Reason #178,655 why I love this kid:
¡°Mama, you know how some of my friends like Transformers and Superman and Superheroes and other things like that? Well, I like maps and buildings. I like that . I like that I¡¯m different.¡±
They say it¡¯s ¡°Lucky Seven.¡± Well, I¡¯M the lucky one. I get to be your Mama. Happy 7th Birthday, Daniel. I love you.
Annabel was a little under the weather on Saturday, the day we planned to head to a cool restaurant at the beach where kids can make their own pizzas for dinner. So Daniel had the awesome idea to do the pizza making at home. So we did! And why didn’t we do this sooner? It was so much FUN!
Hubbie picked up already made pizza shells, organic pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and black olives (Annabel’s absolute favorite). We also bought fresh basil, feta cheese, red onion, and spinach so we could make a yummy Greek pizza.
The kids loved the hands-on pizza prep. The bake time was about 15 minutes. Then we made it a family picnic in front of the television while we chowed down and watched a couple episodes of House Hunters on HGTV. (Annabel fancied up her space by using the vintage butterfly cuff I bought that afternoon as her napkin ring.) My kids are officially addicted to House Hunters and love to scream out their house pick at the end (“Number ONE! No, No, No, Number THREEEE! Number One is over their budget and only has a one car garage!!”) Seriously.
I suggest you and your family find time for a make-your-own pizza night this holiday weekend. It’s perfect family bonding. With, or without, the House Hunters.
Brooklyn was rockin’ last night as the location for the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. I watched the entire show and here are my Top 5 most memorable moments of the night:
1. *NSYNC Reunites!
There were rumors on Twitter all week that the five boys from *NSYNC would reunite on the MTV stage during Justin Timberlake’s Vanguard performance. And I squealed like a little girl when Joey, JC, Chris, and Lance popped up from below the stage to join JT for “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye.” And then a mere minute later, the boys dropped back below the stage and were bye, bye, bye themselves. I know it was quick, and some fans were a bit disappointed, but I thought it was perfect.
2. Justin Timberlake’s Performance
We were treated to a Justin Timberlake mini-concert last night and, WOW, he was awesome. It was hit after hit and dance move after dance move. Justin is a true entertainer that often reminds me of Michael Jackson, so it was perfect that he was there to receive the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award” or an MTV Lifetime Achievement Award. Jimmy Fallon introduced JT as “The President of Pop” and, after last night’s electrifying performance, I’d have to agree.
3. Taylor Swift
Okay. She didn’t technically PERFORM last night, but Taylor Swift was all over the TV screen. She showed up in a gorgeous blue gown and retro pinned hairdo. She’s always one of the best dressed. But she needs her publicist to remind her that the cameras are always watching. She was a little saucy when her ex-boyfriend, One Direction’s Harry Styles, took the stage. We saw Taylor mouth the F-bomb to her bestie, Selena Gomez. And when she won Best Female Video for “I Knew You Were Trouble” she said, “I also want to thank the person who inspired this sing, who knows EXACTLY who he is, because now I’ve got one of these!” and she held up her moon man award. But what I love most about my girl Tay is that she always enjoys herself at these award shows. We caught her jumping out of her seat and dancing along to every single live performance.
4. Oh, Miley
This photo of the Will Smith family says it all. “What the…?” I was equally confused and uncomfortable during Miley’s entire performance of her hit song, “We Can’t Stop.” But then things turned worse when she started “twerking” on Robin Thicke during his summer smash, “Blurred Lines.” (On a side note: I was super bummed I didn’t get to see a true “Blurred Lines” performance.) Miley continued to hump Teddy Bears, a foam finger, and some of the band members. All while wearing a shiny nude bikini. Moms everywhere are mourning our Disney darling, Hannah Montana. There’s still time to STOP, Miley.
5. Katy Perry’s Knockout Performance
It was a little tough to pick between Lady Gaga’s opening number and Katy’s closing number, but I had to give the win to Katy who took her stage to the base of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. She was dressed like a sparkly prize fighter and had fun choreography and some powerful vocals. I love her new single “Roar” and I hope there’s more girl power anthems on her new album Prism, which will be released this fall.
One of my favorite things about summer is the casual feeling. Everything moves at a slower pace. The kids are very organized and scheduled throughout the school year, so it’s nice to throw all that out the window for a couple months. It’s relaxing for me not to worry about the alarm clock jerking me awake. Instead, we’d casually make our way downstairs and sometimes even eat blueberry waffles in front of the television set. Or we’d throw on T-shirts and shorts and head to Panera for bagels and oatmeal. And the after-dinner activity rush changes into a family board game (Sorry was our absolute fav this year) or shaking our bum bums to Wii Just Dance. Of course the kids also tested out tons of new iPad apps. But we did leave our couch(and the DVD collection) to head to the big fancy theatre to check out some fun summer movies. (Two thumbs up for Despicable Me 2!) We went bowling, pottery making, and ate at a bunch of new restaurants. I just loved all the summer adventures that never required me asking, “What time is it?” or “We need to be (here, there, or in bed) right now.”
Warner Brothers just announced that Ben Affleck will play Batman in an upcoming sequel to their summer hit, Man of Steel. Ben will join actor Henry Cavill, who returns as Superman. The movie does not have a title yet, but it is scheduled to be released July 17, 2015. So we all have to wait TWO years to see Ben in that iconic costume.
Warner Brothers president Greg Silverman said in a statement: “We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular super heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill and then some.”
I’ve heard that Ben has begun an insane workout routine to prepare to play Batman. I’ve also been reading some really mixed reviews this morning on social media. Some people are not happy with this casting. At all. Why the hate? It’s Ben Affleck! BEN AFFLECK! He just won an Oscar!
Ben also has experience. He was in that Daredevil movie with his future wife, Jennifer Garner. Okay, MAYBE that movie was not very well-received. But he’ll be fine. He’s Ben Affleck! He is still best friends with his childhood buddy, Matt Damon! They won an Oscar for Good Will Hunting. That movie made me cry. It was so good. He also made me cry in that scene from Armageddon when he offered to blow himself up. Heartbreaking. I’m probably one of the few people who really enjoyed Pearl Harbor. That movie was epic! Ben carried that epic movie. Remember Jersey Girl? That showed Ben’s softer side. Ben also wrote and directed Gone Baby Gone and The Town! That takes smarts, people. Ben did that. And he won an Oscar for Argo. A “Best Picture” Oscar! The highest honor! That movie was awesome! And now he’s playing Batman. I think it’s a perfect choice.
Bring it on, Ben! Nothing but love here.
Jen and Ben! Love them too!
When I look through my iPhone photos, I never know what I’m going to get. As I pass by all the images I snapped that day, I will often find little surprises like this:
This will continue on for about 20 to 30 more photos. Some are super blurry. Some are dark. Some just show her T-shirt or the top of her head. But they always make me smile. And the very best surprises are the unexpected videos.
Annabel wants to be a singer/songwriter. She loves to practice on my iPhone. (Listen carefully for the 1980’s “What I Like About You” mash-up.) What fun surprises have you found on your iPhone?
Prince William and his gorgeous wife Kate released two family photos yesterday. They are casual and adorable and feature one-month-old Prince George (wrapped in the same swaddle blanket from his debut) and even their dog, Lupo. The pics were snapped by Kate’s Dad, Michael Middleton, in the garden of the Middleton family home. It’s so sweet to see such a natural family photo of the royal couple.
It’s official. They’re perfect.
Myrtle Beach, SC
My kids do not get to see their beloved cousins as much as they’d like. They live in Maryland. We live in Florida. So my sister and I have picked South Carolina as a good meeting place. We try to vacay together every summer at a fun family resort that has lots of children’s activities and a pretty awesome pool bar. I personally love the combination of oceanfront beauty and the nearby “Broadway at the Beach” chaos. We always have a magical time. Daniel and Annabel had a blast reconnecting with Maddie, Kate, and (Baby) Luke for a week this past July.
I remember when I first saw Luke Bryan. It was June 2012 and I had the CMT Music Awards on in the background while I was simultaneously typing on my laptop. I heard this beautiful voice, randomly looked up, and there he was. HI, THERE.
He’s very handsome. And when I found out he was married and had two little boys, I just loved him more. Here’s a country superstar, a family man, and, from what I’ve read, an overall super duper nice and deserving guy. How can you not love him? And he’s come a long way from his small town of Leesburg, Georgia to the Academy of Country Music “Entertainer of the Year.”
HI, AGAIN.
Okay, it does not hurt that HE’S REALLY CUTE.
And for my friends who have said, “Who is Luke Bryan?” (I know, right?), here are five facts about this country cutie.
1. His full name is Thomas Luther Bryan.
2. Luke was planning to move to Nashville to follow his dream of becoming a country music star. But the night before he was about to leave, his older brother Chris died in a car accident. He then chose to stay close to his family and attend Georgia Southern. After graduation, he worked on his Dad’s peanut farm until his family finally persuaded him to move to Nashville in 2001.
3. Luke’s first big hit song was the hip-hop-inspired “Country Girl (Shake It for Me).”
4. His fan club is called The Nut House.
5. He has his wife Caroline’s name tattooed on his butt.
Finally, here’s Luke performing his brand new hit, “Crash My Party” on The TODAY Show this morning. It really made my Friday. If you weren’t already a big fan (like me!), hopefully I successfully converted you. Enjoy!
The anticipation of today was definitely more stressful than the smooth morning we actually had. Both kids woke up and ran downstairs to see their first day of school surprise treats. I made breakfast and then it was a tick-tock rush to fill the lunch boxes, brush teeth, wash faces, get dressed, take photos, and double-check everything before we finally headed out the door. (Don’t forget the flowers!, Daniel said.) This was the first year Annabel wore a plaid jumper as her school uniform and that cuteness, combined with the Mary Jane shoes, was enough to make me tear up. But I held it together.
Everything felt different this time. There have been SO MANY of these first days of school. And each one has left me in a little weepy mess after the morning drop off. This year the excitement definitely trumped the sadness. Maybe I’m in denial because this summer break went way too fast and I feel like my babies are still in day camp and will be coming home in 5 minutes. (Are they really starting school on August 14th??) But I think it’s because these two incredible little people were ready. And instead of feeling that awkward sense of emptiness when their hands suddenly let go of mine, I felt a sweet swell of pride in my heart as I watched them confidently walk away because those two? Yep, those two are MY kids.
And nothing in the world makes me happier.
