Birthdays and Such

I guess it takes being a vacation to get me to blog about things that are a month old, but, oh well. My nephew Joseph, who just turned 14, and my sister both have birthdays during the month of May. 

Joseph's birthday was first, but John seems to think it was second. 

No birthday party is complete without pizza.

or lipgloss.

Claire thinks she sees something outside, but it's just a dog.

My Grandpa... he always sits in this chair at Moms, with an Alabama shirt one, which is weird, since I've never known him to know a score of a game. Unless it's the Braves.

Sarah had some technical difficulties getting the candles lit.

Go Bearcats.

That Aunt Rach.. she's a practical joker with black icing.

Bill... we don't normally let him in pictures.

Sarah's birthday was just a couple of weeks ago. She got overshadowed since she happened to be born on the date of the LOST series finale. 

Claire enjoyed her pizza from Sa Sa's birthday.

The Birthday Girl is fashionably late.

James... I think he is my apprentice for photography.

You can't let these two out anywhere together.

Addison loves to help open presents.

James charm that he picked out for his Mama.

Sarah thinks that black suede and leather are appropriate summer shoes.

She also has a good appreciation for raffia tied bows.

Oh James. I have a kindred spirit in him.

I think they had some good birthdays. As they are always filled with love and cake.

Wednesday Lust...

Since I am at the beach this week, I figured I could at least offer you some eye candy. You may remember how I did my Top 5 Girls crushes, so, it's only fair that I do my Top 5 Guy Crushes. 

Okay, so starting off, it's none other than Troy Bolton Zac Efron. He may have started out in one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen, but my 3 year old loves her some Troy Bolton. She is her mother's daughter. 

Is it wrong that I kind of want to lick his abs? No? Okay. Good. He is legal, people. Don't judge. 

Chace Crawford may have gotten me hooked on Gossip Girl, and I may continue to watch just to see his hotness with Serena, but, Nate Archibald will always have a place on my yummy meter.

Just something about my messed up hair and some piercing blue eyes...

Next off on the list, is none other than Ian Somerhalder. Boone, you helped me get sucked into Lost you sexy little sister saver.

Oh dear. It's like he is looking right at me and thinking about me... No? He's not? Well, that's what YOU think.

Next off, while he may have been knocked off the number 1 spot since he married that ugly supermodel.. seriously? What can he see in Giselle? Hello... I am right here. 

I may have also developed an unhealthy infatuation with the New England Patriots for this alone... Can you blame me?

My new number 1 spot is this guy:

Bradley Cooper. (Please come get in my tub) 

It was love when I saw him in Wedding Crashers. There is something about dark hair, blue eyes, a killer smile and cockiness that draws me in like a moth to flame. Seriously. Have you seen my List? The Hangover sent me over the moon. And have you seen the latest A-Team trailer? I'm pretty sure I would go watch this guy in a paper sack. 

Some of you may be surprised by the lack of a certain Vampire. But, let's face it, while he is a pretty face, he is also a goob in interviews and apparently doesn't bathe, so I'm out.

Your Welcome for the Man Candy.

LOST Finale-- In Pictures

While I am spending my Memorial Day packing for Jamaica, I thought I could leave you with our LOST Sunday in pictures. It may have been my sister's birthday, but I think it got overshadowed with the LOST finale. Andy and Sarah had a LOST party, and we went over for the first part of it. They really go all out on their decorating for parties, and this didn't disappoint. Andy collects all the figures and tidbits he can on LOST, and they all got their moment in the sun. 

Sarah made his this.

Here's a coconut. 

These are the drink buckets..

Here are some of the snacks.. LOST figures came out to play. James was in charge of putting them out. That's Sawyer, Jack, and Kate on the top tier. And Sayid and Locke on the bottom. Sayid and Locke are in a little of a compromising position, but since James did it because, "Those two are always following each other around."

The ice bucket

The coffee table was covered in LOST books and the LOST game

Even their family portrait had been replaced with LOST art.

I hope everyone has a phenomenal Memorial Day! We leave bright and early for Jamaica on Tuesday... I do have some posts planned. They are posts that should have been done a couple of weeks ago, but I am slacker. I'll see you on the flip peeps! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter.. I'm sure my lazy bum tweets will be more than you can stand! 

LOST Finale-- My Thoughts

SPOILERS FOR LOST. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED.

I told myself that I wasn't going to write this post, b/c what IF someone reads this blog that hasn't watched it yet and I totally ruin it for them? But, peeps, I am kind of mad. I thought generally, it was an awesome episode, but when it was over, I was totally confused. I had no idea what I had just watched. I didn't understand what Christian was telling Jack and we had to go back and re-watch the end. I get it.

Here is what I think it meant, but since, I suck at interpretation, who knows. Everything on the island happened. The plane crash happened. The time travel, the DHARMA initiative, Jacob/Man In Black- it ALL happened. The sideways flashes were a purgatory. In the church, people were waiting on Jack, because, ultimately, it's about Jack. They were waiting to cross over and move on.

Here is what I don't understand. WHERE WERE MY ANSWERS???? What IS the island? WHY did it need protecting? I don't understand and probably will never get answers. THEN, to top it off, put the cherry on top, we stay up to watch Kimmel to get my alternate endings, because, maybe they tell a different side to the story. BUT, what has Kimmel done? He has made a freakin' parody of LOST with the endings. They aren't freaking real. The producers are yanking our chain. It ticks me off.

I feel like actors do not get the tv shows or movies they are in. The impact they have on the general public and it ticks me off.

A lot is ticking me off about this. Why put those things out there if they didn't matter? Just to make the show last? If DHARMA really meant nothing, then why have the hatches and the numbers and the button? What was the statue? Why was it there? What about the temple?

I want clear cut answers, not ones I have to decide for myself- because what if I am wrong and didn't get it at all? All I can say is, I would be super jacked if I wasted 6 YEARS following the ups and downs of this show and not just 6 months.

What are your thought??

A New "Family Trip"

In approximately 12 days, I will be boarding a plane headed for Jamaica. We are going to Sandals. I am so excited, because we have never done anything like this. We always go on cruises, and after the last one, I put my foot down. I said, NO MORE, until you take me somewhere else. You see, the last time we went on a cruise, Addison was Claire's age. John didn't want to take her, he said it wasn't a good idea. But this trip was labeled a "family trip" which now included her. So, I said, either she goes or I don't.

John's parents rented the MAC DADDY room on the Liberty of the Seas, which was Royal Caribbeans newest ship at the time. The Presidential Suite was all ours. It was HUGE. 4 bedrooms and baths, plus a living room with a balcony which covered the entire back of the boat with an outdoor bar and a hot tub. This place was awesome.

The first night, Addison threw up a little. But I figured it was just from sea sickness. She didn't have anymore problems. The third morning on the boat, which was our first port- John woke up not feeling well. Since this was during John's anxiety times, we ended up in the Infirmary. Where they confirmed that John was indeed sick with the Noro Virus. In case, you haven't ever heard of it, it's the sickness they warn you about on cruises. It's highly contagious and an airborne pathogen. We were now quarantined to our room for 36 hours. John was the first victim. I fell not 4 hours later. We are talking, you would take death over this virus. It's vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes simultaneously. For 24 hours. I seriously contemplated having them helicopter me out of there and back onto American soil where I could die in peace. They came in changed all the sheets everyday. Cleaned the bathrooms, everyday. The only upside to it was everything had to be delivered to the room and it was comped. We paid for NOTHING while we quarantined. Poppy's beer? Free. Water? Free. They brought us anything we asked for. And we paid nothing for it. Once the vomited and diarrhea ceased, you feel like you have been hit with a baseball bat for a good 4-5 days. No appetite. Weak. It took a good 2 weeks to feel normal again.

Joseph was the third victim, followed closely by Jay and MeMac. Poppy was the last. Tracie never got it and while Addison never showed signs of it, we found out that she was the carrier for it, and since everyone had to take care of her while we were sick, they got it. Tracie had been on antibiotics the week before, so we figured that's why she didn't get it.

We missed one of our ports, but we were able to get off at Cozumel. We came home with a story, that's for sure. That expensive fabulous room became somewhere we never wanted to see again.

This was also the week before Christmas, so once we got back, through all the get togethers and dinners, Addison ended up passing it to every.family.member. My aunts, uncles, cousins, Dad, Karen, Mom and Bill. Even my Grandmother, who had to go the hospital with it and passed it around her nursing home. They were ALL sick on Christmas that year. MeMe didn't get it, b/c by that time, we knew what had happened, thanks to Google, and didn't allow her around Addison.

So, this is the story that takes my guilt away for a "family trip" without my children. I don't care what anyone says- that was hell. Pure and utter, Hell.

This Girl...

I have been pretty MIA lately and I apologize. The girls have been keeping me busy and while I have taken quite a few photos, there aren't enough hours in the day to allow for me to edit and trying to come up with something that doesn't resemble garble for the blog. 

My little Addison has been through some behavioral problems in the last couple of weeks at school. I'm not sure what is going on, but I think we finally got it cleared up. She has been picked on a lot, and I have to wonder if she finally started standing up for herself with resulted in going to time out 5 times in ONE day for hitting. It was a rough week for us. 

BUT, she never ceases to amaze me with some of the things she says and does, and here is a post completely dedicated to my first born. 

Her "tricks" as she calls them are becoming more and more bold and "dangerous" as she calls them, but it is stunning to watch her teach herself how to do hand stands, rolls, jumps, and her new attempt at a front walkover. The girl has never had any gymnastics training and I feel we could have a future Olympic Gold Medalist gymnast on our hands. She is so petite for her age, she weighs about 35 lbs, which is pretty thin, but she eats ALL THE TIME and never stops jumping. Her legs are ridiculously muscular. 

Some of her new sayings include: 

" My panties are getting too close to my butt." Which means, she has a wedgie.

One of my favorites is, "What woo say?" Like, she just can't believe what you have just told her and she MUST hear it again.

"Don't do that Mama or am I going to give you a BIG tear up!" I have idea where she would've picked THAT one up... :)

Seriously.. Kid. I can't take it. You are getting too big.

Yesterday, as we were driving, John said, "Oh look, there's so and so( I don't even remember who he saw)!" 

Addison, without missing a beat exclaimed, "Holla!"

She is obsessed with Lady GaGa right now, as well as the Zac Brown Band. Her favorites are Paparazzi and Telelphone and ZBB's Sic 'em on a chicken( do not play this for your children, it's the most redneck thing I have ever heard and now I must listen to it on command.)

We have started working on Yes Ma'am and No Ma'am-- hello? It's the South, we have manners, people!

She also loves Alice in Wonderland.. which, honestly, this child watches more movies that I never saw growing up. But, I guess it means, I get to enjoy them with her and nothing makes me more happy. She is really getting into wanting make-up and lip gloss is an absolute MUST for her. She loves snuggling with me in the mornings and getting to snuggle on the couch after Claire has gone to bed with Mommy and Daddy. She loves to watch Gossip Girl and Tori and Dean with me and LOST is a Tuesday night must-see for her. 

She definitely has that red head temper but can be so sweet and loving it will bring tears to your eyes. She always thanks you for the smallest things and tells me how much she missed me when I was gone( even if it's just 10 minutes). 

I just can't wait to watch her rock the world, but I REALLY don't want her to grow up!