Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Memorial Weekend

Happy (belated) Memorial Day to you and yours! We had an awesome weekend full of good old-fashioned family fun, and the only thing I can say at this point is....Why can't every weekend be a long weekend?

Thanks to our stellar sales staff (myself included, of course) we made our May budget and had a little party at work on Friday. I rolled in about 9:30 with my Nike shorts and t-shirt, did a little bit of office work, then proceeded to gossip until lunch time. Ahhhh. Our fearless leader grilled sausage dogs and we all had a couple of beers before closing it down for the day. Friday half-day? I don't mind if I do!

We just joined a local country club last month, and I have been so pumped to test out the facilities. And by facilities, I mean the pool, grill, and the margaritas. H and I took Charlotte and stayed all Friday afternoon. It was delightful.

Saturday morning rolled around and it was a beautiful day! I'm not sure about you, but we were blessed with some seriously perfect weather all weekend long. It was glorious! Of course we HAD to have another pool day. Our neighbors are members, too, so they joined us at the pool. They have two little boys so the ladies hung by the pool all day with the kiddos while the men played a little golf. Charlotte just loves those boys, especially the youngest, Charlie, who is only 3.

Our other neighbors invited us (and basically the whole neighborhood) over for a movie night on Saturday night. They set up a projection screen in their front yard and we watched Rio. Charlotte thought that was the coolest thing EVER! And actually, it really was. We spread blankets out for the kids, and all of the adults brought some sort of food to add into the mix. And of course, true to The Hysterical District fashion, there was quite a bit of wine floating around, too. H and I are still talking about how much fun this was. I would totally suggest doing something like this in your neighborhood if you can!

Side Note: The majority of Mobilians are Catholic. Which means there is a lot of wine at every single event we attend and everybody has a crap ton of kids. In the afternoons, our street looks like an elementary school just let out. Almost everyone has 3 kids, or at least 2 with another on the way. Our street is North Reed Ave, but the nickname is "Breed Street" because everyone that moves here starts popping out babies immediately.

We hit up the pool again on Sunday for some more family fun time. So far, we are certainly getting our money's worth for the club membership! Haha! I plan on being there as often as I possibly can this summer, hopefully teaching Charlotte how to swim. (I was a lifeguard about a hundred years ago so I'm somewhat qualified) She loves the water and doesn't act afraid at all. She will put her face in the water, she went down the slide, etc. Between the pool at my parents' house, my in-laws on Dauphin Island, and my neighbors' river house I know she needs to comfortable in the water. And safe, too, of course!

Monday was actually very low key. We decided to take it easy and do some things around the house because H had to work Monday night. Charlotte still managed to get in a little baby pool action in the backyard and play with her friends down the street. We also had a little street party that afternoon to kick off summer break. It was supposed to be a crawfish boil, but unfortunately the market was closed for the holiday. The guy who owns the local Wings also lives on our street, so he hooked it up with wings, chips and queso, chicken fingers, wraps, etc. It was a nice ending to a fantastic weekend!

I can't be more thankful for my little family and our life together. I complain a lot about our old house that never seems to be clean and always has something breaking down, falling off, or messing up, but overall I'm so glad we live where we do. I have great neighbors who have become great friends, and it's so nice to get advice from other moms that are (relatively) in the same stage of life as me.

I'm also so thankful for the veterans, current soldiers, their family members, and the canines that work so hard to keep us safe and free. My grandfather and my dad are both veterans, and I'm so proud of them and their service to our country. I won't ever forget the sacrifices they, and so many countless others, have made to ensure my freedom and the privilege to live in the greatest country in the world.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Random Wednesday

I don't really have much to write about today, but I just got tired of reading my last post when I opened my page. It was sad, and it made me sad, so let's get happy with some random Wednesday facts!

What I'm Watching -- There are quite a few good shows on right now and even a few great shows. First of all, Mad Men. Oh how I love you Don Draper, let me count the ways...Maybe I love this show because it is something I can kind of relate to. No, I don't sip Old Fashioneds in my Upper East Side apartment, but I DO work in advertising. This show is a glimpse at a time period in our country when things were really changing and moving in a different direction. Love. it.

I'm also watching VEEP on HBO. I love Julie Louis Dreyfus (Elaine on Seinfeld is probably my favorite TV character of all time). This show is seriously funny, and whether or not it is an accurate portrayal of what goes on at The White House--it is EXACTLY what I imagine goes on at The White House.

But don't worry that I'm going all intellectual with my television watching.  I'm still getting a good healthy dose of mind-numbing, IQ-lowering shows like The Real Housewives of Orange County and Dance Moms.


What I'm Reading -- I'm on the second "Game of Thrones" book and it is ah-mazing. I want to watch the series on HBO, but at this point I'm looking at about 13 hours of television if I start at the beginning. And that's a LOT of time that I just don't have. The books are really good,but there is a ton of violence and dying horses. The horse part is hard for me to take so I'm not sure I could watch the show without having some sort of breakdown.

Where I'm Going -- We've got some exciting things planned in the next few months. We are heading to Perdido Key this weekend for some family fun in the sun, then a nice Mother's Day brunch at the yacht club. Woo hoo! I bought my mom the coolest gifts for the big day and I can't wait to see her face when she opens her surprises. Sometimes giving really is better than receiving. (But receiving is still really good, too!)

My big 3-0 is next month, which is not quite as exciting even though I do LOVE a good birthday celebration. I hope we ring in my 30th with a bang (and I'm sure we will)! Charlotte's birthday is also coming up next month (along with my mom and dad's, too) so I've got to get to planning. I'm thinking a Minnie Mouse celebration pool party at the country club will do nicely.

We've also got a wedding next month for one of H's best friends. We both love Zach a whole lot, and we're so excited to be there as he weds lovely Liz. It's always nice when two nice people find each other. And I must admit, I'm pretty pumped to dance the night away at some of my old college stomping grounds!

And by "stomping grounds", I totally mean the library, Mom!

Anywhooo...Happy Hump Day everyone!