On the way home! Home, sweet home...about 4 hours down the road Pat wondered aloud why he didn't marry someone from Houston.

I was right

Well, apparently, my post just after Thanksgiving was appropriate because I hardly had time to even open my computer except to check e-mails and order things on Amazon. I wish I could bottle that excitement that happens in the kids during Christmas and keep it around all of the time or maybe we could harness it and cure the energy crisis. Whatever stress the holidays put on us I can see the pay-off in their little eyes. However, my hurry and scurry must not have gone unnoticed by everyone in the house.

On Christmas Eve I was barking orders and had the kids running around picking up their things. Rainey came in with one of her envelopes and it was sealed. She said that it was for me. So I sat down and opened it expecting to find something that she colored.

It was a $5 bill.

She looked at me and said, "It's from my piggy bank, I just want you to be happy."

Oh dagger to my heart. Well, I realized every little thing didn't have to be perfect and I needed to relax and enjoy Christmas...and just be happy.

The Christmas Story

My mother-in-law loves to give us nativity scenes and one of them is a set of stuffed animals that are all of the typical characters. We have Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and all the accompanying characters. Rainey asks if she can play with them and I tell her that she can. Then she goes on about her business and so do I...then I start to eavesdrop.

She was taking Mary and Joseph to different posts around our living room and keeps saying, "Come on Mary, we are going to a different hotel."

Then in a very grumpy, serious tone (I am not sure where in the world she has heard this tone...oh wait, I can hear the voice...it's me!) she says, "BABY JESUS, BABY JESUS, COME ON!"

Well, I think she picked up part of the story.

Well Crap...

My in-laws stayed the night on Thanksgiving and we had a lovely Thanksgiving Day...but the next morning I had a realization. I walked in and said, "Well, crap (or maybe I used a not as nice a word as crap...I am lucky, I have very understanding in-laws), now it's Christmas."

It all flows in after Thanksgiving...all those good intentions I had all year. December 25th, 2009 I promised myself that 2010 WOULD be different: I would shop early, address Christmas cards in August, be more organized. I still have last years cards, unaddressed, taunting me...seriously, in case you were wondering if you were kicked off the list, now you know. Well, I am sure you know the drill. Anyway, I have been kicking my own tail getting Christmas jewelry ready for other people's good intentions that were actually followed through on. I guess that is something isn't it?

My new good intention involves really appreciating what Christmas is really about...that usually gets me through.

Five fat turkeys and one crazy 4-year-old

Ok, I am not sure if this is going to work, but I am going to try to post a video. Please do not curse at, damage or become frustrated with your computer...You will not see anything. I videoed Rainey in the dark singing her song for the Thanksgiving program until I had to cut her off because she just couldn't stop. Now I hear it in my head at all times! It is so cute but I possibly need to post a warning that it will become a permanent part of your psyche.

Wow, a shocking return...

The worst part of being on a wonderful relaxing vacation is re-entry. That is what I like to call it anyway....I go from everyone asking, "Can I get you anything, Mrs. Green? Manicure, massage, cocktail?" to everyone saying, "Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma, Momma!" Accompanied by towering stacks of mail and laundry piled as high it can go without an avalanche.

I know, I know, poor me! Anyway, it is amazing how things pile up while you are gone for a few days. I think I am getting myself back together.

I returned from my trip to do a jewelry show in Dallas that benefitted Camp John Marc, which is a wonderful and worthwhile cause. The link is www.campjohnmarc.org...it is a Camp for children with special needs. I truly enjoyed meeting all of the other vendors that were showing their wares. They were impressive young women that designed handbags, clothing, stationary, tablecloths, etc. I was blown away! My friend and I kept discussing how amazing and mind-boggling it was that they had the knowledge, savvy and foresight to pull something like that off at such a young age. It just goes to show that you can't ever make big things happen unless you go for it.

Loafing

Just when you think it can't get any better!...

Rangers Party

Last night at the Rangers....ummm, unvictory party Pat sang "Take me out to the ballgame!" So much fun! Kellis had a ball and got to meet several players, Charley Pride and this little guy:

SO CUTE! This kid has been all over the place...maybe they are the future of music and baseball?

Rangers to the World Series!

I sure do love to hear some Old School Pat Green as the Rangers head to the World Series!

Rangers fan

I thought it would be fun for the kids to stay up for the game...he's super excited!

Dinner

I co-hosted a friends birthday party and had left over Joe T's...mmmm! Guess what the kids wanted...sad, sad, sad!

Huge Tiny Sandwiches

OK, this doesn't look nearly as great as it tasted! I am unfortunately not as good a photographer as I am a cook.  So, that is not a normal sized plate...it is a saucer. I found some tiny whole grain bread and thought they would make the cutest grilled cheeses. Well, I could not restrain myself and they soon morphed into smoked mozzarella, garlic butter, pesto, basil, tomato, goat cheese, bacon, avocado and jalapeno sandwiches...I'm not kidding. All that in a 2"x2" space. Verdict...They were cute and awesome!

Last Picture Post

I guess I wasn't very clear in that last post! I found this cool app on my phone that allows you to immediately post photos on your blog, Facebook, or a myriad of other things I am not smart enough to know about.

Anyway, I had the very exciting opportunity to be invited to fashion week in NYC a couple of weeks ago. It was very exciting but as you can tell by the photo, by the last day I had to shuck the heels! I tried to hang with the big girls but, alas, I did not make it. It didn't diminish my experience one bit. In fact, in the end, I felt a little more like myself... instead of the version of me I was playing while I was there.

Kori

Settling In...

Well, I am officially old...in my estimation, anyway. I have a first grader, I can no longer pretend that he is  baby anymore. I think that exercise is getting embarrassing for both of us! He is loving school and is already off to a great start. So is Rainey, she just started at a new school and loves it.

The first week of school was amazingly busy with a birthday party every night of the week. We were all exhausted by the end of the week. After one of the parties Rainey announced that she would be 5 on her next birthday.  I took issue with that statement because I would like for her to stay 4 for...ever! Anyway, she said, "Mom, I have to keep growing." OK, ok, she has a point.

So I say to the kids that I sometimes wish I were a kid again.

To which, she responds, "Mom, don't be sad you have a mom and a dad, you are a kid!"
I love that kid! She may be younger than I am, but I am figuring out that she may be wiser. I am in big trouble.

Happy September!

I want a hairless cat!

Pat won an award this week...most played Texas artist of the decade! Yea!

I want a hairless cat!

From the mouths of babes...

And in the mouths of babes...Yuck! Trip to the zoo...$15, Cute face tattoo...$1, exposing yourself to every germ on the planet at once...priceless.

As for the former, Rainey was having lunch the other day and called me a "selfish jerk"...seriously. I was so shocked! Anyway, I said where did you hear that? She apparently has Pat's knack for quoting movies because she said,"On Monsters vs. Aliens, Bob calls Derek a selfish jerk."
To which I reply that it is not a nice thing to say to your mother!
She said, "Well, it wasn't really very nice for Bob to say to Derek either!"
Touche!
Here is a nice un-gross zoo picture...except the spill on Kellis's shirt looks like something happened with the bird.

Rainey's 4th Birthday

Miss Rainey had a wonderful 4th birthday last week...lots of her buddies were in town to celebrate at Shady Oaks with a fun and steamy swimming party. My sister made the cute hats that Rainey had on for the party favors and they looked so adorable on everyone! It was a great day and we have spent the last week breaking her idea that she is now grown-up and in charge of her own life. Houston, I think we have a problem...she has the 2 most stubborn parents on the planet so I think that we are going to have our work cut out for us!

Father's Day

This morning the kids and I put together this homemade card. Pat was coming in from Baltimore this morning so they each wrote or drew something on each letter that they loved about their dad. Then, we put them in a row from the back door so he could follow them in as he came into the house. We didn't do a gift because he just got a rocking anniversary gift and we just got home from our trip to the Bahamas...he is spoiled enough!

New York City

I just returned from a quick trip to New York City with my girlfriends. We had a fun, filling and soggy time, it was rainy and cold until the day we left (of course)! A little tidbit about my family; if I leave Tarrant County someone invariably vomits. Seriously, it happened again! Well, at least they are consistent. My poor Kellis was sick almost the whole time I was gone. Everyone tried to protect from this fact because I only knew about it after I got an email from the baseball coach wishing Kellis a speedy recovery. Ahhhh.
We saw 2 plays, The "Addams Family" and "Promises, Promises". It is always so exciting to go to a show on Broadway, especially when you get to see Sean Hayes, Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth...but they weren't my favorite shows I have ever seen.
"Promises, Promises" was a 2 hour and 45 minute show making a joke of middle-aged, married men cheating on their wives. Funny, how I don't think it's that funny, given I have a middle-aged man in my possession! A highlight of the night was that I sat by Dax Shepard, an actor on the series "Parenthood," which is one of the only television shows I actually watch. He was so kind to all of the people who came up to him to say hello.
The "Addams Family" was fun even though it got terrible reviews. However, let's face it, it wasn't based on an immensely deep television series, so I think you have to cut them a little slack. Nathan Lane is a comic genius, love him.
Then, there was the eating, and eating, and eating. We really only ate 3 big meals but it seemed like a lot. We were always the last people in the restaurant, I am not sure how we managed that! We ate at Marea, Aureole, and the Modern Museum. The Modern was by far my favorite, I had a drink called The Hinny, hmmm...it was so weird but awesome. It had some sort of infused vodka with ginger beer and jalapenos, strange but yummy! It was also a far cry from the boring old drinks that I order 99% of the time. I think they should change the name to The Hiney, just for fun. I literally thought I was going to be sick by the end of the meal because they just kept bringing more and more food, food, food!
Then, we woke up early the next morning and headed back to the Fort. I am starting to wonder if it was all a dream.

Mother's Day

Well, I have obviously been slacking from posting! With baseball, school activities and life I haven't had much time to keep up, and it is hard to recap everything at once. Let this be a lesson to me! We just had Mother's Day and it was a wonderful, relaxing day. I got breakfast in bed...I should have taken a picture, but my camera is in the shop (along with the toilet, the pool sweeper and the dishwashers). Pat made eggs benedict, or really close to eggs benedict, it was yummy. At school, Kellis's class had a Mother's day tea...they made us hats, place mats, shoes, lunch, and wrote us poems. By the time Mother's Day really rolled around, Kellis was over it! He said it isn't really your day.

He was right, it wasn't really my day. I was laying next to Rainey one morning before Mother's Day and I felt her little heart beating. It got me thinking about all the events that had to happen and choices that had to be made for me to be her mother. I spent all week being so appreciative and honored that I get to be their mother.

Tonight we are hosting an engagement/wedding party for Brenda and David at the Bailey's...should be fun!

Rain, Rain, Rain!

Today it has been raining, raining, raining....and I had a surprise quiet day all to myself or at least a few hours. That doesn't happen very often. It rained so much that they even cancelled baseball tomorrow. Kellis was invited for a play date after baseball and Rainey was with my in-laws. I had so much to get done, let's see, I did...mmmm nothing. I watched a movie, ate Fuzzy's breakfast tacos and read In-Style magazine. I was utterly worthless, how irresponsible of me! Oh well, I think occasionally we should all take a day off even when we have things to do.
Pat has his friend, Swanny, in town just visiting since he had the weekend off. So we took him to dinner at Grace and it was yummy. Also, we had reservations for a party of 3 and ended up having 10! It turned into an impromptu party which usually is the most fun anyway. Today, Pat and Swanny played golf...in the pouring rain, and Swanny got a hole-in-one. They were very jazzed about that, apparently, it is some kind of a big deal!
Rainey named her baby Lucifer today....Houston, we have a problem! She said it is Baby Lucifer's birthday and wanted us to sing Happy Birthday, you can take it from there. Hopefully, she will forget that name soon.
Tomorrow we have to judge the Taste of Fort Worth for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, I think that I won't eat all day so that it won't be too damaging!

Gladney Luncheon

Yesterday, Pat was the emcee for the Gladney Luncheon and fashion show. He did a great job...I wish I had a picture to post here. It was such a heart warming event. I feel like I often don't take the time to appreciate so many of the aspects of life that an event like this reminds you of. I often take for granted that I was able to have both of our children with no problems or issues, unlike so many people. Then you look at all of the wonderful Gladney families and imagine how different their lives would be without the children that complete their families and how different those kids lives would be without such loving awesome parents. It is like my friend said after the luncheon that it s so obvious that God created us to love and be loved!

I was so exhausted by all of the emotions that an event like that evokes. I also had a jewelry booth so I was BUSY! I always get to nervous that people won't like my designs and then people are so generous with their compliments. Then I get so mad at myself for wasting my energy worrying about it!

Here is a photo of one of the designs that everyone loved...It is lapis, lots of lapis! I love this blue and it looks awesome with jeans and any color top. It also looks so crisp and fresh with white.

The joys of spring

Well, here is what our beautiful shade trees over our pool look like...

And this is what covers everything in a our yard a couple of weeks twice a year...Yuck!

So we cracked Cinderelli and her friend Prince Charming out to clean this mess up...and let me tell you, they were a lot of help.

Last Week

This past week has been a whirlwind! I took Kellis out of school Friday and we went to Austin to see Pat's show at the Nutty Brown. We had a great time and hung out at the pool for the first time this year...I love the pool. It might be the only time that I allow myself to just sit around and relax without fretting about what else I should be doing.
Then we headed to Dilley, Texas, where my sister lives for my niece's first birthday. She was so adorable and we had a great time but it was a long trip for a short visit. I won't go into details but we can count construction, interstate closures and flat tires in our list of accomplishments on this trip though!

She was so happy once she figured out what to do with the cake!

Kellis was the lucky guy who busted the pinata and sported this stylish hat the rest of the night.

Summer, Summer, Summer...

If you don't have little guys or really medium-sized guys, all of my High School Musical (2) references will be way over your head. Also, you have something to be thankful for...Seriously. Anyway, this Summer song is whispering to me, telling me put down that queso and that hand of M&M's and show some RESTRAINT WOMAN, it's coming! Maybe that isn't a whisper.
I once bought a domain name called www.madfatmama.com and I was going to chronicle an average mother's quest to lose that stinking 5, 10, 15 pounds that keeps hanging around. That domain has remained untouched for years, kind of like the 5, 10, 15 extra pounds that continue to, pardon my French, piss me off.
SO this Easter, I will try to refrain from raiding the kid's Easter baskets every time I get a chocolate craving. I'm still not sure how I'm going to kick the queso to the curb...

The Cinderella Ball

Today was the Cinderella Ball at school and Kellis was Prince Charming. It was so adorable! He has been so secretive about the whole thing but he had the only solo singing part. It was hilarious, and he did great! I was afraid that he wouldn't do it in the end because he can be so bashful. Yesterday, he said that he wished that the Cinderella Ball wasn't real, I think he was getting nervous. 

The kicker is the teachers, not knowing that Pat is a wild card, asked Pat to be the knight that introduced all the kids. He said them all in this crazy Monty Python voice that was like a crazy old English lady...I'm not sure what else to say about it. I can maybe revisit it tomorrow!

Also, Rainey dresses up every day and was so happy that other people were dressing up, besides her. She was elated and thought that she was going to school to marry Bubba (Kellis)...hmmmm. Anyway, she got to walk in the parade with all of the Kindergardeners and fit right in. They were so sweet to her and took great care of her! It was such a great event and all of the teachers and kids worked so hard, I am so proud of everyone. BTW, I think my top kind of looks like I am the friar...but I wasn't dressed up, I promise. 

First Baseball Game

Tonight we, (actually, I didn't play) went to our (once again, I didn't play, but it is a hard habit to break) first baseball game and the boys did so great! Kellis had a couple of hits and a run. Those boys are so cute, little boys in baseball uniforms are so adorable! At one point, a little guy in the outfield stopped the ball and picked it up and all of the parents were screaming, "Throw it! Throw it!" He looked so dumbfounded and stood their holding the ball and looking at us. When he figured it out, the sweet guy cried the rest of the inning. We felt so terrible. He is new to the team and has not yet experienced the obnoxious creatures known as (parent) sports fans!

Here is Kellis on first...baseball ready!

Kellis on first feeling proud and not so baseball ready!

I wish I had a video of Rainey in the background singing High School Musical 2's "Swing, batter, batter." the entire game....by herself. Priceless.

Well, it was a beautiful night but we have to get to bed because Kellis is Prince Charming in the Cinderella Ball tomorrow! Hopefully, I will have some great pics. I will leave you with part of the prayer Kellis said tonight. "...Lord, please help the people in Haiti, the blind, the poor and the scrimmage. Amen." Hmmm....I have no idea!

The Cake

I heve been totally out of the loop in the cooking world. I have been SO lazy. I had knees surgery and was unable to cook for a couple of months and I think I might have gone forever before starting up if I didn't have a family to feed. Some of you are probably surprised to hear that, because I have always (ok, maybe not always, mom) loved to cook. I was able to not cook and got very comfortable to with my status as eater and non-helper, but the kids weren't going to let this keep up.
When we got back from Spring Break, my favorite cooking magazines had come in the mail. Food & Wine and Bon Appetit. I went through them and marked a few recipes I wanted to make and...poof, I am back! I am having fun cooking for everyone again. So I decided to take on the birthday cake for a great friend of mine's birthday party. I was a little nervous because so many of the fantastic women in attendance are such great cooks but, oh well, here goes!
It turned out great! It was the Tuxedo Cake from the Pastry Queen Cookbook...it is such a pretty cake and a very LARGE cake. The party was at Joe T's, so by the time we got to the spot we were having the party I thought my arm was going to fall off. Here are a couple of pictures of the party (and the Cake)!

Jennifer and the cake...funny candles, huh?

Windy!

Well, my mom blew in from Wests Texas this weekend. Wow, was it windy! Oh well, it was beautiful, at least. She and one of our friends, Debbie, brought the kids Easter baskets. We have been hunting Easter eggs every since, if practice makes perfect...we are perfect!

You also have to notice the fab outfits...flip flops and fur coats, and Kellis in his favorite camo pants!








Anyway, we had a great weekend and I have been working on beaded cuffs for a bride who is getting married SOON! I might mention that I am not a seamstress, so I am very happy that my mom was here to help me with prototype. I will post a photo of the bracelet tomorrow. I think they are going to turn out great, I just have to decide the best way to close them.
Moose and the kids were so happy to see my mom. We had such a relaxed weekend...yogurt at Menche's, baseball practice, hunted Easter eggs, Central Market, Mi Cocina, hunted Easter eggs, drove to Arlington to pick up Pat's knight costume for the Cinderella Ball (more to come Tuesday on this...much more), making bracelets and did I mention hunting Easter eggs? The kids also went to see "How to Train your Dragon" with Pat and LOVED it! Apparently, it was great, and I got to go have mani/pedi...so I thought it was an awesome movie!

It has been so long since we had a laid back weekend and it was great. Tonight, when I put Rainey to bed she said, "My heart is sad because Khaki is not here anymore."

Pat was all over the place this weekend. He had a fun trip to Ole Miss, somewhere I haven't heard of before in Lousiana...Nachisomethingoranother, New Orleans and Pharr, Texas. The last day was a crazy long drive for poor Russ, the bus driver... New Orleans to the border in a day and back to Dallas, UGH! Pat also got to have the Super Bowl trophy on the stage the night of the New Orleans show because our good friend, Sean Payton, is the coach was there. He also got to see the Saint's training camp! So neat, what a great story for a great city!

American Idol

Hmmm...I wonder how the television I am letting the kids watch is affecting them? I think I have some proof or at least a little social commentary.
We were watching the results show tonight and Kellis said, "I love the boys!"
Then Rainey said, "The girls are my favorite."
To which, Kellis responded with "Isn't it funny that we each chose our own," (wait for it...like I did) "species."
Actually, the same feeling to this day holds true for me. Except for being boy crazy for a few years of my life, I think that the girls are my favorite, too! Of course, Pat is my very favorite, but I seem to be inspired, challenged and entertained by the fabulous women in my life. So, thanks for that ladies...grrrr.
Anyway, go Casey James!
See I told you this blog was about contradictions...I just contradicted myself, if you don't watch American Idol. (he's a boy)

Photos

Here are a couple of pics of the kids from last summer in San Diego...ahhh, it makes me ready for summer. I am also feeling a tad guilty for the selfish comment about Spring Break...so I'm giving them a

little attention! 

 

Achoo..........Spring is here, hopefully!

Okay, I just changed the template on the blog last night and I have been sneezing ever since. Maybe I am allergic to it? Also, I am thinking in blog-like talk to myself all day, like a 24-hour commentary. I am really annoying myself! It's like when I would go rollerskating or skiing when I was a kid and it felt like my legs where doing it all night. Well, maybe not skiing, because it was against our religion. That is another story that I will spare you.
Anyway, I realized that Pat and I moved here 5 years ago this week...yikes! No wonder I am having cabin fever and allergies, we have never lived in the same place this long. The week we moved here I almost died of allergies. Okay, maybe not that bad, but I sure remember every year when the anniversary comes around.
I realized that Spring Break has nothing for me personally anymore, except gross abuse of my nickname...Momma. Momma, Momma, Momma. You get the picture.
What did I do the day after Spring Break? I celebrated with getting my hair fixed because I was way over due, for a reason I will decline to share with the GP. I have realized I can't leave Fort Worth...where else can I get my hair curled and back-combed with a straight face? I was inspired to curl my hair the other night when we went to see Faith Hill in concert. I was also inspired to grow 2 more inches and lose 25 pounds but that is another story, as well. I decided to deal with the things I can make happen immediately. Actually, it wasn't immediately and I needed a ton of help. I tried to do it to myself the day after the concert and it was a total failure! Seriously.
Pat walked in and said, "What happened?"

Roadtrips

Ahhh, the melancholy that follows a road trip. Especially a road trip to the Hill Country and Austin. It leaves me feeling like I am hopelessly uninteresting.

There are so many people willing to take risks and put themselves out there as artists. It feels like there are stickers and paint everywhere you look in Austin. Would you ever think to paint on a bridge or a building?

They even paint on themselves. We were walking into Anthropologie and Rainey came in and said,  "MOM, MOM...there was a girl with PURPLE HAIR!" Which may come across in written words as judgmental but it sounded more like jealousy. I agree, there is a freedom to be exactly who you want to be there, not to fit into a mold of who you or someone else think you should be.

With SXSW there and spending time with all of our old friends in our old city, it leaves me thinking I've lost my edge. I have come home with a great sense of wanderlust...it reminds me of heading back to Lubbock after a Spring Break road trip to Austin when we were in college. Like I have just returned to my cage...maybe it will pass.

The Beginning

I have been trying to decide how to begin this "blog"...whatever that
means. I mean, how do you begin? At the beginning, you know, like
Genesis or begin with current events complete with relevant and
interesting flashbacks?

Well, I'll start here and we will see where is takes us...
First off, I struggle with if this will be interesting to anyone but
me. I've decided it is worth it, even if I am the only one to benefit.
I have so many amazing memories but they are only stored in my brain
and I am learning just how fallible that device can be. I know I love
to hear stories about my mom, dad, grandmothers, grandfathers,
great-...Well you get the point, it's fun to read things you wrote a
long time ago and my kids might like it some day.

I hope I can avoid embarrassing my English teachers too much, in case they happen to see this.
I know it won't be the Queen's English, given my bad habits
fostered by email and texting. You know, over usage of exclamation points, emoticons, ellipsis, u, g8t, things that make me appear to be a teenager rather than a middle aged woman and mother.

I think that leads to what the common theme of this blog will involve.
Self doubt and contradictions, like Kate Gosslin's hair. The doubt that anyone will care what I have to say, or

worse, I might offend someone. I'm a city girl from a tiny West Texas
town with one stop light, I'm like the opposite of the Pioneer Woman. Actually, we had a stop light and it broke and they decided the traffic did not warrant replacing it. I love living in Fort Worth but I am always afraid that I might be deported back to the country, far away from the Central Market and restaurants with wine lists. (Sorry mom!) Here is the contradiction, I do wish the country was closer because I miss everyone there.


I am married to an awesome guy that happens to also be a fairly popular musician, Pat Green. We have been married for almost 10 years, YIKES! You know the old adage, time flies. 
Here we are on the day we got married and I think I still have the same expression on my face, on most days anyway! I would put a more current one, but once you have kids I am not sure if you are ever in the same photo again. 

My kids are 6 and 3, Kellis and Rainey. People ask if we are having more kids and I can't give
them a straight answer. No, Maybe, we are thinking about it...


Well, here are the kids we do have and they are so awesome! Everyone thinks that about their kids, it's how God made us. Otherwise, we might leave them on the side of the road...

I'm a jewelry designer. (Can I really say that?) When I fill out
papers at the doctor and the kids school and it says "occupation", I
have an epic struggle with myself. Can I write jewelry designer down?
Don't I need a certificate or something? It's also the part that
stresses me out because I know the next 3 lines are coming:
employer...self, spouse's occupation...musician, spouse's employer...self. Are
these valid answers that they will accept when considering whether we
are worthy to participate? Ie: Just how flaky are we and will we pay our bill?

Well, after thinking it through I go through with it. And here are my criteria: 1)I make and design jewelry 2) I often see it on people I don't recognize
3) people I love and respect wear it often, even when they are not
sure they will see me. 4) A few stores deem it worthy to occupy their
space. That being said, i still am a little timid about it, but I am
planning world domination of Tory Burch magnitude! I'll let you know
how it goes.

I'm not sure exactly how we got here, but wow, I never expected such a
full, rewarding and exciting life. I am truly blessed. We are able to enjoy so many fun and interesting experiences, I don't want any of this to seem like bragging. However, you will probably take one look at me and any jealousy will quickly subside! My hope is that this will be entertaining to you and I both and it will chronicle my family's experiences. Maybe it will be like a super cheap therapist and I will be able to objectively and calmly reflect on my struggles and modify my behavior accordingly. Ha! We will see how that works out.

Given the common theme of self doubt and contradictions, you can
expect to see anything and everything on this blog. Stories about
travel, kids, jewelry, fashion, cooking, etc.
I think that is enough for today, I don't want to run out of material! Well, here goes....I'm a little nervous.



Kori