Early morning romp in the bed

Getting up at 5:30am to run with friends is fine with me. Being awakened at 5:30am by my children is not. Such was the case this morning. The husband was out of town, so Ava was in  my bed. She's always in my bed when her daddy is traveling. I make her go to bed in her own room, knowing that sometime in the night, she'll be with me. And really, that's fine. I kind of like having her in there. 

I'm sure I've mentioned before that my kids are pretty good about sleeping in. When Ava was sick a few weeks ago, she slept until 10am one day. Normally, they're up between 7 and 7:30 (often closer to 8 for Ava), and that's fine. This morning, Davis starting yelling for me at 5:30. It was "Mommy! I need you! I need you! I neeeeeeed you!!!"

Naturally, it did not occur to me that he would be ready to get up at such a ridiculous hour. I mean, it was dark outside. But getting up was exactly what he wanted. He was quite specific in his request, in fact. "Mommy, can I please watch 'Max & Ruby' in your bed?" Hmmm. What would Max & Ruby's parents do in this situation? Oh, never mind. They don't have parents. But you know Ruby wouldn't let Max get away with that crap. Me? I just wanted to get back in my bed. And if two kids were in there with me, then fine. 

It took only a few minutes of the light and sound from the TV for Ava to rouse from her sleep. And then, something amazing happened. Something that can only happen in the early morning hours, when everyone is too sleepy to think clearly. My kids were so amazingly sweet to each other. And in their Christmas pajamas, with sleepy eyes and bed head, they looked utterly adorable to me. I tried to capture the love on camera. These are more posed than I like, but here you go:

Then we had to get up and see what kind of trouble our elf, Simon, had gotten into. All I know is, he better clean this mess up. 

Discipline Boot Camp

The other day, it occurred to me that my son is now closer to 3 than 2. In just a few days, he'll be 4 months shy of his 3rd birthday. It also occurred to me that at age 3, certain bad behaviors can't be excused with  a simple, "well, he's only 2." Or, "it's just the terrible twos!"

Along those same lines, I have been largely displeased with much of Davis' behavior of late. He has the whole not listening thing down to a science. When you tell him to stop doing something, he just acts as if you never spoke, and goes on about his business. He throws things for fun, he knocks over lamps in my house, and just kind of wreaks a little havoc everywhere he goes. Sometimes, like at the gym yesterday, he hits other kids. Not nice. It's just kind of embarrassing to you go to pick your child up, and, when you ask how he was, the gym babysitter says, "He was mostly good, but I had to put him in time out for hitting a little girl." (As a side note, adding child care to my gym membership was the greatest move I've made in some time.)

I say all of this in mostly good fun. He's a good-natured kid. He's very loving, very bright, and very charismatic. Those qualities make it very easy for him to get away with naughtiness.

So, this week, I started what I like to think of as Discipline Boot Camp. This is where all the inconsistencies of my last 2 1/2 years of parenting come to a screeching halt. We are enforcing the rules, and punishing when they are broken. I had been using Davis' crib for time-outs,  but have moved that to a spot on the floor in our entrance hall. I might even put a little mat there, Supernanny-style. Boring for him, easy for me to keep an eye on him. I also started using the timer on my iPhone so he'll know just when he can come out. The main thing, though, is that I am sticking to it. In the past, I've felt like time out doesn't work for Davis, but if I think hard about it, I have to admit that sometimes I use time out, and sometimes I let him get away with whatever he's doing wrong.

We'll see how it all goes. Something's gotta  give, though. I adore Davis with all my heart, but I know that some of this crazy boy stuff has got to be reined in.

I'd love for you to share your own disclipine tricks. I know so much of what Davis is doing is age-related, but I don't want it to get (more) out of hand (than it already is). Misbehaving children who are angels in their parents' eyes are nothing but trouble, and I don't want to send either of my kids down that road.

Happy Thanksgiving

After being up with Davis for what seemed like all night, I'm all caffeinated and getting ready to head to my parents' house for a couple of days. I'm really excited to see my family. I haven't seen my aunts or my sister in way too long, and I can't wait to catch up. (plus, I'm really happy that I'll have some extra hands to help with Ava and Davis. Ava has not stopped talking since she woke up this morning). Since I was up with Davis, I missed out on my 6 mile run this morning, so I'm hoping to sneak that in before digging into some turkey tomorrow.

On the way to my parents', we just happen to go past Nordstrom. I need to stop there to get Ava some new Tom's, since hers look like this after only 2 months:

 

I think that's completely unacceptable. I'm not sure whether we'll get new Toms or just get a refund. Ava needs shoes, though. Maybe something like this?

And, while I'm there, I'd like to get some Hunter boots for me. I had kind of gotten over wanting them, but then Ann Curry was wearing them in apple green on the Today show this morning. How cute is this color?

I think they'd really cheer me up on rainy days like today. 

Okay, I have to go now. My kids are all over the place and I have really got to get showered and packed. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

xoxo,

Carter

Tuesday musings

Well, I was all set to sit down and write a post about how Davis is sick, and being home with him is driving me crazy. How I haven't gotten enough accomplished the last couple of days, and how the Prednazone the doctor gave him for croup is making him grumpy. I was going to say that I really needed him to go to school today because I just NEEDED some time to myself. 

And then.

Then he came up to me, gave me a hug, and said, "Mommy, I just wub you SO much." 

Consider me put in my place. Besides, he's pretty sweet to look at:

(This picture may have to make an appearance at his rehearsal dinner for his wedding).

In other news, I think I may subscribe to too many magazines. This is the bounty of the last 2 days

I have no idea when I'm going to read all of these. Over the long weekend? Doubtful. 

Lastly, did I tell y'all that Ava is riding a 2-wheeler now? Woo-hoo! I thought it would never happen, but she's a total pro. Once she got out of her own head, she was riding in just a couple of days. 

That's all I have for today. I'm too exhausted to be witty or clever. 

--Carter

Midlife Crisis

Based on my recent activities, I'd estimate that I'm about 15 years old. First off, there was the Taylor Swift concert. I went, without shame, and without kids. Let's just say that a mid-thirties woman at Taylor Swift with no kids is in the minority. Seriously, though, I heart her. A lot. And I honestly thought about taking Ava. She would have been so excited, and she had been asking to go. But at eighty bucks a ticket, I didn't want to risk her getting bored halfway through the show. Besides, she's only six. Plenty of time for concert-going.

Taylor was adorable. I'll be honest. I think I would enjoy being her for a day or maybe a year. Getting up on stage and singing to 14,000 fans just seems like a ton of fun. By the end, though, I did start feeling like I might gag if I saw her make this little heart symbol that I suppose is her trademark one more time:

image credit

Her singing was surprisingly not bad. She appeared to actually be singing, as well as playing guitars,  banjos, and a piano. So, I'd say that despite the fact that she doesn't have the best voice in the industry, she's got a lot of talent for such a young girl. Like I said, I love her and refuse to be ashamed by it. 

I figured while I was acting like a tween, I might as well check out the new Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part 1. 

Of course, I've read all the books, seen all the movies, have pledged my allegiance to Team Edward, and swooned over both Taylor Lautner and Rob Pattinson. I was pretty gosh darn excited to see this movie. I won't get into any spoilers here, but will say that the movie is pretty entertaining. Not the best of all of them, but definitely not bad. There is some blatant cheesiness, but come on. We're talking vampires and werewolves, people. Vampires that sparkle. I don't think anyone is seeing this movie and expecting anything Oscar-worthy.

The most impressive thing is just how terrible they make Kristin Stewart look when she is preggers with the vampire-human hybrid. She goes from this:

To this:

Now I have to wait a whole year for the final installment. Luckily, the movie of The Hunger Games will be out in March, so that should tide me over for a little while.

So, now it's Monday and back to reality. I've got another sick kid....this time it's Davis. Seems that croup has struck again. I think I picked the wrong week to cut back on wine.

No thanks.

I'm sure that we're all inundated with holiday catalogs these days. I happen to enjoy finding a mailbox full of them because perusing them gives me something to do while sitting in carpool line.

The other day, though, I was stumped by some of what I saw in the Pajamagram catalog. Until I received their catalog, I wasn't even aware that this company existed. My initial reaction was semi-excitement, because I am a lover of pajamas and loungewear, so long as they are limited to the house. (I'm talking to YOU, teenage girls who think it's fine to shop in your pj's. This is clearly unacceptable).

I started looking through my Pajamagram catalog and quickly realized I would NOT be purchasing anything. It was scary. There were a few "normal" pajama sets, but then there was this:

 

This is evidently called The Hoodie Footie. Aptly named. And, should you want to go a little sexier in your Hoodie Footie, you can have this one:

Because really? Nothing says sexy like head to (literally) toe velour. Thank God it's got a tail. And ears. 

And just in case you were worried the rest of the family would be left out, no need to fret. The Hoodie Footie can be enjoyed by all! What woman wouldn't want to see her man decked out in one of these numbers? Hotness!

(that cat looks PISSED)

Don't you just know there is some family out there who will all be wearing these Christmas morning? Let's take a moment and pray for them.

The catalog also featured a nice array of pajama jeans. Please educate me here - are these meant to be jeans that you wear in public that FEEL like pajamas, or pajamas that LOOK like jeans? I am confused. Please, let's not encourage people to wear their pj's in public. 

Lest Pajamagram find this post and think I'm too snarky, I have to mention that all the items aren't bad. I actually saw a few pairs of PJs I like. These, in fact, claim to promote better sleep. If they could keep my kids from waking me up at night, I'd be in for 10 pairs.

    

Nothing to wear....

I was in Target today, and I noticed that all the Christmas decorations are up. I actually felt a twinge of excitement about the holidays. Not that I'm usually a Scrooge, but I find that seeing Christmas decorations in November doesn't do much for me. In fact, I love Nordstrom's take on holiday decor:

But, despite the 75 degree temperature here today, I'm feeling really excited about Christmas. I love playing Santa to my kids, and even more, I love the good behavior that this guy brings out:

Our elf is Simon, and I think he's going to drop in for his month-long stay right after Thanksgiving. He'll be a welcome sight around here!

Of course, Christmas also means parties, and, as usual, I have nothing to wear. At least nothing new. I think the parties we have are fairly casual, so I'm thinking skinny jeans, a nice blouse, and heels. I think I've got the jeans and shoes covered, but I need to work on the top. 

If money were no object, I might have to splurge on this Trina Turk top:

Clearly, it would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, plus the Christmas parties. Goes with jeans or black pants. But, it's a little over my budget. Okay, a lot over my budget. So, let's continue to explore.

This sequin top from Sabine is really cute and festive, but I'm not sure how silver will look against my pasty winter skin:

This Parker blouse is gorgeous. I'd like it in a more festive hue, maybe a jewel tone, but I think I could make do with the cream.

I like this top from J.Crew, and I think that with the right jewelry it would be just dressy enough.

And, if I wanted to get out of my solid color comfort zone, I might go with this animal print top, also from J.Crew. I kinda love it with those green pants, too:

Truth be told, I'm going to hit up H&M first to see if I can get anything for a steal. If not, I'll probably come back to one of these. 

Thoughts?

Happy Tuesday!

Buttnernut Squash Pasta

Happy Monday, my friends. Ava is finally well and back to school, and I'm using this morning to play catch up a little before taking Davis out to the park for a little while. It's a ridiculously beautiful fall morning here, so we're going to get some fresh air in hopes of a good nap.

I got some much-needed time to myself over the weekend, which has left me feeling rejuvenated, at least for now. I'm sure this week's craziness will take over before too long, but for a Monday, I'm feeling good.

Today I'm sharing a tasty vegetarian recipe with you that I made on Saturday night. One thing I'll say for my husband: he'll eat whatever I cook with no complaints. I know that butternut squash is not his favorite, but he was such a good sport and didn't moan or groan a bit when I made this. I happen to love winter vegetables, and could eat stuff like this every night.The fried sage makes it so tasty.

A couple of things I changed: I didn't toast the pine nuts, and I used Asiago cheese because that's what we had on hand.I also only made half the recipe. I cut up a full squash, but am roasting the other half of it today to go over my salads this week.

So, here you go: (borrowed from http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-pasta-with-butternut-squash-sage-and-pine-nuts-064966)

image via www.thekitchn.com

Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, and Pine Nuts

feeds 4

1 medium butternut squash
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add half the pasta to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

Bon appetit!

Stir crazy

I'm on day number FOUR of being home with sick Ava. For the first two days it was kind of fun having her at home. Yesterday she seemed to be feeling better, so I took her to school a couple of hours late. Thirty minutes before the school day ended, I got a call from her teacher saying Ava had a fever and wanted to come home. She was so pitiful when I picked her up. At 4am today. she had a 102.7 fever. Since this was day 6 with a fever, I figured it was time to go back to the doctor. Long story short, she got an antibiotic and no official diagnosis. There was talk of possible walking pneumonia, but that would need an X-ray to verify, and the end result (Z-pack) would be the same. So, we took the drugs and said we'd come back for an X-ray if she doesn't improve. There's been no more fever today, just coughing, so I'm hoping she's on the mend.

Anyway, during her brief visit to school yesterday, I got to meet with the kitchen designer I've been working with to see her vision for my kitchen. Oh wow. I was so impressed. The transformation she came up with was so cool.....so much more than I would have imagined my kitchen could actually be. Of course, the estimate was higher than I had imagined as well. Go figure. Oh, and even better? The estimate didn't include LABOR. Labor that includes demo'ing out my current cabinets, countertops, etc, doing away with the soffits over the existing cabinets, moving the hook  up for my stove and switching it to gas,  and installing the new cabinets and countertops. I told her to go ahead and get the general contractor out to get me an estimate on that part, but I have a feeling it's going to  be hefty.

I have some other feelers out. I would love to go with the design that was created for me, but it may just be way out of budget. Not to worry, though. The kitchen redo is a go. I even dreamed about it all last night.

I've been perusing Pinterest for ideas. I'm drawn to a white kitchen. It's classic, it's clean, and it opens up a small space.No question that that's what we'll do. I'll leave you with some of my favorites:

(All images via Pinterest)

Workin' On My Fitness

I will never claim to be the most fit person in the world, but I do like to stay ahead of my calorie consumption, so regular exercise is part of most  of my days. I have to work out in order to eat like I do (2 Krispy Kremes this morning, for instance). I often think that if I could work out AND cut out bad food, I might actually look like I really want to, but really, I like food. And wine.

Anyway, in order to keep me motivated to run, go to the gym, whatever, I have to keep things fresh. So, today, without further adieu, I present to you my favorite recent exercise finds:

1. Rock My Run
I don't run by myself much anymore. Time alone with my own thoughts is far too scary. But when the universe's forces are working against me and I have to run alone, I need good music. Enter Rock My Run.


This website has pre-made running mixes, put together by some pretty big DJs. I'm not really into the DJ scene, so I'll take the site's word for it. I've downloaded two FREE mixes so far, and they really keep me moving on my solo runs. I guess the downfall is that when you download, you're downloading the whole mix, and therefore can't skip any songs you don't like. However, since they're DJ mixes, most of the songs aren't  full-length. I was so excited when I downloaded a new mix this morning that included Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison" and Boyz II Men's "Motown Philly" in a bit of a mash-up.

2. lululemon
I think I have made my love for this brand pretty well known lately. The opening of the Raleigh store may be my financial downfall. My current favorite is my Run:Full Tilt Long Sleeve top:

image via

I adore this top. Besides being the cutest top in my workout drawer (ruffles!), it's soft and cozy. And it has those fun little thumb hole things, which I love. Even better is the little zipper pocket near the bottom that can hold my iPod. Despite the fact that it's overpriced, I'm very tempted to invest in one more of these babies.

I'm also really tempted to get these new striped Wunder Unders.

The fabric is supposedly the same as my other beloved (plain black) Wunder Unders, but it's pique, or something. I tried them on, and I'm kind of worried that they're going to be hot for gym workouts. So, I'm on the fence.

3. Since I'm not made of money and can't really outfit myself solely in lulu, I like to diversify. One of my very favorite finds ever is these Old Navy compression capris:

image here

I seriously paid $15 for these on sale. I initially ordered them in grey (I think ON calls it carbon). I love them so much I just ordered a second pair in black. They're great for running and the gym. The waist is high enough that they hide any muffin top, and they don't slide down during a run. Plus, whenever it's more than 35 or 40 degrees outside, I just prefer a cropped running pant. I get toasty pretty easily. Layers are my friend. 

Anyone have any favorites to share? Please post in the comments.

I've got Ava home sick again today, so I had to miss one of my favorite torture sessions gym classes.Luckily, my sweet husband let me sneak in a run this morning after I dropped Davis at school.I have a feeling Ava will be home again tomorrow. If that's the case, she'll be coming with me to my kitchen designer consultation. Good times!

Weekend wrap-up

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I would have been hard to have a bad weekend after my Friday. It was mostly good, although pretty low key due to some viral nastiness around here. Let's see....Saturday morning started with a run (whose crazy idea was it to run at 7am on a Saturday??). That was followed up by coffee, bagels, and probably some gossip. I had to get back so that the husband could go show his love for the Tar Heels over in enemy territory, a.k.a. Carter Finley Stadium. We all know that turned out really badly (unless you're a State fan, which I am not). I hung out with my kids ALL DAY and had to work my paying job, too. So, not my favorite day, but it was better than expected.

When Davis was napping, I did the unthinkable: yard work. We are cursed blessed with a bounty of pine trees, and the needles they shed this time of year are impossible to keep up with. I bagged six large bags of straw. Then I wanted to chop down every last tree, because by the time I was finished bagging, I think another six bags' worth had fallen.

While I was out on a Total Wine/lululemon errand (so convenient that the stores are right next to each other!), Morgan texted me that Ava had gone to her room at fallen asleep. It was 6pm. I figured she was just wiped out and decided not to bother her. Well, as luck would have it, she woke up at 8 and was very confused when we told her it wasn't morning. Long story short, she had a fever and a cough. She ended up not falling back asleep until sometime after 11pm. Yesterday was more of the same....fever, cough, blah. At bedtime, the temperature was 102, so I knew she'd be home from school.

This is pretty much how our day has gone, save for a quick trip to the doctor followed by a Target run:

Lots of TV, whatever she wants to eat/drink, and some extra love from Mommy. Davis has been up to his usual antics, and I sort of wished I could have sent him to Ava's school in her place to get him out of the house for the day. I think the low point of the day came when he told the doctor, "You're a poopy pants, doctor!" But I don't know if that was better or worse than when he pointed to my chest and told the doctor, "Mommy has boobies!" I was just thankful it was a female doctor. Potty talk is running rampant around here, and it doesn't help that Ava cracks up at everything dirty Davis has to say. 

I have a sneaking suspicion Ava will be home with me again tomorrow. At least Davis has preschool. Perhaps we can  talk about something other than poopie without him here.

Wish me luck.

The Pefect Friday

I just wrapped up one of the most fun Fridays I can remember. It started with a hard calorie burning session at 6am. Then two of my best friends and I shared a sitter starting at 9am, and headed to the Raleigh Convention Center for the Junior League's "A Shopping Spree." If you live here, you know this event well. Basically, vendors from all over come and set up booths and sell their wares. It's mostly gift items - jewelry, clothing, kids stuff, accessories, etc. Lots of stuff that you convince yourself you need but which is actually quite unnecessary.

I am a Junior League dropout, which means that in past years, I have had to work at this fun event. But now that my League days are over, all I have to do is shop.

So, one sweet sitter graciously agreed to watch all three of our youngest hellions children, and off we went. Now, I'll be honest. I never really buy much at Spree. I didn't do much damage this year, either, but it was so much fun just being there and not having to worry about anyone else. I did pick up a few things.

I scored this cute Tracey Negoshian tunic for the bargain price of $24.99. It was reduced from $78. Cute for next summer with white jeans:

It was such a good deal that I got one for my friend Jill for her upcoming birthday. My generosity knows no bounds.

Next up for me was a new bag. Some vendor there was selling Big Buddha bags at a little bit of a discount. I've been eyeing this one for months, and there was only one, so it had to be mine. Obviously.

It goes with everything, and it was pretty reasonably priced. I was also in a bit of a competition with another shopper who also had her eye on it, so I had to grab it while I could.

My last purchase was a set of $35 sheets. We needed new sheets. And what a deal these were. I mean, according to the packaging, they are 1500 thread count Egyptian Cotton. Oh - but look closely at the packaging:

Notice that in very small print it says, "Compare the comfort and soft touch as a..." I didn't notice that until after I had already decided to purchase. And I haven't looked, but I'm guessing they aren't American-made, based on the bag grammar in that "compare to" sentence. But, they're soft, despite the fact that they are most likely synthetic . And really, soft sheets for $35 are fine. I needed a new set.

After shopping at Spree and eating a very light lunch, we headed over to Palm Avenue to check out their goods. They were offering 20% off the whole darn store with a $5 charity donation. Luckily for me and my checking account, I found that I was able to live without any of the cute new Lilly Pulitzer resort collection.Now, I did eye a few dresses and tops that would be perfect for the holidays. I just need to assess my need for holiday party wear against my need for more lululemon workout attire.

image via Lilly Pulitzer

Finally, we rounded out our fabulous day with a glass of Prosecco and a little dessert. Perfection. Then it was back to reality. Really, though, a good break like that makes the rest of the day so much easier. I feel rested and rejuvenated. At least for the rest of the day. Tomorrow is probably a whole other story. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Take my advice and go do something fun for yourself. You'll be so glad you did.

Random Thought Thursday

I couldn't think of any one think I wanted to blog about today, so I'll just go crazy and let you know everything I was considering.

1. Davis has entered the dreaded needs-a-nap-but-doesn't-need-a-nap stage. Essentially, this means he'll take a nap most days, but then he doesn't go to bed easily at all. We've quickly gone from having him asleep by 7:30 (at the latest) to struggling to get him to settle down to sleep before 8:30. Of course, if he doesn't take a nap, he's asleep by 6:30. Most days, though, he really can't make it past about 4:30pm before he's either asleep in the car or on the sofa.  The other day, it was the floor.

2. Mornings. Our mornings are a total disaster. Strangely, the days when I get up and work out at 5:30 or 6am go more smoothly  than other days. Those days, I'm back at home by 7:15 or so, take the world's fastest shower, blow dry my hair, put on a minimal amount of makeup, and am making breakfast by 7:45. The non-workout days? Terrible. I sleep until 7, then enjoy too much time to myself before the kids get up around 7:30. Then it's rush, rush, rush, and no one is happy. We never get out the door when I want us to. Never. So, tonight, we're starting a new routine. Ava will pick her outfit the night before, and then get dressed as soon as she's up. I think that will help move things along.....no dawdling after breakfast. Davis, being 2 1/2, will just need some extra time to be coaxed into getting ready. Oh, and mornings when I don't work out? I'm getting myself totally ready before making coffee and reading blogs.

3. Renovations. If all goes as planned,  we're about to put hardwoods in our den and hallway, and do a little kitchen update. I'm beyond excited. I'm all over Pinterest looking at kitchens I love. I'm leaning toward white glazed cabinets, but I'm meeting with the designer next week, so that could change. This all started out as just refacing our existing cabinets, but now I'm probably going all new and new granite counter tops. And appliances. I want this double slide-in range:

For those of you that have seen my kitchen, you know how overdue this update is. Folks, my fridge is ALMOND. Ewww. Oh, and for the record, we considered moving, but thanks to the crappy economy, the interest rate on our mortgage is down to a crazy 2.8%. Hard to give that up. 

4. Nike trainers. I am dying for these Nike Free TR Fit shoes. 

Super cute, and perfect for the gym. Not to be completely nit picky, but I don't love the way my traditional running shoes (Brooks Ghost - favorite running shoe ever) look with my gym clothes. I know, I know. Just live with it, right? But really, I kind of like to save my running shoes for running, and have cross trainers for the gym. I like to tell myself that it's better for my feet and knees. You know, more lateral motion? Right. Anyway, I'm hoping to make these mine ASAP.

Okay, that's enough randomness for one day. I just sent Ava in to wake up her brother, so I'm off to see how I can entertain them for the rest of the day/night. 

Ta-ta!

The Obligatory Halloween Post

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween. If you're in Raleigh, I hope you and your kids survived a rainy night of trick or treating. I think Davis is young enough that if we had decided to skip trick or treating and stayed in gorging ourselves on our own bowl of candy, he would have been okay with that. Ava, though, is six, and when you're six, you have to trick or treat. We got our raincoats and umbrella, and out we went with Dorothy and Spiderman:

As you  can see, Ava is wearing a wig. In fact, she's been wearing that wig for the last 3 days. Let me tell you something about wigs: when they cost $14.99, they don't hold up all that well. They also don't fit all that well. I'm not great at doing hair. Ava's is like mine, and really slippery. I think I had about 15 bobby pins in it last night. Here's her totally amateur updo:

I even managed to pin the wig to her actual hair. I was shocked when it stayed put while dashing about in the rain. Maybe I need to re-evaluate my hair skills. 

Once the baskets were full, we came back home, where we hosted 10 adults and 7 kids for chili (and adult beverages). The kids, all on huge sugar highs, were wild. Mine didn't get to sleep until 10:30....way too late for me, who had already been up since 5:25am. 

It was a fun night, though, despite terrible weather. Now excuse me while I go raid their candy stash.

-Carter