My Real Life

So…I never quite know what I’m going to find when I come home from school.

Some days it is utter chaos.

But some days…some days…

I walk in from the garage and find this mellow guy strumming away…

…and find these two engaged in a battle to the death with their Grandpa and Mario Kart.

And I breathe a sigh of relief.

Since Real Man put the tree up last Monday, the monkeys have been begging to put up the tree.

The problem was that last week was a week where none of us were home for more than (what felt like) an hour or two a day, so we never got to it.

Yesterday, once Monkey in the Middle got home from hockey and Monkey Girl got home from dance, we were set to have the rest of the night at home.

So, out came the decorations.

Real Man stayed in the library with the 3 big monkeys while they began their decorating, and I began some of my best distracting work for Tiny.

While Tiny and I made banana bread in the kitchen, watched the Wiggles in the living room, read books in the dining room and did everything else I could think of that would keep him out of the room where they were decorating, I was able to hear the excited chatter about each and every ornament.

Now, I’ll admit, I am not a fan of the tree.

We don’t even have a real tree that requires any work.

I just don’t really enjoy decorating the tree.

However, I can see the draw.

The monkeys had a memory for every single ornament on the tree, and if they didn’t know the story, they asked Real Man or I and had us tell the story.

Tradition.  Family.  History.

I do get it.

We had to laugh when we found this ornament, because it is so perfect for our little puzzler, yet he made it so many years ago when he was in Pre-K, way before he was into puzzles the way he is today.

Get it?

‘Cuz it’s made out of puzzle pieces?

Love it.

The end result was a lovingly decorated tree which we all got to enjoy as we ate our steaming hot banana bread.

I don’t want to do the decorating, but I sure enjoy the fruits of their labor.

1.  You know how, sometimes, when you write a word over and over, suddenly the word appears to be spelled incorrectly?

Well, that’s happening to me, recently, but not with a word…with a song.

Tiny’s new bedtime request is the alphabet song, and he asks for it at least ten times a night.

So, I oblige, because it’s nice to rock and cuddle with him while I sing, and he is very good about eventually saying, “Mom, mom, mom…night, night,” which is his signal that he’s ready to hit the hay.

However, I have now sung the ABC’s so many time that I am 99.9% certain that I am singing “Q,R,S,T,U,V” in the wrong melody.

I realize that I’m probably not, but I have now sung it so many times, it just doesn’t sound right anymore.

I think there is the distinct possibility that I am just weird.

2.  It’s definitely the holiday season, and I have to say that I am beyond thrilled.

Because the holiday season means my favorite holiday movies.

I have many.

Some old (White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life).

Some brand-spanking new (Arthur Christmas).

And some, neither old nor new, but movies that I absolutely cannot turn off and I just visually devour every time they are on.

Most notably, Polar Express and The Holiday.

The Polar Express is enjoyed by the whole family, and leaves at least three of us with tears in our eyes every single time we watch it.

The Holiday is all mine.

Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz.

I love this film beyond all reason.

Why?

No idea.

But, I’ve already seen it twice this season and it’s only December 4th.

And that, my friends, makes me smile.

3.  The holiday season also means holiday music, and it means the return to the airwaves of my favorite artist of all time.

Karen Carpenter.

Oh, I enjoy many other artists and my top 10 is crowded with at least 20, but Karen Carpenter has always, always, always been my favorite single recording artist.

Her voice is so smooth and clear.

I love her songs that aren’t Christmas songs, but you never hear them, randomly, on the radio.

So, this is the time of year I get to just roll around in that mellow voice every time I turn on the tunes.

I remember watching the Karen Carpenter story when I was a kid and just being devastated that she had this amazing gift and still wasn’t happy with herself and thinking what an incredible tragedy it was.

My parents had all of the Carpenter’s albums, so even as a kid she was my favorite.

Karen Carpenter…the sound of the season for me.

4.  My new favorite commerical is the AT&T Mobile Share commercial where the two brothers are sitting on their bed, talking about how they want iPads to do math, and how they don’t have to have expensive data plans with AT&T Mobile Share.

They are talking loudly, right next to the vent so their parents can hear them downstairs, but when we get a glimpse downstairs, the parents are playing on the iPads they bought the boys, but they have earbuds in so they can’t hear the boys.

I just love when siblings band together for nefarious purposes.

Unless they are my kids, of course.

Ah, who am I kidding…I love when the monkeys band together, even if it’s for nefarious purposes.

Siblings getting along is ALWAYS a good thing.

5.  Speaking of siblings getting along, let me share with you the monkeys’ new favorite reading place.

Oh, I’m sorry…let me shed some light on the scene.

Yes…my children now want to spend all of their time reading in the laundry room, watching the laundry in the new washer and dryer.

They cannot get enough of watching the washer fill with water and the clothes spinning, and then watching them flop around in the dryer.

It won’t last forever and eventually, they will go back to reading on the couch or on their beds, and not stuffed into plastic laundry baskets on a cold, stone floor in the tiniest space in the house.

But for now…it’s darn cute.

6.  Kim’s wedding.

It was a wonderful weekend.

Time spent with friends, watching two people who are head over heels in love with each other commit to spending the rest of their lives together.

Really, really hard to beat.

The weekend was wonderful and the wedding itself was a blast.

I love to dance.

Seriously love to dance.

And, when I’m at a wedding, I dance my feet off.

However, when I’m with Kim, Erin, and Michaela…I’m freer.

There’s something about letting loose with the people you have known your entire life.

And, to do so while celebrating something so special?

So. Much. Fun.

It was just a great weekend and now Kim and Ryan are off to Hawaii and hopefully spending two weeks doing absolutely nothing.

7.  Speaking of Kim’s wedding, Ryan’s brother was the Best Man and made a beautiful toast.

He gave them some advice about being married, and he finished with (I won’t have the words exactly right, but it was along these lines) “Let her choose what to watch on television, let him hold the remote…scratch each others’ backs…laugh at each others’ jokes…be each others’ best friend…because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”

As he finished, we toasted the happy couple and Real Man and I looked at each other and both had tears in our eyes.

I’m a lucky, lucky woman.

I’m married to a man who will trade his French Onion soup with mine if his has more cheese because he knows how much I love the cheese.

I’m married to a man who will watch “New Girl” with me every week, despite his general distaste for Zooey Deschanel.

I’m married to a man who will spend his day off putting up the Christmas tree and stockings because he knows how much I love to have the decorations up early and he wants to surprise me when I walk in the door after an extra long day of teaching and parent conferences.

I’m married to a man who suffered through the early years of our marriage, when I was still figuring out how to cook things other than white rice with cheddar cheese melted in it, with a smile.

I’m married to a man who texts me in the middle of the day to say “I love your laugh.  I was just thinking about it and it made me smile.”

I’m married to a man who will rub my feet when his feet hurt, who will scratch my back when his back itches, and will give me the covers, even when he is cold.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.

I count my blessings every day, because I am a lucky, lucky woman.

1.  Chicken McNuggets.

Forget the 6 piece.

When we go to McDonald’s, I get the 10 piece.

And, to be honest, I could easily down the 20 piece without even thinking twice.

Chicken McNuggets in hot mustard sauce and I am in heaven.

Pure heaven.

2.  Driving fast.

Driving really fast.

There is something about speeding down a highway that is so freeing.

I don’t speed with the kids in the car, but I’ll admit that if I ever get to be alone in the car, (which is pretty much never), my foot gets a little heavy.

I once got a ticket for going 97 while I was driving my little Nissan Pulsar through Pennsylvania to college in Ohio.

When the cop came to the window, he said, “I didn’t have my radar on when I saw you, and by the time it kicked in, you were at 97. I know you were going over 100, but can only ticket you for what I clocked you at.”

I said, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it!  I must have lost track!  I was just following the traffic!”

But in my head, I was saying, “Over a hundred?  Try 110, buddy.”

I have a need.  A need for speed.

3.  Movie theater popcorn.

I don’t get the butter…it actually makes me a little sick to my stomach, but even the regular popcorn has enough salt on it to dry up a snail.

But, I love it.

I can’t go to a movie and not get some.

It’s just so delicious.

Makes the whole movie experience better.

My eyes are always bigger than my stomach and I can never eat all I buy by myself, particularly because my lips dry out before I can even get a third of the way through, but that’s why I bring Real Man to the movies with me.

Cuz we share the popcorn love.

Oh, and because I love him.

4.  Wearing really high heels.

I love my heels.

However, I have a job that has me on my feet for most of the day.

I wear them anyway, and they don’t bother me while I’m wearing them.

Because I have flat feet, the heel is actually quite comfortable for me while I’m wearing them.

But, coming home and taking them off is painful.

My foot goes from 8 hours of tiptoe to flat on the floor and it hurts.

Badly.

I should probably by some halfway heel slippers and wear them when I get home to ease my feet back into the flat position, but that seems silly.

So, instead, I’ll just suffer for my beautiful shoes.

5.  Pinterest.

I love Quora, as I spoke about a few posts ago, but I still enjoy Pinterest.

The reason it’s bad for me is because it makes me feel bad about myself.

Someone posted on Facebook the other day a poster that said, “All of my friends are posting about the pinecone wreaths they made after finishing baking their perfect pound cake.  I’m just happy the kids got a bath and nobody died.”

That’s pretty much how I feel most days, and some days, we don’t even get to the bath.

I look at some of the recipes and crafts on Pinterest and think to myself “Do people really have time to do all of this stuff?”

And they must, because there is the picture proof!

I guess the only way to stay with Pinterest and not feel like a failure is to just stick to the pictures of hot guy celebrities and book reviews.

Sacrifice.

Daily Gratitude, Day 28

Today I am grateful that my parents are both still alive and well.

1.  So…the new washer and dryer are here.

We went with the LG and they are beautiful.

I haven’t had a chance to use them yet, however, as soon as I got home from work and saw them, I realized our mistake.

All of the buttons and dials are on the front.

Within reach of Tiny.

Who has already forced the dishwasher to create new error codes for itself due to the constant button pushing of his little fingers.

Laundry room is right off the kitchen and the door has no lock, as it is a pocket door.

Gonna need a latch.

Fast.

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2.  I am totally digging Maroon 5’s “Just One More Night.”

It’s just stuck on replay in my head.

And on my iPhone.

Good song.

Stupid video, but good song.

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3.  We have turned this place inside out and upside down and I can officially say that Monkey Girl’s iPod is just gone, gone, gone.

There is no possible way she lost it in the house, unless…

Tiny picked it up and threw it away.

And, if that’s the case, it’s in some landfill somewhere, entertaining the junkyard dogs.

I just hate the feeling that we don’t know where it is.

When she got it, she asked if she should have iCloud turned on and I, in my infinite wisdom, said “No…I don’t think you’ll need that.”

Guess what.

She does, if she wants to use “Find my iPod.”

So, it’s gone, she’s heartbroken, I’m heartbroken and pissed, and Real Man is just pissed.

We run the gamut of emotions, here, folks.

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4.  The good news:  I’m typing this on Monday night and I’m actually pretty tired, which means I seem to be heading toward a Monday night full of good rest and not the usual Monday insomnia.

The bad news:  It’s 8:34, Tiny has been in bed for an hour, and he is still calling me through the monitor.  I went in about 40 minutes ago and rocked him for a bit, but it didn’t take.

—-

5.  My friend, S.W. Hubbard just had her newest book published.

You’ll definitely want to check it out!

Another Man’s Treasure

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6.  Countdown to love and awesomeness.

Kim is getting married this Saturday!

I’m so incredibly happy for her and cannot wait to celebrate this joyous day!

Yeah for Kim!

—-

7.  Someone shared this on Facebook.

Yep.

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8.  You know how when a baby is having trouble falling asleep, and they are whining a bit, but not really crying, and then they are quiet for, like, three minutes, and for the whole three minutes you sit perfectly still, holding your breath?  Then, he/she cries, and suddenly you let out the breath that you were holding and you realize that maybe it’s a good thing they started crying again because you might have passed out because you didn’t realize you were actually holding your breath the whole time?  Yeah.  That’s happening here.

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9.  I don’t really have a #9, but I feel like stopping at #8 is shortchanging the reader.

Like, it either has to be 5 or it has to be 10.

Unless it is like  “The Tuesday Two,” but seriously, why would you even bother with just two?

So, 10 it is because it just feels more right.

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10.  My Draw Something app on my iPad tells me that I have 99 notifications waiting for me.

I haven’t played in months and I am afraid to open the app, at this point.

I just sorta ran out of steam with Draw Something.

I love words, so I’m still on top of Words With Friends and love Phrase Friends, as well.

But Draw Something and I had a brief, but fiery love affair, but it’s all fizzled out, and I’m left with the whiny app on my iPad that stares at me every time I turn it on, saying “C’mon, Amy…I’ll try harder…I can make you happy…I know I can.”

But you know what, Draw Something?  You can’t.  You just can’t.

I have a holiday nemesis.

It’s not the Elf on the Shelf, although I hear he’s a popular nemesis.

(And…if you are looking for some holiday laughs, go buy my middle-school friend, Jen’s, book Spending the Holidays with People I Want to Punch in the Throat  She has lots to say about the Elf on the Shelf, and I can guarantee it’ll make you laugh!)

No…my nemesis is something much smaller.

Something that disguises itself as holiday cheer.

Something sweet to share with the family or with guests or to bring with you if you are invited somewhere.

Something to make people smile.

Russell Stover Caramels and Chews.

Not just any box of Russell Stover candy.

The Caramels and Chews box.

There is not one single piece of candy in this box that I don’t love.

I thought I’d escape it, this year.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our home for my parents and my father-in-law.

I knew what they were bringing for dessert, and so I thought I was in the clear.

But Real Man headed to the store and came home with the box.

Good Lord, I love them.

I’ve been relatively well-behaved with them in the house.

Well, I mean, I ate the Roman Nougats (both of them) within 30 seconds of the box being opened.

The fruit and nuts were close behind.

Oh, and the peanut chews.

I guess I wasn’t as well-behaved as I thought.

However, I’ve been exercising and my glucose numbers have been good, so I’m going to allow myself a little Thanksgiving fun.

And if another box comes in the house.

I’ll do better.

Perhaps.

Instead of a blog post, today, I’ve spent some time cleaning up the blog.

I deleted a few pages like the Real Food page.

This isn’t Pinterest.  No one cares what we eat.

I also deleted the Grocery Goal page.

I still try to do my best when I shop, but I don’t remember to post it…ever, so I don’t think we need a page.

I’ve kept Books Read 2010 and Books Read 2012 and will be adding Books Read 2013, because I think some people like to see what books others are reading.

Kind of like Goodreads.

Love that site.

I don’t always remember to keep up with the Books Read 2012 page, but when I do, I add.

I kept Real Weight Loss, as I am trying hard to keep myself accountable with the exercise.

I do great when I’m not in school.

I do terribly when I am.

My major goal for 2013 will be to figure out an exercise plan that I can stick with, even during the week when I am working.

It may involve some very early hours or some late nights, but I really, really, really need to take better care of myself, for so many reasons.

I’m always open for ideas, if there is anything you’d like to see on the blog.

New feature days, new pages, etc.

Comments and questions always welcome!

Daily Gratitude, Day 25

Today I am grateful for my health.