Life of Chaos

Grampie came through town last week. So he got to see Eileen (well, the back of her as she constantly ran off to go play with her friends...), Edie, and the rest of us grown up kids that no one really cares if they see or not.


About two hours in on Friday night.. somewhere between us flying home from work to get Grampie and take him to school with us to get Eileen and David and I texting back and forth to figure out if Sissy was ALIVE since neither of us had heard from her in weeks (slight, just slight, exaggeration there..) and Bill leaving to get pizza but before I'd let him leave I asked for him to hook up the porch TV and Ryan coming in and out and Shannon and David texting to say (turns out she was indeed alive) they were stopping by and me calling in another pizza and Eileen going over to Bella's and me letting Bill know there were now two pizzas to get... 


Grampie looked at me and said: Is it always this chaotic?


My first thought was "what chaos?"..  I guess because, yes. It is always that chaotic. But I guess that these days, it isn't chaos, it's life. 


And while there are certainly days I wish I could just sit poolside or porchside and finish off a book.. I wouldn't have it any other way, than this way. This Life of Chaos.


sidebar: Lest anyone think I'm one of those Super Happy Perfect Never a Hair Out of Place Bubbly Everything ROCKS Moms... um. no. Ok, well - the hair part is true. I'm a tad obsessed with my hair. It does always look smashing. I have meltdowns and breakdowns.  I get totally irked or testy or exhausted. And oh mercy, if I forget to take/take too late my Happy Pill... shew clear a path!  But still, I wouldn't trade it. 


From Friday night to Sunday night.. we managed to have Sissy & David over. Have clean sheets for Grampie to sleep on. Get Eileen fed and to bed before midnight. Bill went to Target. Grampie off to house hunt. Me, Bill and Eileen off to Verizon store (where we encountered yet ANOTHER person who was intrigued by the Sox/Yankees marriage, and in fact, in one himself) and I finally finally finally got my iPhone.  Bill & Eileen off to get smoothies and a bday gift. Me off to Gym. All of us home to get ready for party. Shopping list off to Sissy. Go to party. Come home to Grampie and Sissy. Josh and Sarah come over to drop off Edie. Eileen goes off to Hayley's volleyball games. Marc & Megan come over and we all cookout and drool over Edie.  Josh and Sarah come back right after Eileen comes home; Edie out cold. Josh in slight shock at the sight of Eileen beebopping around the house at 10something pm. Up Sunday morning to see Grampie off. Get some chores done then I go off to run. Come home and Bill is off to Home Depot to get flowers and new pots (since our OTHER new ones blew away in a storm - and we have NOT A CLUE where they landed.. we're talking BIG pots here people!).  We get ready and head up to Jim & Judy's for a visit. Cookout. Head out to check the cows (betcha didn't expect to see THAT from me, didja?!), then pick strawberries. Head home. Off I go to Target, which is also known as a timewarp. I could swear it was maybe 6:30 when I got there. And all of a sudden it was 7:45. OMG. We still had cheesecake to make and kid to bathe and laundry to do and poster to make and dinner to eat and nails to paint. But hey -I got cute shoes for me and a cute skirt for Eileen. 


wait, what? cheesecake?
yes people. for some unknown reason, Eileen had been asking me since the prior Thursday to make one. and since I am mother of the year, I kept pushing her off, thinking she'd forget. I've been schooled people. She would NOT let the cheesecake go. So I found myself mixing away while she and Bill worked on the poster. Her healthy dinner of noodles with butter, followed by the graham cracker crust with cheesecake BATTER certainly cements my MOTY Award. (that was my way of giving her cheesecake for the night since I knew it wouldn't be finished baking any time soon...raw eggs be damned!).


Somehow, between Bill and I - and even Eileen - we managed to get the entire to-do list finished. well. we didn't get flowers planted. but they have at least been purchased. 


Tired yet? 
:)

Perfect Day

WE GOT MARRIED!

We could not have asked for a more perfect day. 


Eileen & I got our hair and makeup done.  Christine came in early just to fit us in, and Claire would have it no other way. Having friends make you feel pretty is, well, just very freakin cool. 

 I'd like to thank MH for the limo (aka Gazebo) idea. Raving success with Eileen, and sure as hell made for even more fun. And nothing quite like pulling up to the courthouse in a limo, with your very own paparazzi waiting to snap your photo - talk about attracting attention.

<---And apparently we have a bit of our own Paris Hilton,... see - I got out of the limo like a normal person. Eileen, however, paused just as she was about to step out. Me: what are you doing? E: waiting for Tim to get my picture! And then she posed. 


Also, when you get married at the courthouse, you go through security. Empty your pockets and put your purses, and bouquets, in the basket for xray please. Different, but hilariously fun. Especially the getting wanded part. 

And apparently most courthouse weddings don't have people showing up dressed to the nines - we got loads of compliments and 'congratulations!' ... there was actually one other couple there all dressed up.. perhaps we're on the cutting edge of a new trend.


The little man who married us was precious and perfect. Southern Gentleman in his 80s, perfect drawl and had been married for 59 years. We were in a pretty little room with bookshelves and flowers. And it was just Bill, Eileen and me. Oh, and Tim  - another of our friends who gave up his afternoon for us. We are blessed with so many friends and don't take it for granted, not even for a second. 

And then we were back in the limo and wooshed off to the hotel !! Champagne was poured. Eileen likes it (shocking). Tim rode with us to get some fantastically fun photos, including us sticking out of the sunroof. heeheehee. 

If you live in Knoxville and have not been to the Hotel Oliver, you should go. now. it rocks. 


A little family party in the hotel suite included Sissy & David, Marc & Megan, Kath, & Josh, Sarah & Edie. There was also Donuts with Daddy - since Eileen had missed that little event at school. Champagne and donuts, not awful.


Quick wardrobe change (for me anyway), more pictures, and off we went to Latitude 35 (well, Eileen headed home with Josh and Sarah). 

We had an awesome room reserved - and seeing as how we'd managed to plan our wedding on the same weekend as the Dogwood Arts Rhythm & Blooms fest - well, any pre-saved space is most excellent.  Coolest bartender ever - Gary- who was for us and us only in our cool room - kept us well fed and well-filled. I can't believe we didn't get our picture with him!

Joined by some of our best friends (not all pictured here..) it was, to say the least, an absolutely perfect evening. Laid back, chatting and laughing and smiling for hours. 

Remember the aforementioned wardrobe change? SMART MOVE bc yes- oh yes - red wine did end up on my skirt. And luckily washed out. But super glad it wasn't on the wedding dress!

No idea what time we got back to the hotel. I'm pretty sure I was floating on Cloud Nine though. 


A special day. Surrounded by friends and family genuinely excited, thrilled and happy for us. Having Eileen there with me, with us, was special beyond words. She had so much fun, and getting to spend the day with her doing all the girl stuff will forever be one of my most favorite memories. 


I can't post a blog about Bill & I getting married and NOT tie in the Yanks/Sox.

When we chose April 20 as our wedding date, we didn't realize it fell on the first Yanks/Sox series. On the day Fenway Park celebrated it's 100th year. And the first pitch was at 3:05pm, which is when we were getting married. 


There need not be a discussion of who WON the Friday game. Just kind of a fun tie in to part of who we are. 




Can't wait to see the rest of the pictures from Tim. Can't wait to start each day as Mrs. Bryant. 

RunnerGirls

Look at this photo! Where does one even begin? 


Everytime I look at this picture I giggle. 


Recent conversations: 


Me (Eileen giggling in bed) : what are you doing?
E: I have a funny song in my head. 
Me: What song? 
E: doobeedoobeedoo...


Really!? Not a clue where she heard that.

E: Mommy, PLEASE come to the Easter Egg hunt.
Me: Honey I will try, but I've had to leave work every day this week for stuff...


... later that day after school...
E: actually mommy, they moved the Easter Egg hunt to morning. So it's OK if you can't come. 
Me: Oh? Why? 
E: Well, since it's in the morning, a lot of other parents won't be there either. 
Me: Oh, how come? 
E: well, I mean you know, it's just hard for them to get away in the mornings. 

<--- based on this picture, Eileen is part frog. 


E:  "Mommy? Can I have a makeup class?"  
Me: Blank Look. In roughly three nanoseconds the following thoughts ran through my head:

• why does she need a class to find out about makeup? she watches me. do i apply makeup in such an appalling manner she needs to learn from others? !
• how does she even KNOW there are such classes?
• Claire would be SO PROUD
• Maybe if i just pretend I didn't hear her she'll forget she asked

This is where I returned to earth. And realized she meant makeup class - as in make good- for the Cheer Lesson she'd missed while sick last week. 

Me: OH. Um yeah, your cheer school is closed til Tuesday. I'll call and see if you can get into the 4pm Tuesday class.


Well, of course I forgot. So Tuesday afternoon about 3:40, I get a call from Hannah's mom. Seems she was at school to get Hannah for cheer class, and Eileen informed her that a) she WAS going to the makeup class with them and b)to just 'text my mommy!'


SO. off to class she went. I guess she's used to Mommy forgetting things. 


OK. I started this post literally a week ago. Keep thinking "Just have to get that post finnished up and published!"   


I know there was more I was going to write. But unless you all want this post to drag into Christmas 2012, I'm just gonna publish. And OHHHHHH - I can start a new post sometime soon.


Don't hate the genius in me. 

Erin Stories...

In high school, there were what was known as an Erin Story.  Random crap has always happened to me.  I imagine none of you are shocked by this tidbit. If it happened to someone else, they had their very own Erin Story to share. 


Today was an Erin Story. 
I'm at work. And today is one of those days that the building is FREEZING. I mean like fleece-necessary cold. 




So I came outside to work a bit. Yes. 
Outside. 
The picture here is where I am sitting right now. 
At the lake. Next to the dock. With my laptop. With the paddleboats (which apparently are not yet open for riding since they're covered...). 


And. 
With window-washers. The kind that hang from the sky. 


I'm sitting here working away typing like mad. 
OMG A SPIDER.
ON MY KEYBOARD. 


I squeal. 
Robert, innocently walking into the building, jumps 10 feet due to me scaring the bejesus out of him. 
I explain the spider issue. 
Window washer starts laughing like mad. 


Seems there's a lot of spiders on that window. 
Seem he'd just SWISHED them out of the way with his little handy squeegee. 


So, sir.. what you're telling me is you just FLUNG SPIDERS AT ME?


(k. i didn't really say that. but still. )


These things don't happen to other people.