Growing Up....

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  
My Valentine is in DC, but that's ok. I'm not big on the occasion anyway. I do always get the kids Cupid Gifts and they opened their's while they were here for the weekend. I will probably treat myself to some Pad Thai from the local Thai place up the street because it is super yummy!

Both the kids and James were here for the weekend to celebrate Riley's 19th birthday. Hard to believe my little man is now a grown man, I tell ya!  I'm so proud of him and the man he's grown into. I love that he likes to hang out with his mom still. He calls to confide in me or to ask me to edit papers still and has been good about checking in with us regularly. I also get lots of laundry when he's home for the weekend hahaha, but I don't mind.

He's had a rough first year at college with a roommate who is more interested in doing drugs and partying...and trying to make friends with those that aren't into partying and have other interests. Riley doesn't drink or do drugs and he does not like to be around it, so he's had a bit of a struggle meeting friends. He's starting to settle in and he just signed a lease on a 5 bedroom house with Alexa's boyfriend and some other guys from the fishing team for the fall. So I'm very hopeful next year will be much, much better as far as roommates and making friends goes. He's got an A average and doing well in his classes, so he's definitely focused on the things that matter which makes us happy. And he is planning on studying abroad next Spring in either Ireland or Italy, so he's looking forward to that too. He has such a big heart, so kind and sensitive...which means I worry about him a lot, but am so proud he's stayed true to who he is and what he believes in. I've always told both the kids to focus on their futures, keep the toxic out and don't let anyone stand in the way of your dreams, nor stomp on your beliefs.

I had a local Charleston Bakery (Bakehouse Bakery) make him a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and chocolate mousse filling. Yeahhhh...he loves chocolate lol! It was one of the best cakes I've ever had, but so very rich. He loved it, so that's all that matters. I forgot to buy candles (brain sludge) so we had to use a few zebra ones I had (whoops)...it's the thought that counts right!?

We spent Saturday on the water...a place we all love to be.  If you are looking for a wonderful boat or kayak tour, I highly recommend COA (Charleston Outdoor Adventures). The guides are all naturalists and they offer eco-adventures of the estuaries, barrier islands and marshlands. The owner is originally from VA and a Redskins fan (ha) and I've been out with them quite a few times now. They are 1 mile down the road from where I live and I've always had a wonderful time.

You will ALWAYS see dolphins, local birds and other wildlife along the way while learning something too. 

My favorite trip is going out to Morris Island where the Morris Lighthouse is and spend some time walking the isolated beach...the shelling there is magnificent.  We saw quite a few dolphins including a mama and her calf on Saturday.  If you follow me on Instagram you can view all my daily Instastories where I post snippets of videos and pictures of my day (on your phone it's the circles at the top, or you can click on my profile & then click my round photo of me). I had videos there and one on Instagram itself of the dolphins. I'm pretty good about posting every day in case you want to ever know what I'm up to LOL.

COA sits on Bowens Island and is home to the Bowens Island Restaurant. I love this place because it reminds me of all the crab shacks I grew up with on the Chesapeake Bay. The building itself is nothing pretty to look at, but it has the freshest seafood and views for miles. It's very casual and laid back, so a shorts & flip-flops kinda atmosphere...everyone is friendly and it feels like you are surrounded by old friends when you are there.  If you love roasted oysters (like me) or fresh seafood, this is definitely the place for you.

Riley wanted to have his birthday dinner at Taco Boy down on Folly Beach...it is one of our favorite places to go. I am embarrassed to say how many times we've been lol! There is another one on the outskirts of downtown Charleston too that has a larger outdoor patio. They have amazing tacos and their queso is to die for. My favorite tacos are the Grilled Mahi Mahi, Tempura Avocado, and Kimchi Beef. So many original tacos on the menu to try. Riley's favorite is the fried chicken taco and James loves the Americano and Carne Asade tacos. Their quesadillas and pineapple margaritas are pretty darn good too. They have great outdoor areas to sit outside when the weather is beautiful.

Then we capped off the birthday boy's night with a showing of the Lego Batman Movie because that was what Riley wanted to do.  If you've seen the first Lego Movie then you know what to expect. It was pretty funny with a lot of older movie references in it...we all enjoyed it. We have a fantastic theater on James Island that was recently renovated and tickets before 5:30 pm are only $4, $7.50 after 5:30. All four of us can see a movie for almost the price of one ticket in Virginia.

The Terrace Theater is more of a retro-style themed theater with only a handful of screens also on James Island. They show a lot of independent, smaller movies along with the popular ones too. They also have gourmet concessions along with wine and beer. Parking is very tricky there though, that is the one downside. 

If you like to order food from a menu and have it served to you, Cinebarre Theater in Mt. Pleasant is the place for you. We went there to see Batman Lego and the food choices and shakes are pretty plentiful. Very similar to an Alamo Theater if you've been to one of those.

(Speaking of movies, if you haven't seen Hidden Figures I highly recommend it. James & I saw it and it was excellent)

I'm planning on doing a post on James Island and Folly Beach soon with all kinds of tips and recommendations. I'm biased probably because I live here, but Folly Beach is my favorite beach area here in all of Charleston. It's more laid back, artsy and fun!  Eventually I will have a tab where you can find all my Charleston recommendations easily in case you ever want to visit the area.

So all in all it was a fun weekend, and always good to spend time together as a family. I won't see the kids or James for 2 weeks when we leave for our Spring Break trip. I cannot wait for that!

What I've Learned...or not!

Tomorrow is my birthday.  Shhh I'm gonna be 40...I don't really like that number I won't lie to you about that.  YES, I hear all of you when you say "but at least you are alive and living to see it"...yeah, yeah I get it, I do.  BUT I don't have to like the number for the moment.  To me when my parents were in their 40's they were older than dirt hahahaha and that memory has never left me.  I certainly don't feel 40 most days...well in my mind I don't...my body says otherwise and sometimes my brain acts like its 90 too.  I think my main issue is that I REALLY LOVED my 30's...I grew up a lot, found out who I was and just really enjoyed that decade.  So I'm kinda-sorta celebrating my birthday with my family this weekend...I can't say I'm gonna be all out thrilled though ;)

But I figured it was a good time to self-reflect a bit on what I have learned and what I love about all my years on this lovely earth with you.  My way of reminding myself of what I'm thankful for and what I really appreciate in my life and about myself.  I'm definitely not saying I know all of life's answers or that I've done anything perfectly but its all about the journey eh?

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Now That I'm 40 I Still Know Less Than I Thought I Would

But I have Learned:

-to never count myself out...if I want to do it, I can do it

-to stand up for myself when it matters

-that actions speak louder than words

-to be secure in who I am

-to not give a flying-foo about what others think about me

-to accept compliments when given freely 

-to accept love for everything it is and can be

-that optimism and positivity never go out of style

-to get the toxic out both physically & mentally

-that I'm goofy & sarcastic and I don't care what others may think of that

-to choose my friends wisely & nurture the friendships continually

-being perfect isn't worth the time or stress..imperfections reflect better

-to have play days mixed in with the work days

-to appreciate the gifts around me

-to learn the art of compromise & to pick my battles

-to laugh whenever I want, however loudly I want

-to breathe, take a breath and just chill now and again

-great chocolate is worth giving up a meal for

-that not everyone is good, happy, honest & filled with integrity no matter how much I want them to be

-that my kids won't stay little forever & to treasure the here and now

-the grass is most definitely NEVER greener on the other side

-you can NEVER fall gracefully but you can make some awesome jokes about it on the way up

-that every struggle, pain and upset has made me stronger in ways that matter

-I'm a tomboy in a girly-girl package and that's ok

-I cannot please everyone

-to take the time to enjoy the things I love doing, not what others think I should be doing

-my time IS valuable

-Bigger isn't always better and More is sometimes too much

-time can run out and goes by fast when you aren't paying attention

-being healthy is worth more than winning the lottery

-wrinkle cream can be had for under $100 & it can be amazing

-Social Media is both an awesome & scary thing

-to love MYSELF unconditionally so I can reflect that back on those I love

-however online shopping is ALWAYS a GOOD thing

-I like things done my way and that may never change (HA)

-I eat ketchup on LOTS of foods...get over it

-Fresh is Best, Fast Never Lasts

-to give myself a break

-Great Sleep makes me very, very happy & pleasant

-I'm hard-headed and that is def never changing

-to want to dream big & bigger 

-Change can be worth it in the end

-how to face my fears & learn from them

-music makes me happy & to dance when the mood strikes

-that real butter makes me happier than margarine

-that life is good if I'm living it

-I can never sleep with socks on no matter how cold I may be

-if folks don't "get me" it doesn't really matter that much anymore

-that I'm a total pushover when it has to do with animals

-that crying can cleanse the soul

-that I got some mean Dougie skillz...bwahahaha

-that women are supreme beings...I mean c'mon ;)

-everything in moderation is ok...food I mean folks hahaha

-that E-readers may be one of my favorite inventions

-you can rock what you want that the Good Lord gave you

-that my closet should always have a selection of Spanx just in case

-I will never ever love Winter...ever...never

-but I can sing "Let It Go" & "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" all day long

-I'm a worry-wart and I hope that changes one day

-I cannot control everything no matter how much I may try

-that laundry never ends

-that dogs never smell good after the rain

-and the sun always comes up again no matter how bad the day before was.....

OH AND

-Age is Just a Number...right?????

Happy Birthday To All The Other Taurus' Out There!

Happy Birthday!

17th Birthday Wishes for Alexa

Today is my daughter Alexa's 17th birthday!  She was the first born and was born 17 years ago at 6:50 pm in Maryland.  She didn't cry for the first 2 weeks...she just mewled like a kitty. She was a great baby...always happy, playful and super smart.  She started sleeping thru the night at 10 weeks but never really liked to go to bed....or nap...oy vey LOL.  She was one that just didn't need a lot of sleep much to her parent's consternation!  She STILL doesn't sleep much but she will go up to bed if she's super tired...but most nights she can be found sneak-reading her Kindle after her 10:30 pm bedtime ;)

My wishes for you my darling daughter:

-be happy in whatever you do
-do things that make YOU happy
-do things to help others be happy
-enjoy life & live it the best you can
-believe in yourself & follow your dreams
-don't let anyone tell you are less than you are
-respect yourself, your family, your world & your future
-find true love, the kind that will last forever
-travel & see the world
-make friends and spend time with them
-don't let anyone hold you back
-laugh, giggle, snort and act goofy everyday
-mind your manners & stay classy
-be strong & self-confident in who you are
-don't ever stop learning or loving
and follow that rainbow wherever it might take you & enjoy the ride!

**NOTE: She may kill me after she sees this post ahahaha...but she knows to expect nuttin' less from her bloggin' momma :)!!!!

One of her first words was "NO"...we shoulda known then she was gonna be a bit of a hell-raiser hee hee!  And from the moment she could talk...she never stopped...still that way today.  She will talk and talk and talk and sometimes I start to tune out....then she'll yell "I know you aren't listening" and she will KEEP TALKING LMBO!  She talks to herself in her room...she talks to her friends via Skype...she texts...she just talks and talks.  She always has something to say!  I remember picking up her and her brother from private school when they were younger and they would FIGHT over who got to talk first...ay yi yi!

She has always loved school and excelled in school.  Her kindergarten teacher told me if she had to run to the bathroom she would leave Alexa in charge....she said "that girl can run the class all day" ahahaha...a born leader!  She is a straight A, AP class taking, serious student with her eye on the future and her goals. She has known since she was 5 that she wanted to work with sea animals, marine biology to be exact.  She's never wavered from that...ever...never.  She has chosen her colleges to apply to based on marine biology.  University of SC is her first and most favored choice.  For her 9th birthday we went to Disney & SeaWorld in Orlando and got to have dinner with Shamu and she got to chat with the trainers.  That really cemented the deal then AND this summer she will intern at SeaWorld as well.  And the story continues.....

She danced ballet for 11 years...she was a natural...beautiful dancer and on pointe early for her age. 

She danced 15 hours a week and then decided that she wanted to do other things.  So she did gymnastics and then cheerleading in high school.  And she has always loved to sing...she's been in chorus since the 3rd grade.  This year she is in the A capella Chorus at the High School.  She has never had a fear of being on stage...having a solo...no fear.  She has so much more self confidence than I did at that age and I'm HAPPY for her.  Being a girl is hard...going thru life as a girl can be hard...you gotta believe in yourself when you think no one else does and be confident in who you are.  I have no worries that she KNOWS who she is and I'm PROUD of who she is!

Her favorite color is blue...aqua to be exact although it should be RAVEN PURPLE.  She's a big sports fan...like the rest of the family of course.  And the Baltimore Ravens are her football team.  She has a teal and white bedroom but there is so much Raven stuff in there I swear we picked the wrong color ;)  She loves the Baltimore Orioles AND the Washington Nationals baseball teams. She loves the Washington Capitals (I think cuz she thinks they are all cute ahahaha).  And her Homecoming dress was purple too this year!

In fact she is such a fan that we are spending her birthday evening in BALTIMORE eating MD crabs *yum* with the Baltimore RAVENS while watching the NFL Draft.  She's super excited to meet her fave Raven Torrey Smith!

 She loves Disney...well I would say obsessed...she would go there everyday if possible.  She possibly thinks she is a Disney Princess...ahem...I think NOT LOL!

Oh and she's obsessed with Harry Potter...she's read the books multiple times, seen the movies multiple times and last summer we were able to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter...she pretty much ran thru the park to get there LOL!

She shares a GREAT LOVE for Luke Bryan and country music in general with her momma (and grandma too)...yeehaw! And we can count a lot of concerts we have traveled miles to see, waited for hours in line and put out some late nights!

Grace, Alexa & Sophia

Grace & Alexa....in 5th grade & today above!

She's had the same BFFs since we moved to Virginia when she was in 5th grade...the Three Musketeers...crazy girls...but good girls! I believe they will all be here AGAIN this weekend ;)

She has an odd & crazy sense of humor...she MAY have gotten some of it (ahem) from her momma...just sayin' and we love to goof around.  Life should be fun...you get one life, live it well I always say!  And I've taught my kids that too!

She's diligent...intelligent...sweet...compassionate...funny...crazy...beautiful...witty...studious...amazing...loving...

competitive...loud...talkative...friendly...STUBBORN...energetic...and just plain wonderful!!

She is my Partner in Crime....hear my hubby groaning...that's right dear there are now TWO of us in this world....WORLD BRACE YOURSELF!!!  We have a lot of fun together....I'm blessed with a daughter who is my heart, my friend, my everything!  She is a fellow Taurean and a bit stubborn like her momma too ;)

She's a Daddy's girl...she will admit it...she knows how to work him and he's been wrapped around her finger since the day she was born!  I'm lucky to have a husband who is involved with the kids (from day 1) and loves to hang out with them...who loves them wholeheartedly period!  He may groan at her girly outbursts, roll his eyes at her "wants" but he loves her more than anything...that makes her a very lucky girl indeed!

I can't quite believe that the pigtailed little girl is going to be 17 and off to college next fall.  My how time flies...you gotta pay attention to every minute, every moment, each hour...because before you know it those babies you brought home are off on their own.

Happy Birthday Alexa.....you couldn't be loved more!!