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!