"But Mom I have to practice so when I become famous I'll sound good!"
*head on desk*
Which part of when she's 18 confuses her?
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Alexis and me on the beach in Frisco North Carolina circa 2006. There was a hurricane off the coast and the waves were huge. Jamison took this one from the balcony of the beach house we were renting.
I'm going through old pictures today while Alexis works for some reason....
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Today is Lex's first day of 2nd grade. I'm not sure how this time passed so quickly but here we are! My seven year old is in 2nd grade!
Last night I set everything up (as I usually do) so that it would be ready to go this morning. Let the fun begin!
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Take the link and stop by and tell me what you like to do with your Farmer's Market finds for your chance to win!
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When I went to clean the hamster's cage today I found that one of them (Archimedes) had gone to the big hamster heaven in the sky. Lex took this as you would expect a 7 year old to take this sort of thing, which is not well at all. We buried him under the apple tree in the backyard and then she cried for a while. Such is the life of a hamster I suppose. I'm not sure when he died. I saw him yesterday afternoon running about the cage.
Merlin is still here. I'm hoping that Archimedes passed away from hamster old age. If she were to lose the other one back to back with the first one, well I'm not sure that would go over well at all. Time will tell I suppose.
Rest in peace little hamster dude. (Alexis totally made me say that! ;oP)
]]>Alexis thought this earthquake was the coolest thing ever and has been asking questions about earthquakes all day. I guess it's a good learning experience if nothing else. We did not feel the aftershock, just the initial quake. I'm saying that her excitement about the quake makes her Jamison's child...MY child would be more of the "Oh my god that was horrible!" line of thinking. ;oP
I've always said that only reason I wouldn't live in California was the earthquakes, otherwise I think I'd like California just fine. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something. Hmmmm......
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Dearest Alexis,
Seven years ago today you were born. How is that possible? Most days it seems like it was just yesterday that you were wrapped up in that little hospital blanket, looking for all the world like a little glow worm. You were here and you were mine. I was thrilled! Seven years later here we are!
A lot has happened in your world since last year. You finally got to see "your" Statue of Liberty and you were thrilled! The look of awe on your face is one I will never forget! You truly love that statue and it amuses me the levels of your awe. Don't lose that ability to look at the world through eyes of fascination as you grow. That is an amazing quality that you posses and I hope that you never lose it!
We also traveled to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. You had a ball on this trip and of course your favorite part of the trip was standing next to the ocean at the Cape Neddick Lighthouse. You are so my child!
We also enjoyed two trips to Tennessee, one planned, one unexpected, as well as various day trips to locations from DC to Western Maryland. You like to get out and go. I love that about you!
Your birthday party got canceled when you developed a fever and a rash. We thought for a bit you had chicken pox, but it ended up being some generic childhood thing instead. At first you were very sad, but we had a small party with Grandma, Papa, Uncle Jason and us and you quickly came around. You finally decided it was "The best birthday party ever!" I'm so glad you can take a bad situation and make it something more! This is also a good skill to have. I hope it sticks with you as well.
I still wish for you all the things that you want to see and do. I hope we get to take that trip to Paris soon. I can't wait to see your eyes light up when you see the Eiffel Tower. I hope that you see it for the first time at night when it is all lit up and sparkly. I also hope we take a trip to Hawaii as that is your latest location of interest. I hope that the world is always at your feet. It is...Never forget that!
You truly are a very special individual. You have so many friends and have the ability to make new ones everywhere you go. You have an open heart and an open mind, two very important things to have in this life. May they go on with you as you grow and learn. You are smart, funny, loving and lovable. You are the perfect mix of all of what life should be.
You are a star. You are my star. May you always shine brightly. I love you in ways I can't even explain to you, but know this...I will always love you.
Love,
Mom
For a while now I've been very excited to read "Stay" by my friend Allie Larkin. Allie and I "met" a few years ago when we were both contributors to Celeb Cause, which was a website focused on green activities/trends in the celebrity world. We both gave suggestions on finding green products. We stayed in touch after Celeb Cause ended and when Allie formed The Greenists along with Courtney and they asked me to be a food contributor I didn't think twice before I jumped right in!
I was very honored (and surprised!) to receive an advanced copy of Allie's book "Stay" and I began reading as soon as I took it out of the package! This is Allie's fist book and it is heart felt, sweet, moving and an all around good read! I read it in one day and loved every word! Allie's voice is so clear in this story you find yourself slipping right in to Van's shoes without a second thought!
Allie's dog Argo is used on the cover of the book and her other dog Stella joined in on the picture fun too!
To learn more about "Stay" check out Allie's website where you can find an excerpt from the book, a reading guide, a story synopsis and more about Allie and the story!
Also check out the preview!
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"Stay" comes out tomorrow (June 10, 2010) so go get a copy! I promise you won't be disappointed! I can't wait for Allie's next book!
Cross posted at Dianne's Dishes.
]]>This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Carrabba's.
Did you know that Carrabba's Restaurant now has smaller portion options on their menu? My sister and I set out on a mini girls night out, which we hadn't done in a very, very long time, and we decided to give the new smaller portions a try! We couldn't decide what to try, so we just tried a little bit of everything!
Carrabbas starts with authentic Italian recipes made every day with the freshest ingredients. These smaller portions are just the right size allowing you to have your fill, but also are better on your wallet. You get just what you want and don't have to pay for more than you eat.
Each smaller sized entree comes with your choice of soup or salad and starts at just $12. I had the Italian Salad along with my entree:
While my sister went with Caesar:
The food was great, our server Elizabeth was fabulous and the atmosphere was just perfect! You can't ask for a better evening than that! If you haven't been to Carrabbas lately check out their menu here and find a location near you here.
So how would you like to win a chance to enjoy Carrabba's menu yourself? Leave me a comment below between now and 6/11/2010 and tell me what great things come in small packages for your chance to win a $100 Carrabba's gift card! Also be sure and visit here for links to 7 more chances to win! One comment per person. I'll be reminding everyone about the contest during the month on Twitter and Dianne's Dishes.
For official rules please read this.
What are you waiting for?
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Maybe the deer won't eat all the apples this year! One can dream right? ;oP
What's your happy place today?
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Alexis finally got to see "her" Statue of Liberty. It was love at first sight!
Now I've got to get her over to the Eiffel Tower.... ;oP
The Globe sculpture that stood between the Twin Towers and was pulled from the wreckage:
My understanding is that they are going to move this from Battery Park, back over to the new WTC site when it is complete.
Tulips on Broadway:
Grace Church:
I've always been fascinated with this church. It's such a gorgeous building!
Another shot of Manhattan taken from the Staten Island Ferry:
And one of my little tea cup taking in the big city:
And yes she insisted on wearing her Wellies! She and those boots pounded the pavement and good! She liked riding in the cab better though!
New York in the spring? I highly recommend it! I had forgotten how vibrant that city is and how much I love it! I can't wait to go back!
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