Troph-fee

Griffin's baseball season ended last week.

My 6-year-old received a trophy at his last game, and you would have thought he'd been given gold. He was oh so proud.

Imagine my surprise when I overheard him telling his neighbor friend that she was his "first customer" to view his trophy. Oooooooooooookay.

He had turned the trophy into a little shrine in his room, and was bringing friends up one by one to see what he had earned on the baseball field.

The charge? One penny. Quite the entrepreneur.

I got to thinking...

...maybe I could do the same with my CMA win? Hey, gas isn't cheap these days.

OOPS

Duh.

Someone reading this blog nicely pointed out that I'm not the genius I thought I was.

Turns out, the Starbucks card I took from the Sunday paper can be used EVERY day for two weeks! I only need ONE card. In other words, I bought 7 papers for nothin.

But, hey, I'm up-to-date on what's happenin in the news.

Thanks, Christie.

Free joe

As a follow-up to my earlier Starbucks story, I thought I would share how I'll be getting coffee for free.

A friend tipped me off that Starbucks was running a promotion. In today's Sunday newspaper, an insert could be found with a card that can be exchanged for a free coffee. Shazam!

Since I spend up to $1200.00 a year on coffee, I was all about getting a free one.

Or two.

Or three.

We don't get the Sunday paper, so I stopped by the convenience store on the way home...

...and walked out with a stack of them.

I figure the cost of the paper is three times cheaper than the cost of the coffee.

I'm good for the week.

Caffeine confusion

Starbucks.

I ran by there this morning to get my daily coffee, especially since I felt like a hammer was banging on the inside of my forehead. It was killer.

I stepped up to the register, ordered, then waited patiently for my drink to be prepared.

They announced that it was ready, I went to get it, and another lady grabbed mine instead.

Just as she took her first sip, the barista behind the counter told her that she had the wrong drink, and it was actually mine.

Would you believe she handed me the drink, and said, "sorry."

Uh....gross.

Table for two?

Keith and Nicole.

The couple celebrated their second anniversary on Tuesday like it was any other day. A trip to Starbucks wearing jeans and workout gear.

Gotta love that...you don't even need a reservation.

Last week, Greg and I celebrated our 9th year over chicken nuggets at McDonalds. WITH the boys. Nothing says romance like a Happy Meal.

Did I mention we ate IN the car?

Crest for Canines?

Darby.

She's our black lab we've had for 10 years. The kids love her and she's slowing down.

I picked her up from the vet over the weekend, where she had a check-up. They informed me that Darby has tartar on her teeth which needs some extra attention.

Extra attention as in...

...daily brushing.

DAILY?

It's already a struggle to get the boys to brush. Can you imagine?

Tim means business

Tim McGraw.

He's always fun to talk to. Last time we chatted with Tim, he told us he made dinner and took it over to Faith's place on their first date. Quite impressive. But, Tim's not always a softie.

Take Tim's Tuesday concert in Washington, for example.

A man trying to get near the stage shoved a woman out of the way and pulled her hair. Witnessing the incident, Tim told security to "get rid of this guy." When they didn't arrive quickly, Tim took matters into his own hands and...

...pulled the guy onstage.

The guy began to rush at Tim, who raised his fist, before security hauled the dingbat away.

Go Tim.

The jeans don't lie

Every once in awhile I read one of those poems that tells you to live each day to its fullest because life is short. I get that.

One of the lines in these poems usually tells you to not take any days for granted, go ahead and indulge, have that ice cream cone, etc. Quit waiting for when you've lost ten pounds, because you'll be waiting a while.

So, I took that poem to heart tonight. I tossed caution to the wind, and I ordered me the biggest cookies n' cream milk shake I could find. "The poem," I told myself.

I must admit, it felt good to live today to the fullest, except...

...I had to unbutton my jeans. I'm full alright.

I do

Sara Evans is now Mom Brady.

She has a 2nd chance at happiness, and seems to have found someone who also values his role as a dad.

Sara and new hubby, radio personality Jay Barker, spent their first week as newlyweds hanging at home with their brood of 7. Yes, I said seven. Three are hers, four are his.

By the way, Sara's kids walked her down the aisle.

Congrats.

Jessica or Darius?

Jessica Simpson and Darius Rucker.

Both are aspiring country artists, who have been working on new albums in Nashville. Obviously, Jessica Simpson made a name for herself in pop music years ago, though it fizzled out.

If Rucker's name sounds familiar, he was the lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish. Both have decent singles.

Who has the better shot at making it in country?

Cast your vote in the poll above on the left.

A Kenny fan

Beer.

I don't drink it, yet my 3-year-old knows the word. He asked me on the way home from dinner tonight, "Mom, can I hear Kenny Thesney's "Sit Right Here and Have Another Beer in Mexico?"

Greg and I looked at each other and busted out laughing.

Seems odd that a toddler even has the word beer in his vocabulary.

Luckily, he doesn't know what it is.

Ballpark Snack

I love hearing words that kids come up with.

This time it was my 6-year-old, Griffin. He was at the ballpark yesterday with a friend. When I picked him up, I asked him if he was hungry.

"No, I had some beef turkey," Griff responded.

Beef turkey? "You mean beef JERKEY?" I asked. He laughed, "yeah, that."

"But, I only had one bite, then I had to throw it away." I asked him why. Griffin's response?

"It was disgusting."

Toddler Lingo

3-year-old Hayden.

You never know what he's going to say.

This morning at breakfast, he covered his nose and said, "I need to bless you." I told him Mommy didn't sneeze.

And then...

...he did.

Hayden was trying to say he felt a sneeze coming on. I like his version better.

You've Got Mail!

Taylor Swift.

She may only be 18, but she's a very polite young lady.

And her Momma taught her well.

We recently talked with Taylor, and a week after the interview, Jim, Kevin, and myself all received personal thank-you notes from her. Mine is above.

Taylor is a great role model for others following her every move.

Oh baby!

A onesie.

You've probably heard of it. That's the word used in babyland to describe an infant's piece of clothing.

Picture a miniature leotard. But, cuter. And snaps between the legs.

Keith Urban recently admitted he has never heard of a "onesie" until now. Better late than never. Keith and wife Nicole Kidman are expecting their first child this summer. That kid will own hundreds of onesies.

Back when I was expecting my first son, Griffin, I talked about my baby purchases with my co-hosts.

One day, on the air, Jim and Kevin asked me, "What is an Oh-nes-ie?"

After some snort-filled laughter, I realized what they were talking about.

That would be a ONESIE.

Let's hope Keith isn't getting his advice from my pals at work.

Wear black

It never fails.

I wore white dress shorts into work this morning, nicely pressed, only to find...

...a big dirt smudge on my right thigh. And its noticeable. How does this happen? The shorts traveled from the washer to the dryer, and under an iron.

It looks like I mud-wrestled a pig on the way in to work.

Oink.

Bird's Eye View

Disney World.

Hayden eventually fell in love with all of the characters at the happiest place on earth, and loved posing for photos with his "friends" by the end of our trip. Here's a rundown on who he met...

Mickey. Pluto. Chip and Dale. Goofy. Minnie Mouse. 3 Power Rangers. Pooh. Piglet. Tigger. Eyeore. Buzz and Woody.

Back here in Indiana, things are a little different.

I took the boys to dinner tonight, while Greg was working. Red Robin, their pick.

All went well until my 3-year-old spotted the restaurant's mascot, Red Robin. A red, feathery bird with skinny yellow legs.

Hayden started bawling. Hysterically. I couldn't pay fast enough while watching him make a beeline for the exit door.

He ran to the car faster than Carl Lewis and said, "I don't like the bird."

Ya don't say?

Meat-lovers

Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson.

If you haven't heard, there is RUMORED rivalry between the two songbirds.

Jessica is trying to get her music career going again with a new country album. I'll have to admit, I heard her new single and liked it. She's a Texas girl with a great voice.

She and Carrie have a little more in common than just country music. Carrie used to date Jessica's current boyfriend...NFL star Tony Romo.

Wonder if this makes for some awkward moments at awards shows.

At any rate, now all of the talk is about the shirt Jess wore while dining with Romo recently in Los Angeles.

Take a look.

Don't forget, Carrie has twice been named PETA'S Sexiest Vegetarian of the Year.

Coincidence?

Groceries and Appetites

Summertime.

The kids love it. And so does our local grocery store. I will spend more than usual on groceries over these next few months.

I ran to the supermarket late last night and spent $193.00. That included sunscreen.

So far, my boys have managed to eat...

Donuts and bananas with milk to drink for breakfast.

Two low-sugar juice boxes each.

Fresh strawberries, chicken nuggets and green beans for lunch.

Watermelon and one of those 100-calorie snack packs for an afternoon snack.

Baked chicken, peas, and rice for dinner.

Not long after dinner, they raided the fridge...tearing open a Go-Gurt each.

More watermelon. Oh, and a blueberry muffin for both.

Bottled waters and another banana for Griff.

And they just asked me...

"What's for dessert?"

Mullet-Envy

Billy Ray Cyrus.

Or as my kids call him, "Hannah Montana's Dad."

That's what they said when they walked into the room and saw him on tv, hosting the new season of Nashville Star.

I like Billy. I really like his hair. Pretty hip for a dad. And a long way from his infamous mullet.

The morning show chatted with "Hannah Montana's dad" a while back, and he told us he missed the mullet.

I had to ask him...WHY?

He explained his mullet days were back when life was good. Simple. Easy. Not too many worries in life. Things are so heavy now.

I think he has a point. I might just look at mullets with a whole new appreciation from now on.

Greg, don't get any ideas.

Let's Go Home

We're back.

An end to a vacation is sometimes a sad thing. In my case, it's probably for the best.

Here's why.

I'm a little accident-prone. A lot, actually.

And my kids get it honest.

The second night in our hotel, my oldest boy fell out of bed, hitting his head on the nightstand and bloodying his nose. OUCH.

Fast-forward to that morning at the hotel breakfast buffet. I laid the kids heavy packpack for the Disney parks on the back of my 3-year-old's chair.

He got up to get a waffle. And the chair flipped...

...hitting Hayden in the chin.

Happiest place on Earth? I spent more time nursing injuries than posing with the Mouse.

HOME ADDRESS

No.

That was Carrie Underwood's response when we asked her if her hometown has named a street after her. She said they haven't, and she's glad. Carrie thought a street with her name might be a little weird.

Carrie Underwood Boulevard. Has a nice ring to it.

I'm weird about street names. Kinda like I'm weird about not sitting in restaurant booths. Something about rips in the cushions freaks me out.

When Greg and I built the home we live in now, I had to pass on the first place we considered building. It was located on...

PAWTUCKET DRIVE.

I know it sounds silly. But, I quickly pictured myself giving out my address when asked.

My address? 477 Pawtucket Drive.

Nope. Couldn't do it. The builder got a chuckle out of that one.

Even better, my sister was giving me directions to her house when she first moved in. She said, "You'll turn on THAT STREET."

"What street?," I asked.

THAT STREET.

Turns out, THAT STREET is the name of THAT street.

Sleep-Deprived

A sign that I need more sleep.

Greg was at work this morning, so I told the boys we would go get doughnuts.

Should be a pretty easy task. Done it before.

I strapped them into their carseats, and grabbed my purse, then buckled myself up.

Just one problem...

...I was sitting in the passenger's seat.

I can't describe how foolish I felt realizing I was waiting on "no one" to get in and drive us.

Yep. True story.

Disney Dilemma

We're in trouble.

My family is packing for our trip to Disney World, and already, my kids are asking..."When will we be there?"

HELP.

Can't Run Fast Enough!

A Filter.

You know, that "thing" that some people have in their head that prevents them from saying some things OUT LOUD.

Most people have them. Some people don't.

My 3-year-old, Hayden, falls into the "don't" category. He proved that to me at his older brother's baseball game.

I was talking with another mom when he tapped her on the back. She turned around, expecting Hayden to say something like, "My big bwother is the catcher" or some other cute toddler statement.

Instead, Hayden pulled his shorts down in the front, showing his "goods" to the entire bleachers, and said, "Check it out." Nice.

I promise, we aren't teaching him this stuff. I honestly wanted to crawl into a hole.

Just hand me the shovel.

Oops!

The silly string from Hayden's "celebratory" party yesterday is barely dry. And all I have to say is this...

SHORT-LIVED.

Our little 3-year-old was just seen walking like a penguin in our backyard. Another accident.

Back to the drawing board.

Par-tay!

Finally.

That's what I have to say about my son Hayden's accomplishment of doing his business in the potty, if you know what I'm sayin.

I remember Sara Evans telling me how hard it was to potty-train her daughter Olivia on a tour bus.

I didn't even have that excuse. Just a stubborn 3-year-old.

Call me crazy, but I made a HUGE deal over it, hoping his success would be etched in his mind FOREVER.

In fact, I was on the phone when Hayden announced the news, and I actually told the caller to hang on while I jumped up and down and did a little happy dance with my boy. But, the celebration didn't end there.

I loaded up both of my sons in the car and we headed for the nearest store. Ten minutes later, we walked out with four cans of silly string. Then, we headed home to have ourselves a party.

All for an act of mother nature.

Men vs. Women

The flubug.

It invaded my house over the weekend. First Hayden, then Griffin, (both sons), then me. Today, my husband Greg was miserable.

Boy, are men and women different when it comes to getting sick.

At one point, Greg was laying in bed moaning about how bad he felt.

I agree. It's not fun.

I was standing across our bedroom gathering laundry. The phone on the bedtable rang. I should also add that the phone was sitting RIGHT BESIDE GREG. He literally could have reached it without having to even stretch out his arm.

Instead, Greg musters up enough energy to say...

"The phone is ringing."

By all means, let me get that, honey.

Free Money?

You've seen 'em.

Those loan offers that come in the mail, addressed to you in the form of a check, though it's stamped with the words, "THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL CHECK."

My 6-year-old gets our mail every afternoon as part of his daily duties. Yesterday, he ran in completely excited, saying "Mom, we got a check for $500.00!" Of course, that got my attention.

A little skeptical, I scanned the mail, and found the letter with $500.00 in the envelope's see-through window.

Griffin was already thinking of all of the things he could buy. Words like X-box 360 and motorcycle came out of his mouth.

I held up my hand and explained that some people try to "trick" you into offering you this money, but we would have to pay it back, with interest. We would OWE $500.00.

He didn't like that explanation. "That isn't nice," Griffin said. "They shouldn't make us pay it back. And they shouldn't trick people. They need better manners."

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all live in a 6-year-old's world?

Carrie on WFMS Friday!

Results are in.

Carrie Underwood joins us on the morning show Friday. Based on your votes, we will ask her...

"What's in your purse?"

I'm sure the guys will find time to also ask her about that outfit she recently wore on American Idol. Keep listening.

Carrie joins us Friday!

PHIL VASSAR'S CLOSET

Would you feel comfortable having someone look inside your closet? Singer Phil Vassar is down with that.

That's me in Phil's closet when the morning show visited his Nashville mansion back in November. One thing's for sure, our pal Phil has enough shoes to last a lifetime.

He was a gracious host, telling us to "take a look around." I even sat at the baby grande piano where he's written several hit songs.

Closets. In my home, they aren't so tidy. Especially the walk-in closet I share with my husband.

His side is ultra-neat and organized. All of his baseball hats are turned the same way, and his hangers don't touch.

Mine...not so much. But, it's organized chaos. I know where things are in that mess of mine.

Black scarf? It's shoved under my winter boots.

Brown belt? Resting on the same hangar as my blue pullover.

Green t-shirt that has faded but I can't bring myself to throw away? Shoved to the very back.

Oddly enough, I never seem to have trouble finding my size 11 1/2 running shoes. Discreet little things.

By the way, Phil, any man who wears pink is cool in my book.

NO APOLOGIES

The flu.

Nothing worse than waking up with it in the middle of the night.

That's what happened to my 6-year-old son, Griffin, last night. I stayed up with him, and he continued to be sick until noon today. Poor guy. He kept asking when it would be over.

Finally, he's resting on the couch, catching up on some sleep.

Griffin is very sentimental, and melted my heart as I covered him up with a blanket.

He apologized.

"What for?," I asked.

"Keeping you up all night. I'm sorry about that."

I explained to Griff that parents are SUPPOSED to take care of their children, and he didn't owe me a thank-you for it. It's our job.

"But, you don't get paid for it," he said.

Not with money.