M-m-m-monday.

I wish you all could see my desk right now.  It is an absolute wreck.  It all but killed me to leave it in such disarray today, but I just didn't have the energy to sort through the stacks of papers or staple report card data together after spending 16 hours in my classroom in the past 36 hours.  Thanks be to parent-teacher conferences.  Anyway, that's niether here nor there (though does account for my blogging absence over the weekend).

And now because I've been thinking mostly in list-form all day (as in, how many more things do I have to accomplish before Thanksgiving break?), here's a quick snapshot of our weekend...

1.  Dr. B and I ventured to the Holiday Market in Cinci on Saturday and - stop the world - we totally had a glass of wine while we walked around.  How fun is that?!  I bet I told Katie 200x how pumped I was to be there!  It doesn't get much better than Christmas shopping, time with one of your bests, and a glass of pinot.  Love. It.

 2.  I bought some fun things at the market.  One of my best buys was from one of my FAVORITE vendors out of northern Michigan - dark chocolate covered dried cherries.  YUM.  I tried to justify my buy by telling myself I was purchasing them to give as Christmas gifts.  Negative.  I'm eating them right now.

3.  We had a fabulous time at B's parents' house.  Becks found this "spooky hat" (as he calls it) in the basement and wore it for all of dinner.  Two-year-olds are kind of awesome like that.

4.  I battled my brother-in-law, P, in Just Dance.  OMIWORD.  I LOVE this game!!!!!  How nerdy to do I look?!  Let me just tell you, it is a work out.  I was sweating and out of breath after I battled P and B in back-to-back dance-offs.  Incredibly {I'm pretty sure the controller was broke}, they both beat me!  Ha!  I am too long and gangly to do anything that requires more coordination than snapping/clapping and swaying at the same time.

B and P are doing a duo to Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend.  I'll spare you the video I recorded, but - trust me - it was hilarious.

5.  The "spooky hat" resurfaced today.  And I bought Becks the cutest little knock-off Uggs from Cosco!  He adores them.  So do I.  Couldn't you just eat him up?

I know, this was a really random and poorly written post.  But my mind is twelve kinds of fried and I have to be back at school at the crack-of-dawn for Day 2 of conferences. 

BUT, t-minus 8 days until a FIVE DAY break!  Yay!



Blog Fodder, er, Fudder?

Our little Elmer Fudd...

Tonight, Beck and I were snuggling in my bed and I was doing a really scratchy rendition of  Dear John John Deer when he informed me - so sweetly - that he was "touching his boogers."  Lovely.  He also likes to say "You hear that, mommy?!" with such incredulity that it's believable that it comes as a surprise to him every time he hears himself pass gas.  This further confirms that boys delight in the disgusting and that I am completely unprepared to handle a male pre-teen someday.

CMA Stream of Consciousness

1.  Let's admit that we all kind of want to be Carrie Underwood sometimes.  Mainly for the hair.  And body.  And voice.  And looks.  And wardrobe.

2.  Gwyneth Paltrow would be a good alternative though.

3.  How fast do they have to change Carrie backstage?  I mean, 13 seconds? Maybe?  I would be concerned something was not zipped or strapped or that something was hanging out.  Not that I have much to hang out.  But if I did.

4.  Brad and Carrie are pretty much awesome hosts.  I love all the corny jokes.  And I get embarrassed when no one laughs at them.  Or it's a stifled, awkward laugh.  I'm an awful joke teller, so I can totally relate.

5.  Can't help it y'all.  I don't care if she's not the best live performer ever, but I HEART TAYLOR SWIFT.

6.  The Brad Paisley/Lady Gaga montage = Phenomenal.  I laughed.  Out Loud.  LOL.

7.  LeAnn Rimes, I don't feel sorry for you. 

8.  I could sing Need You Now by Lady Antebellum over and over again.  Alone.  At the top of my lungs.  In my car.  I feel similarly about Dear John. My night will be made if Taylor sings it.  And even more so if they flash hateful images of John Mayer in the background.

9.  Again, could Carrie be any more beautiful?

10.  Could Rascal Flatts look any less country?  Great band, but very urban, *sparkly* cowboy.

11.  I always wonder, while watching live performances on TV, if the singers have some sort of secret move that they do to indicate if they can't hear themselves, their mic goes out, or they feel like they're going to pass out.  Like, did he just hold his shirt for a reason? Was he trying to tell someone offstage something?

12.  Hmmmmm, Kelly Pickler.  Not sure what I think of that dress.  Just sayin'.

13.  The beauty of attending the Country Music Awards is that you can wear a plaid, flannel shirt and overalls and really feel quite confident you pulled off the look.

14.  I don't usually believe artists when they immediately thank God at the music awards.  But, when I watch the CMAs, I believe them.  I think that's stereotyping.

15.  I want to know who looks at their tiny , unnamed, newborn baby girl and thinks, You know what?  That, right there, is a Reba. 

16.  How cute is that Boys of Fall song?  Takes me back to my high school days. 

17.  Omiword, how is it only 8:58pm?  Daylight savings time is killing me. 

18.  I'm missing my weekly dose of Brick Brick. 

19.   Carrie's outfit changes so far = 5. 

20.  With country music on my brain, how many of you danced around to Shania's Any of Mine?  I'm pretty sure I made up dance moves to  shimmy, shake, shimmy shake, make the earth quake kick, turn, stomp, stomp, then you jump heel to toe, do si do.  Probably holding a hairbrush in front of my mirror in my bedroom. 
21.  My girl's on!  I'm pullin' for her.  Come on, Taylor!  Well, she didnt' sing Dear John.  Boo :(

22.  This is so random.  But it's a stream of consciousness, so it's my rules.  Has anyone seen the episode about the "Woo Girls" on How I Met Your Mother?  Hilarious.  My friends from college and I definitely did our fair share of woooooing.  We still do it.

23.  Sugarland is darling.  But that doesn't explain the freestanding tutu.

24.  I think I need to listen to more country music.  There are some cute songs out there that I have never heard before!

25.  Ending it here.  {Prediction: I'm sure Carrie will have another 12 outfit changes and continue to be beautiful.  Just a guess.}

Happy Wednesday :)

* Feel free to add on to my list - Miss Chelsea's comment made me die laughing!  Go read it!*

What I Wore Wednesday

Another {What I Wore Wednesday} is upon us, and I actually added a smidgen of color to my always grey and/or black wardrobe.  If you want to play along or check out everyone else's outfits, visit The Pleated Poppy!

The Can't Think of a Name Outfit

sweater - goodwill

white top - banana republic outlet

slacks - ny&co

ruffle flats - target

The B & G Look

 sweater - kmart

skinnies - gap clearance center

knit uggs - dunno

The Lakehouse Look

 top - ny&co

sweater - tjmaxx

skinnies - gap clearance center

slouchy boots - yardsale

Stop the World There's Color Outfit

 black top - express pre-marriage

blueish greenish dress - burke's outlet

leggings - white house black market

rosette flats - target

What?! More Color?! Outfit

sweater - plato's closet thrift

yellow dress - burke's outlet

leggings - h&m

ruffle flats - target

Real Life...

My friend Britney wrote a really good post about living real life.  She she inspired me to write a similar post about real life at our house...

Real life at our house is Brandon studying.  Constantly.  He's a bookworm these days and can be found sitting on the couch, Spanish book in lap, conjugating verbs and translating words with his good friend SpanishDict.  We're all counting the days until the semester ends.

Real life at our house is a Halloween ghost still hanging from the fan above the dining room table.  Just not a priority. 

Real life at our house is Castle on Mondays, Teen Mom on Tuesday, The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town on Wendesdays, and The Office on Thursdays.

Real life at our house is a plastic grocery bag taking the place of garbage bags.  Forgot to get them on my Target run last night.  Doh!

Real life at our house is playing ball-related sports indoors.  Mark my words, something important is going to get broken soon.

Real life at our house is Dave Matthews, John Mayer, or Jack Johnson on Pandora.

Real life at our house is a worn pair of Converses that show off boyhood to the fullest.

Real life at our house is an unmade bed that I can't wait to crawl into every night.  Still sleeps the same as a made one :)

Real life at our house blocks, balls, and all things boy. 

Real life at our house is an easy dinner - how I love thee, mac-n-cheese, pbjs, and bowls of cereal.

Real life at our house is crazy and busy and chaotic and stressful and wonderful. 

misc. monday

1. Night 2 sans Jee Bah has been a success.  Becks woke up at 3am last night crying for it, but I just re-explained the mouse issue to him {which apparently makes complete sense to a 2-year-old because he has whole-heartedly bought it and explained it to anyone who asks} and he slept until morning.  He made it through naptime today without one and went down tonight with absolutely zero fuss.  Amen for small blessings.
2. I have lost my travel coffee mug and we're out of the disposable mugs I keep in the cabinet for instances when my travel coffee mug goes missing or is dirty (frequently).  So I haven't taken coffee to school in two weeks. That means I'm back to 2 cans of Diet Coke by 10am. 
3. The elusive parent-teacher conferences are {gasp!} next week.  I have at least 1-2 every day leading up to mid-week and then I have 1,302 on Wendesday alone.  Thank goodness they buy pizza and coke for anyone who stays late.
4. I spent $62 at Target tonight on diapers, wipes, paper towels, milk, razors, and shampoo.  And not one fun thing like a Christmas ornament or cute top even made it into my cart.  That's not to say I didn't consider the possibility of buying both...
5. I am already wishing for at least one snow day before Christmas.  I'd settle for a 2-hour delay, though.
6. There are 12 school days remaining until Thanksgiving Break.  Yippeeeee!
7. I am currently listening to the new T. Swift CD on repeat in my car.  My favorite song = Dear John.  You all will appreciate that Becks asks that I put on "his music" {Taylor Swift} when he gets in the car and then specifically requests that I play John Deer.  Ah, to be raising a boy.
8. Is anyone else's husband obsessed with the show Castle?  B loves it.  My feelings are more like meh, but he insists on watching it every Monday without fail.  I guess Castle is to B, as Teen Mom is to me? 
9. Did I mention we went to the Lake this past weekend?  We did!  And, low and behold, I didn't take one single picture :(  Boo.
10. Off to bed.  Or to convince B I need a neck massage.  Regardless, my eyes are crossing in exhaustion staring at this screen.  G'night!



The Jee-Bah: A Tribute

It is with much sadness that I inform my bloggy friends that with little warning and quite a bit of sadness {on our end and his}, the beloved Jee-Bah has gone to pacifier heaven.  As of exactly 32 minutes ago, I put my sweet boy to bed sans his source of comfort and support that his been an extension of his body for the past 2 years 4 months 11 days and 5 and a half hours, respectively.  Yes, I was the mom that had a package of Mams ready to go in the the delivery room and begged our overnight nurse to let me give him one despite his poor nursing ability upon birth.  {FYI: His latch was perfect within 2 weeks and he had a paci the whole time.} 

As I said, the decision to detach the boy from his binky came with little warning.  The plan was to wait until Christmas vacation to extricate the beloved Jee Bah from his being.  After all, we have plans to travel in the upcoming months and a pacifier is a welcome addition to any car trip requiring us to leave the 5 mile radius of our home. 

However, as he watched the Sesame Street Sing Along tonight, we heard a gagging noise and quickly noticed he had inserted the entire paci into his mouth.  B looked at me, I looked at him, and we knew.  Little discussion ensued before I snipped the ends off of two pacis and showed them to Becks claiming a mouse must have chewed on them (an old trick I learned from my parents).  At the time, he thought it was funny and attempted to put it back into his mouth.  It fell out {B and I snickered} and then I said they had to be thrown away. (This may or may not have come after he tried to put the whole thing into his mouth.  Again.)

He's sleeping now.  And did, in fact, cry for his Jee Bah for a half hour and told me, upon entering his room to check on him, that he "Just needs one Jee Bah.  From downstairs."  Bless his heart. 

And now, for a picture montage chronicling the life of the pacifier from around 4 months to present day. 

So goodbye and thank you, Jee Bah. It's been a good run.

{And now I will go cry that another part of my baby is gone.}