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!

Happy Birthday to Caeden!!!

In all the excitement of Kai's first day of school, one of the most EXCITING parts of the day got all turned up in the mix--CAEDEN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!  My Noodle turned 9 years old on August 18, and she was SOOOO excited.   Monday night I was on the phone at 9pm with her teacher (sorry, Mrs. Briggs)  trying to establish a good time for me to bring cupcakes and goodie bags to her school.  I was able to get her the FLYEST High School Musical Locker cupcakes (big ups to Publix for taking the 9pm order and having it ready at 8am!), and her daddy went and got the goods for the goodie bags!!!  It all pulled together, and the little girl had a fantastic birthday.  What made it even better was that Tuesday was picture day at school, and she was able to wear her own clothes to school--instead of a uniform--ON her birthday!!!  After school, we went home where she was greeted by her birthday present--a trampoline!!!  She couldn't run outside fast enough to jump on it (yes, in her pretty skirt).

The Birthday Girl with her High School Musical pull apart cupcakes/cake at school.

Caeden's High School Musical Pull Apart Cake.

Caeden and Mrs. Briggs, her fourth grade teacher.

This is Caeden's "board" birthday card.

Caeden and Mommie on her Birthay at School.

I loved this poster in Caeden's classroom.

Noodle's cake was FINGER LICKING GOOD!!!!

Caeden helping Kai get on her (Caeden's) birthday present.  She has been jumping like a jumping bean since her birthday!!

Caeden LOVED her birthday present!  Kai wasn't/isn't so sure about it!!!

After the trampoline jumping extravaganza, we headed to Caeden's favorite restaurant--Olive Garden.  Of course the staff came and sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and she was OVER THE MOON.  Unfortunately she won't be able to have a traditional birthday party, because she's going to be in soccer tournaments beginning this weekend until November!!!!! 

Nonetheless, she had a GREAT birthday, and I'm so happy for her.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOODLE!!!  LOVE YOU!!!!

School Daze!!!!

I've been told about a hundred times in the past year that my youngest baby, Kai, is way to smart to not be in school.  Last August I tried to put her in school, but the closer and closer it got to the first day I just couldn't do it.  This year I decided I was doing her a severe injustice by keeping her home with me.  While we try to teach her stuff during the day, none of us is "trained" to teach 2 1/2 year olds, and therefore we KNOW there are things we are missing!  The decision to enroll her in a three day, half day program was EXCRUCIATING, and taking her to school was no less painful.

We are now on day three of the school year, and both Kai and I have cried EVERY day when I drop her off.  I do good to wait until I'm out of the classroom, but I just can't seem to hold it together.  I feel like the WORST mother, ever, for leaving her while she's crying, but I know I have to leave to give her the opportunity to bond with and get to trust her teachers (who, by the way, have been AMAZING).  Ms. Leann took pictures of Kai yesterday once I had left, and she was smiling and laughing in all of the shots, so I at least have that little bit of comfort.  Check out the wee one on the first day of school....and pray that it gets better for us!!!

Here's the big girl in her classroom.  Yes, I know her teeshirt was too big, but it was the shirt they wanted EVERYONE to wear. I wouldn't send her to school raggedy!!!

Here she is about to walk into the school.  Notice the look of indecison on her face.  Doesn't she look like a big girl, though???

Before we left home to head to the school.
Oh, happiness!  She was just making her way down the stairs to get ready for her first day!
Still coming down the stairs....Oh, what the day did hold!

She did make it through the day, and when I went to pick her up she said she was going back.  Hopefully things will make a turn for the better, and SOON!!!!  Meanwhile, I felt like the worst mom, EVER, because Kai's first day of school just happened fall on Caeden's birthday....  Never fear, I pulled it together to perform my "Mommie" duties by taking cupcakes and goodie bags to the school.  Wanna hear about it??  Stay tuned!!!

We're still here...

It's been a while, I know, I know.  Summer is supposed to be a time for relaxing, but we have had quite the busy, busy, busy summer!!!!  Caeden has been attending camps every week this summer, and Kai has been, well, Kai.  Kai is talking ALL the time, and speaking clearer than some adults I know.  Some of her recent favorite things to say are, "Yesterday.... (as in "yesterday I bumped my head")"...this is never used right, though, because she'll say something was done yesterday that was actually done, oh, four weeks ago.  Yeah, she has that everlasting memory like her big sister, too!!!  It's amazing!!!  Caeden is walking around here with this phenomenal tan, and I'm so jealous!!! When she tans, she gets darker, but it's more of a coppery, golden color.  LOVES it.

P and I have been travelling on and off all summer.  Now we're about to go on the family vacation to the Bahamas. Caeden looks forward to that EVERY year, so I'm sure she'll love it!!!

In a nutshell, that's what we've been up to.  Mimi's job is still pushing on, and sometimes PISSING her off. One week they'll give her 25 hours and then the next she'll have all of about 2!!!!  It's crazy.  She's happy, though, and that's very important.  She and her neighbors put together a block party this past Saturday, and I went.  It was a really, really good time!!!!  

Life with and for the Two Priceless Princesses has been really good.  I find myself being more and more grateful for them every day.  My family is very blessed to have each other, and I love being able to share it with you guys.  I promise I'll do better about posting on here.  Talk to you soon.