Mom's Day Out

I'm going to the Metropolitan Cooking Show today. I can't wait.

We have tickets to see Giada.

Look at me calling her by only her first name - like we're friends.

We're friends. She just doesn't know it yet.

Beautiful Friday - Brunch with Friends

Having spent a good chunk of my adult life in a middle school, I know how fickle relationships can be when you're twelve. I moved to Virginia when I was in middle school. I met two friends that year, and more than twenty-five years later, we're still friends. We are close friends - godparents-to-each-others'-children type of friends.

The three of us meet out for dinner every other month or so, but once a year we gather our families for brunch. Last weekend it was our turn to host. Here are some pictures and the menu - unfortunately, I was too busy relaxing and enjoying our company to take pictures during the brunch.

Brunch Menu

(If you like carbs, this is the menu for you...)

Bloody Marys and Mimosas

Fresh Coffee

(juice boxes for the shorties)

Company French Toast

Sausage Egg Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole

Fresh Fruit

Bagel Bar

Muirhead Pumpkin Bars

Check out other Beautiful Friday posts at The Inspired Room. Melissa wrote about holiday entertaining today as well.

Lunch Bunch

Once a week my son participates in Lunch Bunch at school. The kids stay an extra hour and eat a home-packed lunch. Then they play until the moms return for pick up.

My son loves lunch bunch. It's why he goes to preschool. This morning he asked if they could do lunch bunch first and school second.

Sorry, Bud, it doesn't work that way.

Wait until he finds out about recess in elementary school.

Somewhere to Hang a Hat

Wordless Wednesday....

Chair Do-over..

In June, I started to paint some chairs. I painted my son instead.

These chairs were free to me. The previous owner in my DC condo left them when he moved. I inherited a bunch of furniture. These chairs were my favorite.

They were in our kitchen until our family outgrew this seating arrangement.

We needed a larger table and more chairs...

I needed to repurpose these chairs, so they moved to the lower level also known as the basement or playroom or office. Our multi-function room.... Regardless, I finally got the chairs painted. I like them. I would love them if I bought matte black instead of shiny black spray paint. Not sure what I was thinking.

Although, if I recall, I was thinking, "Pick out the darn paint as quickly as possible before one or both kids start to freak out because you spent too much time looking at the lighting at Home Depot."

I recovered the seats, and I bought the pillows at Marshall's. They're down too - super comfortable. They were super cheap. How cheap? Well, it cost me more to have the pillow cases monogrammed at the local stitching shop at the mall. Pretty cheap.

Now, the chairs are downstairs in our office/playroom. Maybe, I'll repaint them in the matte finish. Although, I doubt it. Too many other projects to do....

Halloween 2009 Re-Cap

Lulu did NOT like her costume. That is a tear-stained face. Fortunately, she got over it.

I should title this post "How H1N1 Turned Normally Sane Mom into an Over-Scheduling, Halloween-Party-Seeking Lunatic."

I was convinced my kids would get sick before Halloween. I was so afraid they would miss the fun and festivities. In order to give them a Halloween that was fun and memorable (do I sound like that mom of 8? for the love...), I agreed to attend five different Halloween parties. So in seven days, we hit five parties. And, no, I am not a senior in college taking 12 credits.

It started with my sister's neighborhood's parade and chili-cook off.

Our babies are getting bigger. It hit me when I saw this picture.

Lulu, favorite nephew, and Baby Boy

Followed by a preschool party and parade...

My Little Man loved waving to his parents during the parade.

My little Lulu loved the sweets at her brother's school party.

Then a fabulous party at our local community center....

Treat bags at the end! Lulu tried to eat through the candy wrappers.

Kiddos eating the cookies they decorated.

Hammering golf tees into the pumpkin.

Then a party at the place where Lulu and I take a class together....

Toad showed up in costume... I didn't even recognize him. The kids loved it.

Enjoying a pizza dinner before the pounds of candy the next day.

Then the neighborhood block party... ending in Trick or Treating...

All smiles... Halloween was a huge (week-long) success!

Whew! No one got sick. Although the irony is I probably wore down their immune systems by driving them all over the county for the next party.

Happy Halloween