Just Thinking

that....

1) Sweets should never enter our home. I've had 2 oatmeal cookies and a slice of cake for breakfast/lunch. Oh and water as I'm trying to drink it at least once a week.

2) When I ask the lil mini if she's my sweet baby or my sweet big girl, she smiles really hard at the latter and I'm starting to agree.

3) Need to clean this home and purge like nobody's business. Too many clothes not worn but taking up precious closet space. And why do I have 6 boxes of q-tips. Now wonder lil mini is scavenging them to her room, she must think that they're a hot commodity.

4) What do you do with old purses? I've got a box full and once I put a bag down, there's no going back. I've heard of pep doing purse swaps before... hummmm

5) Switched toes from fushia to orange and I'm feeling fiesty. ;-)

6) Need to return something to TJ Maxx and I know inevitabley that instead of just getting my $ back and leaving that my 'refund' will probably become the 'discount' on my next purchase.

7) Looking at things to do in parts, rather than the whole is the only way I can get from day to day.

8) Headed to the library and Michaels when lil mini wakes from nap. Today is all about ditching cleaning detail, as I'm just not in the mood.

9) Loving the rain, but even I'd appreciate a little break as I'm bound and determined to get us in some pool time this summer.

10) Long weekends (which was fantastic. Love nonchalant hang out time with fam and friends) make for short weeks which make to-do lists seem even longer... says the lady dodging household duties.

11) Watching the season premier of Jon and Kate Plus 8 was tough. Was it just me? That family is really hurting, or maybe I should say that it's obvious that Kate is really hurting.

12) It was not hard to watch this showHere Comes the Newlyweds. Has anyone else seen it? I'm going to give it a couple of more weeks, but so far it's cute.

Happy Tuesday!

To knock Colleen's socks off...

... hehehe Is that nice to do to a pregnant woman? Just messin', I too am ridiculously giddy that I've been able to blog so close together. I don't know how long it will last, so come and get it while it's hot.

Here's some randomness for your Friday.

1) Now that the lil mini is a mover and a shaker, I find the oddest things in her room. A box of q-tips, a package of bath fizzies, a funnel... there's no telling what else she's got stored in there. Like she's building a bunker, should we stop supplying for her...

2) Went to the doc this morn and 2 testaments that I'm no longer 22. A) I have tendonitis in my wrist, no doubt from years spent on this computer (wonder if I can contact some past company's for workman's comp...) and from lifting the cutest 20lb sack of potatoes ever. B) When doing my chest x-ray (this was my annual physical) there were 2 x's on the little machine and I asked the tech if they marked where my n*pples should be, thankfully, she said no (but I think she was sparing my feelings), as mine were way below the mark. Really, bre*st-feeding and pumping did a number on my girls.

3) Love my new general doc. I found him for KJ, but when he asked me if I was still working in my profession and I told him no, he commented, "Being a momma is enough, right?" LOL. Yes it is and I love you little ole man for making me feel great about my unemployment (outside the home).

4) Lil mini and I love cherries. But whoa are they expensive! So, whenever we get a house, I'm planting a cherry tree, a pear tree, an apple tree and a tangerine tree. hummm, does that count as gardening?

5) Saw the best recipe for a breakfast pizza in a magazine in the waiting room. English muffin topped with a tomato, scrambled egg, sausage or bacon, and something else. Shoot, I thought I could memorize it.... let me see if I can find it on the web. It was so simple and so delish looking...
Found it Breakfast Pizzas Scroll down a bit and you'll see it. Sounds good, huh?

Happy Friday folks. Most of you I think I'll see at the big 02 celebration in the park. Can't wait!

Oddities...

... things you may or may not want to know about me. ;-)

1) I rarely cry at funerals, but tv shows make me bawl. Really, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice all make me run thru a tissue box.

2) It drives me crazy when KJ stays up late. Like we have a marital bedtime that he must adhere to. ha.

3) I'm horrible at putting colors together. Really. Clothes, artwork, sigh... monochromatic is my style. hehehe and I'm a graphic designer. again I say ha.

4) I once took a family pack of toilet tissue back b/c they had overcharged me. I'm a stickler for savings. Oh and I'm boycotting the local Taco Bell b/c they over charged me for chicken tacos (hehe apparently once the food leaves the window and you've driven home with it, you can't take it back).

5) I could eat Mexican food every. day.

6) I've taken to cleaning the bathroom in the nude just before I get in the shower. I admit that this is ridiculously odd and probably way TMI. Don't stop by without calling first, hehehe you'd hate to catch me in the middle of cleaning.

7) I wear more flip-flops now that I'm back in Bama than I ever did in FL.

8) On nights when the little mini is sick and I'm up rocking her, I've contemplated how comfy it would be to just curl up in her crib. With or without her.

9) I love love love recipes, but not once have i ever followed one to the T.

10) I have a ton of photos, but they are all trapped inside my computer. And I have a ton of frames, some are even hung on my walls, but they all display people I'm tired of making up relations to. Why don't they just sell empty frames?

Anywho, happy Wednesday friends!

Oh, the little mini and one of her bffs are hanging out today, and I don't believe that there's anything cuter than hearing them trying to talk each other out of nap time. Really girls, go to sleep...

Being the Change

You Want to See.

I've adopted this as my "life quote". Not sure where I heard it, but I liked it instantly and saw that as a mantra, it eliminated my internal need to gripe or complain about any given situation. If I've run into nothing but rude people during the day, then I'm extremely kind to everyone that I come in contact with. If I feel like I haven't connected with friends in a while (life gets so hectic) then I make an effort to put a card in the mail. If I want KJ to step up his husband game, then I double check to make sure that my wife game is on point. See what I'm saying. It may not work for everyone, but boy does it work for me. It silences the inner negative nelly in a heart beat.

So in being the change I want to see, I've:

1) Slowed down to realize that a lot of the rushing around I was doing previously was ousting the very ones who were most important to me. I can take a phone call instead of rushing inside of Walmart. I can snuggle a little longer b.c the dishes aren't literally calling my name. I can revamp my agenda to pop in and see friends and family, b/c after all isn't that the bonus of not working outside of the home? ;-) Yep. It is.

2) I try to listen more intently. No matter how trivial the story may sound, it matters to some degree to the person taking the breath to tell it. Because of this, I've had some of the nicest conversations with the most random people. Mostly old women in the check-out line at Walmart. (oh and one really sweet girl in Dollar Tree who called me 'ladybug' which I found to be extremely endearing as that's what my mom used to call me growing up)

3) Made a conscious effort to hug the little mini every chance I get b/c she's quickly adopting little habits and I think compassion is often best displayed in a warm squeeze.

4) Decided to make a random doc appt to just check on my overall health (I feel fine, no worries, but haven't had a regular physical in about 2 or 3 years) b/c I want to say I've made every effort I can to ensure my health and vitality for later.

There are a hundred other things on my "being the change" radar ranging from being more environmentally conscious (seriously my family's 'footprint' is probably ridiculous) to being more 'kindly honest' (I don't think I could ever be brutally honest, but in not trying to trample feelings before I've either remained completely silent or taken a long detour of avoidance).

Other than being lost in this thought, the haps this way are that:
I'm hoping to start reading several good books. In the mood for thought provoking so I think I'll start with Thousand Splendid Suns or A Long Way Gone

Several graduations this week. Man, I remember that feeling of life being no larger than my experiences up through high school. My goodness, I'v gotten old. hehehe

Looking for new recipes. Made up a hashbrown and sausage casserole. Very good except the consensus is that I should omit the crunchy topping next time. I got a little crunch happy this time. :-)

Happy Monday friends.

Life's a Blur

Have you ever just sat and tried to remember exactly what you did 24 hours ago? Good night, time is like a whirl wind around these parts.

We went to go pick up the Mini from KJ's parents (she's been with them since last Friday. eek! Vaca for me yes, and that was nice, but whoa is this house quiet and boy am I pitiful when she's MIA for so long). I must admit as we were walking in the door I was a little nervous that she'd look at us like, who are you folks (side bar, I often have the sad thought that if I were to pass away today, she'd have no real memory of me, and it almost makes me hyperventilate, anywho), but no fear needed. The kiddo bust into the sweetest 8 tooth grin ever and took off running towards us. Those little legs are hilarious. Other than a horrible outbreak of her eczema and a few scratches on her nose, she's just as I remember her being. ;-) A tad bit more feisty, but I think that's what happens when you stay with the grands and can get away with EVERYTHING.

The rest of the weekend was like I said, a blur. We drove further south so see KJ's gma. It's a small little community, so all the men had gathered at the local church and cooked lunch for all the ladies. The fish was sooo good, and I made no bones about going back for 3rds and 4ths. Shoot, at one point KJ's uncle was bringing it to me straight from the fryer. I love me a fish fry.

We attempted to go to Tuskegee on Sunday for his cousins graduations, but that was just ridiculous. Apparently they only have one graduation the entire year so there are a million students walking and that means 10 million family members trying to get into a space that seats 20,000. We stood outside for 40 mins (they were well beyond standing room only) and then we found a relative that was going back to the house for dinner (we were going to head on home) and gave them our cards. We tried.

After stopping by the hospital to visit one of KJ's aunts, we hit the road home. The mini did great considering we were in and out of the car a thousand times and that whatever normal schedule we try to have was blown in the wind. By the time we left the hospital she was pooped so the hour and a half drive home was perfect. I always try to stay up and talk to KJ on drives so that he won't be bored, but it didn't happen this time. Car sleeping is some of the best sleep ever to me. ;-) And we made it home in time for evening service at church.

It was a weekend full of family and although every event didn't go as planned it was still pretty good. I didn't get many pics but I did catch this one of these two. It didn't last long, as she likes to stop and look at every blade of grass and she needs about 10 little steps to match his one, but still sweet none the less.

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day on both the giving and receiving end.

I was thinking...

of shutting this bad boy down. Really. I don't write enough. I feel like my life has lost tons of interest. But, yesterday I talked to my old friend Sumita. I miss her. High school was ages ago and our lives are completely different and very busy now. Hers especially. :-) So it occured to me that while she's up working at 3 am (like she often does) that if she needed a mental break that she might pop onto my blog to check in on my fam. It was my reminder as to why I blog. Thanks Sumita-mita. I've read others bloggers write how they blog for their family. So that they can look back in years and remember their day to day activities. The more I think of it the more I realize that I too love the thought of the little mini being able to read my ramblings one night in her dorm room when she can't sleep, kind of giving her a different insight into her momma at a time when she's going to think that I just don't understand, or that I'm an old foggy who can't relate to a hip youngster as herself. hehehe

So in short, I'm back.
Some things have changed, some things have stayed the same.
I hope to write more so that my friends feel like the gaps between us are fewer and smaller.
I hope to write so that my best friend and I can play a different kind of 'catch-up' (Now Liz, stop running around and honestly, take 5 mins to read my ramblings... I miss you. I miss us.)
I hope to write so that in time I can say I've been doing this form of 'journaling' long enough to stop saying "I can never stick to journaling". I hate that I'm a journal quitter.
Here's the beginning of a long road of catching up. And staying caught up.
Whether you're out there or not. Whether you've given up on me or not. Whether you comment or not. I'll be here.
And occasionally I can promise that there will be eye candy...
Behold:




Happy Friday friends. I've missed you.