greatest hits

you cannot tell by these photos, but we have been sick.  homebound.  out for the count.

although ben (the originator) tested negative for the flu, this devil-virus has passed from one member of this family to another, so that there has been at least one person sick at all times since the kids got out of school.

we are home today (again), watching movies (again), while crosby yells pitifully from the couch that he needs more water, or that he needs me to fix his covers, because according to him, no one can cover him in a blanket as well as momma.  it's flattering and all, but...

i gotta break out of here soon.

i'm going nuts.

and just when i start to wallow in a pity-party of germs, i decide to blog and upload pictures from the holiday and realize that i have absolutely nothing to complain about.  we have escaped the house (in spurts), we have seen family and friends, we have celebrated this holiday and we have a million blessings to count.

so shut up, cortney.

psa: since i could chew solid food (and really since my mom could chew solid food), i/we have eaten "macaroni and tomatoes", or more affectionately called "mac-n-maters', when i/we am/are sick.  i am never one of those people who lose their appetite while sick, btw.  eat through the illness, that's my motto.

here is the (very loose) recipe.  cook macaroni according to package directions (as much as you would like).  drain pasta. add a can of tomatoes and a small can of tomato juice (don't skip the juice).  double this if you want.  add salt, pepper, and a generous amount of butter.  i have butter guilt, so i put in less that my mom and nanan.  theirs tastes better, not gonna lie.  treat yourself.  you're sick, remember?

enjoy!

here's a peek at our week (or so):

1) crosby had his christmas celebration at school.  he was pumped, can you tell?

 2) this year we hired slow bone to cater the company christmas lunch.  best decision ever.

 3) once a year, we are ladies who lunch.  our annual neiman's christmas brunch did not disappoint.  never does.

4) chris was sick and slept the majority of the day on christmas eve, so in an effort to feel the-reason-for-the-season, i drug my kids to the children's service at church.  crosby fell asleep on the way there and woke up on the way out, but ben got a kick out of almost setting his bangs on fire.  we tried.

 5) we celebrate with my family (mom's side) on christmas eve at my parents' house.  my little cousins are not little anymore.  kami wore acid-wash overalls (jealous) and jake texted his girlfriend all night.  when did that happen?  weren't they just babies???

 6) santa got "grandma weber cookies" this year, the lucky duck.  i'll share sarah's recipe soon.  you must have these cookies in your life.

 7) santa came!  kids rejoiced!

santa drank!

8) we celebrate with my dad's side of the family on christmas night at paw-paw's house.

i adore this picture.

9) chris and i celebrate new years eve early every year by going to see our sweetheart, robert earl keen, at bass hall in ft. worth.  usually it's a big to-do, dress-up, fancy dinner, drinks, concert and sometimes a hotel room.  this year, crosby was sick as a dog and my dad (aka our sitter) was running fever. 

i was ready to sell our tickets until marcy convinced us to go anyway.

it wasn't a fancy date like usual, but we got to see our favorite guy from three rows back.  sure am glad we didn't skip it.

my baby is now crying and kicking a screaming about an ipad, so i am going to sign-off now and lock myself in another room (i kid, i kid).  my rule is that you aren't allowed to cry over something that is supposed to be fun.  this needs to stop, for real.

looking forward to health.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

have a happy, happy new year.

love,

coco

p.s. we also had our annual girls christmas party this year at hg sply.  my robin and jessica were in town, hooray!  i was sick in this picture but was still in denial.  i was trying to kill my virus with cocktails.

greatest hits: up-to-date

you guys, i am done with all of my coco custom christmas orders!  i see the light at the end of the christmas tunnel.  presents are bought.  portraits are drawn.  house is decorated.  fifty pumpkin loaves have been baked. and i have a date with my husband tonight to wrap kid presents, drink wine and watch love actually anthony boourdain re-runs.  i am looking forward to nights with no to-do lists after the kids' bedtime.  bring it on, holiday spirit, i am ready for you.

1) ben plays basketball now and is quite the little defender.  basketball has now become my favorite kid sport in the history of ever.

 go hoosiers.

 2) we babysat addy one evening and ventured to klyde warren park for their tree lighting festivities.  it was crowded and we were a little grumpy, but decided to walk over to the at&t preforming arts center for free outdoor concerts and fireworks.  once we got food in our bellies and los lobos came stage, we were dancing machines.  i am so glad we powered through.  i love you dallas.  especially your free atsy events.

 3) my babies sat in santa's lap.  ben showed him a list and crosby was incredibly cooperative.  santa said, "look how much you boys have grown!"  this is why we will never go anywhere else.

 4) my dad ran a marathon.  nbd.

he is a machine and i am so, so proud of him.

at one of our spectator locations, a classic rock cover band played and gave ben a drumstick.  i guess they were impressed with his mad stick guitar skills.

 5) marcy hosted her annual kid cookie party.  bless her heart.

 6) ben celebrated his last day of school with his homies.  first grade is the sweetest grade, i'm convinced.  these kids LOVE each other.

looking forward to crosby's school performance, our holiday lunch at work, brunch at neiman's with the ladies in my fam, and our annual girls white elephant party!  busy, busy.

how are you?  what are you looking forward to?

love,

coco

monday commute

i know, i know.  another music post.

i can't help it.  music makes me happy, so that's what i write about.

 

my facebook blew up a few weeks ago over the debut of a new local classic hip-hop radio station.

 

y'all, i cannot tell you how happy this new radio station makes me.

on one hand, you know you are old when there is an "oldies" station that plays all of your favorite music.  but on the other hand, it's so good that i don't really give a flip.

 

this child of the nineties rejoices.

 

confession: i can still do the tootsie roll. it's not cute, but i'm not opposed to busting out my moves in my kitchen when the mood calls.  i have a feeling it'll come in handy to embarrass my children when the get older.

 

here's a taste of what i've been listening to in my car lately.  turn it up (unless you are at work, then don't).

pharcyde- runnin'

the fugees- no woman no cry

{i cannot begin to tell you how i wore the fugees out in high school.  my love for lauryn hill runs deep}

jay-z feat. foxy brown- ain't no

not safe for work, people.

2pac- keep ya head up

a tribe called quest- bonita applebaum

{q-tip is my boyfriend}

 

tell me, do you tootsie roll in your kitchen?

please tell me i'm not alone.

do you love nineties hip-hop?

who is your fave?

 

love,

coco

{a thirty-five year old white girl and lover of hip-hop}

 

p.s. remember this (i mean, how could you forget)?  that whole album is to-die-for, by the way.

well, guess what?  he just released his first new album in fourteen years (that makes me feel so, so very old).

here's d'angelo's new single, sugah daddy.

obsessed

have you heard of sturgill simpson?  surely by now you have.  if you have not yet, look him up.  buy his albums.  go see him live if he is ever in your neck of the woods.

if you like country music, or more specifically old, classic country music he will rock your world.

chris and i were lucky enough to see him live recently at a tiny venue and it felt very special because it was a next-to-impossible-to-get-ticket and totally had the vibe of a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.  those are rare.

remember this song from the eighties?

try this version on for size:

he is awesome.  i promise. (get it?)

p.s. another song i am obsessing over is sung by marcus mumford covering some bob dylan lyrics on the new basement tapes.  i'll confess, i'm a little mumforded out.  i change the station now when one of their songs comes on the radio.  it's a shame.

but this, my friends.  this song.  two words....

hubba.

hubba.

roman holiday

rome, georgia, that is.

rome is picturesque.  it's a small town.  it reminds me of the movie, "hope floats".

in a big city, you are anonymous.  you have to find a community that suits you or create your own.

it's different there. in rome, my sister-in-law and her family are prominent in the town.  she has worked with a local youth group for years.  he is the head basketball coach at shorter university, one of the private colleges there.  they landed back in rome because chad is from there and a great job opportunity arose.  i'm not lying when i say they were approached/greeted by  at least ten people at a restaurant downtown, all of whom they know by name.

it is so different than life in a big city, and it was such a treat to experience life on the other side, if only for a little while.  karin and chad are two of our favorite people on the planet, so any time spent with them is treasured by us.  and without fail, i cry everytime we hug good-bye.

here is a peek at our small-town thanksgiving:

1) the shorter hawks won a basketball game and crosby slept throughout the entire thing.

 our brother-in-law is the one crouched down, motivating his team.  he's good at that.

 papa and ben decided to cheer from up top.

 can you tell that our nephew jack and croby are related?  they've got a similar bonner thing going on with their looks.

 after the game, the kids get to play on the court.  ben was trying to "guard" this college student.  the best part was the kid let him, which made ben feel like a bad-ass.

 2) it's funny how connections are made with-in a group of cousins.  jack and ben are fast friends despite the age difference.

 and since our baby was a baby, the oldest cousin has always been his most special friend.

 3) chris has tried to convince the girls that he is a ballerina.  they don't believe him.

 4) this was the first family trip of no naps.  the kids ate together and played together without a sleep schedule in sight. the adults sat for too long at the dinner table, telling stories, drinking wine, and laughing.  freeeeeeeedom!

 5) my in-laws are retiring to rome this summer.  they bought a house and are renting it until they are able to move down.  isn't it precious?

 6) there were restaurant shenanigans

 and coffee shop shenanigans.

 7) chad and karin coordinated a neighborhood kickball game while we were there.  my friend joked that they were like the bravermans from parenthood, which is not a huge stretch at all.  they are adam and christina, to be exact.

 the cousins kicked, they cried, they cheered, they celebrated, they climbed trees and drank hot chocolate.

 8) we celebrated thanksgiving (some of us in last year's christmas sweaters).

 9) papa cheered up our otherwise very grumpy boy.

 10) their elf, coca-cola made an appearance while we were there, so nana read all about it.

 11) the kids got goofier as the days went on.

 12) on our last night, the cousins shared their talents with us.  ben and jack were ninjas, caroline was a geisha gymnast, aly was a masked ballerina, and crosby, well, he cried and whined and rolled-around on the floor.  stage fright?

on our way home there was no rain, no stop in memphis, no chicken wings, just a car full of texans sad to leave their family for home.  we're already looking forward to the next time we are all together.

how was your thanksgiving?  did you travel?

i am thankful for you, dear readers.

love,

coco