Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Holy crap, it's almost November! We've been quite busy this past month; month and a half, rather.

Alex headed to Pensacola and Mississippi for work stuff mid-September, so the girls and I drove up to Orange Park to stay with family like we always do when Daddy goes out of town. I'm so glad that we live close to family and are able to spend so much time visiting them. During dinner one evening, McKenna said, "I'm so happy that we are here, Mom!" Nana and Papa were beaming.

On the day that we arrived, the girls and I went to the Jacksonville Zoo with my mother-in-law for her work's Employee Appreciation Night.

Neither of the girls had taken a nap that day and the event started at 7PM, which is their normal bedtime, so I was prepared for a meltdown... And boy, did Kendall deliver! The zoo was packed and she refused to stay in the stroller and wanted absolutely nothing to do with hand-holding, so, after the most epic, ridiculous fit, she and I ended up in the car for the rest of the event.

Meanwhile, McKenna got to feed the penguins with my sister-in-law; she's a keeper there!

On the 18th, my Mom turned the big 5-0 and we were there to help celebrate, of course.

I had no idea what I was going to make for her that was going to be on par with my Dad's "50 sucks!" bouquet . After browsing Pinterest for "50 and Fabulous" ideas, I decided to go with a mini wine bottle bouquet because... Booze ;-)

Here's what you'll need:
Desert foam
Spanish moss
Flower basket
Artificial flowers
Wooden dowel
Mini wine bottles
Wine charms
"50" candles
Hot glue

First, cut the wooden dowel into four parts of equal length and hot glue them to the mini wine bottles. Then, stuff the basket with the desert foam, Spanish moss and arrange the flowers. Add the wine bottles, "50" candles and attach the wine charms to the rim of the basket and voila!

My Mom loved it, even though I totally got her birthday wrong. Like posted on my Facebook, bought the cake, shouted the big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" on the wrong day kind of wrong. Made plans for a night out with my friends, leaving her to tend to my hooligans alone on her birthday kind of wrong. Ughhh.

For months leading up to her birthday, I thought that September 18th was on a Tuesday (and no one ever corrected me! Thanks, guys.), so my Mom got a bunch of phone calls and texts the day before her birthday because of my embarrassing little faux pas :-\ Oops. I'm blaming it all on mommy brain. Better the day before than the day after, though, am I right?! We... Or, I... just pushed everything back a day and all was well. Thank goodness.

Also while we were there, we went to the beach, I had a couple of margaritas with my Gomer, and Kendall went pee-pee in the potty for the very first time! Woo hoo!

Two weeks after that, we were back in Orange Park to celebrate "Jotoberfest" - my mother-in-law's everything pumpkin/Fall-themed birthday get-together with family and a few close friends of hers. I had so much fun planning and putting the party together with my sister-in-law. I'm already looking forward to next year's celebration!

There was also Brew at the Zoo, a Jags game (0-8 so far this season, woh woh) and some grown-up Halloween fun with our grown-up friends.

Whew. Alex left for out-of-town work stuff again this morning, but I decided to stay home this time. It's nice to have all of the extra help with the girls and to visit with everybody in Orange Park, but... I do start miss our routine here at home. I miss our friends, I miss the peaceful solitude at night after the girls turn in, drinking wine and watching chick flicks all by myself while the Mr. is away. I miss my bed...

Slumber party! :-) Gooood night.