Kinda felt like Super Mom

The past two days I have kind of felt like Super Mom... I mean, I've already gotten everything crossed off the to do lists for Tuesday and Wednesday - well, almost... (we didn't make it to the church tailgate party tonight) It isn't even that I accomplished everything - it is more that I fit everything in AND still made time to exercise for an hour each day.  Parker had a birthday party to attend at 4pm on a Tuesday... this is NOT a good time for a working mom to take her kid to a birthday party... but I was determined that I was not going to be the reason that he didn't get to go.  So, I went in at 6:30am and left at 3pm in order to pick him up and take him to the birthday party.  I made it to the party in time and even remembered the gifts - what I forgot was to put cards in the gifts to tell who they were from.  Good thing I remembered that this morning and texted the twin's mom.  After leaving there, we picked up things from Aldi that I had to have to make the goodies tonight. Of course, I didn't have a quarter to get a buggy or a grocery bag in my car, so Parker was my sweet helper and carried a couple of things - then it was home to eat dinner and then it happened.  I asked Mark to give him a bath and then I hopped on the elliptical for an hour!  500 calories Gone!  then it was rocking the baby (that is what he calls himself when he is sleepy) to sleep and I sat down with Mark and we finished writing out some answers to questions for a position he is applying for!  Oh, and did I mention that I cleaned the kitchen too??? Then tonight I got off at 4, home to workout for 45 minutes, drug the garbage can to the house with Parker, looked for Henry the turtle with Parker, made a batch of blondies for a sweet friend having surgery tomorrow, seven layer dip for a baby shower I'm helping host at work tomorrow, fed Parker dinner and then a bath time, then rock the baby and now I'm here...  Mark is working Storm Duty tonight - thanks to tropical storm Lee, so he will not be home until late tonight.  I've kind of felt like Super Mom for the past two days - simply because I never seem to get all this in... Simply because I constantly feel guilty for not getting it all in each day.  AND I know that that these two days are rare, so I'm basking in the sunshine that I took care of my boys and me two straight days in a row.  Yep, I'm super working mommy for Tuesday and Wednesday!  Maybe I will make a cape to wear to work tomorrow.

Tailgating For Work

The First Batch

One of the questions that I was asked when I interviewed for my current position was, "Do you like to eat?"  I work for a government contractor out of Maryland and the recruiter told me that "they eat a lot in Anniston" and this is so true.  We celebrate with food!  There are 8 different departments, so on any given week, you can bet that one department is planning a celebration for something - birthdays, births, awards - you name it and we celebrate.  One thing we do each Fall is tailgate.  Each department plans a tailgating party one Friday during football season.  The Project Management Office took the first Friday.  We decided on a hot dog lunch and I volunteered to bring blondies and chili for the hot dogs.  Then offered to cook the 70 hot dogs - Mark thought I had lost my mind.  Here is Reggie getting ready to cook the dogs and the dogs on the grill.  We did them in about 4 batches, so it really didn't take that long.  We had a great spread and everyone really enjoyed themselves!  Believe it or not, all but 10 hot dogs were eaten!

Reggie Getting Ready!

My Sweet Co-workers!

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

Caught in the action

Tropical Storm Lee is dumping A LOT of water on us today, Labor Day!  It has poured all day long.  To be honest, I've really enjoyed the rain.  We REALLY needed it!  It is super dusty at our house - or was!  Plus I'm ready for Fall, and the rain will cool things off a little.  It has been like 98 degrees up until today.  Parker REALLY has been enjoying the rain!  Gran & Pop Pop bought him a new yellow rain slicker and rain boots yesterday and he got to try them out today!  He was ecstatic to be outside playing in the rain!  The slicker and boots will really be useful this Fall when he goes to school... and for other rainy days!  Thanks Gran & Pop Pop!

Such a beautiful face

He ran right out of his boots!

And he splashes!

The Fall

It is no secret that I'm clumsy... I fall - a lot!  I skin my knees about as much as a seven year old learning to ride a bike.  We keep a surplus of band aids and peroxide at home - not for the two boys in my house, but for me.  It is kind of sad.  I even fell the first day at my job and had to learn to file an Alabama Accident and Injury report on myself - how embarrassing is that?  I tried to get away with not telling anyone that I was hurt, but there was blood dripping down my leg under my pants and it was a few hours before I could run to the store and get some band aids - that has to be the most embarrassing first day EVER!  So, tripping and falling isn't anything new to me - I'm pretty used to it.  BUT I will tell you, I've never had a bruise like this one:

This lovely black bruise is located on my right thigh.  I fell yesterday - off my six inch porch with ten grocery bags and my work bag that holds my purse, planner, lunchbox and another binder that I carry.  The worst part of it was that Mark and Parker had come out onto the porch to greet me and saw the whole thing.  I knew it must have been a pretty bad landing when I looked up at Mark to see if I was okay and he wasn't laughing...  Parker had started to pitch one of his two year old fits and stopped in his tracks and I was sitting there in the dirt, hurting and doing EVERYTHING in my power not to cry.  I'm not a crier but I do have a tendency to cry when I fall - I'm not sure it is because of the pain or the sheer embarrassment of it... I'm sore today - my legs hurt.  I pulled a muscle in my calf on the other leg - how, I have no clue... I really hope to NEVER have a bruise like this one again - it is HUGE and hurts!

So Thankful...

We hung out with our great friends, The Frost family last Saturday night.  Let me just say, they are some of the very best friends that we have... we may only see them once every three months or so, but it is almost like we see them weekly when we get together.  There are tons of laughter, tons of smiles and tons of hugs.  Those tight hugs that you can just relax in and feel the love.  Brandy and Stephen live in Tuscaloosa.  They have two children - Lucas (4), Abby (15).  When I moved to Tuscaloosa, Mark introduced me to Stephen and Brandy.  Stephen was one of his sisters very best friends.  I was thankful to know two people that I could call if there was an emergency.  Little did I know that they would become some of our very best  life long friends.  We shared so many special times - tailgating at Alabama football games, going to the games, lunches, career developing, baby showers, wedding, new mommy questions, accepting that our children were not sleepers and we continue to share special times.  Our boys are growing up together and I'm deeply thankful that Stephen and Brandy share the same values and beliefs that we do.  Our priorities are the same as their priorities - they make me feel normal!  I'm deeply thankful for the little boy they are raising... Parker is at that age where he plays alongside other kids, but not with kids.  Last Saturday night, he played with Lucas - and our hearts were warmed like a toasty fire in the winter. Lucas is living by example and exemplifying the love, openness and joy that define his mommy & daddy.  We don't see Abby as much as we would like - she is a teenager and doesn't hang with the old crowd too much... but she is the same as Lucas - full of love and happiness.  Even when we don't see her, I drill Brandy and Stephen on what is going on in her life.  She is a great kid with a strong head on her shoulders.  Here are pictures of our boys having fun... yes, they got to jump on the couch, yes they stayed up past their bedtime, yes, my child popped Brandy's bra strap, yes they were kids - just what they are suppose to be... and it makes me so thankful that my little boy will grow up with another kind hearted little boy that knows the importance of friends and hugs and laughter.

Another thing we are thankful for is that the Frost family provides us hand-me-downs.  I can't say how much I love hand-me-downs!  They save me money, but they are also pieces of clothing that mean something to someone else... and that someone else trusted me to put my baby in them too.  Parker has worn Lucas's clothes and Lucas's cousin's clothing since he was born.  He has also played with many of Lucas's toys.  We sent back six totes last Saturday night and took in two.  I cannot wait until winter, because there are two totes of precious clothes that will keep him warm and snug.  Specifically a two blue pea coats - one for church and one for school, a Christmas outfit and a Thanksgiving outfit.

Really... we are more than thankful for our sweet friends, The Frost family.  How did we ever get so lucky??? It was a God thing - He had it orchestrated so beautifully... and I'm not sure if we were even lucky - blessed is more like it.

Thank you Frost family!  We love y'all!

8/29-9/2 - Weekly Menu

Here is my  menu for the week:

Mon. - chicken stir-fry with brown rice
Tues. - enchilada casserole
Wed. - pintos with ham, mac & cheese
Thurs. - left overs
Fri. - left overs

So, not much cooking on the back end of the week... but as of today, we are going to be loaded down with left overs.

Miss Pissy Pants Irene

I once wrote a story about a young lady on Ocracroke Island, part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a beautiful story... one particular part I remember writing about was a 20 something in a white cotton gown serving drinks to her husband and his college buddies before she went to sleep for the night.  The cottage was on Ocracroke Island.  The woman owned a bookstore there with her husband and were hosting his college buddies for the weekend. Her husband dearly loved her and the buddies winked at him as he told them that he had to "tuck her in for the night." I painted a classic romantic picture of love for the husband and love for the island and love for books.  Have I ever been there? no. So does it even make sense for me to be a little upset tonight? No. Do I even have that story saved anywhere by my little brain? No.  BUT I feel a tug in my heart tonight knowing that this force of mother nature could tear the island up - and even though I have never been there and will never know what it was before, my heart is saddened and my fingers are crossed that Miss Pissy Pants Irene will not even touch Ocracroke or the Outer Banks.