Baltimore, MD - SGA Trip

Each year the Head of my Household plans a trip for a small group of students involved in our college's Student Government Association (SGA).  This trip is a long time tradition, and for the last several years I've been fortunate enough to get invited :)  We've been to  San Antonio, Chicago, Boston and now Baltimore.  This trip always comes at the end of the year when we are in most need of a few days off...and this year the trip was delayed by a week due to our firstborn's graduation.  At first I wasn't sure I would be ready to leave the very next morning after graduation...but I was wrong!

The Orioles game, touring D.C. and the Inner Harbor provided the perfect downtime for my weary soul.

While I've certainly enjoyed each trip I've been on, this year's trip to Baltimore was the best so far because of the students involved. I've known both young men since they were little fellas...for some reason this does not make me feel old; once a Mama, always a Mama is the way I see that.

One of the young ladies is our outgoing president, the baby of her family and tons of fun to be around. I see my youngest in this young woman. Her facial structure and the cleft in her chin also remind me soooo much of my childhood BFF and Maid of Honor at my wedding :)

The incoming president is a young woman I've not had the privilege of knowing until this trip...she is serious and quiet while still enjoying life and I believe will be a great addition to our upcoming SGA group. She and I talked alot about books...imagine that?

Last but not least is a young woman who has become very special to me and to our entire family. I'm not sure exactly what I will do without her this upcoming year. She is like another sister to my youngest...without all that messy sibling rivalry stuff :/

This young woman is a sweetheart...there is not a more loving soul on this planet...she is honest, straightforward, loves counry music...eventhough she'll never quite make it on American Idol ;) and gave my little buddy Squeakers a permanent home once his rehab process was complete.

Today also happens to be her birthday :)

Happy Birthday, Sheila :):):)

We're not sure where next year will take us...although some speculation has already begun...Churchill Downs has been suggested more than once so it may be off to the races for us next year.

Wherever the trip takes us I'm sure I'll be ready again since we will graduate our middle child next.

But, I'll think about that tomorrow.

;)

There's No Place Like Home :)

As a kid growing up in Mississippi I remember many times wishing for the day that I could branch out on my own and see the world.  Mississippi seemed so small and I always wanted to know what more the world had to offer. 

I know now...and while I've certainly not seen everything...

and want to continue exploring...

I think everybody has to leave home for a while to appreciate it.

I appreciate home more and more every single time I leave it.

It may be chaotic, it may be inconsistent and there's always a TON of laundry to wash...

But, it's home.

And, that's all that matters :):)

I'll get back to more of a regular blogging schedule after I get some cuddling time with my favorite people :)

(and cats)

Boston and The Sox

A story that Melanie at Coupon Goddess told today reminded me of a trip the Head of My Household and I took in May.

We went to Boston and to a Red Sox game.

Please excuse the Chicago sweatshirt I had on. 

In May it is h. o. t. in Mississippi, but not necessarily so on the East Coast.

I was caught off guard; by the time we landed in Chicago, I had to have some sleeves.

Do you ever have those times with your husband when you remember vividly why you married him in the first place? 

This trip was one of those times for me.

We actually had a small group of students with us from our college's Student Government Association and one other adult chaperone.

But, we still enjoyed the trip and the time we spent with each other.

Who knew we actually had a few things in common? :)

I was also reminded this weekend of just how lucky I am.

The Head of My Household's family is still adjusting to life without his dad who passed away in October...so Father's Day was especially emotional.

His mom told me Saturday night just how much she missed his dad.

She said he would know exactly what to do.

Another of her sons is in a lot of pain.

And, could use as many prayers as you can send his way.

As I pray for continued emotional healing for The Head of My Household's brother and the rest of his family, I am also going to say an extra prayer of thanks that I have the husband I do.

A husband who loves me, our family and our children more than anything and spends every waking moment of our life working hard to make sure that all is well.

A husband who accepts me just the way that I am.

A husband who encourages me to be the woman that I am...to exert my independence...as well as enjoy being at home.

I am not sure we were friends when we first married, but I know that we are now.

Thank you, Lord for my many blessings.

What Tomorrow Brings...

This is the Destin that we know and have grown to love throughout my lifetime but especially over the last 5 years.

We've spent many days and nights with our doors open, listening to the waves crash to shore, running up and down the beaches playing with seashells and crabs.  We had our first real life sighting of sharks here and discussed (while standing on the beach allowing them to swim by) that we were the trespassers in their territory and must respect their environment.  We've "swam with the fishes" for real at times...sometimes we liked it and other times we weren't so sure the fishes weren't nipping us on purpose just to laugh as we ran to the shore :)  We've learned about how to enjoy one of our world's greatest natural resources and to leave it as we found it.

Thanks to our country's over-reliance on oil, this is on its way.

According to various news sources 5,000 gallons of oil are still leaking from the site of the explosion each and every day.

Each.

and.

Every.

Day.

I don't know whose fault it is.

I don't really care right now.

I just want them to stop the leak.

Oil has already reached the Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana coastlines, killing animals, vegetation and environmental areas that will probably never recover.

The latest projections today show the Florida beaches at Pensacola are next.

I am so thankful to those people, the biologists, the environmental scientists, the veterinarians, etc. who are already on the job working night and day to try and save as much as possible. 

I know that they probably feel as helpless if not more helpless than all the rest of us do.

Although, their jobs don't shield them from the tragedy of this disaster.

While the rest of us sit at home (or in a fabulous resort) enjoying the summer.

I'm going to continue to think about the consequence of big oil in our lives.

Big companies like BP are only answering our demands with their incessant drilling off our beaches' shores.

So, is BP at fault?  Or are we?

Ahhhhhh....Destin

Destin.  Nuff said.

Here's my little surfer girl...riding the waves with her boogie board she happened to mention to her Memaw that she "needed."

And, here's my crew at one of our favorite places, The Baytowne Wharf...tons of shopping, eating and family fun goes on here nightly...we have similar pictures like this one of our girls over the last 5 years. 

I took full advantage of the Tradition of the Chair tonight in order to get a picture of the Head of My Household and me...we were waiting on the fireworks to begin so he didn't have much choice :)

Whenever I take pictures of my girls, I cherish all of the pictures leading up to and after the one that gets put in the frame for the family room...this was one of my favorites from tonight.

Silly, silly girls :):)

Family Vacation Part 1

After working registration on Friday and a 2 hour meeting on the Friday afternoon before the Memorial Day holiday (who's idea was that, anyway??), I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get my family ready for our vacation in Destin. 

We were scheduled to leave by noon on Saturday, and I was determined not to lose my mind before we left.  I'm notorious for freaking out a little before I leave to so somewhere...I'm a little OCD about how I like to leave my house when we're going to be gone.  Certain things like dirty laundry and dishes in the sink or dishwasher can make me nuts. 

I wanted to stake my tomato plants before I left, but my Farm and Garden was out of stakes :(  I did not have time nor was I interested in going to Wally World to buy tomato stakes, so hopefully my tomato plants will be ok when I get back. My cucumbers are growing like crazy every day...it's almost as if you can SEE them growing

Our yellow pepper plants keep getting taller and have little buds on them...I'm not sure if the buds are new branches or actually the beginnings of a pepper.

My youngest's watermelons are beginning to spread out...I'm so glad we left them plenty of room to grow.  The last watermelons we grew were very small, but much of the reason was planting them too close together.  Vines have to have room.

I can't wait to see our plants when we get back home; I can only imagine how much they will have grown after not seeing them for 7 days!

6 Days and Counting...

My girls

looking for shells...Summer 2009, Destin FL

Here's hoping this next week goes by FAST!

Family Vacation

11 days from today we will be leaving on our annual family vacation to Destin FL.

My brother and I particularly live the other 51 weeks of the year looking forward to this vacation.

The phrase "family vacation" can evoke feelings of dread and panic for many families.

Not mine.

Somehow we've figured out a way to co-exist for 7 days spending time together but also giving each other needed space.

I can't really explain it because it's not something we planned.

It just happens.

My mother, the matriarch of our clan and funder of our family vacation, asks each year whether or not we "really want to go."

My brother and I almost have panic attacks at the possibility of not going to Destin.

We have decided that she really doesn't get how much this trip means to us.

Let me get corny for a minute, please.

My brother and I are 11 years apart. 

By the time he was really old enough to be an active family member, I had graduated high school and our parents had divorced.

There was a lot of time that we didn't get to spend together.

I think in some way we are making up for lost time.

Now, I know you can't make up for lost time in one annual weeklong family vacation.

But, I think it's something we unconciously have been doing for some time now.

As I prepare to begin the process of letting go of my oldest during her senior year next year, my brother is preparing begin his family.  My brother and his wife Amanda will welcome their first child into their family November of 2010.

The timing is perfect.

Sunshine on My Shoulder

Today is Tuesday... but it sure feels like a Monday.

I woke up this morning around 2 a.m. because I literally could not breathe...the crud is back...thanks to my croupy youngest child.

I got up, and against my better judgement took some Tylenol PM cough and cold medicine.

Meds and I, we go way back.

Especially anything that will make you sleepy.

If it makes you drowsy, it knocks me on my arse.

Anyhoo, I was desperate...so I took some of that vile tasting stuff.

When I woke up by chance this morning at 7 (at least an hour later than I should have woken up), the world was revolving around me...literally...

I was still in such a stupor for most of the day that I believe I could have had minor surgery and not felt a thing.

After a heavy duty nap after work outside in a lounge chair by the pool in the sunshine, I finally began to feel like I was awake.

Amazing what sunshine can do.

I found these picture in my NYC archives and they made me feel better too...

These tulips were planted in a small park area where vendors are set up downtown between the Brooks Brothers flagship store and Ground Zero.

Amazing what sunshine can do!

Please hurry, Summer.

The 80's and Brooksie

My kids think they invented the 80's.

They tell me all the time about what people wore in the 80's, what kind of music was popular in the 80's, and they even repeat lines from movies that came out in the 80's.

Like I'm some kinda doofus.

I am 41.

Which means not only do I already know all of the 80's trivia my children try to educate me about...

But I WAS the 80's.

I remember the first day of MTV.

I had bangs and big curly hair (after rolling it on hot rollers for 6 hours).

I saw Ferris Beuhler, Sixteen Candles, St. Elmo's Fire and every other brat pack movie in the theatre.

The material girl Madonna I remember doesn't even resemble the vogue Madonna they know.

I wore leggings, blouses with shoulder pads, and Calvin Kleins.

I also wore these:

Tee Hee Hee!

I found these shorts in the flagship Brooks Brothers store in NYC.

Brooks Brothers!

That's my new buddy Brooksie in the picture with me. 

My youngest, who did not travel with us to NYC, had instructed me not only to bring her a prize, but to bring her a BIG prize. 

Because airlines are not fond of BIG prizes, I brought her several smaller prizes, and Brooksie was one of those prizes. 

Proceeds from sales of Brooksie go to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Because I want to do everything in my power to help children with cancer, I didn't think twice about purchasing Brooksie.

He was also wearing my shorts!!!

Tee Hee Hee!

Broadway

My mom, my middle child, my firstborn and I saw 4 absolutely incredible shows on Broadway while we were in NYC last week.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, these were the highlights of our trip.

Even after 4-5 previous NYC trips, I had never been to a Broadway show (on Broadway).

I was mesmerized and now want to see every single show playing!!

Phantom of the Opera

One of the oldest shows on Broadway, most everyone knows this story.

The villain who is frightening but smoldering at the same time.

The ingenue learning from a teacher she doesn't know or understand and who sometimes frightens her.

The man who falls in love with the ingenue and vows to save her from the "Opera Ghost" or OG as he signs his notes.

I was astonished at the set and the theatre.

The beauty of an antique show palace along with the technological abilities and special effects took my breath away...the giant chandelier actually falls from the ceiling in the middle of the show!!!

And, the Phantom himself is climbing all over the stage, over the stage, on top of the ceiling, etc.

My favorite scene is the part where the Phantom mesmerizes Christine into coming with him to his lair under the opera house.

The entire stage turns into a steep staircase that falls down into a deep foggy swamp where Christine and the Phantom sing "The Phantom of the Opera" and glide through the smoky air.

Spooky candelabra appear from the floor as they get closer to his home...

I have no idea what was going on in the theatre around me during this number...I was off in the swamp with them.

In the Heights

In the Heights is one of the newer shows on Broadway but racked up at the last Tony Awards.

I now know why.

This is a fast paced show about a neighborhood called Washington Heights in a barrio in NYC.

or barrrrrrrrrrrrio as the Latino company sings.

The character Nina returns home after her first year at Stanford...the first one to make it out of the barrio, she has decided to quit college.

She is obviously embarrassed to tell her parents as well as her extended family members, the neighborhood that has supported her since she was born.

She is at a turning point in her life and has many decisions to make just as the neighborhood itself is evolving.

Usnavi is a solid character from the Caribbean who runs a small store next to Nina's parents and is in love from afar with Vanessa, a beautician who dreams of escaping the barrio to live in a uptown studio apartment.

Usnavi is a rapper and man alive, can he rap!

Usnavi's rap shows how rap is an musical artform rather than the string of profanities that today's rap is famous for...

Carla, another unforgettable character, is a perfect illustration of the word "sassy"...Carla  owns the beauty shop in which Vanessa works...and is in the process herself of moving her shop to a better location.

Carla is streetwise and streetsmart with a good head on her shoulders.

She also doesn't hesistate to say what's on her mind.

Carla is one tough cookie...but in the end she helps Vanessa finally get what she needs.

The numbers "Vanessa" and "96,000" absolutely blew my mind.

What is incredible about this show is how so many things can be going on at the same time on stage...but in a completely orchestrated way...

How do they do that????

And, why can't I do that??

Characters are dancing and singing parts all over the place...

and then at the end of "96,000" they all come together across the front of the stage singing in perfect unison!!!

Whoa, Nelly!!!!

The dancing in this show is street dancing...I don't even really know how to describe it...the amount of talent on the stage and the years of expertise and training put into making this show what it is...

Holy Smokes!

This incredible company of singers and dancers also entertained our kids the morning of the show.

2 of the cast members taught our kids  parts from the number "96,000."

I'm still singing and my kids are still dancing!

Wicked

I'm going to try hard to find some words befitting the show Wicked.

But, I'm probably going to have a hard time.

I've never seen anything like Wicked.

Ever.

Never.

Guh-Linda, the "good" witch we all grew to love was not quite as "good" as she seemed.

She is rich and spoiled, and vain...really really vain.

Elphaba, which is the wicked witch's real name, is the same age as Glinda and they meet in college.

Elphaba has green skin...she is different...and just like every "different" kid in school, she is treated poorly, even by her own father.

Elphaba and Glinda accidently become roommates...

And then they become friends...friends who accept each other for who and what they are...good and bad...even when they have to go their separate ways in the end.

Glinda vows to make Elphaba "Popular," and the actress who portrays her is hysterical in this number...from Glinda's characteristic hair toss to her perky mannerisms, the theatre was filled with laughter throughout the show.

Another number which is reprised in several places during the show is "I Hope You're Happy."

Glinda is a high pitched soprano, and Elphaba is a lower pitched alto.

Their voices together are magical.

I've frankly never heard two people singing together who sound like these two.

It's as if the music was made for them and them alone.

They play off each other and respond to each other almost as if they haven't rehearsed it a gazillion times.

If I have to pick a favorite number from this show though, it would be "Defying Gravity."

Hands Down.

It starts out quiet and grows and grows and grows...until Elphaba has finally embraced her wicked side and is dangling somehow midair on her broom with dazzling lights covering the entire darkened stage singing from the top of her lungs.

How the heck did she do that?????

When she finished that last note, the entire theatre stood up clapping.

I wanted to scream, "Bravo, Bravo!!"

I wanted to BE the Wicked Witch of the West!!!

And DEFY GRAVITY!!!!

Please, please, please, if you are only going to see one show in your lifetime, see this one!

I ain't kiddin'

West Side Story

West Side Story was the last show we saw.

Now, I've seen the movie a bunch of times.

Natalie Wood, fake brown skin, lip synching and all, is one of my all time favorite Marias...any other Marias have really big shoes to fill in my book.

Since the movie is a musical, most folks have experienced at least a little of the dancing and singing epitomized in this show...

But, until you've seen it live...

you ain't really seen it!

Now, let me say something about the gentlemen in this show.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Help me, Lord.

The Sharks and the Jets...dancing against one another.

Oh.

My.

Heavens.

There's obviously a lot of ballet trained dancers in this show.

These guys really know how to leap!!!

And, when you add the ladies to the mix.

I could barely breathe.

The numbers "America" and "Dance at the Gymn" were my favorites.

"America" is sung by Anita and backed up by the other Latina ladies.

It made me want to jump up and start shouting.

"Dance at the Gymn" is the epic comparison of cultures through dance.

RAW!!

I wish I could dance like that!!

West Side Story has been revised to include more Spanish, and the effects are dramatic.

We all knew what was going to happen in the end, and some of the Romeo and Juliet like scenes can get a little sappy...but I was in tears with Maria at the end...as was my firstborn.

Incredible!

Our time on Broadway will provide my girls and I and my mom with some incredible memories...

especially since we shared them together.

Home Sweet Home

I'm home...heavy sigh :)

I love to travel...I really really do...

But I love coming home too.

I'm a little bit of a baby when I travel.

The Head of My Household would gasp at that statement.

Things that bother me (hotel room bathrooms, the way a room smells, etc.) just don't bother him.

Over the last 21 years, he's just learned to put up with my neuroses.

I need to know where my stuff is...

I need to have a place to put my stuff...

I need to have a room that looks and smells clean (I've seen all those 20/20 episodes)...

I need to have food (regular/normal food preferably) available at all times just in case I need it.

I need to know where I am and where I'm going.

I need a plan when I travel.

My friend Missie would gasp at this statement...not because the it is an understatement, but just the opposite.

I'm pretty laid back at home...but when I'm away, I want to know what my future holds.

I need to be able to relax.

and I need to not be exhausted.

I need to have some semblance of control...I don't have to make all the decisions, but I don't like the "fly by the seat of my pants" method of decision making when I'm in unfamiliar territory.
In other words, I'm not your "backpack across Europe" kinda gal.

While we had a great time in NYC, I learned on this trip that I'm not a fan of traveling in large groups.  We had 115 people in our group...55 of those people were teenagers.

2 of those teenagers were mine.
There were times when I felt like I knew more than the tour guide, and that in itself was a little scary.

We were planted right in the middle of Times Square also.

Can you say crowds?

Can you say tourist trap?

Can you say a mess?

Can you say long lines?

 I've been to New York 4-5 times.
The New York my kids experienced on this trip was not exactly the New York I had hoped for them.
They came away thinking New York is dirty, loud, rude and chaotic and so much different than their familiar surroundings at home...

 Um...Ahem...

 Anyhoo...

I'm going to take them back to NYC.
My Way!
At Christmas.
In time to see the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving Day.
And the lighting of the Christmas tree and ice skating at Rockefeller Center.
The city all dressed to the nines in red, gold and green and sparkly lights.
To see The Lion King and Mary Poppins on Broadway.
And stay far, far away from Times Square.

That's how I first experienced NYC...
and it will forever live on in my mind as a city of magic.
I even have a shrine in my home devoted to that first magical trip :)

I'll share the highlights from our trip over the next couple of days :)

Today Was a Better Day

New York redeemed itself today.

Even though the day was filled with lots of standing in line at the major tourist attractions, 

World Trade Center... 

The Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

and riding the subway...

 The best part of the day and night was seeing Phantom of the Opera

My middle daughter is a fan...she knows every word to every song...

and has watched the movie eighty-eleven-hundred times.

My mom and I really enjoyed the show...but my middle child simply had a blast!

Aren't kids great?!

:):)