Wordless Wednesday:: A New Addition to the "Snow Day" Dance!

I opened my freezer this morning to find this:

Apparently, wearing pajama's inside out and backward, stashing a spoon under the pillow and doing an actual dance is not enough to make sure the weatherman/woman's predicted snowfall guarantees a snow day. Adding an orange in a hat and placing it in the freezer, well, that is the clencher....

As, we are enjoying our first snow day of the season!

What crazy things do your kids do to "make a snow day happen"? Share in the comments below.

Like this post? Please share on Twitter and Facebook!

Single Parents Are Superheroes

Supermom, redefined.

It has been one of those days.

The kids were slow to get out the door-my daughter even screamed;
 "Can't you dddrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvveee me to school??!!?"

My mouth wasn't even open long enough for the answer to come out; I, myself, only had 20 minutes to get ready for work and I still needed to take a shower!

"Never miinndd" she sang in a sing-song voice. "All is right with the world, I found a headband!"

The teen world was brought back into balance, because now it will be a good hair day.

I have been running our house solo for the past week and I am now running on fumes. I am exhausted. I am crabby. My house is a complete disaster. Even the pleas from the kids asking "Is tonight a food night?" have not enticed any culinary skills what-so-ever. Cereal is food, right? Nothing wrong with breakfast for dinner.

My husband used to travel A LOT when the kids were little. Weeks-out-of-the-country kind of travel. I was a stay at home mom back then, which made it easier to deal with. Not easier, really, different. Easier, I guess because there was more of a structure to our day; eat, put the kids in the car seats and go to the library, park or playgroup; nap, eat, play, eat, play, bath, read, bed. I could make it through the week knowing that I could could cook, clean, do crafts, coffee with friends all around this schedule. Now with both of us working, and the kids having their own schedules, it's hard for two of us to keep up with the social calendar, let alone only one of us.

So, it has been frustrating to talk to my lovely husband on the phone this week. When he asks "How are you doing?" and I answer "I'm so tired...." I get an immediate " I know, me too." Why is this frustrating you ask?
Because, he has been in VEGAS all week.

I know.

I played my violin too.

See, in his case I do understand...I used to be a conference event planner, so I know how hard it is to be "on" 18 hours a day, meeting after meeting and to walk through an exhibit floor. It is tiring. BUT....he also has great places to unwind, grab a fabulous meal, or just kick back in his room. His. quiet. room.
I just want him to acknowledge that I am tired too. He just doesn't get it.

Which then made me think:

How do single parents do it? I mean, really? How do you manage ALL of it? 24/7?

To me, YOU are superheroes.

Hands down, money on the table.

How do you handle the kids' crazy schedule? Let me know in the comments below. Share on Twitter and Facebook too. Thanks.

November Series: Thankful Thursday

Today is our final installment of our guest post series. I am so thankful to have had such wonderful contributors this month! What great posts they shared with us!!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday today with friends and family, eat lots of turkey (or whatever feast graces your table) and be sure to laugh and share stories!

Our guest post today is by Mary Biever author of Real Life in River City Blog is a corporate computer trainer, blogger, and speaker. She writes a lovely blog about her daily life in Evansville, IN.



I am thankful for…


A dead watch battery that reminded me of the value of unplugged, stopped time.

The 1st day of our family’s vacation in the Smokies last month, my watch battery died. In addition, our cabin was so remote we had neither Internet nor cell phone access. Richard, my husband, wanted our family to have an unplugged break.

Most of the time, I liked it. Except when our kids raced ahead of us on a trail and were out of contact for two hours when we had no phone access. Or when we took the mountain shortcut on the unimproved road that beat any theme park roller coaster. How I wanted my cell phone access! Everything ended well in both adventures, even with no bars on my phone.

When I couldn’t check my phone, I heard the wind rustling in the trees and the crunch of the leaves as we walked trails. We could savor the stars in the midnight sky from the hot tub on our cabin deck. Whether we picnicked by a rushing creek or cooked out at the cabin, for a few days, we were just the little family in the little house in the big woods.

I like stopping time. My babies are now teens in high school – 1 a junior and the other a freshman. In 3 years, both of my kids will be in college. Now I understand why grandparents are so indulgent with young grandchildren. They know how quickly those years pass. I can’t make back the younger years of their childhood when I got so busy meeting schedules that I sometimes left out downtime to enjoy each other. What I can do is savor the time we have right here, right now.

We’ll be home this Thanksgiving instead of in a mountain cabin. Nevertheless, I hope we can take off our watches, unplug ourselves, and savor time just being who we are. Just for today, I hope time will stand still so we can enjoy our dinner, hear the crunch of the leaves rustling in our own backyard, and maybe play a board game.

Just to help me along, I suspect my husband or kids will kidnap my phone and my laptop and hold it hostage for the day! If they do, I wonder what ransom they will demand?

How will you stop time and seize the moment this Thanksgiving?

"Trick or Tweet!" Happy Halloween!

Every Halloween I like to come up with a unique costume to celebrate the holiday and hand out treats to all the Trick or Treaters. It's fun to banter back and forth with the TOT's, "Hey great costume", "Hey, great costume yourself!"

While digging through the Halloween box, I found a blue wig....the color of the blue was familiar....and it got the imagination going.....and I came up with.....

TWITTER!!

I was all shades of blue...From head to toe....

And to think that a little over a year ago, I didn't even have a Twitter! Now I can't stay away from it!

Dressing up is fun...but the real fun begins when the bell rings and you get to see what characters are looking for chocolaty treats. I think my favorite of the night was a little girl decked out with a shiny pink cowgirl hat, and a matching pink tulle skirt, complete with cowgirl boots. I answered the door to a sweet little...

Cowgirl: "Trick or Treat! What are you this Halloween?"

Me: "I'm Twitter"

Cowgirl: "That's cool. I'm a cowgirl."

Me: "I like your pink hat!"

Cowgirl: "Yes, it helps me do this"

she grabbed her hat by the brim and kicking up her booted heel yelled

"Yeeeee-Haaaawww!"

She was the cutest thing ever, and I wanted to give her the whole big bowl of candy.

The next surprise- my daughter baked a birthday cake that matched my costume!!

This Halloween really was a Treat with a Tweet! :)

This is Day 3 of the SITS Halloween Party...check out the other folks that are in today's Halloween Parade!

Tricks and Treats For Your Halloween Creations

Pumpkin Carving Art

One of the best things about Halloween is the opportunity to get creative; with crafts, costumes, parties and even food.  Here are some fun things we did this season:


Let’s start with the Jack o' Lantern.

What I like about carving a pumpkin is that you can never mess it up! So what if you miss an eye or make the mouth too big? Our son thought he messed his up last year…so to cover it up, he made a puker pumpkin. Boys! But, really, he's on to some thing- the best masterpieces are the unexpected ones: like this year's pumpkin eating another pumpkin!

This Year's Winner of the Funniest Pumpkin

A little bit of crafts:

I found the best little ceramic painting place when I lived in Pennsylvania. I went there so often, that I only had to sign my first name to pieces I created: I miss it. I'm sure you have a place in town close by that offers a paint your own ceramic....if so, you should definitely go with the kids or even make it a girl's night out (some have wine parties!). I made this candy bowl in 2000

Now for Treats:

As you may know, today is my birthday! Yes, another year older and as a friend so kindly wrote, another year wiser. If I am to blow out candles, I prefer to have them on a cake that I did not bake! So, my daughter has been making cupcakes for the last couple of years. This year she got very creative, and made each cupcake different!

Didn't they come out so cute??!

Me? Total slacker:  I took Little Debbie Snack cakes and added a little bit of icing and mini chocolate chips:

I could have done the same thing to brownies, but then that would have required me to bake...which is off limits today!

And now a Trick!

I have no idea how I discovered this....but I share this trick to anyone who will listen! HA!

Did you know that a banana splits into 3 equal parts? It's true!



Whole slice of banana...



Three equal pieces!

I know! Amazing right?! I bet you are trying it right now!!

--------------------------------------
What are some of your favorite Halloween creations? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a Treat in My Book

Halloween is my favorite time of year. Then again, I am partial to it. It is the day that this little goblin came into the big bright world! Being born on a holiday can be a drag, but I think I lucked out in the most fun department. Sure, Christmas has lots of toys and good cheer, but each birthday, I got to dress up, be a different character and eat loads of candy. For me, Halloween really is a treat!

I am definitely showing my age here, but I remember as a kid going to Woolworth’s and looking through all boxes with cellophane windows that lined the shelves. When peeking inside, you could see the plastic mask of your favorite character and tucked underneath would be a smock that you would tie at the neck. They were awesome. My favorite was Snoopy and my brother's was Superman. The great thing about those costumes – after each wear, you could fold it up for next year and place the box in the closet for safe keeping.

As kids came into the picture, Woolworth's was long gone and ordering peas in a pod or pumpkin onesies through catalogs took its place. As they got a little older, it was really fun to create costumes! A few years ago, we decided as a family to dress up as vampires-our makeup came out awesome..I wish I could find the family photo, but this is all I could find:

Doesn't my son look a little like Eddie Munster??


I plan on dressing up this year to hand out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins. I will not divulge what or who I am until Nov. 1, so you will have to come back and see! I will have a post and picture for you-speaking of pictures-I am entering into the SITS Halloween Party for a chance to win a sa-weet new camera! This could be the best birthday weekend ever!

Candy, treats, having fun with my family....

I can’t think of any better day to turn a year older!

First Day of School

Lunches are packed.
Backpacks are at the door.
Pencils are sharp.
What are you waiting for?

Time to see your friends, old and new
Tales of summer happenings are waiting
Sharing routines, schedules and books,
It is now time for creating!

Testing your math, grammar and science
will seem trying at first
but with a little time
in all subjects you will become well versed.

The clock always rings at dawn
Being up early is always a fuss
It's the First Day of School
Now hurry up or you'll miss your bus!

Guess Who's NOT Coming to Dinner!

Want to know how to drive an Italian woman crazy?

Take away her oven.

Last weekend we had my brother and his family over for dinner. We were not expecting company for dinner, but as it is a no-brainer-like breathing-a place is always welcome (for ANY meal) at our table.

So, as I said- not expected, but that was ok...it was Sunday, meal prep would be easy, because EVERY Sunday is pasta in some shape or form in our house.  I had already taken the last of the frozen homemade sauce out of the freezer and instead of making macaroni, I decided to make a lasagna. I set the timer to preheat the oven and went about assembling while chatting with my daughter as she prepared the salad. I timed it perfectly...I had exactly one hour to cook and let it cool before company arrived. I whipped open the door and as I went to put the dish in the oven I said out loud

"Why is the oven cold?"

I looked at the control panel and it still read "PRE". Hmmm.

I asked my son to go get Dad. My husband came in and checked, pushed buttons, turned on burners, banged and double checked and said "Nope. It's "cooked", Bwaahaahaaahaa." Under normal circumstances, I would have found that punch line hysterical, but right now I am stressing. I can't freeze the dish because it won't fit in my freezer and I can't make a new pot of sauce because I don't have enough time. My neighbor saved me. I called her and asked:

Me: "Are you using your oven for dinner tonight?"

Friend: " No. We are having tacos."

Me: "I know this is going to sound crazy, but can I cook lasagna in your oven? Mine just bit the dust and I have company coming for dinner in an hour!"

Friend: "What should I set my oven to?"

I *so* owe her a bottle of wine!

My husband grabbed the dish and drove it down.

While the next 60 minutes ticked by, I went down to the laundry area and started a new load. Oh, and did I tell you that my washing machine is now on the fritz too? Uh, yeah.

Want to know how else to drive an Italian woman crazy?

Take away her washing machine.

For two weeks now, I have had to turn the dial a certain way and then hold it on while the cycle begins. If I don't, it won't agitate. Gremlins. I just had them here for a visit for my dryer, when the Laundry Fairy Returned as Gremlin!

And the third?? Because you know everything happens in three's...

Take away her dishwasher.

The night before we would learn about our oven, I turned on my dishwasher and it made the most horrible noise. I opened the door and checked to make sure nothing was blocking anything. Not that I could see. Turned it back on and "GGGGGGRRRRRUUUUMMMMPPP". The sound actually woke my husband and he came down from bed like the Grinch- "Noise! Noise! Noise!?" I pointed to the dishwasher and he opened the door and could not find anything either.

The next morning I checked carefully and pulled out a piece of thin plastic....the top of a tortilla package that you rip off the top. How the heck did it get in there? Gremlins.

Can't they find another house to party in?

Between the washing machine, dishwasher and now my oven, they have definitely overstayed their welcome. For the record...Gremlins are NOT welcome at my dinner table!

Luckily, my brother and his family are cute and not mischievous in any way and we were able to sit down to a nice homemade meal, something I hope we can do again soon.

How does an Italian woman get her revenge on Gremlins?

She starts with lots of garlic, a novena and a repair man. If that doesn't work, she braves the waters of the appliance store, salesman and all and buys a new one!

Damn Gremlins.

Teens Interrupt Regularly Scheduled Programming....

I am completely throwing caution to the wind (and spell check) to throw this post up. Why? Because I just need to vent a little about life with a teenager...

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of my daughter. She was 3 at the time and it was taken as the first snow of the season started to cover the grass. We went outside and tried to make snowballs and a snowman but ended up only able to make snow angels.

I realize she would not stay the cute toddler forever.

But :

Why did arguing over friends we don't know-who now can drive- have to come so soon?

Why did "You just don't GET IT!" have to make it's way into daily vocabulary?

Why does our explaination of "no" have to always have an expanation attached other than "because I said so!"

I love going down memory lane; but I am reminded that time passes quickly and no longer am I making angels in the snow, but trying my best to help a young adult learn from the experiences that have paved the path for this adult.

But why does that process have to be so painful, for both of us?

Maybe I just don't get it.

Wordless Wednesday: Our Dinner Table Debate: Bugs Bunny vs. Tom & Jerry

Wordless Wednesday :: I Still Got It!

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I have many traits that come with being Italian. I talk with my hands, my family is my lifeline, and food is also very important; to eat and to share.

As a former meetings/conference event planner, I worked with many a chef to prepare menus for clients to be sure they ate and ate well for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No one ever went without. One dinner that I planned consisted of over 100 meals. With travel schedules and late arrivals, not all meals were served and the banquet manager came to me and asked what I would like to do with the 15 or so meals that were still plated in the back. She asked if I would like them boxed for the guests still in attendance to bring back to their rooms. I thought that was a great idea. But then something popped in my head and I asked her "Wait. Do you think these meals could be donated to a shelter or a mission instead?" She said that her property did have an agreement with a local shelter that on a certain night of the week all food that was left from the day was donated to them, however, the night of our function was not one in the same and there was no way to find one at this hour.

Another story, is from a time that I spent in Chicago. My husband and I were walking and window shopping along Michigan Avenue. In our travels back and forth along the "Magnificent Mile", we passed a man, dirty and in ragged clothes, that was just sitting there; every day, in the same spot. He wasn't asking for money and didn't have a sign that said "help me". He was just sitting there. As I passed him throughout our trip, I noticed that when people would walk by eating something, he would look up and follow them with his eyes. On our last day, my husband and I had lunch and I asked for the other half to be boxed. As we walked back to our hotel, I handed my bag to the man on the street that everyone was ignoring. He was hungry.

Did you know that one in eight Americans receives food assistance? In 23 counties of my local area alone, 21,597,680 pounds of food are provided annually. I was shocked when I read that. Want to know where your community stands? Check here.

As you know, we just planned a wonderful 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my in-laws. The food was wonderful and we made arrangements ahead of time that we would be able to bring whatever was left over home with us. We did not however, plan on so much to come home. What did we do? We collectively decided that the first thing we should do is call a mission that feeds the homeless once a week. Below is a letter that my brother-in-law wrote to us after he and our niece brought the food to share. I asked if I could share his letter and he said yes. Here is his experience in his own words:

All,


As we discussed after the party, we ended up taking the two trays of pasta down to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to feed the homeless/poor. I wanted to write to let you know that and to let you know how amazing a night it was.

We arrived and saw that there were (I’m guessing) 70-100 people waiting for the students from Steubenville. When they arrived we introduced ourselves and explained about bringing the food. They were cool with that, but didn’t realize how important that would become. You see, this was a week when a local priest was scheduled to bring the food for them to distribute. The students had some donuts to distribute, which they did while they were waiting for the other food. The time went by and no one came bringing the other food.


I don’t think that the students realized that I also “happened” to have bowls and some to put the pasta in and some quantity of plasticware. When I pointed that out they said grace and began distributing the food. It wasn’t a lot for everyone, but everyone who wanted had some and many had seconds. With just enough bowls and silverware, the last of the pasta was eaten. God in His providence did provide. Let’s say it this way: if mom and dad hadn’t gotten married 50 years ago (and thousands of other events in between) there would have been a lot of hungry people yesterday….


Anyway, we had an amazing time. We ended up spending most of the time getting a “history lesson” from a guy named Al. Al went on and on engaging us with amazing stories and history of Pittsburgh, America and the world. He was GREAT! He went on and on with fun story and story and also did a real motivational talk about learning. It was really amazing.


Randy

When I finished reading this, I immediately looked up my local food bank to volunteer. I printed out their schedule and told my kids to look at it, pick a date and time when as a family, we would go and help prepare parcels for those in need. 
 
I'm going to ask you to do the same.
 
Look at eight of your neighbors or eight people you pass in the mall or on the street. Statistically, one of them will be receiving assistance from your local food bank.
 
Food is a basic need that all of us require to live. In this day and age, no one should have to feel hungry. If giving my time or donating food to my local food bank will help, then that is the least I can do.
 
Will you join me?
 
Find out more from Feeding America, a great resource of information.

Timing: For Better or For Worse...

With all the momentum I have gathered for posting during this 31DBBB Challenge I cannot believe that I am about to say I may be taking a few days off!

I have a fantastic excuse though and if you were in my shoes, you would realize that it isn't really an excuse, it is something that just is.

I will be spending time with family and  relatives near and far for the next few days as we gather to celebrate 50 years of wedded bliss between my mother-in-law and father-in-law. I absolutely adore my in-laws and cannot relate to those that tell stories with a roll of the eye. That is not to say I don't chuckle at stories that I hear...but I know that I am in the camp of the lucky few.

I will be catching quick computer time here and there, but probably will not post until the weekend.

I am looking forward to sharing some great stories with you!

Learning the Ropes

This weekend my husband and I planned a family outing to the Adirondack Mountains for a little climbing-only not by way of our normal hiking trails, but rather in the trees! That’s right; we went ‘Extreme’, Adirondack style and enjoyed a day full of thrills at the ADK Extreme Adventures, located in Bolton Landing, NY.

ADK Extreme is a place nestled in the woods just off exit 24 on the Northway providing those who travel here a chance to get a “monkey” –eyed view of the forest by completing a set of obstacles tethered high in the trees by cables. They offer five different “rope” courses, each becoming progressively higher off the ground and more difficult to maneuver. It is a great place to test your will, strength and determination all in a safe and structured environment with guides constantly at the ready to either talk you through your fear, or if need be, help you back to the ground.

Reservations are strongly recommended and after showing up for our scheduled 9:00am start time, I soon began to see why. This place was hopping! It also was a major plus that their website offered two coupons; one could be used first thing in the morning and one at a twilight session. We chose the morning session saving $10.00 per person - a BIG savings. The catch with this coupon deal-it is only good for the 8:30 or 9:00am time slot. We are early risers, so that was not an issue.

Soon after we received  harnesses our group moved over to the first course so the guides could “teach us the ropes” so to speak. We learned how to safely clip ourselves to the safety cable, how to move from each obstacle to the platform surrounding the trees, learned how to set up and use our zip-line contraption and heard their strict warning policy. If you are caught not clipped correctly, you receive a warning. If caught again, they take you out of the trees and you are done for the day. If you go beyond your comfort level and need to be “rescued”, meaning helped back to the ground, well then you are done for the day as well. After this briefing, we were sent to what I thought was the practice course to try out our new skills. You are set off to the practice course but what they don’t tell you is that this is the beginning of course one.

Did I mention that I can be paralyzed in my tracks due to my fear of heights? Can you see the terror in my eyes??

I learned quickly to focus on what was ahead of me and not to look down trying to follow that saying people say "Whatever you do, don't look down!" My son was the first to go through and he made it look easy. Then my daughter went and again, walked through the first course like a pro. Then came my turn; it took a little bit to find my footing on the moving log that was a first in a series of 8 that I needed to traverse. With my core engaged 150% trying to keep my balance, coupled with being so far off the ground (ok, I admit, I cheated and looked down) I was sweating buckets! I made it to the next platform and my husband would come up behind me and say “you are doing awesome, honey!” He could see the fear on my face.

I made it through course one.

Course two was a little more challenging. I found that my fear was turning more to focus and I began to feel a little more confident with wooden slat “bridges” that would move side to side with each step. The moving obstacles were challenging, but I felt comfortable doing them. That was until I came to what they called the “Tarzan Swing”, which was a rope that you had to swing across into a big net. For some reason, this is where my knees started to shake and I looked at my husband and said “I don’t know if I can do this.” He replied “Yes. You can.” I took a deep breath and leapt to what I was sure would be my doom. I grabbed the net and channeled my inner “Jack Black” the pirate and scaled it with ease.

I took another deep breath, this one drawn and exhaled with relief. The prize for my bravery? To clip in and ride a super long zip-line to the last obstacle of course two. This was the best (and my favorite) part of the course.

I felt a little apprehension to begin course three. At first I said no, that I was done, but after seeing my family ready to clip into another zip-line, I threw caution to the wind and yelled “wait up! I changed my mind. I’m going to do it.” With “Yay, Mom” still drifting in the air, I clipped into the zip-line and off I went. This course was higher and was full of moving logs, bridges and obstacles that sent me way out of my comfort zone. The last set of moving logs pulled something in my side and with each movement of trying to keep my balance it would send a message loud and clear “Hey! This hurts you know!” Thank goodness I was at the end and only a set of log poles to the finish.

When my feet were safely planted on the ground, I said “okay, now I’m done!” My husband and kids made their way to course four and up they went. I was so proud of them! They worked through the course with relative ease, however when finished, my daughter then said “okay, now I’m done!”

The boys decided that yes, they were going to attempt course number five, the hardest and most difficult. We wished them good luck and decided that we were going to go hit the cooler for a much needed drink and some lunch. We waited for about 45 minutes to an hour and finally heard  “Hi Guys!” We looked up and saw that my husband and son were getting ready to race on the last zip-line.

We met them in the lodge to return their harnesses. My son gave me a hug and said “I had to be rescued!” The boy who shows no fear got a big dose of it and repelled to safety after the first obstacle. My husband said that he did not know how he managed to get through the course and that we were wise to stop when we did. That was good to hear that my "Spidey Senses" were working for me to keep me on the ground and stop while I was ahead.

If you are looking for something fun and different to do with the family, I would highly recommend ADK Extreme Adventure. We all agreed that this was a blast and it was great to share encouragement and high five’s for a job well done.

We will definitely make a trip back.

Check it out!

ADK Extreme Adventure

** Plan on a full day. We started at 9:00am and pulled out of the parking lot around 2:00pm; a little under an hour for each course. Pack a lunch and sit in the great little picnic area, or on the spacious deck off the lodge. There is a small snack bar inside that sells the typical fare along with cameras if you forget yours.**

Baseball and Kidneys?

Last week we enjoyed a night out with the kids and some dear friends. We decided to meet and take in a baseball game of our local farm team. I love going to baseball games...the atmosphere is fun and you just can't beat the sound of the bat cracking the ball out into center field!

The friends that joined us have been our amigos for about 20+ years and whenever we get together, it is always a great time....laughs, stories and more laughs. Tonight would be no exception.

Our seats were past the 1st base line...primo spots for foul balls. I started off the evening by saying "I'm listening, even though I may not be looking at you." because I would carefully watch each pitch thrown across the plate. I will say that it was a wise move on my part. As the night progressed, I witnessed a person catch a ball -(with their bare hand mind you!) that came whizzing past our heads. By the sound of the smack, I'm sure his palm stung for a while. I also saw the guy behind me take one straight to the gut. Good thing he had a lot of cushion (it was $1.00 hot dog night after all) because it just made a "thud" and rolled off.  There were plenty of other close calls but I lost count after 10.

Soon it was time for the Mascots to take to the field between each inning. We had the mayors of local towns race...the team Mascots raced kids around the bases..."Ketchup", "Relish" and "Mustard" raced down the baseline, "Mustard" being the winner that night. Remember, it was hot dog night! Then came the litte cars tossing out t-shirts to the crowd. We all stood up waving our hands....and two shirts were thrown our way...one landed in my hand and bounced behind my seat before I could close my grip. The next second, another was flying over my head and I could see our son out of the corner of my eye grabbing it out of the air. When I looked behind my seat, I could see my husand with one end of the t-shirt, playing tug-of-war with a little girl. He let go and said "Oh, you can have it" with a smile.

The best part came as my son unrolled his prize....expecting a t-shirt with the home team logo, we were all surprised to see that it instead read...
"Kidney Walk".....AND it was from 2009! This threw us all in a fit of laughter...are you kidding me? You couldn't spare a team t-shirt? The jokes started flying..."don't wear that on the black market, cuz they will walk!", "are you sure it doesn't have dotted lines on the back?" "why am I sitting in a tub full of ice?" all playing on those wild internet stories that people email to you. These jokes are off color and are not meant to offend anyone...(I have friends, yes plural, friends that have had transplants..so I am very aware of the serious nature and cause behind the shirt-they would have laughed too.)

It was a fun night and we look forward to our next game.

Maybe next time, we will change our seats.

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings....

My friend Alison got married a few weeks ago to a really great guy. She was an absolutely stunning bride and had that happy glow that seems to accompany a woman on her wedding day. I don't think I have ever seen her so relaxed and well, happy! Congrats my friend!

My cousin Olivia recently tied the knot in Vegas. This girl knows how to party...not only did she have a beautiful ceremony in Sin City, she also had a family party AND has another upcoming shin-dig to celebrate with those of us that couldn't make it to the ceremony. Again..another beautiful bride!

In a few weeks, I will be celebrating yet another wedding...only this one occured 50 years ago... two of my favorite people: my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law. I adore my inlaws and cannot wait to share this special milestone with them!

See what I mean? Another beauty, inside and out!

It's Monday Already?

Last week had me running and the weekend was no different!

I have not been writing as much as I would like-my new job and umpteen after school activities have left me very little "me" time. In fact as I frantically type this, I am watching the clock as I only have 10 minutes to get this post done so that I can begin my Monday Madness! Maye that should be a new "series" post.

In any event, I have 3 big blogging items that have been hanging on my To-Do list...and I hope to get them done this week. Fingers crossed.

This weekend was crazy- we enjoyed our second baseball game-sans hail. In fact, it was sunny and 80 degrees. After this we met some friends and went for a bike ride...now it was 85 degrees....and I forgot the sunscreen. As I started out..psssssssst. Flat tire. 22 miles later, I was fried- in more ways than one.

Got home and took my daughter out shopping. Mother shopping with teenager for prom shoes= H-E-L-L. This is a story that is coming later this week, so I don't want to give away too many details. Let's just say that we are still shoeless.

Went to a Honky Tonk bar to see a friend sing with his band. Again, another story...and a great one at that. I was floored at how well our friend sang....again-don't want to give too much away, but I hope his story will inspire someone!

And last but not least...ran a 5k yesterday in sweltering heat and humidity to help support the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. No story here...except that it was really, really hot and fun!

Ok...10 minutes are up. Gotta go. But I will be back. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Have a great day!

 

Mother's Day Giveaway!

I had such a fun time hosting a giveaway on the blog!! I hope you had fun too.

 I have a surprise for you...

I am hosting another one!
Mother's Day is right around the corner and I am always trying to think of new and creative ideas for gifts, however, I am forever thinking about ideas and never putting them into action...so flowers are my stand-by gift that has been given for the last few years.  After the last giveaway, I was contacted by a rep from Lulu to see if I had an interest in hosting a Mother's Day Gift Idea Giveaway. After seeing what the item(s) would be, I thought yes! Finally! A good idea and project to do with the kids!

Would you like to create a photo calendar for Mom? Or maybe a Photobook for Grandma that she can carry around as her special "brag book"?  Then be sure to enter this giveaway any time from April 19 - April 23. More details below:

I don't know of any Mom that does not live by or run a household on a 12-month organizer. Whether it is a white board, self-printed or even hand drawn place that shows what is going on in the family with appointments, practices, vacations, etc. I've lost count as to how many times I have been asked "Are we doing anything on such and such a date?" or "When is this birthday?" and I'm sure you already know what my answer is:

"Look on the calendar."

I'm not sure what hangs on your fridge, door or cabinet, but my calendar hangs on the front of my fridge and is just the basic black and white version that I have printed from Outlook. It would be nice to have a calendar put together with family photos for each month or to customize special dates with a photo.

And who doesn't like to share a photo book of the family or cute grandchildren? I have made my own in the past after special events, but it always took a long time. These photobooks can have pictures loaded up from all your own files or online places such as Facebook, Flicker or any other application you use. A few clicks and you are done!

So, this Mother's Day Giveaway has two ways to win!

The first giveaway is easy-peasy. What is great about this part is that ALL readers are winners! If you would like to create a calendar or photobook for Mother's Day, you have won a 20% off coupon! Go to Mother's Day Gift Ideas at Lulu and enter the coupon code: MOMDAY20 at the check-out after creating your masterpiece.

For the Grand Prize, you can win a special coupon for a free, customized, photo book or calendar (up to a $50 value)! All you have to do is:

1. Become a follower of this blog before April 23rd.
2. Leave a comment to let me know you are a new follower.

Already following? Awesome! My goal is to reach 150 before the end of April, so tell a friend!

Winners will be randomly chosen on April 23rd and will be announced on April 24th.

Good luck!


**This giveaway is being sponsored by Lulu.com. I have not received product for this drawing**