Archives for July 2013

Pictures of the Week *It’s baaaaaack!*

It’s baaack!  After a very long hiatus my interest in doing home projects has returned.  Step right up Home Depot shareholders, your time has come.

In the fall of 2011 we finished a pretty big kitchen upgrade (part of which we did on our own), and I swore up and down that after all the blood, sweat and tears, I was not going to do another home project, ever!  Stick a fork in me. I was done!

We got pregnant with Makenzie a few months later (yay!) so I stood true to my no more home projects rule (with the exception of excessive nesting) and we pretty much managed to continue the strike against paint, backsplash and any type of physical work altogether.

But all good things must come to an end… and so is the case with our no home projects rule.

Perhaps it’s because we’re finally getting into a good routine with Kenzie… perhaps it’s because I fell back into the arms of Pinterest … perhaps it’s because we have a very big 1st Birthday party at our house coming up in a few months… but regardless of the reason, my interest in home projects has been rekindled.

This weekend we managed to cross some items off the To Do list.  Check it out…

# 42 – Install cat door — CHECK!

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According to Denny the cat door installation is purrrrfect!

(On a side note this was my favorite step of the cat door installation.  I can’t make this up!)

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Hilarious!! But Lex did not think so.

# 63 – Take down broken shelves in kitchen.

#64 – Spackle holes and repaint OR just cover them up. (clearly I chose the latter)

#65 – Find artwork (thanks Etsy).  Print artwork.  Frame artwork.

#66 – Hang artwork.

Awww yeah, Check, check, check, check, check and check!!!

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Pretty cute and all for less than $43!

And finally, we committed to To List Items #81, #82, #83 & #85Commit to re-painting front room.  Select color.  Buy paint.  Paint.  Buy fluffy area rug. 

Hooray!!!!   It’s not a done deal yet but the fluffy rug is purchased and color samples are on the wall.  Which means we either have to move forward with the project or risk looking like idiots with big sample splotches or green and blue paint on a brown wall.

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Trying to find some color inspiration!

So that’s what the McGees have been up to for the past 48 hours.  Oh yeah, and LOTS of fun with Kenzie girl.  Weekends really are the best.

Stay tuned, it’s going to be a fun few months!

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Pick up a paintbrush and join the party on Facebook!

Mommy McBlog

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Watch out World – Kenzie Girl is NINE Months!

Fun times this month!  Our Makenzie is now NINE Months!!

How did that happen?

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Going to her 1st parade on her 9-month Birthday! Happy Birthday America and Happy 9 months baby girl!!!

In some ways I feel like she was just born but in other ways I can’t remember what our lives were like without her.  She’s a lot of work, but the love we have for her is more than I ever imagined.  My hope is that we are giving her the best possible childhood while making sure we teach her to be a fun, appreciative, thoughtful, compassionate kiddo.  Seems like kind of a lofty goal considering that some days we can barely get her dressed and out the door but we keep trying.

 This months she’s been busy, here are the updates:

Eating:  The girl can eat, but our biggest worry is her recent obsession with cat food.  She hasn’t managed to get it into her mouth yet, but she’s getting quicker.  Yikes!

Learning & Exploring:  Watch out world!  Kenzie is coming your way… she’s a fast little crawler and is making her way through the world one room at a time.

Sleeping:  Still hit or miss.  Some weeks she’ll sleep all night, other weeks I think she drinks Red Bull at midnight.  Thank goodness for coffee!

Best Part of Being 9 Months:    Everything!   Here’s what she’s been doing…

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Getting weighed at her 9-month check up.
She’s still a peanut, only 18 lbs, 5 oz (30th percentile)

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Graduating swim class!  She was top of the class – “Swimma Cum Laude”

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Loving her paci like its her job

6_15 shoping cart

Sitting in the shopping cart like a big girl

6_21 artwork

Crafting! Yes, this really is her work (thanks to the help of her teachers)

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Visiting Mamaw and Pap pap

6_22 shades

Wearing shades AND using a sippy cup (multi-tasking at its finest)

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Playing with cousin Connor

6_24 teething

Teething (super sad face) but her 2 lower teeth have finally arrived and they look extra cute

6_29 walking 1

Standing & practicing walking (check out those cute leggies)

6_30 swing 2

Riding in the swing, wheeee!

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Going for walks with toys AND puffs… talk about the good life!

7_4 9 months 2

We Love You from the very bottom of our hearts Makenzie Ruth! Thank you for bringing us so much happiness.
xoxo, Mom & Dad

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Kenz-o hits double digits next month, join the countdown on Facebook!

Mommy McBlog

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Dear Makenzie – a little tale about Lysol and Love

Dear Makenzie,

I have a little story I thought you might someday enjoy…  it reminds me of someone I know.

XOXO, Mom

……

Once upon a time, there was a little house with red shutters.  In that little house with red shutters lived a (relatively) happy (but not annoyingly happy– what do you think this is, a fairytale?) husband & wife, and a cute kitty.  The happy wife was what some people would call “type-A” and kept a very organized and really clean house.  She liked Lysol, Windex and Pledge and she disliked messes.  She was happiest when everything in the home was in its appropriate place.

When the  happy husband & wife found out they would be parents, they spent months and months making sure the house was perfect for their new arrival.  After months and months of preparing a beautiful, sweet baby girl was born.  Everyone was happy (but not annoyingly happy, c’mon they were totally sleep deprived and completely unsure of what they were doing).

Then something happened… the beautiful, sweet baby girl turned into a beautiful, sweet baby girl who crawled.  She crawled all over and made huge messes.  She dumped out blocks, pulled down books, poured out sippy cups, opened up toy chests and turned the little house with red shutters into a complete mess.  She did it every day like clockwork, and she did it all day with an adorable grin.

The happy wife who once panicked at the site of a mess was slowly realizing something.  She loved her beautiful, sweet baby girl who crawled.  In fact she loved her beautiful, sweet baby girl that crawled SO much that her heart overflowed with happiness more than she ever thought possible.

And the once type-A happy wife that kept a neat & tidy home realized it was tons of fun to make messes, especially when in the company of that cute little crawler.  So the once type-A happy wife joined forces with the cute little crawler and together they played and giggled and turned the house into a mess.  Rather than filling her lungs with Lysol, the happy wife (and now happy mom) filled her heart with love.

And the happy husband & wife were now a happy family, and together they realized that the best home isn’t one full of clean floors and organized spaces… the best homes are ones filled with messes made by those you love most.

And they lived (mostly) happily ever after (except when they had visitors and the happy husband & wife bickered with each other because the house was a mess — like I said before, this is reality, not a fairytale).

The End.

……

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Once upon a time, someone cool like you “Liked” MommyMcBlog

You lived happily ever after while enjoying random ramblings of a Mom.

Mommy McBlog

The End.

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Dear Makenzie, there’s someone I always want you to remember…

Dear Makenzie,

A few months back I promised I would use part of this blog to write to you all about life and lessons and love.  I promised I’d tell you all about the important things I always want to you tuck away in a safe spot in your heart.  I have something very important I want to share with you.  I want to tell you all about your Great Aunt Lorraine.

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Aunt Lorraine at the Q family reunion a few years back with her “Q” award

This week has been a very sad week for our family because we lost your wonderful Great Aunt Lorraine after a courageous battle with a disease not worth mentioning.  I write this post to you because I always want you to know about Aunt Lorraine!  She was hilarious, interesting, beautiful, talented and SO FUN!!!

Your Great Aunt Lorraine was the coolest Aunt!  She used to have a light-up Christmas sweatshirt, which always made me smile when I was a kid.   And she and Uncle Jim were always taking Aunt Melissa and I fun places when we were little – Indians games, Nutcracker ballet, and even a trip to Canada once.

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Your mom and Aunt Lorraine, sometime in the 90’s

I can write for days about the wonderful memories I have of Aunt Lorraine but most importantly I want you to know about her ability to always find the bright side of things.  She really really knew how to enjoy life.  I hope you someday do the same.

Pictures are really worth a thousand words so I have included some pictures below for you to know all about your Great Aunt Lorraine.  She will be forever missed.

Love you lots Kenz,

Mom, xoxo

Aunt Lorraine Uncle Jim

Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Jim – so in love!!

Aunt Lorraine camera

Aunt Lorraine loved her photography

Aunt Lorraine zany

Always so so fun!

Aunt Lorraine photography

Some of her photography talent

Aunt Lorraine taking a picture

Always capturing the sunsets

PS  I’m so glad that Aunt Lorraine was able to see your sweet smile and get to know you!  Check out her time with you…

Aunt Lorraine and Makenzie

Makenzie you were just a few weeks old when we took your first road trip to Ohio to meet Aunt Lorraine

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Wisdom from Aunt Lorraine to you at your shower!

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At your baby shower everyone wrote you notes. Aunt Lorraine wrote about you, “She will be a star in Hollywood” Maybe someday you will!

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I think this was her secret…

Secret of genius

Mommy McBlog and the Pursuit of Happiness

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

happy bday americaand

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY McBLOG!

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A big celebration in the McGee House!  And Yes, even a laptop needs a bib when eating dessert.

The two Birthday kids are about 236 years apart but it turns out they share a common theme – the pursuit of happiness.

The pursuit of happiness theme probably make sense to you when it comes to our country, but let me explain how it pertains to a blog…

One year ago yesterday (July 4, 2012) I published the very first Mommy McBlog post, and since then I’ve fallen in love.  When it comes to blogging I really feel like I’ve found my little place in this world.  It makes me happy to be able to put my experiences into words, and I’m hoping that some of my random rambling resonates with others too.  In 365 days I’ve managed to turn my experiences into 85 blog posts that have been read by people in 36 countries.  Crazy right?  Thank you, thank you, thank you!   I’m incredibly honored that you’ve stopped by to read about this journey of ours.

But I think this blog can be even more…

I’m a big believer in dreams and call me crazy but I have a huge dream about this blog.  Someday I want Mommy McBlog to be a household name for Moms.  Someday I’d love to have opportunities to personally meet and speak to Moms groups.  Someday I’d love the honor to be considered the expert in parenting with a sense of humor (not to be confused with an expert parent, which I’m clearly not).  Someday I’d love for people to be able to read this blog and feel like they they’re not alone with the challenges of parenting.

Parenting is no joke, but I think it can be made much easier with some humor.  I definitely don’t recall humor being a topic in any part of birth class so here I am to bring it to the forefront of parent’s minds.   And here is my ask for you… if you hate the blog, tell me what I can do to make it better.  If you like the blog, tell me what other topics you want to hear about.  If you love the blog, pass it along.  share it with friends, neighbors, sisters and other Moms!

Perhaps in another 236 years people will be shooting off fireworks and grilling up burgers and weenies to celebrate the birthday of Mommy McBlog!  Perhaps not, but even if you think I’m nuts, follow my journey so your children’s children’s children can enjoy another federal holiday over the summer.

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Follow along

Mommy McBlog

on the pursuit of Parenting Happiness!

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How having a baby saved my golf game

It turns out that having a baby can save your golf game.  Yep, true story.  They don’t mention this tip in Golf Digest, and there’s not a product infomercial for this, but it can happen.

First let’s venture back to the pre-Makenzie days.  Denny and I used to golf pretty regularly.  We’d hit up the golf dome in the winter and head to the course at least a few times each month in the summer.  I had fun with Denny but my relationship with golf was questionable.  I would lose golf balls, I would lose my patience, and sometimes I would lose my interest in the game altogether.

Golf and I were frenemies in every sense of the word.  Think Kanye and Taylor Swift; think Paris and Nicole; think Erin and golf.

Then sweet Makenzie arrived.  Gone were the days of spontaneously jumping in the car and heading to the driving range.  Gone were the days of 18 holes on lazy Sunday mornings.  Gone were the days of focusing time and energy on our hobbies.  Obviously we’re crazy about our little munchkin but lately we’ve barely had energy to walk 52 yards to bed let alone to walk 5,200 yards on a golf course.

But last weekend Denny’s parents kindly volunteered to watch  Kenzie girl so that we could head out and golf and we took them up on the offer.    The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing and Denny and I had four wonderful hours together.  It was GLORIOUS!!  In fact it was so glorious that I didn’t care if I lost a ball, or lost the game.  I was just glad to have a little us time.  And it turns out that not caring is really a good way to play golf.  I played like a champ and almost made it to the double digits.  Score!!!

It’s been a really good year.  I’ve gained a daughter.  I’ve gained a new appreciation for four hours of undisturbed quiet time with my husband.  I’ve gained a few less strokes on my golf score card.  And I’ve gained a BFF in golf!

Who knows, maybe Paris and Nicole will make up again someday too.