He Makes Me Smile.....

If you've read this blog before, you've read how my husband thinks EVERYTHING is a competition.  The day to day things we take for granted, Peerless has to excel at.  "Fun" card games lose their "fun", because rather than have the spirit of "fun" competition, he just. wants. to . win.  He subconsciously keeps count of who has the most jeans (I swear he does), shoes (no joke), bottles of cologne....hopefully you get the picture.  I've convinced myself over the years that this competitiveness is just inherent to his makeup as an athlete, however there are times when he is just downright abnormal.  

Take a few moments ago, for instance.  He comes out of the bathroom so uber sexy with toothpaste foam around his mouth, fresh out of the bath tub.  He looks at me oh so adoringly and begins to tell me how I should yearn for him nonstop because, (sit down for this reasoning), he "brushes his teeth and has good hygiene."  I nearly pee'd on myself laughing at this man.  To make things WORSE, he let me know that the reason he brushes his teeth SOOO much (thereby making his hygiene so impeccable) is because he sees me in a constant competition with him over who can brush our teeth the most.  HUH????  Yes, my husband believes I am competing with him over who can brush our teeth the most during the daytime.  12 years ago I HAD to have this man, because he was/is the love of my life.....12 years later I have to have this man, because--while he still is the love of my life--he KEEPS me laughing. He is PRICELESS!  

The Daily Grind...

As I sit here and listen to the sounds of my house--Dora's spanglish on Kai's DVD player and Caeden's voice carrying in here from the foyer where she is giving a one woman concert to...umm...God--I realized yet again how BLESSED I am.  I have two healthy, happy, children; a marriage that is real with ups, downs, happy times, and some arguments, and a mama who lives so close to me and loves us all unconditionally.   Sure there are times when I wish I could wave a magic wand and have my clothes folded, lunches made, house completely spic and span, and a dinner made that would cause Emeril, Martha, and Paula to be green with envy!  Shucks, there are day when I wish I could just push PAUSE on life and take a good breather.  At the end of the day, all of sounds I hear let me know that the life I live is one of love, blessings, and happiness.  It's not my 9-5, but rather my 24 hour gig, and I love it.  My daily grind is a total work of love!

THANK YOU!!!

I just wanted to take a second to say "Thank You" to my sweet friend, Anne Freeman! She unselfishly helped me to give my blog a much needed facelift, and I love her!!! Thank you Anne!!!!  You have an endless supply of "cuss-isms" for whenever you need them!!!

Life at 5656 has been pretty routine lately.  It kind of gets thats way when Caeden gets into school and we get her extracurricular schedule set.  It's school, soccer, and chorus around here. Not too much more.  Caeden's having a really good soccer season, though.  The group of girls she's playing with is a really talented group, and I'm really happy to have her as a part of that team.  Here are some pictures of Caeden in action on the soccer field...

This shot was taken during warmups, but it's one of my all time favorite action shots of Noodle!

Still warming up...

I called her name to get a picture of her, and this is what I got.  Classic Caeden.

Here is Kai in her fly " Team Caeden" shirt eating "fruit froops".... Check out those thicky thighs!!! HA!

This was taken before a game...the "after" shot had a huge, red popsicle stain on the front of the shirt....

David and Goliath...

Today's soccer game was quite a doozy.  There were many so-called "Goliaths" waiting in the wings.  First, the little girls looked to be, on average, at least an inch taller than our girls.  Second, they were the "Atlanta Fire United"...the "best" soccer club in Atlanta or its surrounding areas. Third, our girls were/are a U9 team.  There are only two little girls on the team who are in the fourth grade (the rest of our team is in third grade and will be nine before October).  Finally, it was early and wet which made the grass and BALL very slick.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 2-0, them.  I had resigned myself to the fact that this team really was "that" good, and was ready to give the best pep talk I could to Caeden.  By the end of the game, the score was 6-4 US!!!  Yes, you read right--we BEAT a bigger, supposedly faster, older group of girls.  Caeden didn't score, but boy did she play well!!  She had some PHENOMENAL assists, some AMAZING passes,  and just an overall good game.  We were all extra, extra proud.  Our cousin, Cricket, came to the game to check her out, and Caeden wanted to show out especially for her.  There is NOTHING more rewarding than seeing the people you love happy.  As a matter of fact, we all were happy today!!!  Go CAEDEN PRICE!!!

The REAL Real Housewives of Atlanta....

Ok. I've been silent on the show for long enough.  Big ups to these women for landing a gig, getting some money for doing so, and keeping enough people captivated to land a second season.  I have had about 40 people ask me whether housewives in Atlanta were really like Nene, Shere, Lisa, Kandi (last season Lisa), and Kim.  You would be AMAZED at the number of women who ask me, "Do you act like that?" (While I'm thinking do you SEE me acting like that?) "Do you know any of them?" (While the answer is 'yes', do you THINK I want you knowing who I know so you can automatically begin making comparisons between the two of us...) or my PERSONAL favorite, "Why didn't you try to get on the show?" (Ummmm, better question:  why didn't I submit my information to Bravo to be turned down or put off a show, because my life is DEVOID of incessant drama??????)

Again, I APPLAUD the hustle!  These women have sensationalized drama in a way I can't even begin to describe.  Brands we may have NEVER heard of (She by Shere, WuBaby, TARDY FOR THE PARTY) are now KNOWN.  But at what cost?  Is it really that important to be successful at the expense of being known here and forever more as a drama queen? A liar? Untrustworthy? A whore?  IS it??  

Let me say this:  the only one of these women I know personally is NOT who she portrays herself to be on the show.  When our husbands worked together, she was VERY quiet, very professional, and all about her business.  Added to that, she was actually NICE.  Now she's portrayed as this uber important drama making golddigger, and I just don't get it.

As far as the demographic these women represent, let me touch on that.  How many women are entertainers?  Mistresses?  Athletes spouses/ex spouses?  Exactly.  These women represent a very SMALL class of women in the "A."  I NEVER bring up what my husband does/did professionally, but because of his past affiliation I feel completely able to speak on the subject:  ALL ATHLETES WIVES DO NOT SPEND ALL OF THEIR TIME SHOPPING OR DRINKING WINE OR HAVING GIRLS DAYS OUT OR TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES!  Quite the contrary.  An example?  No problem. ME.  A typical day:

6:30 am:  Wake up and get Caeden ready for school

6:55 am:  Out the door to the bus (either me or the Hubs)

7:45-7:55 am:  Wake Kai up and get her ready for school or Gymboree 

9:00 am:  Drop Kai off

9:30-11:00 am:  work out

11:30-11:55:  Shower and dress 

12:15:  Pick Kai up

12:30-1pm:  Head to the grocery store to get supplies for dinner

1:30-3:  Kai naps...during her nap I either get dinner ready or sit beside her trying to make sure she gets a good nap (on a rare occasion, I'll get an hour in myself).

4 pm:  Pick up Caeden from the bus

5-7:  Homework, P takes Caeden to soccer, dinner gets ready, laundry, lunches made, clothes ironed

7-8:30:  Kids fed, bathed, and put down for the night.

9 pm:  Shower, finish cleaning for the night, etc.

10:30: Bed

Now, don't get me wrong:  Fridays Peerless and I have a date night (unless we have soccer the next day, in which case we order take out and watch Blockbuster on the couch), and Saturdays we typically relax, because the girls are with Mimi.  Nonetheless, this is not the sensationalized, glamour filled life you see on the RHOA.  I don't have time to find out what's going on in my extended family, much less to stir up drama in someone elses household.  Right now, I'm about to go get this jambolaya and broccoli together while the kids are gone with their daddy to soccer....Then it's a hot, steamy date with two baskets of laundry that are arguing with each other about which is to be put up first....Yes....that is the life of a Real Housewife of Atlanta.  What's even better?  I'm happy. And that means everything!