Year: 2006

  • Fall has arrived


    The weather has finally cooled off and it’s starting to feel like fall. Can y’all tell we’re excited around here?

    We got home from our big weekend just a little while ago. We had a great time and I have so much to tell, but I need to get us settled in and maybe do some things like unpack and do some laundry.

  • Ready for the party

    I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that when I pick Caroline up from school she isn’t in quite the same condition as when I drop her off in the morning. Inevitably, the pigtails with bows are gone and her hair is wild, clothes are usually stained by something of unknown substance and/or origin, and today she had her shoes on the wrong feet with one sock on and one sock off.

    I’m sending my girl to school for the learning, but apparently she’s there to party.

    That apple did not fall far from the tree.

    Last year she went to an Episcopal school and it would appear that the Episcopalians may take their preschooling a little more seriously than the Methodists. Those Episcopals would have moved heaven and earth to make sure that no candy passed through the lips of my child during school hours, while the Methodists are bribing the class with gummy worms to get them to be quiet during naptime. I guess it’s just a good thing we didn’t choose a non-denominational preschool…who knows what kind of chaos would ensue?

    In other news, Gulley told me today that her Mama had gone shopping with Nena. They were in the dressing room when Nena came out in a dress and exclaimed, “Well just look at me, I’m a vision in beige”.

    Last, but not least, the little one and I are headed out for a road trip with Mimi and Bops this weekend. We’re going to Beaumont to see my Nanny and also see Bop’s side of the family. This will be Caroline’s first trip to Beaumont and I am so excited that she’ll get to see the people that are such a part of who I am.

    Now that I’m almost there, I’m so homesick for my Nanny’s house that I can close my eyes and smell the way it always smells. I spent as much time at her house growing up as I did my own and I can’t wait to walk through the front door.

    We’ll also spend time with Bop’s family. Caroline has no idea what she’s in for, but she will be hugged and kissed until she can’t see straight. One of my earliest memories is being at my great Aunt Mamie’s house and having to make the rounds and kiss 48 powdered, wrinkled cheeks before we could leave. I can’t wait for Caroline to have that same experience. She thinks those Methodists know how to party, but she hasn’t seen anything yet.

    I’ll be back on Monday with some stories, I guarantee it.

    Have a great weekend!

  • Project VCR

    Did you ever have someone that you thought was your friend, that you thought would stand by you no matter what and then they let you down? You had to come to the sad realization that they weren’t perfect after all.

    This happened to me last night with my good friend DVR.

    I had spent the entire week looking forward to the Project Runway season finale (I never said that my life is filled with excitement). As the clock ticked down to 9:00 last night, I grabbed my bag of Sour Patch Kids and exiled myself to the bedroom so that I could watch in perfect peace since I have a husband who likes to heckle the T.V. shows I prefer.

    Just as Tim Gunn appeared onscreen tonight, Caroline started to cry. I was recording Project Runway so I hit pause to go take care of my child because in spite of what y’all might think, I do have my priorities in the proper order (most of the time). I gave Caroline some Benadryl (she really does have a cold, don’t judge me) and returned to PR and my candy kids.

    I watched the drama unfold. Did Jeffrey cheat or not? Will he attack Laura? Who will handle the stress of Olympus Fashion Week? And then, the runway shows actually begin…and then, my DVR flashes a message onscreen to let me know that due to signal problems part of my program did not record.

    Excuse me?

    EXCUSE ME?

    Frantic fast forwarding and rewinding ensue because surely there has been some mistake. Nope, no mistake has been made other than my complete dependence on my DVR.

    The “part” of my program that didn’t record was the most IMPORTANT PART of the entire show. How do I know who to mock and who to cheer for if I don’t see the Runway show?

    Oh cruel, cruel hand of fate.

    Since I couldn’t stand it, I went ahead and watched the rest of the show without seeing the Runway. I know that Jeffrey won and to me that just proves the point that most people working in fashion have no idea what women really want on their bodies. I’m not into wearing anything inspired by Asian cartoons and demons. Call me crazy.

    I know that Bravo will show the finale 10,872 more times before the weekend is over, but it’s just not the same. My previously faithful and loyal DVR let me down and I’m not sure when that trust will be rebuilt.

    I don’t want to make empty threats, but I may be breaking out the old VCR for backup to record Grey’s Anatomy tomorrow night. I just can’t open myself up to this kind of disappointment again.

  • Rock a bye baby girl

    The other night I was getting Caroline ready for bed. I rubbed her down with lotion and then put a diaper on her. For just a moment, I looked at her little pot belly hanging out of that diaper and smelled that sweet lavender lotion that I’ve been putting on her since she was born, and I saw my baby again.

    At some point in the last year, the baby went away and was replaced by a delightful little girl with pigtails and promise. All of a sudden her pants were all too short, none of her shoes fit anymore and her body lost most of its baby fat.

    She still cuddles with me, but usually just first thing in the morning and right before bed at night. The rest of the day is filled with too much wonder and adventure to stop to sit with Mama. There are imaginary friends to play with, stories to make up, and hide and seek games to play.

    I adore this age. When she was a baby, I wondered all the time what she wanted or what she was thinking, and now I know. She doesn’t hesitate to let me know when something displeases her or when I’m not being fair (how do they learn that phrase so early?). I love the conversations we have and nothing makes me happier than when I pick her up from school and she tells me all about her day. I am in constant wonder at how her little mind works and amazed at all the things she knows.

    But every now and then, I’ll stop and look at the baby pictures hanging in the hallway and I’d give more than a million dollars to hold that little baby again, to smell that little head and feel her nestled on my chest. So many of the times that I actually had those moments were spent wishing them away, praying that she’d just go to sleep and now I wish I could have a few of them back.

    I used to always sing her a little made up song and I’d say “just stay little, just stay little, just stay little, little, little” and while yes, she’s still little, she’s getting bigger every day.

    She always tells me that Mimi says “she’ll be sad when she can’t pick me up anymore” and I tell her so will Mama. That’s why even though she doesn’t quite fit with me in the rocking chair like she used to, I still rock her every night before bed. We read stories, say our prayers and then she lays her head on my chest with her legs scrunched up on either side and we rock. At those moments, it’s the best of both worlds when I can listen to the emerging personality and dreams of my little girl while I hold her like my baby.

  • What’s up duck?

    Since Halloween is almost upon us, I have to share a picture of Caroline dressed as a duck from 2 years ago.

    Be prepared that you might die from the cuteness.

  • That’s amore’

    Every week I tell myself that I’m not going to discuss The Bachelor, but y’all it is just too good. I wasn’t sure that tonight could possibly have anything more entertaining than last weeks’ drunken debacle but then, oh then came Erica with her explanation of how “Agnes” understands her so well because Erica speaks English with an Italian accent.

    I am not lying when I say that I almost fell off my bed from laughing so hard.

    So good news everyone, you can plan that trip to Venice and as long as you add a few vowels to the end of your words and don’t use any prepositions…the locals will totally understand you.

    Just think of all the money you’ll save from not having to sign up for those Berlitz classes!

    You can imagine my sadness when Erica was sent home, but at least she didn’t disappoint and continued to plead her sad, pampered life case through the window of the limo. I was delighted to see that she will be back next week. Y’all know that ABC wasn’t going to easily let go of that level of crazy.

    There was also a moment at the beginning of the show tonight where the “Prince” had a one on one date with Jamie. They completely recreated the entire opera date scene from Pretty Woman complete with red dress and borrowed jewels. She and the “Prince” arrived at a gorgeous Italian opera house for a private concert. Even in the comfort of my own home, the whole thing made me want to crawl under the covers, which is one of the reasons I could never be on The Bachelor (the other reasons being that I am married and have a 3 year old).

    I am not a fan of over the top romantic gestures especially not from people I barely know. I realize that some women love it and once upon a time I thought I wanted big romantic gestures, but then something happened.

    My junior year in college there was this boy who was apparently a little infatuated with me. I will say in my defense that we were friends and I didn’t completely realize that he was trying to upgrade his status from just friend to boyfriend.

    He told me one night that he had a surprise for me and drove me out to a local lake. As we walked up, I noticed he had made a little bonfire and he handed me a rose. Then, he took out his guitar and began to sing a love song that was actually a fairly popular song at the time but replaced the girl’s name in the song with my name.

    I sat there holding this rose and listening to him sing and it was like I was having an out of body experience. I had never felt more awkward and truly I just wanted to throw one of us into the fire to make the singing stop. Please. make. the. singing. stop.

    Sometimes, late at night, I can still hear the singing.

    Because how do you respond to someone singing a song that you really used to like until you heard it sung with your name in it?

    I don’t know. I don’t know now and I didn’t know then.

    I’d like to blame my reaction on my 20 year old immaturity, but deep down I know that if you put me in that situation tomorrow I would have the same reaction which is why I am married to someone whose idea of romance is to save me the last chocolate chip cookie. And that, is what true love is all about.