Sea Turtle Moment of the Day

This past weekend, when B finished saving a sea turtle, he looked at me, over the head of his barely-teenage cousin, and said, "Ahhh, nothing like delivering a helpless creature to its natural predators."

Love him, and his sense of humor.

Football Season Commeth

On the phone with my brother...

Me: I'm excited to watch football this weekend, but I wonder if it's going to be sad, you know, thinking about Dad.

Todd: You know what Dad would say, "It's only sad if you lose!"

I love my family.

At Least I'm Working Hard?

Ever answered the door for the UPS man only to realize that you're wearing a red silk nightgown and the only thing you can grab is your husband's NIKE sweatshirt? I think some people have dreams like this. Mine, realities.

People of Wal-Mart

Stumbled over this site today that showcases the wonders found at Wal-Mart. Ironically, the site name reminded me of Dad, who always always always found an excuse to go to Wal-Mart every. single. day. It's one of my favorite things about him. And no, the photos on this site did NOT remind me of Dad, though I'm sure he would've befriended them in the checkout line.

Missing Dad

Funny what strikes you. Today, it was a Captain D's commercial...

Dad: A, did you know that you can get a full lobster dinner at Captain D's for $3.99? Most places that would be $20 or $30.

Me: Is that "lobster" is a "j" Dad?

Dad: What? No! It's real lobster!

SPOUSE

Over lunch, I went with B to get my Duke card. I'm in love. I'm not sure what it actually does, but all it does for me is scream SPOUSE, which I love. It's almost enough to make me want to go back to school, so that B can get one too. Best thing is that it comes with a metal clip, so I can wear it anywhere. I think it gets me into the gym, but I really want to wear it to Sam's. And the pool. And to the beach this weekend. SPOUSE. In a big red stripe. Love it!

I Love My Nieces!

Last night, B & I took dinner over to my sister's family to celebrate Mom's last night in town and just get a little time together. On the menu? Shrimp we picked up at the beach this weekend, green beans, rice, poundcake, and my Grandma's roll recipe.

I love making rolls. They're easy enough and require just a little bit of planning. But the real draw is that I've got so many great memories making them with my Grandma when I was little and my Mom, after Grandma decided she'd sit and watch, finally let someone else do the rolling out and cutting.

The tradition came full circle last night. I brought the dough over for the girls to play with. We poked it, smelled it, and, yes, even tasted it. Sienna, my 18-month-old niece, asked her Mom, "Is this yucky or yummy?" She pondered it over and said, "Well, it's kind of yucky now, but once we cook it, it'll be really yummy." Brilliant.

So we rolled the dough, let the girls cut it with cookie cutters (scalloped-edged and star-shaped rolls, anyone?) before dipping the rolls in butter and folding them over on a cookie sheet. Mom took some pictures, so I'll post one when she emails it. It was so nice, a perfect night.

I love going over to their new home. My oldest niece, at three-years-old, Ella welcomed us at the door wearing her new Snow White outfit (she's just discovered Disney movies). Sienna looked at me no fewer than three times during the roll-cutting process and asked, in her super-sweet voice, "Where's B?" They love him! Little stinkers.

While the men manned the grill, the girls worked on the rolls and enjoyed a little wine before dinner. It was such a great, refreshing night. Can't wait to go back!