You know those crazy people who have daughters that decorate their school lockers with everything but the glittery kitchen sink?  Well...you might want to stop reading right here...
    It might help if I go back a little.  (Like, five years) ago when our first son was given the combination to his very first school locker.  Looking around and hearing squeals, I didn't realize how much fun there was for girl lockers - as chandeliers and fuzzy throw rugs were flying around the fourth grade hallway.  Normal boy moms rolled their eyes in unison as they all nonverbally agreed of how thankful they were not to be going through the same misery.
​     Turning back to our son's locker with his sad, sorry pencils and glue stick on the top shelf, I on the other hand, felt a lump in my throat.
     "Should we put some pictures on your door? Maybe a magnet or two?"  I hoped.
     "Mom, no.  It's good.  Let's go."
     humph.
     One son, two sons then three sons consisted of year after year of the same.  It began to feel the way it would every time we'd look for Christmas or Easter outfits for the boys before our daughter was born. The huuuuge option of navy or khaki pants gutted me every time while I forced myself not to turn and go through countless dresses dancing with ribbons and bows.
     Then...just like that first dress, it was time...even though I never thought the day would come. 
     Our daughter and I spent hours going through websites, gathering ideas, planning a theme, studying row after row of store shelves looking for the perfect accessories.  My husband thought we had lost our minds and we did a little, but it was more than I could've hoped for.  I knew to love every minute of it, not being naïve enough to realize how quickly decorating a locker for a fourth grade girl with sparkles will all too quickly turn into middle school (ahem) independence.
    So, we began.  A rainbow unicorn world was the theme and Thank You, Lord Jesus we found a locker chandelier, unicorn accessories and yes, even a fuzzy rainbow locker carpet.        

    The icing on the unicorn cake?  One of her best friends from the BFFs of all times is right. next. door.  Their lockers are side by side and it was all we could do to wonder how we could remove the separating wall.  
    The middle school principal even came around the corner to see what all the giggling was about before he helped the girls with locker combinations.
     It was more fun than we could've hoped for and for you 80's fans?...We even found an old school locker answering machine worthy of a "Saved by the Bell" episode, so her brothers and friends can leave messages.
     As over the top as we may have gone, I considered a glitter confetti gun and jokingly told my husband we could try to fit an easy bake oven inside so she could make cupcakes between class.  He didn't laugh.
    In the end, it's so beyond wonderful having boys and there's nothing better than a son's heart, even though their lockers could be the most boring things on earth. On the other hand, it's our daughter's first taste of her own little space apart from all of her brothers and it ended up being more fun than we knew what to do with. 
    I know the boy locker and unicorn years will be gone all too quickly and through each day of the back to school madness I'll try to cherish and appreciate each one while they last.  From glue sticks to rainbows and everything in between.  Here's to a great new year. 
    Sparkle cupcake anyone?     

   It was the summer of my ninth birthday.  The movie E.T. was all the rage and everyone, I mean, eeeveryone couldn't wait to see it.  Everyone that was, except for me.
   You see, back home in Ohio, we were lucky enough to have a real drive-in movie theatre.  Growing up, I actually thought it was the normal way to watch a movie until I left home and realized half the people I met didn't know what I was talking about. 
   It was amazing though.  Movies like Top Gun, Raiders of the Lost Ark...and yes, even E.T. were somehow magically brought to life when you watched them surrounded by fireflies under the summer stars.
   You can imagine then, when you're only nine and for some reason don't think E.T. is cute, but scary.  We didn't have the internet or Google back then to see what the movie was about.  As a kid, all I knew was he was an alien and he came to earth.  Pair that with your big brother scratching the window in the back seat of the car before the movie starts, telling you E.T. was outside trying to get in...and you have yourself a certified nightmare.
    Little did I know, within about ten minutes of watching the movie through laced fingers, I'd grow to fall in love with every aspect of the film, even crying towards the end.
     All this being said, having a nine year old little girl myself now, I was able to pull from that experience when she went through the scariest. Drive-in. Experience of her life. Only this time it was legitimate.  
    All four kids have been begging to see the new "Teen Titans Go" movie which in and of itself makes me want to bang my head against a wall.  
    Regardless, we're lucky enough to have a real Drive-In movie here in Carolina and every summer I regret not taking advantage of it.  How many kids in this generation have the opportunity to experience that, on top of the fact that it's in our own back yard?
    This summer, we wouldn't pass it by.
    Gathering the kids, blankets, pillows...we eagerly made our way, then nestled our place into a perfect spot.  Getting popcorn and snacks to enjoy, it was the best of all worlds.  
    The Drive-In is updated, so the sound of the movie goes through a radio station allowing you to sit in your car with the windows up - not getting eaten by bugs.  Awesome.
     You know what's not awesome?  Six people stuck in a car in North Carolina, in August, with the windows rolled up.  
     Adam warned me about killing the battery if I turned the car on the wrong notch, but I figured it wouldn't be that bad.  Besides, the movie was making my ears bleed, yo? and if you've ever watched an episode of Teen Titans Go, you know what I mean.
      Ahhhh, sweet air.  Turning the key, not only did I blast the air conditioner, I also charged my cell phone and was able to catch up on emails and texts while the kids were mesmerized with every second of the film.         

     It was a wonderful night and a memory they'd surely keep.  Especially when the movie was over and we couldn't get the car to start.  Whatever I did, it killed everything. 
    "Are we stuck here? Do we have to sleep here all night?"  Excitement raced through the boys as our daughter didn't seem all too thrilled with the idea. 
    "No, we're not stuck here guys.  We'll find someone to jump us, hang on."
     This is where I should probably mention there was another movie which was about to begin.  After a kid's movie, common sense would tell you it'd be another film of that genre, but what Adam and I both knew was that it was, "The Meg".  Yes, short for "Megalodon" as in the biggest, meanest, prehistoric shark that ever lived.  Kind of like our version of "Jaws" mixed with "Jurassic Park". Obviously a kid friendly movie, especially when stranded in the middle of nowhere outside in the pitch dark, at the drive-in.  
    What could possibly go wrong?
    "THIS IS AWESOME!!!" The boys cheered.  Flashbacks of E.T. came rushing in as I faintly saw the terror in our daughter's eyes by the light of my now dying phone. 
    "I want to go home.  Can we go home?"  Her little voice began to shake. 
     I quickly began to google reviews of the movie only to find images like this -       

     Oh good, she's going to love it. 
     "Adam, we have to get out of here.  She's going to end up in the fetal position until she's 11 years old."
      He frantically looked for jumper cables to no avail.
      The movie began and the boys opened the doors to hear the sound from other car speakers and were loving it.  My brilliant husband grabbed his phone and a pair of earbuds from the boys and quickly wrapped her in a blanket then faced her the other way.
     "Watch something on my phone until we figure out what to do", he assured her.
     She tried to peek over her shoulder as the movie continued, only to lower herself back into the seat. 
     In all honesty, it wasn't as bad as I feared and we actually found ourselves getting into the plotline. 
     We eventually found someone to jump us as soon as the movie ended, let the battery charge back up and found our way home, unscathed for the most part.
     The night made me wonder what her version of a nine year old drive-in movie theatre experience will be like compared to mine.  A huge killing prehistoric shark is a far cry from E.T. and I question if she'll ever go into the water again.  At least I hope it was less traumatic for her than it could've been, however. 
    We definitely won't be winning any parent of the year awards for that night, but like they say, the best laid plans.  
    Maybe next summer we'll be lucky enough for them to come out with a new "Friday the 13th".    

     Chesapeake Shores lovers rejoice.  Season three is finally here and you are going to Love it!  
     Snuggling up with a warm blanket and glass of sweet tea, I hoped to fall all over again for the storyline and welcoming characters - and they did not disappoint.     

    The series which is based on the New York Times Bestselling book, "Chesapeake Shores", by Sherryl Woods takes us back to warm summer nights and crisp autumn days as Abby O'Brien (Meghan Ory) finds her way home and back to her past love with the handsome Trace (Jesse Metcalfe).  She is sure to be tested however, by his newfound fame as a singer.
    Surrounded by the love of her family, including her father, Mick (Treat Williams), mother, Megan (Barbara Niven), grandmother, Nell (Diane Ladd), sisters, Jess (Laci J. Mailey), Bree (Emilie Ullerup) and brothers, Kevin (Brendan Penny) and Connor (Andrew Francis), Abby and the O'Brien family find their way through life's struggles and success by holding on through love and enduring togetherness. 
     Hallmark Channel's, 'Chesapeake Shores' returns for the  third season, Sunday, August 5 (9:00 pm ET/PT, 8:00 pm C) and airs each Sunday through October, 2018.

    Have you seen those advertisements saying, "We tried a meal kit and here's what happened?..."
     Let me go back a minute.
     When I went to college, I didn't know how to cook.  I mean, like - I couldn't boil water, level of non-cooking - I didn't really think about it much I guess.  Growing up in my hometown we didn't have many choices of grabbing a quick bite other than a Dairy Queen, so my parents handled every meal with two choices... 1. Take it or 2. Leave it.  
     Heading off to college meant dorm food from then on.
     It wasn't until graduate school when I realized how vast my inadequacies in the culinary arts actually were.  I think it was around the time my roommate, Amy and I looked at each other and kind of shrugged as we used a hand held can opener to crank open and eat only corn for dinner one night, when I knew it was bad.  That, or the time I called home to ask how to make spaghetti and heard the phone drop.
     That's when it hit me.  Sitting over my thousandth bowl of cereal, I proclaimed, "One day, I'm going to learn how to cook.  Really cook, not just spaghettios warmed in the microwave."
     Amy and I agreed and over the next series of years, we honed in on our inner FoodTV goddesses.
     Fast forward (ahem) several years and we both have families of our own.  We love sharing stories and try to get together as often as we can.  One of the fun things while we're apart though, is to connect through recipes of what works and what doesn't with our kids.    
     All that being said, it came as a pleasant surprise then, when for my birthday she gave the gift of one of those meal kits.  The kind where all the fresh ingredients are sent with a yummy recipe inside and you cook/put it all together.  The irony wasn't lost on me as I smiled in memory of our canned food dinner days - and I was excited to see what it was all about.
     Ordering the meals and the dates when they'd be delivered, I eagerly awaited.
     Sure enough, a big box plopped right at our front door and it was packaged amazingly with everything still cold inside.
     While looking through the ingredients and the instructions, I stopped.  Constantly, I tell Adam how I want the kids to know how to cook before they leave the house.  Sure, most kids know how to make Ramen noodles once they're gone, but I want them to know how to truly cook, from recipe to ingredients to completion.
     It was at that very moment, the cook off challenge began.
     In a house with four kids, there's no better motivation than a little competition.  
     Pairing the kids in teams, two picked one recipe and two chose the other.  All the ingredients were arranged and the challenge began.         

   Ethan and Lauren Elizabeth worked on General Tso's Chicken while Christian and Preston had grilled steak fajitas.  It quickly became a matter of controlled chaos as I realized how dangerously unfamiliar they were with the basics of everything from handling a knife, to where to stand at a grill. 

    The winner?  As you can imagine, three votes went for one meal, while three votes were for the other.  The true victory came in stepping back and letting them go.  Through their bickering, figuring out how to work things out, measuring and stirring...miraculously...two ridiculously delicious meals magically appeared and with them, their new found sense of pride in learning how to work from start to finish and from recipe to table.
    We'll keep working and trying to make it fun.  Will they open a restaurant one day?  Probably not, but if they'll be able to fix more than a frozen pizza, freshman year - I'll consider it a success.  
   Thank You, Amy for more than you'll ever know!  It wasn't just a gift of food...it was time, togetherness and love...all that from a can of corn. :)  Miss and Love You More Than Words!  XO
    Editor's note: Since the cook off challenge, our 14 year old wanted to figure out how to make his favorite meal (chicken fettucine alfredo) so he followed the following recipe.  It was smack your mama good and for one split second - there was peace and quiet in our house as all six of us inhaled our dinner and almost licked the plates.  Thank You Lord Jesus, there's hope.
​
​                 Fettucine Chicken Alfredo
Pasta- 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, beaten
• Pour flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and yolks, and mix with hands or wooden spoon until the dough comes together. If dough is dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons cold water.
• Knead the dough until smooth. Roll with a rolling pin or pasta machine as thinly as possible then cut into desired shape.

Chicken - 
     Cut into bite sized pieces or strips, then season with salt/pepper and garlic salt to taste. Cook/brown boneless, skinless chicken over medium heat in 2-3 Tablespoons of oil until cooked through.

Alfredo Sauce - 
1/2 cup butter
salt
fresh ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping if desired

In a large pot, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds then reduce heat to medium-low.
Whisk flour into the butter continuously until it turns golden in color, then whisk in the heavy cream.  Continue to cook just until the sauce slightly thickened, then add 1/2 cup Parmesan into sauce, stirring until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the pot from heat and cover until ready to serve.
Combine chicken, sauce and pasta.  Enjoy!