Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Taking a bloggy break...


I'm taking a moment to catch my breath
but don't fret...I'll be back next week
and when I do, I'll have some amazing stuff to share with you!

Miss you, love you, see you, bye!

Santa Caught Red Handed

If your little one believes in Santa 
then you have to read these fun ways to prove that Santa is real?
Does your family welcome the jolly guy into your home? 


Click here to read the article and join the conversation over Athens Patch.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

52 Weeks of Happiness : Week 38

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I love those moments when one of my kids 
does something so adorable that my head 
almost pops off my neck from all the uncontrollable cuteness. 

The other day Griffin requested a pencil and paper 
because he had concocted a plan to 
get his hands on extra spending money for him to spend at Disney World. 

His big plan?
To get an advance from the tooth fairy, of course
 In case you can't read his 
sweet 7-year-old chicken scratch handwriting
here is a translation...

"Dear toothfairy,
I have four loose teeth.
Can you give me my money early 
because I am going to Disney World 
in two more days."

Cutest. Thing. Ever.

Even more prescious
was the conversation that followed.

G: How will the toothfairy know that
the note is under my pillow?
 Does she only get the alert
when a tooth falls out?

Me: Her message with our address
gets activated  when teeth OR notes
are slipped under a kid's pillow.

G: Oh, that makes sense.

Total Mama Happiness!

Photobucket


Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.


Monday, November 26, 2012

Winner : Rooster Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Vandy J
Jonathan gave a whole new meaning to check out my cock.

Linda D
I'm so confused... 
Now who exactly got down at last night's Ho Down?

metsuke
Hey, roosters need creepy, bug eyed, stalker love too

and the winner is...
metsuke
 
 Hey, roosters need creepy, bug eyed, stalker love too!
 
 is the funniest blogger in all the land
She doesn't have a blog
but she still wins this amazing award! 
 Link
Link
FotoFlexer_Photo

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Freashow Friday : Rooster Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this guy must be lonely.

Mike's favorite pet was always a little cocky.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this
super duper brand new awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

FotoFlexer_Photo


If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Turkey Day!


May your kitchen be filled with
scrumptious smells of food made wth love.

May your dining room be filled with family and fun.

May your heart be filled with gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let's all say a prayer that I don't burn lunch!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A Thankful Heart

My top 10 things I've learned to be thankful for from parenthood. 
 What are you grateful for?


 Please click here to read, comment, 
and suggest the article to your Facebook friends!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 37

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You all know by now that I am addicted
to decorating my fireplace mantel for the holidays.
I decided to use pieces this year that we have an
emotional connection with and things
that we are thankful for.

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Like my grandma's carnival glass that I inhereited.
She spent a lifetime collecting the feminine bowls
and it's such an honor for me to now display them in my home.

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Or glittery pumpkins.
I've had them forever
and they only cost $1.99 for the whole bunch.

Who isn't thankful for cheap yet fancy decorations?

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I made floral bouquets of fall leaves
and tucked a turkey feather that the children
found at Granddad's plantation
and also a little red bulb that I dried and saved
from a special bunch of flowers that Roger gave me once.

I love how earthy they look.

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So, I made this very snazzy banner
and I considered doing a tutorial on here for it.

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The truth is that when I do a project,
I make a total mess,
get impatient, abandon the directions,
make 100 mistakes, start over,
and somehow manage to throw it all together.

 How about I just send you to
my friend Alli's tutorial link instead?

Photobucket



Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.



Monday, November 19, 2012

Winner : Topless Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

w
siegfried and roy: the magic behind the magic.

vandy  j
The mullet twins--business in front, party in back and toasty goodness underneath.

kearsie
It was a great year when John and Steve 
were gifted Glamour Shots from Aunt Linda for Christmas.
 

 and the winner is...
Vandy J


The mullet twins--business in front, 
party in back and toasty goodness underneath.

Vandy J
is the funniest blogger in all the land
She doesn't have a blog
but she still wins this amazing award! 
 Link
Link
FotoFlexer_Photo

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Freakshow Friday : Topless Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this group makes me nervous.

 It was a little nippy in the studio that day.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this
super duper brand new awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

FotoFlexer_Photo


If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The fun to be found in a huge empty box

There's been some excitement in our house.
 We purchased a new dishwasher and
 although mama is super stoked about our new appliance,
 I have to say that the empty box that the dishwasher came in 
has been a the biggest source of excitement around here.


What kid doesn't love a huge empty box?
It's like a blank canvas.
I tossed it into the living room without saying a word
and within minutes,
Koen had crawled inside and was pretending to drive a bus.

The possibilities are endless
and it quickly transformed into a clubhouse.

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I just love discovering the boys chillin' in it.
Flip it on it's side and it becomes a movie theatre.

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Toss it back up, grab a blanket and jump inside, 
it quickly becomes a reading nook.

Our beloved box is losing it's shape because 
they both love to hop inside and 
punch and kick the walls like ninjas. 

It's the perfect place for a boy to safely flex his muscles. 

 Oh, how we love our beaten up box. 
We'll see how much longer it can survive the wild rumpus.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Turning the Screen Off

Does Facebook replace time that 
you could be spending making real connections?





Does it ever get in the way of the time you spend with your kids? 
Please click here to read my column
and join the discussion by leaving a comment
over at Athens Patch!

Fall Leaves are Fleeting Friends

Last week was a hard week. 
Griffin had a nasty case of pneumonia
and was home from school. 

My poor child was a coughing mess
and a very needy patient. 
I adore that sweet boy but he knows how
to make a mama work hard when he's not feeling well. 

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As we drove back and forth
from the doctor to the pharmacy
and back to the doctor only to return to the pharmacy,
I marveled at the beautiful fall leaves on the trees.

The colors comforted me as I drove by.

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There are a few trees that I've passed by year after year
with the intention of photographing their marvelous leaves
but I never make it out with my camera before they have tumbled to the ground.

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This year was going to be the exception,
and I've shamelessly been waiting for the fall colors to return
so that I could snap some photos
of the elusive leaves.

Those fall trees were showing off for me
as I drove by with my sick little boy in the car.

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"Wait for me!"
I would call out the window,
begging the leaves to hold on 
a while longer so that I could come and say hello.

My attention fell to nursing my sick child
but my mind would often wander to the leaves outside.

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Yesterday, my boy was better and after I dropped him off at school,
I grabbed my camera and headed outside
to finally commune with my beloved fall leaves. 

 I like to believe that they hung around just for me.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 36

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It was my birthday last week!
I had such an amazing day that started
with a big huge bouquet of flowers 
that my smart and lovely husband gave me.

It was the perfect gift for a flower bandit like me.

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Then later, we had a home cooked meal
over at my parents' house
complete with a gluten free soy free cake.

My favorite, a white layer cake with chocolate frosting.
That family of mine sure does know how to make a girl feel special.

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The celebration continued into the weekend 
when we left the boys with my parents and 
headed into Atlanta to have dinner 
with my bestest friend, Erin.

It was such a treat to have dinner 
with my two most favorite people in the world.
The three of us sipped libations,
ate scrumptious food,
and laughed and laughed together.

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Then, Roger and I headed over to see the Regina Spektor concert.
The audience was filled with very small girls
that smelled like coconut and bopped up and down 
while texting their friends during the entire show.


So, we left early and jetted over
to the Sun Dial Bar at the Westin Hotel
to drink in the amazing view and cocktails.

The best part was that we stayed in a hotel room.
We sipped champagne, snuggled and watched cable tv
(which we don't have at home)
until the wee hours of the morning.

It was a fantastic birthday weekend.

Photobucket


Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.



Monday, November 12, 2012

Winner : Birthday Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Kelly Lund and the Kids
  Alfred Jr. let a Rip right as the camera flashed

Linda D
Little Brenda Lee learned the hard way 
that she couldn't touch the lit up birthday candles
 or daddy's lite up pipe ... 
even if Mary jane is now legal in Colorado.

Andrea
Do these stripes make me look like I am playing pocket pool?

 and the winner is...
Kelly Lund and Kids


Alfred Jr. let a Rip right as the camera flashed

Kelly Lund and Kids
is the funniest blogger in all the land
Please visit her blogLinkLinkand marvel at this fantastic award she just earned!


FotoFlexer_Photo

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Freakshow Friday : Birthday Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this group looks like a ton of fun.

All dad wanted for his birthday was a new family.
 
You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this
super duper brand new awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

FotoFlexer_Photo


If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

My kids are smart, funny, and awesome.


Yesterday was Parent/Teacher Conference day. Out of all my extracurricular duties that I have as a mom, I love going to conferences. It makes me feel like a mama. Even if the news is not the best at times, I love sitting down and listening to the women that spend so much time with my children tell me in detail how they act when they are not with me. It's a little glimpse into their world that I just don't get to see.

I have to say that I am so happy that we chose Montessori for our children. The environment is loose and open, brimming with enrichment at every corner. I always feel happy when I walk into their classrooms and the best part is that the children do to. Peer based learning is so magical to witness. I love when we are at home and Griffin takes the lead in showing Koen something new. I know it's because they both live it at school that we see it at home.

I love that they have freedom of movement around the classroom. No stuffy desks for my kids. They sprawl out on the floor when they do their work. I've walked into the classroom unannounced to see Griffin laying on his belly writing in his journal, he looks so comfortable in his learning environment.

I love it that the first thing Koen does when he walks into school is kick off his shoes. Learning in your socks feels so much less restrictive.

I had two really great conferences with the boys' teachers yesterday. I figured that if there is one place that I should be able to go and brag about my kids, it would be right here on my bliggidy bloggidy boop. Plus, I'd like to have it on record that they were wonderful children so that when they turn into pissed off teenagers, I can look back and remember the good ol' days when conferences were easy and sweet.

Griffin is the most popular boy in his class. Little boys fight over who can sit by him at lunch. His teacher described him as a quiet leader. Oh, it makes my mama's heart proud to hear this. His handwriting is improving and he's advancing in math. He can read like a champ and he loves doing his cultural lessons. All in all, he's a happy boy at school.

Koen is very popular too. He has about 5 kids that he plays with. His fine motor skills are better than some of the 3-year-old girls in the class. He likes to play more than he likes to work but he can be easily directed to work. He wanders over to the older kid areas and explores their materials on his own. He still whimpers for me from time to time but can be easily distracted. The teacher said she had no worries or big issues to address.

So, there you have it-proof that my kids are the most awesomest kids on the block. I like hearing this because they aren't angels at home and my living room often turns into a wild rumpus of little boys.

It's so nice to hear that when those crazy kids leave my side that they are flourishing without me. I think that is the single most important part of being a mama, raising kids that will go out into the world and function as a useful and successful part of society.

My boys make me proud. 

The end.