He’s a coming!  That is good news for our business but not such great news for C.C.  They are already boarding up the businesses.  It is suppose to hit Sat. Morning.  That is the same day that our community is having a garage sale.  I guess that is off.  Hard to sell things if the wind is at 80 mph.  The good news is that people are booking parties this weekend.  We are almost completely booked.  I have a baby shower to go to(congrats Jamie and Joel) then I must get to the JJ to help out.  Most of us are looking forward to the rain.  Other than the other night(slept through it I guess) I don’t really remember when it has rained.  I also noticed that the temps are suppose to drop by about 10 degrees too.  I know I have said this before but I think the mid 90 are the perfect temp.

Gregg hasn’t acclimated to the temp.  When he went back to MI he said it was great there and hot there.  When we went back in May I was freezing.  Coop and I arew going back the weekend of Oct. 25th so I’m sure it will be crisp.  It will be great to see Julie and everyone at the tailgate.  Thanks Julie for watching Noah during the last half of the game while Gregg was on the field.  He loves his press pass.   Hey, I’m part owner of Sports pages perhaps I can get us ont he field too.  I remember when I was pregnant with Noah I was on the field and soooooo nervous.  First there is the possibility of getting hit then there was the overtime of the game.  I was so stressed and excited I thought for sure I was going to hurt the baby.  Oh to be a first time mommy.

OK so Dove hunting?  What the hell is up with that.  I guess it started a week or so ago and all I hear now is bang. bang. bang.  Who the hell shoots a dove and why?  Do you eat doves?  That just sounds gross.  OK Veggieism aside what the hell.  Occasionally I will eat meat(going back to vegetarian) but a dove?  I remember the uproar in Michigan about dove hunting.  I don’t know if it ever passed.  Speaking of passing.  I am glad that Kwame is finally out of office.  Or should I say out of office until his 5 year probation is over.  I’m sure the city will reelect him once it is over.  I hope not.  How long until his name is off the Detroit zoo?  I hated driving by that everyday and seeing his name on it.  Please keep me updated Detroiters.

I went to Whole Foods today.  I have been waiting to go for so long.  In Royal Oak I had three Whole Foods within a 10 mile radius.  The one in Troy was only 1 1/2 miles away.  Here in Austin where it originated there are only two and one is 10 miles away the other is in downtown and San Antonio.  HEY you don’t have to worry about flooding the market you need another one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I called Carol early this am and she was game.  We hit the market and I was sooooo surprised at all the GF stuff they had there.  I never had a problem finding Gluten Free items in the stores in Michigan and Philly.  Even the little stores in Philly had a great selection.  Here in Texas it is slim pickings.  The only store here is HEB.  They really have shit.  Sorry to be so vulgar but I am sick of going and not finding any crackers or goo Tinkyada spaghetti and noodles.  Their freezer section is lacking as well.  I stocked up at whole Foods not only for me but for the business as well.  I found spinach/feta pizza/ hand rolled frozen cookies, and full beef corn dogs to say the least.  I was very happy.

OK well I have been interupteda few times by Gregg at the JJ on my day off.  Yes he was sweet enough to give me a day off.  I SUPER cleaned the house so he is ready to give me many days off.  LOL

I hope everyone is doing well.  Chris I have been trying to send something to you and Josie for  a while now.  One day I will get it right and order it.  Computer illiterate.

PS.  Have you seen Victoria Beckham’s new hairdo?  Love it.  I already cut all my hair off but I wanted to go shorter.  Next time I get it cut I will go all the way.  Loving the new hair here in Texas.  LOL

WOW!  The weather took a sudden nice turn.  Seems like we were in the 100’s everyday and then when I cut all my hair off it got cool.  It heated up a little bit but now is back to the mid 90’s where oddly enough I think is perfect.  A 95 degree in Austin is beautiful.  Now I am not running around in the sun or anything but from my back porch in the shade it feels great.  It is even better when there is a nice breeze.  The am and late pm is even better.  Every morning the obys and I have our hot chocolate on the back patio before school.  We watch the golf course buys set up for the day.  It has been a nice treat as it takes them a while to wake up.  I get the hot choc. ready and wake them as we chill on the porch and wake up.  THey kid that it is their coffe.

Speaking of coffee……I love the smell of coffee.  It is a treat working in a place that has that smell.  I have never liked the taste of coffee nor really drank it up until about a month ago.  Now of course my Dad, Bumpa, and Gregg wouldn’t say what I drink is coffee but I love our peppermint patty.  It is a latte with cocoa and peppermint.  YUM.  I try not to drink one everyday as I don’t want to be one of those people who have to have their coffee to function.

Noah and Gregg are in MI. right now.  Noah is having fun hanging with Gma and going to the other Jungle Java’s in town.  I know Gregg is excited to go to the big house Saturday.  The one person who isn’t excited is Cooper.  He cried when he found out Noah and dad were in MIchigan.  He cried even harder when he realized that Gma is also in MIchigan.  I assured him we would be going back in Ocotober for the MI MSU game.  He keeps asking me when we are going.  This all made matters worse when he alsoe learned that he would be starting his new preschool that day.  It was  rough drop off to say the least.

Any whoooooooo  things are going great here.  Football has started and we have a new season to cheer.  I don’t even recognize the Detroit team(thank god) so I will cheer for the Cowboys.  Noah loves the Cowboys but Cooper still calls them the stars since they have a star on their helmet.  Noah keeps reminding him that that is the hockey team not the football team.  Cooper however bleeds orange.  He is a big UT fan.  BEVOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HIs favorite color is orange and he always wants to wear his bevo shirt.  I guess that is right since he has lived here longer than anywhere else.  Noah’s days as a Notre Dame fan have also diminshed.  He still mentions the Wolverines much to Gregg’s joy.  I guess Noah is what you would call undecided.  Which is just fine by me.  There are many good schools here in TX but I would like him to go somewhere out east.

OK this is way longer than I had anticipated so good night.  Get ready to tailgate Jules.  Can’t wait to see you and the gang!

Noah started his first day of Kindergarten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was flawless.  Jungle Java provided the coffee and food for the kinder comfort so I was up and at it by 5:30 am.  Since I cut all my hair off(yep-pics to come later) it is a breeze to get ready.  Most of you know I always had short hair up until about 1997.  It is just too hot for long hair.  Anyway I digress.  I got everything set up in the cafeteria trying not to get in the way of the TV camera crew that was at the school at 6:30.  Teravista is a new school and they were doing a special on new schools  in RR and most specifically Teravista.  Then I was off to pick up G-ma, dad, Cooper and Noah to take NOah to school.  Cooper was actually the first one up this morning(after me and mom).  We walked Noah in and he took to it like a duck to water.  I guess it was all that Stepping Stone and other preschools that prepared him.  Mom and I came back again at lunch time to help the newbies with their lunches and opening things(milk cartons, applesauce, etc.).  I got to spend time with Noah and the other kids we know from Stepping Stone, neighborhood, and our JJ regulars.  It was fun to see everyone.  After school we picked Noah up at the front door and that was a GOOD thing.  HOLY cow the driver pick up line was son long that some of those mom’s sat in the line for quite a while.  Rachel and I had a nice long chat while she waited in the car pick up line to get Taelyn.  I had come home had a snack, Gregg showered(again), and then drove all the way to Sam’s club by the time she got Tae.  I will definitely be picking Noah up at the front door until they get that line manageable.  Noah had fu although he didn’t want to discuss what he learned.  He had a slight fever last night and an hour after we got him home from school it spiked.  It is better now and he ate 6 nuggets and some of his shake and temp wis feels much better. 

Tonight is the last night that G-ma is in town..  We are going to miss her and I am going to miss her cooking.  The boys didn’t realize that she was leaving tomorrow and a part of hopes she gets held up with this fiasco happening at the airports.   I know she wants to get back home to bu,pa though so we hope not too strongly.

The Jungle Java ads have hit the mailers.  Gregg and I sent some out today by hand but our mass mailing hit the hoods today.  We had one mom call very excited.  She is going to email the 300 people in her mailing lists.  I love it when other moms get so excited.  Did I metnion the nice plug we got at our school for donating the treats today.  We also gave each of the teachers at TVE a free pass so they can bring their kids.  Things are going so well.  Thanks to Laurel for helping train our new staff.  We got some GREAT hires this time around.  Not to say our last batch was bad but our new group is proving to be a great asset, especially since we lost some day time help due to school.  OUr grnd opening is around the corner and I’m sure will be big.

I have been really bad about posting pictures but that is because I blog from my laptop and the picture program is on the computer upstairs.  I have to actually go up there to do this.  I will get up there one day.  For now I am busy with the JJ, my PTA chair(homeroom parent) and getting Noah and the family ready for school.  I do promise I will get up there.

A BIG Happy Birthday to my cousin Jacque!  I don’t know where in the world you are but I hope you are somewhere fabulous for your birthday(Bimini, Canary, Germany,  Spain, Mexico or where ever.)  Congratulations to Jessica for being named a partner in your firm and for the upcoming birth of your baby.  I can’t wait until we find out the sex.  I hope you and Al have a boy this time!

PS Dad I am going to call you soon but it always seems the time difference gets in our way.  I am up by 6 am 7 your time, ouch I know.  Gregg and Noah are coming to town WEd.-Sun for the U of M home opener.  I will be back for the MSU game with or without family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hope the house in Naples weathered the storm and I will call you son.  Gotta get the boys away from that silly show wipeout and put them to bed.

Nighty night to all our new school age children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today mom and I took the boys to the Inner Space Caverns.  The boys really had fun.  Noah asked questions and really liked the tour once he realized the bats weren’t going to suck his blood.  Cooper raised his hand to ask a question too but instead when the tour guide asked him what his question was he blurted out, “I love the Wiggles.”  That got a laugh.

Gregg and I are going out to dinner tonight.  Haven’t done that without kids in a long time.  It will be nice even though we are going to talk business.  Laurel is in town from Michigan.  We will enjoy some food wine and talk JJ.  That is my kind of a board meeting>  LOL

Tomorrow Noah gets to meet his kindergarten teacher.  WE go to drop off his school supplies and then the teachers call out their class list and the kids go to their rooms.  Noah is excited to see which of his friends will be in his class.  I have to be there early since I am the homeroom mom chairperson.  I need to sign mom’s up to be a homeroom parent.  It should be an exciting day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was our busiest “day” yet.  We did more in 3 hours than we have done on some days.  It was insane!  Boy was I tired at the end of the day.  G-ma and the boys came up and helped us out.  Noah was good at shouting “order up.”  Impact magazine came up for a photo shoot later that day.  The boys were all smiles.  Tae Tae even got in on the action.  Look for them in the next Impact.

After all the action we headed to Chili’s for dinner.  Cooper loves Chilis.  I think he is in love witht he cheese fries more than me.  After dinner I asked Gregg to change Cooper’s diaper.  He took him to the bathroom and then came back to the table saying there was no diaper changing station.  I was upset so I said I was going to talk to the manager about that.  I also wanted to talk to him about some advertising they are doing as well.  I went to the front of the store and as I was about to talk to the manager Gregg and the boys went running out of the store.  I asked Gregg to come back to talk about the advertising but he just smiled and they ran away.  Turns out Gregg thought I was berating the manager for not having a station when in fact they DID!  He ran out to avoid humiliation.  Turns out Gregg was just trying to get out of changing a dieaper.  He ended up having to do it in the back of the van while I talked business with the manager.  We are working on a St. Judes campaign.  WE all got a big laugh out of Gregg sneaking away.  Once home we all fell into a food coma(maybe some tequila/margarita at dinner coma) and went to bed early!

Now we are off to the Inner Space Caverns.  I got vetoed on Fredricksburg, Lukenbach, and Sea World.

The Wiggles were awesome.  Cooper was soooo excited all day long.  He was jumping about all day.  I was afraid he was going to wear himself out before the concert.  WE left Austin around 1 ansd got to San Antonio about 3.  We went to the Tower of the Americas .  WE had done the river walk so many times we thought we were due for a change.  It was perfect.  We went to the top and had drinks and appetizers at the Chart House.  Then we saw the 4-D film about Texas.  Noah and I didn’t have as much fun during the movie as Coop and dad.  I don’t do well in IMAX theaters and of course Noah hated the sound and the special effects(cows spitting, snakings coming out from under the seats).  Then we were off to the HEB to buy Dorothy(dinosaur) some roses and Wags a bone.  We got to the concert in plenty of time to get gorged by the concession stand($17 for a t-shirt, 17 for a guitar, 17 a piece for two light sticks).  When the concert started Cooper was in awe. He danced the whole night.  I’m glad I gave up floor seats for an asile seat.  We were 12 rows up so Cooper and Noah were still able to give the roses and bone to Wags and Dorothy.  The host said they give the roses to a senior shelter and the bones to a dog shelter.  After the concert Cooper just stared at the crew walking off stage and said, “I’m going to miss the Wiggles.”  I’m sure we have another Wiggles concert in our future.  After the show we loaded up the kids and put them in their PJs and drove home.  We got home abut 10 and put our sweet wiggly boys to bed.  A big thank you to Sandra for opening and coming back to close.  Thanks to Carol and Sarh for looking on the place for us!

We have been so busy at the Jungle Java.  Every day it gets better.  We had our ad and write up in the community impact and had our best day yet on Saturday!

G-ma is coming for a visit on the 15th.  The boys are so excited.  Noah has started a count down.  He loves to count down.  Perhaps we have an astronaut.  I will have to take him to Houston to see the space center.  I think that is a trip just the two of us will take.

Gregg is planning some trips back.  I think him and Noah are coming back for a family wedding in Sept.  They have an old ticket they have to use.  The whole clan will be coming back for the MSU game.  Just an excuse to come home and hang with the old tailgating gang.  I can’t wait to see all you guys.  Oh and Jules let’s get those jalapeno’s cooking because I need some of your good stuff.

Well tonight is the first time I have made dinner in over 4 weeks so I must go in and eat.  It is a most pleasant night here in Texas.  Yea it is 104 during the day(GREAT for business) but the nights are nice and breezy.

Talk to you all soon!

The Wiggles are tomorrow and Cooper is out of his mind.  Gregg thought the concert was today and Cooper corrected him.  We have been doing the countdown for a few days now.  Good job Coop keeping dad in check!

Today was a VERY busy day at the JJ.  This has been our biggest day yet and it’s only 3:00.  Thanks to all the California Mom’s group!  It was a blast!!  Two days until our ads hit the stands.  We are in Austin Family mag and the beloved Community Impact.  I can’t wait to see them.  Everyone reads Impact cover to cover.  Not only do we have a write up but we also bought an ad.  We are in the process of finalizing our Grand Opening party.  I think that will be in September.

Time to get back to work……………………….

Oh and will someone please shut Drew Peterson up.  I am so sick of his constant media attention.  The only other  killer who gets more free press is OJ!

WOW!  I had to fill up the van again and this time gas was at 3.83.  That was a nice surprise.  Jungle Java has been doing great too.  Our ad campaign starts Friday.  Right now everything has been word of mouth.  We are getting tons of great feedback.  On Sunday we had the highest grossing Jungle Java.  Woo hoo!  It didn’t hurt that we had a huge($610) birthday party.

Thursday we head down to San Antonio for the Wiggles concert!  Cooper is sooooooo excited.  He still doesn’t believe that Gregg, the lead singer, won’t be there.  For those of you that don’t know he is sick and doesn’t tour anymore.  Anyhow I’m sure Cooper will still enjoy the show.  This is a big deal for us because any time I bought tickets to a kids show way ahead of time we ended up moving before the show.  Our friends have always had the luck of getting our tickets.  I think it is safe to say that we can book concerts ahead of time now without fear!

WE are less than a month away from Noah starting kindergarten.  I can’t believe how fast time has flown.  I was looking at a baby yesterday at JJ and thinking how much I loved that age and how I wouldn’t want another one right now but would love to go back and Do Noah’s childhood over.  Noah and I had so much fun when he was little.  WE were partners in crime.  We did everything together.  We would go to the movies, Miss Rita’s music classes, the movement classes, And strolling Somerset.  He loved those fountains in the south Somerset and lunches at PF Changs with Godiva treats afterward.  Noah always loved the calamari at PF and still does.  I haven’t told him what they are but it is always funny to see the waiters expression when the kids ask for it.  All of us on the path are on the PTA.  We had a meeting yesterday and it just gets you excited about our new school.  We are the founding members of the PTA since our school is brand new.  We have a lot to learn.  I am the homeroom mom chairperson.  G-ma is coming to town on the 15th so she can see Noah’s first day.  It should be an emotional one for all of us.(26th).

Well it’s off the the JJ.  We started opening at 6 am for coffee.  WE got a great manager and worker to open the store for us every day.  Sorry if there are any typos I am sitting on the back porch writing this with the sun in my face.  The golf course is so peasceful in the am and it is the best place to gather my thoughts.

Oh and today is our Panther Superbowl party!!!!!!!  Noah’s team won the superbowl in flag football and we are finally celebrating.  Congrats everyone!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH I don’t want my youngest to grow up.  Noah was always grown up.  I think part of that was he was talking so early.  He was speaking in full sentences by 16 months.  I always dressed him so well.  He looked and acted like a little man.  He had great manners and never liked anything dirty.  He would always clean himself and his area.  He was like an old man in a little boys body.   My sweet little man.

Then there is Cooper.  He is all little boy.  Thrives in dirt, eats just about anything that isn’t moving, and he doesn’t know what fear is.  He is also my sweet little baby.  OK so he is 3 now but he still has that soft baby fat skin.  You know the kind.  The soft cheeks that envelope your lips when you press a kiss on them.  Ah I hope that he keeps those cheeks for a while.

I had to fill the tanks on our two cars the other day.  Whoa that costs a lot.  Our commute is only 2.5 miles so I don’t even remember when we last filled the tank.  Gas is almost over 4.00 now.  I remember when it used to cost $20 to fill the Jeep’s tank.

We have been busy training our staff and I believe by the end of the next week everyone will know how to do every job(opening/closing etc.) and then Gregg and I can have some down time.  I don’t really want a lot of down time.  I love working the Jungle Java.  However, I also love family time.  Last night Gregg, the boys and I got to go to the swimming pool together.  It was fun for all of us to relax and have fun.  The pool is the only place other than Jungle Java that the boys like to play.

We have the Wiggles concert coming up and I tried to break the news to Cooper that Greg won’t be on the tour because he is sick.  Coop woul have none of it.  Every once in a while he comes up to me and says, “Greg’s not sick any more.  He’s coming to the concert.”  I wish I wouldn’t have said anything but I didn’t want him to spend the first 15 minutes of the concert wondering why Greg isn’t there.  I thought I was preparing him.  I wish the Wiggles shows on TV would have more without old Greg so he can get used to it.

Well it’s off to the “office.”