This blog is dedicated to providing a chuckle and a glimpse into our crazy wonderful life. If you're reading it you know me, and know that I love wine, sleeping, running and most of all my children Brooks and Luke, and my hunky husband Zac. I'm a normal mom who makes mistakes and I like to document them. Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy sharing.
Big Mama Taylor Blog
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Travelista
This past weekend I was so lucky to get to spend 2 days in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my old college stomping grounds. I went to Marquette from 2001-2005, and the last 2 years, I lived with 8 girls. If you have ever lived with a large number of girl roommates you know that this is an amazing accomplishment! We were so lucky to have had such amazing memories, and to still love each other afterwards! Of course there were random fights like someone coming home inebriated and eating someone else’s entire pack of velveeta cheese, and as we have aged the random stories seem to have gotten crazier- we laughed hysterically the whole weekend at all the crazy memories we had. We lived in a really neat house on the outskirts of campus with 8 bedrooms. it is so funny to me how I had romanticized that house in my head. I remember it being this beautiful sprawling historic mansion, with intricate cherry woodwork and a warm and fuzzy interior that lent itself to many nights bonding with some of my best girlfriends. Upon arrival at the house at our random drive-by on Saturday, however, I remembered that the house was in one of the most ghetto areas of Milwaukee, about half a mile from a shelter, and next to a very creepy and struggling bulk foods warehouse that I don’t believe I realized at the same could very well be a possible home to many a drug deal. We honked at a boy who was approaching the house, all giggling that he might live there, and rolling laughing as he actually walked up to the house proving he either lived there or knew the residents. After a few minutes one of my roommates and I decided we were too curious and needed to see the inside after all these years.
Well, it took about 20 minutes of knocking and retreating to the back door instead of the front door to get the current boy residents to let us in. I had really forgotten one of the things associated with college that you immediately remember upon walking into a house like this-SMELLS. So many smells. It was the pizza boxes piled high in the kitchen that could have been from September. It was the 8 boys laying on the couch taking a break from final studying (or recovering from Friday’s activities), their Axe body spray fighting so hard to cover their 21 year old body odor. There was a Gatorade bottle in the “formal dining room” (where we used to have a precious picnic table painted white for roommate dinners) that was flavored orange but definitely the color of pee. I really don’t want to know why. I am sure in college if I had a crush on one of those boys, I could have gotten over those smells to watch Friends in his living room, but now I’m old, married to the most hunky boy I have ever met in my life, and I could barely tolerate touring that house for 10 minutes! It is so funny what happens when you get older.
Well overall we had a great weekend and I’m so happy I had the opportunity to see everyone. I was so lucky to live with this group of amazing women. Between us we have many masters degrees, babies, babies on the way, husbands, and hilarious memories. I faced some challenges in college and I’m sure I wasn’t always the easiest to love or to live with, and I feel very lucky to still be part of such a great group of gals. Can’t wait for our next reunion!
Just a couple of notes I couldn’t help but gather while traveling-
Why do people panic in regards to eating while traveling? I flew out early Friday morning and found myself people watching in Houston about 9 am- I got to see literally every person fly into the food court in a panic, look around quickly, and order something that was definitely not going to do anything but disrupt their day and wreak havoc on their airplane seat partner. I saw a petite older woman come in, look at the coffee stand muffins for 5 minutes, and settle on a huge platter of BBQ for her breakfast. When they were taking her order she looked panicked and like she was about to cry yet there she was 2 minutes later sitting at a table stuffing jalapeno sausage in her mouth like it was going to be her last meal ever. I felt so bad for her thinking of her stuffed into the tiny airplane bathroom 2hours later, cursing herself for not choosing the banana and muffin option. Listen people I’m not judging. I have gotten a 2 lb bag of skittles at the airport store, paid 9.95 for it, and shuffled out of their shamed only to polish it off reading US weekly on my flight. I just want to express to everyone that it doesn’t have to be this way! We need to band together and help each other out. Next time I am about to order the Mexican spice platter before my 7:30 a.m. flight, I would love if it someone came up to me and preached about the courtesy of gas movement on the tiny airplanes. We are all in this traveling food frenzy together!
Tomorrow my plan is to post some last-minute great gift ideas I’ve come across through magazines and different blogs. I always like to see everyone else's las-minute ideas.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
MAN HANDS
I think I mentioned this before, but we are on a very strict budget. I will buy the store brand cereal and turn lights off throughout the day to make sure I have the money for certain things. And those certain things are: Target, yellowtail wine and family pictures. I looove pictures. I love the random candids that prove we are hilariously imperfect. And I love the professional pictures that we take that make us look like the beautiful family I certainly have in my mind.
When I shake someone’s hand, they often comment, wow nice handshake. I do have a firm grip, but it also helps that I have the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger and they’ve just completely enveloped said other man’s hand. Mittens never fit.
However, once in a blue moon the man hands do come in handy. Last summer I picked up a tarantula with my bare hands at a party at my house and threw it over the fence. Everyone was blown away by my bravery but I knew that I was holding it with my thumb and forefinger and it was practically the state of Texas between me and getting bitten. I can typically get in all my grocery bags in one trip because my man hands can grab about 5 plastic bags in each hand. I give a mean back massage because it’s like having double the hands. But just when I feel I will be able to use my man hands for only good in this world, I get a beautiful family picture back and there they are, haunting me!
Here are a few things that I have been thinking about lately:
I can resist regular candy much easier than I can resist holiday candy. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Dove chocolate any day of the year. But if they put Reeses peanut butter into a Christmas tree or an Easter egg shape, I am going to buy them, and I’m going to buy them in bulk.
I cannot find the perfect toilet paper. We had one of Zac’s very sweet friends Brett Baptist visit two years ago and he remarked on emergence from our guest bathroom, “Where did you get this toilet paper, Prison?” I believe I was in a cheap “household items” stage, possibly even a Dollar Tree household items stage. Since then I’ve been on a mission to find that perfect softness but I can’t. It’s either too soft, and falls apart in my hands, or Prison paper. I spent about 15 minutes in the toilet paper isle on Wednesday at HEB (our grocery store) and was even reading the back of the toilet paper packages for information. This has gotten out of control but the worst part is, I remember an experience I had in a country club last year with the perfect toilet paper, and I can’t get it out of my head!
Is there anything better than when your baby is laughing so hard he (or she) farts?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
My sweet baby has the trots
I clean up quickly and count about 8 or 9 cookies still remaining. Meaning my almost one year old 23 pound hot mess of a baby just ate 3 HUGE chocolate chip cookies. He is bouncing off the wall and I have no idea what to expect for the rest of the day! Well news flash: chocolate chip cookies give Brooksy the trots. I felt like it was a nonstop poop train today! Hahaha.
Here is what I have gathered from my sweet little man’s first ear infection though – it’s something I’ve really struggled with since he was born. WE MOMS ARE TOO HARD ON OURSELVES! I am embarrassed to tell people that he has his ear infection. Which is really cray cray! I think we should all be shouting from the roof tops our fears and our insecurities because it will make us all feel better to know we are with faults and we all make mistakes. I have to remind myself that Jesus is the only perfect perfect to ever live.
I do feel at times like this society is pushing moms, women, to just try to one up each other, and be that perfect, put together mom who has just finished 10 crafts, made homemade baby food, and teaches their baby Spanish and French when it’s rainy out. Then there’s me at the park, Brooks is eating rocks and I smell like a lovely mixture of BO and Body Works vanilla sugar, I’m wearing gross workout clothes that probably have baby food on them and I’m sweating and chasing after him but I’m happy. Imperfectly happy. Luckily I do have quite a few normal mommy friends who are not interested in this competitive business. And I really appreciate them!
Tonight I walked with my sweet neighbor Jaime and carried a glass of wine with me. Neighborhood booze cruises are so totally necessary once in a while. It was blissful. We committed to one another that we will start going to a body pump lifting class twice a week in December. I’m posting that on here so I have another reason to hold up this deal. I have wanted to get back into this class since my wedding. When I was engaged I did this classy quite religiously and had wonderfully taught gams on my wedding day. Since that point I have really upped the amount of chocolate I eat in bed and have not been back to the class consistently and it seems my wobbly bits are a bit more wobbly. So I’m looking forward to that Jaime! I’m hoping by February or March I will look like Camille from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Hahahha. Until next time!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Charity Ball Revealed
So for some reason, I was crazy enough to trudge back to the Post Oak mall from 1982 one more time to just double check that there wasn’t something I missed in Forever21. This may have had something to do with the fact that on Monday, I really wanted to go out of my comfort zone and get the Auntie Annie’s “Pizza Pretzel” but I chickened out and got the original. I just had to know what the Pizza Pretzel was like! Well, I am so glad my curiosity with food got the best of me. Because when I went back I found a little sequined number that I actually really like. Usually the issue with Forever21 is that the dresses are too short, or too tight. I guess they made this one dress for old gals! It was just above my knee, and the size large fit just right. It didn’t EXACTLY go with the studded pumps, but to me it was a fun and funky combo I actually really liked. And I really wanted to wear those shoes!
So here is a picture of my sweet friend Natalie and I at Charity Ball. We got ready together and watched the end of the Aggies game. Oh be still my heart. This football season has probably been some of the most heart wrenching games I have ever watched! People I know will stop me and tell me that they were heartbroken over the game, and I just want to tell them, you have no idea!
I know many of the amazing young men on that team. I know how hard it is for them to balance girlfriends, homework, and the insane practice and meeting schedules they have. I know all of the coaches and managers and graduate assistants and recruiting assistants up there. I know that they don’t know what it’s like to be off on a weekend. Ever. And so my heart aches for them. I think one of the hardest things in the world is to work really, really hard for something and be gravely disappointed. And every single weekend in football, half of the people are disappointed! That really sorta stinks. My sweet dad is probably the hardest worker I have ever met in my entire life. So when I see his face over the course of games like that, oh I just ache for him. I was recently telling a friend that I think it’s one of the hardest things in the world to watch your parent be sad. I think we are used to picking up our girlfriends, maybe even our husband. But our parents don’t often ask us to do that for them. It’s like a role reversal. And so for that reason, it is even harder to know my dad is sad!
On top of all that, I have the best hubby in the entire world. He is just so darn good to me. Sometimes I wonder how he does it all. He has a VERY intense job because he is a graduate assistant, in school for his masters degree, and coaches the tight ends. And did I mention he does all the signal calling? There are hundreds, if not thousands of signals he has to memorize, and be able to spit out at a seconds notice. And not just at the games! At practice every day too! So he has his players to coach, his signals to call, his homework in school to handle, and all of his regular Graduate Assistant duties. And when he actually gets to spend even 5 minutes with us if we get to drop him off a Starbucks, he is the most patient and kind husband, and completely in awe of our son and whatever new trick he has learned that day. He never has any bitterness about his situation. This is such a good lesson for me. Sometimes I will find myself crabby if Brooks has not taken a typical nap, or if he is cranky, and I try to remember how Zac handles things with such positivity. He is so wonderful, and I am so happy he is mine!
Ok I got off on a little tangent there – woops. That is just in a nutshell the emotions I have been feeling this fall. Lots of angst! But at the end of the day I do truly know that God has a plan for us. I try so hard not to question what he brings to the table for us. I have at times over this season questioned if we are doing the right thing, if we are a family that is ready for this coaching world. It’s very intense! But I know my husband is so talented and it makes him so happy. So I look at my job as “big mama”- making sure everything else in our house and our family is going smoothly so that he can go and enjoy his job. It’s a work in progress J After the result of the game, I actually had a 20 second feeling of – do I even want to go to Ball? But I do believe if we are going to stay in this coaching world for life, I have to be able to recover from these things swiftly for the sake of my family, and for myself. So I just pulled on my big girl panties and decided to go. Literally (more on that below). So Natalie and I finished our make up, maybe enjoying one extra glass of champagne after that four-overtime stinger, and we headed over to Ball.
I had a wonderful time catching up with people I don’t get to see often! It was so fun. I also LOVE to dance, and Ball had a really good band. Probably my only negative from the night was the issue I have come to face with my post-baby body. And her name is Spanx. Darn you wonderful underwear! Darn you. I just cannot decide if they are meant for me or not. The forever21 dress was cheap, and therefore, it was thin and showed every little rumple that existed. It seemed like all the mallocreme pumpkins I had eaten over the course of this fall had created a little community below my rear. And I needed spanx to pull it all together. However, this was my first time wearing Spanx with a dress (I have worn them before with pants, right after Brooks was born). And I discovered that with every single move I made, those darn things moved with me. If you stand perfectly still, the spanx does hold it all in, I admit! And so for a picture, or if you want to just stand in a corner all night and look 5 lbs thinner, spanx is your answer. However, it seemed like every time I leaned forward at dinner, they popped over like cotton pants, rumpling to the point that I had no choice but to straighten them out, thus definitely revealing to anyone who happened to be looking my way that I was wearing underwear almost as large as my dress. So my dilemma from this weekend is: To Spanx, or not to Spanx. This will be a work in progress. And yes, I do realize if I just stopped eating mallowcreme pumpkins and Auntie Annie pretzels, I could just wear regular undies. But then life isn’t really worth living is it?!
Until next time sweet friends!
Side note: if you are interested in buying this dress, which I feel is a steal for a super fun sequin number you could wear to a Christmas party or New Year’s Eve function, here is the link! :)
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=whatsnew_app_dresses&ProductID=2086806278&VariantID=
Thursday, November 10, 2011
As I mentioned the other day, I have no idea what to wear. I went to our local Post Oak Mall on Monday, and if you are in College Station you will know what is coming next - our mall just plain stinks! I adore clothes, so it is probably for the best since our budget is quite tight right now, but man, there are times I wonder who is in charge over there. It just a hot mess of outdated non-chain stores that make it feel like it's 1982, a lot of elderly mall walkers (I respect y'all, you just aren't helping my dress cause) and a pretzel stand that challenges my willpower whenever I make it over there.
*Side note-Of course I got a pretzel Monday. However they were rolling the pretzels with just one glove on, one hand naked, and while I was able to shrug it off because I wanted the salty goodness so bad, I would like to warn all you other Auntie Annie Lovers that it's a bit of a health hazard up in that kiosk.
Ok so anyway, back to my dress dilemma. I went in Forever21 for a loooong time - I didn't have my sweet baby boy so I had the chance to try on quite a few options. However, I have come to a realization. It is that I am 28 years old, and dresses from this store are just going to be too short on this mama for a classy event like ball. Now, I still love the store for trendy options that I can get for cheap like scarves and skinny jeans. However, it seemed like each dress was shorter than the last! And this event is quite classy, with many women in long dresses. So if i'm going to opt for short, I feel it needs to bring an element of class I just didn't find in Forever21.
So after a long time trying on dresses and finding nothing, I left exxasperated (there's no way I spelled this word right. And I can't find spell check on here. I have lots to learn with blogging). I strolled over to Charlotte Russe, which was crazy because it's the exact same type of store. However, I found myself drawn to the shoe section, and thought, well if I find a fun new pair of heels, that might spice up a dress I already own and make me feel special!? So I bought the heels below, and they are wild. They are funky and spiky and different and the man working in Charlotte Russe, who I wanted to fold up and take home in my pocket, told me they were statement shoes. He also told me I had dainty feet. Probably should have run then, but instead I bought these fabulous weapons/shoes.
After I left Charlotte Russe, I began to trek back to my car. I mulled over the fact that I had just spent almost 30 dollars on shoes with huge silver spikes on them. I imagined my husband's crinkled brow that would appear when I showed him the shoes, and the thoughtful way he pauses before saying something like "Oh. Are those.....in fashion?" HAHA! I thought about how I don't really do anything in my life to warrant spiked nude heels, because really, was I going to wear them to the grocery? And then I imagined walking into Charity Ball in them, and feeling like I was trendy, tall, and like my calf muscles might look nice. And so I kept on walking.
When I got home, I really looked through my closet and tried to find a few dresses that I thought would work for this weekend. As I looked, I realized the options I had wouldn't all go with the spiked heels, and I really want to wear them. But at the same time, most people probably won't even notice my shoes, and once I really start to boogie, the shoes are coming off anyway. So I need to decide on an outfit that will have me dazzling overall. So here below are what I think my options are.....
I haven't worn this dress since my honeymoon. It will be interesting to see what it looks like on my post-baby body. I should have taken a picture of the back. It's neat and a cross strap and quite fun. The dress is hunter green and those shoes are GOLD GLITTER HEELS! Yes, I like outrageous, closet candy shoes. I can't help it! Sorry about the picture quality on this blog. As of now, I'm just winging it with my Iphone... This dress is fun, it's satin, strapless, has a pretty floral pattern, and it is very fitted. Inside it has a built in corset that I love because it sort of forces you to stand straight and thus look thinner. My worry is that it's outdated. Is the floral pattern a bit too "fabric on the chairs at a chinese restaurant"? Not sure. But I thought it would be a fun offset to what I will now refer to as my killer shoes.
Ok so this little red number is kind of hard to tell what is going on in this picture. it was hard to lay it right. It's a rayon, drapey fabric, and it is really pretty on, but I am just not sure it's dressy enough for this event. I didn't pair shoes with it because if I chose this option, I would borrow my mom's Kate Spade glittered pumps with a bow - these ones
Thanks for reading:)