fuhgetaboutit

Hayden and I dined together last night at Chick fil-A, and the kid would NOT pose for a photo. I tried my hardest, but he wouldn't budge. Yet these were just as fun.

Camera shy? Maybe. But shy?

Not on your life.

words to remember

My 8-year-old, eating an ice cream sundae at Applebees with my Grandmother: Ahhhh, this is the good life.

My 4-year-old, hitting me in the chest with a football during a game of toss: Whoa, right in the bosom!

My youngest, after older brother Griffin tells me he wants to have his best buddy, Robby, come over: Hey, I thought I was your best buddy!

Youngest: How come I can't be in charge?

My oldest, after telling him we'd be going to church in the morning: Good, they have the BEST doughnuts!

After watching a Netflix commercial, my 4-year-old telling someone: Take the drama out, would ya?

Someone I know who shall remain nameless: I'm heading to Weight Watchers, just as soon as I finish this ice cream cone.

Greeting my oldest in my pj's following my nap, as he came home from school: Mom, did you even go to work today?

taylor rocks in her socks

Forgot to post this fun photo of Taylor Swift last week. Only Taylor could get away with an outfit like that, and still look adorable.

Go T.

who gave Carrie scissors?

A photo from Carrie Underwood's new album, Play On.

It hits stores November 3rd. Jim and Kevin will need to be reminded to actually open the album, where they will find music inside.

I live for them

If Greg and I disagree on one thing, it's who our youngest takes after...me or my husband.

Our son tends to be unafraid of anything, including voicing his opinion at sometimes inappropriate occasions, and he is quite the character. 'He's your son,' Greg will tease me, and of course, I deny it just like I deny that I don't know where we keep the vacuum. Truth is, I don't. But I do scrub toilets, so doesn't that cancel out the other one?

Getting back to the entire point of this post, last night I realized I was witnessing another one of my 4-year-old's silly outbursts and asked him, 'Hayden...what in the world am I going to do with you?' And he responded...

'Love me?'

maybe next time we'll read a book

I checked on my oldest son after he went to bed last night, and he asked me to tell him a story.

I can do that, I figured. I mean, how hard can a quick adventure starring my 8-year-old take? So I began with the old standard 'Once upon a time,' but realized this story-telling business just isn't what it used to be. Here's the conversation:

Me: Once upon a time, there was a boy named Griffin. And he was a...

Him: A football player!

Me: Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay, a football player. And he played for the Indianapolis Colts.

Him: No, how bout Notre Dame?

Me: Alrighty then, he played for the Irish. And the crowd called him Speed, because he ran so fast.

Him: Noooo, they called me Lightning. How bout that for my nickname?

Me: Lightning it is. And Griffin was Number 9.

Him: Mom?

Me: Yeah, buddy?

Him: Could I be number 14, instead?

Me: Sure, Griffin wore the number 14 on his jersey. And he ran onto the field to the cheers of the crowd...

Him: Yeah, but how bout...I ran out onto the field through one of those giant inflatable tunnels...

Me: Ok...you ran through a giant, inflatable tunnel...and Griffin won the game for the Irish. The End.

Him: Hey, you never told the story!

No, but he did.

the stuff I can't throw away

What do you save?

I have a mountain of sentimental items from my kids that I can't seem to part with, like the handprints my youngest made at preschool, Griffin's first Happy Meal toy, first clip-on tie he wore in my sister's wedding, and you get the idea. Some things don't make the save pile, like my oldest son's science fair project on Skittles, for obvious reasons, or the nail clippings from my youngest son's first trim.

I'm sentimental, not crazy.

And yesterday, I found myself adding another item to the save storage box, when my 8-year-old returned home from school saying he had written a poem for a class assignment to describe themselves. I've read it at least a dozen times:

Griffin

The caring, nice, gentle big brother of Hayden.

Who likes to play, read, and rest.

Brings to the world his laughter and athletic skills.

Lover of caring people, playing football and Nerf gun fights.

Fears the dark and spiders.

Knows a whole lot about science, and sports, and math.

Who desperately wants to buy a cherry red Ferarri.

Wouldn't be caught dead eating a chili cheese dog.

And needs lots of care.

kenny ends the party in tears

Kenny Chesney ended the party of all parties in tears Saturday night in Indianapolis.

No one can accuse the guy of not being sentimental. The night began with the roof opened at Lucas Oil Stadium, and Kenny performed his final few songs in a blue Colts hat featuring the well-known horseshoe. During the ballad 'Better as a Memory,' Kenny choked up and barely got through the lyrics, often letting the band carry him while tears fell from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Obviously, the final show of his tour combined with the news that he won't be back next year left him an emotional mess.

A couple of things you might have missed:

Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry's guyliner

Miranda Lambert grabbing a black bra that a fan threw on stage for Kenny and putting it over her t-shirt

Kenny giving Jennifer Nettles several hugs and kisses and holding her hand as they walked the stage

Some disappointed fans who didn't hear Sugarland perform their hit 'Stay'

Me taking a photo of the entire stadium from the stage during my Sugarland introduction, only to have it not turn out

Me making a pitstop in the ladies' room when it was over, and locking myself in the stall

A WFMS listener buying a beer for Greg, who couldn't have been happier

The woman behind me asking Greg, whose arm was around my chair, to make sure his fingers didn't drop in her drink

And Greg telling that woman, 'Why? My fingers are clean. I've only picked my nose.'

Fun times.