Sisters chat: Music

 Esther:  Question one: On a sunshiny day (like today! at least for me...) what is the cd you would pop in your player?

 Maude:  Beach Boys

 Esther:  I would opt for either Noah and the whale (what I have been listening to on a lot of sunshiny days recently) OR Beach boys! Maude, it is fun we listed the same group.

 Lizzi:  Hmm... Isn't that silly? I'm having trouble thinking! I guess for sunshine-y we are thinking like, happy, fun music, right? Well, I love Matt Papa, Audio Adrenaline, or Casey McGill

 Esther:  Whatever you think when you think "sunshine"

Susan Sarandon

I am afraid I do not keep up with celebrity lives which is why it took me 3 years to hear that Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins have broken up their non-married relationship after 23 years.  Somewhere I saw a quote that Susan Sarandon gave and I thought, "How very sad.  At 63 years old, she is single again and trying to substantiate her relationship theories that clearly haven't worked after (at least) 3 "serious" relationships. 

I am not a fan of Susan Sarandon except that her first (and only) husband was Chris Sarandon who played Prince Humperdinck in the Princess Bride (how cool is that?!).  Then she had a daughter with a director, Franco Amurri, and then was with Tim Robbins for 23 years and had 2 sons.  So, she has had 3 significant relationships that didn't last - probably not the person to take relationship advice from. 

A breakfast of champions

I am going to let you in on a secret that you probably already know if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time... I love food.  I love making food and tasting food. So, today I am letting you in on the best breakfast ever. Period. Full of sweet potatoes, sausage, spinach, eggs, cheese, and coffee (of course!)  This is honestly my favorite breakfast. Anytime we have a little bit more time in the morning this is what I make unless of course I am making coconut pancakes (but that is a recipe for another day...)

A Special Visit

Right now at my house, Gramma is visiting. We have had a wonderful time and my boys have eaten up each moment they have gotten to spend with her. I have also enjoyed the continual conversation we've filled the days with. Our thoughts may be interrupted constantly by, "Excuse me, Gramma..." or, "Ahhhhh!!" (a blood-curdling scream) but somehow we have managed to piece together where we left off and even continue on into hours and days of contented chatting.

A Poem, by: our Mother

Six Words, One Life

By Mom

Sisters Chat: A Day at the Spa

Lizzi: So the services we can keep in mind while talking are: haircut/style, coloring, other hair services, pedicures, manicures, massages, makeovers, facials, etc.

If money weren't an option, what service would you want to use regularly?

Esther: Massage or facials. Pedicures are nice too!

Maude: Facials

Esther: Am I allowed to say all of them? Haha!

Lizzi: That's what I'm thinking!

Esther:  Not hair color though... I don't color my hair.

Lizzi: I LOVE getting my hair done, and might get it highlighted sometimes if it weren't so expensive. I also love massages, and manicure/pedicures.

Maude: Nope, Esther is not allowed to color her hair! It is just too pretty naturally to do anything to.

Saint Patrick's Day

We had a lovely Saint Patrick's Day and after talking about it in Friday's Chat I wanted to follow up with one little picture!

We played Tape the Hat on the Leprechan and I cut out a bunch of three leaf clovers and they had to find the one four leaf clover in the bunch.  Milton and I enjoyed making the leprechan and the Happy St. Patrick's Day sign.  I did splurge and buy them each a St. Patrick's Day shirt but I did it around midnight the night before so I got them both for reduced price (I am NOT a bargain shopper so I was pretty proud of that!).

We had green waffles for lunch and Shepherd's Pie for dinner with root beer in bottles.  We watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People (we hid eyes and fast-forwarded the part with the banshee!).  We listened to Irish music and danced around a bit.  And before bed I sang some of their favorite Irish lullabies while we cuddled.

I really love holidays and St. Patrick's Day is especially fun with little ones.  They are thrilled by the littlest things (like green waffles).  I said to my husband that when they are teens they will probably be harder to please - they will think green waffles are silly and below them yet will be upset by the break in tradition.  I am very happy with where we are at now - and I do have ten years to get ready for being the mother of a teenager (thank goodness!).

Spring has SPRUNG... or summer?

Aubrey Renee Photography

The high in Louisville Kentucky yesterday was 88 degrees. I greeted the first day of Spring with windows closed and A.C. blaring. Is not Spring supposed to be around 65 degrees or am I crazy? (Don't answer that!)  Despite the heat I LOVE spring.  It is time to head back to the Zoo! I have to admit we have a pretty rockin' Zoo around here and I live less than 10 minutes from it (Score!) We spend a lot of days/evenings/mornings at the Zoo.  It is also chalk-sidewalk-art season! Translation: I attempt to draw flowers with chalk on my sidewalk but give up when my 17-month-old's scribbles look better than my "flowers" (if only I were joking).  On Friday we are going to attempt to plant our garden.  (I do say "attempt" or "try" a lot don't I? I think that is because I am a lot like Amelia Bedlia and most of my "attempts" go a little awry. But, that is a post for another day!)  I will let you all know how our garden adventures go. I am hoping for success and lots of growing veggies!

Anybody have a Theory?

On Sunday, our pastor shared a quote during his sermon that I thought was hilarious. Hilarious, and true. I don't remember it verbatim, and I don't remember the author of it, but the gist went like this, "Before I had kids, I had six theories about raising them. Now, I have six kids and no theories." That sure made me laugh.

I have certainly been guilty of theories. Theories mixed in with the certainty that I was right about every one of them, before I had any experience on which to base those theories! Before I was married, I had lots of theories about marriage and about being a wife. Before I had kids, I had lots of theories about parenting. It's funny how those theories tend to fall away the longer I am within these roles! Every situation is just too unique to place a black-and-white stamp on it.

My son: by Andrew Beard

This morning my husband (Andrew) and I were talking about our little man and all the crazy things he does, says, and how badly we want to know what he thinks.  We wonder what he will be when he grows up, who he will be more like in personality, how he will spend his spare time and where he might live.  It is fun seeing him begin to grow into a little boy and out of the baby; one day this boy of mine will be a man.  But, for right now he is just a little man, a baby turning into a mischievous kid.   Here is what my husband came up with if what our little man is up to these days.