You may have noticed the new addition on the left hand side of this blog - the "People who don't know they're my friend" category. I've only added my best friend who doesn't know who I am but there are more from where she came from. Before you pass judgement, check Heather B. out. I mean, you can't tell me you don't want her to move in next door, join your book club and go Targeting together. Ahhh, the fun she and I have had in the short week she hasn't known me.
My other addiction is a little less creepy. I love jumping from my Peeps' blogs to their friend's blogs. Some of them I know (honestly!) and others I don't but I'm so intrigued by the lives that many of you are leading. Some are exciting, some are heartbreaking, some are so outrageously different from my own I can't help but live vicariously through you. But the common thread woven throughout them all is how inspiring each one is. I love that.
Anywho, since it looks like all of you have better things to do than update your blog on Saturday night, I'll feed my wine addiction instead and put myself to bed. xo
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Hawaiian Punch Pizza
My readers, (ok, reader) wants to know the greatness that is Hawaiian Punch Pizza. I'm happy to share the joy:
Go light on the red pizza sauce
Top with a generous helping of mozzarella
Layer on Canadian bacon, pineapple, mandarin oranges, ricotta cheese (dollops of ricotta - not spread out over the whole pie) and parmesan.
Matt calls it disgusting. I call it a little gift from God.
Go light on the red pizza sauce
Top with a generous helping of mozzarella
Layer on Canadian bacon, pineapple, mandarin oranges, ricotta cheese (dollops of ricotta - not spread out over the whole pie) and parmesan.
Matt calls it disgusting. I call it a little gift from God.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
I love games!!!
The game: Scattergories
The rules: Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the following. Theay have to to be real places, names, things - nothing made up. You cannot use your own name for the boy/girl names.
1. What is your name? Marlee
2. A four letter word: Mayo - did you know they make it with olive oil now? Can't decide if I'm grossed out or excited about this.
3. A vehicle: Miata
4. A city: Milan
5. A boy's name: Matt - duh
6. A girl's name: Michelle, what my parent's were going to name me
7. Alcoholic drink: Since Monica listed them all we're going to have to go with margarita here
8. An occupation: Maid - I NEED one
9. Something you wear: Makeup
10. A celebrity: Mr. Rogers
11. A food: Mandarin oranges, like the ones I had on my Hawaian Punch pizza last week - delish!
12. Somthing found in a bathroom: Mirror
13. Reason for being late: My wardrobe - or lack thereof
14. Something you shout: Me toe! As in "I just stubbed me toe!"
15. An animal: Muskrat...oh, Matt just corrected me. It's Meercat.
16. A body part: Mouth
17. Word to describe yourself: Madly....in love. I can hear the collective ahhhh.
Next: Diana, Dana
The rules: Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the following. Theay have to to be real places, names, things - nothing made up. You cannot use your own name for the boy/girl names.
1. What is your name? Marlee
2. A four letter word: Mayo - did you know they make it with olive oil now? Can't decide if I'm grossed out or excited about this.
3. A vehicle: Miata
4. A city: Milan
5. A boy's name: Matt - duh
6. A girl's name: Michelle, what my parent's were going to name me
7. Alcoholic drink: Since Monica listed them all we're going to have to go with margarita here
8. An occupation: Maid - I NEED one
9. Something you wear: Makeup
10. A celebrity: Mr. Rogers
11. A food: Mandarin oranges, like the ones I had on my Hawaian Punch pizza last week - delish!
12. Somthing found in a bathroom: Mirror
13. Reason for being late: My wardrobe - or lack thereof
14. Something you shout: Me toe! As in "I just stubbed me toe!"
15. An animal: Muskrat...oh, Matt just corrected me. It's Meercat.
16. A body part: Mouth
17. Word to describe yourself: Madly....in love. I can hear the collective ahhhh.
Next: Diana, Dana
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Help...or something like that
So, I am really, really thankful for all that my parents have done/do for me. I feel very blessed with the upbringing I had: got to take dance lessons, they bought me instruments, I got a 10-speed when my best friend got a 10-speed, piano lessons (which I didn't really like but my parent's sacrificed in order to give them to me). Always had more than enough food in my belly, love a plenty, family vacations, homemade chocolate chip cookies, lived in a typical middle America suburb...you get the point. Now at the time I thought I never had enough - I didn't have the coolest clothes, I didn't get a car given to me on my 16th birthday, we drove on family vacations, never flew, we rarely had babysitters which I always wanted, Birthdays and Christmas were never as over the top as some of my friend's experiences. But the older I get the more thankful I become for how I was raised. And the more I realize how much my parent's sacrificed in order to give us 3 kids what they did - which is a lot.
Which brings me to the discussion some girlfriends and I had over the weekend regarding "Mommy Peer Pressure." We thought we had outgrown the peer pressure phenomenon but apparently it never goes away and I suppose some people can never stop giving into it. People are throwing these outrageous birthday parties for their toddlers (hello MTV - here is your next star of "Sweet Sixteen"). Anything from the coolest baby gear to what private school they go to. Where are our values people? And how come you care more about what that mom thinks of you than what is best for your child? And what kind of expectations are we setting for our children? Suffice it to say it just sends me to a bad place.
But I totally digress. This is where I meant to go when I started typing...
My parents make it East at least once, sometimes twice a year. I always like to think of projects for them to do while they're here (1) because I always seem to have more projects than time to do them, (2) because Matt hates projects and (3) if they're engaged in a project, chances are they are not looking over Matt's shoulder watching him work. Seriously, I've seen Dad do it and for the sake of my marriage it shouldn't happen again.
I'm always very thankful for the help...well, I'm always very thankful for their good intentions. Project summary follows:
Rake leaves: Friday - Leaves raked into huge piles all over yard. Saturday - M&D leave to go home, skies open up for a week straight. Following week: Matt gets half dry/half soaking leaves bagged. Result - Big dead circles of grass all over yard.
Hang faux wood blinds: Monday - blindes are hung. Tuesday - M&D leave. A year later - 4 inches of excess blind slats are still on blinds.
Paint wall where player piano used to be:
Me: "Dad, I think this is the right paint but I'm not sure."
Dad: "Ok"
Mom and I leave for the mall, grocery store, etc. Arrive back a few hours later.
Result: Big blue square, and multiple "touch-ups" on non-blue walls.
Me: "Uh Dad, it wasn't the right paint color was it?"
Dad: "Nope."
Me: "Um, so I guess you needed to paint the whole square just to be sure it wasn't the right paint color?"
Dad: "Well, you said use this paint and I just figured it would dry to the right color."
Me: Laughing...beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep "Hey, Hera. I need you to come paint a room for me. Next week? Yeah, that's great. You'll know which room it is when you walk in the door."
My parents. I LOVE them.
Which brings me to the discussion some girlfriends and I had over the weekend regarding "Mommy Peer Pressure." We thought we had outgrown the peer pressure phenomenon but apparently it never goes away and I suppose some people can never stop giving into it. People are throwing these outrageous birthday parties for their toddlers (hello MTV - here is your next star of "Sweet Sixteen"). Anything from the coolest baby gear to what private school they go to. Where are our values people? And how come you care more about what that mom thinks of you than what is best for your child? And what kind of expectations are we setting for our children? Suffice it to say it just sends me to a bad place.
But I totally digress. This is where I meant to go when I started typing...
My parents make it East at least once, sometimes twice a year. I always like to think of projects for them to do while they're here (1) because I always seem to have more projects than time to do them, (2) because Matt hates projects and (3) if they're engaged in a project, chances are they are not looking over Matt's shoulder watching him work. Seriously, I've seen Dad do it and for the sake of my marriage it shouldn't happen again.
I'm always very thankful for the help...well, I'm always very thankful for their good intentions. Project summary follows:
Rake leaves: Friday - Leaves raked into huge piles all over yard. Saturday - M&D leave to go home, skies open up for a week straight. Following week: Matt gets half dry/half soaking leaves bagged. Result - Big dead circles of grass all over yard.
Hang faux wood blinds: Monday - blindes are hung. Tuesday - M&D leave. A year later - 4 inches of excess blind slats are still on blinds.
Paint wall where player piano used to be:
Me: "Dad, I think this is the right paint but I'm not sure."
Dad: "Ok"
Mom and I leave for the mall, grocery store, etc. Arrive back a few hours later.
Result: Big blue square, and multiple "touch-ups" on non-blue walls.
Me: "Uh Dad, it wasn't the right paint color was it?"
Dad: "Nope."
Me: "Um, so I guess you needed to paint the whole square just to be sure it wasn't the right paint color?"
Dad: "Well, you said use this paint and I just figured it would dry to the right color."
Me: Laughing...beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep "Hey, Hera. I need you to come paint a room for me. Next week? Yeah, that's great. You'll know which room it is when you walk in the door."
My parents. I LOVE them.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Catch Up II
At this rate, every entry is going to be labeled "Catch Up". Anyway, here we go...
At the end of June, my parents started their 4 week East Coast Tour. They were totally road tripping which I think is great. They were here, VA, the Jersey Shore with old friends, camping with my sister and the girls and the beach with Matt, Brantley and I. I want to go on a road trip.
The last weekend they were here was for Brantley's baptism. Trudi, Doug and the girls came in as well as Godmother Erin and Godfather JC. Brantley did fantastic during the service. It was right during her normal nap time so I was expecting the worse but we didn't hear a peep out of her and she ended the service nestled up on Erin's lap asleep - so cute. She really prefers to fall asleep in bed on her own which is wonderful but sometimes I wish she would snuggle a little more. So Erin got a rare moment which was really sweet. Everyone came back to the house afterwards for BBQ and hamburgers. Jackie came to both the service and lunch - she was proud of her girl.
Our week at the beach went by way too quickly. Matt got us settled into the condo but had to come back home to work. So it was just me and my babe for a few days which I loved. I had no idea she tends to squeal and talk ALL day. We took walks, we made it down to the beach by ourselves, toting umbrella and baby supplies and all. Getting down to the beach, blanket laid out, umbrella staked, lotion on, toys available - not a problem. How to pack it all up on this pretty breezy day without dumping baby in the sand or dumping sand in the baby - problem. Luckily, a really nice family was close by who aided in the endeavor. So nice.
Our parenting skills at their finest...Mom and Dad came in on Wednesday, Matt returned on Thursday, M&D left on Saturday and we left on a rainy Sunday. It is much easier to leave the beach on a rainy day.
Took bug on her first run. If I were hip I would put an "OMG" right here. Does running 3 miles pushing a jogging stroller equal about 10 miles? I think so. She did great - didn't even break a sweat in her workout outfit.
Last week, was Brantley's 6 month check up and shots. She must have known it was coming b/c she woke up screaming (which she never does) at 4:00 the night before. She finally went back down at 6:00, just in time for me to get in the shower and start the day. The mean people at the doctor's office stabbed her little sweet legs 3 times with 10 inch needles. Why do they have to do that to a little girl? I know it's better than the alternative but the poor thing. It got her all of sorts and the rough jagged tooth tearing through her delicate, soft, pink gums was not helping the situation. But, we have rounded the corner and ended the week on a much better note. She is back to her normal squealy self. Praise God.
I have a huge case of the Monday dreads. Huge.
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