Fence & Tree

Friday, December 30, 2011

Ode to Scramball

Scramball... the lost art of the early 1990's.  Seriously, this could be the best game ever invented.  I received it at my 10th birthday party and it's the gift that never stopped giving.  Every year, without fail, we play this game at least once.  It tends to get a little intense and, most often, draws blood.  That's us Kreider's... Scramball is serious shiznit.  






Official cheerleaders
Yes, she's in short sleeves and shoes without socks... hello, Houston weather!
But, of course, we finished off the game with a little sneak attack silly string on Matt... and subsequent cannon ball sneak attack on Ben.  Total success!
It was way more thrilling than this picture details, I promise.

Matt definitely got Ben [and T] wet
I have to ask, does anyone else play or remember Scramball?  I'm going to bring it back.  For realz.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

KnoxVegas & Chi-town Christmases

Due to the traveling over the holidays, our fam got to have a few different Christmases.  First one was with Ben's family at his parents house.  We got all sorts of fun goodies, with Teigan's being this [from Uncle Z-man, duh]...
It's an ewok! 
And she especially loved tearing into wrapping paper and munching on tissue paper.  Ah, if only it stayed like this forever...

We had an absolute blast in Chicago with Ben's extended family this year!  Teigan had hung out with her GG Dick, met Ann [the amazingly sweet lady who knit Teigan's stocking] and her hubby, Jack, mingled with some of the Slocum's, had her first Santa sighting [and by Santa we mean Grandpa Doug who did a great job his first go-round at the oh-so-important duty], and was witness to her first White Family bumper pool tournament.  She was a total rockstar the whole time - all while letting her third tooth come in!  That's our little carnivore...
The former Mr. and Mrs. Clause [Jack & Ann]
Teigan and GG Dick
It's never too early to get her hooked on that black & white ball


White Family Bumper Pool Tourney board
Cousins! [missed you, Hae Hae!]
Teigan with her stocking on Christmas morning
And more Christmas awesomeness to come soon...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Randomness

A few updates in the life of Team Slocum....

  1. Thanks to Michael Buble's Christmas Special last night and performances by many, I'm now kind of obsessed with Justin Beiber's new holiday music.  Ben's thrilled.  Not really.
  2. Teigan's second tooth is coming in nicely.  So crazy!
  3. Ben hurt his back doing a super basic movement at Crossfit... we're getting old.  Sigh.
  4. I finally put pictures in the adorable frames Teigan has in her room.  WIN!
  5. I'M FREE!  After much persuasion and begging from Ben, Pamela [the breast pump] and I have divorced.  I tell ya, it's pretty amazing how liberating it is to put that thing away.  I mean, I know it's great and all, but after seven months, I'm not sad to see it go.  Until next time, Pamela... until next time.
Now, as promised to Ashley, here's a hilariously sweet video of Teigan 'n Tucker from a couple days ago.  Baby kisses!  Enjoy - and please ignore my obnoxiously loud voice.  Sheesh.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

7-month birthday!


So hard to believe our little lady is, gasp, seven months old today!  Her second tooth cut this week, too.  As Meaghan put it, and it's so true, the days can be long, but boy, the years are short!  Enjoy this video of our lil' belly-laugher...

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tucker!

Hoolie & Rica hangin' in the sunroom before it turned into Santa's workshop
It's been one crazy week!  Between the dozen Christmas parties going on in a span of 14 days, attempting to get all of our gift purchasing complete, the dozens of repetitious [yet equally amazing] made-for-TV Christmas movies, and decorating the house with Christmas cheer, our dear friends, Ashley & Donald, had their darling little boy, Tucker Joseph, this past Sunday!  He's absolutely precious.  Teigan already loves him, too...
It's Tucker!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Tooth!

Enjoy this gummy-mouth smile now because little our little Tigger is cutting a tooth!  Um, yeah, a tooth!  It's there.  And it's sharp.  


I mean, she's practically a teenager now.  Where is time going?  They say this whole "time flies by" thing happens, but seriously...  Ahhhh!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Saturday morning chatterbox

Clearly we have very intellectual conversations in our home these days...

Friday, December 9, 2011

Remedy 101

I'm convinced the cure-all to any problem is a good work-out, a little sprucing up of the house, some totally sing-a-long tunes, and tons of Girl Scout cookies.  Yep.  That's the antidote to any less-than-perfect day.


Now, where can I find my 'ol Hanson CD's and the Caramel Delights?

Monday, December 5, 2011

T loves her Grandma & Uncle Grandpa

Teigan loves her super talented and totally awesome Grandma & Uncle Grandpa [yeah, Doug still thinks the name is hilarious]!  Thanks for taking care of her every Tuesday!

Bazillion Blooms

Phew.  I need a break... a long one.  Thank goodness Christmas break is coming up.  Who else is thrilled that Christmas and New Year's are both on the weekend again this year?  Perfect excuse to take a week off of work!  Anywhoselbees, this weekend was jam-packed.

Slocum House Studio Gallery
Friday was spent working late getting ready for Dogwood Arts' Bazillion Blooms program.  We had dinner at our favorite local spot, Fountain City Creamery, for some dinner with our BFF's, Ashley & Donald.  Donald may, or may not, have ordered every dessert on the menu.  

Nearly 2,000 dogwood trees were planted in East Tennessee and Saturday morning at UT Gardens was the pick-up point.  After an early Saturday morning hanging out with tree huggers and planters, we headed over to Kathy's studio, the Slocum House Studio Gallery, for an insanely awesome showing.  Helloooo, Christmas shopping!  If only I had a money tree...

Thanks to Doug & Kathy babysitting for a few hours, Saturday night was spent with some friends celebrating birthdays, laughing our heads off, stuffing our face with amazing beef, and learning about our new-found love for owling [basically sitting down in a public place just like an owl ("hoo" face included) for no good reason = totally awesome and the new planking].  So much fun!

Sunday was dogwood day!  We planted 19 dogwood trees; 17 at mom and dad's property and two on our property.  I couldn't stop thinking about what these trees would look like in ten years at my parents place, so I, of course, documented the afternoon so Teigan could really appreciate it later in life.


As much as I'd love to say I was worn out, poor Ben was the one doing the shoveling.  Thank God for Crossfit, right?  

So the rest of the afternoon was consumed cleaning, baking cookies, and hurriedly heading to Lauren & Tony's place to love on their new little one, Robert, some more.  We got some lovin' in at the hospital, but that's never enough.  Let me tell you what, this little Thanksgiving Day baby is absolutely darling.  Teigan definitely liked him... petting and all. Looks like Ashley & Donald's soon-to-be Tucker has some competition when it comes to my arranged marriage I'm setting up for T.  ;c)

Speaking of Crossfit, I went for the first time in three weeks today [don't judge] and I'm already feeling it.  Looks like I'll have jello for arms tomorrow.  Thanks, Cindy.

Peace, Love, and Getting back into the Crossfit groove... finally-
E$ Mama

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Month of Thanks

My list of random things I'm thankful for this month is now coming to a close.  Again, these are all things not including the obvious #1's which are my amazing little family, my equally amazing extended family, fabulous friends, and the little guy at European Alterations who makes my clothes look so good...

1: Blue Bell Coffee Ice Cream
2: My insanely awesome, eclectic, and cultured scarf collection
3: Crazy technology to take pictures & videos of our sweet little lady with - and share with fam
4: Clean sheets
5: I can wear my sick pool of Doc Marten's again - they're back in!
6: Yankee candles
7: Easy Off Oven Cleaner
8: Made-for-TV Christmas movies
9: Hot water
10: Girl Scout cookies
11: Spearmint Chapstick
12: Vanilla-scented anything
13: Bleach wipes
14: Vacuum's
15: Hot Toddy's, specifically grandpa's recipe
16: Brand new socks
17: Fun, sassy decor pillows
18: Crossfit Ktown... duh!
19: ABC Family's 25 Days 'til Christmas movie series
20: My nose ring
21: Ironman watches
22: Sonicare toothbrushes
23: Vacation days from work
24: Cutting down my own Christmas tree
25: Razor's
26: My flat iron
27: Alarm clocks... specifically, the snooze button
28: Intelligent reading, you know, like People magazine
29: Lenny's sub shop
30: Washing machines


Well, that wraps it up for modern day products that I am so thankful for!  Honestly, though, I'm so much more thankful for the human beings in my life.  I have the most amazing partner in Ben... he's such an intelligent, patient, thoughtful, encouraging, supportive, handyman-hottie - not to mention a better father than I ever could have imagined.  Teigan is absolutely perfect and has just stolen my heart.  And my parents, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. [in-laws included, duh] fill in all of the gaps making me the person that I am.  And my friends, well, they're icing on the cake.  I'm one lucky, blessed girl.


Now, if only I can remember all of this when I'm about to poke my eyeball out as I'm being pulled 14 different directions on a daily basis.  Phew.  Positive thinking...