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6.30.2012

Heat wave!!


(via Pinterest and emailed to me yesterday from the bestie!)

We originally planned to spend the weekend in St. Simons at the King and Prince.  We were leaving Friday early and returning late Sunday.  I was over the moon.

Then the swim team party and the middle ones writing presentation Friday night changed those plans.

I was bummed!!!

So we decided to spend the night at Serenbe.  Take the kids, ride horses, pick blueberries, hang out by the pool and chill on the farm.  I could see it.  There were birds chirping and we were having an amazing time!  Great suggestion Lawyer!!!  

I called and they were completely booked.  Booked booked! Couldn't even get a pile of straw in the stable booked!!

I was even more bummed!

And then I looked at the weather prediction and counted my lucky stars.


(my car last night at 5:30 pm on the way to the movies with girl friends)

We would have been puddles of melted peeps on the beach and even hotter on the farm!!!

I am sitting in my air conditioned house at the moment incredibly thankful I did not spend buckets of money this weekend to sweat to death!!!

xo,
MPM

6.27.2012

The most amazing kid!!

I say it all the time.  I have the most amazing children.  I have to slap myself sometimes and think ... did I really get this lucky?  I know I sound sappy and full of crap but you have to embrace the good with the bad of motherhood.  Who wants to focus on the battles, the endless driving, the low pay and bad hours with zero vacation days?  Umm ... not me!

Our middle child has special needs.  He has since he was born.  The needs are so small these days compared to his earlier years but just when I think he is "normal" I am quickly reminded by doctors and teachers that it is simply not true.

We are lucky.  He is healthy and none of his genetic "differences" affect his health.   All of his needs are educational at this point and I am extremely grateful for it.  Although watching him struggle with school and homework is hard I have to remind myself it could be some much worse!! 

To keep current on his reading fluency he is enrolled in summer school.  (He can only read on a third grade level although he is a rising fifth grader.)  From June 11 to July 26 he goes to school twice a week for four hours.  He gets on the bus at 8 am.  The rest of the kids are quietly sleeping and he is up at 7, showered, eating and gone before they even begin to stir.  He never complains.  (I can not say the same for me) He walks out the door with a smile and runs all the way to the bus at the end of our driveway.  He has the most amazing attitude about the whole thing.  Never once has he asked for his schedule this summer to be any different than it is.  Not once!


(He is in the middle lane going one direction and all the other swimmers are going the other)

He has the best attitude about his differences.  Sometimes I think he is blind to them.  While his sister is tearing up the pool at the swim meets he always comes in dead last.  He is always the last one to touch the wall sometimes even after the other swimmers have finished and moved on.  He has yet to notice.  He loves that everyone is cheering for him.  He loves that he has a variety of colors for ribbons and while she has just a few.  Last week he asked to swim a 100m event at this weeks meet.  Lawyer is catching a 6 am flight from Vancouver tomorrow to make sure he is home in time for the meet.  I am completely freaked out and my child is cool as a cucumber.  


(He wore this hat to dinner one night.  When we arrived he looked around and said to me ... "I am glad I wore my good hat ... there are some pretty girls here!")

He is girl crazy.  So much so that Lawyer and I have put off the "talk".  As Lawyer said it ... why give him any ideas?  He can sweet talk and write love letters that make me swoon.  Some girl will be lucky to have him.  He can whistle like a champion but can only do it while sucking in air instead of blowing out.  He told me one time God gave him the ability to whistle so he could whistle at the pretty girls.  God grant me the patience to handle all these girls he plans on courting!!


These are his new glasses.  He instructed me that we needed these even though they were "pricey" because they look the best on him.  He's right .. they do!  When we picked them up he told me the man would remember him.  When I asked why his response was "I am the kid who picked out the cool glasses.  How could he forget me?"


Yesterday when I picked him up from school I had the jeep with the top down.  It was a gorgeous morning. We blared the music and enjoyed every last mile of the long ride home!  At one traffic light I started dancing in my seat.  He looked at me, laughed and begged me to stop telling me I could get arrested.  Then he started dancing and I looked at him and inquired as to why I had to stop dancing but he was free to dance all he wanted.  He turned, laughed and said ... "Because I look good doing it."  Clearly we don't struggle with self esteem issues.

 There is a lot to be learned by raising a special child.  Most of the lessons I have learned he has taught me.  Why should things bother me that clearly don't bother him?  Why should I want to beat some stupid woman with her rude and ignorant comments to a pulp when he is oblivious to her?  Why should the short bus that comes to get him upset me when he thinks its the coolest way to get to "tutoring"?  Why do I waste my time worrying about tomorrow when he is enjoying today to the fullest?

WPM ... you are one amazing child.  You are hilarious, a friend to all, a lover of living life to the fullest and most  of all the bravest person I know.  

I am blessed to be your mama!!

xo,
MPM

6.26.2012

White plate upgrade

When Lawyer and I got married almost 17 years ago our everyday dishes were White Brasserie from Williams-Sonoma.  I have loved having white dishes over the years.  It is so easy to style a table with white.  I have way too many a number of colored chargers and hoards a box of colored napkins to make a colorful table for pretty much any occasion.  But the truth be told our brasserie dishes were looking kind of worn out.      We started with a serving for 12 and I think we are down to 7.  It was time for an upgrade!  

Enter the new white dishes in the house from the Privet collection at Target ... 







I love the detail and especially the weight of the pieces.  They look and feel so expensive for the price.  And lucky me ... I found them on clearance.  

And with the money I saved I can hunt down some great napkins and chargers.  

Can you ever have too many??

xo,
MPM

6.25.2012

Hunting at Goodwill!

I love hunting for goodies at Good Will.  It all started when I was hunting for dress up clothes for MHM's last birthday party.  We needed to upgrade from the princess clothes and store bought dress up to a trunk full of shoes, hats, jewelry and fun clothes she and her friends could play in for hours.  I hunted the web for ideas and came across a great party idea where the mom had set up a red carpet for the kids to walk once they were dressed.  I loved it!!  She had hunted for fun dresses and tops the girls could change into from Good Will and thrift stores and I thought the idea was brilliant.  So off to Good Will I headed!!

After gathering some great shoes, accessories, hats and bags at the first location I spotted what appeared to be a Louis Vuitton in the fancy counter section.  Surely not .. right?


Oh yes it was.  Cross body Louis Vuitton complete with six digit code missing its shoulder strap for a mere $22.  I bought a brand new shoulder strap on Ebay for about $150.  Score!!!  I have since purchased a second mini Louis!!  The second one I found for $40.  

Later that day I also scored the Thomas Pink button down in the photo for $4.  I spent many a weekend in that shirt with leggings last winter.  So comfy!!!

And with that I was hooked.  I had found many goodies since then.  Some visits are a complete bust and others are major scores.  But nothing ventured nothing gained.  Recently MHM was with me and picked out a handful of paperback books for less than a dollar a piece.  She was so excited to be able to purchase six books and I was thrilled at the price.  Also on that visit she located a cheerleader jersey from the high school HSM attends that she loves to sleep in ... she has been begging me to take her shopping at that fun store ever since!


Inspired by Eddie Ross's thrifting for table settings I set out one day to find a couple of things for our Easter table.  I came home with the vintage full size sheet and blue and white china in the photo above.  I washed the sheet then sent it to the dry cleaners for heavy starch.  It was the perfect spring table cloth.  


The blue and white china was a serving for 8 cups, saucers and all for $25.  I mixed the blue and white china with green majolica plates I owned and white and green flowers for a fun, inexpensive table setting.  I was quite proud of myself!!

China and glassware are easy finds.  I have to keep myself from grabbing up all the great glasses I see.  Where oh where would I store them??


This cut glass compote is huge and I only paid $4 for it.  It was quite dusty when I purchased it.  I washed it and now it sits it the center of the dining room table.


This is a set of 8 vintage glasses. They are heavy and perfect for parties!!  I paid $4 for the set.


One of my favorite finds ... Cut glass carafe with a silver top.  $3.  I almost freaked when I found it!!!


The silver plate platter was also a Good Will score.  I can't remember what I paid for it ... it was super cheap and very dirty.  I wasn't sure what it would look like when it was polished and was pleasantly surprised when it came almost perfectly clean!



I grabbed up this blue and white vase for about $3 and immediately filled it with pink gerber daisies.  I love how it turned out!!



My last visit I scored the above happies.  I used the white basket for my friend Beth who just moved to New Jersey.  The girls and I filled a bag and basket with goodies and snacks for their drive.  The basket was huge and held a lot!!

The old blue and white pieces were a huge find for me and they along with the lamp in the next photo are now in one of my favorite vignettes in the house.  I am waiting to add curtains to the den before deciding whether to paint the lamp or leave it brown.  I love the design and all I did when I got home was add a shade and finial.  I scored the lamp for $7.  $7!!!  And it is one of my favorite lamps in the house!!!

I think my total that day was about $30.  Doesn't get any better than that to be able to add so many great pieces to the house!!!



Speaking of lamps I also found this cute pink one on a Good Will day.  I think I paid $4.  I had the shade and the finial is from another lamp that cracked.  I have a finial and shade stash!!


I love this lamp in the new blue office!  This photo doesn't do it justice!

This post is making me want to go thrifting today!!!

I will let you know what I find!!

xo,
MPM

6.22.2012

Determination

Our youngest MHM is 7 years old.  She just completed first grade.  She loves to swim, but even more than swimming she loves to win.

She got up yesterday morning at 8:30 and swim for 45 minutes doing laps and drills at swim team practice.

She then convinced me to take her back at 10:00 am for another 45 minutes of laps and drills.

She then attended a clinic at noon for thirty minutes on the breast stroke.

She attended another clinic at 1:00 for thirty more minutes on starts, dives and streamlining.

She came home, ate lunch and slept for an hour.

We went back to the pool at 5:00 pm for a swim meet.  

She swam in five events.  

We arrived home at 9:30 pm and she showered and headed for her bed.

As I tucked her in she said she was proud of her swimming.  She should be!!  She earned 3 first place ribbons and 2 second place ribbons.  The first one was for back stroke and the other team had a swimmer who beat her by less than a second.  The other one was the butterfly which she just mastered this week.

Right before I left her room she said ... "Next week I will do even better!"

I am inspired by her hard work and determination!!!

I love you baby girl ... you inspire me to work hard each and every day!!!

xo,
MPM

6.21.2012

One stop helpful hints for your home

Of course I spend hours on Pinterest, doesn't everyone??  When Lawyer comes down stairs and sees me sitting at the computer he always asks, "so, what did you find on Pinterest"?  

Last night while I was perusing pins for white subway tile I came across a new pinner to follow.  How I got there I could never tell you but got there I did.  One of her pins stopped me in my tracks.  It was a link to Real Simple for surprising tips for cleaning your house.  I mean amazing tips and all in one place.

Here is the pin you need.  Check it out ... I loved some of the tips I found.

Basically you can use baking soda to safe the world ... or at least unclog your drain and clean almost your entire house.  

Once you repin it you should head out to the market and grab some baking soda, dryer sheets, Dawn, rubbing alcohol and salt.  You can MacGyver your house with those handy items!!

I am just saying ...

xo,
MPM

6.20.2012

Kitchen update

It all started with one piece of furniture that refused to fit in MHM's room as it was intended.   
It now lives in the kitchen.


That sparked the repainting of the kitchen.  I had long despised the toffee color of the walls and truly wanted a neutral kitchen.  When I realized that the cabinets were not actually white I was forced to forgo my all white kitchen.  


The bestie and I settled on a pale yellow.  I tried the color of MHM's room since she despises it and has decided she would prefer it was blue.  I have no idea where she gets the need to constantly change things.  Ha!!!

We loved the light yellow and so last Wednesday afternoon with one 32 oz diet Mountain Dew ... here is the kitchen in its current state ...  



Please note the photo is cropped to only show the wall above the chair rail.  Therein lies the dilemma ... what to do with the bottom of the wall.

I am looking for a pale, bright kitchen.  Bestie and I agreed that the wall below the chair rail needs wainscoting of one sort or another.  I thought I had settled on board and batten but I did not want to rip off the chair rail and replace it with one that would work with the board and batten.  Since I am saving my money for the new back splash and counter tops the rest is all DIY.  Ugh!!!  Then I settled on beaded board.  I was absolutely sure this was the route I wanted to go.  Until today when I bagged both of those for this one ... 


The Pinterest photo comes complete with instructions from this cute blog!!!

Another good photo ...


(via my Pinterest board)

Do you love??   I am thrilled!  Now if I could just twinkle my nose and have it finished!

That decision finalized!!!

Now on to ... back splash, counter tops, lighting over the island and fabric for curtains.  

I will keep you posted and have more photos once I complete the wainscoting!

xo,
MPM

6.18.2012

Happy Father's Day!!

We treated our Daddy to a day of pampering just the way he likes it!!  First he slept in ... and I mean slept in!!  We were done waiting to spoil him and finally woke him at 10:30.  I mean, how long am I supposed to keep two excited kids at bay?  Of course the teenager was sound asleep until he heard the word "brunch" and then hopped up to join us!!

Our daddy is a creature of habit.  He has a few favorite places he likes to eat for each meal and doesn't like to venture outside his zone.  The only meal he will be adventurous with is dinner and usually only if its just the two of us.  For brunch he likes J Christopher's or Thumbs Up.  Thumbs Up won out!!!


I tried to order something healthy ... I really did!!  I almost ordered the egg whites over the steamed spinach but I just couldn't do it.  I ordered the heap.  It is way too much food but is completely delish!! I ate almost all of it which is why I only ate one real meal on Sunday.  I snacked at dinner and still felt full Monday morning.  

But it was delish!!!


One full and happy Daddy.  Still jet lagged from two long weeks in California as seen in his eyes!  Poor Daddy!!!


This special sounds great ... but would definitely need to be split.  And for that price it would be a steal and plenty of food for me and one child.  Lawyer refuses to split anything.  He makes me order my own.  Bums me out ... I love to split!!

While we were in Roswell we decided to make a list of all the restaurants we want to try and make it our weekly date night.  I love Roswell.  So much charm, outside eating and by far the best restaurants around!!!  This Saturday night will be our first and I can't decide which one to try first!!!  


Our weekly tradition ... each of us gets a scratch off.  We started at the beginning of June and so far have had quite a good streak.  Week 1 - two lucky tickets totaling $35, week 2 - two more lucky tickets totaling $20 and week 3 only one lucky one for $2.  It was the first week we took Lawyer and he was quite the sour puss about the whole idea.  I think he may be our unlucky charm.  Next week he stays home!!

The kids and Lawyer played Wii when we got home and I headed to urgent care.  It seems if you have a dull  cough that refuses to go away after a month you might have bronchitis.  No wonder I am exhausted all the time and when I cough I sound like I am dying of emphysema.  Five days of strong cough meds at night and one round of Zithromax and I am promised to be right as rain once again.    

We headed out for dinner and ended the evening snuggling and watching a family movie.  All in all a great day for this party of five.  The best part was being a party of five.  The travel makes me weary and we sure do miss our Daddy!!!

Happy Father's Day Lawyer!!!

We love you!
xo,
MPM

6.15.2012

On your mark, get set and SWIM!!

June for us is a huge commitment!  It is swim team season and that means daily practices plus afternoon clinics and weekly swim meets.  My kids LOOOVE swim team so I suck it up and put on a smile and go along for the ride!!!  This year I am concession chair which is a BIG job but luckily I have taken the position from two very organized friends which has made it easy peasy!!!!! Without them I would be lost in a sea of ice, sodas, hot dogs, nachos and candy for days!!!


This is our little fish.  She has the swim bug this year.  She has gone from liking swim team to pushing herself to the next level.  Watching her swim at the meets makes me so proud.  Her determination and competitive streak is something I never possessed at her age.  Clearly she will be going back to year round swimming in the fall!!!


WPM took a picture of his little sister's arm.  He was amazed that she had so many events when he only had two.  He commented to me ... "She will need a lot of sugar to make it thru this night.  I hope you brought a lot of cash!!!"  He was right ... she was one tired girl.  Actually, tired doesn't describe it.  Girl might not either ... bear might be a better description for that little one.  Luckily she took a nap before we left.  She swam like a fish all night and then crashed in the car on the way home!!

Why yes that is my Cynthia Rowley for Target chair.  I have two of them.  They are looking a little worn out but I will be using them until they collapse into a pile of thread.  My kids can spot me in a minute in those pink and green chairs!


I love these babies!!!  Too bad the teenager wasn't around for the evening.  I could have knocked off swim meet and Christmas card photo in one evening!!


The sunset over the high dive.  What a gorgeous evening!!!  Speaking of high dive ... I remember having to pass a test to be able to jump off the high dive.  I also remember it being a WHOLE lot bigger!!!


The big OH YEAH face when she realized she was the first swimmer to the wall!  


Yes!!! That is our middle child swimming.  Please notice he is swimming one direction and all the other boys are swimming the other direction.  He isn't the fastest swimmer but he is the most determined one of the bunch.  And he thinks he is a rock star ... which clearly HE IS!!! 

I realized last night I have had children in swim team for ten years.  I remember when HSM started at the age of 4 and WPM was only a baby in a bucket seat.  My neighbor (who I depended on for all my parenting advice) talked me into signing him up.  I kept insisting he would never make it down the lane.  She looked at me and said "Yes he will!!" and he will receive six weeks of swim lessons for the bargain price of the sign up fee.  She was absolutely right.  Swim team is the best thing for my kids.  It has taught them self confidence, determination, team spirit and friendship.  Their is nothing cuter than watching them cheer on their friends and  reward them when they reach the wall.  

And where else can you eat from the snack bar like its Christmas!!!  
xo,
MPM

6.13.2012

A sunny yellow kitchen!

This afternoon started with a 32 oz Diet Mountain Dew ...


and ended with this photo ...


The kitchen is now Pineapple yellow!!!  And I loooove it!  It is the perfect shade for the bright happy kitchen I have been wanting!

More photos to come ... I am also changing the color of an island, a chandelier, adding two schoolhouse lights and some great molding!!!  

Hope Lawyer doesn't think he is lost when he arrives home tonight!!  

That is what happens when you are gone for 15 days!!!

xo,
MPM

6.11.2012

A naturale blond!

WPM started tutoring this morning.  He will go four days a week for an hour.  Our hope and the goal is to be able to read more fluently and be able to read large chunks of text without anxiety.  I am hoping that four days a week for six weeks comes darn near close to that goal.  It's a huge time comittment for both of us and a huge interruption into my summer laziness!!  Fifth grade = a butt load of reading!!!

This morning while we are having breakfast WPM starts talking about his tutor.  He is asking a lot of questions and I am thrilled he is talking.  He is quite a talker but not usually about things that make him nervous.  Teachers in general make him nervous, but if he likes her and feels comfortable with her he will move the earth to work for her!!!

He boldly states this morning that he is sure to like his tutor.  "She is a blond and you know I really loooove a blond.  And hers is natural."

Natural?

"Yes, unlike you hers is natural blond.  Since you pay Hair Girl to make your hair that way you are a naturale. It's just like the yogurt container that says its all naturale.  And then you taste it and its gross!!"

At least he likes the tutor.

Maybe he can live with her!!

xo,
MPM

6.08.2012

Summer days ... loads of fun!!!

SUMMER IS THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!!!


MHM and three friends eating frozen yogurt ... I do love a yogurt run!!

HSM was taking Driver's Ed classes and WPM said there was absolutely no way he would be seen in public with THAT many girls!

Sheesh ... 


This is the coffee delivery I received this am!  Swim team remnants on her arm ... already dressed in a bathing suit at 9 am.  God bless that child.  She knows not to ask for too much before I have my coffee!

Smart girl ... 


A four leaf clover I found over at the Bestie's house.  I forgot and left it in my hot car and it died ... lucky me I took a photo!! 


Dinner at Waffle House ... how else do you say summer than eating at a counter!!  

Unless you want to freeze your fanny off do not sit at the counter.  Apparently the coldest seats in the house. 


Sent this photo to Lawyer when he told me his summer schedule.  If I am to be alone all summer again me thinks I need another anniversary band!!  I sent him this photo and he sent me a photo back of his hand.  Ummm ... although I did think it was super funny I wasn't kidding!


Then I sent him this photo and sad I could always hire a manny.  

He said he would prefer to buy the ring.

Smart man ... 
 

Adorable vintage hutch I bought for MHM's room.  Bought it, had it delivered and after two hours of trying to fit it in her room decided it was going into the kitchen.  The ceiling in her room may be 8 feet but the door frame is only 6 1/12 feet tall.  Silly me ... 


And here is its new home.  Of course I have now changed all the plates and picked out a new kitchen paint color.  

Holy crap ... how does this all start??


Dresser number 2.  Fits just fine.

Didn't have this one delivered.  It is one HEAVY piece!


Ikea book case to handle all the book and riff raff.  It took me and two kids to load it into the car and me and two kids to put it together.  This is a boy's work!


Bestie sent me this.  

No comment needed!

Trying to take a photo a day ... sometimes more.  
I do love the summer!!!

xo,
MPM
 

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