Paul's reaction...

So he opened the front door and Will and I were waiting to see his reaction..this is what we saw:He was so surprised and so happy!
I poured him a cup of coffee. Will put in the cream and sugar. We left him alone with some biscotti and Miles Davis music and a magazine. I came back not even 5 MINUTES later and this is what I found...My heart sank when I saw him. He's just plain tuckered out. I turned the music down and let him take a nap right there. This man was exhausted. It hurts my heart to see him so tired and trying to keep up with everything. I'm so glad I have this picture to remind me to give him breaks and to make this home a haven for him. He really needs it.

Home Sweet Starbucks

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Busy. Busy. Busy. Things have gotten a little tense in the Richardson household. The boys have gotten into some brawls and Paul and I have been a little "off". I know it's because of our schedule. So, today, instead of grumbling about it, I decided to do something different. Paul has been gone since 5:45 this morning. Long day. The boys and I have spent all morning and afternoon turning our foyer into a mini STARBUCKS! I put Paul's favorite comfy lounge chair next to a little cafe table. (Pulled the chair out of the living room). The best part to me is the little Starbucks logos me and the kids created. Check out the one's Will did...they're pretty good! I can't wait for Paul to get home. He'll see the sign before he walks in. Will and I are going to be his servers. I hope this will help him relax and unwind.

Just one question: Why is Coffee spelled COFFEF? See picture below:

I hope he likes it!!! He just called and is 5 minutes away!!!!

Betcha can't touch the worm

Will and Wesley got these spiffy Batman fishing poles for Christmas and Paul and I took the boys fishing...FINALLY. The park near our house is beautiful! Paul said he was going to take the boys to stop and get night crawlers...oh, boy, I wasn't expecting them to look like mini SNAKES! Paul whipped out his pocket knife and started to cut them in HALF...and they still wiggled all around. I was trying to be a good "boy" mom and get into the moment, but I was turning my head every 5 seconds and heaving. I took a little video (sideways, sorry about that) of Wesley touching the worm. *Again, pause the playlist at the bottom so you can hear the video.*

From the mouth's of babes...

This week I was running errands with the boys. Wesley was getting pretty grouchy. I told him to be quiet all the rest of the way home. He didn't obey. Will, being a good big brother kept trying to "hush" him and keep him out of trouble. I'm driving along and I hear Will saying to Wesley in the backseat...

"Wesley, I know mommy doesn't LOOK like much of a princess, but we STILL need to treat her like one, okay?"


Ummmmm, yeah. How about that? Will looked at me in the rearview mirror as though he had really "helped" me out and taken care of the situation. He was SO proud of himself.

I just smiled and said..."Thanks, Will."

Happy Valentine's Day!

As you celebrate with the one's you love, I pray that you remember the love that God has for YOU!

We're headed to a wedding today. The perfect Valentine's date in my opinion. Romance in the air, music, dancing and food. :) Paul is doing the wedding...I always try to make eye contact with him during these things. Just to see if I can make him smile/giggle anything...but he's a ROCK! I'm gonna pull out all the stops today!

This is my favorite love song. It's an oldie but a goodie. Turn it up, grab your spice/spouse and dance in the kitchen or something.

By the way...Paul, I love you!

The FIRST tooth!

Well, I could cry and laugh at the same time. My first born, my little baby (six years old) has lost his first tooth. He lost it yesterday afternoon and we jumped up and down in the kitchen together and cheered. He was SO PROUD of himself! Then, when I saw that little hole in his smile...something happened. huh? He looks OLDER! Oh no! It was a bittersweet moment. But I'm so happy for him. He seems to be the very last of his friends that has lost a tooth. And here's what the tooth fairy brought him. I know, I know, seems like a bit much for a tooth. But he's 6, so for the FIRST tooth we gave him 6 dollars. He came running downstairs this morning...."Look what the tooth fairy did...she taped all the money together, isn't she funny?"

Roof With A View

Be sure to check out a new website: Roof With A View. I just posted some money saving Valentine tips! For WOMEN only! :)

Need a laugh?

Shopping at Wal-mart with a friend can be very entertaining...(pause my playlist so you can hear the video)

First Monthly Fix and Freeze

Yesterday Tandy, Jennifer and I cooked up a STORM! After 2 weeks of planning, we combined efforts and made enough food for our families for 2 weeks. Here's what we made: Lasagna, Chicken Enchiladas, Crockpot BBQ Chicken, Mexican Casserole, Spaghetti Sauce, Vegetable Soup, Chili, 5 1/2 dozen banana muffins, whole wheat dinner rolls, homemade ice cream sandwiches, and 3 Lemon Layer cakes! Whew! We started at 9:00 in the morning and finished up around 6:00. Long day, but VERY productive and so much fun to cook with friends!
Paul had the boys all day. I came home last night to find THIS in our kitchen. It is New York City. Complete with Central Park in the middle with green felt. They are even adding street lights. I was AMAZED how much time and effort Paul put into this activity with the boys. They worked on it all day. It made me feel so good to see that they spent quality time together.

Thank YOU Jessica Taylor!

My Valentine Swap gift arrived today! Today was the perfect day for a fun surprise in the mail. It's COLD here in Georgia. Me and the boys have been hanging out indoors all day with a fire in the fireplace. This was just the pick-me-up I needed!Look at this ADORABLE thermos! It's like you know me Jessica! Pink and green! And an "A" on the front. I seriously squealed a little when I saw this!
What a precious little hand towel! She went all out and had our name monogrammed on it! This is so dainty and perfect to put out during the month of LOVE!
And this one I'm hiding from my boys. This is all mommy's! :)

Jessica thank you so much! This made my day. I can't wait to make some green tea and drink it in my new cup!

Valentine Polish Picks

Romance! Romance is what I thought of when I saw these colors. I know, I know they all look alike. But, trust me, they're different. All with a hint of pink. Give yourself a quick manicure and file your nails down shorter for a neat, clean, pretty look.

From left to right:
Tijuana Dance?
Heart Throb
Kiss on the Chic
Pink-ing of You

The last one, (Pink-ing of You) is my favorite.

I walked into our local Trade Secret today to see this:Talk about a kid in a candy store! They have expanded their collection to include all of the existing colors and on the other side are all the NEW ones. I didn't get that picture, because by this time, the sales clerk had come over. I think she saw my camera flash. I just stood there looking through the colors and names. What's a girl to do? I ended up with 2 polishes. One for my Valentine swap. One for me.

Be NICE to your SPICE

It's the month of LOVE! I want to challenge you to be nice to your spice in the days leading up to Valentine's. (Spice is Paul's alternate word for spouse:)

These are my favorite Valentine things:

*Breakfast in bed. For both of us.
*A good date. Dinner and a movie.
*Chocolate. Oh, the chocolate!!!
*Love songs.
*Heart shaped pancakes.
*Romantic comedies.
*Candles.
*Flowers.
*Nothing and I mean NOTHING can top a hand-written card from my hubby. That's always my very favorite!

Here's some Valentine things that are NOT my favorite.

*Teddy Bears holding a heart that says "Be Mine", "I love you BEARY much".
*The pre-made Valentine cupcakes at the store. Bright red/pink icing.
*GIGANTIC heart cards.
*Pre-packaged gift ensembles. Where's the creativity?

I know, I know, I probably sound a little picky. But I just really enjoy the simple things. Knowing my husband, if he reads this, I'll end up getting one of those teddy bears holding a heart! :)

Enjoy this month. Get into it. Paint your nails red or pink. Wear red. And let's get creative. If you have a fun and creative Valentine's idea for your spouse or your children. Let me know! I'll post it. But mostly I need some ideas for myself!