Beach Blogger = Lazy Blogger

Hello strangers. That's what it seems we are these days, doesn't it? I somehow thought I might manage to blog daily with school being out, but well, the best laid plans.....blah blah blah.

I'd like to say I have a valid excuse. Last week I did, and it was called Vacation Church School. My friend Jill and I were the directors of it this year, which was surprisingly fun, but lots of work, and maybe a teensy bit of stress. Luckily for us, we had some great teachers, coordinators, and the best church staff  person you could ask for, so I think it went smoothly. It also involved a fair amount of Jill and me up on "stage" (which I think is more properly called the chancel - really not positive about that, though) generally making fools of ourselves for the amusement of the youngsters.

Then there was the weekend, which, while uneventful, was fun, and didn't involve time for blogging.

And then it was Monday, and the kids and I headed down to the beach. I packed my computer, again full of good intentions. But here it is, Thursday night, and I have just turned on my computer for the first time. I'm sure it has appreciated the break. My blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/shopping/celebrity gossip addiction keeps my little PC going much of the time. Not this week, though. I've relied solely on my iPad for online entertainment.

It's been a nice week. My parents are here, and if they don't pass out from the sheer exhaustion that comes from spending time with two young children, I think it will be a miracle. The noise and energy my kids generate is enough to drive me a little nuts, so I can't imagine what that's like when you aren't used to it. I think they understand my need for happy hour a little better, though. They're also pretty darn helpful. That's why I've been able to read over 200 pages of the third Fifty Shades book. And at night, I've been watching Downton Abbey on Netflix, because I am apparently the last person in the civilized world who hasn't seen it.

Otherwise this week, I've been getting too much sun, eating too much food, and exercising far too little. I managed a short run this morning, but I waited until 10am to set out. and it was already way too hot. The fun part of the week, in addition to quality time with my parents, has been watching these two have fun:

Pardon the overexposed photos. This is what 

happens when I go off "auto" and try to be fancy.

Until today, Davis would not set foot in the ocean. 

Now he and the ocean are BFFs.

 Of course, we have our not so happy moments......

But mostly, we're feeling good......

The heat wave rolls in tomorrow, so the local movie theater might get a little of our business over the weekend. Hope everyone survives the oven, wherever you are!

Potty Talk

It seems that Davis has developed a case of Tourette's recently. At random, the word "poopie" just comes flying from his mouth. It can be random, in a sing-songy way, or directed at someone, as in, "you are a poopie head."

I have tried in vain to ignore this lovely 3 year old behavior. I kept thinking if I just ignored it long enough, it would go away. It seemed like an attention-getting ploy. And it is. Ava, who has never been all that into bathroom talk herself, finds her brother hysterical when the potty talk starts, and laughs uncontrollably at his antics. Of course, that only serves to delight Davis, so the words keep coming.

Yesterday, we were in the bathroom at the pool, and he started singing, "Poopie, poopie, bathroom talk! Bathroom talk!" Clearly, he knows what he is doing. In fact, at one point yesterday, he started to call me a poopie head, but stopped himself mid-sentence. I guess I have to consider this progress. But it's pretty embarrassing when your kid is saying these words around total strangers.

It's hopeless. I decided yesterday that ignoring this wasn't going to help anything. I surveyed a few friends who also have young boys, and it sounds like this is just what they do. I'm not really okay with that, though. So, I'm trying to come up with an appropriate consequence for using potty words. Maybe drinking a glass of water from the toilet? Too extreme? Probably.

If you have ideas that have worked, please share. It's driving me batty to hear this kind of talk 12+ hours a day.

Summer is here

Summer is in full-swing around here. So far, I've managed to get Davis in camp for 4 days, get both kids to my parents for a full weekend, and attend our first swim meet. I'd say that getting the kids out of the house for a weekend was the highlight so far, so let's talk about that.

My parents picked the kids up around 2pm on Friday, which was beyond nice. I went to the mall to get a dress hemmed, and somehow this sneaky dress found its way into my hands and my closet:

Friday night, Morgan and I went to dinner and then to the Darius Rucker/Lady Antebellum concert. I'm not a huge country fan, but the tickets were free, and it was kind of a work thing for Morgan, so we went. It was really fun, and the people watching was excellent. The redneck couple across the aisle got engaged mid-show, so that was kind of cute. Also, I'd like to mention that Darius, a.k.a Hootie, is getting a bit of age on him. Made me feel a little old when I thought about how long I've been listening to him.

Saturday was a day of monetary hemorrhaging. We went mattress shopping, and went ahead and splurged on a nice new Stearns and Foster king bed. I am a little in love with it, if you must know the truth. Like, I sort of just want to lie on my bed all the time. It's really special that way. We also had to buy some new tires for my car, so you will probably hear of no more shopping from me until Christmas, except for the Ramen Noodles my family will be eating for the next six months....

The kids had a great time while they were away. The best part of the weekend for them was going to see my aunt and her horse at the barn where the horse boards. Ava ended up getting to ride a pony. Davis was a little nervous and declined the opportunity to ride.

 Davis was okay with leading, just not riding.

Ava, my aunt, and her horse, Lexi

Naturally, Ava is now asking to take horseback riding lessons. I see that as my path to financial destruction. She does look pretty good in that riding hat, though. 

So, we've survived a week of summer, aided by the 48 hour parenting break I got. I think we're busy enough the rest of the summer that time will fly and August will arrive with all of us wondering where the time went. In the meantime, the goal is to wear both kids out every day and keep the wine supply plentiful at the house.

Sleep Deprived, Again

I promise I'm not trying to embarrass my dear husband, but I have to tell you about how much he snores. It's not a secret. In fact, we were at a party once, and I met someone who had recently been on a golf trip with Morgan. Upon meeting me, the friend said, "Oh, you're Morgan's wife? I'm so sorry. The snoring!"

In addition to the snoring, there is also a fair amount of tossing and turning. For some, that might not be a problem, but I am just not a deep sleeper. I feel all those tosses and turns, and then wake up and struggle to get back to sleep. I can Ambien my way through it (yes, Ambien can be a verb), but I try to use that very sparingly since I get up before sunrise most days).

None of this is helped by the fact that we are still, after nearly ten years of marriage, in a queen-sized bed. And folks, it's just too small. So, yesterday, I proposed that in honor of our upcoming anniversary, we treat ourselves to something that we can both enjoy: a new King-sized bed. When Morgan agreed, I think I heard the Hallelujah chorus. I know that a new bed isn't going to solve the snoring problem,  but it will at least give us an extra sixteen inches in which to spread out. AND - we can move the old bed upstairs so that certain snoring people might have an alternate place to sleep if need be.

So, this weekend, we begin mattress shopping. It's probably time to do so anyway, since ours is 14 years old. I don't even want to imagine the dust mites and other allergens trapped inside that thing. (To any future guests in our house, please ignore that comment since that bed will be the guest bed/snorer's bed).

Of course, it has occurred to me that a new bed does not just mean a new mattress and box springs. We need all new bedding, of course. I love nothing more than an all-white bedroom.

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

I love the light fixture in the second room, but I don't think I could convince Morgan to get rid of our ceiling fan. 

I still also need new lamps, but will have to get the new bed in and figure out whether we're keeping table lamps or doing some swing-arm wall sconces, a la these from Pottery Barn:

I just think I prefer a nice white table lamp.

Anyway, enough about all that. I'm in the midst of doing some major tidying up around here. The clutter has reached critical mass, and must be dealt with immediately.

Gala 2012, or Waterproof Mascara Really Lasts

Happy Monday, everyone. I'm all finished with my 4 1/2 day stint as a single mom. Morgan was on a golf trip and returned not a moment too soon. Whew....my kids were really giving me a run for my money at times.

The highlight of the weekend was Ava's dance recital. Her studio does an amazing job with their galas. I mean, really good. Like, you feel like you're on the set of So You Think You Can Dance. Ava's group isn't that good (they're 6 and 7....how could they be?), but the group known as the Core? They are incredible. They perform between the little kids' numbers. Keeps the audience a little more entertained.

Anyway, Ava did great. I'm so anti-Toddlers and Tiaras, but even I get a kick out of putting makeup on my little girl and doing her hair all fancy. I'm not sure the amount of gel and Aqua Net we used for her bun will ever completely wash out, but that's okay.

Here she was just before meeting up with the other dancers (oh, and guess what dumbass forgot her real camera and had to rely on iPhone pics for a while?)

Once we were back at home, I got some photos with my real camera. Here are Ava and me (and just so you know, my hair will be back to it's blonde highlighted glory this Thursday, which can't come soon enough):

Then we just had to get silly for the camera:

The Dancing Diva got to pick where we went to dinner that night. We got pretty fancy and she picked Moe's.

The next day, we played hooky from church and ate ice cream sandwiches for breakfast. Oh, and we apparently dressed ourselves in the clothes of own choosing:

That is all for now.