Wordless Wednesday - 8/31/11

My daughter is playing her first season of soccer this year!

OrganMYzation - A Blogging Calendar Printable

This week has been so busy and it's only Tuesday!  In an effort to hopefully tame one part of this busy mama's life - blogging - I'm going to take this free blogging calendar for a spin.  I found it on the Living Locurto website where there's lots of "original ideas and designs, hundreds of free printables, weekly menu plans, recipes, party ideas and DIY crafts."  Amy, the creative brain behind all this is a designer, stylist and mom of 2 from Dallas, TX.
Next week (well, this Friday) I'm starting to meal plan also.  No more random sticky notes or pages ripped from a notebook with my grocery list on one side and meal plan on the other.  Then notes, messages, etc. end up all over my plan and then suddenly it looks like trash.  I can't tell you how many times I've lost (trashed, recycled, stuffed in the bottom of my purse) my meal plan for the week and have been left wondering what the hell I'm going to make with all the groceries I bought that week.  Frustrating!

Do you use a schedule, a planner, a calendar, a meal plan to help you keep organized?

Foto Friday - Black & White

The theme this week at Foto Friday is black and white.  I love applying black and white to lots of different pictures to see the effect.  Usually, I fall in love with the picture all over again.  I did the same with this one.  To be honest, this picture was e-mailed to me by my sister-in-law already in b+w so I've never seen it in color - but I don't need to! 

This is one my favorite photos of me and my son.  It was not staged - how could one even manage to do that with a 7-8 month old? I was in the middle of {an animated} conversation with someone to my left.  J, I'm not sure what's grabbed his attention. This was taken at Thanksgiving nearly 3 years ago now. 

Challenge Accepted

Challenge thrown down.  Challenge picked up.  Challenge accepted. 
Do you love the feel of someone throwing down a challenge and you saying oh yeah, I'm doin' it, and then actually doing it?  I get some crazy satisfaction out of doing that and I was able to experience that euphoria yesterday.
There has been this one thing lingering out there in my world.  My husband has mentioned it to me.  My mother-in-law has mentioned it to me.  I even have interest in it, but fear and rejection both kept me treading water.  It's appealing to me, just scary.  One of those.
Yesterday I was chatting with my sister in Deutschland whom I haven't talked to in more than a week due to crazy lives and an even crazier time difference.  It was somewhere after the hour mark that I mentioned this little thing that's dangling out there like a carrot.  A possible opportunity.  And she put me in my place. She flat-out told me that I needed to do this, as soon as we got off the phone.  The thing that tipped me I think?  She said something like, "Really, what do you have to lose?  And there's lots to gain.  The worst thing that can happen is you'll hear 'no', and who cares?  You move on to the next thing then."

And you know what?  She was so right.  So what if the answer is no?  At least I asked.  Otherwise I will never know and I'll likely regret that. 
Mind you, it took me nearly four hours to bolster my courage to send what I needed to send.  Prep work for dinner.  Dishwasher.  Is there something on TV?  Surely I have a new email to read.  Fill up the dog food bowl.  Stir the chili.  Now what?   
Once I finally did it, I could have danced on the table, that's how I felt!  I don't have an answer to my question yet, but at least I floated it and that nagging thought in my head ("...you should...") is gone.  I did. 

Challenge accepted.

This blog prompt was provided by Studio 30 Plus, where I've linked up.

Wordless Wednesday - 8/24/11

Mom and daughter.  And dog.   One year ago this week, chilling in our yard in Sedona.

The ABC's of Me

I'm participating in an event on the voiceBoks website called "The ABC's of Me", encouraging mom bloggers to get to know one another.  So here goes!

A - Autumn.  My favorite season is fall/autumn.  The indulgent colors, the hearty soups, the warm sweaters.
B - "Bangin' Bangs" I don't know that I would classify my bangs as "bangin'" but I did get them cut in recently and am very happy. I heard that quote while watching the finale of So You Think You Can Dance.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) was a guest judge and he said his favorite dance was the tango done by Caitlyn - a.k.a. the girl with the "bangin' bangs".
C - Cabernet Sauvignon - My favorite type of wine.
D - Dislikes: Change, manipulative people, dishonesty, betrayal, rudeness, being controlled.
E - Energy vampires suck.  Quite literally.  Something I have learned recently.
F - Fantasy Football.  I've become quite a fan.  I joined my husband's league this year (and last) and started my own "ladies-only league" this year. 
G - Google search freak.
H - Happy.
I - Inquisitive.  And proud that my daughter is as well. 
J - Jaegermeister.  Can.Not.Handle.  Have you ever tasted a Tiger Eye? Shiver.  Shiver.  Shiver.
K - Kids - My pride and joy.
L - Loved.  That's the meaning of my name, or "she who must be loved".  That sounds like an order.  The baby name book says so. 
M - Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma'am, Mandi, me.  More on ma'am later. 
N - Not much of a meat-lover.
O - Oldest. I am the oldest of two children.  My sister is seven years younger than me.
P - People-person.  As long as they're not jerks and stuff.
Q - Quote:  "Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children." (Charles R. Swindoll) 
R - Read-a-holic.
S - Southpaws.  Both of my children are left-handed. 
T - Taurus - my astrological sign.  Steady, determined, stubborn, creative, kind, habitual, loyal. 
U - Ughten.  Today's dictionary word.  Ughten means morning twilight.
V - Vanilla.  My favorite scent for candles, body spray, lotion.  I also like vanilla ice cream.  Slathered with chocolate syrup.
W - Words with Friends.  Slowly becoming addicted.
X - X-rays.  Only of my teeth.  I've never broken a bone in my life.
Y - Yard.  I love spending time in my backyard.  It's where my garden is.  Tea on the back patio?  Don't mind if I do. 
Z - Zesty.  Z's are hard.  Zebra?  Zoo? Zealous?  Zipper?  Zone?  Zinger? Zen? Zin?  Oh, yeah.  I also like Zinfandel.  Old Zin.  

I hope you had fun reading my ABC's and learned something about me while you were here.  If you have an ABC list, let me know in the comments so I can swing by!

Music Monday - It's Tricky

Today I felt like digging back in the music vault a few years to 1987.  Whoa!  Run-DMC has come up in conversation twice in the last two weeks so I thought today would be a good day to turn up the volume and listen to this one.  It still makes me dance and doesn't sound like 1987 to me.  The video on the other hand?  It screams 1987. 

Is it just me?  Anybody else like this one?  Or am I old school?

Friday Flava Flave - 8/19/11

This was a yummy one!  Chicken Parmesan torn from the pages of Redbook.  And the bonus here is it was one of their Restaurant Re-do's so they took Olive Garden's version and lightened it up a bit.  I must say, it was amazing.  Amazeballs.  Here's my picture and below is the recipe from Redbook.

Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

• 1 1/2 cup(s) marinara sauce
• 1 large egg white
• 1/4 cup(s) whole-wheat or plain breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoon(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 (5 ounces each) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 ounce(s) part-skim mozzarella, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounce(s) spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

---

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, heat marinara sauce over low heat; keep warm.
2. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, beat egg white. In another one, ­combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in egg white, then coat with breadcrumb mixture.
3. In a large nonstick, ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden all over, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat. Spoon 3 tablespoons marinara over each chicken breast, sprinkle with mozzarella, and bake in oven until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Turn on broiler. Place skillet under broiler until cheese lightly browns, about 1 minute.
5. Divide cooked spaghetti evenly among four plates; top with remaining sauce and serve with chicken.

---

Tips & Techniques

SMALL TWEAKS, BIG SAVINGS: To trim a whopping 32 grams of fat from this comfort-food favorite, we used part-skim cheese and sautéed the chicken instead of deep-frying it. Same taste, smaller bottom line!

Read more: Healthy Chicken Parmesan Recipe - Restaurant Redo - Redbook

I didn't want to freak you all out and call it HEALTHY, but it kind of is!  It's better than the original at least.  I didn't use whole wheat bread crumbs and I don't know if I used part-skim mozzarella cheese but a fair guess would be NO.  I did not fry the chicken though, so that's healthier!  Also, I "eyeball it" a lot.  1/2 c. of cheese?  How about a cup?  So my actual version may have varied quite a bit health-wise. 

The verdict from the family was a resounding YUM! 

Enjoy!

Today I'm linking up with Foodie Friday!  Click the button to hop over there!

Love & Marriage

This week Natalie over at Mommy of a Monster and Twins is having a great link up.  She asked everyone to post their favorite wedding photo(s).  So thank you very much, I'll gladly take that opportunity!

I got married to the hubster just over 9 years ago now and at that time there wasn't a whole lot of digital options.  Thus, we have our pictures in an album and gritty scanned photos to share.  I did re-scan these first two this morning because the scanner I had back then was even worse!  I had some fun playing around with the soften effect and focal zoom though.  Two of my favorites are these.  

We had just said "I do", gave each other a smooch-a-roo and were walking down the aisle to...hmmm...I think it was "Walking on Sunshine".  We were two newlyweds, very happy and very much in love.  And I think that is pretty obvious in these two photos.  

Hootin' and hollerin' is what it looks like.  That second picture looks funky. We were walking up the stairs.  It looks like we're kneeling or we're super short.  But no, he's helping me juggle that heavy dress up the stairs! 

OK, now to another favorite photo of the day.  This is me and my dad as he's walking me down the aisle.  

I'm obviously watching my feet as we're heading down the stairs.  But then, guess what?  I managed to get the train of my dress snagged on the wooden deck - enough so that it stopped us in our tracks.   Holy smokes!  No, actually, I think this quiet, sophisticated, demure, blushing bride said the big ol' *F* word right there on the white aisle in my white dress with my dad on my arm and my husband proudly watching me.  Let's not forget the dainty grandmothers sitting right there to bear witness to this disastrous moment!  

To tell you the honest to goodness truth, I don't remember that at all.  It's like one of those terrible memories that you just block out on purpose and can never recall.  If I ever need to relive that moment - my dad still has his memory.   

Go ahead and click the button below if you want to check out the other amazing photos, or add your own!

Also, I'm linking up with Lovelinks #20 because as Erica puts it so perfectly, "August on a blog has become August in downtown Detroit: no one around but panhandlers and the occasional chickenhead".  I guess I'm one of those occasional chickenheads!

Wordful Wednesday - 8/17/11

Today, friends, is not going to be wordless in the least.  Today I am forced to be wordFUL because I had a camera tragedy yesterday, the likes of which makes me sick to my stomach to even think about.  But I shall push through it to bring you this post today.

Here's a wonderfully FREE clip-art image so your eyes don't explode from reading blocks of text.

Drama, right?

Beginning with last Friday I documented so many cute moments...and...another few...(hiccup)...firsts.

My daughter rode the school bus home for the first time last Friday.  She is only riding it once a week because we normally have her in the after-school program.  This was a huge deal to me and the hubsters.  He was quite excited to get in the golf cart and meet her down at the bottom of our neighborhood entrance, where I armed him with my camera and instructions to take pictures.

He did a fantastic job!  Pic of the bus stop.  Pic of the bus stopping. Doors opening.  Maddi standing there waiting. Maddi walking down the stairs.  Maddi running towards him.  Maddi crawling into the golf cart.  Maddi with helmet on ready to ride home.  Really great pictures to treasure!

Here's a wonderfully FREE clip-art image so your eyes don't explode from reading blocks of text. 

On Saturday, we took the kids to the local farm where they selected fresh corn out of a huge bin for dinner that evening.  This corn had been picked that very morning from the fields.  I mean, fresh!  We walked around.  The kids rode the cutest little wagon train pulled by a tractor.  They both rode miniature ponies for the first time ever.  Pictures, pictures, pictures galore!

Here's a wonderfully FREE clip-art image so your eyes don't explode from reading blocks of text.

After the farm, we drove home and had to stop to take a picture in our neighborhood of an outcropping of granite boulders which is home to the cutest little squirrel (or chipmunk - I don't really know what it is).  We used to see him nearly every day as I took the kids to school in the morning and the kids would wave.  Saturday he was out sunning himself on his boulders and perched right next to him on the very same rock was a hawk. His predator!  It was just too cool - their unbelievable camaraderie - we had to stop and take a picture.

Here's a wonderfully FREE clip-art image so your eyes don't explode from reading blocks of text.

This brings me to the camera tragedy of last night.  I decided it was time to download my pictures to my computer mostly in preparation for building my weekly Wordless Wednesday post.

Lately, I have been having problems with my beloved Mac.  It's telling me that my "start up disk is full" and I need to delete files.  And I have been.  Mostly, I've been slowly transferring my 9,834 (approximate count) pictures to an online picture hosting website for safekeeping.  iCloud, anyone?

As the camera was doing its thing, my computer crashed and I was forced to shut it down.  Little did I realize, all my pictures would be lost in the process.  You see, I do that usually so handy feature of deleting the originals from my camera at the time they are loading to iPhoto.  It saves a step for me not having to go back to my camera and delete them all.  No more, my friends!  No more!  Because I did that, all these precious memories are deleted. They are not deleted from my memory, of course, because they'll always be there.  But the captured moments and images that seemed too precious for words are in computer-crash-inferno.

Here's a wonderfully FREE clip-art image so your eyes don't explode from reading blocks of text.

Take what lesson(s) you will from this post.

• Don't store 10,000 pictures on your home computer.  
• Back your computer up regularly.
• Don't use the auto-delete feature.
• Delete only once you are sure your pictures are safely downloaded, saved, backed up, loaded to an outside website, cloud, lightning bolt, whatever.
• Be careful of over-dramatizing.
• Don't put too much text in a post or people won't read all the way to the end to read your wrap-up.

Wordful it is, isn't it?

I'm linking up with Parenting by Dummies and Seven Clown Circus today.

Music Monday - Beat It

Last Monday I was sobbing listening to "Ready, Set, Don't Go" by Billy Ray Cyrus.  This week I'm in a different mood.  Today it's "Beat It" by Fall Out Boy.  Here's the YouTube video for the song, it makes me smile.  And dance.

FYI - All links in this post are affiliate links.

UPrinting.com *Giveaway* Ends 8/26 8PM EST

This is a big day!  Two giveaways going up on the same day?  Yay, I'm very excited!

Here's what's up for grabs:

One (1) 16” x 20” rolled canvas print with 2-inch border or no border, 1 Business Day Turnaround, free shipping.

Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only and if you have won this exact prize in the last six months you are unable to win this giveaway. 

To enter: (Leave a comment for each of the items you complete below.  Each comment counts as one entry...so if you qualify for two entries, then leave two comments!) 

1.  Follow Smile and Mama With Me via Google Friend Connect.

2.  Follow Smile and Mama With Me via Networked Blogs.

3.  Like Smile and Mama With Me on Facebook.

4.  Follow @smilemamawithme on Twitter.
5.  Tweet about this giveaway once a day (below).  Leave me the direct link to your tweet in the comments.

RT @smilemamawithme #Win a 16x20 rolled canvas print from @uprinting http://tinyurl.com/3uek8s6 #giveaway #contest
 

6.  Like UPrinting on Facebook.

7.  Follow UPrinting on Twitter.

Giveaway ends August 26, 2011 @ 8PM EST.  Winner will be chosen via random.org and sponsor will get in touch with winner. 

This canvas printing giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com for more details about canvas sizes.

Beso *Giveaway*! Ends 8/31/11!

Beso has a fabulous contest going on right now and all you have to do is tell them (and us, your fellow mamas) your favorite baby item and you could win a $1,000 shopping spree.  You read that right!  $1,000 shopping s-p-r-e-e!

What is Beso, you ask?  Only one of the coolest online shopping sites around!  You can shop all of your favorite stores on one site and add your favorites without hopping around to five different websites.  I've got favorites added from Old Navy, Land of Nod, Gymboree and lots more that I'm keeping my eye on.

To enter Beso's $1,000 contest:

1. Create a Beso account, if you haven't already. {Takes 5 seconds}

2. Enter the Beso “How many cute things can $1000 buy?” sweepstakes.

3. Like Beso on Facebook.

Don't go yet!  Beso has offered one of my readers a $25 dollar gift card!


Giveaway:  Would you like to win a $25 gift card provided by Beso.com to one of your favorite stores?  Old Navy, Aldo, Gymboree, Target, Babies R Us, Victoria's Secret and many more stores to choose from!


I also received a $25 gift card for hosting this giveaway.  Thanks Beso!

Sunday's Gratitude List - 8/14/11

This week I'm grateful for...

• Hair dye and a good hair cut.  Good-bye ugly roots!
• My mother-in-law - for the hair spiff-up.
• This nice hot cup of tea I'm enjoying.
• Libraries with good (new) CD's to check out.  Score!
• My hubby, for ordering me a new laptop on this Gratitude Sunday.
• Zen-like photos that make me stop and say...Ommmm.
• Sweet corn - picked fresh the farm.  Pesticide free!
• And the workers who were there to chop the top little bit off for us so I didn't have to, because worms are grateful for pesticide-free sweet corn, too.

What are you grateful for this week? 

Linking up with Genie in a Blog. 

Wild Weekend Hop ~ Featured Blogger @ About A Mom

Woo!  I'm the featured blogger over @ About a Mom for the Wild Weekend Hop.  Sounds wild, doesn't it?  You know you want to check it out.  Go on, now!  Take a look-see!  Click link above or picture below.

Many thanks to the girls at About a Mom for giving me this opportunity to be featured.  Smooches!

Friday Flava Flave ~ Week 5

It's my Friday Flava Flave post!  This week I didn't have a really inspiring picture to share all queued up so as I was brainstorming lunch today I remembered this little tidbit I read in Every Day with Rachel Ray, one of my all-time favorite magazines, people!  I devour the magazine and pull tons of recipes and other useful tidbits every month.  

Anyhoo, she does this feature in every issue where she picks a topic, seemingly whatever is in season, and gives you a month's worth of ideas on how to use the item.  In June or July the article was about basil.  My fave!  How I love thee basil.  I have two basil plants in my garden right now that are the size of small trees.  Perhaps an exaggeration.  But they are producing quite nicely, so I lapped up this basil article and got tons of new ideas.  

The idea I used for today is a simple sandwich spread to make an ordinary turkey sammie taste super delicious.  No exact quantities here, I just wing it till it looks good.  

Basil-Lemon Mayo

Spoonful or two of mayo (I was good and used light mayo)

Zest of one lemon

Juice from half a lemon (not even half, just a small squeeze)

Basil, chopped finely

Salt

Pepper

Mix it all together and make sure to refrigerate for at least an hour.  The first time I made it, it was definitely much better the second day after the flavors had time to meld.  Then spread it on your favorite bread, use your favorite thinly sliced deli turkey (mine is honey turkey) and provolone. 

And a few pictures for your feasting pleasure.  I'm a practical person, and a double-duty type gal.  So sue me for not putting this is in a deliciously beautiful serving bowl for picture-taking purposes.  I made it in the plastic bowl I'm going to store it in the refrigerator in.  No need to mess two dishes if you ask me! 

While I was out in my garden this morning I trimmed up the basil plants and clipped all of the flowering tops.  I brought them inside and put in a bowl of water.  It's supposed to be a natural air freshener.  We shall see!

 This week I'm linking up with Foodie Friday.

Peas and Thank You

I am a new, but very big fan of Sarah Matheny over at Peas and Thank You.  She and her entire family have transitioned over to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle and feel so much better because of it.  I thought some of you readers would also get a kick out of her, her blog and her brand new cookbook, so I bring you this post!

My family and I are not vegetarians, but I am just about there!  I totally could be, and I think my family would willingly come along for the ride.  I could make this happen, I'm the cook after all.  There are tons of totally delicious snacks, appetizers, breakfasts and everything else in this cookbook (and more on her blog).  Healthy and delicious.  Can't beat that! 

I have to say that the Dill Pickle French Fries = total yum!  I've got them on my menu plan for next week!  Also on the meal plan is the Grilled Vegetable Wraps using the crazy amount of zucchini I will very soon be harvesting.  

She's giving away six autographed copies of her cookbook and Pea Packs.  Here's the link if you want to enter.  But don't win mine, OK?!?!  ;) 

Firsts Upon Firsts

We are nearing the end of the week and I wanted to give an update about my daughter's first week of kindergarten and my son's first week back at preschool.

First of all, if you'll remember just a few short days and a few short posts ago, I gave you the sob story of Maddi's first day.  That would be me sobbing, not my daughter.

My daughter attends an after-school program that is the same preschool my son goes to, so this works out nicely.  I couldn't help but pick them both up a little early that first day because the anticipation and curiosity was killing this cat. 

The first thing my daughter said to me was, "I learned math, mommy!"  She was so excited!  And so was I.  She's learning!  She ripped open her backpack to show me her first math lesson, fittingly, the number 1.  And that night we were to go over it with her, singing this catchy little math lyric to the tune of "Skip to my Lou" while she traced it.  

An excited, "We get TWO recesses, mommy!"  And a very serious, "Our teacher wasn't with us at recess.  But don't worry, there were other teachers on the playground and Ms. X. came and put us in a line when recess was over."  

Every day since has been something fun, exciting, different, new.  Music.  Art.  Library.  School announcements.  Her first smiley face on her classwork.  :D  I'm saving, dating and documenting everything.  And I'll do the same for my son.  This time is just too precious and special.  I want them both to know I am treasuring it.

As for my son's first day back at his preschool, oh, the lungs!  You would have thought I told him I'm leaving him there and never ever coming back for him.  He screamed bloody murder when I tried to leave the room.  The teacher had to pick him up and hold him so he wouldn't chase after me.  

He is very much into his routine.  We had been off school for the whole week before and I think he quite enjoyed being home with mama that whole time.  Add in the fact that his sister wasn't in his classroom with him anymore and forget it.  For.get.it.  He had a very rough ENTIRE first day.  But every day since has been increasingly better.  Tuesday - only a little crying.  Wednesday - a little whining.  Thursday - sad puppy dog eyes.  He'll get back into the rhythm again and be just fine.  

On his first day he was excited to tell me that he didn't have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch (more on this later), he "ate spaghetti and played with the big tractor."

I almost forgot to mention that when I was unwillingly up at 1:30 in the morning (till 4:30 in the morning) the night before school started, I penned a letter to each of my children.  It's something I am going to fold into an envelope and put in their baby books for later.  It's something I might do every year, whether at the beginning of the school year or some other time.  I think it will be neat for them to read when they're older.  They can hang onto them forever and let their kids and grandkids read them.  My words, thoughts and feelings about them, in my own handwriting.

Hat Trick - Wordless Wednesday - 8/10/11

It's that time of the week again!  Wednesday.  Wordless.  Almost!  

My son had a grand ol' time playing with Papa's hat.  He thought it was pretty cool that he was making me laugh.  He can be quite a ham when he wants to be! 

Today I'm linking up with:

I'm a Guest at Cookie's Chronicles Today

I'm checking out of Smile and Mama With Me for the day and checking in at Cookie's Chronicles.  

It's the August Guest Blogger Extravaganza @ Cookie's Chronicles where she has a month of rad guests and awesome bloggers lined up for your reading pleasure.  Sue @ Cookie's Chronicles has so kindly allowed me my very first guest post where I talk about who takes care of Mama when Mama is sick.   

Thank you for the opportunity, my dear!

Ready, Set, Go

Today was the big day.  My daughter started kindergarten.  Oh girl!  This was a huge deal to me.  And she was cool as a cucumber.  I, on the other, could have very well been a blubbering idiot, but I somehow willed myself together till the very last instant.  

As hubby and I were crossing the threshold to leave her in the hands of her kindergarten teacher I was completely sad.  But happy.  But...sad.  I looked back through the side window and she was sitting there at her little round wood table, in her itty-bitty blue chair, with her tiny pink sweater slung across the back of her chair.  She was looking around at all the new kids and all the things she'd soon be learning. 

All I saw was wonder.  And excitement.  And maybe a touch of nerves.  But she was so confident and beautiful.  And then I couldn't see anymore because there were those damn tears.  I just had to turn away and start walking fast before those tears got too serious.  Hubby has long legs, he caught up in no time flat. 

As I opened a new window to type this blog post and the first words tumbled onto the page, this song came on my iPod:  Billy Ray Cyrus, "Ready, Set, Don't Go".  Yeah, I have Billy Ray on my iPod.  On purpose.  No judging. 

I kid you not.  It was just too much!  He talks about his little girl growing up, moving on, not wanting to let go but he has to, etc.  He's talking about Miley (ew) and she's way older, but it just seemed like a fitting song for the moment.  That restraint that I showed earlier this morning?  Yeah, you can forget that.  I am sitting here typing with tears streaming.  Hard.  I can cry all I want with nobody to see but you, and you can't even see me (thankfully)!   And now, I need to clean this face up because it's time to go pick up my big kindergartner and hear all about her first day.  And hear about my son's first day back at preschool.  (This is the same preschool he's been going to, so no major change - except the fact that his sister isn't there with him).  I'm sure there are endless stories just from day one and I can't wait!  I'll share all the goodies with you.