Confessions

• I am reading a biography of the Queen Mother and have been for WEEKS - maybe even MONTHS by now. I keep stopping to read other books.  Ha! 
• I have watched the Glee season finale probably 3 times. 
• The result of the above?  I had a dream last night I was a princess and that Finn Hudson was in love with me.  Too much maybe?
• I'm thinking of tackling the challenge of potty training Trent in June.  It is a FIGHT to change his diaper and he can 'go' when prompted...  Any advice?
• I have done almost nothing to get ready for Trent's 2nd birthday party.  All of the sudden it's almost here.  FAIL.
• Speaking of Trent...all he wants to do these days is watch videos of trash trucks, mowers, blowers, weedeaters on You Tube.  Yup, I said trash trucks.

Aw, I feel better now having confessed!

Happy Memorial Day!

In honor of the 'unofficial' first day of summer...

We bought Trent a splash pad last summer for his birthday, and he wasn't into it.  We broke it out on Friday, and he had an absolute BLAST in the 'shower' (as he called it).  I got a ton of pictures of him, and Brent and I were just laughing and laughing at him...but these are the only suitable ones for the internet {grin}.

Sitting on the Dock...

Tomorrow morning, we're heading to the lake (sans bebe) for some adult time with some friends.  We haven't been to this particular lakehouse in a few years (pre-bebe).  I am so excited!  Trent will get to see all his grandparents, so it's win-win for everyone. {grin}

Memories...from our last trip

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day!  Thanks to the men and women out there (especially my favorite veteran) for all you do!

Family Music Festival

Mother's Day weekend, the Gurleys met the Patnodes at the Austin Family Music Festival at Pioneer Farms.  This was the 5th year it was held, but it was our first time (but definitely not last) to go.  There was so much to do, we didn't get to see everything (naptime interrupts everything!), but the boys had a blast!  I thought it was pretty cool myself.

OMG. They held hands!!  Presh. 

(And we totally didn't dress them the same on purpose, but Babs bought them matching guitar t-shirts so duh you have to wear your guitar t-shirt to a music festival!)

Japanese drum band, musical hayride, Polka brother/sister band

(I took a video of the drum band and Trent asks to watch it all the time.  'Watch drum.  Watch drum on Mom's phone.'  Love it!)

There were also pony rides and a fire truck!  How awesome when you're 2?!?

Little Bit enjoyed the day too. {grin}

See a Penny...

See a penny,

Pick it up,

{Throw it in the fountain},

All day long, you'll have good luck,

{Have a fit when you are out of pennies}



Renegade Craft Fair

My hip and oh-so indie co-worker, Leigh, shared with me a few months ago about Renegade Craft Fair (and yes, you can be a hip and oh-so indie auditor, Leigh does it quite nicely).  Of course, Allison and I had to check it out.  My mom, Patty (and her appendage, Blair) tagged along.  It was SO awesome.



What is Renegade Craft Fair?  So glad you asked! The Renegade Craft Fair (RCF) is a large-scale and free-to-attend marketplace event! Featuring hundreds of artists at a time, vendors travel from all over to sell and showcase their handmade goods and original artwork. RCF is held yearly in urban epicenters of creative indie-entrepreneurship – including Brooklyn, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and London (UK).

I bought a print for our house and a RAD 'pop out' necklace.  I was mad at myself for not blogging about RCF before we went since it won't be back until next year...

Until...the 1st ever RCF Holiday Market!  You can thank me in November.

All info and pictures courtesy of Renegade's website.  No stealing intended. {grin}

Presh, Adorbs...and All Those Other Words

OMG!  I want to squeeze this face pretty much 24/7.

What I Learned in My Travels

I was out of town for a few days for work this week.  I learned a few things on the road that I thought were worth sharing.

• The Four Seasons is the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in
• Talking on the phone to Trent is the cutest and best thing ever
• Trent does not get excited when I come back into town like I do (it's like 'Hey Mom what's up?' and I'm practically blubbering at him)
• I still LUV Southwest Airlines
• I can still read a book in less than 24 hours (yay Dead Reckoning)
• I don't like missing my hubby's birthday, even if he swears he didn't care
• Trent in my shoes is just precious

Movie Review: Bridesmaids

My fabulous mother-in-law kept Trent after sloshball on Saturday and didn't want to give him back on Sunday. {grin} So I called my trust movie date (Allison) and we hit up 'Bridesmaids'.

Plot: Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids. {imdb.com}

Review:  Hilarious!  This cast was a mash-up of SNL and people from 'The Office' so you know it has to be good.  Then throw in Sookie from Gilmore Girls?  Score!  Allison and I were laughing so hard at parts we couldn't breathe.  I will say it was a little long (over 2 hours) but really enjoyable!

The Best Part of Sloshball

• It's not the game
• It's not the delicious food
• It's not my son, nephew and niece enjoying the beautiful day
• It wasn't the amazing weather we had
• It wasn't spending time socializing with friends

*

*

*

*

It was that for the THIRD time...my husband tried to burn down our home.

In case you can't tell, this was supposed to be chicken nuggets and tater tots.  Let me know if you want my hubby to make you dinner.  Or attempt to burn your house down.  He's good at one of those two. {grin}  LOVE YOU, B!

Happy Friday!

I'm off to get one of these right now.  Big thanks to my company!!  Be jealous, be very jealous.  {Sloshball is tomorrow - can't wait!}

Currently: Anticipating

There is a lot of stuff out right now in the literary/movie world that I am super excited about.  Some is new, some is new to me, but I'm excited regardless!

Dead Reckoning - the latest book in the Sookie Stackhouse (aka True Blood) series.  I caught on late to this series but devoured the first 10 books and can't wait for it to be my turn at the library!

The Help - so a million people have blogged about loving this book, and I kept thinking it was more of a self-help book.  Then I saw the movie preview (and yes, I'm also excited about the movie) and realized it wasn't!

Thor - Allison and I saw the preview for this and both laughed.  I have changed my tune.  It has gotten great reviews, Chris Hemsworth is very handsome, and I love Natalie Portman.

Something Borrowed - I read this book and loved it!  (I have read all of Emily Giffin's book and think she is a fabulous writer.  If you like 'chick lit', all her books are great!)  I can't wait to see the movie!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Allison and I saw the first 3 together and while we thought they got worse as they went along, we are committed to seeing them all.  So I am not super excited about this one, but from what I've read it gets away from how complicated/intricate the 2nd and 3rd storylines got, which is much needed IMO.  P.S. - Can you believe Johnny Depp will be 48 next month?  Wow.

The Hangover II - I am so excited for this movie!  I loved the first one SO much and will always remember it as the last movie I saw before having Trent (aw how naive I was then...).

What are you looking forward to?

Blair - 1 month old!

Little Bit isn't so little anymore!  She has gained 3 pounds in her first month and is now tipping the scales at a whopping 9 pounds, 9 ounces.  L.O.V.E.  I really don't think the 1 month picture is every very good for a baby (Trent's was awful and we know how cute he is), but Blair pulls it off better than most. {grin}  Happy 1 month, baby girl!

What do you want?

Put Me In the Zoo

On Good Friday, Nana and I took Trent to the Austin Zoo.  My original Project 52 goal was to take Trent to the San Antonio Zoo, but when I really thought about it, I decided it would just be too hard at this age.  A lot of people don't even know that Austin has a zoo, but it is there and perfect for Trent's age.  The have lots of animals (lions, tigers, bears - oh my - goats, monkeys, birds, reptiles...the list goes on and on) and activities for kids.  Trent really enjoyed the train (tantrum thrown = a 2nd ride), feeding the animals in the petting zoo, looking at all the reptiles in the reptile house and just being outside in general.  We had a great day!

Getting ready to leave

This peacock was just walking around - beautiful!

Time to ride the train

We spent A LOT of time at the petting zoo feeding animals

{Yes, my son is sans shoes in a few pictures.  What can I say, we're white trash!} 

I love these pictures of him laughing so hard with his Nana.

And 5 minutes after we got back in the car...

Trent is really so much fun these days.  He really understands what's going on around him and is so observant and such a lover of life.  I love taking these trips with him, seeing everything through his eyes is such a treat!

Mother's Day Funnies

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:



Why did God make mothers?


1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?


1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.


What ingredients are mothers made of?


1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?


1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.


What kind of a little girl was your mom?


1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.



What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?


1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
 Why did your mom marry your dad?


1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot too.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.



Who's the boss at your house?


1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?


1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.


What does your mom do in her spare time?


1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.


What would it take to make your mom perfect?


1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.


If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?


1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.


Happy Mother's Day {a few days early}!!

Sleep Sack Cuteness

We swaddled Trent until he was a little over 3 months old.  Pretty shortly thereafter we started having him sleep in a 'sleep sack'.  With the fear of SIDS that I had I followed every rule BY THE BOOK.  So Trent had NO blankets in his crib AND the fan was on.  But you want to make sure your baby is warm.  Hence the perfect solution.  I blogged about his sack a few other times because as he got older it almost became a bit of a 'lovey' to him, and it takes him a little while in the morning and after naps to want to get out of it.  I don't really think he needs it anymore, but he likes it and looks adorable.  Especially when he wants to play in it. {grin}

Project 52: April Update

To see the full list, click here.

6. Get back to pre-baby body (or as close to it as possible). - Between the cleanse and #29, I am making some progress!
19. Take Trent to the San Antonio Zoo Austin Zoo. - Post to follow with pictures!

29. Get moving again. - Slowly but surely I've been working out again.
41. Spend lots of time with my new niece or nephew and take some of the burden away from my sister. - It's definitely harder to give Blair the attention I gave Miles when he was first born, but I'm trying!  I saw Patty, Miles and Blair 3 times this week, so while it's a little more stressful than it used to be, I know it is more fun to parent with my sis!

So not really lots of progress, but I also kept up all my 'in progress' goals!  High hopes for May!!

Labels!

I added labels to my blog.  It took me forever to go through EVERY post (almost 600 - wow) and add labels, so I wanted to point it out. {grin}  There's a section on the ride bar (at the bottom) with them all.  Check 'em out!

An 'Entertaining' Weekend

When I get obsessed with something, I get obsessed.  Like ignore everything and focus on said current obsession.  Well, case in point, I finished The Hunger Games trilogy.  I got books 2 and 3 from the library and between Thursday - Saturday I finished them.  I stayed up way too late, but hey, that's an obsession for you.  {As a side note, I don't ignore my child or anything.  That's why it took me so long to read them - ha.  Pre-Trent, I would have finished both before Friday was over.  Just had to point that out.}

And what did I think about 'Catching Fire' and 'Mockingjay'?  SO STINKIN' GOOD!  I won't given any plot details in case you actually want to read the books and haven't started yet.  They continue the story about unrest in the future America.  To show even more of my dorkiness, I'm debating whether this trilogy should replace something in my 'Top 10'.  It might...undecided right now. {grin}

Brent and I also watched 'Unstoppable' through On Demand.  Over-the-top? Yes.  Unreal dramatics? Yes.  So good? Yup!  Brent joked that the only reason I wanted to watch this was because I think Chris Pine is hot.  I quickly responded that it wasn't the only reason.  {grin}

A Post Fit for a Princess

I didn't think I'd be as hyped up over the Royal Wedding as I ended up being.  I didn't set my alarm to watch and {gasp} I even forgot it was even happening when I got up Friday morning.  I quickly devoured just about everything online I could to quickly catch up!  I have read a lot of great posts about the royal wedding, and it seems that everyone (like me) thought it was breathtaking and reminded us all of our young dreams that maybe someday we could be a princess! {grin}

Getting ready

Thoughts - Pippa looks gorgeous, how incredibly fun to be one of those little kids, Prince Harry gets more and more handsome as time goes by, and David Beckham is even more adorable while rubbing his baby {girl} bump.

Details of the Princess-to-Be 

Thoughts - I mean seriously.  GORGEOUS.  Every detail was spectacular.  I love that her dress is a little retro (Grace Kelly - one of the prettiest brides of all time) yet modern too, I love that she's wearing one of Queen Elizabeth's tiaras (and a tad jealous), her train is beautiful without being too long, again Pippa looks gorgeous, makeup and hair look flawless.  I'll say it again.  GORGEOUS.

The Ceremony

Thoughts - I know some people don't like traditional ceremonies, but I am all about tradition (hello I'm an Aggie who had a full Catholic mass when we got married, kinda goes without saying), so I loved the uniforms, hats, vows, procession, all of it!  And how cute are The Queen and Prince Phillip?!?!

After the Ceremony

Thoughts - More pomp!  I can't say it enough how handsome this couple is!  I think Prince William is just adorable and can't imagine a cuter couple.  I must say though the first kiss was just a little chaste.  I am not saying there should have been tongue or anything, but I was hoping for a little more oomph!

The After Party

Thoughts - Pippa is gorgeous. {grin}  How stinking good looking is William in a tuxedo?  Yowza!  I used to think Prince Charles was not attractive, but as he gets older I do think he looks more dashing.  Maybe being in a happy marriage agrees with him?  And Kate's party dress?  LOVE IT!!!  Not more than her wedding dress...but just as much in a different way.

Final verdict?  If you can't tell - I LOVED it all!  I did think often of Princess Diana and think how horrible it would be to get married without your mother.  I'm sure she was looking down on her son and his new bride with a lot of love and pride!

All pictures from people.com