Topper’s a Teenager.

So…Topper. We meant to eat him on our first anniversary (or at least taste him for sentimentality, since we didn’t really like him when he was fresh), but we forgot. So we left him in the freezer. And moved, with him, twice. Topper unfroze and refroze dozens of times during power outages and freezer doors […]

Nativity McQueen.

There are two hobbies that my husband is possibly more passionate about than football (a subject we won’t be mentioning this week): Legos and Christmas Decorations. In fact, I often wonder if the reason we had children was so that he felt justified in playing with Legos again. Anyway, for the last three years, he’s […]

50 Restaurants in Crappy Photos: Tampa Edition.

So I realize that this series is supposed to be strictly Birmingham restaurants. But I’m a rulebreaker, and we went to Tampa. Therefore, you get a Tampa edition. But really, this is just an excuse to tell you about the most curious restaurant experience we’ve ever had – you won’t want to miss restaurant # […]

Vacation, Greek-Style.

So. I could punish you with a “look at all of my sunset photos and toes in the sand and long walks on the beach” post. But you’ve seen those before, right? Instead, I’m going to introduce you to a little town called Tarpon Springs. It was one of the main reasons we chose Tampa […]

Random Notes, To You.

I often come upstairs after quiet time to find an impressive display of random notes, all addressed to me. Except for those times when they’re addressed to a character from The Jersey Shore, creating no small amount of confusion. Until I turn them around and realize that they were addressed to me all along. Consider […]

The Best Worst Comments.

Sometimes people find my blog, thanks to The Googles. These finders can sometimes have strong opinions, bottled-up anger, or an intense need to vent. These people, who are never regular readers, also don’t understand the context of my blog, which is largely based on the verifiable fact that nearly nothing I say should be taken […]

Southern Genetics.

I’ve had a lot of requests for a Southern Dictionary. Yes, we’re polite. We’re always sweet and nice. We smile at everyone and call strangers sweetie, honey, and sugar pie. But we don’t always mean it. Any of it. I thought everyone knew that the phrase “Bless Your Heart” equated to giving someone the finger, […]

The Not-So-Nativity.

For their Third Annual Lego Nativity Scene (see years one and two,) Ali and Chris decided to branch out in their block-based biblical interpretations.  This year, they chose the oh-so-Christmasy story of the building of Noah’s Ark. The ark looked oddly medieval, with seemingly not-so-watertight windows involved.  But they saw their work, and they said […]

On Creating a Reference Guide.

I gave Ali a new notebook the other day. In five-year-old girl terms, this is roughly equivalent to gifting her with a mansion on a private island in the Caribbean with an on-site Frozen Yogurt bar and all of the Disney Princesses as attendants. Okay – maybe not that great. But very, very close. She […]

As Noted During Quiet Time.

Hint: read “ice” as icky. Being that she’s a five year old girl, Ali has a lot of words. And although she does enjoy her daily quiet time, the multitudes of unused words tend to build up within her soul. To prevent a horrible drain clog, overflow, or some other gruesome word tragedy, Ali has […]