You Might Be A Smoker Grill Geek If...

...you combine your homemade flower pot smoker with the store bought smoker and then automate the temperature control using HomeSeer.

Flower pot smoker: $45
Store bought smoker: $40
Combine the two to make the most delicious baby back ribs ever: Yummy!


So Scott, why don't you give us a quick tour through all this smoker stuff:

A Visit, A Meal and Blueberry Wheat Beer

Yesterday was a rare treat for Scottie and me. Our friend Holly, the one who is the reason that Scott and I met, was visiting along with her parents, her two boys, her sister Heather, and Heather's two boys. Unfortunately, Heather and Holly's husbands were unable to join them on this trip.

Scott met Holly and Heather way back in 1987 during their first summer as Walt Disney World cast members. I met Holly and Scott the summer of 1988 during my first summer at Disney. Needless-to-say, we have a fun and happy history and have made it a point to keep in touch despite living in different states.

We all met for lunch at Top Of The Hill Restaurant and Brewery in Chapel Hill, where our good friend, George (whom I also met at WDW in 1988 and was best man in our wedding) is a brewer extraordinaire. George and Gwen, George's wife and my dear friend, and their two boys joined us as well. Unfortunately, our children were in school and were unable to join us, much to their dismay!

Anyway, let me stop here and tell you that it is no secret that I am not a great lover of beer. However, I asked George to suggest something he made that I might like.

Oh my.

If you are ever in Chapel Hill, NC, please make a point to visit Top Of The Hill and try their award winning beer. The Blue Ridge Blueberry Wheat just won a gold medal and apparently blew the doors off Samuel Adams and other "national brands." I am here to testify that is delicious and I even took some to go!

But back to our visit. It was really nice to eat and chat with friends with whom we have such a fun history. And although we only see each other in person about every 4-5 years, we are able to fall right back into our comfortable rapport and enjoy our short time together.

Jacob, Isaac and Gwen. Jacob is showing how
big a fish he caught on a recent trip to Michigan.

Scott towering over Heather (L), Holly (R),
the Colonel (Holly & Heather's father, R. background)
and Holly & Heather's boys.
George gave us a quick brewery tour.
In front of a huge mural of Franklin Street and Top of the Hill
after yet another UNC-CH basketball championship :)
(L to R: Holly, Jacque, Scott, Sam, Josh, George, Gwen, Jacob & Isaac)

Shiver Me Timbers...Redux

Ok, I promise this is the last post on this subject, but I did a little tweaking to Will's room and I wanted to capture the updated look.

I had ordered some stickers that arrived a little late but they add just the right little details to make the room look perfect!

(Click on the pics to make them bigger to see the detail)

Yo ho, Yo ho...Well, You Know The Rest

This past weekend I was finally able to make good on my eight month old promise to transform Will's bedroom into a Pirate room.

Scott seemed a bit skeptical when I explained how I would paint the sky, island and ocean but it was my project and he dutifully handled all the higher painting and trim work.

I think it turned out well, with a lot of credit going to the Olive Kids Wallies that gave it a little less amateurish look. They were very easy to apply.

I still need to find a coordinating blue bedspread but Will is thrilled with the room. In fact, he woke up first thing this morning, gave me a big hug and and said, "Thank you for my pirate room Mommy." And, really, that is what makes it worth every minute of work."So Will, what do you think about all this pirate stuff?"

Too Much Of A Good Thing

So there I was, working away in my home office, writing a script for a Director to record as a VoD (video on demand), answering emails and instant messages, all while listening to conference calls.

I am that multi-tasker. And most of the time being that multi-tasker is a good thing.

Since it was lunch / potty break time, I stood up and as I wandered past the laundry room, realized that the dryer was done, so naturally I opened the dryer door and started to fold some clothes.

At which time I noticed a plastic tub Scott uses for brining chicken sitting on top of the washer instead of sitting on the shelf above the washer where it belongs.

So I turned around, grabbed the step stool so I could put the tub on the shelf and when I moved the stool I noticed approximately seven and a half years worth of dust in the corner.

I then went directly to the closet and grabbed my Dyson and, with the appropriate attachments, began to suck up the dust dinosaurs along the baseboard.

About this time I turned and noticed the dryer door was still open (clothes still in it, mind you) and thought I would suck the lint off the filter.

When I went to replace the filter I thought, "Man, there is a ton of lint way down in there."

Before I knew it I had changed vacuum attachments, grabbed a flexible rubber tube (about 1/2 inch in diameter), inserted one end of the tube into the vacuum attachment and the other into the narrow crevice where the dryer lint filter goes and was trying to suck up the massive amount of lint that, for goodness sake, could cause a fire in there some day!

And then I thought, "What in the heck am I doing?!"

So I stepped away from the Dyson, closed the dryer door, backed out of the laundry room and returned to my desk.

Never folded the clothes.

Never ate lunch.

Never made it to the bathroom.

And that is why working from home requires way more self-discipline than sitting in a cube in an office somewhere.

And it is also why being that multi-tasker can really be too much of a good thing.

She Went Down in the River to Pray

O sisters let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sisters let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.
( by Alison Krauss)
We could not be more blessed or more proud to call this little girl our own.

Too Cool For School

Eliza Grace heading out this morning for the first day of 3rd grade!

The Beach

We spent last week in a little cottage on Holden Beach.

We spent hours playing in the sand and surf.

All four of us are sporting the best tans we think we have ever had.

The kids and I got our nice tans using SPF 60.

Scott used SPF 15 and 30, thus he had a day or so of burn. Silly man.

My happy place is definitely the beach.

This trip we were able to be slightly less vigilant while watching the kids.

I actually read a book WHILE they played in the water.
It was blissful to say the least.

Eliza Grace catching some waves

The water was chilly on occasion, which had Will acting and looking
like a little old man, all wrapped up in between swims

We had a fun afternoon outing down to Myrtle Beach's Broadway at the Beach

We lit a few sparklers in honor of Independence Day.
Why is it people say "Happy 4th of July" instead of "Happy Independence Day?"

And now for your viewing pleasure...and apologies in advance for the wind noise!

Futility

Riding the waves

Will dancing. Yes, that is dancing.

Will rides one in.

A big one:

Fearless One

Ooo...Aaahhh

So to answer your question, yes, we have been doing a LOT of home improvement projects this year.

2010: the year of the hammer. And nails. And a porch. And a kitchen.

This week brought us shiny, new granite counter tops and a fabulous under-mount stainless steel sink and faucet.

The before and after shots tell it all.

Before:

After:

Before:
(Scott pulled the sink out before I could take a picture)

After:After:

After:

Our small kitchen actually feels bigger. Is that weird?

Next up is the tile for the back splash around the counter top and stove area.

Then the new tile floor.

Then the updated cabinet hardware.

Whew.

Thank goodness all we are actually doing ourselves is the hardware :)

Back in the Saddle Again

Another week of track out has come and gone and, with it, another week of horseback riding camp. I cannot stress enough how much Eliza Grace enjoys riding, feeding and generally being around horses.

It has been at or near 100 degrees every day this week so she does come home hot and dirty and tired. But she has loved every sweaty moment of it.


She has gotten better at posting, learned to canter a bit and even went over a very small jump. She has also already asked me if I have signed her up for the September track out camp. I better get on that right now!

Eliza Grace canters on Rascal

Eliza Grace does not mean to canter on Rascal
while approaching a small jump :)

Voila!

Makes you want to come over and sit a spell, now doesn't it?

Well, what are you waiting for? I guarantee we have cold beer :)

Patty O'Furniture

18 parts to a 6 piece patio furniture set: Check

12 assorted seat cushions and accent pillows: Check

10 page instruction manual, assorted nuts,
bolts, screws and tools: Check

House phone, iPhone, water: Check

iPhone playing 80's tunes: Check

I am going to put one chair together before Scott comes home.

Just to prove that I can.

Wish me luck!

Today I am an Explorer!

So Long Ladybugs!

Last Friday, Will transitioned from the Ladybugs to the Explorers class in preschool.

This is a big deal because this is the last class he will be in until he starts Kindergarten in July 2011!

After touring and interviewing 8 different centers, we chose to send Will to Kids R Kids of Cary (KrK) when he was 18 months old, which coincided with when Eliza Grace started Kindergarten.

It was a difficult decision for me, as I had many times espoused how I would not send my children to daycare. I had a definite bias against the traditional day care environment. Which explains why I called his daycare "school" from the first day. I think it made me feel better.

However, we have had a wonderful experience with KrK. We love the Moye's who own and operate the center, we love the teachers and we love the environment. And I really love the in-room and playground cameras that I can watch from my computer. It has given me great peace of mind and allowed me to peek in on my boy throughout the work day.

For the past 3 years, Will has changed classrooms about every six months, moving with his peers into age appropriate classes. Now he will end his tenure at KrK in the Explorers class.

He has been a little weepy over not being with Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Amanda everyday but he is also excited about the change. He is particularly thrilled about having a new block center and home center in which to play. And today, as he got dressed he reminded me that, "today I am an Explorer!"

So goodbye Ladybugs, hello Explorers. Next stop (in just over 12 months): Kindergarten!

The bat cave!

Blocks! I must build!

Oooo! New home center, complete with workbench and tools!

Goodbye Second Grade!

Waiting for the bus on the last day of 2nd grade!

This past Tuesday marked the last day of 2nd grade for Eliza Grace.

After giving our retiring bus driver, Mrs. Dunn, a farewell gift, Eliza Grace headed to school for a fun day of board games and pizza with her classmates.

3rd grade begins in a little less than 5 weeks but in the meantime she has weekly swim meets, horseback riding camp, drama camp and a week at the beach - whew, what a fun summer break!

Playing Pirate Hooky!

I am trying to be more intentional when it comes to being spontaneous with my kids.

I know that sounds oxymoronic (is that a word?) but it is the best way I can describe it.

I have to do this because deep down I am a planner. With a capital P.

I like rules. I like to follow rules. I like to be on time. I like to know what's coming. I like to be prepared.

But I know that when my kids look back at their childhood, they will not remember (or appreciate, for that matter) how much time and energy I might have spent planning a family vacation or ensuring they were not late for school or that they went to bed on time.

What they will remember is the time their Mom took to play with them, listen to them, encourage them and just be with them. And, hopefully, they will remember those few precious times when Mom surprised them by chucking the rules out the window to have some fun.

That is what I did yesterday with Will.

After we dropped Eliza Grace off at school, I turned to Will and said, "I think we should play hooky today." The rest of the conversation went like this:

Will: "What's hooky"

Me: "It's when I take the day off work and you take the day off from school and we go play."

Will: "Really?!" (You should have seen those big, round eyes and the smiling dimples that popped out - that alone made my day!)

Me: "Yep, so what do you say we go home, get on your swim suit, throw your pirate costume over it and head to Jordan Lake for a pirate play date, complete with boat ride."

Will: "YES!"

Now, before you think I have strayed too far from my true self, I have to confess that I planned this "spontaneous" play date a week prior, after learning about this fun activity from one of Will's classmate's Mom, with whom I arranged to meet there with her son.

So in the end, I think it was the best of both worlds. I got to plan and Will got to be spontaneous and we had an absolutely fabulous time playing hooky.

I enjoyed the gorgeous sky while Capt. Willy (arrg!) was hopping around:

My pensive pirate:

Will got rid of the costume to splash in Jordan Lake

I just loved this tree growing from the edge of the shore

Will and Gabe waiting for Capt. Don to cast off