Where do you wish you could be this weekend?

Me? Definitely at the Diana Krall concert tomorrow night at Atlanta's Chastain Park. My very favorite outdoor concert experience. It's so intimate and you take your own picnic, wine and eat from TV trays. People even bring flowers in vases to adorn their trays! I love her Live In Paris cd. Here's a clip complete with Paris footage at the beginning.



Instead of the concert, I'll be here in NC entertaining relatives. Mini#1 is getting baptized on Sunday so it's a big weekend for us. My parents arrive in a few hours. Have a nice weekend wherever you are!

Talk Thursday

Busy Week for us. Mini#1 started 3rd grade on Tuesday. I'm so proud of him. He looks taller, older, happier. Happier because, Bella, his secret love, is in his class this year. Mini#2 started swim lessons (2 weeks) and attended his first basketball class for pre-schoolers. It's every Tuesday, but he asks me every day "is today Tuesday?" He loves it. The coach said "you have quite the little athlete there." You think? More like miniature obsessed athlete that "reads" his Kids' Sports Illustrated cover to cover when he isn't talking about or trying to play some sports like activity at home. I'm hoping he'll make us rich one day because I don't think he'll be reading 737 page Harry Potter books like his brother. Enough of the minis. Here's your chance to comment/vent/ whatever. If you haven't left a comment, do. In no particular order here are some random items for this week.

1- Is it just me or do you think MJ might have rolled around in his $25K gold casket when his kids were up on stage at his memorial and daughter (GASP)Paris, spoke to the world? He kept them so sheltered (with good reason I believe). I hope they go on to have more normal lives.

2- Where was Lisa Marie Presley this week? I think she just had a baby so missed the MJ memorial.

3- Just finished Eden Close by Anita Shreve. Jillian, Inc. said this was her favorite by Shreve when I reviewed Body Surfing a few weeks ago. This earlier Shreve book was so good! Didn't want it to end. Definitely ranks as one of my favorites by Shreve. And it ended happier than most of her books.

4- Wes is such a dog (I'll use nice language on my blog). Bachelorette. Did you watch Monday? Does he really think women will rush out to buy his music now? About 98% of us watch this show. Not good for his record sales. ED is my favorite by far. Just don't know if that's a good match or not. What do I care? None of these matches have worked in the past. Well, one. Trista and Ryan.

5- The best for last! I got my giveaway package I won over at Pink Martinis and Pearls .
Thank you so much!! Everything was wrapped so cutely in polka dot paper. I'm enjoying the Coffee, Tea or Me book and the Vera Bradley sunglasses case makes finding my sunglasses so much easier in my mommy bag I haul around everyday.
Thanks again!! You're a sweetie! PS- it does drive me a little crazy when I see people traveling on airplanes wearing sweats like they just rolled out of bed. Would it kill you to make a little effort and have some pride in your appearance? Even if it's a long flight. Just my opinion.

Ok, I'm through. Anyone still reading???

Lost

Last week I took the minis to Marbles, the interactive children's museum in downtown Raleigh. They climbed a giant pirate ship, explored a vegetable and flower garden, built cars to roll down a huge track, played on a mini hockey rink, climbed a small climbing wall, dressed in various career outfits and played in fire trucks....on an on! Makes me tired all over again!

About the time we were finishing up at the building cars and racing them, mini#2 lost us. I say that because I saw him the entire time. However, he did not see mini#1and me behind him. I watched him head over to the over sized legos so we followed him. He kept going. I turned a corner (one large area with 3 smaller play areas) and didn't see him so I knew he was not exploring as I first believed and that he was running at that point. I ran. Around the next display I spotted him standing next to the railings, two hands on the bars slightly above his head and he was crying looking down for us on the floor below. Animal "mommy" instinct kicked in and I screamed his name because, seeing him in anguish, sunk my heart instantly. I wanted to end his pain as quickly as I could! As a mother, I ached for him as much as he ached for me. He turned at hearing his name, recognized it was me and ran over to me as quickly as his little legs would carry him. I sank down and hugged him for dear life reassuring him he was ok and that I would never leave him. Selfishly, I relished in his love and dependence on me. It reassured me that I'm needed. You just never know how long that will last with children and, I suspect, with boys in particular. We hugged and hugged and I had to give him the "what to do if you're lost speech," but assured him I saw him and was coming to him. We dried his tears and then this unpleasant experience appeared to be a distant memory for him as he discovered the hockey rink and started playing again. I, on the the other hand, stood there for a long time watching him play hoping I could always take away his fears in life or, the very least, give him loving arms to cry in when needed.

So close!

Well done Andy Roddick!! Despite losing in the Men's Final at Wimbledon today (Roger Federer won his 15th Grand Slam surpassing Pete Sampres' record of 14), you really shined on the court this year, especially Friday and today. I watch a lot of Wimbledon matches every year. This match, by far, has been the most exciting final in a while. It set a record for being the longest at 4 hours and 16 minutes. The 5th set (no tie break in 5th)went to a final score of 16-14! It was nail biting until the end. I so wanted the underdog to win. He's American! It was heartbreaking to watch him tear up to the sound of his cheers and the standing ovation he received when he accepted his runner up plaque. Then they showed his new wife, of course, and her chin was quivering. I teared up, too! His hard work with his new coach, losing 15 lbs and getting married this year all seem to be helping his career. I predict another Glam Slam title or more in his future. Did you watch? And congrats to Roger, too. He's a class act and a very gracious winner.

Interesting facts:
Andy is one inch taller than Roger.
Andy (26)is one year younger than Roger (27).
Andy got married one week after Roger did in April this year.
I'll bet you didn't know Mrs. Pink is such a sports fan....

July 4th- Stay refreshed!

...with a fun popsicle

...or stay cool shopping indoors. I don't really do white shoes (do have some flat sandals trimmed in silver though), but love these red and blue Gucci heels!!!




...or make a batch of this white sangria I made last weekend. Many people didn't realize that there are white sangrias. I, personally, prefer the white because you won't wake up the next morning feeling like a truck ran over, backed up and ran over your head again! This is tasty.

WHITE SANGRIA

6 tablespoons of sugar
6 shots Triple Sec liqueur
1 lime, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 ripe peaches, sliced
1 green apple, diced (It called for 3, but thought that would be too much)
2 bottles white Rioja Spanish wine or other dry white wine
raspberries
sparkling soda to top off glasses if desired. We forgot and didn't miss it!!

Combine sugar, triple sec, lime, lemon, peaches and apples in a large pitcher. Cover with wine and chill several hours. To serve, spoon fruits into glasses first (from pitcher)adding a few fresh raspberries in each glass. Pour wine over fruit. Top with a splash of soda water if desired.

Makes about 14 glasses...more like 12.

Happy Fourth to you all!! Be safe!!

I've been tagged.

The Queen Bee and Her Boys
tagged me with 10 things no one knows about me. The Queen told 10 things about the 2 Hollywood legends and the King of Pop so I'll start out with those, too, but may not have 10.

1- I remember Ed McMahon mainly from being the host of Star Search. I loved that show!!! I probably saw Britney Spears on it because I watched every show. Hmm. First reality show for Pink???

2- I, too used to play Charlie's Angels with my neighbor friends and we also fought over who got to be Jill! Although I never did the feather thing with my hair.

3- Whenever I hear PYT, I always think of my brother. If you remember in the middle of the song that strange high-pitched squeal/sound that hums for a while, whatever it is...well my brother could do that sound and it sounded EXACTLY like the song. Never forgot that.

4- In high school a guy named Ben helped teach my jazz class. He was one of the dancers (behind the black/white striped shirt guy) in the Beat It video!! We thought he was God. So cool!

5- When my mom traded in her Camero for a brand new Datsun 280ZX, we listened to the Thriller TAPE with the T tops out all the way home singing to the tops of our lungs. This entire sentence completely dates me!!! I just realized my mom was 37 and I was 14. Scary.

6- One night at a sleepover, my friend and I stayed up soooo late choreographing a baton dance to Billy Jean in her kitchen. I think we thought we were good enough for Star Search!

7- Both of my kids (one has been with my parents and the other with me) are scared of the pictures the media are showing of MJ. Mini#1 finally admitted to my mom that he was afraid of having nightmares of MJ! Mini#2 keeps saying he's "scared of that man with the white face." I showed him youtube videos last Friday and he liked Beat It and Billy Jean. "He doesn't look scary there". This man is an icon! I hate that he suffered so many setbacks late in his life.

8- I'm a lefty. I have to be on the left side of the bed. My sink is the left one in the bathroom. In restaurants, I sit on the outside, usually on the left, so I don't bump others.

9- I don't drink coffee, but love coffee ice cream and frozen coffee drinks. When I took away all the caffeine in our house about 9 years ago, my husband started drinking coffee!

10- I'm a creature of habit. I sit in the same area at the pool, church, etc.
Shopping in the grocery store, I always start on same side and finish on the same side of the store.

I tag:

Preppy Mama (if you have time)
Three for Tippy (if you have time)
Pink Cashmere Cardigan
Pink Pearls and Martinis
Cancer Sucks Even with Lilly Pulitzer on Yuor Side

Randomness

Happy Monday. I hope your weekend was fun and relaxing.

This weekend mini#1 returned and I got the biggest grin and hug I'd gotten from him in a long time. It felt great. Even so, he's maturing and independent and didn't seem to miss us too much! He was too busy having fun 24/7.

We had friends over for dinner Saturday night with their 2 year old son. My minis loved playing with him. I made sangria for the first time- a white one. It was very tasty! The recipe called for topping off glasses with sparkling water, but I forgot. It was fine without it!

I kept the church nursery (young 3's) yesterday and when all classes gathered for children's theater, I immediately picked out mini#2 in the crowd waving at me. I sat there watching him for 15 mins. sing, smile and wave at me from across the room of kids. It was one of those feel good moments as a mom.

I won Pink Martinis and Pearls' Come Fly With Me giveaway. Totally a surprise as I checked emails late yesterday! Check out her fun blog if you haven't. We each have a son with the same name, too! Thank you so much Mrs. Pink. Now I need to plan a getaway!

This is our last week of mini#1's summer break. Next Tuesday he starts 3rd grade! Wow! This week will be full of last minute shopping, the Marble Museum, the pool and meeting Mr. Pink for lunch with the minis.

And that's it for now. Working on a tag I got from Queen Bee. Still thinking of 3 more things to add!