A Little Night Music

Had an impromptu girls-only date with my pal Mel tonight at the Jennifer Nettles concert. It was such a fantastic concert and, because I didn't know much of her new stuff, I now have at least five new favorite songs. (I'll have to find them online and post them here--they're amazing.) Mel and I had a great time hanging out and spending time just the two of us... it was a great evening!

Swimming Lessons

I learned a hard lesson today. You should not go swimming with your phone tucked inside the front of your bathing suit. Electronics are not very fond of swimming and don't seem to take to the water well.

I am so angry at myself for tucking my phone in there while loading up towels into the car before heading to the pool. Forgetting it was in there, I dove into the water and swam a good 5 minutes before realizing what I had done.

I'll be without phone for at least three days while it takes a nap in a bowl of rice. I don't hold out high hopes of its recovery.

No phone for three days?  Insert sound of hyperventilation here.

REO and Chicago

Had a great time being silly with my pal Meldrop singing 80's songs tonight at the REO Speedwagon & Chicago concert. REO reminded me a lot of Foreigner in their energy and how their sound matched what I remember from when I listened to them years ago. Take It on the Run and Keep On Loving You were my favorites by them tonight and Chicago's horns blew me away. The trumpet and trombone combo was pretty amazing-- like two beautiful voices harmonizing together. They did a lot of new stuff but still squeezed in their classics including ballads I belted into my hairbrush as a teen.

I did video my favorite of the evening..."Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and loved that they did an extended-extended version with those horns. I will try to post that tomorrow but right now it's 12:30am and I'm ready to hit the sack.

Night!

A (Much-Anticipated) Riveting Update on My Day

So much random stuff to blog about but none of it particularly interesting.

Had such a good time with my sis last night. We needed that time to just be sisters and talk. So wish she lived closer.

PTO craziness continues. We hosted the First Lady of Georgia today as she read to the pre-K and Kindergarten classes at our school. Today I had a meeting with the school council and tomorrow is the Back to School Dance for 3rd - 5th graders (and it's from 3 - 5pm. Coincidence? :)

It's been a blessing to share kid-duty with my friend Cindy since school started back. We have car tags to pick up each other's kids so it's comforting to know we've got each other's backs... especially since our schedules intertwine so much. Her son Caleb actually asked if I was like a second grandma to him. GRANDMA??? Aunt would be a little better, dontcha think?!

At some point before the boys graduate from high school, I will hold my yard sale. Things keep coming up causing a delay but I have a basement full of things that need to go bye-bye so hopefully the first weekend in September will work? Maybe.

I was in and out of the car all day. Music keeps me going. With that in mind....

Today's playlist:  Possum Kingdom --The Toadies
Nothing Else Matters-- Metallica

Love Runs Out--One Republic
The Drumming Song--Florence & the Machine

Separate Ways--Journey

 

OK, off to make signage for the dance tomorrow. Goodnight all, K

Much-Needed Evening

Sitting at the best booth in Maggianos in Buckhead with my sister (in town for a conference) enjoying what feels like a private concert by the pianist/trumpet player.

Even though I have to be at a school council meeting at 7:45am, I'm spending the night with her at her hotel so we can spend as much time together as possible.

A pomegranate martini in my hand, I listen to the lyrics of "Never My Love" and let the night slowly soak in...

Bedtime with my Fellas

Treating the boys (and truthfully myself!) to a slumber party in my bed watching a movie. Love snuggling with these boys...

Goodnight!

The Straight of What???

I'm tired. Bone tired. Today has been one of the oddest, most roller coaster-ish days I've had in a very long time. It's 10:20 and I've just gotten my boys in bed because we had late homework to do. Why late homework? Because we had a Spirit Night fundraiser for the PTO tonight and I was at The Frigid Frog for nearly 6 hours. And, because Keith is traveling the next few nights I had the boys with me the whole time.

And, let me tell you, my first "event day" as PTO President was nothing short of exhausting. Serious conversations, walking the halls of the school delivering labels to every single classroom for the kids to wear home as a reminder about tonight and then 4 out of the 6 hours spent in the broiling sun meeting and greeting with the families that came. (I must admit that even though it felt like I was perched on the 3rd realm of the sun's surface, meeting all the new folks was my favorite part.)

When 8 pm rolled around, the sky darkened, lightning bolts raced across the sky and the bottom fell out. Since this was an outdoor event, I raced around the grassy area gathering all the hula hoops, bubble containers and trash I knew had been left by some of the kids that attended. Always fearful of being struck cold-hard dead by lightning, I exceeded an all-time land speed record for myself in the way I hustled to the car. I jumped in the front seat drenched like a wet dog and proceeded to the house. That's when it began......

HOMEWORK! 

TRASH NIGHT! 

SIGHT WORDS! 

I NEED A BAND-AID!

The demands on the 5 minutes of pre-bedtime time we had left were swirling about and all I wanted to do was fall into my bed and crash. As I was doing sight word flashcards with my first grader, my seventh grader was calling out geographical locations at the top of his lungs so I could help him identify them on a map. Israel! The Gaza Strip! Egypt! The Suez Canal! My efforts to encourage him to look them up proved futile and then he threw me a curveball... the Strait of Hormuz???

Now you take me to Trivia Night and the subject is Geography...I'm your girl. Trivial Pursuit? I'll pick geography every time. But the Strait of Hormuz? I'm clearly slipping in The Advanced Stages of My Fading Youth. We found it right there attached to the Persian Gulf and then I promptly sent the children folk to bed so Momma could breathe, pack a lunch or two, and get ready for another busy day tomorrow including our Middle School Open House.

I recently turned down a fantastic job offer so that I could stay home and have days exactly like this. It's my first week and I'm questioning my sanity already.

And, if you knew where the Strait of Hormuz was without looking, I don't wanna know. :)

Kudos for the D-Man

So proud of Daniel. His first full week of school and he comes home with this:

Maybe, just maybe, something I've said along the way has soaked in. Maybe. :)

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Yes, I did post last night the directive to Let It Rain. Mother Nature must have been paying special attention to me because the storm I'm in right now is pretty rough to say the least.

Driving up into Atlanta on a Friday afternoon is challenging on the most perfect weather days. But torrential rain, lightning and flash flooding has bumped up the difficulty level 300 notches or so.

I left an hour and a half ago and an just now at my destination. Fire trucks, hydroplaning and tidal wave splashes from oncoming traffic have made for a less-than-relaxing trek.

I guess next time I'll be a little more modest in my challenges to Mother Nature. If you need me I'm in the green CX-9 curled up in the fetal position.

Let It Rain

10:30pm.

Driving on country roads.

Rain beating on the windshield.

Lightning streaking across the sky.

Music playing.

Let it rain.

This Has to Be My Biological Offspring

I have finally been granted a glimpse of my would-be biological daughter.

Or it's me as a child. The thighs certainly match. Lol.

CLICK HERE and enjoy.

Back to School -- 2014

Lately I've been living like a pioneer woman with no internet or email at the house. Between being sick as a dog last week and trying to get the boys ready for school, I haven't been able to camp out in a parking lot and write on my blog. Until now. So here goes....

I have never seen a child as excited about going to school as Jacob was today. He bounded out of bed and by the time I had roused Daniel, J was running down the stairs fully dressed. Daniel on the other hand was not quite as, um, jubilant. When asked what my oldest was looking forward to the most about this school year...he answered "summer."

Lovely. :)

I took on the role as president of the PTO at Jacob's school so I think it's helped that he's been up at the school getting to run around and learn the lay of the land (or at least the playground!)

Here are a few obligatory pics from this morning :)