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May 28, 2014

#momproblems

I've read several articles recently that said if you want to be taken seriously, never use #momproblems...so of course, I thought it the perfect title...I'm feeling a little rebellious.

Yesterday was a long day. So long that I didn't have the energy to type this last night. One of these days I'm going to strap a go-pro on my forehead and document an entire day...on second thought...It would be traumatizing to watch that. Here's the run-down on a typical day (lately).

6:00 am up and at 'em (more like the living dead, sleep-walking to the kitchen to pour cup #1 of coffee)
6:15 a.m. Pull out boston butt, get it rub-a-dub-dubbed and in the smoker (prepping for the big River City Smokeoff happening this Friday in Columbus)


6:30 a.m. Kid #2 awake...no talking...breakfast
6:32 a.m. Kid #1 awake...drama...whining...breakfast
7:00 a.m. mickey mouse clubhouse/shower time
7:15 a.m. out of shower, my laptop is in the bathtub. interesting.
7:30 a.m. Kid #3 awake...happiest baby ever...but starving
8:00 a.m. See hubby off to work
                (school's out for summer...)
8:30 Call Staples and make sure their printers are back in service
9:00 a.m. Wrangle 3 kids into car sans shoes (they're in my luggage of a purse) and head to post office                   to track down lost package.
9:30 a.m. Still in post office with 3 kids. We're surviving. No luck finding package, sent to PO #2
9:45 a.m. PO #2 in line with three bored kids. Getting frustrated
10 a.m. Kid #2 playing the drums with his feet on the side of the counter. That's great.
10:30 a.m. Kid #2 pushes Kid #1 backwards into a mail bin. Boxes fly everywhere. Dirty looks from                    people who obviously have no children. Misery.
10:31 a.m. Public Service Announcement that we're leaving.
10:35 a.m. Mandatory Chick-fil-A sweet tea to calm my nerves...or to keep my mouth occupied so I                     don't yell the whole way home.
11:00 a.m. home, mac n' cheese lunch, potty break, add wood chips to smoker, wrangle three kids back into the car for post office #3

NOON (half way done...I can do this.)
Mac home for lunch/kids go run 250 laps around the back yard...

12:30 p.m. Swimming lessons (kids fall asleep as we pull in driveway)

2:00 p.m. pick up donated slabs of ribs from Country's BBQ...with all three kids. this is getting old.
2:30 p.m. Meet Mac at home, put kids down for MANDATORY naps, head downtown to film footage for Smoke-Off
3:30 p.m. Head to RSL Theatrical and pick up "boxing ring" for Smoke-Off
4:00 p.m. Pick up printed artwork from Staples


5:00 p.m. Home to take meat out of smoker 
5:30 p.m. Swim/Supper 
7:00 p.m. bedtime routine starts...this takes forever. 
8:30 p.m. Kids in bed, a little break to stare at TV and not think about anything at all. 
9:00 p.m. Finish laundry, clean kitchen, fold clothes, clean closet, return e-mails
Midnight...see you in 6 hours.

I don't care if you have 100 projects going on and you have 10 kids or if you have one kid and absolutely nothing else to do but love on that child...Moms are rockstars...and how in the world do you do all that you do? You just do. High Five! You can do it!! Mwah!

May 26, 2014

Memorial Day/Weekend

Happy Memorial Day, Y'all!!

It's such an honor, each May, to celebrate and remember the bravest folks in our great country. I can't help but think of all the young moms/Ranger wives stationed at Ft. Benning, who I see everyday at pre-school. They are all part of that awesome "family" that trains day in and day out to defend our freedom and chance to be whatever we want to be when we grow up. Thank you to those families who never quite know what next year will look like and as always, we are thinking of those who are no longer with us...

To celebrate, we've been busy smokin' all weekend! Smoking food, that is...The kiddos are completely water-logged from swimming in the lake, Mac smells like the smoker, and the weather is perfect... polar vortex who?! I love it! Here are a few pics from our weekend (so far). If it seems like we smoke food a lot...it's because we do...on beautiful days...when nobody wants to work hard to eat!! Kids are up from their naps...gotta run (literally) and see their fancy new pool tricks! Hope y'all are doing the same...or at least your version of good-long-weekend-livin'.


May 18, 2014

Get Smoked

I hinted that we have a lot coming up in June, and it's almost here! Here's a sneak peek at one of our fun events! I hope you'll keep up with us through the summer and come along for the virtual ride! 

May 30,  6:00-9:00 pm Uptown Columbus

I'm excited to co-host the last local event of May, kicking-off an exciting June! If you're in or around Columbus, head down to Broadway for what will be a big, fun smoky party (not that kind of smoke). John McLemore, Jamie Keating, and your's truly will be competing in Uptown's River City Smoke-Off to raise awareness (and cash mo-nay) for the Trinity Center for Women. Come down to Broadway and taste mouth-watering dishes (they'll literally make your mouth water...you might drool a little), all prepared in Masterbuilt electric smokers. Vote for the best dish and tip your favorite contestant! With a grill-master, an award-winning Chef, and a normal housewife who likes to cook/eat good food, there's sure to be something for everyone. Plus there's a raffle! Help us help the babies of the river region. Use #getsmoked and document the night! We'll be waiting for you in the "smoking-ring" on Broadway, near the big stage. Birmingham's Lava Lamp band will be there to get us all in the groove! 

May 11, 2014

Plummer, Party of Five

Happy Mother's Day to you, mamas! I got swept off my feet this weekend by Mac and the wild ones. We took an unplanned trip to Atlanta and enjoyed being together all five of us (there were a few times I was wondering when the babysitter would come out of her hiding place...she never did). We had fun and I...I mean the kids...survived. Here's a peek into my iPhone...


After 1,200 pit stops, we landed at Scott's. I found lots of wonderful things that I needed, like this little beauty. I came home with one fabulous cutting board. Don't ask me how this happened. The one day of the year I could get away with just about any purchase my heart desired...I'm a stupid woman. And Mac's a lucky man...we left with a $30 piece of wood instead of a new investment that could one day be passed down to our great-grand-son's wife. Oh well, there's always next month...




Then we spent half of our furniture savings at Crewcuts. Totally worth the joy on this diva's face. I'm so mad that I didn't video the catwalk/soul train dance moves that happened from the front door of J.Crew to the dressing room. WOW. That was a treat. Even better that her daddy joined in and shook it like he owned it right through a line of customers. Happy. mother's. day. to. me. 



Things got a little blurry as we all got sleepy...but we pressed on and made it to the fanciest food court dinner ever. 

                                         

Somehow, miraculously, most of us fell asleep. The next morning, after three cups of coffee, we didn't have the motivation to go to the cool place we had in mind, so we just drove. Coke Zero at McDonald's led us to a beautiful old neighborhood, which led us on a goose chase to find Justin Bieber's house (some things I can't explain), which led us to some mountain man store that wasn't open, which happened to be in the same parking lot as OK Cafe which turned out to be more than just OK. I think we'll find ourselves there again soon.


This was the perfectly unexpected and just-right mother's day weekend. These people wear me out and give me energy at the same time. Now that we're home, they're all asleep, snoring like a bunch of old men and I'm so thankful to have a need for earplugs.


May 7, 2014

Sweet Home...

I took a break last week to focus on a few upcoming projects...you'll hear more about that later!

In the meantime, I'm dying to tell y'all where I got to go over the weekend. The kids and I took a road trip to Montgomery, Alabama for something called Southern Makers. I was expecting a farmer's market type thing with people selling corn and painted picture frames. Boy, was I wrong! Union Station was packed with artisans, chefs, designers, letter-pressers, and more. Mind=Blown. Alabama has as much talent as the Gulf has salt! 



I won't tell you about every person/company I talked to, but there are a few I have to highlight so I can sleep tonight. Look them up, order their products, and if you're passing through the state at any point, take a pit stop and meet these fine, talented folks. Our family of five plans to do the same throughout the summer...another undertaking I'm milling through right now and will fill you in on along the way. 


1. front porch special- track it down and try a glass. I'm serious. NOW. go!!! best (non-traditional sweet) tea I've tasted. I've tasted a lot. Look for these guys in next month's Southern Living.

2. pickled shrimp- this spot was not around when I was in Montgomery, but one little bite did me in. I'm dying to go back and try the rest!

3. kale that made me want more kale- I tried what looked like crunchy seaweed but tasted sweet and spicy and wonderful. I don't know how they did it, but head to the beach and ask for some Kale at Fisher's!

4. Shirey made-from-scratch ice cream- You'll find us enjoying these guys' scoops at Billy Reid Shindig, this August. Their flavors depend on what's being grown locally at the time.

5. flavored goat cheese- The pimento (goat) cheese is addictive...

more highlights to come for the non-foodies out there! :)