Football season

Football season is almost here! Yes, we love the Rebels and are really looking forward to watching my brother play. But our love for football season is not just about football. (I'm known to go to the square instead of the game...most of you know this about me. I'm working on it.)

Oxford is where we dated and got married. It's where we get to relive our date nights and walks through campus. We get to see our college friends almost every weekend during football season. 

There is something magical about sharing our special place with our kids. Let's be real though. On a crowded game day, it's really, really hard to take a double stroller with three kids through the grove. You have to channel your inner MacGyver. Dodge trees and trashcans, break up packs of teens without getting evil stares, wheel through a stranger's tent, find a place to warm up a bottle, the list goes on and on. Making the rounds can be daunting. 

We've done it with kids for 4 football seasons so far. 

First halloween in the grove - Addie wasn't thrilled. 

One child was pretty easy (note the single stroller)

Then we added Elle and it got a little harder

And then she started walking 

The key to a successful Grove Day is to pack everything you own. Oh, your Ole Miss face sticker "accidentally" came off when you peeled it? There's no reason to cry because I have 47 extras. You're hot? Well, I have a fan for you if you can keep it away from your hair. I'm sure there will be balding pom pom issues as well so we will have extras. 

Nevertheless, we will all be there. And we will all be happy about it. You may see us walking around looking for any open space to run around because the stroller can only hold Elle back for so long. Wish us luck. 

Super Fan

Highland Park

For years we have had visions of our older selves happily roaming the streets of Highland Park. We could live there. 

It's always a fun place to visit. This past weekend we used it several times as a safe haven. After the horrid Dart experience, we ended up going to one of our favorite restaurants. Mi Cocina. We had no plan other than never riding Dart again and we knew that Fair Park was not happening. 

So we sat and had dinner. Elle got her hair caught in our battery operated fan. Andrew took her to get her paci and calm down. I had a margarita. We listened to a guy at the table behind us talk about "mom butts." (I'm not sure this guy will ever find anyone to marry him but his conversation was entertaining.) It was lovely. We really did enjoy it.

Eventually dinner ended and we had to find somewhere to go. Andrew thought he saw people setting up lawn chairs on our way to Mi Cocina so we drove back by to see if there was some fun family event that we were missing. There was, but we weren't invited. So we drove around some more. 

Our little car adventure led us to a goldmine. Hundreds of cars were lining the streets of the Dallas Country Club and people were propped up in lawn chairs and on blankets all around the premises. You better believe I found an awesome parking spot and we dumped our crew on the curb. 

Some fellow watchers gave the girls glow sticks, we listened to music from a parked suburban beside us, and the girls were mesmerized by the fireworks. It was the best firework show that we have ever seen. And a pretty awesome night. I may or may not have teared up. 

We may be crazy but these little snippets of time are worth all of the sweat put into the trip. Not many husbands would go along with these shenanigans. I've got a keeper. 

Dallas Dart

(To our moms, don't freak out...we lived.) 

Raise your hand if you have ever used the Dallas Dart system? No? No one? 

That's right. No one uses the Dallas Dart system. Let me tell you why I thought it was a good idea and why no one uses it. 

We stayed at the Hyatt attached to Reunion Tower in Dallas. Very nice hotel, downtown, easy access to the interstate. While I was researching our trip we planned on going to Fair Park on the 4th. For those of you that don't know, Fair Park is where the Texas State Fair is. They open the park for the 4th and have a giant firework show. Neat. 

Well, the hotel has a tunnel that leads to Union Station which is the hub for the subway system. It would have been awesome not to have to deal with parking at the park. We assumed it would be very crowded. 

We fed BC, got all of the kids ready and loaded and started our trek to the Dart station. I stopped by the concierge desk and got a map from them and everything. Not a typical move for me but hey, I just wanted to double check.  

After struggling to find the down button on the elevator (it's hidden for a reason) we wondered why the tunnel was COMPLETELY empty. As in, no one was in this tunnel but us. 

We finally made it to the platform and there was a dad with his two sons. They looked normal and then there were some homeless people that were mumbling to themselves. We have traveled in several big cities and this is not a big deal to us. 

The ticketing screen was all scratched and we couldn't read it. A really nice man (that we thought worked for Dart) came up to us and helped us with the ticketing box. Very helpful and chatty. 

Here comes the twist.  He turned out to be a homeless veteran and helps people with the rail system in order to get tips. We thanked him for his service and gave him a $20 bill because that's all we had. He told us that God would put a blanket of protection around us and the girls. (I'm pretty sure he did!) Again, so nice but a little strange. 

We wait 15 minutes for the next train, hop on to a dirty rail car with a few scattered passengers and go one stop to switch trains. We probably rode a total of 5 blocks. 

When we stepped off the train, we joined a gnarly crew on the platform. We stuck out like a sore thumb. A man that I like to refer to as "One Eyed Charlie" had his eye locked on us. While I'm standing there I google "Dallas Dart" and an article about a mysterious death TWO days ago is the first thing that pops up. I'm sure my eyes were popping out of my head and I looked crazed but I looked at Andrew and he knew. We calmly walked down the platform, passing a drug deal, and basically sprinted all the way back to the hotel threatening Addie that if she tried to get out of the stroller she would get in serious trouble. 

Never once did we see a police man in this whole span of time. It was the 4th, maybe they were all at the Park? I'm not sure but they need to be on those rail cars. 

It took all of me not to go all crazy mom on the concierge when we got back to the hotel. (I at least waited a day.) But we got in our car and fled to Highland Park. More on that later. 

Our kids should turn out well rounded right?! 

Happy Fourth

Happy Birthday America! I wish I had gotten invited to this girl's party because she looks prepared. 

I hope you all find a body of water to play in this weekend. We will be sporting our American flag tattoos and hopefully not having mental breakdowns over fireworks. See y'all Monday! 

Ballet

Just to state the obvious I am not a ballerina. Like every little girl I took ballet and was in a couple of recitals when I was about Addie's age. 

There is something about the ballet that really interests me though. The dancers are so poised and proper. And they are all so thin. Maybe I envy ballerinas and at one point dreamed of being one when I grew up? I don't know. I don't remember that. 

Obviously my life took a different turn. And so did my figure. 

Addie has really gotten into ballet this year so I took her on a big girl date (twice) to watch the IBC. The International Ballet Competition is held in Jackson every four years. It's a big deal. Was she old enough to sit through the whole thing? No. Were there other children there, you ask? No. 

But she loved it for the time that we were able to stay. And I really enjoyed it. 

We got all pumped up and signed Addie up for ballet this year. Real life, big studio ballet. There is a handbook and everything. Don't worry I'm not going to go all Dance Moms and audition for a TLC show. But if Addie really wants to try something new, by George I will learn how to do a proper bun and she will be there on time. 

Just call me the taxi driver.  

Fifth of July

At the Edwards house we celebrate the 4th and 5th of July. Andrew's birthday is this Saturday and it's the last birthday before he hits the big 3-0.

While I have a list of 20 things that I am dying for on my birthday, he is selfless and doesn't ask for anything. I'm sure there are things that he wants but he would rather us surprise him. Great.

In theory this is a good idea and I love to surprise people. In real life, he doesn't get excited when we surprise him so it's not that fun. We are still working on this.

One year I planned out this whole surprise birthday trip. I told him to pack his bag and put it in the car before he went to work but I wouldn't tell him where we were going. When he got home, we jumped in the car and headed to an antebellum plantation called the Dunleith in Natchez.

GPS gave it away. I clearly didn't think that part through.

The Dunleith is gorgeous. And it was a good idea. Except that I was pregnant and VERY sick. I don't remember much of the trip but I think we ended up making it to dinner one night so that Andrew could eat a meal. 

Happy Birthday honey, can you get me some sprite? Natchez is still on our redo list. 

Hopefully this year will be better than that one. Addie and I have a few surprises up our sleeves. Muahaha

Pepper

Meet Pepper.

Pepper is a cavapoo. That means he is half cavalier king charles spaniel and half poodle. They say that it is a wonderful breed because their temperament is more like the cavalier but their hair is hypoallergenic like the poodle. One of these is true about our dog Pepper.

I am a huge animal lover but Andrew is not so much. We have gone the "Puppy pound" route before and it didn't end well. (I will blog about that one day.) The expense of a rescue paired with the weird mannerisms was too much for Andrew. Maybe later in life we can but right now we need a fur baby that will be great with kids, not jumpy, and is fairly low maintenance. Baby steps people.

This go-round we wanted the chance to start with a dog from the beginning. How hard can it be? So we found a breeder in Missouri and my parents were even on board to get another puppy from the litter after they lost their amazing dog. Long story short, we had these dogs flown in.

Cute right?!

Baxter and my brother

Even Andrew couldn't resist

Fast forward to today. We have had Pepper over a year now. He has been to "boarding school" and sometimes has follow-up visits but we all need a little work don't we? This about sums him up:

Never leave toys unattended on the floor. For one second. He will go all stealth mode and shred whatever precious item that was into a million pieces without you even realizing it.

He can make socks ninja vanish. Even if they were on your feet.

If a paci falls on the floor, it is fair game. He will eat the entire thing and then poop out "crystals" later. We have seen this many times.

Because my dad and husband are brilliant (I believe that is the exact word Andrew used) and cut holes in the fence so the lawn mower would fit through perfectly, Pepper cannot be left unattended in the back yard. He may end up INSIDE the neighbors house at 7 am on a Saturday. True story.

Without Pepper there would be no one left to clean up after Elle. He cleans up food waste that she hurls down from her high chair, licks up spilled drinks, and he is even helping wean her from the paci. (Pretty soon there will be none left.)

We love him dearly. He provides a lot of laughs (and even sometimes tears) to our house that clearly needs more action. Let me point you to the title of my blog: One Day Closer to Crazy. Because that's what we are...