Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom is one of the kindest folks you will ever meet. She is the first person I call when things are going great and the one I turn to when the world seems to crash down around me. She is the reason that I gravitated towards a career in philanthropy.  She set such a wonderful example when I was growing up with not only her career in nursing, but also the countless volunteer hours towards causes that mattered to her. She is clearly the best nurse ever (just ask any of the hundreds of patients she has treated over the years). There will never be a day that I will not need my mom, and on this day specifically I want her to know how much I love and appreciate her. Happy Birthday Mom!  I hope I become half of the mother that you have been to me. Click here to see a little serenade from Wip & Duncan. Click here to see the second take.

A Boy Named Duncan

He plays hard

I feel like the name "Duncan" has been popping up lately. Perhaps, Duncan is the new black?

The book that I posted about called The Day the Crayons Quit is not a customization book (like I had originally thought). It is simply a book about a boy named Duncan (seriously one of my all time favorites).

Then there is the movie The Way Way Back that is about a teenage boy named Duncan (it is on my list).

But above all of that there is a boy named Duncan who is capturing the hearts of his teachers. I get videos and pictures everyday (and I love it). Of course, I must share (roll your eyes if you must:).

That face.

Water table action

Building a tower

Protecting his tower

Build, build, build

These boys LOOOOOVE each other

Gone Fishin'

Sunny with a chance of Turtle!

This is getting saved in the "rehearsal dinner file"

Rollin'

What was that? You want more? Well, ok, watch this video here and try not to laugh. Then there is this one. But this one might be my favorite.

Are You Happy?

As I was getting the boys ready to take a bath tonight, Wip looked up at me and said "are you happy mommy?". With a big smile on my face, I looked back at him and said "yes!".

I am happy because:

   Duncan actually took a nap. Would you just die to have those lips?

   We won our soccer game 7-0!

 

I enjoyed a couple of these babies when I got home:).

Wip told me about patterns "See the American flag? The red and white stripes are a pattern.".

Someone told me that my sons were "adorable" (even though they had been playing on a playground for three hours and were filthy:).

Someone told me that my son was intelligent.

Even more important to me than all of the above was witnessing pure kindness from Wip when he was talking about a heart. "Mommy, a heart means love, and when I tell you, and Daddy, and Duncan that I love you, that is what a heart stands for".

So, yes Wip, I could not be happier.

Simplicity

The start of the school year is a time to get back into a routine. Getting back into a routine makes me think of resolving to change or simplify the way I do things. In hopes of creating some accountability to myself, I am going to start writing about how I am resolving to simplify my life. Topics will include everything from getting ready in the mornings to keeping the house organized. Stay Tuned!!!

It Started With Fruit Loops

When I was a little girl we never had "sugar" cereals in the house. This made eating Apple Jacks or Fruit Loops extra special when I would spend the night with a friend or if we were out of town.

Today, we started our morning off with some Fruit Loops. The boys never really eat cereal, so the concept of spooning your milk with your food took some work.

If it is Saturday and you have Fruit Loops for breakfast, cartoons are mandatory, right?

After breakfast we had a little craft time and made some Ollieblocks. This was a HUGE hit and something the boys played with all afternoon.

Wip was super impressed with the picture he took of his new shoe

The afternoon was spent at a puppet show and ice cream afterwards. The puppet show was put on by Squallis Puppeteers and it was about a dinosaur with a temper. The message was great (when you get upset with a situation you should take a deep breath, shake it off, or try and talk about your feelings).

Mama needed a Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino this afternoon

We were invited over to our friend Miles's house for some burgers and of course could not pass up the opportunity to hang with our bud!  The boys literally ran and played and sang for two strait hours (making bedtime really easy).

It was a busy, fun day, but the best part was coming home to Daddy (who had been out of town at the All A Golf Tournament)!  The boys love their daddy.

Plated

My friend sent me a link to Plated. Fresh meals, easy to prepare, delivered to your door.

I was a little skeptical because you were able to sign up for 4 "free" meals. I went ahead and put in my credit card information for the subscription because it says you can cancel anytime and I figured if I did not like or get around to preparing the meals, I would just cancel.

Well, the box arrived, and of course...I LOVED it (and Patrick did too)!

Our schedule this week looked like this:

Busy, crazy, busy, crazy, busy. Plated was just what I needed. When I opened the box this is what I found:

 The final dinner looked like this:

I am not kidding when I say the flavors were amazing. My only complaint (if that is what you would call it) is that I had to use a few dishes to prepare (very easy prep) which just means more to clean up. The meal did not take long to prepare...I did not even finish my "put the boys to bed and have a cocktail, cocktail" before I finished!

If you are looking for some fresh new ideas for dinner, if you just want the right amount of ginger so that you don't have to throw away that entire tree looking branch, if you enjoy when someone gives you step by step directions and perfect portions to make a meal, then I highly encourage you to try Plated!

Bluegrass & Bourbon Festival

I remember when I was a little girl my grandparents had a mobile home that they used for travel. They would take me to Bluegrass Festivals in this mobile home, and some of my fondest memories come from sitting with my grandparents, listening to music, and of course having all of the ice cream and treats a girl could ever want!

We went to the Bluegrass and Bourbon Festival held at the Water Tower this past weekend. While it was short lived (thanks to the monstorus storm that came through less than an hour after we arrived) it made me think of my grandparents and how much I miss them being here with me. I know that they were smiling down as Wip was tapping his toe and Duncan was chowing down on a cob of corn. Good time and fond memories.