Ski and Hot Tea

I have no future as an editor.

Ski and Hot Te

Here's a picture from our trip to Beaver Creek. We have about 3 pictures of us and about 10 of the black/double black slopes that Wil "conquered" while out there. Go figure.

It's Saturday morning, and I'm trying to make the best out of early mornings, although it is not early anymore. After cuddling with Wiley this morning and watching Blues Clues, Sesame Street (He watched while I slept), it was time to get going. I made a pot of coffee because it seemed like it would be a Saturday-morning-type of thing to do. But as I finish my mug, I am reminded of why I switched to hot tea.

Let me explain a few benefits of tea over coffee:
1. Tea has less caffeine in it, I think, which means it is probably better for you.
2. There are so many different kinds! Where do you even begin...I love English Breakfast, Chamomile with honey in it when I have a sore throat or cold, Mint tea, and now these beautiful teas that T (MIL) gave me. They have the prettiest tea bag, I almost hate to use them.
3. Tea is so good for you. I think it's green tea that is detoxifiying...
4. Whenever I think about hot tea, I think of my dear friend Marguerite who has loved tea much longer than I have and has great wisdom and funny experiences regarding hot tea. (She has recently recommended red tea to me, which I plan on trying soon!)
5. Tea does not leave you with smelly bad breath.
6. Tea is kinder to the tummy.
7. Because you can pretend you are British when you drink tea and imagine having afternoon tea with the Queen.

So, there you have it. I hope you are sold on tea.






This is Tea Forte. Silken Tea Infuser. What more can you ask for. This is like the Cadillac of teas in my opinion. Beeeautiful!

Endorphins and Airlines

So, U.S. Air and Delta...I have solved your problem with having angry customers while I sat yesterday in the Charlotte airport, annoyed and without homework to do while my 20 minute flight was delayed over an hour and a half.

Elliptical machine. There you have it.

Oh, what my flight is delayed for 14 hours? No big deal, I'll just hop over to the Delta gym, do about 45 minutes on the elliptical and then when you tell me that my flight is cancelled I won't jump across the counter and strangle you. And you know why? Because I've got endorphins running through my body at an alarming rate.

On the other hand, if I've been sitting there eating McDonalds or ice cream or Cinnabon, then all I can think about is how many calories I have eaten in the past fifteen minutes, and then when you tell me my flight is cancelled not only am I feeling bad about myself but I'm also hyped up on sugar, thus giving my across the counter attack more energy and my strangle more powerful.

So there you have it. If airlines want happier customers, then give us elliptical machines. In the concourse. We will be pumped full of edorphins, making us deliriously happy and simply not caring if you cancel my flight or make me fly on the wing.

Disclaimer: I am not threatening flight people by jumping across the counter. I would not do this. However, I might give ugly looks. I wish I wouldn't but it's possible.

Addendum: When I suggested this to Wil yesterday while sitting in the terminal, he replied well, nothing is stopping you from running around the concourse. To which I replied, well I am wearing my uggs and jeans and I would look like an idiot. But if we had exercise machines, I'd be dressed in running shoes everytime we go through Charlotte.

The Pre-Mommy Pile

So, my mom so kindly mailed me my ski clothes as it was questionable whether or not I would still fit into any or all of them. I had a feeling I'd be fine with my ski bibs and pants, all of which are rather puffy and forgiving, although a couple of them are rather short. However, the real question was whether or not I would fit in my super cute (or so I thought...think)stretch ski pants/leggings which I persuaded my parents to buy for me my senior year of high school for my dad and my Deer Valley bonding excursion.

And the verdict is in. After working out this afternoon and thinking that perhaps because I had worked out would make the pants fit better, I unpacked the box and voila the stretch pants were there. As I slipped my legs in, the calves fit nicely in there, the thighs were tight, but hey won't that just keep me warmer? As I surveyed my oh-so-hot sausage skin leggings, I thought to myself how great it was I could still fit in these--just wait till I show Wil, he won't believe it; oh, yeah and nevermind that hole that got ripped at the crotch seems after my first time using them (they might have been tight then too).

But then...dum dum dum...the waist absolutely positively would not come near to closing. I tugged and pulled and realized that even if I were able to buckle them, they might not ever come off. And so there ended my dream of being the cute ski-bunny in my tight (yet warm) ski leggings.

One might ask...Well, where did you put those pants? What did you do with them? Did you burn them in a fit of rage, while eating a delicious chocolate chip cookie? Perhaps you hung them on the refrigerator to remind yourself what happens when you have an extra beer or piece of cake?

Oh no, no, no my friend. Why, they go in the pile with my size 27 Seven jeans, the ones that made me feel so cool and stylish in high school. They go in the pile of clothes that I wore in high school somehow, before marriage happen and babies happened and college happened and consequentially an overall sagging, expanding, bloating process took place. It is the pre-mommy pile.

But, to prevent you from thinking of this as a self-deprecating post, I hope that yall will realize that this too will happen to you. You too will sag, expand, and bloat and start a pile of pre-mommy, pre-marriage, pre-life-just-happened-how-about-that clothes. And when you do, I'll be there with you, with a plate of fresh baked cookies!

PS: I sign off to watch a new favorite: Jon and Kate plus 8 on TLC, a constant reminder that if Kate can handle 8, I can handle 1.

PPS: As I search for a picture of my ski leggings, I cannot find one. This makes me think they must be out of style. This makes me feel better that they don't fit because then I won't be out of style on the slopes. HAH!

Wiley Fights Poverty

The other day, Wiley and I walked with some of our friends in the deFEET Poverty 5K. While we did not run, we did have a great time walking and talking and cutting short the course together.

Elise and Wiley high-fiving!

Fun Stuff

We have had some fun things going on the past two weeks. We had train day at the Children's Museum which Wiley absolutely loved! We also had a surprise visit from Aunt Brooke last weekend. It was perfect because it was a quiet weekend which everyone needed. Brooke was so helpful with Wiley as well, which we loved. She taught Wiley how to do "king of the castle" on his castle/slide. Pretty funny. Wiley has really blossomed in his speech. He is putting a couple words together quite frequently which is great. He is also getting better at learning names, which can be pretty difficult. Thanks to Allison Buch he also can find the mouse throughout the book Good Night Moon and make the noise a mouse makes. Wil is busy with IM sports as well as taking some really interesting classes (Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, for example). I have started my "junior block" which is where I learn how to teach reading, social studies, and science. It is a lot of fun and I have an awesome field experience placement! Hope everyone's semesters are off to a great start!

the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away...

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
-- Job 1: 20-21 (KJV)

I am not meaning for this to be an especially dreary post, but I was just reading some news in Alabama, and this was on my mind. Rick of the Rick and Bubba Radio show in B'ham recently lost his son in a drowning accident. My dear friend Brian who goes to West Point just lost a best friend in a tragic accident in New York, and when I spoke to Brian the other day (and Bang,I hope you don't mind me saying this)...he simply said "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." And it struck me at the time as such a hard thing to have to say/think. But now, after finding the actual verse online, knowing that it was Job that said it, gives it greater context and meaning. I hope to focus on the fact that indeed the Lord gives, but He also can take away...I mean focus in a good way, a grateful way that appreciates what the Lord has given,and praise the Lord that indeed He has given.

And I ask that yalls prayers be with Brian, the cadets at West Point, and Mitch's (the boy who passed away) family. Along with the Burgess family.