Mr. Grey will see you now.

Today the Fifty Shades trailer was released.

I have watched it 10 times already.  Each time I watch a little closer.  I don't know what I am looking for exactly.



I can't say that I was super excited about Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey.  My heart was totally set on Charlie Hunnam.  However, after watching this trailer, my mind is changed.  I think Jamie is perfect.

Can we talk about the music?  The remake of Crazy in Love by Beyonce... amazing.

That scene in the elevator... wow.

The way Christian Grey taps his pointer finger on the desk.

February 14, 2015 can not come fast enough.

I wonder how many wives will make their husbands go to this movie as a Valentine's Day gift?

9 things you’d rather be doing today

Today is a busy day.  I need to sweep, vacuum, mop, dust, wash sheets, clean bathrooms.

There are a million things I would rather be doing.  For example, I would love to be...

...Sitting on the beach with my beau.
I could think of nothing better on this day.  I woke up this morning to iron Beau's uniform for work.  We snuggled for a minute and I wanted to beg him to stay home, drink coffee in bed and go to the beach.  However, real life is he has to work.

...Getting my hair did.
I have uncontrollable hair.  Think... Roseanne Roseannadanna.  Seriously.  What can I say?  I was blessed with big hair.  I love to get my hair trimmed and thinned.  I feel like a different woman when it's are done.

...Reading.
I wish I could sit around a read a whole book today.  I am between books right now.  I am not sure what I am going to read next.  I go to this site on a daily basis looking for free great reads.  Some days you will luck up and get a book you have been wanting for FREE!  Very cool.

...Cooking.
This is weird, I know.  I love to cook for my family.  I haven't cooked all week because we have had VBS.  We eat dinner at the church and poor Beau has to eat takeout.  (After typing this, I threw together Sweet Baby Ray's Crockpot chicken for tonight.)

...Dancing my little heart out at Dave Matthews.
He is close by.  He has been in my state since yesterday.  That makes my heart skip a beat.  I love him.  Ryan does not love him.  I begged to go to the Charlotte show.  Tonight is the Raleigh show.  No one was down to go with me.  My heart aches.  I can't talk about it anymore.

...Binge watching Netflix.
So, we started watching Prison Break a LONG time ago.  It was so addictive.  It was so great!  Then life got in the way of things.  I didn't want to watch without Beau.  He didn't want to watch without me.  We haven't picked it back up.  It is hard watching a series with your husband.  Sometimes your schedules just don't work out.  Therefore, today... I would rather be watching the rest of Prison Break.  I need to finish it... seriously.  We only have a few episodes left.  I guess I should just watch it without him.  Next time, I am watching my own series.  (PS- He has been watching Breaking Bad and he loves it.)

...Getting a massage.
I have only ever had one professional massage in my life.  I don't count making my children rub my back as a "massage".  Every now and again I will go get a pedicure.  We always do the green tea pedi with hot stone massage.  It is amazing.  I would love to do a hot stone body massage.  How wonderful would that be?!

...Sleeping.
I have been sleep deprived from the beginning of my marriage.  I go to bed super late and wake up early.  Can I just lay in the bed all day and not move?  I could watch all of my shows and it would be amazing.

...Doing nothing.
Because sometimes, doing nothing is a good thing.

Super powers.

Someone recently asked the question, "If you could have any super mom power, what would it be?"

Easily my mind answered, "With just a whisper, I would have the super power to quiet my children whenever I wanted."

They get along for most of the day.

There are certain hours that they decide to fight, scream and kick each other.

In those moments, I wish I could whisper a word and they would hug and get along.

There are so many great things about having children only 26 months apart.

They are close.

They are friends.

They can even wear the same shoes and clothes.

I think the closeness also leads to competitiveness which is a drawback.

And let's be honest, Bug is not fond of sharing her clothes and shoes.  She can't deal with it.

Sisters fight.  Well, most sisters fight no matter how close or far apart in age they are.  The fighting is just too much for me sometimes.

Another part of me wanted to answer the super power question like this, "All moms have super powers whether we know it or not."

Most of the time I can resolve a crisis (I might yell a lot in the process), catch vomit in my hands, stop blood, cook a fabulous dinner, shower in less than 2 minutes, put makeup on in the car, get crafty, remove permanent marker from just about anything, make a meal for myself off of cut sandwich crusts, and multitask like a boss.

I have a million super powers.

I'm not patting myself on the back.  All moms have certain things they never knew they could do before they had children.

But, lets be honest... catching vomit in your hands in pretty damn impressive.

Am I right or am I right??  That has GOT to be a super power.

Caroline- Month 96

Today you turn 96 months old.  You have been in our arms for 8 whole years.

You will start 3rd grade soon which gives me chest pains.  3rd grade!  We have a 3rd grader.  Wow!

You can pogo stick like a champion.

You learned to play the piano this year.

You have conquered fears and tried many new things.

We are so proud of you each and everyday. 

A few years ago, I made you a video for your birthday.  Periodically, you will ask to watch it.  You also like to call Van Morrison's "Queen of the Slipstream" your song.

I made you another one this year.  Since these are so special to you, I hope that you will always enjoy them... even when you are older with a family of your own.

I changed your song to a new one.  No worries.  It is still Van Morrison.

We love you to infinity, Big!  Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

Love you always,
Mom

Busy.

Sorry for the blog delay.  We have been busy.  Doing what, you ask?

We've been busy looking at this...

...and building drip castle towns with Jay...

...and building frog houses with Jay...

 ...and doing headstands...

...and wearing new life jackets... 

...and eating fish tacos... 

...and watching Wizard of Oz on the beach... 

We've been busy.

July Favorites

Ashley over at Dancing With Ashley has done a favorite things post in the past.  During my bloggy breaks, I would still go over and read her favorite things.  As I am in a bloggy topic rut, I will share my July favorites so far.

1.  XtraFulls Nabs

Nabs are our all time favorite snack.  When we first tasted these jewels, we were amazed.  The thick layer of peanut butter sandwiched between two cheese crackers has the perfect peanut butter/cracker ratio.  Amaze!

2.  Sargento Bruschetta Jack Cheese

My Dad introduced me to this cheese.  He paired it perfectly with crackers, olives, and hard salami.  It makes for a wonderful antipasta or snack.  It adds a kick to whatever you pair it with.  Delicious.

3.  Banana Republic Elephant Shorts

                     

Great pattern and color.  I absolutely love them.  They were a great find.

4.  Liz Earle Skincare

- Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

- Instant Boost Skin Tonic

- Skin Repair Moisturizer

Y'all, this stuff is amazing.  I love washing my face every morning and every night with this stuff. It comes with a super soft muslin cloth to "polish" your face.  The best part is, if you order the July skincare essentials regime, you get to try two of their haircare products.  I cannot recommend this product enough.  Love it.

5.  OPI Cajun Shrimp

This is one of my Mom's favorite colors.  I rarely use it.  Emma recently did a pedicure for me (she is pretty good) and decided to go with Cajun Shrimp as my color.  As you can see, the right toes are not the best.  I fell down the front steps the other day, scrapping my toes on the way down.  I normally use Russian Navy, My Private Jet, or anything black.  This pop of color was a little out of my comfort zone but I ended up loving it.

6.  I want this print in the girls bathroom.  This is one of our favorite movies and this quote is just great!

7.  This is our favorite song right now.  Love it.

What are your favorite things so far in July?

The staring game.

Big has always been a curious child.

She listens to everything and everyone around her.  She takes it all in.  Sometimes she will even go back and repeat what I have said.  Fun times.

While Big is very observant, she is a starer.  I am talking the girl will stare at you until there is an uncomfortable feeling in the air.

When she was younger, I loaded the girls up for a Target trip.  As I was standing in line to pay, Big and this lady had a staring contest.  Just as I could feel the awkwardness in the air, the lady said, "Well hello!  You are a beautiful little girl!"  Do you know what Big did?  Kept staring for an awkward amount of time and then stomped at the lady.  STOMPED!

Thank goodness the lady just laughed.  I was mortified.  I wanted to leave my cart in the checkout line and leave the store.  I did my normal apologies to the lady.  She smiled and laughed.  She said it was fine and she totally understood.

Just the other day, we took a late afternoon trip to the pool.  We were the only family there.  The lifeguard was in the water scrubbing the tiles.  As she floated around, Big followed her... staring.  She never said anything to the lifeguard.  The lifeguard never said anything to her.

Straight up stalker status.

In the meantime, we are talking to her about staring.  "It is rude," we say.  "At least speak to the person once they catch you staring," we beg.

Do you know what she does?

Just stares.

Stares.

Car trouble.

My children have this issue when I'm driving.

"I NEED that yellow piece of paper."

"What yellow piece of paper?"

My car could be on the most extreme episode of Hoarders- Buried Alive.

Seriously.

One yellow piece of paper in the midst of a million other pieces of paper, coats, clothes, pocket books, books, old food.

"That yellow piece of paper RIGHT THERE!"

"I'm driving.  I can't get anything for you right now."

Tears start.

Screams begin.

They kick the back of my seat.

All over a piece of paper or something equally non-important.

So, lately I have been trying to figure out the best way to handle this car situation.

How can I explain to my children that when I am driving... driving has to be my main focus?

"MOM LOOK!"

"Mommy can't look.  I am driving."

"LOOK!  PLEASE LOOK!  I NEED YOU TO LOOK RIGHT NOW!"

Most of the time I spend driving is spent in absolute anguish.

I know other moms have this issue too.

A friend of mine was taking Big to school one morning.  Her daughter and Big are in the same class and are great friends.  Big's friend started to pretend to choke.  The mother turned around really fast (forgetting about driving because she thinks her child is choking) and rear-ended the car in front of her.

See, it happens.  Our children preoccupy every thought or task we have a mothers.

So, how can I keep my children entertained in the car so that they do not try to preoccupy me?

Setting Sun.

{setting sun}

Eastern NC hast the most beautiful sunsets.

This is the view of the sunset from our top deck.

We get to gaze at this beauty each evening we spend at the coast.

The sky is watercolored with the most beautiful blues, yellows, pinks, & oranges.

#blessed

Let's be mermaids.

This is probably our most favorite thing to play.  With the recent Netflix find, H2O: Just Add Water (a Australian TV show that first aired in 2006), the game of mermaids has become much more popular with my girls.

If you touch water, you turn into a mermaid.

Those magical moments as a parent that you get to play pretend are amazing.  You get to relive childhood dreams for just a little while.

While on vacation, we played mermaids a lot.  Some times I would join in but mostly Beau and I would sit on the shore and watch.

After dinner one evening, we were headed home.  "Mom, do you think mermaids are really real?"

"You never know.  Maybe.  I like to think that there could be a mermaid way out there somewhere.  The ocean is a big place you know."

Beau got in the car.  "Daddy, are mermaids real?"  "No, Big!  Mermaids are not real."

Dream crusher.  Plain and simple.

That is the total difference between boys are girls.  Fairy tales, Prince Charmings, mermaids, fiction of any kind... is not real in the eyes of some boys.

Girls, though, believe.

I believe that this {my life right now} is my fairy tale.  It's not castles and horses, jewels and tiaras but it is my fairy tale no less.

I believe I married my Prince Charming and there is a Prince Charming out there for everyone.

I believe that mermaids could possibly exist... what a magical thought.  What is even more magical is letting your children know that believing and dreaming is so important.  Never give up on your hopes and dreams even if your hope is as small as the belief in mermaids.

Welcome home!

A wonderful, relaxing vacation is always nice.

But coming home is even better.

My beautiful daisies welcomed us home.  Zoey Pearl was pretty stoked to see us too.

Not a hugger or a toucher.

It is nothing against you.  I am just not a hugger.

Aside from Beau and my children, hugs are awkward and weird for me.

With that said, I come from a family of huggers.  So, there are a lot of weird moments at family get togethers.

I don't like touching other people in general.  Not just hugs.

How do I react you ask?

Hives.

Little did I know that Big has my same feelings about hugging.

Yesterday, we were swimming.  Big said, "Mom, I forgot to tell you.  Sarah (her school friend) told us she was going to a different school next year."

She has been out of school for almost a month and she is just now telling me this?  Anyway...

I told her I was sorry that Sarah wouldn't be at her school next year.

She said, "Well, everyone started hugging her.  Guess what Mom?  I had to hug her too."

"Well, that was nice," I said.

"No Mom.  It was weird.  I just felt like since everyone else was hugging her, I couldn't just wave at her and say bye."

"Well, I am sure she was glad that you hugged her."

"It was weird.  Just weird.  I don't understand why you have to touch other people when they are sad.  Weird."

I know Big, I know.

Weird.

Taking Stock {7-9-14}

Making: 

Coffee.  It's 9:46am and we are just waking up.  Oh, the vacation life.

Cooking:

Breakfast/brunch soon.  Yesterday was a full course breakfast so today I am hoping to just be cooking cheese toast.

Drinking:

Coffee.

Reading:

Wanting:

My children to not fight, yell, scream, cry and hit today.  Psh!  Never going to happen.  They have been fighting since before they got out of bed.

Looking:

For the perfect dinner spot tonight.

Playing:
Van Morrison.

Wasting:

The days away with my beautiful family at our most favorite place.

Wishing:

Vacation could last forever.

Enjoying:

My morning spent in front of the computer with my family beside me.

Waiting:

For Beau, Big & Bug to finish there cheese toast so I can clean up.

Liking:

Hummus.

Wondering:

If it is going to be 800% humidity today making it feel like 800 degrees outside.

Loving:

Summer.

Hoping:

For a nice evening on the beach watching Frozen.

Marveling:

That I am so lucky to have a beautiful, healthy family.

Needing:

A piece of chocolate.

Smelling:

Salt air in our hair.

Wearing:

Most days we are in our bathing suits from sun up to sun down.

Following:

No one famous.  I feel like I need to add more famous people to my Instagram.

Noticing:

The older I get, the more I appreciate the small things.  I like to call them God's fingerprints... little reminders on how precious this life is.

Knowing:

I need to go to the grocery store for bread.  Who am I kidding?  I am totally sending Beau.

Thinking:

About having to go downstairs to make up the beds.  It drives me nuts to know that they are not made.

Pinning:

Lots of beach things right now.

Giggling:

As we watch the girl ride their scooters in the driveway everyday.  They are awesome on a scooter and both go about 75 mph.  Every once in a while you'll hear a crash and then a little voice say, "I'M OK!"

Feeling:

Loved.

My newest treasure.

As I walked along the beach yesterday, I was losing hope of finding the perfect shells.

Most of the time after a storm, you can find beautiful shells.

Today was ridiculous.  Little piles of broken shells.  I did not find one auger.  I did not find one olive.  That is unheard of in ENC.  Those should be our state shell.  Why they are not, I will never understand.

I went to the water to "look for shells" one last time.  I sat down in the water determined to find SOMETHING.  I scanned.  I searched.  I pushed broken shells around.  I slid over about a foot.  As soon as I sat, I spotted it.  I jumped up.

There it was.  All by its lonesome.  Sitting on a pile of sand in a pool of water that was gathering as the tide was crashing in.

I carefully picked it up, cradled it in my hand and ran as fast as I could back to my chair.   Looking back on the event, I felt like Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  I found the golden ticket.  I found a baby sand dollar.

What an amazing feeling.

Cheers from the coast.

Our July 4th weekend was great!

We were worried because our vacation weekend started off with a hurricane.

We decided to ride Hurricane Arthur out at home.

It was yucky.  Lots of wind and rain.  From what we heard, it is a good thing we stayed at home.  Our beach took a pretty direct hit.  Arthur made landfall just a few miles from us.  They said it got rough down here.

We headed down to the beach on the 4th when Arthur made his way north.

We sat on the beach.  Rode the jetski.  Went tubing.  Went to a little island and found beautiful shells.  I have a collection of mini conch shells that I love to find.  Beau found his first one yesterday.  We were so excited.

That is our whole collection of special shells.

Today we plan on searching for more shells, swimming, and just being together.

Cheers from the coast!
Xoxo,
Hailey

The phonebook.

We came home from the pool yesterday and saw a plastic bag at the end of our drive.

I knew it was a new phonebook but the girls were curious.

I didn't tell them what it was and they made 90 to go get it.

They ripped the bag open and pulled out the new phonebook.

"Cool!  A phonebook... and a magnet!!"  Big said.

She started flipping through it.

For nearly 30 minutes, that child played with a phonebook.  Looking up names and businesses.

"Is this thing in alphabetical order by last name?"

"Look Mom!  There are coupons in here too!  LOOK!!  4 coupons for Empire Fire!!  Mom, we have to go.  Hold on.  Let me look up the phone number."

Something once an everyday staple in a home has become practically non-existent.  Let's be honest, google.com can tell you anything.  Even when my girls have and question that I can't answer, their response it, "Well, google.com it Mom."

Along with the art of ironing, sewing, and cursive writing... the phonebook is a thing of the past.

It's sad but very awesome that my children find it so interesting.

I will totally pull the phonebook out again on one of those "we are sooooo bored" days.

Smart one.

I love candles, tart warmers, anything that smells yummy.

About a year ago, I had a tart warmer on.  The house smelled delicious.

We were leaving to go out to dinner, I walked out the door and remember I left it on.  I casually yelled in to Beau, "Get that candle!"

I went to the car and waited... and waited... and waited.

I came back inside to see what was taking him so long.

Beau tried to blow out the tart warmer like a candle.  Wax covered the bookcase, hardwoods and wall.

Great.  Awesome.

Smart one, that man.

Lesson learned... DON'T blow a tart warmer.

Last night I had this little jewel on in the hall bathroom.

Battery operated, vanilla scented, fake candle.  Looks like a real candle.  Smells like a real candle.  Flickers like a real candle.  NOT a real fire-burning candle.

Beau walked by the bathroom and saw it.  I was sitting at the computer.  Unsure of what he was doing, I kept hearing this noise over and over and over again.  Finally I heard, "Damn.  What the hell IS this thing?"

Beau was trying to blow out the fake candle.

Smart one, that man.

Note to self: Find candles to blow Beau's mind.  His reactions are great!  So fun!

Be serious... 34 weeks preggo and running? No thank you.

Excuse me?  Did you see the story in the news about Alysia Montano this past Friday morning?

6 weeks from her due date and the girl ran 800 meters.  Not only did she run 800 meters, she wasn't terribly far from her personal best time.

WTH?

"Thirty-four weeks pregnant, or nearly eight months, Montano ran the 800 meters Thursday in the U.S. track and field championships. The five-time national champion finished in 2 minutes, 32.13 seconds -- nearly 35 seconds slower than her personal best of 1:57.34 in 2010 in Monaco." ESPN

First off, I could barely move when I was pregnant.  I drank Wild Cherry Pepsi & Jungle Juice and ate Nabs, king size Kit-Kats & Snickers.  I barely moved, much less ran anywhere... for any reason.  I could barely put my bra on without running out of breath.

Secondly, I don't know that I could run half a mile and I'm NOT pregnant.  I know there is no way that I would even be close to doing it in 2 minutes 32.13 seconds.

More power to you girl!

Wise words to those pregnant girls out there though... It is totally ok to sit around and eat.  You are only pregnant for 40 weeks.  Gain weight, eat king sized chocolates.  Don't stress.  Let's be serious... we all know if you just breastfeed that weight will drop in no time.  Promise.