On the third day after Christmas...

3 days after the big day with the big guy and I bet the last thing you want to do is read a post about Christmas. Too bad. Now that you've started reading you just can't stop. 

I had a spectacular Christmas this year. Especially for someone who couldn't think of anything they (I) wanted and then they (I) ended up with a MacBook Pro. Happy first post from my new Mac! Didn't you notice that this post just seemed more superior than all the other posts? Yeah, I thought so. It is all because of this baby. 

We broke several of our Christmas traditions this year. The biggest one being that we didn't celebrate Christmas at my grandparents house--we had it at our house. Can you believe it?! Spending a Christmas at home for the first time in my whole super long life? Crazy. It was worth every crumpled up piece of wrapping paper and every bow found under the couch. 

I found something that I love almost as much as peanut butter m&m's, Christmas lights, and not making decisions: the look on a person's face as he or she opens a really exciting gift. It is pure bliss, I tell you! Makes you smile all Chistmas-y and Santa-y! Especially because I got to sit by this guy and see his reaction over and over again...

I tell you what, if you have a FreddieFriend type of friend then I am sure you've got it just as bad as I do. As I went into my annual deep state of depression on December 26 I told Freddie that it was the saddest day of the year. Christmas was over, decorations were still up after everything even though they didn't need to be, and you have to wait a whole year for Christmas again. A whole year! Before I started weeping hysterically (okay, not really but go with it) Freddie told me that it was a great day because it is the first day that we get to play with all of our toys that we got for Christmas. I started to disagree and say that I could have used my wok yesterday on Christmas (p.s.--I got an awesome wok too) and Freddie pointed out that I had no ingredients and the stores were closed on Christmas so no, I could not have played with my wok on Christmas. I needed it to be December 26. What a guy! He deserved lots of x's and o's for Christmas. 

Know what we did next? Went to the store on that fine December 26 day and bought ingredients to make yummy stir-fry for supper. 

Pictures from the ho ho ho-iest of days! (Note all of the happy schmappy faces.)

Merry 362 days until Christmas! ;)

she was just a spoiled brat

Disney has been done. We (Me, MC, Russ Moore, Lil' Ann, FreddieFriend, Uncle John) got back on Sunday from a fabulous 6 day trip to Orlando for some Disney Christmas fun. Disney at Christmas is B-E-A-UTIFUL. No really, I don't think you understand how beautiful it is. 

Look!

And, see this?!

Over here!

Christmas is for sure my favorite time to be at Disney. Okay, so maybe I say that about every time I go--so what? You only wish you were as awesome as Disney (Six Flags, I'm talking to you).

This trip was my fav for many reasons. Some of which include:

• Getting to spend Christmas-y Disney with Freddie and seeing him take a bajillion pictures. Seriously, paparazzi of Disney was in the house (of mouse) and I loved it.
• Finally getting to see my brother. And my bhabff (best hoe and best friend forever).
• Basking in the Osborne Family Lights. I want to pitch a tent on the street and live there during this time. Fake snow, Christmas music, and 3 million dancing Christmas lights? Who wouldn't want to live there?!
• Learning that grown males need leashes. You know the kids on leashes you always see in crowded places? Hello Russ, Freddie, and John, you now have a new Christmas present--a man leash. We spent more time looking for them or waiting on them than we spent actually being with them. 
• Going to Disney 20+ times and still being able to do and try and eat new things. 

While all these things were fabulous and wonderful, the best part of the trip comes from Russ Moore's birthday party day. After a very stressful and busy afternoon spent park hopping and trying to secretly plan something for Dad's birthday, Mom was able to set up a dinner reservation. Ann, Uncle John, and Dad were determined to ride Tower of Terror 30 minutes before the super secretsies birthday dinner. Worried that they would not make it back in time for our reservation but not wanting to reveal the secret to Russ Moore, Mary Caroline called Russ and said that his elder daughter (oh p.s.--that is me) was starving and wanting to eat right now and in order to try and please everyone the restaurant could only take us right now if they could come and meet us. Disappointed and Tower of Terror-less Russ Moore came moping back to the restaurant, sat down, looked at me and said, "Well I wanted to ride that but the giant black hole at the center of the universe that sucks all the light out of everything (oh p.s.-- that is me again) insisted we eat right away." 

Russ Moore say whaaaaaat?! Did y'all catch that? The part about the black hole at the center of the universe that sucks that light out of everything?

He eventually found out that was a cover and this was his birthday surprise. But that happy ending part of the story doesn't matter. All that does matter is now we know how Russell really feels about his middle child! My poor life! So sad! Being the middle child and getting blamed for everything is so hard! How will I ever survive in this cruel world?!

I know, I'll survive by moving here!

In other news, 3ish days until Christmas! ! ! !!!!!!!

Also, I would like to thank Russ Moore for giving me something about which to blog that makes me look so pathetic and sad and makes people feel sorry for me and want to send me lots of Christmas presents. I love you!

Just kidding about the presents, just read my blog erry'day. Best present ever. 

thy branches are so lovely

I am fairly certain that I would be best friends with the people whose blogs I read. I mean, the bestest friends. Sharing stories, lunch dates, twinsies blog posts, sounds like super fun, right? Every time I refer to these people as my friends my mother gets quite annoyed. "Emily! They are not your friends! They don't even know who you are. You sound weird." Chyeah, Mary Caroline. Whatever. Don't be jealous one day when I start hanging out with my blogger peeps and somehow forget to mention my mom!

I say all this for a reason, of course. One of the blogs I follow is doing a guest post everyday about Christmas trees. The posts feature short stories and pictures of how people decorate their trees and why they love them. This idea is fabulous and I have to steal all fabulous ideas so...meet the Moore family Christmas tree!

Every year our tree is literally a vomit of ornaments. Let me tell ya, it is an experience. Our tree theme is different from the usual color or ornament genre themes that most people do. The theme is The Story of the Russ Moore Family (circa 1983). One look at this baby and you get a gist of our lives. Each year Joseph, Ann, and I get a new ornament--MC created this tradition so that when we move away from home we have already established our own little ornament collection (That women, such a genius).

When we moved into this house almost 15 years ago we got a bad case of high ceiling fever and went out and bought a 12 ft. tree. While Russell and MC have put their feet hehe down and we've taken it down a few feet, Ann and I refuse to let the tree get below a 9 footer. Hellooooo, I still have the high ceiling fever and it is not going away.

We have the picture ornaments:

Handmade (and so beautiful) ornaments from a young Joseph, Emily, and Ann:

Handmade (and actually beautiful) ornaments cross-stitched by MC:

Handmade ornaments form years and years of ornament parties:

A plethora (+more) or ballet ornaments:

Ornaments for my own grown-up collection (some obvious great choices, cough Luke Skywalker cough):

City of Newnan ornaments that sit up high on the tree:

Ornaments from Ann's pig obsession and J's cat obsession (I had normal Queen Amidala obsessions...):

Just downright pretty ornaments:

Uncle John also spends hours putting strand after strand of lights on the tree. He starts this process by wrapping the trunk in lights. This ends with Russ Moore huffing and puffing and cutting off the lights every end of December. But that is a story for another time...

Basically, year after year, this tree is the best. Even if it isn't 12 ft. tall, I still manage to find room in my heart to love love love it. Doesn't it just make you want to smile and sing and be all Christmas-y forever and ever?

Merry 13 days until Christmas!!

clap your hands, stomp your feet

It's that time of year again...

CHRISTMAS!!

...but that is not what I am talking about. I'm talking about the time when I make a happy list. Between finals and papers and a lot of too much Christmas candy eating, I think it is the perfect time for a happiness list. Let's get happy!

1. Almost being done with school. Let me tell you, I only have one final left and a) I have gotten really good at finding things to do other than study and b) it hasn't hit me yet that this semester is purty much doneso. Yo. 
2. All TLC shows. TLC, how do you know the ways to grasp and maintain all my love and attention? Now if only you could erase all commercials...
3. Making Christmas trees with my Christmas tree maker app. What whaaaat! Fun for all! Want me to e-mail you my latest creation?!
4. Having multiple end of the semester/Christmas/homework parties with the Agnes folk. These parties mostly consist of eating which has caused me to become a giant blob of blobby blobness that blobs around everywhere. But it is too much fun to stop! Self-control is lamesies!
5. Watching Ultimate Proposal videos. Bhumi and I are obsessed. And it is amazing. I don't believe these proposals are real life. Helloooo, false high expectations for our futures, nice to meet you. 
6. Counting down to the Disney trip. One week. Time for hot chocolate and cookies and Mickey and the Osborne lights and happiness all around!
7. Getting to remember what a great dog Cello was. I miss her so much more than I thought and the silliest things remind me of her. I thought of 100 more things about her that I will miss, but I decided not to add a part 2 to that sad blog because MC is all about celebrating the life so.. DOG, I am celebrating yer life. 
8. Dating Freddie and getting to hear his awesome laugh all the time. I would type it out to show you all how great it is but...
9. Finally putting ornaments on our tree at home. It is b-e-a-utiful. Even if it's short. Don't tell MC I said that. 
10. Wearing THIS Christmas sweater and getting to have Santa with me at all times. BFFs for ever for reals. 

p.s.- my roommate made a happy list awhile ago. Check it out. And gimme your lists!

cello rhymes with jello

I've never been much of an animal person. That is an understatement. Although, maybe it is just that animals have never been much of an Emily person. That sounds about right. Regardless of who is not fond of whom, pictures of snuggly fluffy baby animals do nothing for me. Petting animals does not make me feel calm or stress-free. And cats, don't even get me started about cats. I used to sit on the couch with a pillow on my lap and push them off if they tried to jump up on me. This was after one night as I sat on the couch minding my own business and one of our cats just reached over and scratched my head. Caaaats... but anyways, back to where we were. Emily + animals = nothing.

But then, during the summer of 1999 an ad in the paper caught my mom's eye. "Sanctified Puppies" it read--a dog had given birth under a church and the puppies needed to go. While my brother and I were singing away at Bible Camp, mom went and picked up a sanctified female puppy. It was way too early for the puppies to be away from their mom. She was the tiniest little puppy. The Moore family, who had been strictly a cat family, now had a dog, Cello. No, not jello. Cello. Like the instrument.

Moore family rule #344: cats are named after composers and dogs are named after musical terms or instruments.

Today is a sad day--Cello has to be put down. She had gotten very sick what seemed like very quickly. We've been holding on because well, she's Cello! She's the last Moore child! The third Moore daughter! But after last week we all knew, Cello was in too much pain. She could barely walk, she didn't eat. She looked like she had aged 50 years within a few weeks. 

I never thought much about this moment, the moment when Cello would not longer be around. We've gone through lots of cats during my lifetime and I was never upset about them. But that dog somehow managed to up and catch my affection and make me love her. And for that, Cello Moore should win some kind of medal because Emily Moore does not like animals (have I said that before?)

Cello, I will miss coming home and having you get so excited to see us. Your humans! Coming home!

I will miss the way that no one was good enough for you except a few special people. I somehow made  the cut. 

I will miss the way you veraciously barked at that brown UPS truck, even when you were riding in the car. 

I will miss the way you whined like a baby every time Mr. Diddy's truck pulled into the driveway. 

I will miss the way you rolled around in the grass for what seemed like hours ONLY when I walked you. You sneaky dog. 

I will miss the way you were attached to MC's ankles like you were trying to suck up and win the fav child award. Nice try. 

I will miss the way you got so excited every time we packed our bags because you were sure you were going on a car ride. 

I will miss the way you were scared of your own farts.

I will miss the way you tried to hide and make yourself invisible any time there was a storm. Or a loud noise.

I will miss the way you hid in the corner whenever you had the cone of shame on your head. 

I will miss the way you would slide across the hardwood floors whenever Joseph would play with you. 

I will miss the way you let me french braid your fur. You were such a fashion forward dog.

I will miss the way you wagged your tail so hard it sounded like a whip hitting the floor.

I will miss the way you always tried to steal my space heater every winter. 

I will miss MC calling you her daughter.

But mostly, I will miss knowing you are there. Curled up on the floor. Loving us no matter what.

Cello Moore, we love you.
p.s.-All Dogs DO Go To Heaven

turkeys, thanks, and other t words

A year ago I wrote a blog that listed an odd assortment of things for which I was thankful. It wasn't your Average Joe list of, "I am thankful for family, friends, food, love, life..." etc., etc., yadda yadda yadda. As much as I have avoided those sappy dappy lists, (they are so not creative enough for my mind that is flowing forth with creativeness, right?) as I was trying my best to keep up with the creativity and keep down with the sappiness this year I noticed that I could not avoid it. Miss Sappy Pants found me and has been trying to ooze out of my brain and into my keyboard and onto my blog. A lot of things have been going on these past few months and as much as I would like to type about how I am thankful that my hair is straight because I don't have to obsess like Ann if the back of my hair is as perfectly curled as the front of my hair, I would also like to type about how thankful I am for my family and friends and food and all that yadda yadda stuff. I have mixed in Sappy and tried to hide her with a layer or two of creativity (with a cherry on top) so here we go! Let's give some thanks. 

1. I am thankful that my hair is straight and I don't have to worry if all my hair is equally curled. Because, guess what? All of my hair is curled equally to a degree of zero. Beat that, Ann.
2. I am thankful for peanut butter. In all forms. But mostly the m&m and Snickers forms. 
3. I am thankful that being a Nanny/babysitter extreme for several years has taught me valuable life lessons such as a mixture of water and vinegar works magic on most things. High five for getting stains out of my 22 year old self's clothes. 
4. I am thankful for Kroger cards and gas points, but I am mostly thankful for the Edgewood Kroger for having an impeccable cheese shop. 
5. I am thankful that as I sit here typing this, the Dids is peacefully napping with a happy and newly refurbished heart. Those new re-done hearts, such a hot commodity right now, sheesh. 
6. I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to return to Agnes this year. I have been busy and stressed and then busy some more, but boy have I enjoyed it. I also am registered for my last semester of college and it sure does feel good. (until  I think about what comes after that semester...)
7. I am thankful that I was able to perform again at Agnes. There is nothing quite like being in rehearsals 23/6 and having bleeding feet and purple bruises and having the most fun with the best people. Shout out to my SDT famdam! (not std's y'all crazy pants).
8. I am thankful that Christmas finally decided to show up again. and it brought along music! and trees! and cookies! and Santa! and all the happiness in the whole wide world! plus some more! 
9. I am thankful that even after I shared the secret of the name of my future baby on this blog that none of you have gone out and had babies just to name them this secret name. Phewie! 
10. I am thankful that the Bubs, aka Michael Buble came out with a Christmas song all about how he wants to fall in love with me this Christmas. Cold December Night, check it out and belt it out, yo.
11. I am thankful that Freddie plays Christmas music on Pandora when we're together. On that note, I am thankful that Freddie is Freddie and is my Freddiefriend! (awww the sappiness, look at it coming out and spilling erry'where.)
12. I am thankful that my mom has found a newish hobby (acting) that is second in line to her hobby of sitting around thinking about what a perfect kid I am. I will say, watching her perform is slightly more entertaining than watching her sit and think about me 24/7. Geeeeez mooooom, you can at least do something else for a couple hours during the week.
13. I am thankful that I can skip out seeing the new Twilight movie with my friends because my father wants to go with me when I come home. Word up! Russ Moore lurves the Twilight and I lurve watching it with him.    
14. I am thankful that when my brother calls to say Happy Thanksgiving that he also says he is spending the day working as a Storm Trooper. Some Star Wars T-giving Day love right there. I also was thankful that I could say, "See you in two weeks!!" Countdown to Disney (and Josey Wosey) starts...now. 
15. I am thankful for vacuum cleaners and their innate ability to suck up dead roaches. Grossandthankyamuch.
16. I am thankful that I will be able to officially start watching Christmas movies TONIGHT! Because now that the meal is over and my blog is almost posted it is Christmas season for reals, right?!
17. I am thankful for my planner because without it I would forget to do things like homework, write blogs, homework, go to meetings, homework, appointments, and homework. 
18. I am thankful for the Groupon today that was half off candy at Fuzziwig's. Is this real life?
19. I am thankful that every 5 minutes or so Diddy coughs up a lung to remind us all that he is still alive. 
20. I am the most thankful for Steve Martin and his tweets. How one person can be so funny and clever and make LOL like OMG is crazy. His tweets are perfect. 

This is my best try at a Thanksgiving tree. (I tried really hard.) Happy Thanksgiving!

she's a dancing machine

I haven't posted in forever. And for those of you that have long been searching for the definition of forever, I have it here: 2 weeks. In these two weeks that I have been absent I have been busy doing a lot of things:

Singing Celine Dion music like my life is musical about how my heart will go on and stuff like that.

Researching gifted education like it is my job. Or just my grade...

Eating Peanut Butter M&Ms like I always do.

Sleeping in like I didn't have a goal to run three times a week.

Rehearsing like I have a dance show coming up or something.

Oh wait! I do have a dance performance coming up! Today! and tomorrow! 

In the midst of all this Celine-ing and education-ing and m&m-ing, I have been a dancing fool. My heavily bruised knees and tulle burned legs will back me up on that. I have also created a habit out of literally passing out in a heavily induced slumber every single night. Anyways, I say all of this so that you will come to my shows! Yes, you! And you. And anyone who reads this. In fact, if you read this blog it is mandatory that you have to come to my dance show. (good thing only my family read it, they won't let me down!) 

There is going to be ballet and some not ballet and some modern and some fun at these shows. So come have some fun with moi. And mes amis. 

See you there! With flowers and other luscious gifts for us dancers, I am sure!

p.s.--the Jackson 5 were obviously singing about us Agnes Scott Dancers in their song. 

p.p.s.-- here is a picture to make you want to come even more...

speed racer and other fast things

Alrighty, here is the deal. I am not a speeder or a racer. But about a month and a half ago I did get my very first speeding ticket. You know how families celebrate their child's first everything? First step, first Christmas, first tooth, first smile, etc. etc.? Ever notice how first speeding ticket didn't make the cut? While I was not speed racing when I got said ticket, I was apparently speeding. (I'm really good at twisting this to make myself sound innocent because I am highly embarrassed that I got a ticket and you should be glad I am sharing this with you and the entire internet.)


Now, I had not planned on sharing this horrible part of my life with y'all, but after going to court yesterday and all the ridiculousness that followed I decided that, by golly, if this experience wasn't a blog post in the making then I don't know what was!

Fun fact #2354 about Emily C. Moore Butts: I am terrified of getting in trouble. Terrified. I get anxious thinking about it. Examples? Throughout school I never ever raised my hand in class for fear of being wrong. In second grade, the teacher accidentally wrote my name on the board then apologized profusely once she realized her mistake. It was too late, I was scarred forever. When I was younger, I was an incredibly picky eater but was always too afraid to order my cheeseburger plain or order the food that way I wanted because I was scared the waiter would be mad at me. Do I sound crazy enough yet?

Side note: having this totally understandable and not at all crazy fear and being Mary Caroline's daughter has not been an easy journey. MC is the one that is like "Hey hey! It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission!" She frequently likes to cheat the system at Disney and break in lines, stay for things we have too many people for, use fast passes that have expired...I could go on about this woman and how I have been traumatized. 

Needless to say, when I got pulled over on a Sunday morning as I was going to church I was ready to pee in my pants because I'm pretty sure those flashing lights mean that you have done something wrong. Did I mention that on this particular Sunday that I got pulled over on the way to church was also Freddie's birthday? Cops these days, have no mercy for birthdays and church goers.

I kind of tried my very best to push this incident far far back into the depths of my brain, but November 3, the ever so glamorous court date, crept up on me anyways. Now I had to be worried and terrified of yet another thing. Court! Bad people! Only bad people have to go to court! Everyone there will know I did something dumb! I don't even know what I am supposed to do! <<Look at all these worries, all of them so justified. Everyone was telling me what to expect and yet somehow everyone's version of what to expect was different.  I just went ahead and accepted that I would probably be carted off to jail immediately because of this horrible crime I had committed. I don't get tickets! I don't get in trouble! Couldn't I just tell the judge that?

Dearest Russell, knowing my irrational fears and being the best dad ever, decided that he was coming up to go with me. I was all like, "Ohhh Daddy-o, that is unnecessary. I am 22 years old. If you just tell me what to do and expect I will probably be fine." In my head I was like, "cry cry cry, whyyyyyyyy can't you just go for me and I can stay at home and hide forever??"

This thought of Russ coming with me and being there for me as I was Shaky McShakerson in my pants and saying what my plea was and everything was a very nice thought. And that is exactly just what it was, a thought. Because lawhammery, heaven forbid that something actually go right with this whole speedingticketiamgoingtocourt thing! After getting to City Hall several minutes late and not being able to find a parking spot anywhere and going in sans Russell so he could go park the car in East Africa and missing the whole explanation of what my plea options were, I scurried to find just one empty seat in the courtroom of 100+ people right before the judge started calling out names. Can you guess what happened next?

Dialouge in my head: I can't believe I'm late. What am I supposed to do now? Ugh ugh ugh. Good thing there are so many people here. I'll watch what other people do when their name is called and I'll know what to do when they call my na...

Judge: Emily Moore. 

Did that really just happen? Was my name seriously called first out of everyone in that room? YES. That was not a funny trick and I was kind of secretly hoping that this was another incident where there happened to be another Emily Moore. No such luck, it was all on me.

The good news of this whole story? I came out alive. I know you were all worried.
The moral of the story? Never get in trouble because then you have to go to court and go to jail and write a blog about it! Okay, okay, enough with the drama. 


I paid my fine as everyone else in my group trudged on to the probation office. Dad and I finished off the exciting morning with a delicious and very nutritious breakfast because nothing is as comforting as b-fast food.  Things I realized during breakfast: Getting called first was ridiculous. I am ridiculous. But only a little because shut up, that really was scary. My dad is the best. Whole wheat toast with butter is good.

Drive safe. Don't speed. Especially on birthdays and Sundays. 

happy hallo-ongweek

Halloween is fixin' to be here. This is exciting for 2 reasons. Reason #1- It means we are THAT much closer to Christmas. Reason #2- It means we are THAT much closer to Christmas. Reason #3- There is candy everywhere.

Reason #1 is so important I felt that it needed to be reiterated. 

I've never been one to get super excited for Halloween. It is exciting that my grocery shopping is a whole lot easier this time of year because all that it involves is CANDY. Done and done. But I spend most of my year counting down for my birthday (DUH) and for Christmas, so Halloween is more of a marking point in my journey to get to Christmas! and Christmas movies! and Christmas cookies! and Christmas trees! and Santa Claus!

There are only 57 more days until Christmas, y'all. Get excited with me. 

I bet you thought this post was going to be about Halloween, didn't you? 

This pre-Halloween week has been a long one. Literally, I think several hours or days or Energizer batteries were added to this week because it is just going on and on and on. BUT have no fear, Friday is here! Also, last night some of the ATL food trucks were in Decatur and honeybuns, my tummy has never been so happy. (other than all those other times it was happy with good food). Seriously though, that food was delicious. Tacos, risotto balls, and GELATO. Blueberry cheesecake and hazelnut nutella gelato to be exact. 

This week also featured Mr. Diddy's heart surgery. In the midst of being extremely worried and nervous about this, Mr. Diddy did what he always does best: comforted people with his wonderful humor. Here he was, lying in pre-op hooked up to just about every machine and drug you could imagine, and he was quizzing Ann on the molecular structure of sugar and table salt. He was telling us how glad he was that the Varsity was on the way home so he could get some after this was all done (heart surgery has obviously made a huge impact on this man). I couldn't help but smile and laugh and want to give him a big 'ole kiss on that one spot of his forehead that wasn't covered with some kind of tube and tell him I loved him (which I totally did do, btdubs). Anyways, surgery went very well and he is plugging along at Piedmont trying to get well enough to come home. 

What a little pre-op cutie!

Some more pictures from hospital day...

Russell carried his baby, Mac, around around with him everywhere. Aw, such a protective father. 

And this guy who is saving our planet by choosing to ride a horse down Peachtree St. 

Thank you all for your prayers and happy thoughts going into this week. I know the Dids appreciates it tremendously. Now, let's go celebrate Halloween and the imminent return of CHRISTMAS. 

a quarter of the way done

I am currently deep in the middle of midterms. They are so thrilling and exhilarating that I decided to dedicate an entire blog post about them.

The end.  

That is the only portion of this post that I will dedicate to those little suckers. I could not possibly waste more space talking about tests and papers when much more exciting things have been happening lately around these parts. 

I'm going to start with the obvious excitement of Joseph coming home for a few days. !!! See?! Excitement! My little Broseph Woseph came home for a few days because well, who says Newnan can't be as awesome as Orlando? We definitely proved that Newnan is in fact doubly awesome during his visit. The only downside is that Agnes Scott did not realize that family members coming home is right up there on the same page with national holidays WHICH MEANS no school on those days. Ah well, maybe by the time I finally graduate they'll figure that one out...

Any time the whole Moore fam is all together (foreva) fun times are sure to be had by all. This visit was no exception due to the fact that one so-called Ann Elizabeth decided to up and get herself grounded the day before J-man's visit. 

Now, one BIG sidenote y'all: Ann Moore would kill me if I did not clarify this grounded situation. She was not "really" "technically" grounded. MC was "kinda" "sorta" joking and took it away. ish. 

That totally clears things up for people, right?

Anyways, back to the story. Do you know how much fun it is to pick on siblings? Especially siblings that get grounded when you yourself have never ever been grounded and are in fact as close to perfect as children can come? Lemme tell you (and Ann-y poo would agree with me here), it is so much fun. Wanna know just how much fun? Let's get some examples up in here:

Ann: Why didn't y'all wake me up?

Everyone else: Because you're grounded.

Ann: Mom, I wasn't on the internet. I was on my iTouch checking my e-mail.

Everyone else: Wait, what? You're grounded.

Ann: I'm still hungry.

Everyone else: No more food. Because remember, you're grounded.

Ann: Guys! This isn't funny anymore! Stop making grounded jokes! Mom was kidding!

Everyone else: You think Mom was kidding? You're RE-grounded for thinking that. 

I could go on for days. Years really. Wait, did I mention anywhere in this post yet that I was never grounded? Just making sure. 

Ann, I love you. I realize that you are not really grounded, but still...this is too much fun. (Psst, did y'all see that part where I said she is not really grounded?)

Other noteworthy (and not nearly exciting as Ann being not grounded) events of the visit: introducing old Joseph and young Ann to the glories on Yogli Mogli (what what, free froyo, yo), a Sprayberry's meal with Diddy and friends, scrounging around Uncle John's house for goodies, eating more food, and watching some Undercover Brother on the new, huge, and improved television. Joseph, come back soon so I can eat n' stuff with you. 

Everyone else (in the whole world) has the pictures from J's visit. So, since I cannot leave you with a pic of his face smushed up against some other faces, I will leave you with this picture: 

my latest apartment wall creation. erry'thing I love all together in one big 'ole heart. 

happy schmappy

Some of my fellow friends (a.k.a bloggers that I stalk) have been making little happy lists lately. I love this because a) lists are my favorite thing next to copious amounts of froyo and b) sometimes during the week you (I) need to sit down, shut up, and realize that life is fabulous and there are plenty of reasons to be happy. now, of course, these people's lists are all about their cute little babies and their cute little families doing cute little family things, but I bet I can make my list just as cute minus the babies.

1. Spending the weekend at the beach. Eating beach-y food and soaking up that 90 degree sun. which doesn't seem to feel as hot when there is that large body of water nearby. Get on that ATL.

2. Making late night milkshakes. With lots of Reese's and extra peanut butter and a lil' bit of ice cream and milk. 

3. Getting a day where I don't have to dance and can wear real clothes! And take a morning shower! And not sweat! Dear Lawd, this makes me a lot happier than it probably should but I am so excited. !!

4. Getting sent baby pictures from my friend who is nannying. justwannapitchtheircheekieweekies.

5. Cancelled classes slash LABS. No explanation needed.

6. Singing the Revelation 21:8 Liars Go to Hell song I was sung growing up in the dining hall.

7. Watching Parks and Rec and getting to laugh about it still almost a week later. 

8. Realizing my dad has too much fun taking distorted webcam pictures of himself and posting them on the internet. 

9. Slowly but surely crossing off homework assignments from the to-do lists. Let's forget about the part where I add more on... 

9a. In continuation with number 9, having a boyfriend who helps me with homework. Complicated annoying homework that somehow is sooo terribly easy for Freds. Oh the woes of being sooo smart and Tech-y. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!

10. Drum roll please...and finally, realizing how incredibly lucky I am to a) have a family and Freds that is always ridiculously loving b) have the chance to come back to school (as much as I can complain about it, and trust me I can, I am so glad to be back) and c) have wonderful, amazing, generous, caring, special, amazing (shall I go on?) people reading my silly nonsense of a blog like YOU. 

So then, what makes YOU happy? Other than this blog, DUH.

birthdays and other days too

It's that time of the week again. Where I write a blog post (post a blog? write a post on my blog? what is the right blog lingo?) (?!?!) and link it up all over the internet and y'all pretend to read it. Let's get this started!

It is actually the time of the week where I am going crazy trying to write a paper about the relation between democracy and education and I am so tired of word vomming all over my paper that I thought word vomming all over this blog would be slightly more ideal. Are we in agreement? Yes? Like my vommed sentence?

I could write on about school-y things like homework. Or tests. I hate tests and I had one today, by the way. Or I could write about how I miss my little babies on whom I sat. so. badly. Especially on days when I have tests. Or I could write about dance-y things like how my body is always so sore. Especially on days when I have tests AND rehearsals.  OR I could write about really exciting things like birthdays and other (slightly less) exciting things like finally getting a Scoutmob app for Blackberry. 

YES, YOU HEARD ME. SCOUTMOB + BLACKBERRY. !!!! !!!! !!!! but this is the less exciting thing so let's move on...

Freddie had a birthday. Excuse me, did you hear me? FREDDIEFRIEND + BIRTHDAY WEEKEND !!! !!!!! Mr. Frederick made my birthday extra special so I was on a mission to make his extra extra special. With cherries on top and all that stuff. Annoyingly so to the point where Freddie was probably like, dude calm down. Just let me be and celebrate my birthday. And I was like, NO. I am obviously taking over your birthday weekend. You will like it! But hey, we made it through the weekend which included all levels of fun things like:

• the Braves playing terribly but us having good seats hence good views of Star Wars people. 
• eating fried fish, hush puppies galore, and ice cream cake all in one day.
• eating a giant slice of birthday cake on another day.

Okay, let me just say, Freddie ate more cake. But I definitely benefited cake wise because of his birthday so, he should have a birthday celebration more often. Probably, definitely. 

The best part of birthday weekend? It is that the celebration gets to carry on all the way until October 1, baby. Party pants on for two more weeks! 

I, unfortunately, do not have paparazzi following me around taking pictures of everything I do. Nor am I good at trying to remember to be part of the paparazzi. So while I do not have any pictures at the moment showcasing Freddiefriend's birthday preciousness I do have this picture:

Not only does this picture showcase how awesome Star Wars night was at the Braves game, but you can just imagine Freddie's cuteness birthday-ness sitting beside me as I took this picture. 

You're picturing it aren't you? I thought I heard some dawwww-ing. Pretty cute birthday boy, right?

Happy Birthday to my Freddiefriend! I can't imagine a moore fun way to celebrate (everyday) than with you!

tgiffbiwftgc

Think I just typed in a random assortment of letters creating gibberish to express my gratitude for the weekend? Think again! Thank God It's Finally Friday Because I Was Fixin' To Go Crazy. Catch my drift? Anyone?

And it was only a four day week. What does that say about my tolerance for crazy? ...

Anyways, this week was a doozie if I do say so myself. Monday was like ohhh I might be a tornado or I might just rain and be a lazy not laboring Labor day. Tuesday fired back with its best welcome to your fake Monday day this week, here is a big gift of suck with which you can celebrate. (except for a lovely dinner with MC and FF...)Wednesday tried her best to be nicer, but was quickly overtaken with classeshomeworktestsmoreclassesandnofun. Thursday really really wanted to copy Wednesday, but finally came around and was like hey mans, let me give you some sunshine and a small amount of rest and recovery. All of this was slowly leading up to...FRIDAY! FRIDAY! Gotta get down on Friday!

My Friday began with senior pictures. What Emily?! You're finally graduating high school? Congrats! No no, silly gooses (geese?) Classy and fabulous Agnes Scott gives you the opportunity to get some senior pics taken for the yearbook at your location of choice. [disclosure: anywhere on campus] Lucky for us graduating folk, the campus is b-e-a-utiful so the real problem is choosing just one spot for your pictures. I had the first appointment today so I got up so early to shower and smell nice and look nice and wear real non dance clothes. Let me tell you, I was going all out. I even braved a sundress in this craycray am I fall or am I not?weather. My session literally lasted ten minutes, after which I was cold. And looked like a smiley retard. So, cheers! To smiley silly 5 year old looking pictures! I'm so happy we could share our morning together.

On a somewhat completely different yet similar note, I am still getting the other Emily Moore's first year e-mails. Did you know I could run in the first year class elections? Did you know that I could also just slack off and graduate in 2015 and no one would know because there are too many Emily Moore's in this world? Did you know when I got a package today they had written Emily C. Moore on it? They had to add the C because people take my name! They didn't put the Butts at the end of Moore so it felt a little off. Okay, enough of this. Let's move on to happier places.

To sum everything up, as I sit here waiting on my Freddiefriend to get off work so we can drive to Newnan so we can see a wonderful improv show starring my mother (hey hey run-on's), all I can think is TGIFFBIWFTGC. And I know you're thinking it too.

I should be thinking about this. Hey, homework! Lookin' good. Just not on Friday, Friday!

blogiversary

One year ago I created and posted my first blog post. It was really captivating and people everywhere flocked to mlemoore.blogspot.com to get some Yippee! It's MLE! action.

true or false?

Okay, so maybe not completely true. It was exactly a year ago. That part is true. And I know my family reads it so that means some people flocking to it. Just work with me here, okay?

Usually on an anniversary, especially one as important as this, you exchange gifts and do special things and talk about how much has changed in whatever amount of time has passed. Blog, my gift to you is this post and all the ones after it. Aww, lucky! The special thing I am doing is posting TWICE in ONE week. Aww, double lucky! As for what has changed since that first post oh so long ago? Well, let's see...

• My hair got longer. And my bangs grew out. And my dark color grew out. (this is #1 for obvious reasons like, it really is the most exciting thing to happen. ever).
• I am back at school. Writing papers! Reading, reading, reading! Dancing (and dying)! Yay yay!
• I now have the best Freddiefriend. (meaning, I have a Freddiefriend who is the best).
• I was in a movie. Starring, obviously. Ever heard of the Footloose remake? Ever heard of the Footloose remake with Emily Moore's face in it? Coming to a theater near you on October 14.
• Ann started driving and having a social life and being all popular pants.
• My mom joined (after being a servant woman/HALFWIT for many, many, many weeks) an improv group at the community theater in Newnan. SO basically, my mom is on Whose Line Is It Anyways: Newnan Edition. 
• I ran a 5K. I mean, I ran two of them. Lawhammercy, can you believe that? I can't. Forget you people that run 26.2 miles. Forget. You. 
• I got my first cavity. And discovered these wonderful things called Peanut Butter M&M's. Coincidence? 

That's about it. Nothing else changed.
kidding. I'm sure like one more thing maybe changed...

Anyways, oh dear blogsies of mine, Happy One Year! And here's to many more years and many more (super exciting and wonderful) postings! Yippee!

how i've missed you

Oh schoolsies, you know I love you. Even if you don't let me ease back into anything.

Upon my arrival back at the Scott, I was informed (by just about every department I visited) that there was another Emily Moore on campus. Say what?! Another me?? Someone stole my name! Horrors! I've always grown up with lots of Lauren's, and Laura's, and Katie's, and John's, but other Emily's? Other Emily Moore's?! It is unheard of! After having to go round and round (and round and round, get the picture?) with the school to get my e-mails and my financial aid information and my mailbox and my everything back to ME, Emily C. Moore, I had an epiphany about the name of one of my future children. Story time?

sidenote: the other Emily Moore's middle name is Ann. Hello, can you say creepcreepy. I wonder when her b-day is...

sidenote deux: Saying Emily C. Moore reminds me of my friend in high school who always called me Emily C. Moore Butts. 

Once upon a time I started thinking about baby names. What? That's not weird, okay. I know that all of you out there have already picked out several names for your future children so shut up (and half of them are Emily Moore, right?). So, I did what any normal teenager planning baby names would do, I asked my grandparents what some old family names were. I got everything from Pink Pauline to Potch to Dot to Zella Mae. I'm sorry, should I say type that again...Zella Mae. I hesitate to share such a great name with all of the internet and beyond, BUT it is something that has to be done. I always jokingly, very jokingly, said I was naming my kid Zella Mae. Well kids, this week officially sealed the deal. My child will be Zella Mae and never ever have to deal with silly name copying or stealing. So let's all agree right now that even though I have shared my super secret awesome child name with you, you will not go and name your kids that because then the world will be overtaken by the Zella Mae's. Ah! Can you imagine?! 

So there's my epiphany. I'm pretty stoked about it, for obvious reasons. If anyone would like to share some more unique wonderful amazing Zella Mae-ish type names, be my guest. (just don't put Emily Moore on the list or I might cry--stop taking my name!)

In other news, want to be a creep creep and see where I sleep sleep?

oh twin beds and dorm furniture, how I've missed you.               (not)

I really am so happy to be back (minus the obvious E Moore and twin bed dilemmas...). For now, the homework and no free time schedule is cute and sweet. Obviously school and I are still in our honeymoon phase, but lawd, I am going to enjoy it while I can. 

too cool for school

And for the past year and a half, that is exactly what I have been: too cool for school. 


Except, not so much. I mean I have been out of school so to any ole Sally, Dick or Jane it would appear that I was, in fact, too cool for school. In reality, I just really wanted to take some time off and play with kids. And maybe make a little bit of the monies to be able to actually go to school. Well as Borat would say, GREAT SUCCESS.  I will be moving back to the world of Scotties tomorrow and starting my last year of college (six years after I went to my first college class) on Wednesday.

I got the official "yes m'am you're coming back" word on Friday afternoon which gave me ample time to pack.  (the rest of Friday and alllll dayyyy Saturday.) (Forget everyone else has been packing all summer.) Nothing like last minute planning, huh? It was a nice thought, spending the weekend packing, but nice thoughts are just that; thoughts. They never quite seem to make it into actions. Friday was spent driving around all of metro Atlanta and then some more places. Saturday morning was spent at the tractor pull. (yessir, I did just say tractor pull.) (and it was everything that I hoped and dreamed it would be.)

But, never fear. I finished piling all of my crap wonderful things into the boxes and bags and tins and cans and anything that had room in which to stuff things. I even finished packing at the ever so early hour of 7 pm. What did I do with my extra few hours on my last night in the Nan? Went to the movies. Saw my face on the big screen in the Footloose preview. (!!) And saw one of my favorite books, The Help, come alive onscreen.

Not too shabby of a night, I'd say. Or a weekend. Or a year and a half. (I am sending out some major lovin' to my mom, dad, and sistergurl.) Now, time to hit the books and hit 'em hard. 

(check out some of my fav photos of my past year!)

sit, sit, sit on some babies

ba·by-sit also ba·by·sit 

v. ba·by-sat also ba·by·sat (-st), ba·by-sit·ting also ba·by·sit·ing, ba·by-sits also ba·by·sits

v.intr.

1. To take care of a child or children in the absence of a parent or guardian.

2. To take care of or watch over someone or something needing attention or guidance.

For those of you who do not stalk me quite as well as I stalk you, I've spent the last year and a half with the best job: babysitting. Tending to children. Giving them guidance. Ya know, doin' my thing, no big.

Today was my "last" day. For now. I'm sure I'll have a night or day here or there but I'm trying to get the wheels going on getting to school, finishing undergrad, having a college degree and all that boring schmoring stuff. I spent the week doing full time mommying with one of the girls that started it all. Started the era of Nanny McEmily. An era that began with a few hours a week for one family and eventually grew into full on full time nanny work for two or three families with several little kiddos on the side every now and then. Phew, and this has been the best era. Even better than anything Nanny McPhee could or would do. That's right, I said it.

There were days when I would hurt from laughing so hard with the kids. There were days when I would want to cry and whine louder and harder than kids were crying and whining. There were days when I would come home and shower the snot and germs off me (there were also a lot of days when I didn't shower the snot and germs off me...). But there was never a day when I would come home and not realize how lucky I was to be doing what I was doing. (my family is not allowed to comment on the prior statement).

Being around kids is the best (even on the terrible-horrible-not so good days). The best playtime, the best laugh time, the best eat like a kid time, and even the best therapy time. (Yup, I get my free therapy from 2 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 8 year olds). I feel like I have spent the majority of the past year stressing out about what wasn't happening in my life; however, I just needed (and still need to...) look at everything that IS happening in my life. I mean, hello, the kid's biggest worries include: Phineas and Ferb sometimes coming on during nap time, a minuscule amount of crust being left on that PB&J for lunch, and bath time playtime never seeming to last quite long enough (dontcha just haaaate when mean babysitters make you get out of the bath even though your whole body has turned into a giant prune?! it's the absolute worst.)

Favorite moments of sitting on those babies include: Snuggle time in Emily's lap (if I had a nickle for every time I heard, "Can I pleeeease sit in your lap?" ::pouty smile::...). Reading books before bed time. Singing Disney channel show songs at the top of our lungs. Singing Christmas songs during every month of the year. Drawing lots and lots of hearts and flowers, but also drawing lots of cars because we're not all girls, mmkay? Stuffing baby dolls up our shirts so we could be mommies and have MORE babies and have the BIGGEST family ever (!!). Practicing piano and playing duets. Eating froyo like there is no tomorrow. Trying and deciding that pretty much everything does taste better with peanut butter. Playing Just Dance until we had burned off 900+ calories and couldn't move our arms.

I can think of a lot more. But in fear of having you decide to stop reading my blog after an hour or two I will end there.

Basically to sum up, kids are cooler than you. I love getting to be Nanny McEmily. And I love taking crazy babysitter pictures. Thank you to all my little babysitting kids---you have made me smile harder than a fat man (or just me...) on free froyo day and laugh louder than a baby getting tickled by the Tickle Monster. Enjoy!