The Search Is Over!!

Rob sent me this video, and thanks to him, James' search for a Halloween costume is officially over. He's going as this guy. Enjoy...



Just another day with additional flourishes Being Billingsley...

A Brush with Greatness

Well guess who we had dinner with last night? I'll give you a couple of clues...

• He had 7 career no hitters
• Played in 27 MLB seasons
• One of the best-know pitchers of our time

Mr. Nolan Ryan!!!!!!!!!!
(Or as he calls himself, "Nolan Riiiine")

Sidebar...

Anyone who knows me is aware of my strong stance against baseball, but it wasn't always that way. I used to love it!

However, the MLB Strike of 1994 officially ended that love affair with America's past-time. I can still get fired up when I think about it, so let's not spend anymore time on it.

...sidebar over.

OK, so maybe we didn't break bread together but we saw him at the restaurant. Of course, my husband chatted him up, and the man really is a saint. He was extraordinarily nice and looks only slightly changed since I last saw him on the mound in Arlington.

I think the capper for the evening was when my dear sweet Abigail said to the man, "Bonsoir" and walked away... I guess she wasn't as impressed as James and I were.

I wonder if Nolan went home and blogged about HIS brush with greatness? After all, he got to witness... Just another day Being Billingsley!

Swim Lessons 2010

Last week, Abbie started this summer's swim lessons. She is a really confident swimmer, and let's face it, she's freakin' adorable.


Abbie has spent one week in the pool so far this summer sporting 70 spf, and she is already looking like our Coppertone baby. She definitely got her normal skin with actual color in it from her father. Her sister? Well that's a different story.


This was Lila's first trip to the swimming pool. She partied with her Gigi and her Pops while Abbie was hard at work training to be the next Olympic swimmer.

Lila's complexion is definitely courtesy of her transparent mother. Unfortunately for her, summers at the pool will be spent rockin' an over sized t-shirt on top of a really cute swimsuit.

Despite her 70 spf, hat, AND floatie with canopy, she managed to get a pink back and shoulders.

Oooops... pretty sure that gut she's sportin' is also one of those traits from her mother.

Just another day Being Billingsley...

Mother and Father of the Year!

Well, we all watched the Oscars last night as a family.

Abbie wasn't overly impressed, but she tolerated it in the name of a "family activity." She did, however, comment that Demi Moore looked "absolutely lovely" and Sandra Bullock was "beautiful." I agree.

Lila was disgusted. She cried all night. She thought Sarah Jessica Parker made a horrendous choice, and crying was her commentary on the ridiculousness that is print fabrics in evening couture. (By the way, I totally disagree with her stance, and we tried to discuss again this morning. I only succeeded in upsetting her all over again.)

In the middle of the Oscar extravaganza, James went to the kitchen to clean up dinner, and I went into another room to take a quick phone call. Apparently, we did that just in time to leave our five-year-old daughter alone on the couch while the Academy paid tribute to the Horror Film genre.

That's right folks! Abbie watched a montage of horror films that included Nightmare on Elm Street. She started to ask questions like, "What's wrong with his face," and she was convinced that The Blob was the most terrifying thing she's ever seen.

As soon as James caught on to what was happening, he ran into the living room and tried to run interference saying things like, "Oh that was just pretend...." "No, Abbie, that wasn't blood. It is called a Blob. It's like Play Doh." She wasn't buying any of it.

Ahhhh, some of our best work...

Just another day recovering from no sleep last night and Being Billingsley...

I'm Kind Of A Big Deal...

That's right folks... I'm kind of a big deal!

Today I got not just 1 but 2 blog awards, and to make the honor even greater, they came from two of my very favorite people, Anna and Alison!

These awards require that I share a few things about myself and then pass the awards to other deserving bloggers. So, here goes...

1. I married the man-of-my-dreams and have two of the most gorgeous girls in all of creation. At least once a day (occasionally more), I will hand our baby to my husband knowing she has a loaded diaper. I pretend that I forgot something urgent... something like, "Oh no! I forgot about the water boiling on the stove!" Then, I run toward the kitchen.

He's so enamored with his youngest that he hasn't yet discovered my ingenious strategy that makes him handle more than his fair share of dirty diapers. He also hasn't yet asked me why all the boiling water. Shhhhhh..


2. I can recite every single line from the movie StepBrothers. Hilarious.

3. I love a vodka tonic with extra lime. My oldest daughter refers to the drink as "Mom's grown-up juice."

4. In my unwrinkled years, I starred in a national Chevy commercial. I was "girl who longingly stares at the Chevy Silverado." It was one day of work, an excuse not to go to Thursday classes, and I received residual checks for that little gem for a year. Sweet gig.

5. I LOVE to scare people...which is why Halloween is one of my very favorite holidays. I love to hide in a dark room, jump out, and yell Boo!! It is particularly fun to do with my 5-year-old. I've also been known to scare my husband as well. The problem is that my family is used to it and hardly reacts anymore. So, I'm always looking for new victims.

Abbie and Lila on their first Halloweens.

6. My favorite time of the day is when my girls wake up in the morning. I get Lila out of her crib, and we sit in my bed until Abbie wakes up. She brings her pillow, a book, and Fluffy the dinosaur into my room, and the three of us chat, laugh, and plan our day while cozy under the blankets.

7. I am terrified of birds. I once seriously pulled an ab muscle and a calf muscle by jumping out of my chair, turning it over, and running from a pigeon who was ridiculously close to me while I was enjoying lunch with my friend Cheryl. Afterwards I think I cried while Cheryl laughed, and the damn pigeon mocked me by coming back for more.

It is now the time you've all been waiting for...

I would like to award The Beautiful Blogger Award to April, who writes the most beautiful posts about her sweet baby girl, and I would like to give the same award to my girl Mary the Swiss because she's incredible and has used her blog beautifully to describe her new adventures... and I'm hoping it will encourage her to blog SOMETHING since it has been weeks!

The Honest Scrap Award goes to Cari because we share the same feelings about candy hearts and to Kelly because her "Sound Off" features always make me yell"You Go Girl!"

Congrats ladies, and remember to give us a list of things about yourselves and then give the award to two other deserving bloggers. (Technically the BBA recipients should give us 7 things about themselves, and the HSA winners should divulge 10.)

Just another award winning day Being Billingsley...

Mommy Likes To Rock

Normally the scene in my mommy-mobile includes 2 carefully installed car seats, a double stroller clanging in the back, baby blankets draped on every available seat, the absolute stench of Purell wafting in the air, and countless children's books stuffed in pockets all around. It also boasts the greatest collection of princess music you've ever heard.

But, occasionally, Mommy will insist on getting to listen to a little radio. When that happens, I am sometimes rewarded with an exceptional tune like a sweet Ratt single or sometimes a rad Poison ditty. Today was no exception!

When I switched Snow White off, Europe's The Final Countdown was the first jam to hit the airwaves. I turned it up as loud as it would go and screamed those lyrics. I threw in a few crucial dance moves with my singing. I kinda remember the faint voice of my 4-year-old saying something about Mommy being scary.

You may be wondering, what is my favorite part of that song to sing? It's the same thing I like to sing with all of my 80's faves... the instrumental solo. Europe is rich with some synthesized keyboard solos.

Once I recovered from my European vacation, another jam came on, and it was Abbie's turn because it was the King of Pop... Billy Jean. That girl likes her some Michael Jackson... except for the fact that he "looks like a girl."

She really made me proud with her commitment to sing every lyric whether she actually knew the words or not, and her ability to boogie despite the five-point-harness is unlike anything you've ever seen.

Listen ladies, do yourself a favor, and don't let those kids in the back prevent you from enjoying those 80's hits as they are supposed to be enjoyed... loud and with lots of hair slinging. Who knows, maybe somebody back there will learn to appreciate the classics.

(Pssst, my gift to you... Click here and enjoy!)

Just another day rockin' it and Being Billingsley...