Burning Down the House

Disco and I went to the Dave Matthews concert last night. In my opinion it was AWESOME! True music buffs and Dave Matthews fans will have something to complain about - too loud to really hear the music, not enough of the old school well-known songs, etc. But the weather was perfect for an outdoor concert, we spent a fun night out with old friends for and early dinner beforehand, Disco and I got to reminisce about when we met and our college years, and little man went to sleep at bedtime without mommy around for the first time.

The first concert Disco and I ever attended together was Dave Matthews when he played at Memphis in May way back in 1996. Oh how our ears have changed . . . our "seats" in the lawn back then were well worth it. And I have to say I did enjoy the energy and excitement near the stage when Dave started playing last night. But after about five songs and straining my neck to see over the outstretched arms holding digital cameras it was time to admit WE ARE OLD and standing behind the crowd of enthusiastic fans was more our style. Our ears also thanked us for the well-timed move.

Of course the few old school song performances were among our favorites of the night. But by far, my personal favorite was "Burning Down the House" - they started performing this on stage in 2008 but I was glad I didn't know that beforehand. I loved being completely surprised!


At the end of the evening, Disco and I slowly made our way out of the stadium as Dave finished his last song and then we watched the encore from the Broadway bridge. It was pretty cool spot to stand and watch the final songs of the evening . . . also a great way to beat the traffic!

(photos from my camera phone and I loved the way the light show created random color effects in these shots)

I'm trying . . .

This is what happens when I try to exercise lately . . . two little rascals want to join me!

Every time I squeeze in 20 minutes for myself these two escape from Disco and interrupt my attempts at an exercise routine. I have a lot of respect for several of my friends who make a real effort to exercise. Several of them with kids in tow. I really don't know how you do it! Somehow I will strike a balance between family, work, school, and ME. Well, maybe it will have to wait until November because October is about to suck the life out of me at work. And then there are all those holidays coming up. So maybe in January . . . sound familiar???

15 Month Milestone

For over a week, when we drop little man off at daycare he DOESN'T CRY. It is so amazing since his crying phase in the mornings has lasted since he turned 9 months old. I don't know how long this new phase will last - but it has really eased my mommy guilt this week!

A Three Year Old Milestone

Big sis and I sang a song all the way to school last Wednesday, September 16th - in the song we spelled her name three times. A friend from church suggested this technique for teaching spelling. We had tried it several times before now but it never seemed to stick.

So when big sis started singing/spelling on her own during the drive I thought "maybe". Then when big sis spelled it for one of her favorite office staff members at school I thought "ok". And then when big sis spelled it for her teacher once we made it to her classroom I thought "yes!"

The next day we received our weekly letter from big sis' teacher updating everyone's progress for the week and things to work on to prep for the next learning project. And our little girl was highlighted for her new trick - spelling her first name! I was so excited that she was recognized but more so because she spelled her name two days in a row! And she hasn't stopped spelling it since . . .

It will be a while before she really gets her letter recognition down - she can identify S, T, and O reliably but that is about it. And writing letters and numbers isn't really taking off yet either. So far S, T, and O are the only letters she can write as well. But it is music to my ears to hear big sis proudly sing her name to us!

woo pig sooie!

Saturday night antics with the hog fans in casa de B-M. Woo pig sooie!

Posing with Malcolm Sheppard

Go Hogs!

Happy little hog fan!

One of many odd faces big sis likes to make for pictures these days . . . It reminds me of some teenage attitude!

Sweet Hog Fan!

Random Bits of Happiness

The fact that big sis thanks god for her "daily fred" during her dinner prayers.



Little man's contagious laugh when he discovers something new that is hilarious.


Big sis' tenacity when it comes to making everyone in the room hop up and shake their booty. And the laughter she creates during the process!

Little man's fascination with being outdoors, animals, and new words to describe each of those.




Big sis' impressive memory about things I would have never thought she would remember.

The huge smile, giggle, and full-on run when little man sees mommy after an entire day at daycare or after 5 minutes when she was in another room.




Little man's ability to blow bubbles and plastic whistles. As well as his killer drummer beat. Big sis' whistle she can do with her mouth alone and her fascination with "spinklers" at any location.

Meals out on the back deck which keep everyone entertained long enough for both mommy and daddy to eat at the same time.

Many times I sit back during random moments - whether quiet or chaotic - and think "I am really happy." I can't think of any other time in my life where I have had that thought so often.

The newest ballerina

Big sis was so excited about her first dance lesson on Tuesday! And she was so brave and took the teacher's hand and never looked back. After her hesitation at swim lessons this summer I didn't know what to expect. But today she was ready and happy and we are so proud of our little ballerina!

Diamonds on the Soles of our Shoes

We went digging for diamonds this past weekend. It was a fun experience - the kiddos sat in the dirt and mud and played for over an hour. Disco was all about his "technique". My parents went as well and between all of the adults we corralled the two little mud monsters. I just wandered around hoping to see a big shiny diamond sitting on top of the ground. Didn't happen. Although Disco brought home some "leftover" dirt and scraped the soles of our shoes in case we missed something . . .

There was a fabulous pool right outside the park for the kiddos just waiting for us when we were done digging. They played for another hour before begging for snacks and dropping like flies to nap on the way home. Easy fun for the little ones!

Aunt K

You have to love an aunt who will do this AND let me take pictures of it. Both kiddos love their Aunt K who is lovingly called "Aunt Taffy". We like Fancy Nancy around here but I think both of these gals would give her a run for her money . . .

Best (and last) Day of Summer

Today was beautiful! It started out with a "froggy" morning which we got to enjoy for quite a while in our little valley. After a big breakfast we headed off for one last adventure at our local water park. We all had a blast! Little man loved the little slide in the kiddie pool and the sidewinder slide that requires a parent and a tube - big smiles for both. Big sis and her pal ran all over the place. She even got further into the wave pool than she had all summer. I imagine next year we might have to start the process of getting used to the water all over again - but I hope she surprises and jumps in enthusiastically with both feet.

All the stars aligned after lunch and I GOT TO TAKE A NAP with the kiddos. Let me repeat, I GOT TO TAKE A NAP! It was actually two days in a row for me but yesterday doesn't count because I was up the night before with a coughing kiddo for most of the night. Today was just because everything fell into place at the right time and I got to snuggle between the cutest kiddos in the world and SLEEP. It was bliss!

Tonight we ended summer with a family cookout and enjoyed dinner on the back porch. After dinner both kiddos just ran around the porch playing with items that needed a real home. It always amazes me what "toys" they find.

It was a perfect end to a great summer - my favorite one yet! Can't wait to see what the next year brings . . .

Boy Crazy

Big sis LOVED chasing this guy around the table at dinner tonight. He is the spitting image of his daddy - one of Disco's dorm pals and my orientation leader from college. This little man in training was playing it "cool" and didn't give her the time of day at first (mostly because he was hungry and wanted his pizza). After they ate, he was chasing her right back! Do you start having crushes at 3???

Lovin' the Weather

We love spending our evenings in the front yard these days. The unseasonably BEAUTIFUL August weather continues so that the temperature is bearable and the mosquitoes are fewer in number. Bubbles, bikes, wagons, sticks, grass, leaves, rocks, balls, dirt and smiles. All of these and more consume our after dinner activities. Hooray for August in the south (never thought I would say that)!