New Pictures 2011

We took some family pictures today.  I think they turned out pretty good!  Tell me what you think.



Olivia and Cooper 2011



Cooper Thomas - age 6

Griggs Family 2011

My two hearts

Olivia Grace - age 8

Zombies

Livvie is scared of zombies.  We've fought this battle with her for almost a year now.  And she is NOT wavering in her belief that zombies due in fact exist.

I'm not sure what has her convinced - she saw "Thriller" on tv one day and ever since then she has 100% believed in zombies.  I've explained, Al has talked to her, even my Mom has tried to convince this child that the zombies in that video were actors.  She's not buying it.  I don't know what I'll do if she ever sees "The Walking Dead" on TV.  Ha ha!

Cooper went to a sleepover tonight so Al and I took O to dinner.  She and I had this conversation:

O:  You know there are zombies.

Me:  No there isn't.

O:  They eat you or they eat your brains.  That's how you turn into a zombie too.

Me:  Actually, they bit you and then you turn into a zombie.  IF zombies exist, which they most certainly do not.

O:  They're going to get you.

Me:  *blank stare*

Sometimes I think Olivia says these things to make me worry about sleeping at night.  

Getting my blogging groove back

I know 2011 has been a bad year for me and the blog.  I really didn't mean for it to be, honest. 

I came home from running last night to find Olivia walking (or attempting to walk) around the house dragging her right foot.  Apparently she fell at school that morning and spent the whole day trying to walk on it and just making it worse.  So, today as we sat in the doctor's office waiting on x-ray results to make sure it wasn't broke, I thought "Dear Lord, I HAVE to blog this!"  I'm not sure if that makes me really, really sad or if it means I'm finally getting my blog groove back.

I'm going with blog groove baby. 

O got feathers.  Pretty cute I think!

Livvie Grace is such an old soul.  And so grown.  But it's days like today when I'm reminded that she's still a kid.  Still needs me.  And I love it.  O loves Dr. Bonnie so when we saw her, it wouldn't have mattered if I were in the room or not.  But as soon as we headed to x-ray, well, that's when my girl actually turned into a little girl.  She got shy.  Scared.  I caught her looking for me a few times as my friend Lyn took x-rays of her foot.  I felt needed - I was reminded that no matter how independent Olivia is, there will always be times when she simply needs her mommy. 

I wish she would smile.  Just once.

Oh, about Livvie's foot?  It's not broken!  Yay!!!   And wasn't Cooper supposed to be the kid I take to the doctor about a possible broken bone?  I can't believe Olivia beat him to the punch. 

Nine Years Legal baby!

Me and my Love



Happy Anniversary to me and Alton!!!!  NINE wonderful years babe - who would have thought?

It honestly feels like it's been much longer than nine years.....and I don't mean that in a bad way at all.  I just mean that these past nine years have been everything I expected they would be.  There's not a day that goes by that I'm not reminded somehow by Al that I definitely made the right choice.  He's not perfect.  Neither am I.  But he's the perfect partner for me. 

Why does he loves me?  I have no idea.  And that's one of the biggest reason I love HIM.  He sees my flaws on a daily basis and still loves me.  He's the better of the two of us and probably always will be.  I hope we share many, many, many more anniversaries together. 

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

Cooper turned SIX years old yesterday!  It's so hard to believe that my Lil' Man is already six years old.  He's such a great kid - Al and I are so blessed to have him.  I say it all the time and I'll say until I die.....I have no idea what I did RIGHT for God to bless me with my two kids.  I thank Him daily.

Top Six things I love about Cooper:

1. Those baby blue eyes.  I still haven't figured out WHERE he got them from, but they absolutely melt my heart. 

2.  He's funny.  Cooper is completely and totally DIFFERENT than his older sister.  O has been a grown up stuck in a kid's body since the day she was born - Cooper is "my kid kid" so to speak.  I love the fact that he's so honestly a little boy and he cracks me up all the time.  His sense of humor is spot on and he loves to make people laugh. 

3.  That cow lick that has caused me grief since he came into existence six years ago.  I'd love to say it's one of a kind but his Daddy has the same cow lick.  But for some reason Cooper's hair spikes it up and he just looks naturally cool. 

4.  His laughter.  It's like music to my ears. 

5.  He still believes that Al and I are super heroes.  I actually hope this one never changes. 

6.  The fact that he's MINE.  I'll probably never love another man as much as I love him.  (Sorry Al - you are a super close second!)

Happy Birthday Cooper Thomas Griggs!  Your Daddy and I can't wait to see how much you grow in the coming year. 

(And Happy Belated Birthday to Al!  Poor thing misses out on a birthday every year since it's only two days before Coop's!  And Happy Birthday Nana, who completely lost her birthday since Cooper stole it six years ago!  Love you both very, very much!)

First Day of School

Cooper doesn't look ready......O does!

3rd grade already??

My lil' man picked out his own outfit for his first day!

Who's ready for school??

First day of school!  Woo Hoo!!!!  Al and I are the parents of a super smart 3rd grader and super handsome 5ker!  I sssooo can't believe how fast our babies are growing up - wasn't O just in 4k like LAST year? 

They both had really good first days and I'm so thankful for that.  Cooper seems to be really stoked about school and eager to learn all he can.  I love it!  I hope that enthusiasm lasts.  Livvie has a new teacher this year but after meeting her, I think she'll do great.  As long as Livvie can suck up and show off how smart she is, there should be no problems.  Ha ha!  

Here's hoping to a wonderful school year! 

New do for school!

Olivia has a new hair do to celebrate a new school year!  How awesome does my girl look?  She actually picked out the cut herself.....and I have to admit, I was nervous at first because it's ssssoooo short.  But it looks great on her and she thinks she is FABULOUS now.  Ha ha!

School starts on Thursday and I'm ready!  I can't say the same for the kids, but Mommy and Daddy are ready.  We do the whole "Meet and Greet" thing on Wednesday.  I know Cooper's teacher already and I think he'll do fine.  Livvie has a new teacher this year so hopefully she will hit it off with her.  It's hard to believe that O will be in 3rd grade and Cooper will be in 5k.  Wow.  Where did the time go??

In other news - my Mom had back surgery for the third time almost 2 months ago.  It's been a slow recovery but I think she's getting there.  She's not 100% yet, but hopefully she's on the right path.  It's been a hard road for her and very hard for me at times.  My mom is a super strong woman and to see her in constant pain for so long has been hard.  But it's made me want to run more and accomplish things I didn't think I could simply for her.   I have to give a big thank you for my inlaws who have kept the kids for the last 2 months.  Thanks Joyce and Alton!  Al and I are very lucky to have parents that are willing to help us out.  This summer would have been tough otherwise! 

Monsters

Cooper has turned into a HUGE milk monster almost over night.  He wants to drink it all the time now.  Which is great - maybe the milk will help him grow.  He's still a runt!  :)

OGG on the other hand, has turned into a doped up, steroid filled terror of a monster.  She woke up a few days ago with a sore throat.  My mother instincts told me to get her to the doctor and thankfully we did.  She tested positive for strep.  AGAIN.  Her tonsils were so swollen, she needed a steroid to help.  OMG, she's bounced off the walls and almost ate us out of house and home.  LOL  I keep telling myself "only two more days." 

Her throat is better now though.  Cooper, on the hand, is still wild as all get out.  

Fantasy Lake

Fantasy Lake rocks! 

If you haven't been to Fantasy Lake in Hope Mills, NC - then stop reading this blog and GO.  We took the kids on Sunday and I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we had.

www.fantasylakewaterpark.com

O and Al went down several of the main slides - which really surprised me about Lil' Miss O.  I guess I should know that my girl really has no fear.  She even went down one of the big green slides that went straight down.  Of course, at the time, she didn't know it did that!  Ha ha!  Cooper wasn't allowed in the main area but there's a FABULOUS kid area.  It's designed for kids 3 to 11 and it was perfect.  Cooper didn't even need his swimmers or anything.  He was a PRO at the Tarzan swing by the time we left.  I can't tell you how many times the kids went down slides,  swung and flew off the Tarzan swings and tried their best at the zip lines over the water.  It was a blast.  We got there when they opened at 10am and didn't leave until 3:45pm!  The Griggs family left exhausted and a little sun burnt.  We definitely want to go back. 

We skipped the pedal boats of course because Cooper said "I will NOT pedal." Ok....Mommy ain't doing all the work mister!  

My only complaint - the sand was frigging hot!!!!  Our poor feet were so sore and tender by the end of the day.  But now I know we need water shoes (or whatever they are called) for all of us next time we go! 

Too Busy to Blog

I suck.  I have neglected my blog so much this year.  It's not that I don't have funny or insightful (ha ha) things to blog about, I just don't have the time.  It being summertime, you would think I would have all the free time in the world. 

I'm still in this running craze, and that my loyal blog friends, is what is keeping me from my blog.  By the time I work all day, go run/workout, come home and spend time with the kids - I have little interest in sitting here in front of the computer.  I've got to get back into the swing of it though, I basically use this blog as a scrapbook for the kids so I've been neglectful.  Ha ha!

Cooper and Livvie are growing like weeds.  They are enjoying the summer so much.  They are both so frigging tan, it ain't funny!  I think they have grown gills.  They collapse in bed at night because they are exhausted.  I love it.  Although I honestly can't remember the last time I gave them a bath, I'm sure Al has.  At least I really hope so.  They haven't started to smell so I'm taking that as a very good sign. 

The weather has been so hot, it's actually been miserable to be outside some afternoons.  I loved summer when I was younger, but the older I get, the more I hate it.  Fall is the best season EVER.   It's made it hard to keep up with my running, but I'm doing it.  I have to run on the treadmill, which I really don't like, but it's better than quitting I suppose.  Anyways, that's the update for now - hopefully I can get back into the mind frame of blogging and have some great blogs for you all to read.  :)

A comment can do that?

I lost a friend.  On Facebook.  Which I guess isn't really a big deal.  I was never really close to this person anyways.  What bothers me is why I was defriended.  Want to know why?

Over a status.  Yes, over a status I posted on MY wall on Facebook.  Is that not total BS or what?  I'm entitled to my opinion, it's my space - so why does something I say bother someone so much they defriend me?  Oh well.

My status was simply "Congrats New York."  Apparently my friend didn't feel the same way - which is completely and 100% fine with me.  But don't email me and tell me how just because I apparently support gay rights that I'm wrong and shouldn't feel that way.   Hell to the NO.

Do I believe gay people should have the right to marry?  YES.   Do I think homosexuality is a sin?  YES.    But you know what else?  I sin EVERY DAY.  So who am I to say that sin is any worse than the ones I commit?   I can't - because that's not my job.  I have loved ones and friends that are gay - so yes, I support gay rights.   I can't imagine someone telling me that I can't legally wed the one I love simply because we're the same sex.  I mean, to me - love is love.  And if I love you enough to want to spend the rest of my life with you - it shouldn't matter that you're a man or woman.  All that should matter is that love has brought us together.  It's sad that people I LOVE don't have the right to have that same bond that I have with my husband. 

And since this is my blog and I'm completely honest here - let's face the facts.  Straight people don't do a great job of making marriage look fabulous.  I mean, 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Let that sink in a minute.  FIFTY PERCENT.   So what the heck is the problem?  Spouses cheat, husbands beat their wives, people stay in loveless marriages for their kids sake - yet as a society most people feel gay people will ruin the institution of marriage.  I can not even begin to tell you  how ridiculous this is to me.  But if that's how you feel, so be it.  I didn't email you and tell you that I thought you were completely nuts and hated gay people.  Do me a favor and don't email me because all I can tell is that straight people do a good enough job of ruining the institution of marriage.  And that ruin started a long time before gays wanted the right to legally marry. 

Here's my thought process - when you stop looking at someone as "gay" or "straight" and instead simply see them as a PERSON, then you begin to realize *no one* should ever be told what they are allowed to do and not to do.   Since I'm being honest here - I feel like that's what Jesus would do.  How can He turn someone away that loves Him, worships Him, is a good person and does good deeds simply because they loved someone of the same sex? 

Lady Gaga says it all in her song "Born this Way."   So to my ex-friend - I wish you all the best and maybe one day we can be Facebook friends again.  But if not, that's ok too.  After all, this blog and my Facebook page is just that - MINE.  You can defriend me all you want, but you'll never change my opinion and beliefs. 

It's hot outside

With temperatures in the high 90s and low 100's (yes, it was 102 degrees today!) this is how my son stays cool.  He's in the sprinkler business folks.  

Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's Day and I've shared pictures of two of my favorite dads.  Al and my Daddy.  :)  I know a lot more guys that are wonderful dads - but I don't have pictures of everyone! 

You know one of the things I love about Al the most?  The fact that he's such a hands on Dad.  He's not one of those guys that sits back and watches what his kids do - he gets out there and is part of it.  He didn't miss any of the kids games, never argues if I ask him to take one of them to the doctor or whatever, and is always ready to help me out if I need it. 

He's a great role model for Cooper and I'm so thankful for that.  I have no doubt that Cooper will grow up wanting to be as wonderful a dad - and man - as his dad.

Thank you babe!  I love you and all that you do and I never tell you enough.

Super OLD (ha ha) picture of my Dad.  I couldn't find any current ones saved on my PC so this is what I had to work with.  My dad is wonderful - I can't say enough good things about him.  Al reminds me a lot of him because they are both so patient and good natured.  I'm blessed to have such a wonderful dad.

Neither one of my guys would be so great if they hadn't had good role models.  At least, that's what I think anyways, and it's my blog, so you know how it goes.  :) 

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there I know!  Enjoy your day tomorrow.  :)

Beach

The kids have been at the beach for the week with my parents.  I missed those little monsters ssooo much.  But I have to admit, it's been a wonderful week for Al and I. 

We ate dinner in the living room, slept in on the weekends, went on golf carts rides in the evenings, even went to the gym a few times.  I had flashbacks from days before we had kids.  So carefree.

But then I would pass by one of the kids rooms and I would seriously hurt in my chest.  They drive me nuts and I promise you that 5 minutes after they got home today, my blood pressure was already up 10 points - but I can't imagine life without them.  Even Molly missed them and they nag her ALL the time.

So, the week was nice - a week that Al and I used to really reconnect but I'm glad Livvie and Coop are back.  Even when I had to watch Big Time Rush again for the first time in a week.   

Hip Hop

The kids finished the dance year with their recital and they both did GREAT!!!  Livvie is always a "show off" and this year was no exception.  She loves to be on stage - no matter what she says.  She tries to pretend she doesn't like the attention, but my girl is a *HAM* - MAJORLY. 

Cooper did great too for his first year - I was worried he'd get shy because he does.  All the time. Just like his Daddy.   But he was totally digging it and was the cutest boy in his group.  (Yes, I am biased, but a complete stranger told me the SAME thing.) 

My two hip hop dancers!

2011 THA Mother's Day Program

Cooper was a Fire Ant (notice the nice home made costume) for his Mother's Day program at school on Friday.  He was the cutest little Fire Ant in the whole wide world.  He made me some of the cutest gifts too, I was so proud of my little man.  He had a small speaking part too and I laughed my rump off at him.  His line was something like "I hope they have fried chicken and jello in a bowl." but he said it so fast that you couldn't really tell what he said.  Poor thing said he was nervous!  How stinking sweet is he?  

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!!!! 

Cooper's basket....he's getting a little better about finding eggs.  :)

Me and the wild ones......gosh I love them!

Griggs grandkids from Oldest (Olivia) to youngest (Josie).  2011

Daddy and the kids. 

Ate it

Just so you know, if you ever get trapped somewhere with OGG, you're probably a dead man.  Here's the conversation I had with her earlier about her baby egg she got from school that she's *supposed* to be treating like a baby.  Oh yeah, she's in 2nd grade by the way.

Me: Olivia, where's your baby egg?

O: I ate it.

Me: What??? You ate your baby?

O: It wasn't a baby, it was an egg.

Me: But you were supposed to pretend it was a baby and take care of it.

O: Oh....can I get another egg then?

Me: No way, tell your teacher you ate your baby.

How funny is that???  

Funny stuff from funny kids

Olivia and Cooper have had me rolling in laughter the last few days.  Cooper is my clown but Olivia is my "subtle" funny girl.

O:  Hey Mommy, how do you spell flaws?

Me:  F L A W S.  Why?

O:  I'm going to write down all my flaws.

Me:  Olivia, you have no flaws.  You're perfect.

O:  *eye roll*  I'm just going to write what I don't like about myself.

*Olivia sits and writes and then just sits, looking off in space*

Me:  Done?

O:  Yes, read my flaws.  *hands me her list*  I only have ONE.

Do you know what my girl thinks is her ONLY flaw?  FRECKLES.  I laughed sssssoo hard I could have cried.  I told her I thought her freckles were perfect but she insists that when she becomes a teenager, she will cover them all up with make up.  Oh O!

Now Cooper!  He had a baseball game the other night and came home all excited about they won by one point.

Cooper:  Mommy!  We won!

Me:  Awesome!  I'm so proud of you.

Cooper:  Hey Mommy, did you know Daddy has skills?

Me:  *looking at Al with that "You better not have" look*  Oh yeah?

Cooper:  Yes!  Daddy has skills.

Al:  Yes I do.  I can throw the ball, hit the ball....

Cooper:  NNNNOOOOO Daddy, I said you had skills.

Me:  Ok, I'm confused, what do you think skills are Cooper?

Cooper:  *sigh*  You know, red skills, yellow skills, green skills.  You eat them! 

Al:  I think he means Skittles.  Because I did have some Skittles.

Cooper:  Yes, that's what I mean.

Me:  *laughing*  OMG!!!  I wish I had this conversation on video.

Eight

Olivia turns EIGHT years old tomorrow.  I am still in shock that baby girl is already eight years old.  I know it's cliche, but it seriously feels like yesterday when she was born.   Wow, eight years have flown by faster than I ever imagined.  I wish I could slow the next eight down. 

We had a small family party this year - Olivia was supposed to have a friend spend the night on Saturday and then we were going to go to the zoo Sunday morning before the party that afternoon.  However, OGG woke up Friday with a sore throat.  Saturday we ended up taking her to Urgent Care only to find out she has strep throat.  Awesome right?  So, the sleep over had to be rescheduled....which O was not pleased about.  Thankfully after a few doses of antibotics, her fever was gone and she felt well enough to have a small party.  I teased her and told her that apparently every eight years she was going to be sick on her birthday because she was sick on her first birthday too. 

 Me and my baby girl.  The first one that called me Mommy and made me realize that I could love another human being so much that I feel it in my bones. 

 She's a huge fan of Pink Chicken skirts.  Her BFF Belle needs to go into advertising bc without her, O would never know about these skirts.  They are crazy expensive!

Happy Birthday Olivia Grace!

Lost Respect

I'm a huge George Lopez fan.  But not so much now.  I don't care if you like Kristie Alley or not (I actually do, but that's beside the point) - NO ONE has the right to compare you to a dancing pig.  Honestly, I found it insulting.  Not only to her, but even personally.  I'm no twig and I've battled weight issues my *entire* life and for someone to humiliate an overweight actress for her weight, well then what kind of example are giving out to girls like my daughter? 

I don't see George Lopez out there dancing away.  I will give it to Kristie Alley, she's got guts.  I could NEVER do a show like Dancing with the Stars.  I think it's wonderful that she decided to give it a try.  She's already shown America that us full figured girls can dance and look super sexy doing it.  At this point, she's my idol.   But when George Lopez goes on TV and publicly makes jokes like that - well then, you might as well have told my almost eight year old that she was fat too. 

And if you're one of these people who say - oh, he was just joking, lighten up - well then 1.  You don't respect other's feeling apparently 2.  You don't have kids and don't see how this could affect girls self images 3.  You get a kick out of insulting women  4.  You're skinny and hungry.  So I say to you - KISS IT. 

So Mr. Lopez, I may still find some of movies and shows funny, but I don't think I'm much of a fan anymore.

Take me out to the ballpark....

My little man is a ball player.  His Daddy is thrilled.  Beyond the moon in fact.  Today was the Dixie Youth Jamboree and Coop had his first game.  At 10am, it was already HOT.  I'm not sure how these little boys deal with the heat in those long pants and socks (and Cooper's went up to his thighs, no lie!). 

Coop had a blast though - scored TWO runs for the team.  He even asked Al "Daddy are you proud of me for coming across home plate?"  How stinking cute is my son? 

Mom and Dad are enjoying this new experience with Super Coop too! 

 Cooper T. Griggs - the cutest five year old baseball player ever!

                            Trying to hit the ball.....ended up hitting off the tee but got a good hit!

On base!

It was a fun day, but also a pretty scary too.  One of the coaches on the opposing team had a seizure on the field during the last inning of the game.  The boys were escorted off the field while the coach was tended too and taken off by ambulance.  I pray that the coach is ok and doing well now - it's definitely an image I haven't been able to shake yet.  Most of the boys didn't even realize what was going on because it happened so fast. 

I am looking forward to more games though - although I am NOT looking forward to the two games a week schedule for the next 9 weeks.  Oh, and I haven't mentioned that Olivia is playing softball too and her schedule is just as crazy.  Fun.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!



Thanks to Nana, the kids insisted on green hair.  Turned out pretty cute I thought.  And do you see what I see on O's picture?  That's right - she's smiling.  Finally.  Yay!

Melting My Heart!

I fail to mention how awesome Olivia and Cooper can be - and it makes me sssooo proud.  The other day at the grocery store, Olivia took her change purse full of coins.  She had intentions of getting her and Cooper some candy and I told her that was fine.  When we got to the check out though, I told O that I would pay for her and Coop's candy.  There at the check out was a jar for the local Humane Society.  Olivia asked me what it was for and I told her and do you know what my loving little girl did?  She emptied out her ENTIRE change purse and put all her money in that jar. 

How stinking sweet was that?  It totally melted my heart.  She was worried that it wasn't *enough* but I told her that she gave all she had and that was more than enough.  She smiled.  

It's moments like this that remind me that even though I'm an imperfect person and parent - I do manage to teach my kids some perfect life lessons. 

Oh my my....

What am I going to do with my girl?  Seriously folks, this kid acts like she's my frigging EQUAL.  It's so frustrating.  I'm going to look back at this time when I had to say "You're only seven, not 30" but right now - it ain't funny.

But how do you handle a child as head strong and independant as O without squashing (oh yeah, I used that word) that spunk?  Help please!  I don't want to change her by any means, I just want some.......relief.  That makes no sense to you does it?  If you know my Livvie Beans, then it makes perfect sense to you. 

Olivia's best quality is also her most frustrating one - and it's so hard to find the line to keep her balanced.  One day I may figure it out, but right now O and I are destined to bump heads, argue, then make up and do the whole dance again.  But Lord I love that girl so much it hurts down to my bones.

I Heart

Nanny McPhee....these movies have to be two of my favorites.  And the kids love them too. 

If you have kids, watch them.  Wonderful movies for family movie night!

Running Away....

Olivia turns eight in one month.  EIGHT.  Are you kidding me?  I swear, if the next eight years go by as fast as the first eight have, my heart is in major trouble. 

I was looking through pictures tonight and came across this one we took around Easter last year.  She had just turned seven.  She's running on the pier at the Lake.  Away from me.  I wanted to cry as I looked at this picture - the simplicity of it speaks so many truths.

Olivia is no longer the kid that needs Mommy or Daddy ever single second - she craves freedom and time alone.  She actually cares about what she wears, what her hair looks like and *gasp* what her friends think of her.  I need to face it...she's growing up.  I'm so happy that she's growing up to be a strong willed, smart, independent girl (exactly like her Mom!).  So why do I still wish she was running towards me rather than away from me? 

They don't stay little forever - that is such an understatement. 

Another reason to stress eat

Olivia watches way too much iCarly and Victorious.  I didn't believe so at first but now, I totally, and utterly KNOW it. 

O's new response when you tell her anything she thinks she already knows is "Gee thanks, Captain Obvious!"   (thanks Victorious, I owe you one.)

Really?  Are we at that point in childhood?  If we are, man that happened FAST.  Too fast.  Can we slow it down a little and you stop becoming the horrid, hormone filled teenager Livvie Beans?  I'd really appreciate it.  I'm not looking forward to the pre-teen and teenage years with my girl - she already gives me a run for my money NOW at (almost) eight years old.....what in the world am I going to do with her in a few years?  *sigh*  And don't forget her brother is *RIGHT* behind her.

As if I needed another reason to add to my stress eating list - I think I just found one! 

My hearts

My babies.....they are growing up way too fast!

Check it!

Check out the running blog I'm starting:

http://istillhaterunning.blogspot.com/

You love the name don't you?

No turning back now!

It's official! I signed up (and Al!!!) for my first 5k run/walk in 2 weeks!

Food, Inc

Food, Inc is a documentary you need to watch. Seriously. It has changed the way I look at food. I have yet another reason to go organic now. This is going to be tough. Can I get Al on board? Hmm, maybe. He's going to rebel about giving up meat every day - but I think I can compromise with him to limit meat twice a week. You think I'm crazy don't you? Rent Food, Inc and then tell me how crazy I am. Trust me. It's unreal what is done to our foods before we get them at the store.

Rome wasn't built in a day and this change won't happen for us overnight. We already buy a lot of organic food so we'll have to see if there are more options out there. Even adding a few organic items to your pantry is a huge plus. I did make a tiny step forward today - when Pam and I went to lunch at Wendy's, I ordered the baked potato and a side of oranges. I just can't bring myself to eating a fast food burger after seeing that film. I'm sorry Wendy's....trust me, I already miss those Junior Bacon cheeseburgers!

I'm researching places where we can purchase organic meats and even (gasp) tofu recipes. There's no way I can *force* Al to become vegetarian, but he's willing to give it a shot. The health benefits are out of this world. I look at the kids and I see how unhealthy they eat. I'm ashamed as their mom that I've let convenience win over on healthy eating. We've got to do something to encourage the kids to make healthy eating choices as they get older. And the more I learn about the stuff put into our foods, the more I want to do it NOW. I just don't believe that if you add preservatives, antibiotics, etc to what we eat that it won't have some sort of effect on our bodies.

I'm no health nut - please I wish! But I am at a point in my life where I am really taking my health, my husband's health, and my kids' health VERY seriously.

Honestly though, tofu scares me.

Thank you Nike!

My pair of Nike Free Runs came in today! I can't wait to try them out. I put them on tonight and they feel absolutely AMAZING. (My pair doesn't look like this - mine are pink and purple)

I'm serious about this running thing folks!

That was tonight?

I would have never known the Super Bowl was tonight. Yes, I knew it was coming on, but honestly - I just wasn't interested.

I like the Steelers (my parents are die hard fans) and I like the Packers. So, since I couldn't rightly pull against either one of them, I just decided not to watch. :)

And you know what? I'm cool with that - I've been playing games with the babies and actually having conversation with my husband.

But no worries - I've been keeping tabs on the score. :)

Have I mentioned this job is tough?

WARNING - venting blog!

I didn't sign up for the "parenting" job almost 8 years ago. The "parenting" job decided it wanted me and Al. Ha ha! (although that's really not far from the truth!) I wouldn't change it for the world of course, but sometimes, especially days like today - reality hits me hard in the face. Parenting isn't always fun.

Obviously, it's fun about 80% of the time - but that other 20% still creeps up every now and then to put you in check. For example, Cooper (yes, Cooper!) got in trouble at school today. He did something completely out of his character to another student. I was so disappointed in Cooper and that totally hurt my heart. Every parent thinks their kid is perfect - I'm guilty of that - but let's face it. They're not. Say it with me.....My kid is not perfect. Once you learn that - then this whole parenting thing gets a little easier.

I'm still struggling with that - but I'm coming around. Kids will be kids. They will misbehave in school, disappoint you, and make you question if you're doing the right thing as a parent. I mean, there's pressure when you know it's up to YOU to make sure they turn out to be awesome people. It's a tough job.

But if you do this job right - make it through the tough times - the rewards are totally worth reaping!

Crazy hair

Report Cards

Report cards came home today. And while that may be cause for panic for my kids later in their lives, right now it's a good thing. :)

Little Ms. O made all A's and one B for the 2nd nine weeks - and that lead to STRAIGHT A's for the semester. Go O! Al and I are so proud of her - she's definitely our little book worm. While she doesn't like to read like I do, she does absorb just about everything she's taught. I'm thankful for that. Olivia's biggest flaw is she doesn't *want* to take the time to do some of her work correctly and/or neatly. Dear Lord, if I could teach her to write neatly I could die happy! Ha ha!

Now on to Cooper....ha ha. Cooper got an AWESOME report card as well. He actually had *way* more checks than stars (checks are good - stars mean you need more work). I probably have the ONLY five year old who still isn't sure when his birthday is. When you ask, he'll say August 20th, 30th. UGH. You're killing me kid! Here's what his teacher wrote:

"Cooper has matured by leaps and bounds! He takes great pride in his work and is always the life of the party! Not to mention the "host" of the party! Everyone wants to be the funny man's friend!" How frigging funny is that? Oh Cooper......sometimes I just don't know what to do with my little clown.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better report for both kids. They are doing great in school and that makes Al and I happy. Now if I can just teach Cooper his birthday, we'll be set to go! :)

Finally - Freedom!

Saturday brought us back to our normal routine. And by normal I mean that I still never get to sleep in on a weekend. *sigh*

The kids are playing Upward basketball again this year and really love it. Cooper is a natural (or Al was told by one of the other coaches yesterday) and made TWO 3 pointers in his game. Oh yeah, he might be small folks, but he's got mad b-ball skills. :) It was all fun and games until he missed the ball and it pounded him in the nose. He cried. In the middle of the court. I almost ran out and scooped him up. Al wouldn't let me - he got up, walked to the edge of the court and tended to Cooper. His nose BLEED. I wanted to cause bodily injury to the kid who hurt my baby. Cooper was fine after a few minutes though and even went back in the game and made a few more goals. He's a tough one, and I'm glad because I see now that I have a lot cut out for me when it comes to boys and sports. I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

O did great in her game too - she *wants* to be sporty, but my girl has some laziness issues. When she's tired, she's ready to quit.....doesn't care if she still has six minutes in the quarter or not. But she's awesome at defense. Unless the other girl is 4 inches taller than her, and then well, I can't blame her there. :) When she gets her hands on the ball though, she's a totally different player. She tries SO HARD to make shots (and does a lot) - she just gets bored when she doesn't have the ball. I'm proud of her - I sometimes think she does most of this stuff because she knows I enjoy it and did it when I was her age and she wants to please me. I just want her to be active. We'll meet a compromise somewhere. She told me yesterday she wanted to play softball again.....she hated it before so I'm not sure where this is coming from. I'm going to talk to her because my philosophy is - once you sign up, you're committed until the season is over. No matter how much you beg or tell me you hate it and you WILL do your best and not go out there and not do a darn thing. So, we'll see about softball. I don't want to force them to play anything, I'm just trying to help them find what they like you know?

Here's my future WNBA player smiling (YES!) big!

This is what Cooper usually does while Sissy is playing. Goofing off!

Cabin Fever = Hate Snow

Nine inches of snow means that we've been in the house A LOT this week. Al has worked crazy, odd, LONG hours since Sunday afternoon. I missed him like crazy. Especially because I now know I'm not cut out to care for these two wild kids on my own. :) Monday was fun - we enjoyed playing in the snow (see previous blog), but by Tuesday afternoon when the snow turned to ice - it wasn't fun anymore. There's only so much Wii you can play before the walls seriously begin to close in on you. And we all know I'm not a cook, so living off of frozen dinners just wasn't cutting it anymore. Ha ha! I was so glad to go back to work on Wednesday....and trust me, THAT never happens. :)

Seriously though - this "blizzard" has caused our local schools to close for a whole week. *That* hasn't happened since I was probably O's age. Crazy. We've had more snow in SC in the last few years than I can ever remember. Global warming for reals? Maybe so.....who knows. But I'd like to remind Mother Nature and Karma that I live in South Carolina - and near the coast at that - for a reason. I prefer beaches over snow any day.

Here's a picture of my Big Honey and my two Lil' Honeys. Before snow obviously. :0)

Small picture but tonight Cooper and I made a Lego car together. We had a blast - and he was so proud of it afterwards. For about 10 seconds and then I think he lost the darn thing. *sigh* But I do have a new hobby that me and The Boy can do together now.

So, will this snow/ice EVER melt?

More Snow!

Can you believe that we got snow AGAIN? And I mean, a lot more snow! When we checked this morning, there was already 5 inches of snow. Trust me folks, people in this little town do not know how to act when it comes to snow! Not only do we never get snow, but to get 5 inches is almost unheard of! The kids are loving it though! Ahh, to be a kid again and enjoy the snow!

Casa Da Griggs covered in the white stuff!

Little Miss O posing in the snow. She's my very own snow bunny.


A very cold Cooper!

We made snow angels, the kids ate handfuls of snow, and they even tried to have a snowball fight. It is COLD though so after about 20 minutes, they were so cold, they were ready to go back in the house. Ha ha! Molly, wasn't feeling the snow this time though. Can't say I blame her though. Snow is pretty, but man - I really prefer beaches!

Resolutions

If you know anything about me, it's this - I don't do resolutions.

It's not that I don't like making them or even telling everyone what my resolutions are.....it's just that I don't ever KEEP them. Aren't we all guilty of that? If I could keep them, here's what a few of them would be:

1. Eat better.

2. Exercise more.

3. Be more patient with my kids.

4. Spend more one on one time with my husband.

5. Get my damn dog trained! For reals!!!!!

6. Run, run, run!

Ok, so maybe I can keep some, if not all of these (well except for the dog trained one, that one is a lost cause, I know it) and actually achieve some of my New Year resolutions. We'll see.

So, what are your New Year Resolutions for 2011?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

Snow at Christmas!

Sunday will go down in 2010 as the day the BLIZZARD came. Poor Al had to work so he missed out on all the snow fun. The kids had a blast playing in it - if I had not been sick, we would have stayed outside longer and played until our legs were froze. :)

Molly wasn't sure what to make of the snow! But she enjoyed playing in it too.

It's a shame that we snow so infrequently that just a little bit makes us giddy!

Christmas

Merry Christmas!

I took a ton of photos of Christmas this year - but you'll just have to go to Facebook and look at them. I am BEAT. Christmas is the most wonderful day of the year, but also probably the longest. And on top of that, I have a horrible cold that has gotten worse instead of better. Boo. Oh, and we're supposed to get snow so Al is on call for work at any time. *sigh* OF COURSE....I'm sick so it would have to snow so he will be away for 12 hours and the kids will probably be hyped up. Fun times!

Anyways, we had a great day celebrating with Al's family. The kids got way too much but it's so cool how many little ones there are now that it just makes it that much better. Take a look at my photos. Sorry I don't feel well enough to post more - but I'm heading to bed to get some rest before I'm on duty tomorrow! :)

Christmas

Christmas Eve

Santa is on his way! Santa is on his way!!! We are just getting home from Nana and Poppy's house after celebrating Christmas with them and already the kids are in the bed. Olivia is TERRIFIED that Santa will come and she won't be asleep. Oh, how I love the magic of Santa....I dread the day when it's gone on these two!

We had a wonderful time with my parents - they spoil the kids way too much....and Al and I for that matter! And no matter what I get them, it never really seems to be enough to say "Thanks" - So Nana and Poppy - THANK YOU for all you do for us. We appreciate it more than we say. Tomorrow we spend Christmas with Al's side of the family and it's always a ton of fun. So many little ones running around now - it's completely chaotic and perfect all at the same time.

Poppy, Cooper and O

Family portrait at Nana's house.

Me and the kiddos on our way over to spend Christmas with my 'rents.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!