What’s Going On

Instead of a beach recap, how about a list?

1. We are done carrying Sophie to restaurants. Done. Maybe we’ll try again in six months, maybe not. Out of two dinners out while we were at the beach last weekend, she was escorted from the table by a parent no less than 5 times. A few times for false potty alarms, once for a bathroom spanking, once to play outside while the other civilized members of our family finished their meals and once to be personally escorted by her daddy on an 8 block walk back to our condo.
2. My favorite part of the previous story is that her daddy says she screamed for me and yelled “It’s not fair!” all the way back. He was pretty sure people were going to think she’d been abducted.
3. I am officially finished Christmas shopping for the girls. I’m sure I’ll pick up a treasure or two in December and I still have to think about filling their stockings, but by and large, I am done. People keep asking how I’m going to deal with last minute requests and changing minds and the answer is: I’m not. I’m going to let them wish for one thing this year and hope I can swing it last minute. My experience is, on Christmas morning everyone is too excited about what they DID get to be worried about what they asked for. They can deal :).
4. I finally ordered a dress to wear to the Bama game in Dallas. I’ve seriously been stressing about it since March when we decided to go. I have a tendency NOT to be able to find red dresses when I need to, or they arrive on my doorstep and I discover they are actually orange or hot pink. I’m really happy with what I ordered, so let’s hope it fits and that the color is SD-approved. It should be here by the weekend, so maybe I’ll do a little fashion show for you.
5. It has finally hit me that my baby is going to Kindergarten this year?!?! While I might be nostalgic, I am not one of those moms that laments their babies growing up. Bring on maturity! I am, however, astonished that six years have blown by and that she is just so big.
6. Seriously. Since when did buying a backpack & lunchbox run us $70? I decided to be the nice mom and let her pick out whatever she wanted this year since it’s kind of monumental, but I somehow couldn’t convince her of the company that offers the free matching lunchbox. Instead, we went with tried and true Lands End and I’ll hope that the gold-plated ensemble will last more than just one year. Please.
7. To make me feel better, though, they were offering up to 70% off on clearance items and an additional 30% off on top of that (ending today). I managed to snag her skinny jeans, two pair of skinny cords, a ruffle dress and precious boots for fall. Am I the only one who LOVES back-to-school shopping? Next up… school supplies!
8. We have officially made a decision about our epic anniversary trip. I can stop dreaming and start planning. I might even do a little blog series about what we decide and why and our planning process. Does that even sound interesting to you? I have eleven months to make it happen.
9. Oh, you wanted me to tell you about it? Don’t mind if I do ;). We are doing ten days in England & France and we’re still debating throwing Scotland in for two of those days. A boys gotta play golf even on vacation, right? I’m calling the travel agent back today and hoping I don’t faint when I hear the bottom line. Eleven months…
10. Did I mention that I’m just as excited about spending ten days ALONE WITH MY HUSBAND as I am the destination?
11. I bought a super cute cocktail dress to wear to dinner on my anniversary. $14 people.
12. I read all twelve Sookie Stackhouse books in five weeks. I am having Sookie withdrawals. I miss Eric and I’m not ashamed to admit it (Bill gets on my vampire-loving nerves!). I’m making Josh suffer through True Blood with me and I’m constantly explaining how that “didn’t happen that way in the books”. The show is crappy by comparison (and he makes fun of it the entire time it’s on), but I can’t make myself look away. Anybody else?
13. For anyone else watching TB, Josh does the best impersonation of Bill. I mean spot on. The way he says Pam’s name makes me laugh so hard. I’m trying to convince him to let me post a video of him on here. Y’all would die.
14. Sophie managed to get my favorite bottle of glitter nail polish open while I was at Bible study last night. Josh said it got really quiet and when he tracked her down she, and my coffee table, were covered. I got a text in the middle of Acts that said “did you know fingernail polish doesn’t come off in the bathtub?”. Yep.
15. Our secret trip for Christmas break is really coming together. This will be our first “big” trip with two girls and I’m nervous. Rooms are reserved, dinner reservations have been secured, new outfits have been purchased. My girls are clueless and we lay in bed at night talking about how fantastic it’s going to be. I’ve never looked forward to a surprise so much in my life. You just wait… that announcement is going to be the best video ever shared on this blog.
16. I have been a terrible eater and an unfaithful exerciser since summer started. My weight has fluctuated very little, but I don’t feel as good as I did. I’m not ready to wish summer away, but I am ready to get back into a routine and not get sidetracked by a holiday or vacation every other week.
17. I’m going to the beach again next weekend with 7 of my favorite girls. This will be my first girls trip since I got married and only my second girls trip EVER. I know, I’m deprived. I’m looking forward to three days of beach lounging with no sippy cups to refill, no requests for sand-castles and no sand-covered mad dashes to the potty. Bliss.
18. Speaking of the potty, have I mentioned that Sophie is using one? My mother is a saint and has managed to potty train her since we got back from the beach. We are still having an accident here and there and I still put her to bed in a diaper, but she is doing so good. I *crossing my fingers* shouldn’t have to buy another box of diapers for at least a year.
19. No, that was not a hint. I am not pregnant.
20. Twenty seems like a good enough number, let’s call it a day.