Yes - that would be my front porch. I love going to coffee shops, but with gas prices and latte prices I have found that I can grab my laptop, journal and books and sit on my front porch with a cup of Keteppa chai (a delicious tea from Kenya). I'm effectively "getting away from my house so I can think" but yet I'm not spending money, which for me is sometimes difficult. So yeah - as long as it's not too hot in the mornings - this will be my regular table.

My Regular Table

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofcoffeegirlareyouquiz/

Everyone seems to be taking this test so I thought I would too! Not sure about the results but here it is...

Social Realist (SR)

(Just visiting? Take the free test and determine your personality type!)

Social Realists are popular persons full of energy. They are reliable, well organized and helpful. Traditional values are important to them. Founding a family also plays a central role in their life. Social Realists have a marked social streak. They are always ready to listen to the worries and problems of others and spare no effort when they are asked for help. With empathy and understanding, they can sense what other people need. Social Realists are always willing to highly regard the strong points of the other person and to excuse that person’s weaknesses. They are the most sociable of all personality types. Social contacts are very important to them.

Social Realists find it very difficult to cope with conflicts and criticism - harmony is their elixir of life. Acknowledgement and esteem are very important to this type. Differentiation on the other hand is not necessarily one of their strong points. At work and in partnerships, they are loyal, committed and always there when needed. They find it easy to make friends due to their open, warm manner and they have a large circle of friends. In love, they are faithful and attentive and care for their partners with a great deal of imagination and sensitivity. Social Realists show their feelings openly and honestly. Should a relationship break up, they tend to blame themselves. That is why they find it very difficult to end a partnership even if it has not fulfilled their requirements for some time.

Social Realists are more conservative types. They have a set system of values and rules which is orientated to the prevailing traditions. They prefer clear, structured surroundings and work processes; they find too much change und unrest unpleasant. Their strong points are carefulness and reliability and not so much flexibility and spontaneity. Social Realists are open-minded towards anything new only to a limited extent. But, should one be looking for someone to fulfil a task reliably and exactly, they are the right persons.

Today we went to Cracker Barrell for breakfast - so yummy! James ate Kix cereal and "talked" to the men at the next table almost the entire time. He's such a friendly fellow!

We took him to the pool today. He really loved it. He did scare me half to death when twice he ran straight for the pool while we were getting our stuff together. That kid is fast and you really have to keep a hand on him or he's gone!

I got a really cool bag at Target today. I wanted something that I could use as a purse but fit some "diaper bag type" stuff in too without having to carry around both. Plus James and I are going to Columbus next week with Jim for his business trip and I always love to have a nice new bag for the airplane.

James with Mommy's scarf

Well I thought I took a picture of my bag (I know I did) but it's not showing up on my card and I'm too lazy to take another so here's a picture of James. He took my scarve-thing off my head and wanted to wear it. And he loves playing in the laundry basket. He cried when I had to take it to stack laundry in to take upstairs. It really keeps him occupied for quite awhile so I probably should just get another one (or two) at the Dollar Store.

Speaking of a dollar - I thought of Java Janie the other night because Publix had Totino's pizza on sale for $1 and that was what Jim and I had for dinner. Not nutritious but so delicious! That was also the same day that I just HAD to have a Taco Bell soft taco (which further reminds me that I'm pregnant since I don't normally enjoy consuming "Grade D beef for human consuption")

My latest craving....a really good banana split- one with all the trimmings - whipped cream, nuts, three different kinds of ice cream. Ahh..yum! Now I've not fulfilled this craving yet. Maybe while we're in Columbus next week!

We left on Memorial day to head to North Georgia to visit Jim's dad and step mom. They live in Dahlonega and it's quite beautiful up there although there's just no easy way to get there so it was a lot of back roads, but beautiful scenery.

We had a great visit and James had such a good time. He doesn't get to see this set of grandparents very often but he quickly warmed up to them and was his usual friendly self. He even added a new word to his growing vocabulary..."hi". Sounds like an easy one but I've been trying to get him to say it FOREVER! Now he flings it out when we're in the grocery store (after pointing at the strangers that he's speaking too - I guess I'll work on the not pointing thing when he's a little older since it's still cute now).

Of course I left my camera at home so we have no pictures. Speaking of pictures, I must have taken 1000 of James during his first year of life and here we are halfway into his second year and I've only taken a handful. Oh well...when the new baby comes along, I'm sure I'll be camara ready again and it will be cute to get pics of them both.

This month we have seen 3 (yes, I said 3) movies at the theater. This is pretty amazing because I think we only saw 3 movies in the theater in the entire year of 2007. We saw Ironman, Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones 4. I really liked all of them. Ironman totally exceeded my expectations so I was pleasantly surprised. Prince Caspian was just as good, if not better, than Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. Luckily I had realistic expectations of Indiana Jones so I enjoyed it a lot. (You just can't expect another Raiders or Last Crusade so if you watch it with that in mind, you'll enjoy it so much more. Plus Harrison Ford is still amazing - talk about aging well!)

Speaking of movies...we also saw Amazing Grace on DVD. That is one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. The true story of William Wilberforce and his fight to stop the slave trade in the British Empire. So inspiring and really great acting. Romola Garai is in it too (she was in Atonement) and does an incredible job as William's wife.

That's about all the interesting "Steph-news" that I have for now. 

So the other day I mentioned that I went to this incredible little coffee place in Spring Hill called Utopia Coffee and the latte I had was so amazing. Really, it was better than Starbucks. As I was thinking about it later, actually kind of dreaming about it, I realized something else. I didn't ask for it "non-fat" which I ALWAYS do and have done for several years now. It's occurred to me that besides using superior coffee the fattiness of the regular milk most likely added to the deliciousness of the brew. So since I drink lattes not even once a week now that I'm pregnant, I'm no longer going to deprive myself of the tasty goodness of whole milk lattes. I just though you all should know about this important revelation in my life. You may now continue on with whatever it is that you are doing.

I was born in Louisville, KY and moved to Dallas, TX when I was 4. I lived there until I was 16 when I moved to Nashville, TN and I've been here almost 14 years.

And yet I am still surprised that I turned out 81% Dixie on this dialect quiz!!

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/yankee_dixie_quiz.html

James' grandma just came to pick him up and take him to her house so I can have a break. He did better last night. Slept in 3 hour stretches which is fantastic compared to Sunday night, but I'm still zonked.

I've got about five hours of free time. I have tons to do around the house (of course) and home work that I could work on (although last week was Spring Break and I decided to get ahead and now I'm soooo glad I did since I probably won't do as much school work this week as normal).

But part of me would like to do something fun since there are no guarantees of free time tonight or tomorrow, esp. with Jim out of town...hmm...choices, choices.....

Our brand new Super Target and Kohl's just opened in Spring Hill over the weekend. I'm tempted to window shop a bit. And yet getting out would require a shower, make up, clean clothes etc. Maybe I do need a nap first... :)

Forgive the bullet points but I have a sick child and I'm so tired that I can hardly see straight.....

• My husband is AMAZING! I woke up Sat. feeling ill and tired. He cleaned the house, did laundry, watched James AND took me to dinner so I didn't have to cook. And did I mention the flowers he bought me earlier in the week?
• James has a double ear infection and I've never seen him so miserable. Sunday night was the worst night in my life as a mother. Holding him until 3am and he was still so miserable. Nothing I could do to make it better...ugh!!!
• My mother-in-law is AWESOME! Calling to check on me, stopping over to rock James to sleep for me...such a blessing! I would be losing my mind right now without her.
• I had something else to say but I forgot....
• Oh yes, I bought a BBQ chicken pizza from Whole Foods and ate part of it for dinner and it was so yummy!
• I found out that when James is crying, if I start laughing, he will stop crying and start laughing with me. It unfortunately doesn't last long.
• I really really really want to get some sleep tonight but I'm almost too tired to sleep - if that makes sense. With kids, they get overtired and it's hard to go sleep and they cry. I'm almost there myself - minus the crying part..although I wouldn't put it past me.
• Hopefully these next few days will FLY by and James will be back to his old self.

I had one of the BEST days on Thursday!

James went to grandma's all day and my day included the following:

• Breakfast at Panera and surfing the 'net at 8:30am - Mochachip swirl bagel, coffee and blog reading...very relaxing
• A hair cut and highlight from my salon with my stylist telling me her lovely engagement story. I just love having someone else wash my hair!!
• Window shopping in downtown Franklin
• A trip to Kohl's to spend a gift card - new khaki pants and cute shirt - yay!
• Baja Fresh for lunch - yummy burrito with guacamole
• Sitting at Borders eating aforementioned food while reading
• Catching up on some school work at Borders
• Purchasing New Moon by Stephenie Meyer and reading it for 3 hours straight
• Checking out a new vacuum I want at the Oreck store
• Meeting a friend for dinner at Mexicali Grill (Oh yes, it was all Mexican food for me today!)
• A movie with the girls - The Other Boleyn Sister. It was OK - definitely a chick flick, not really historically accurate but entertaining
• Getting asked to leave Starbucks with aforementioned friends at 10pm even though the sign clearly said that they were open until 11pm....very frustrating, but what can you do?

Ahh..it was such a fun "mommy's day off" day for me! I'm so spoiled and so lucky to have a wonderful family, and husband to take care of James and some great friends to spend some "girl time" with! Can't wait to do it again!