Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I am looking forward to as Fall approches

1. Michael coming home
2. Cooler weather
3. The clothes! I do love jeans!!
4. School starting for my kids....yah!!!
5. Mac's birthday
6. SEC football
7. Oyster season!!! Bring on the roasts!!!
8. Halloween-Mac will totally "get it" this year
9. Thanksgiving- my favorite holiday!
10. All of our friends birthdays that are coming up: Daddy, Abby, Roman, Harper, Judah, Jahnz, Ms. Lindsay, Ms. Amy, Ms. Susie and Ms. Melissa!!!!
11. The Coastal Carolina Fair
12. The food: Apple season, chili and soups!!!
13. Jack (our dog) will no longer need to come inside due to the heat. PTL!!!

Wordless Wednesday

My two favorite junkyard dawgs!!!!
GOOOOOOOO DAWGS SIC EM'!!!!!

Weekend....

Okay so our weekends around here are pretty dull. We go so hard Monday thru Friday that it's all we can do to get out of our jammies on the weekend. However on Saturday, Mommy made a concerted effort to do so. She dressed everyone after breakfast and headed to town to check out the Summerville farmers market. After the whole five minutes it took to check it out I headed to the Pink Crocodile for a little purchase I'd been eyeing. Then we needed a diaper change and lunch was looming, so back to the car we headed. As I was in the car doing diaper duty, I notice we were without Lily Kate's lovie. What?? I look everywhere and then strap us all in to backtrack. No lovey anywhere. Miss Kay doesn't even recall us coming in with it!!! Since I can't drive down the street where the farmer's market booths are, and it is so stinkin' hot, I have about 5.2 seconds to make a decision about what to do. Back to the Pink Crocodile for yet another purchase. I can't believe that I have had to purchase another lovie; in all my days....even Mac still has his original!!! To top it off, they don't even have her exact one and unless I want to go all the way to MP.....nope, not doin' it. So, we head to lunch, then home where naps were a disaster (afterall, she wasn't used to this thing that was supposed to be her lovie), so then I let the kids play in the sprinklers. Such an uneventful day really. Sunday, I didn't make it out of my pj's all day and the kids just had diapers and t-shirts on. What a lazy day!!!! It was perfect!!!! Topping it off, we had breakfast for supper and the kids lapped it up!! Ready for another week!!!!

Oh, Mommy has an ouie!!!

So today Mac was playing on the floor around my feet while I was typing at the computer and his hand brushed against my foot. He looked over and said, "oh! Mommy has and ouie!!!" Half paying attention, I stopped and said, "what?" "Mommy has an ouie!!" "Where?" I ask, wondering what in the world he is talking about. He points to my heel and says, "right there Mommy!" I guess I need a pedicure pretty bad....

Happy Birthday Reese!!

This is a shoutout to sweet little Reese; Happy First Birthday!!! We love you and love that smile and demeanor about you!! You are a special little girl and we are blessed to know you!!! By the way, your sister, Mommy and Daddy aren't so bad either!!!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen "tools" I cannot live without as a Mommy....

1. Lovie's- both of my children have their own "lovie" and it is satin on one side and plelvet (pretend velvet) on the other. It is made by Little Giraffe and they have to have them to go to sleep; it is their ultimate comfort item and a must have in a meltdown situation.
2. Boudreaux's Butt Paste- Laugh if you will, but this stuff is the BEST out there; believe me I have tried all other diaper rash creams and this one is the only one I use.
3. Q-Tips- Around my house, I am known as the "nose nazi". I cannot stand a yucky nose and when tissue doesn't work, this does. My kids run when they see one of these in my hands!!
4. Baby Wipes- Other than the obvious use, my husband says this is the greatest invention on earth.
5. Travel size hand sanitizer- We are not germophobes, but when you're out in public and have a situation (see Tuesday's blog entry for a perfect example), this is perfect!!!
6. McDonalds Chicken Selects- Okay, so if you have to do fast food, you can always find a Mickey D's and these are the real deal.
7. A Matchbox Car- Mac can play with these anywhere and Lily Kate loves the cool metal on her gums.
8. Goodnight Moon- This is a classic that my kids never tire of hearing. It is the one book they won't dispute to hearing us read and it holds sooooo many memories for me each time I hear it.
9. Hyland's Teething Tablets and Motrin- Okay so teething is rough and if the tablets doesn't work then I try the motrin. Plus, when we travel and sickness ensues, Motrin is the wonderdrug.
10. Raisins- Both my kids love them and they are great for tiding them over til' our food comes when we go out to eat.
11. Zout- Seriously removes every stain I have come across; works awesome!!!
12. Car DVD player- Um, probably the best invention for Mom's since disposable diapers.
13. Playgroup- Okay, so this isn't a "tool" persay, but without playgroup, I wouldn't have adult time, other Mommies opinions that I trust, the most perfect friends for my children, sanity and the greatest group of friends ever!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Dinner with the Kabine's

Tonight we dined with the Kabine's, which is always such a huge treat for us. We love to go to the Kabine house as Mac thinks Anna and Emma are the alpha and omega (and they have the coolest toys) and Lily Kate loves it too. She is especially enamored with Kringle and Sophie, their dogs. It is really great to break up our monotony and go there because it isn't so much about the meal as it is the company. We love it!!! The Kabine's always have something going on and make us feel right at home!! So, here are some pictures from our evening. By the way, Mac is sitting in a bumbo, which is a special chair that is actually meant for babies who can't sit up yet. I guess he thought it was comfortable! Check out Emma, I think I can see modeling in her future!!!

Playgroup Tuesday

Well, it's Tuesday, and that means playgroup!!! Yah!!!! We are so glad to be back home and in our regular routine. Mac was so excited to see his friends and other "Mommies"!! He greeted everyone so cheerfully. Since it was so hot, we headed to the BK playroom, I guess that is what you would call it. It was secluded from the dining area so the kids could go wild, but all us Mom's cared about was that it had A/C!!! We only got one picture because we had quite a catastrophe occur. It wouldn't be playgroup without a little chaos!!! Mac comes to me and informs me in his own way that he is messy and needs a diaper change. I notice it is on his hand and turn him around to find that the diaper just didn't get the job done; oh yes, it's everywhere. Even on his foot. Lovely. After commanding the whole play area to freeze, I check things out and spot a skid mark down the slide. Nice. I am so proud.

Well, these things happen, and at my summoning, all of my oh-so-wonderful Mommy friends jump into action. One with wipes, one with anti-bacterial hand soap, one to the BK kitchen crew for back up and one to Target (which was fortunately a hop-skip-and-jump away) for another outfit. What a blessing I have in my life, these wonderful women, PTL!!!! All of the other Mommies quickly helped scan all of the children to make sure they weren't smeared somehow. I mean, how crazy can it get??!!!! Well, on second thought, stick around and I am sure I can let you know!!! As Michael would say, "just makin' memories!!!"

So Saturday brought us a very busy day! Lily Kate and I headed to Spartanburg to meet my in-laws halfway and pick Mac up. I was so happy to see my little boy!! I wasn't the only one, Lily Kate couldn't keep her hands off of him!!! They played and loved, it was so cute. We headed back to Summerville and Mommy then had her coveted Moms night out with the girls. Just dinner and shopping, but oh such fun!!!! Mommy is glad to be back home with her babies!!!

So our first stop was off to Columbia to visit our good friends Amy, Ron and Harper! Mac and Harper played and fought, typical 3 year old stuff. We had a great time and we can't wait to see them again!! Then we headed to the mountains to see Nanna and Pawpaw. Here we were visiting for just a couple of days and leaving Mac for an extended visit. All of Mac's cousins were visiting too. Wheeler, Myleigh and Whitley came up from Florida and they all played so very hard!! Mac was thrilled to be running around playing with his cousins that he doesn't get to see often enough!! As soon as we arrived, Lily Kate got sick. She had her first tummy virus and spent the next day sleeping and had an on and off fever. She finally seemed like she was getting back to her normal self, but still cranky. Next stop, Charlotte to see Mimi and Aunt Anda!!! Mommy got to go to the Pottery Barn Outlet (yah!!!!!) and to Mary Jo's (another yah!!!!!). Mommy also got to have some quality time with Aunt Shelley and then we all got to have dinner together before Mommy and Lily Kate headed back home to Summerville. One by one, from the mountains to Summerville and all in between we all get the virus only to find out later that it is in fact Rota. Yuck!! Oh well, nothing like a tummy virus to jump start some weight loss! By the way, it has now been a week and a half since my glasses broke and I am just now ordering a new pair. Lily Kate is cutting two molars at the same time and this explains her prolonged crankiness. Way to go!! Mommy and she celebrate her new teeth and my absence of the rota virus in style and have steak!! So much for the jump start...

We're Baaack!!!

Oh such a long trip and afterward!!! I feel like the biggest blog slacker ever, but maybe not considering all the places we have been and all that has happened. Soooooo, a brief recap? Well, hope you have time, because brief is NOT my middle name!! Let's see......

First my glasses broke, right at the bridge of the nose!! Unfixable!!! So, as you can see, I had to improvise. So funny I know, but I need them!! Of course, I only wore them in public once and that was to go through a drive thru and then straight back home. Michael wanted to know if he could call me Booger?!!

Thursday Thirteen (in no particular order)

Thirteen things I am missing right now.....

1. My Bed
2. YMCA and Exercise (WHAT??!!)
3. Control over my kids
4. My Dog
5. My tv in my room (so pathetic)
6. Unlimited use of my computer
7. My phone...I have no cell phone service here
8. Phonecalls from my Husband
9. My girlfriends
10. Dinner at Claire's house
11. My sleeping in their own beds in their own rooms
12. My shower
13. My cell phone charger (forgot it, big problem!!)

On the lam....

We are sooooo busy these days. It is totally showing in our absence of blogging!! We are busy visiting friends and family this week in the mountains. We will hopefully be able to load up some pics later today or tomorrow and share our fun times with everyone!!! Daddy, if you are reading, we miss you!!

On the subject of Church.....

Okay, so today I spurt-of-the-moment got ready and took the kids to a different church. We are currently members of a presbyterian church and I really, really love our leader and his sermons. I get so much from them. The kids enjoy the sunday school (well, I guess you call it that, they are ages 2 and 1) and when I get to go to my sunday school class I love it. However, as far as the church itself goes, I just don't feel very in touch with it, does that make sense? I don't know what it is. For example, We have been complete heathens all summer long. This morning is the first time I have gone since maybe May. Ashamed to say it but it is true. Why is that? I think it is a perfect example of how conflicted I am feeling about my church. I think I want to belong to a church that I am excited and motivated about going to. I know that getting involved may be the answer to my problem as it has been in the past. However with two kids that are so young, that makes it hard for me. They have bedtimes that are right in the middle of most group meetings. So, I told Michael before he left that he shouldn't be surprised if we visited other churches while he was gone. Making good on my intentions this morning, I visited a non-denominational church this morning that was very contemporary. I knew what I was going to be walking into. My husband grew up Freewill Baptist and I grew up Southern Baptist. For me, I haven't ever felt very apart of a charismatic type church or fire and brimstone. So, I have hungered for things that are the direct opposite of that. My fondest memories growing up were of the hymns. Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Victory In Jesus, etc. My mother has an incredible voice, and I fondly remember standing next to her listening and watching. Since joining a Presbyterian Church I have found new hymns that are very meaningful as well. I don't mind contemporary Christian music, I think it is more of a switch that has to go off in my head. I just have to learn to think of it differently, you know? I am rambling I know...my point is is that we are church shopping/browsing or whatever you want to call it. I am at a point in my life where I am really looking for great Christian fellowship. I have even somewhat hungered for a bible study!! For me that is a huge thing!! Life changes and spiritual needs change with it, I know God will lead me to where he wants me to be; I just have to be open to the change.

Wordless Wednesday