Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from a new lunch place (for me)... The Three Earred Rabbit. The name alone is intriguing, isn't it? Good food, nice atmosphere... I highly recommend it!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Bev and family are 12 days out of the January 23 tornado which hit their home (and many, many others). The kids are back in school. Bev and Tommy are back at work. They have moved into the rental house and are now dealing with adjusters, structural engineers, insurance companies, etc., etc.

And I think Bev's ten-day adrenaline rush has ended.

Yes, there is tons of work left to be done, but sometimes eating lunch at a pretty, girlie place is just as much a necessity as unpacking a few boxes or making 50 more phone calls.

I told her to put on some lipstick, and we enjoyed a little time together in a place that hadn't been hit by a tornado.

It was lovely.

RANDOMNESS #2 - February is birthday month in our family.

Daddy's birthday was February 1, but we're all getting together to celebrate this Sunday.

Mr. Faulkner's birthday is February 15. We'll be celebrating his big day on the 12th, along with Lauren's Baby Dedication. (Cannot wait!)

Zac will be 14 on the 19th. (His party will be held in the mountains!)

Austin will be 21 on the 23rd. (Be still my heart!)

MamMa will be... Well, I won't reveal too much information and tell you her birthday is February 26.

Now, throw in a major holiday (Valentine's Day is MAJOR to me) and an annual trip to the mountains with my side of the family, and February is not only the shortest month of the year, but it is also the BUSIEST!

But "good" busy. You know what I mean!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Things I've Learned While Raising Teens... A Humbling Experience - The list continues to grow. I'm thinking this may become my Topic of the Year.

Shopping - Shopping with teens can be tricky. I remember when I was a teen (vaguely) having some unpleasant shopping experiences. As the mother of two teenage daughters, my Mom would say the same.

And as a mother of two teenage boys who are older than the daughter, I can honestly say I was lulled into a false sense of "This isn't so bad." Yet another rookie mistake.

I know everyone is different, but both of my guys are content with giving me the guidelines and letting me shop for them. Shopping for them means coming home and finding a bag of clothes on their bed... and they have to try them on... and they beat their chests and pull their hair because guys HATE to try on clothes. Well, my guys do.

But as I said, there are just a few simple rules.

Austin likes the following...

Hmmm. There really aren't any specific guidelines from Austin.

I love that guy!

Josh likes the following...

Plain, short-sleeved t-shirts with no front pocket.

No stripes.

No designs.

An occasional t-shirt with something funny written on it is fine.

No "iffy" colors.

Non-tight jeans.

Hmmm. Even though there are guidelines, they aren't that bad. I guess I love this guy, too!

I have found that my two guys like to shop for boots, tennis shoes and jackets... and I gladly relinquish this task to them. They do a pretty good job.

Okay. Now I'm ready to shop with Miss Roxie. I learned very quickly that Roxie has a very nice fashion style. She's not flashy. She knows what colors work best with her hair and skin coloring in the summer AND the winter. She can make a simple outfit spectacular with the right earrings, scarf and cute flats or boots.

She knows her stuff.

That being said, I made a few guidelines of my own... and backed off.

We both have to agree on the length, tightness, etc. of the item.

We both have to agree on the price.

Every now and again, I will say the phrase, "More color," and Roxie knows to walk away from the black, gray and brown.

Oh. And we end every shopping trip with a soft pretzel at Auntie Anne's.

It works for us, and when it is all said and done, isn't that what every Mother of Teenagers wants... something that works!

Since this "old dog has learned new tricks," I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoy shopping with the chick. Love her, too!

The list continues next week (and the week after that, and the week after that)!

Weekend Happenings

Friday - This, that and the other. Everyone is going separate ways, and we'll meet back around bedtime. Roxie will be attending the Varsity basketball game. Mike and Josh are cleaning guns. I'm not sure, but I think Austin and Melia will probably have some plans. I'm going to be getting my lists ready for our Super Bowl Party.

I am so thankful both teams' colors are red, white and blue (perhaps not in that order). I'm using a lot of my 4th of July stuff... plus balloons. Lots and lots of balloons.

Saturday - Roxie and I have a tentative plan of going to eat at The Three Earred Rabbit and then heading to the Polo outlet for some browsing.

I don't know if the guys have any definite plans or not.

Sunday - Sunday is our busy, busy day. We'll be going to church Sunday morning and then heading to Grandmother's for lunch. After lunch, we'll be cooking and setting up for the Super Bowl Party which will begin at 5:15 (kick-off is at 5:30).

I've got a surprise "snack" for the end of the game, but I'll tell you about that Monday.

That's it for us. Since Sunday is so full, I'm glad the rest of the weekend is not. Too many full days make The Enchanting Belinda grumpy!

Have a lovely weekend with family and friends. I hope everything goes exactly as planned. I hope your team wins in the Super Bowl. I hope you'll visit A Simple Life first thing Monday morning.

Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda