Down on the Farm

Today we are at home.  Being church skippers.  Becks cold isn't improving and he's since re-infected all of us.  I guess preschool germs are different from first grade germs because I was convinced I'd be immune to whatever he brought home.  Apparently not. His nose is a perpetual source of agony, as we chase him around with Kleenex in an effort to prevent the snotty stream from running elsewhere.  Namely his mouth.  Bleh.  Thank goodness he's in {mostly} good spirits - when he's not whining that we're wiping his nose for the 487th time of the day, of course.

I'd like to say we're being productive playing hooky today, but we're totally not.  Becks is attempting to clean up his toys, B is cozy on the couch with coffee, and I'm doing a weekend blog.  C'est la vie.

* * * * *

Yesterday we had the opportunity to participate in a tour of a local farm.  There was hay-riding, pumpkin patch picking, cider drinking, goat milking, chickadee holding, and animal petting and feeding.  It all was fun, but I'd say Becks' favorite part was feeding and milking the nanny goats.  We have quite the little farmer on our hands - which was especially evident when he responded to Farmer Annie's question about what type of animals we were going to see and our little 2-year-old spouted off "Cows, goats, and alpacas."  He he he.

Happy, happy Sunday to you and your's!

What I'm Loving Thursday :)

I know, I know.  It's Thursday, not Wednesday.  But, I always want to play along with Jamie...but I either forget or don't feel like blogging on Wednesday for some reason.  I pre-write the WIWW post on Tuesday night, and I just don't have it in me on Wednesday to write.  Weird.

Anyway, a day late, here it is.  My first What I'm Loving post!

{one}

B.  I love this guy.  You all, he has put up with so much garbage from me lately.  I'm whiny.  And complainy.  And tired.  And grumpy.  And demanding.  And sometimes it's probably not much fun to be married to me.  But, thankfully, his love for me perseveres (cue bird chirping and rainbows) and he still gives me back rubs after long days on my feet. Oh, and he's handy as all get out.  Here he is doing something or other on the stairs in preparation for the big upstairs redo.  First things first - remove old carpet and paint. 

{two}

I am totally in love with this Red Velvet Cake yogurt.   I eat it with my school packed lunch at least two times a week.  Yum.

{three}

I am trying hard to convince B that I need, want, love and adore this Amy Butler rug.  It is totally gorgeous.  For our bedroom, living room, dining room.  Wherever.  I just love it.

{four}

Holy cow.  I love Tootsie Roll Midgees so much that I singlehandedly have polished off an entire bag during the past four days of school. {And the bad things is that I actually bought them for my kiddos!}  Halloween candy is a big downfall for me - especially as a teacher when kids are bringing it in constantly for our upcoming Fall Festival. 

{five}

I love volumizing hair products.  I don't know if they work all that well, but mentally they give me the added poof I need before and after I blowdry my hair.  Lately, especially since my self-dye job is growing out quickly, I've been using Psssst! to lighten my roots and pump up the volume.  It's dry shampoo.  I seriously recommend it for any flat, fine-haired sistas out there.

{six}

Yum and yum.  I recently received two Starbucks giftcards and have treated myself to a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte on mornings when I don't feel like starting the coffee in the morning.  Love. It.

{seven}

I'm loving The Beatles tonight, as my first graders sang a Beatles medley with the other first grade classes tonight at the PTA meeting and it was so stinkin' cute.  Each class sang an individual song and then together they sang Let it Be.  If you teach elementary, I highly recommend purchasing/downloading the KidzBop Sing the Beatles and working with your music teacher to do this performance. 

{eight}

I am loving that tomorrow is FRIDAY!  Yay!

What I Wore Wednesday

It's What I Wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy, and, of course, I'm playing along :)

A couple of things...A) I can't avoid the grey and black.  I try and I can't.  I love grey.  I love black.  And it's fall, so I guess it's acceptable.  B) I had lots of "eveningwear" this week, so I wore 2 outfits somedays and took pictures of both.  I don't regularly go through 9 outfits in one week! 

The I Heart Stripes Outfit

turtleneck - banana republic outlet

striped jumper - st. vinny's thrift

leggings - white house black market

The Love Me Some Lime Outfit

 sweater - NY&Co.

dress - goodwill

leggings - hand-me-down from sister

The Favorite for Fall Grey Outfit

waterfall sweater - tjmaxx ($12 this season1)

racerback tank - goodwill

necklace - goodwill

skinnies -gap clearance center

grey slouchy boots - yard sale ($1!)

The Bridesmaid Take 2

I wore this dress to Katie's rehearsal dinner.  Couldn't resist not wearing it again - it's too cute!

From Twirl in Lexington.

The Abby, Are You In Grey Again? Outfit

grey top - goodwill

scarf - old navy

skinnies - gap clearance center

slouchy grey boots - yard sale

The Persian Goddess Bridesmaid Dress ;)

 Bridal and Formal in Cincinnati

The Cheetah Girl

 jacket - goodwill

turtleneck - ny&co

skirt - goodwill

The Stop-The-World It's Black and Grey Outfit

dress - target (2 seasons ago)

leggings - h&m (last season)

headband - ny&co (last season)

Happy Wednesday, friends!

A New Normal

I remember when Becks was first born, living my life in 2- to 3-hour increments as I tried to regiment his nursing and sleeping schedule and adapt to my role as the responsible party for a teeny, tiny baby.  Only two more hours until he needs to nurse again.  Only three more hours until B is home to help.  Only three hours until the sun rises and another day as a new mommy begins.  Only two hours in which to accomplish dinner, laundry, and a shower before Becks wakes up from his nap...

It was hard in the beginning.  And sometimes lonely in those overnight hours while I nursed a sleepy baby and B slept soundly next to us, with only Oprah to keep me company through her 3am reruns.  It was challenging and often left me bleary-eyed and exhausted.  Especially in the first two weeks post-partum, as the pregnancy hormones escaped my body and the reality of motherhood set in, I struggled to let B leave for work and even if he looked at me I'd cry.  Not for any reason, just because I was overcome with 12 different emotions - none of which I could explain in their entirety. 

Looking back, time was all I needed.  Time to adjust to my new normal. 

I see so many similarities between the newness of motherhood and my current situation as a working mother - the tears I've shed as I've adjusted to my new role, the exhaustion and lack of sleep, the stress of trying to do it all, the questioning of whether there is a right way and a wrong way to do it, the time crunches, the one-day-at-a-time mentality. 

Lately {like since May}, I've had the two week mentality.  Two more weeks until vacation.  Two weeks until the wedding.    Two weeks until Becks' 2nd birthday.  Two weeks until another vacation. Two weeks until school starts.  Two weeks until B leaves his job.  Two weeks until we go out of town.  Two weeks, two weeks, two weeks. 

And while many of our adventures brough great joy and fun to our lives, there have been many times where I've just wanted to be.  Be with my boys.  Be at home.  Be here, in the now, not living just so I can mark another event off on my desk calendar. 

And now, it's October. Three-fourths of 2010 has passed, never to return again.  It has unquestionably been one of the most busy, most challenging years we've faced yet.  As a couple, as a family, and as an individual. 

I'm finally, 9 weeks later into my newest position, adjusting to my new normal.  I don't feel like a boiling pot, filled to the brim just waiting to spill over {remember?}.  I feel like I can finally just be.  It's a good feeling. 

* * * * *

And, because his blog appearances have been few and far between lately, here is the cutest boy in my world, being his silly self - all while running a 101 degree fever.  Gotta love preschool germies.

The Real McCoys

As of 7pm on Friday night, I officially married off the last of my bridesmaids (with the exception of my 21-year-old sister).  Four of my nearest and dearest tied the knot in the past year and a half, so this concludes the "everyone-I-know-is-getting-married" phase of my life. 

I took this picture of Katie after she got her makeup finished at the salon.  Doesn't she look all of the radiant bride?

This is the bride, her sister (Hi, Delaurah!), and her mom. 

 I snapped these two only moments before she walked down the aisle...

Katie and I lived together (with Allison) in the Alpha Delta Pi house at the University of Kentucky in a 3-girl room our Junior Year of college.  The three of us cock{roach} blocked, sang From the windows to the walls! laying on our backs doing leg formations in our beds, and spent many nights in Goldie Honda.  Good, good times.

And, it's not a wedding without the customary candids...

Me & Katie {aka. Dr.B}

I can't tell you how many pictures I've ruined by sticking my face out way too far.  This one was salvagable, but I'm nearly hiding Katie.  Bad habit.

I love this one of the happy couple.  It sums up their personalities perfectly.  I think this was after we danced to the Glee version of Don't Stop Believin' at the top of our lungs. 

And, lastly, the pic of all the Shady Pi girls present, minus the bride and her sister. 

Congrats to The McCoys!

Of note...

1. I have nothing genius to say tonight. 
2. Apparently, though, my son is a genius, as evidenced by his ability to arrange his blocks, a white tiger, a shark, an old cell phone and a random paintbrush around a glittery square he made at preschool. I'm only slightly biased.

3.  Sorta, kinda sad that Teen Mom and Jersery Shores are at the respective end of their seasons.  {Does anyone else think immediately of Pauly D anytime you say Oh, yeah...?  Also, B and I really enjoy throwing in the dirty little hamster comment into our conversations on a regular basis.}

4.  Apparently, I do not work on Fridays.  Yup, off again tomorrow to marry off the last of my BFFs.  But, it's not without cost.  I'm through all of my personal days and it's only October.  And writing sub plans is pretty much not fun.

5.  I'm twelve kinds of excited about spending another glorious weekend with my boys, soaking up the fall sunshine.

6.  B has a Spanish midterm tomorrow.  So, if you read this, say a prayer.   

7.  One of my dearest friends, whose opinion I value implicitly, confirmed that the jeans from WIWW were very frumpish.  Thank you, Dr. B, for your honesty :)

8.  A major praise I have yet to mention: we refinanced our house!  Wahoo!  I can't tell you what a huge blessing it was to us, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect.  Truly, an answered prayer.

9.  I still don't know what Becks is going to be for Halloween.  The only thing he's really digging lately is The Wiggles, and I just cannot wrap my mind around dressing my son up to mimic a 40-year-old man or a dinosaur named Dorothy.

10.  Awful news of the day = we are completely out of coffee and Diet Coke.  This might mean I hit up Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte prior to meeting up with the bridal party for breakfast in the morning.  Yum. 

What I Wore Wednesday

It's another What I Wore Wednesday with The Pleated Poppy.  It's been in the upper 80s for most of the week, so if you see me in layers, I'm usually shedding the sweater by noon.  Or I just opted to fake like it really was fall.  I was sweating my heiny off at the pumpkin patch, but darnit if I wasn't going to wear my new slouchy boots! 

The These Jeans Make Me Look Frumpy Outfit

necklace - goodwill

top - goodwill

frumpy jeans - banana republic outlet

ruffle flats - target

The Tie 'Er Up With a Bow Outfit

necklace - goodwill

top - goodwill

skinnies - gap clearance center

ruffle flats - target 

The Pumpkin Patcher

 necklace - yardsale

black tank - walmart

top - goodwill

skinnies - gap clearance center

brown suede slouchy boots - yard sale

The Flower Child

dress - goodwill

skinny belt - borrowed from a dress

flower pin - made by moi

tights & pumps - walmart 

The I Need to De-smudge My Mirror Outfit

sweater - NY&Co.

top - goodwill

leggings - white house black market

ruffle flats - target

navy skinny belt - yard sale

And, lastly, though not an outfit, I needed some girlfriends to show my new jacket to because my husband did not give me thrilling reaction I expected as I pranced around the family room in my new winter coat from TJMaxx.  I couldn't pass it up for $29.95.