{So Wonderful, So Marvelous}

The D Word.

2013-05-16T13:52:00.001-04:00

My parents got divorced when I was 5. It was nuts and I thought {wrongly, duh} that it was my fault because my dad told me to turn the radio up and my mom told me to turn the radio down. Then they got into a huge screaming argument that had nothing to do with the radio and everything to do with the fact that they shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. And mostly, the fact that my dad slept with someone else. My five year old self only saw the radio.

I say all this because I found out recently that a couple we know are getting divorced and it threw me for a loop. I was flabbergasted. They’ve been married for longer than we have. I have no idea why they are splitting, nor is it any of my business, I just know I was surprised. We have friends who are divorced. We have friends who never should have gotten married to begin with. We have friends who I wouldn’t bat an eye if they told me they were splitting. This isn’t my picture of this couple.

From the outside looking in, it looks like they love each other and not in a way of like, oh I love him soooo much that it makes it impossible for other people to be around us because I am all over him all the time and I love him, I don’t trust him to be away for more than five minutes, but I looooove him, gag me with a spoon overt vommy PDA pretend we’re perfect. It seemed like they genuinely liked each other. They had fun together. They laughed. They have been through some really tough things. They’ve been a team and still maintained their own selves in the process.

They felt like us.

They felt like US.

And I know there are no guarantees, I get it. Things are not always perfect and there are times when you just don’t like each other. There are times when you don’t want to look at the other person. There are times when it feels like you don’t know how you’re going to get through another day with this person who is the most annoying person on the planet, oh my God, WHY does he close the blinds the wrong way every. single. day. There are massive hidden problems maybe behind the eyes of the outside world. There are things you can’t move past.

What makes you walk away? What makes you say that you’re done? What makes you not try any longer?

Because I don’t want it to happen to us, is what I am {really selfishly} saying here. I hope and we work to make sure that it doesn’t happen, marriage isn’t magical I know this, that our marriage lasts forever. But I am sure most people feel that way, so maybe it really is just dumb luck? Maybe it’s just timing and life experience and chance.

Wardrobe Malfunction.

2013-05-13T05:05:00.000-04:00

I have this dress from Old Navy that I love. LOVE. It’s super soft and comfortable, but it’s still cute and it has these little cap sleeves so I can still wear a good bra with it. Bonus because these tatas aren’t holding themselves up for sure. It’s great with a little sweater or on it’s own. It’s the perfect casual little black dress.

That is until it ends up over your head in the middle of downtown Toledo.

During a very busy Friday lunch hour.

In front of one of your very favorite restaurants that you frequent often.

{Holla Grumpy’s, so sorry if I scared your lunching customers by my mortification and screaming.}

The thing is, this dress, it has a little swing to it. It’s part of the awesomeness. Take note: It also means that if you happen to walk over a grate you are going to Marilyn the heck out of yourself. Obviously, I’m careful about that, but I certainly didn’t anticipate the gust of wind that showed everyone on the street my boy cut undies.

I started screaming for my mom, who was carrying Tate to the car since my hands were full. Who, helpfully, started laughing at me as I frantically tried to pull the dress down and {unsuccessfully} prevent it from flying up again with each gust of wind.

It was less Marilyn and more spastic thirty-something running down the street trying to get the car door open fast enough to jump inside while carrying a to go box and purse and keys and phone.

Hot.

Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh. Tell me your worst wardrobe malfunction so I feel better.

{Seriously, if you ever have the occasion to be in Toledo, you need to partake in lunch at Grumpy’s even if it means seeing my rear end on the street out front.}

5 Things To Do In May.

2013-05-02T09:03:00.000-04:00

1. Head to a baseball game!

From little league games to the majors, May is the perfect month to catch a game. The weather is gorgeous and you catch the excitement of fans realizing that baseball is back!

If you’re local, head to the Mud Hens on May 4 or May 5 for Star Wars weekend, the players are going to be suited up in Chewbacca uniforms! Awesome, no?

2. Clean out your car.

Now that the weather is warmer {for most of us… some of you are still getting snow!} it is the perfect time to clean out your car. Wipe down the interior, make those windows sparkle, and throw away any errant Goldfish crackers that have invaded your backseat. This is also the perfect time to check those car seats to make sure the shoulder and head rests are fitting properly or need to be adjusted.

3. Plant herbs in a container garden.

My Meme is 89 years old and she swears that the ‘plant the day after Mother’s Day’ rule is perfect for the zone here in Ohio. Hit up your local nursery or your Farmer’s Market and start planting all of those fresh herbs you’ll use to cook with all summer. We keep ours in pots right by the kitchen door so I can just step out the door and snip herbs to add to our meals. We always plant rosemary, chives, thyme, flat leaf parsley, peppermint, several basil plants, and dill at our house.

4. Get a pedicure.

Amp up those summer toes with a pretty color. Don’t forget to get those heels in tip top, flip flop shape. Need some help deciding a great color? Check out the Top Spring Nail Trends according to Harper’s Bazaar. My sister Lyndsey and I are getting one today!

5. Grill something.

Even better, grill something and eat al fresco. Invite some friends over and make something delicious.

What are your favorite things to do in May?

Are You a NoReply-Comment Blogger? Fix it!

2013-05-01T21:56:00.001-04:00

Hi. I love when you leave comments here at So Wonderful, So Marvelous.

It makes me happy. I like you. I like responding to you. I want to talk to you more.

Sometimes though, you are a Leslee. What is a Leslee, you ask?

This is her. Cute, right? And I totally want her to teach me how to rock the fair skin and red lip combo because she clearly has that down. Know what she doesn’t have down? Letting me respond to her comments.

She leaves awesome comments for me and I can never answer her. I thought maybe she was just antisocial, but I tracked her down and she’s not. In fact, she’s funny and likes me and is quite chatty. She has a problem that needs to be fixed though… She is a noreply-comment@blogger girl. Dun dun dunnnnn.

Maybe it’s the same for you? If you have never received an email response from me, you might want to check. Heck, you might want to check even if you have never left a comment here. You never know when you might want to do that. << HINT HINT >> {In my head, it was hint hint muthafucka, but I am trying to curb my swearing, but I totally thought it anyway.}

Where were we?

Oh, yes. Lucky for you, I am going to show you how to fix that pesky noreply-comment@blogger problem, it takes all of thirty seconds.

And then you can get emails from me.

Who doesn’t want that?

We’re going to start at the Blogger homepage. I even linked it for you just to make it super easy.

TADAAAAA! It’s now fixed. And you can stop being anti-social.

Leave a comment if you were a former NoReply-Comment@Blogger offender.

I promise I won’t publically call you out. Probably. Maybe.

We can still point and laugh at Leslee, right?

Angry Birds Party!

2013-04-30T11:42:00.001-04:00

We tossed around several theme ideas this year for Finnegan’s 6th birthday party. His love for Angry Birds won out over a Phineas and Ferb party, which was a very close second. This was the first year that we didn’t combine his family and friend party, so we decided to have it at home. We are in the midst of a chaotic few weeks, so I also wanted to keep the party simple and fun. My sister Lyndsey and I shopped for almost everything the day before and spent probably 5 hours putting everything together, setting it all up and decorating. Since he was turning six, we asked him to choose six friends to invite, it was a great size.

Life Sized Angry Birds

We had planned to be outside with the life sized Angry Birds tower, but it was raining the day of the party, so we set it up in the living room instead. I’ve promised Finn that we’ll set it up outside this week after school so he can go nuts. To make the tower, we just bought a ton of plain cardboard boxes in different sizes from B&B Box and Sharpie’d them with the lines like the game. Make sure to get a few square boxes for the TNT and a few long boxes for the wood. I printed the TNT signs on white paper using Feast of Flesh that I downloaded free from dafont.com, it is very close to the Angry Birds font. If I were doing it all over, I might find some white boxes and make the ice and the concrete blocks as well. It was seriously easy and the kids LOVED it.

For the pigs, I just printed an Angry Bird pig face in different sizes on full sheet label paper and we cut the eyes and snout out and stuck them on. We bought the big green balls at Target, the smaller size we found at the dollar store and each of his friends got to take one home as part of their favor. One insanely helpful hint from my friend Monica, use an empty paper towel roll cut into 1 inch slices to make a little stand for the pigs to sit on so they stay where you want them.

We also had planned on an egg hunt, we had two dozen confetti filled eggs. We were going to hide them in the back yard and let them find them and smash them outside, but since it was raining that was a no-go. Dave told me to just let them go for it in the living room and we could vacuum it up, so we did. They thought this was the best thing ever.

The Angry Birds Table

For the centerpiece, we used a round basket as a bird nest, added blue shredded paper for some color and filled it with bomb bird, red bird, and king pig stuffed animals that Finn already had, plus a few golden eggs from our stash of Easter eggs.

We used a lime green tablecloth, blue and white scrapbook paper as a placemat and topped it with red, black and yellow square plates. The only licensed tableware we bought were the plastic Space cups. Finn wanted the Angry Birds Cheese Nips for a snack so we put those in black and white polka dot cups. The silverware, we wrapped with a green napkin, wood plank scrapbook paper and a sticker that I printed on round labels with all the different Angry Birds. They all peeled their stickers off and wore them, so I think they were a hit.

The Angry Birds Decorations

I wanted to do a bunting type ceiling, but that was a hanging disaster, so we went with filling the ceiling above the table with tons of Angry Birds made out of balloons. The Party Animal has a great FREE Angry Birds download for you to print. We used a cardstock for printing and double sided tape to stick the faces on. Did I mention how EASY this party was? She had red, black, white, yellow, and blue birds, plus the king pig.

We also added a stack of boxes in the corner with a corporal pig on top. We just bought a play helmet at the dollar store for his head.

I also made a couple of silly signs.

The Angry Birds Favors

We had so much fun putting these together! The bags were small canvas totes. We filled with an Angry Birds toothbrush, a small bag of Angry Birds graham crackers, a pack of Angry Birds trading cards, stickers, and a ring pop. Plus they also took home one of the small green balls. I had meant for them to take their plastic cups home as well, but I completely forgot as they were all leaving so we’ll send those home with the thank you notes.

There are TONS and tons of Angry Bird Party ideas out there, I created a Pinterest board with all of the great ideas and inspiration that I came across while planning, go check all of them out!

Happy.

2013-04-29T07:21:00.000-04:00

This weekend. Oh, this weekend.

Friday night, I got to hug on my sister Rachael. It’s been six months since she moved to Palestine and we’re all unbelievably excited to have her home for a month. She has all kinds of fun stories of cultural differences and cool things she’s doing. I’m going to see if she might want to do a guest post.

First up, margaritas. Second, ice cream.

Tomorrow I’ll have all the details on Finnegan’s Angry Birds Party for you.

How was your weekend? Do anything fun?

Friday Finest.

2013-04-26T14:12:00.001-04:00

<<< I probably would have had a heart attack if Dave proposed like this. Can you even imagine?

>>> I got to meet Kate from Chicalookate at a local show and Lyndsey and I laughed hysterically through all of her prints. I wanted pretty much everything.

<<< Hilarious notes from kids.

>>> Which reminds me, Dave found this note from me while we were cleaning out a closet. Good times.

Happy Friday, Peeps! See you Monday!

The Bad. The Ugly. And the Funny.

2013-04-25T14:11:00.001-04:00

We all piled into the car to take Finn for his birthday dinner and it was looking a little scary outside. After a gorgeous day, the rain and cold was on its way. We hurried along, but no sooner did we park when I hear the first wave of rain hitting the car. Luckily, Dave was the only one out of the car since I was still reaching for my purse and Tate’s sweater. I looked in the back seat to see if my umbrella was there.

Now, I can’t remember if he told me that he got pooped on by a giant bird with obvious stomach issues or if I looked up and saw that the rain that hit the car was very obviously not rain. Either way, both observations were in very short proximity to each other. Do birds even have stomachs or is it food in, let’s find an unsuspecting person or a clean car to poo on, double bonus points for both?

And then I laughed. I laughed hard.

I mean yes, I pulled out baby wipes and tried to help him out.

I was also calculating in my head how much bird poop one would have to get hit with and still make it to your six year old’s birthday dinner.

Turns out, for Dave, any amount of poop negates that dinner faster than you can say, “I think it’s supposed to be good luck…”

School Day Mornings.

2013-04-24T08:25:00.001-04:00

Mornings are hard at our house.

I am chaotic. Finnegan is stalling. Tate is into everything.

Is lunch made? Has Monty been fed? Wait… where is your library book? You have gym today, you need sneaks! Tate! Get out of the dog water right now!

I try, often failing miserably, to keep the rushed craziness to a minimum. I try to bite my tongue instead of yelling. Do you know why?

Because every single morning, I drop Finn off to school I give him a hug and tell him to have a good day.

It started when school did, but since Newtown, I have been vigilant about it. Some days the hug is begrudgingly rushed. Some days it feels forced. Some of those particularly bad mornings, I don’t want to do it at all. But, I do.

Life happens like that, there are good and bad days for everyone.

Even moms.

Especially moms.

We don’t always like our children and our children don’t always like us. And it’s really ok.

The days though that we’ve kept the crazy to a minimum and he is happy to run into school? Those are the days that I feel like I’m winning this motherhood thing. The hug is boisterous and held for just a few seconds longer. Just a smidge tighter. I yell out the car window, “LEARN something cool!” and he has a huge smile on his face and yells OK over his shoulder.

Those days I feel like I’m doing something right.

I know it isn’t every day. I’m not perfect by any means, but it’s just enough to make me feel like maybe we’re on the right track. Lord knows that there are enough reminders around to make me feel like we’re the worst parents ever.

What makes you feel like you’re winning this whole parenthood thing?

Six.

2013-04-23T07:29:00.000-04:00

I asked him to stay five, but he tells me that this can’t be helped.

He is six.

Six.

Six years ago, when we drove to the hospital, I still had my doubts. A boy? WHAT will I do with a boy?

Now, I can’t imagine what we would do without him.

He is maddening and fiery and his own person to be sure. He’s stubborn and contrary just because. He is also kind hearted and intelligent and sweet. And he can make us all laugh like you wouldn’t believe.

Happy Birthday Finna James, you are immeasurably loved.

A Little Birdie Told Me.

2013-04-22T13:40:00.001-04:00

Guess what we’re doing? Nope, not moving.

Birthday prep for Finnegan’s party this weekend.

How Do You Argue?

2013-04-18T06:16:00.000-04:00

One of the most interesting things about marriage, well any relationship really, is how people handle disagreement. I think it’s one of the most important things in a marriage to be able to resolve conflict. It is also one of the toughest.

I am a yeller. A blow up fast, and over it just as fast kind of girl. For someone that is a calm discusser or an avoider, I’m sure it would not be fun to have an argument with me.

Are you a bottle it up and hold it in kind of girl? Do you stew about it? Or think about it before you speak? Do you hate confrontation and avoid it at all costs? Are you a grudge holder? Do you pretend something has magically gone away, swept right under the rug? Are you passive aggressive? Do you take a deep breath? Do you run away? Or walk away until you are calm?

That Dave of mine is a stew about it kind of guy. He’s pretty good about not stewing for long. In our house, it is easier for us to deal with things quickly and get over them. Not only for me because I hate to hold it in, but for Dave because sometimes simple misunderstandings have time to escalate.

We’re not a couple that likes to sit calmly and exchange lists of what is bugging us. Our neighbors probably wish that we were sometimes. I always find it so interesting when people can walk away and come back to an argument a few hours later. HOW do you manage to do that?

Do you apologize?

We apologize to each other. If you are someone that knows me well, you will understand just how incredibly difficult this is for me. I don’t like to be wrong. Ever. But sometimes I am, and when I am, I admit it. Apologizing is something I had to learn. It is still a struggle, don’t get me wrong. It’s something that Dave does and makes me feel incredibly loved. It is amazing to me how I can be softened by a simple, “I am so sorry I took my bad day out on you. I love you.”

Tell me about your relationship. What kind of arguer are you? Are your arguing styles compatible?

White Cake, chocolate Frosting.

2013-04-17T06:24:00.000-04:00

{Photo: Kate Mackley}

Thirty-seven.

Is this what being a grown up is supposed to feel like?

Because it feels pretty marvelous.

I can’t wait to see what is next.

Boston.

2013-04-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

Senseless.

Give your peeps a hug today. And if you can, take a little break, the details will be there when you get back.

That is what we’re doing.

April Showers + May Flowers Baby Shower.

2013-04-15T07:18:00.000-04:00

You only need a few things for a baby shower. Great friends and an impending arrival. All of the rest is just details. That is, until you attend a baby shower where you not only have great friends and an impending arrival, but where every detail is thought out. At every turn you say things like oh, that is awesome or look at that, you’ve thought of everything. The real trick is to have an intimate shower where all of these details are noticed and appreciated, but not done in a fussy way. Relaxed and thoughtful and beautiful.

These are the showers that Lianne plans.

My friend Merrily is one of those people that you can’t help loving. She has this uncanny knack for making everything more fun. She was married last year and one of my favorite things about her wedding festivities was attending her bridal shower. It is arguably the best shower I have ever been to, planned by her sister Lianne. Remember those unreal sea salt chocolate chip cookies? Yep, Lianne took her mom’s secret recipe and made favors for everyone. It really is the bane of my blogging existence that I didn’t take a camera and share it with all of you. I wasn’t going to make that mistake twice. When I got the invitation for Mer’s baby shower, I sent an email to Lianne and begged her to let me share the details.

Lianne chose the April Showers theme because she had the shower in April and Merrily loves the color grey. She decided to add the May flowers not only because Mer is due in May, but also because she said she was having a hard time coming up with food ideas around a wet rainy theme. {Love that.} Once she added the May flowers into the mix, everything started falling into place. She made grey and white tissue poms with raindrops hanging from them. Every surface was covered with tiny micro flowers, it was so pretty.

Baby Shower Menu

Watermelon + Fresh Mint Salad with Feta
Herbed Chicken Salad on Sunflower Seed Bread
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball Sliders {both a vegetarian + a regular version}
Baby Greens + Edible Flower Salad
Rainbow Peppers + Dip
Jasmine Blossom Iced Tea
Lavender Lemonade
Martha Stewart’s Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Orange Blossom Buttercream {she nixed the vanilla and substituted orange blossom water}
Martha Stewart’s Rose and Ginger Cupcakes

One last thing… this baby is a surprise! Leave your guess, BOY or GIRL, in the comments!

Sources:

Raindrop tissue poms idea.
Invitations {I didn’t take a pic, but she said they were great to work with.}
Lavender {to make the lemonade}
Edible fresh flowers {for the salad}
Edible micro flowers {used to cover tables}

Friday Finest.

2013-04-12T07:06:00.000-04:00

<<< Necole painted this Ikea armoire and I want her to send it to my house. It is unreal how cool it is.

>>> This is Dave’s favorite new internet addiction. Reasons My Son Is Crying. It totally reminds me of this picture of Tate.

<<< Three years ago, we were spreading a whole lot of kindness. I want to do it again. That might need to be on next year’s birthday agenda. Or maybe we can do it just because?

>>> Sarah isn’t just my blog designer, she’s a bad ass aerialist that got to perform with Salt n Pepa!

<<< Megan’s unexpected computer hiatus wasn’t so bad after all. People wonder why I think margaritas are the devil.

>>> You should follow my friend Alecia on Instagram. She has spent the last six months living in the south of France {my dream} with her daughter Zoe and her photos are spectacular.

<<< Happy happy weekend. I hope you have something fun planned. >>>

Every Horror Movie Starts With a Turnoff…

2013-04-11T05:04:00.000-04:00

Dave: How about we take 40 back to Lexington? It’s the scenic route…

Me: Because four and a half hours in the car with those maniacs is enough and we have to do it again tomorrow? Adding any more time to that is nuts.

Dave: Yeah…

Me: I’ll do it if you really want to, but dude…

Dave: No, you’re right.

So it was decided that we’d take 75 like normal human beings. Until we stopped for a great lunch in Knoxville and we temporarily lost our minds.

Orangina, sweet tea, and crepes will do that to you.

Half an hour later…

Dave: Remember when I was talking about 40. This is where it would have met up.

Me: Oh, cool.

Dave: If we get off here, we can go through the mountain in this huge tunnel. I was looking at it on maps last night. Then it will meet back up with 75.

Me: I mean, if it’s not super far off the route, I don’t care. Do you really want to do it?

Dave: It’s a little longer. It’s an adventure.

Google Navigation: Pull up to blah blah blah road and make a U-Turn

Google Navigation: Pull up to blah blah blah road 2 and make a U-Turn

Me: Ha ha ha. D, I think it wants us to make a U-Turn. You know where you’re going, right?

Google Navigation: make a U-Turn here

Dave: Yeah, it’s fine. It’ll re-calculate soon.

Google Navigation: MAKE a U-Turn

Dave: You could turn the voice off.

Google Navigation: For the love of God, turn your asses around, you will never survive this. *only a slight exaggeration*

We finally pull onto this slightly small road and it finally re-calculates the route.

Me: ok… hey wait… D? We don’t have cell service.

Dave: Yeah, Michelle. We’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s scenic.

Me: Um, we stay on this road, right? Because I just lost the GPS signal.

Dave: HOW do you lose a GPS signal on the top of a mountain?

Me: And why are we on the top of a mountain, where is the tunnel???

Forty-five minutes of hairpin turns and car sickness and really really scary scary ‘houses’ in the middle of nowhere later… we are talking straight Deliverance here, no way we are stopping anywhere. Also? I’m not quite sure what the entire yard full of weird looking cages/traps was about…

So, Dave is apologizing profusely, we have not been through a tunnel, and I’m sick, sending several panicked texts to my sister and Nikki when we FINALLY hooked back up with both a GPS signal and with 75.

I’ve never been so happy to see a highway in my life.

And for your viewing pleasure, I shot a video for you about fifteen minutes in… you know, before I wanted to vomit repeatedly all over the car. It was mostly because I could see someone finding all our bodies somewhere and I wanted evidence that it was all Dave’s fault. This right here is a good indication of how weird we both are, Dave’s fake southern accent is a bonus for your benefit because I assured him I’d be putting this on the internet.

Asheville Barbeque–Moe’s Original Bar B Que

2013-04-10T05:23:00.000-04:00

When we travel, we like to eat things we can’t get at home. We were looking for great barbeque in Asheville. We talked about 12 Bones, but they’re only open for lunch and frankly, we didn’t want to wait in line... even if it is President Obama’s favorite. We decided on Moe’s Original Bar B Que, they claim it’s Alabama Barbeque, but I’ll claim it’s freaking delicious. It’s a chain-ish establishment… there are a few in Colorado and several in the south, so it’s not local to Asheville, but it isn’t something we have in Ohio.

There was a steady stream of locals and tourists alike. We walked in and found a huge table of police officers having dinner, seated right next to a huge table of firefighters having dinner. We were met in the parking lot by some disappointed folks who were too late and missed the ribs. Once they are out of something, they’re out for the night since everything is smoked in house daily. There was a crowd the entire time we were there, I’ll take that as a good sign.

You walk in and order at a counter. Take just a minute to look through the entire menu so you don’t overlook any options. You can either get your meats sandwich style on a bun or platter style depending on your preference. Everything comes with sides, cornbread, and a drink included. We tried the pulled pork and the smoked turkey along with almost every side on the menu. Y’all. You need to get the pulled pork, it is to die for. I wish they hadn’t been out of the ribs because we likely would have gotten those as well.

There were two things that we had that we were just kind of eh about, the cornbread and the turkey. The turkey was good in a bite with the two sauces and the slaw, but on it’s own was just kind of so so. A little dry and overly smoky tasting. The cornbread wasn’t like anything I’d had before. We both expected to love it since it’s a grilled version. It wasn’t corn tasting enough for me and I wished I had taken a bite before giving some to Tate since it had a little kick to it.

So many times when you go to a barbeque place, the meat is outstanding and the sides are over looked, but not here. These sides? So very southern and absolute perfection. From the glazed carrots to the tangy slaw, everything left us wondering if these were old family recipes. The collard greens were some of the absolute best Dave or I have ever had. I loved the flavor and the slight heat packed into the baked beans. And of course, Tate ate her weight in mac n cheese, it was a great version, not overly cheesy or greasy. I really wish that they would have had the summer squash and the spinach when we were there, because I’d love to try their take on it.

The topper though was the banana pudding. I don’t even particularly enjoy bananas and this was like the most pillowy delicious fresh banana tasting pudding ever. It’s topped with a Nilla Wafer, that is, I think, the only thing it has in common with anything I’ve ever had approximating banana pudding before. Y’all, I must have that recipe. Pssst… Moe’s? If you’re reading this I seriously would LOVE that recipe.

Asheville.

2013-04-09T05:17:00.000-04:00

An overnight in Lexington with Aunt Lisey. I think she needed it more than the kids did.

Next, we were off to Asheville to have loads of time with the 86’n It crew. After a great egg hunt downtown, Marc + Nikki made the best dinner and we let the kids run wild in the backyard. I snuggled Mina and tried to convince the Davester that we need just one more in our brood. He maintains a ‘no’ on that one, but I can tell he was waffling a little bit holding her.

I’m pretty sure Finn was holding the door shut so Tate was trapped in the playhouse here…

And then Nikki and I were off for some last minute Easter Target-ing. The Easter Bunny even hid eggs and baskets all over our room. I wonder how he found us?

Then a long nap at the hotel before another amazing dinner and lots of play time. {Until Finn proceeded to vomit in their new bathroom from the overabundance of candy eating… just keeping it real for you, my peeps.}

Monday brought a bouncing off the walls, very much recovered Finnegan. Franca took us to one of her favorite parks for some time outside on a gorgeous day. A yummy lunch followed at The Blackbird… if you ever have the occasion, go there. Everything was outstanding, especially the french press coffee, it was locally roasted and the best coffee I have ever had. Y’all I have had A LOT of coffee. It was that good. Also, the lemonade. Unreal.

Lunch was followed by a crazy trek all over the city for the boys and a nap for the girls. Swimming. And barbeque for dinner that deserves it’s own post.

One last egg hunt, some bathroom reno photos, and we packed up and were on our way. The Davester decided we were going to have some adventure, damn it. Just wait until you hear about that on Thursday. Hint: He’s never picking anything again.

One more night in Lexington with Aunt Lisey and home. Exhausted and happy to have spent time with good friends.

We’re ready to go back any time you’ll have us Nik.

Finnisms.

2013-04-08T08:29:00.001-04:00

Finn: Can someone lick that envelope?

Dave: Yeah, you.

Michelle: Daddy can.

Finn: You know what I’m horrified of?

Michelle: I think you mean terrified of.

Finn: You know what I’m terrified of? Spiders and paper licks.

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Finn: I hate to do this but c’mon Tate, you’re drooling like a grumpy dog.

*goes and wipes his hands on a towel*

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Friday Finest.

2013-04-05T04:48:00.000-04:00

>>> These coconut cream cupcakes look delicious.

<<< I want to go to France just to bring back the awesome things on Design Mom’s $5 souvenir list.

>>> E says perfectly what my biggest fear is for my children. I want them to be nice and likable. It scares me how much I feel that impossibility lately.

<<< It’s like Janelle is living in my house.

>>> There is so much power in love, this story is so incredibly cool.

PS. I fully realize that I owe you stories about Asheville like how the Davester took us through a living Deliverance and almost made us all throw up. Next week. Pinkie swear.

HAPPY FRIDAY! What do you have planned for this weekend?

Easter With Bunny.

2013-04-01T07:39:00.000-04:00

Y’all. We are here. With Bunny.

Asheville.

It is spectacular. And very much too cool for the likes of me. Everywhere you turn, there are breathtaking views. I can’t wait to share all the details with you later this week.

And now, tell me something you did for Easter. Besides eating your weight in Just Reds jelly beans… or is that just me?

Road Trip Music for kids + Adults.

2013-03-29T04:29:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year. The time of year when parents lose their ever loving minds and decide to go on vacation with their kids. By car.

Spring Break.

Every year, my mom would pack us into the car and we’d drive somewhere. It was most often Anna Maria Island, Florida with a few Myrtle Beach trips thrown in for good measure. Back then, on good travel days, my sister Lyndsey and I would play games, share snacks, and laugh for hours. On bad days, we’d put a piece of tape down the middle of the back seat and vow to never speak to each other again. She’s put her finger inches from my face and chant, “I’m not touching yooooou!”

The joy of family road trips.

One of the biggest bouts of contention in our car was the music. Back then it was radio, we didn’t even have a cd player in the car, so we’d find local radio stations and groan when my mom would choose something OLD. I still cringe every time Huey Lewis is played… thanks mom. Our other option was mixed tapes. You know how I love a good mix tape.

Now I’m the mom and I understand why, after listening to New Kids on the Block ad nauseum, she probably wanted to escape the car as much as we did. Can a happy medium be found between songs kids will enjoy and songs adults will enjoy? We are sure going to try. Here is our list:

Can’t get enough playlists perfect for a road trip? Check out President Obama’s, Alphamom’s, Brittany’s, and this incredible one from Dinner a Love Story.

What is your favorite road trip song?

Spidey Tate.

2013-03-28T04:46:00.000-04:00

Pink tutu and Spiderman mask. Does it get any more stylish?

Can We Talk About Easter Baskets?

2013-03-27T00:54:00.001-04:00

Filling Easter baskets is hard work. I’m not sure how that bunny does it year after year with such gusto. I don’t like giving my kids a bunch of candy. Mostly because I have to deal with the aftermath of a sugar induced crash, but also because I hear chants for candy from both of them. Frankly, it drives me bonkers. Before you go feeling bad for them, you should know that their grandmothers usually make sure to fill that quota enough for the year.

Last year, Finn got an egg full of Skittles, some jelly beans, and a chocolate bunny. That ‘Fun Dip’ you see is actually a fruity blue chapstick. I made the mistake of Fun Dip once… never again.

And Tate? She got super yummy Ella’s Kitchen fruit pouches and snuck a jelly bean or two from her brother when I wasn’t looking.

The problem lies in the fact that it’s easy to get a bunch of candy and go to town. It’s hard coming up with fun things to fill the baskets that aren’t candy. My ‘go to’ items are some kind of outfit or pajamas, coloring books, movies, and whatever other junk I come across in the aisle of Target when I am shopping the night before Easter. How about we add insult to injury and add three dozen plastic eggs to fill as well?

Quarters and Goldfish Crackers for everyone!

Share some non-candy ideas with me please! I want some fun new ideas. What do your kids love? What were your favorites as a kid? Did your bunny hide your basket for you?