After really enjoying Brad Paisley's most recent album over the past several months, I was excited to dust off my cowboy boots and head downtown to see him in real life! Two of my mommy friends and I left the kiddos with the daddies and had a fabulous (and rare!) girls' night out. The night begin with a delicioso dinner and disturbing lively conversation at Vesta Dipping Grill. We missed the majority of the first opening act (Scotty McCreery... gag), but we did see all of The Band Perry's (I'm now a big fan!) opening performance.
We used the downtime before the big act to snap a couple pics...

Katie, a fellow displaced Southerner! 

Photography courtesy of the sweet, 

yet highly intoxicated girls behind us.

While waiting, we killed some time people watching... we were quite intrigued by some outfit choices, but my fave was a Santa Claus-like fellow who wore ginormous binoculars around his neck which he used for watching people in the crowd as if they were rare birds. We also got acquainted with the four drunk coeds who were sitting behind us/falling on top of us. (We got to know them a lot better as the night progressed.)
Once Brad took the stage, we had a ball singing along to the songs we knew, hearing some new faves, and texting during the songs that weren't quite our cup of tea can of PBR (seems like a more appropriate expression given the setting.) The energy really exploded when Brad began singing I'm Still a Guy. As he sang the first verse, the opening acts and their bands began lining the sides of the stage and in unison dropped to a 'Tebowing' position.  The Denver crowd immediately knew what this likely meant and went bananas as Tim Tebow took the stage and sang a line or two with Brad.

Tebow. 

Cool as a cucumber in his hoodie.

Brad had promised more than one surprise would be in-store for the night, so we he began singing the opening lines of Remind Me, his popular duet with Carrie Underwood, we all began wondering if Carrie could possibly be another surprise guest. As he sang the first verse, we saw the shadow of a woman walking across the back of the stage; I assumed it was a backup dancer or maybe even the female singer from The Band Perry. When the time for Carrie's verse came, a spotlight shined on the back of the stage. 

There. She. Was. 

The flowing blonde hair. 

The perfectly tanned and toned legs.

The VOICE.

Isn't she simply glowing?!?!?

When I noticed that I wasn't getting a great shot with my camera, I assumed it was because she was standing towards the back of the stage or because so many cameras were flashing at one time or because I had messed up the camera settings. So, I tried again...

Strange. 

No matter how she was looking on my camera, Carrie looked phenomenal on stage and sounded amazing. I decided to capture a bit of the duet on video.

Carrie was a crowd pleaser, for sure, and -as you can tell- the duet sounded extraordinary. The chemistry between Carrie and Brad was evident by the way they longingly gazed at each other. I couldn't imagine the concert getting any better, but I did cross my fingers that the band Alabama would make an appearance during one of my favorite Brad songs, Old Alabama. (This didn't happen.) 

During the end of the encore, we found it odd that Carrie didn't return to the stage for a final bow. This got our wheels turning, and we asked a woman in front of us if she thought Carrie had really been there. The woman replied, 'I know she was. My daughter went to this same concert in Minnesota, and she was there, too!'

Light bulb. We knew, of course, that there was no way Carrie was appearing at every show of the tour. But, we'd just seen her with our own eyes and heard her with our own ears. Hadn't we? Before we even made it out of the colisium, I found myself googling what seemed like an absurd phrase: 

Carrie Underwood HOLOGRAM

And, there before our very eyes was website after website detailing the use of a hologram during the Brad Paisley tour. We were dumbfounded, and I took it upon myself to begin shouting the news to random concert goers. (I didn't think it was fair for them to continue in their blissful ignorance.) Who knew holograms had so greatly evolved?

Truly Outrageous.

The Murphiac and Me

Monday with my Murphy was... how to put it... awful horrible stressful challenging. To begin the day, I greeted the Murph just shy of 8 AM where I discovered that she'd removed the large canvas art piece from above her crib. 'Murphy! What did you do?' I cheerfully asked. Her response was a casual, I don't give a flying flip, 'Uh-oh. Dropped it.' I slipped it back onto the nails only to have her look me straight in the eyes and casually knock it right back down and repeat the same phrase. And so began a day which, I think, can best be viewed through the lens of Newton's Third Law of Motion. If you need a quick physics refresher, Newton concluded that 'for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and that the forces of two bodies on each other are directed in opposite directions.'
I first made the link to physics and my (barely a) toddler when trying to keep her happy while Big Sis participated in her gymnastics class. Once I made the connection, though, I was able to retrace our entire morning and apply its events to the theory. Here goes...

Mommy: sweetly jokes with Murphiac (note that Murphy Girl's name has been appropriately changed to reflect her demeanor) about removing room decor
Murphiac: stares Mommy blatantly in the eyes and repeats naughty behavior

Mommy: gently reminds Murphiac that we do not remove glass dishes from the cabinet
Murphiac: slams the cabinet door open, hitting the refrigerator, and begins feverishly tossing lids all over the kitchen floor

Mommy: lays Murphiac down on the changing table and begins cleaning her fanny
Murphiac: vigorously begins grabbing the (used) wipes

Mommy: reminds Murphiac that we don't touch dirty wipes
Murphiac: begins spastically slapping Mommy about her torso

Mommy: sternly tells Murphiac that we don't hit
Murphiac: slaps Mommy square in the face (hard)

Mommy: removes Murphiac's little fingers from a drawer that does not contain toys
Murphiac: emits a blood curdling scream and jerks the drawer right open (causing its contents to spill to the floor)

Mommy: puts Murphiac into the bath with big sis in an effort to keep her contained for five minutes
Murphiac: covers the entire floor in water with her splashing and makes big sis cry with a quick and deliberate scratch

Mommy: takes a moment to call  (grand) Mommy on the phone
Murphiac: climbs the stairs and begins using the toilet as a wading pool (well, for her arms at least)

Mommy: hangs up on (her) Mommy and races upstairs
Murphiac: arches her back and wails when being removed from the scene of crime

Mommy: scoops up Murphiac before she stumbles onto a dangerous area of the gymnastics floor
Murphiac: falls to the ground, screams, and begins air-swatting at Mommy (in front of a bleacher full of people)

This list of actions and reactions could go on for pages, but I think these ten have gotten my point across. I should add that the events on this list all occured between the hours of 8 AM and 1 PM, and that I was forced to self-medicate by scarfing down a slice cold pizza and a chocolate toffee bar between events seven and eight. While my Murphiac did her best to provide a clear demonstration of Law #3, I'm not sure she really understood the equal part of the theory as her reactions clearly superseded my actions. Regardless, I do like to look on the bright side: we can always use new nicknames around our house...

She's a Murphiac, Murphiac on the floor...

The Incarnation of Froggy

Carter Lilly has always been a somewhat of a quirky kid, and I am fairly accustomed to her passing phases of randomness. So I was not surprised when just after Christmas she began demanding kindly requesting that we call her a new name: Froggy. Initially she'd only ask once or so every day, but as time passed, it became a more regular request.  If she was tired, this request sounded more like a shrill-like shout of, 'I'm not Carter! I'm a frog! Call me Froggy!' I obliged her request whenever she asked politely or restated the shriek in a kind voice. After several days, she decided to rename the whole family. I became Elephant, my husband became Birdie, and sweet Murphy became Lollipop. She often had to remind us of our newly established nomenclatures and was quick to point out times when we were forgetting them. How thoughtful.
After a couple weeks of this being strictly an immediate family thing, Carter began renaming many other important people in her life: her teacher became Cakepop; her soccer coach became Soccer Ball; her babysitter became Dinosaur; and two friends became Sippy Cup and Snowflake. During a visit with our cousins, she renamed their family of four Pancake, Syrup, Banana, and Cookie. All this was fine and good, though admittedly hard to keep up with, until she added a request that went a bit beyond a mere name change: she began begging me to paint her entire body GREEN. I was able to curb that request with simple distractions until she became hyper-focused on the idea while I was putting her to bed on Wednesday night. She began pleading with me to paint her green the next day. I reminded her that it was a school day and that green simply does not comply with the school's dress code.
She didn't mention the painting on Thursday morning, but just as soon as she hopped in the car after school, she once again began begging to be green. I casually told her that I would paint her green after soccer practice (hoping, of course that she would forget all about it by the time soccer was over.) On the contrary, the entirety of our conversation on our car ride home revolved around the logistics of the upcoming painting... Where are we gonna do it? You're not gonna paint my eyes or my wips, are you Mommy? Murphy can just watch... and so on and so on.
Once we got in the door, I reluctantly agreed that if she'd be patient while I got Murphy Girl situated in the highchair for her second dinner of the evening, I'd paint my dear Froggy green. Despite usually being a major wiggle worm, she was quite still for the entire process. She followed directions well and only shuttered a couple times because the paint was frio (my Froggy speaks a bit of Spanish.) Though no grown up was home to help me capture the creative progress, I did snap several pics of the finished product.

Feast your eyes upon The Incarnation of Froggy!

I have never seen a more 

genuine smile on this child's face.

Squealing with pure delight!

This was no half-done paint job!

Checking out herself in the mirror. 

And what would a Froggy be 

without her frog squat?

I think this blog proves that as a Mommy, I am never quite sure what a day might entail. (Really, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!) I'd like to hope that one day my Froggy (or whatever name she's answering to at the time) will look back on this and think, 'Wow! My mom was so cool to help me explore my imaginative and creative side by painting me like a frog!' My fear, however, is that she will say, 'My mom painted me head to toe and front to back green when I was three years old? I didn't stand a chance! No wonder people think I'm weird!' Whether or not she's appreciative of the gesture or just simply disturbed, this is a memory too quirky unique not to capture. Ribbit.

The Non-Things, Q4

The Lewellen life in late in 2011 was, in a word, full... and I mean that in the best possible way. So, without further ado, here are just a handful of the amazing Non-Thing Things that made Q4 simply divine.

My Favorite Non-Thing Things of 2011, Q4...

1. Murphy Girl's Milestones... as soon as the fourth quarter began, my beloved baby girl turned one. Even three months later as I type the words, it's still hard to believe that (over) a year has passed since she first joined our world. There is something about her eyes, her smile that captures both her Mommy and Daddy and strangers alike. Folks often stop me to make mention of her sweet little face. She has continued to offer daily hugs and snuggles, as well as to expand her repertoire of tools for wooing us all. She's funny in a Murph sort of way... patting me on the leg while saying, 'Daddy!' and then giggling with glee when I say, 'I'm MOMMY!' or purposefully dropping her lovey behind her crib and then saying, 'uh-oh!' and looking puzzled. She spent nearly a week with a high fever (over 104) and proved to us that she could still beat a newborn in a 'most sleep in 24 hours' competition. She finally decided to get in to the urge and began to do some walking in early December and now cracks us up with her little waddle. A new words springs from her mouth daily, if not hourly. Some of my favorites so far are: big bird, bubble gum, buh-bye, peek-a-boo, and thank you. I've said it before and I will, no doubt, say it again: Murphy Girl is pure JOY. 
2. College Football (or more specifically Oklahoma State football)... being a girl from North Carolina, ACC territory, I was raised on NCAA basketball (Go Duke!); classes in high-school were preempted, and tv's on carts were rolled in to the classrooms when March madness began.  Neither my high-school nor my college had football teams, and our NFL team (go Panthers!) didn't come to town until i was late in my teens. So, when I married a fellow from Big 12 Territory, I was in for a real culture shock when it came to college sports. Over the course of our dating and now our nearly 6 years of marriage, I've learned that September through December pretty much revolve around college football, Oklahoma State football to be specific. For the first several years, this was not necessarily a good thing as the Cowboys weren't doing too great and their lack of success was often reflected in my husband's MOOD. Well, skip ahead to 2011 and see that the Pokes won their conference, heartily beat their arch-rivals the OU Sooners, and were a hair away from a trip to the National Championship. Hubby and I spent several Saturdays this fall on dates at watch parties with other local OSU alums where I proudly wore my BRIGHTEST orange. We had frequent day time phone calls to commiserate ove possible bowl options and Heisman candidates. In short, we took our relationship to a whole other level: we bonded over the gridiron. The climax of this phenomenal season came when we flew to Phoenix to watch the Cowboys beat Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. (I'd venture to guess that more details on that trip could appear in the 2012 Q1 edition.)
3. Fall Holidays... as the leaves began to fall, we set out sights on the holidays that were drawing near. First, of course, came Halloween. This was the first year that Carter had any opinion at all about her Halloween costume. The only problem was that the opinions seemed to change daily from something very (s)pooky to a spider to a green witch to a red pepper. Finally the week before Halloween, I told her that it was time to make a final choice; she chose Glinda from the Wizard of Oz. I loved her choice and had a ball getting her all dolled up as the good witch; it was the first time she ever wore make-up! And we coordinated Murphy to be her sidekick Munchkin, and it was equally fun curling her hair on top of her head into a single Munchkin curl. Before the last piece of Halloween candy had been eaten, Thanksgiving was upon us. We traveled to Tulsa (our first time traveling all together as a family of 4) to celebrate with my husband's family. Thanksgiving Day was packed with kids of all ages, and Carter was in big-girl heaven! Of course, Murphy relished being passed from hip to hip and being 'oooohed' and 'aaaaaahhhed' over. The food was delicious and bountiful, and I loved getting to catch up with several extended family members whom I hadn't seen in awhile. During our stay at Pops-N-Misha's, we were also able to visit with the smaller side of the family, which is always a treat. Of course the girls aren't spoiled at all - ;) - when visiting their grandparents! The older I get the more I love Thanksgiving both for what it is and what it's not. It isn't about presents or rushing around or commercialism; it's simply about being with the ones we love and being thankful for what we have. 
4. Rejoicing with Others... not only was our life pretty darn good as we wrapped up the year, but so were the lives of many we know and love (particularly for our cousins.) My cousin, Christene, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who she named Parker. I gave her my best pre-c-section pep talk over the phone and waited anxiously to hear that Parker had arrived safe and sound. Christene's sister, Amanda, became engaged to her long-time boyfriend. I exclaimed with joy when I got the call that it was 'official' and then again when she asked both me and my little angels to be in the wedding. My husband's cousin, Justin also got engaged to (another) Amanda; we're dying to meet her and can't wait to celebrate their big day with them. Another one of my cousin's, Roxie, completed nursing school and is just a board's passing away from officially being: Roxie, RN! Katy, a cousin, earned her bachelor's degree in December and can now get on to more important things... like planning her wedding! And finally, just days before Christmas, Cousin Brittany's husband, Matt, arrived in South Carolina on leave from Afghanistan. How it warmed my heart to see pictures of Brittany, Matt, and their sweet baby Carson together for such a special time of the year. It was so wonderful to share in the joy of others from the Carolinas to Pennsylvania to Texas, even if only through Face Book, texting, and emails. 
5. Watching Carter Gain Independence... it's the moments we Mommies both long for and dread. We are anxious for our children to be able to do things for themselves, but when they actually do, we may question our role or miss the times when we were more needed. During this season of the year, Carter really began to excel on her own. When I saw her on stage at a Grandparent's Day (thanks for the very special visit, Pa!) performance at school, I realized that she was up there without me. Eek! She sang the songs (sort of), played the kazoo (a ton), and then got in her little line and walked back to her class all without the Mommy leading the way. Her imagination is soaring these days; it's so fun to wait to hear what new ideas she'll have next and to realize that she's coming up with these things all on her own. Our snow tubing adventure in Beaver Creek really got me thinking about how I'm not quite needed so much anymore. There sat my little 3 1/2 year old (who is scarcely the size of a two year old) scrunched into the giant tube waiting to be shoved down the big hill. And with a single push, she was gone... Woosh! As I watched her zoom down, it occurred to me that, at the specific moment, my hands were completely off the wheel. If she was scared, I wasn't there to hold her hand. If she got the bottom and didn't know what to do next, I wouldn't be there to show her the way. It was kind of an odd, yet refreshing, feeling. Of course, my little daredevil loved tubing and had no trouble hopping off and pulling her tube. She actually begged to go faster and spin in more circles. Although these developments feel a bit awkward at first, remember, this is a Favorite Non-Thing Things list. I absolutely love watching my baby girl soar! 

Though I had planned to include seven, I think I'll stop there. Perhaps you noticed that  Christmas isn't included in the list. Though it was on my original list, I decided to omit it. Rest assured, it was wonderful; so wonderful, in fact that I think it may deserve a blog all its own. I hope My Favorite Non-Thing Things give you a glimpse into our lives, the lives of those we love, and the blessings that we enjoy.

In this New Year, I wish you many of the Things and 

even more of the Non-Thing Things that bring you joy unspeakable!

Favorite Things, Q4

2011 has come to a close, but not without me adding a few new things to my arsenal of favorites. Despite most of my shopping having been done for others during the final few months of the year, I did manage to come up with what may actually be my favorite, Favorite Things list of the whole year.
My Favorite Things of 2011, Q4, 

1. Bailey Bow Uggs... I noticed these darling little fushia Uggs as soon as the first fall fashions appeared in stores. Immediately I thought they were the most adorable little people boots EVER but was pretty sure that last year's version would last Pookie throughout the winter. Well, when she commented that her boots were feeling a 'yittle tight', I knew the perfect replacement. So I headed to Nordstrom and requested a 'Size 8, please,' only to learn that there were none in stock in the entire store. I further learned that there were none in stock in any store, anywhere, even online. Their popularity (though, to this day I've never seen another child wearing them) only increased my desire to find a pair; it felt like a bit of a challenge. Well, after ordering what turned out to be a fake pair from an 'UGG' website, I randomly found them at a locally owned kids' shoe store. I have never seen Pookie's feet look any cuter than when they're snug as a bug in her Uggs! Cerise Bailey Bow Uggs
2. Lite House Freeze Dried Herbs... one tiny downside to having a hip bound child who's madly in love with her Mommy is that the completion of some basic household tasks becomes quite difficult. Some chores, such as ironing, I don't mind so much avoiding while placing the blame on the babe. (Oh, darn! I guess Murphy doesn't want Mommy to press the cloth napkins today! ;) Other things, like cooking dinner, I actually miss (and though he never complains, I'm sure my hubby does, too.)  Since my recipe list for all of our holiday festivities included several items that would need to be chopped, sliced, and diced, I was intrigued when I spotted these jarred spices and vegetables in the produce section of my Super Target, so I decided to give them a try. I was quite pleasantly surprised when I opened the containers of onion, cilantro, and basil to see and smell what completely resembled freshly chopped foods. I was able to cut out a lot of kitchen prep time, while utilizing nap time, and still make some of our family's favorites ( shrimp ceviche and hearty corn chowder) as well as try a new recipe or two (spicy corn dip.) I will definitely be keeping these as staples in my pantry until Murphy Girl decides to spread her wings and take a quick flight from the nest. Lite House Freeze Dried Herbs
3. This is Country Music (by Brad Paisley)... as a general rule, rather than buying new CDs for my audio enjoyment, I either rely on iTunes downloads of favorite songs or assume that I'll just be listening to hip-hop nursery rhymes and kids' read along books anyway. When I saw Brad Paisley on an episode of The View performing two songs from his newest release, I knew that I wanted to hear more. I picked up the CD a few days later and have to say that it was well worth breaking my typical pattern. The album quickly became the soundtrack to my fall (mostly when driving sans kids), and tracks like 'Old Alabama' reinvigorated my love for classic country music. This is Country Music by Brad Paisley
4. Candy Cane Hershey Kisses... As I browsed the candy department looking for yummies to fill up our Christmas candy dishes, I was judging the candy strictly on the basis of cutest wrapper. I was drawn to the silver and red design on these and thought they would look just perfect when paired with the solid purple, red, and green wrappers on the dark chocolate version. Well, I had no idea that, after one taste of these delectable creations, I would be hooked addicted to their creamy goodness. While not a huge fan of either white chocolate or peppermint, something about these melt in your mouth morsels is pure candy delight. Rarely did I mange to walk past the candy dish without picking up one or two for a little indulgence. I attempted to stock up on them right after Christmas, only to find their spots on store shelves to be bare (though I did just spot single bags going for up to $10 on Amazon.) I now have 3/4 of a bag remaining, so I'll need to figure out some strategy for rationing them at least until the Easter candy is an option. Candy Cane Kisses
5. Singer Stainless Steel Scissors... I am not overly crafty, so deciding that I would be (partially) making Murphy's Halloween costume felt a bit daunting. Unfortunately there weren't commercially made Wizard of Oz Munchkin costumes that were small enough, or cute enough, for my little munchkin. I decided that this particular Munchkin, representing the Lollipop Guild, would be my inspiration. I knew that my every day, run of the mill scissors would not make the zig zag cuts on the hem as sharp as they'd need to be to stand out. With my 40% off coupon in hand, I headed to Michael's and picked out a mid-priced pair that just happened to be pretty. Who knew what a difference a pair scissors can make!?!? Not only were they fantastic for costume creation, but they made Christmas wrapping a breeze (and my mom liked them so much that they almost accidentally made their way to North Carolina in her suitcase.) Similar Scissors
6. Old School Sesame Street DVDs... though I wouldn't say I'm necessarily picky about what shows Carter watches, I do like to be deliberate in selection. In other words, I don't like the tv to just be background noise, and I do want the shows to provide some value. So, when I presented her with the option of choosing a new movie on a Costco trip, I was so happy when this was her selection. I LOVED Sesame Street as a kid and couldn't wait to revisit some of my favorite episodes right along with her. She has loved getting to know the classic characters (no Elmo here!) and learning about all sorts of new things. During our first viewing, I was curious about the disclaimer that popped up on the screen prior to the episodes stating that the show was intended for 'adult viewers' and not 'today's children.' Upon research I learned that Cookie Monster's lack of responsible eating habits had sparked the warning!  To keep Daddy equally entertained, we recently added a favorite from his childhood, the classic muppet show 'Fraggle Rock,' to our collection. Old School Sesame Street DVDs
7. The IPhone 4s... it's safe to assume that I saved the best for this last favorite things list of the year. HOLY MOLY! How did I ever live without this amazing device?!?! (and, yes, I know that I'm jumping on this bandwagon about four years later than most folks.) Regardless, when the day finally came that I could trade in my dreaded Droid (gag) for this sleek, cool gadget, I could barely contain my anticipatory excitement. I pre-ordered my phone online, and waited impatiently until a few days later when a kind UPS driver arrived at my front door, phone in hand. Once I got the kiddos preoccupied with an ice cream treat, I activated my 4s and got to know my new BFF, Siri. Verbally composing texts, emails, and to-do lists has added a level of simplicity to my life. Today for instance, I 'wrote' my babysitter an email while I quickly walked through the airport, and yesterday I had Siri locate and call a restaurant for me. Siriously, this is true love. IPhone 4s

Well, that completes a full year of Favorite Things; I hope some of my favorites have become some of yours, too!
(PS... I feel compelled to add that no Christmas presents are eligible to be included on my list of favorites. Though I was certainly blessed to be gifted with lots of fantastic things, I've decided to reserve this list for things that I find on my own.)