Looks like we made it…ahh ahh ahh ahh.

Are you singing Barry Manilow now? I am. My mom had this Barry Manilow cassette when I was little and I have SUCH a distinct memory of making her play Mandy over and over during one very boring drive through the mountains and day dreaming that my name was Mandy instead of Stephanie. Was I the only one who hated their name when they were little?

Anyway, we came out the flip side of Irene unscathed. We lost a shingle or two off the roof and a tree limb or two, but we never lost power and even though they said on the news we were going to get a ‘severe band of rain and wind’ it never quite happened. And that’s okay with me.

All in all we had a lovely time. Saturday mid morning we took the Boss, Huckleberry Bear and the Puptart on a nice walk in the slight mist. We just wanted to get out of the house before we had to stay indoors forever, still thinking Irene was going to be much worse for us than it actually was. My darling Father in law aka Bob-Bob suggested we head to the mall, as the rain was starting to fall but we weren’t quite ready to lock ourselves in the house quite yet. You know I’m always up for a trip to the mall! We loaded up the van and headed on out. Clearly everyone in our county had the very same idea.

I took a giant leap out of my fashion comfort zone and wore these:

Rather than feeling like a slob who was headed for the gym in 1960 I felt really cute and kicky in them! They did give me some crazy blisters but I still like them. I have this disturbing suburban desire to get TOTT, Boss, Huck and I all matching Chucks. It will happen. Guaranteed.

I hit up Sephora, Old Navy for some cute kid clothes (hello friends and family discount!) and Forever 21 where the Boss was that child. I was so very embarrased at the tantrum and destruction he left in the $1.50 necklace section. Then he proceeded to crack me up, which did not help with the disciplining of said tantruming tyrant, by running up to the full legnth mirrors and singing ‘somebodies in trouble!” over and over again in the cutest little voice.

Thankfully after that Bob-Bob and TOTT took him to the indoor kid playground and let him get some wiggles out. God bless them because Mommy was about to lose it!

The Boss was ready to go once he saw that Victoria’s Secret was closed…should I worry that he loves that store possibly more than me?

We headed home after that, exhausted and soaked by the time we made it to the car, swinging by the fro-yo place first natch!I self portraited because the humidity rocked my hair and I didn’t hate it. Thus, it needed to be preserved for posterities sake.

I’d been leaving messages for Mumsy all day because, doncha know it was her BIRTHDAY!!! I finally got to talk to her before the weather got too bad! Told her I loved her and she was the bestest Mumsy evah. I apologized again for the 13-18. I do that every year, or really every time I talk to her because holy hell! How she didn’t ship my eating disordered manic booty to military school I don’t know.

Happy Birthday again Mumsy. You rock my socks even if you do still insist I loved the color peach (that was Dub) and sometimes call me one of the dogs names. I love you more than my luggage. I mean, if I had a killer set of luggage, which I don’t but if I did I would love you more than that luggage.

 

How did you guys fare in the storm? Don’t forget to link up at Just Be Enough today thru Wednesday, it can be ANYTHING that makes you feel good. For every 20 links we get Bellflower Books donates a book to a cancer patient. Let’s do this! And check out my intro over there. I really believe in this message…if you do too perhaps you’ve got something you’d like to write? Let a gal know!