with this for free. yippee!!!

coleman quickly learned that the big machine was kind of fun. getting him to not touch it...a bit trickier.

and some cool artwork that coleman brought home from aj's. this wasn't one of his normal days to go since matt was off, but since matt obviously had a crapload of not-so-fun things to take care of (due to flat tires and almost house fires)...coleman was much better off at daycare.

we got some surprises packages at work. we were each provided some henkel gear, including a rolling duffle bag and a mac daddy laptop bag (pictured). i've needed a new laptop bag in a serious way!!! my junk wouldn't fit into my old one...this new one is huge! and now that it's full....it's also quite heavy!

*all photos were taken and edited on my iphone with the instagram app

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

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project {week in the life}

2011-07-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

every year, ali edwards does a week in the life project. it's a project she does herself, but she encourages others to participate along with her. i love the concept, as it is a way to really capture the small details of your everyday life... things that might have gone unnoticed or undocumented.

i often think of how cool it would be to have something like this from my mom when she was my age. or better yet, my grandmothers. as you are thinking of your possibly mundane daily activities, think of it from the perspective of future generations that will be completely fascinated by these aspects of our lives!

so anyway... last year, i tried to participate for the first time. i had a great time collecting notes and information and taking photos. and that was it. i must sadly confess that i never did anything with the things i collected. the pile of memoriabilia, notes, etc...all sat on my scrapbooking desk for over a year before i finally came to terms with the fact that nothing was going to come of them.

as i began reading the preparation posts on ali's blog this year, i kept telling myself to be realistic and know that i couldn't complete this project. i'm actually in an even worse place this year than last year because my scrapbooking room is in complete disarray as we try to do some reorganizing. paper scrapbooking isn't really an option this week, or next, or the next (ok, you get the point).

but i brainstormed some easier ways to take part and this morning on the way to work (the morning the project begins), i decided i will participate. to keep the concept completely doable for me, it's going to be 100% digital. i'm going to take all of my photos using the instagram app on my phone (with which i'm completely obsessed). i will do one daily post here on my blog with lots of words to go with the lots of photos.

one day, i may print those photos and words. but maybe not. and that's ok.

so be prepared for a lot of details in the coming days...maybe more than you care to see or read.

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week in the life 2011 | july 25-31

inspired by ali edwards

see all of ali's week in the life related posts

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celebrate {coleman - june 2011}

2011-07-24T21:23:00.113-04:00

dear coleman,
my apologies for being a few days late in documenting your month. i could say i'm slack, but in reality...i'm distracted. between two flat tires and an *almost* house fire...it's amazing this is only a few days late. but despite my tardiness, you still rock and i love you to pieces.

:: i guess the whole playing-in-a-sink-full-of-water thing never gets old. kitchen, bathroom...doesn't matter. you will beg for bubbles and find containers to use as your water toys. you get soaked. the floor is wet. everything near by is drenched. but it's all worth it for a little water fun, right???

:: you have developed an opinion on what shoes you wear. for the most part, i really don't care. but it does mean we have a few pairs of (very cute) shoes that are sitting unused in your closet. at this moment, your camo (fake) crocs are a favorite. the blue sandals (pictured above) and toy story light up tennis shoes are often acceptable as well.

:: your favorite new question is "oooh, what dat sound?". apparently, you have good ears because you hear things that i would typically ignore or tune out. sometimes when you ask, i'm not even sure what you are referring to and i have to pause and listen before i can answer.

:: your love of slides lives on strong!!!

:: you love helping me or daddy make coffee in the morning. we have a routine down. i get the coffee cup and add the sugar. i get the half-n-half from the fridge and you unscrew the top for me. i pour and then you put the top back on. next, you open the drawer in the pantry that holds the k-cups and you grab one for me. you put it in the machine, pull the level down and hit the button to start brewing. one morning, i had my cup ready but ran upstairs before finishing. i heard you pushing a chair into the kitchen so i raced back downstairs to see what you were doing. my coffee was already brewing! you had gotten my cup, put it under the machine, gotten the coffee and used the chair to reach the machine...impressive (or scary???).

:: you love cake but do not enjoy ice cream. we had a birthday cake for my birthday and you'd ask daily to eat it for breakfast. (and i think your daddy may have given in after i left for work...tsk, tsk.)

:: after being on vacation and away from aj's for almost two weeks, you were so ready to go back. we could take offense to that, but we know you just missed her and your friends. we are glad that you are cared for in a place that you love.

:: you have some funny word pronunciations that always make me smile. instead of "goofy", you say "fooky". instead of "coffee", you say "fockee". i wonder if "f" is your favorite letter???

:: you love, love, love all of your cousins. you are such a lucky boy. they all seem to enjoy being around you, despite the huge age difference. it warms my heart to know how loved you are!

:: you rarely play with any toys other than balls. we love watching your athletic ability grow. your skills are impressive...but we wonder if you will ever be into anything else??? right now, a house full of toys is going to waste. recently i have caught you once playing with your little people.

:: speaking of balls, you have started playing soccer in addition to baseball. you have a soft (plush) soccer ball from ikea. you now enjoy playing this with your bubba as well. it also means you are a bit more fun for colton to play ball with!

:: at aj's, you are drinking almost entirely out of "big boy" cups. at home, we keep you in sippy cups most of the time. we are lazy like that. you do drink from regular cups sometimes, and are very good at it. you also enjoy drinking from water bottles. this is actually the best way to get you to drink water -- give you the bottle. oh, and you insist on unscrewing the top yourself.

:: this summer you are all about the popsicle. you ask for them often, especially if we are outside. and you will eat as many as we allow!

:: you continue to be obsessed with "bracelets". you wear an armful of hair bands and silly bands. they are always on your left hand and you always have a ton. you get so excited when you find another "bracelet" lying around the house!

:: i think we are doing a pretty decent job of brainwashing you into being the best little gamecock fan ever. you can easily pick out a gamecock and identify it, or call cocky by name. with football season around the corner, we are excited and hope you will be too!

:: bubbles, bubbles, bubbles. you love 'em! you aren't very good at blowing them, but we recently found out that colton is. you make a good pair...colton likes blowing the bubbles and you like chasing them down!

:: your new "thing" in the bathtub is to lie down flat on your back. you think it's hilarious. usually towards the end of the bath, we will go ahead and put up all of your toys so they are out of your way and you can lie down. you will talk and make funny noises because it sounds different when your ears are under water.

:: your interest in art has not sprouted yet. i have stopped pushing you to do things that i know are not your cup of tea. you do a lot of art at daycare but just don't show an intrigue for it at home. so...we stick to balls.

:: you went through a short phase (about a week) where you were walking around the house (and sometimes other places) wearing your winter gloves and toboggan. we have no idea what possessed you to do this in the middle of the summer (in 100 degree heat, no less), but it was pretty funny!

:: thanks to our beach trip, you have gotten over your reservations of the water. you were never scared of it, but you would also take a while to "warm up" to the water - even in the kiddie pool. you are totally over it now. you love, love, love the water.

:: you are doing a great job potty training at aj's. unfortunately, you have taken NO interest in doing this at home. it has left us with quite a predicament!!

all photos were taken in may 2011

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this post is part of a series highlighting the life and growth of our boys each month. spencer will be featured on the 15th of every month, and coleman on the 24th.

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career mama {working mother magazine}

2011-07-19T06:01:00.000-04:00

a while back, i discovered a (new-to-me) magazine called working mother.

we receive a lot of magazines in our home - most of which are free or incredibly inexpensive. i rarely have time to read them so i'm usually a few months behind. it's simply not a priority for me. (and thus the reason i don't blow much money on them).

among the pile of unread magazines is usually a lot of parenting magazines (such as parents and parenting). when coleman was a little younger, they were more like baby talk and things of that nature. i gotta tell ya...i don't *love* these and when i do decide to "read" them, it's usually a pretty quick flip through. i would much rather flip through in style than read another article about summer safety tips or what organic food to feed my kids.

but working mother is different.

the topics are relevant to my life (for obvious reasons). it's not all about the kids...it's about you as a mom. it's about your career. about your kids. about your husband. about your sanity. about your home. and how to balance it all.

i love that the magazine is divided into times of day rather than age groups or other topics such as food, health, etc. i truly think this is genius. it's one of the things that makes it so relevant.

if you work (in any capacity) and have kiddos...it's worth the small cost to get this magazine. fyi - according to their website, right now, you can get three years for only $12. that's ridiculously cheap. i don't remember what i paid for mine, but i think it was through a fundraiser so i'm sure i overpaid. (but still worth it).

**no, i did not receive any payment or freebies for writing this post. i paid for my subscription. and it wasn't one of the "cheapies" that i referenced above. the magazine has no idea i'm writing this and i certainly wasn't asked to do so.**

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this post is part of a new focus here at the chronicles:

the career mama

balancing work & home, while loving it all.

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celebrate {spencer - july 2011}

2011-07-15T06:15:00.001-04:00

you have mastered the art of sleeping late. i remember when you were a relatively early riser (granted, you never made a habit of getting up as early as your crazy little brother!). now that you're older, you easily stay tucked in snug until 10:00 or 11:00...sometimes you actually wake earlier than that but enjoy lounging in your room for a while.

i'm sure it's a bit repetitive to point out that you ~~enjoy~~ obsess over watching baseball. it has taken me years to gradually enjoy watching the sport on tv...an ongoing struggle for me. but my ability to get into a game improves constantly. ultimately, i enjoy watching them with you. you take pride in answering my (often dumb) questions. spending time entangled in something of importance to you brings me joy. the gamecocks sweeping the college world series entertained us this month!

in regards to baseball, frustrations arose for you recently. even though you still love playing, love your team, really like your coaches...you have been wishing for a bit more time on the field, and in particular on the mound. this month, you were able to get back up there and throw some pitches. and it has made all the difference.

you exhibit a bit of an attitude while playing baseball. it's always at yourself, not others. but you expect perfection and get ticked when you don't meet your own expectations. this often results in a bit of a tantrum, such as throwing your hat or glove in the dugout. your coaches (and parents!) are not fond of this habit. you've lost some playing time due to your little fits.

you create and tolerate unreasonable amounts of girl drama. you keep it to yourself. i hate it all and look forward to the day these days are mere memories...

for the first time in many, many summers...you prefer not to wear swim shirts with your bathing suits. apparently these are no longer cool. (don't tell coleman). however, maturity and intelligence bring you to a point of willingly asking for sunscreen. smart boy.

you were with us a lot this month...including two full straight weeks. it's my favorite part of summer. having you here more often makes everything seem more "right".

you still enjoy playing video games. many hours disappear while you and daddy kill people on screen (call of duty), but your personal favorite remains baseball (MLB The Show).

you and i shared a "first" experience together...our first ride on a helicopter! i love that you and i partner together to do *high* things that freak out your father!

all photos were taken in may2011

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this post is part of a series highlighting the life and growth of our boys each month.
spencer will be featured on the 15th of every month, and coleman on the 24th.

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celebrate {33 years}

2011-07-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

yesterday i celebrated my 33rd birthday. it was a monday. a work day. but luckily matt was off work and spencer was home with us. the four of us were able to spend the evening together celebrating as a family.

my day...in instagram photos...

a morning treat | venti chai latte

my current starbucks favorite

quick lunch treat | chinese take-out

birthday outfit | new scarf

when i saw my mom recently, she went ahead and gave me my birthday gifts,which included this scarf. appropriate that i actually wear it on my birthday too.

welcome home | birthday sign + inside joke

advertising my age to the world...

over the weekend, coleman started calling me "maw maw" for no reason.

matt and spencer seem to think that's funny. really funny.

daily grind | spreadsheets

some things just don't change...regardless of whether it's your birthday

handmade love | courtesy of spencer

spencer made me this 12x12 birthday "card" and signed it from him, coleman, rio and cooper.

so sweet. and cute.

supper treat | mexican

of course my choice for supper was mexican...my favorite.

surprise treat | birthday cake

i was surprised when matt whipped out a birthday cake for me...

with 33 candles...

almost caught the house on fire....

birthday sparkles | leftover fireworks

on the 4th, coleman crashed early and missed the fireworks we had bought.

we saved a few of the smaller ones. decided to do some on my birthday.

it was hot. and i'm not talking about the fireworks.

we didn't last long before retreating inside to the air conditioner....

finale | home run derby

our night ended with watching the home run derby...it was fun.

loved that the guy who won had his father pitch to him.

spencer was mad that a yankee won.

{from the road}

2011-06-29T20:00:00.001-04:00

we are on day four of our nine day combo vacation. the first three were devoted to spencer's travel ball tournament. now we are on leg two - our normal family beach trip.

i had high hopes of blogging on the go but nothing has materialized yet. however, i did decide on a ridiculously easy (and fun!!) way to document our days.

shortly before heading out of town, i discovered the (free) instamatic app and i'm totally addicted. if you are interested in following our lazy days of summer via uber photographic coolness, follow me on twitter, facebook, or flickr (all of my photos are posting at all three automatically). Oh, and of course, you could just follow me on instamatic.

gamecocks {smackdown in omaha}

2011-06-29T12:14:00.001-04:00

we did it again. our gamecocks are the national champions of baseball. again. two years in a row. ruling omaha. again. back to back. you get the point?

deep down, i felt it. i knew this would happen. i knew they could do it. through all the extra innings. all of the loaded bases with no outs. i trusted them. and they pulled through.

there were long nights for the blackwell crew this week. but worth every missed minute of sleep.

roth. price. taylor. wingo. bradley. walker.
thank you boys.
and thank you ray tanner.

it's good be a gamecock.

celebrate {coleman - june 2011}

2011-06-24T06:57:00.040-04:00

:: mommy and daddy went for a night away to celebrate their ninth anniversary. you stayed with aunt sherry. you love hanging out with aunt sherry, uncle chip, bo and teddy. sometimes you will recite all four of their names for absolutely no reason. it's quite cute. i love that you love them so much. and we are so blessed to have family close by that enjoys watching our little man when we need some help!

:: you are completely obsessed with hats. you know exactly where they are kept in your room and will go and get one (or several). sometimes you wear them around the house for fun. sometimes when we are about to walk out the door, you realize you need one and run upstairs to get it. of course, mommy has to interfere and try to get you to wear one that matches your outfit.

:: i feel like a broken record, but you are still totally enamored with baseball. it's actually gotten more intense. you insist on throwing the ball or hitting constantly. inside. outside. in the garage. if you don't have a bat and ball, you improvise (see above photo). you stay relatively entertained at spencer's ball games...actually watching the games. you also love to watch baseball on tv and often times will forfeit mickey mouse for a (dvr'd) game.

:: speaking of tv, you regained your love of mickey mouse, but are over the toy story movies. for now. of course, this happened right after daddy bought you a buzz lightyear toy and mommy bought you toy story shoes and backpack.

:: your bedtime routine has varied a lot lately. we used to have a pretty good thing going (teeth, bath, PJs, rock, crib). for some reason you are now quite opposed to bathtime, though you used to thoroughly enjoy it. you started letting us read books to you at bedtime, but we've had to be careful to keep that under control and make sure you aren't using it as a stalling tactic. most nights you go down very easily but on occasion, you've been giving us a little grief at bedtime. and sometimes, you skip the whole book/rock routine and go straight for the crib! you keep us on our toes.

:: you tend to be somewhat intimidated by large social groups. when we arrive at such an event, you spend plenty of time checking things out...staring people down. you cling close to mommy or daddy. gradually, you will loosen up and start to have fun. you just have to taken in your surroundings first. i hope this is a trait you will carry with you as you mature.

:: you are a stair climbing master. and have been for a while. i used to have mommy guilt about letting you scale the stairs on your own (which creates gasps from other parents). but i'm over it. at this point, i'm pretty sure it's more likely that i would fall down the stairs than you.

:: you have become very difficult to dress. we aren't sure what the sudden aversion to it is...but you fight the process with all of your might!

:: you had two field trips with daycare this month. during one of them, you took your first pony ride!!

:: you are still totally addicted to your pacifier. we are bad parents because we haven't enforced you getting rid of it. at daycare, you only use it at naptime. at home, you know we are suckers and you milk it.

:: you got ringworm. we have no idea how. it was very small and on your upper thigh. luckily, it didn't seem to bother you, didn't spread and because it was hidden by your clothes, no one else got it.

:: we dress you in one-piece pajamas almost every night. this allows us to lather you up with lotions, ointments and cremes...and keeps you from scratching your legs. the summer versions are kind of tough to find -- children's place (stores only) and old navy (online only) are the few sources we've figured out so far.

:: you love to slide. when you find a playground, that's really the only thing you care about. big slides, little slides, bumpy slides, curvy slides. you love them all. when we put up the backyard pool, you immediately ask for your slide, too.

:: some of your favorite foods include...cheese, edamame, chicken, hot dogs, grapes, oranges and grandmommy jo's brown rice. you also love popsicles.

:: you are completely obsessed with bracelets. it can be my bracelets, or the causal bracelets that are so popular, or whatever! you have started wearing my hair rubberbands on your left arm. you usually have 5 to 10 at a time and you literally wear them all the time. you also like to wear my headbands around your neck. after you insisted on wearing them to old navy, i started hiding them from you. i'm a mean mommy, i know!

all photos were taken in april 2011

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this post is part of a series highlighting the life and growth of our boys each month. spencer will be featured on the 15th of every month, and coleman on the 24th.

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product recommendation {faux tan}

2011-06-17T06:33:00.000-04:00

i don't recommend product very often. but, once in a blue moon i find something that i love so much, i have to share the information...this is one of those times.

i first learned about faux tan by bare essentuals last summer when my (equally pale) sister used it and i was totally impressed by her natural-looking, yet fake, tan. when spring rolled around, i decided i needed to invest. unfortunately, it truly is an investment, as it's pretty pricey. but, i have found it's totally worth it. plus it's way cheaper than a tanning bed if you are considering that route. and the stuff works so much better than any other sunless tanning product i've used (and i have tried several over the years).

i tried to find photographic evidence...this doesn't do it complete justice, but hopefully you get the idea.

this first photo was taken in june of last year...i'd had some sun exposure and developed somewhat of a natural "tan" (no tanning bed...this was 'dark' for me).

and then this was taken in may of this year...no tanning bed. any natural sun exposure was with 50 or 70 spf sunscreen. this is all faux.

if you are interested in purchasing the product, i highly recommend qvc. you get more product than elsewhere, making it a better value, PLUS you get a brush for applying it, which is really awesome (and i think it's exclusive to qvc).

the product is far from perfect. i still struggle around the tough areas (ankles, knees, etc)...but it is by far better than any other i've tried!

complete sidenote: if you look closely, these photos also are a pretty good representation of my weight loss. i didn't realize how much thinner my face looks.

{{cheers}}

celebrate {spencer - june 2011}

2011-06-15T06:17:00.001-04:00

:: you wrapped up your season of rec baseball. you weren't thrilled with your team this time around, but were basically participating for extra practice. you were a good sport for the most part, but did get pretty upset with your coach a few times. it's all part of being an athlete, i suppose!

:: you have SUCH a silly side. it keeps us all quiet entertained!

:: you decided that you wanted coleman to call you by your actual name, as opposed to "bubba". turns out that coleman's pronunciation comes out more like "shepa". but you got your wish. at baseball games, coleman will yell "go, shepa, go!!".

:: you completed sixth grade. your first year of middle school. your last report card was 3 B's and 1 A (in academic subjects). you didn't love the academics of the year...and weren't particularly fond of your teachers. but you had a good year and we are proud of you!

:: you've been pitching a lot more with your travel ball team. you are doing so well!!!

:: you wear a size 14 pants, extra large shirts, and size 6.5 shoes. you recently got new reeboks and are pretty excited about them!

all photos were taken in april 2011

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this post is part of a series highlighting the life and growth of our boys each month. spencer will be featured on the 15th of every month, and coleman on the 24th.

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