My Real Life

June 14, 2012

Thursday Thoughts

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am

I apologize, once again, for the frequent randomness of the blog, lately.  Lots going on, and my mind is scattered.

That being said, here are my thoughts for today.

1.  Someone posted this link on Facebook.

It’s meant to make you feel old.

It works.

Check it out, then come back for the rest of my randomness.

2.  School ends tomorrow.

Yes, we have to come back for graduation next Wednesday, but the day in, day out of school is over tomorrow.

I’m excited to spend the summer with my babies.

I’m so sad to say goodbye to my students.

Over 100 kids who have absolutely wormed their way into my heart.

I love them, I worry about them, I’ll miss them.

The hardest thing about being a teacher is that you fall in love with your kids year after year after year, and yet, they always leave you behind.

You are consistently saying goodbye.

You know they are destined for great things and that it’s the circle of life that you teach them what you can and then they move on, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

It’s just hard to say goodbye.

3.  Speaking of growing up, I’m finding that I’m liking this new stage we’re in, at home.

Monkey Girl is now old enough to watch Monkey in the Middle and Baby Monkey for a few minutes while I run to pick up Tiny or take Tiny with me to the bank.

It means that every trip out of the house doesn’t have to be a major production of 5 people in the car, out of the car, in the store, out of the store, in the car, out of the car.

It’s nice.

She’s not quite old enough to watch Tiny, but soon enough, soon enough.

And the boys love it when she is in charge for a few minutes.

And, apparently, they are angels for her.

All good stuff.

4.  If you blink, it all passes you by too quickly.

Two weeks ago, I was worried that Tiny wouldn’t be walking by the time we went to the beach this summer.

Today, you can’t slow the kid down.

He falls, but he walks everywhere.

One minute, he’s a baby.

The next, he’s a toddler.

The next, a little boy, going to school.

It’s June…you gotta forgive me all the “people growing up and making me weepy” talk.

It’s what June does to me.

5.  So, remember my quest for simplicity and purging?

It’s going well.

I’ve Freecycled an infant car seat, some books, have tossed some broken toys, given the kids grocery bags to fill up with trash from their rooms.

I’ve cleared off a counter that used to be a collection spot for things when they come in the door, and have set up some Rubbermaid drawers to collect the stuff, out of sight, to be gone through once a week, thus leaving the counter open and free.

I’ve donated some clothes, and plan on going through my closet next week and pruning that, too.

Also planning on moving Tiny from the highchair into a booster seat at the table, next week, so we can get the high chair out of here, also.

That one is sad, but I’m thrilled with the path through the kitchen that will be opened up with that particular piece of furniture removed.

6.  We recently bought Monkey Girl a laptop.

I know how much she will use it in middle school, next year, since I work there, and we decided we’d get it for her now so she could get familiar with it over the summer.

I guess that was silly, because she’s had it for a few days and she already works her Mac Book Pro better than I work mine.

I am consistently amazed at how easily kids pick up technology stuff.  I realize it’s because they’ve grown up in a tech world (digital natives) and it is just part of what they know, but it still amazes me.

It also makes me excited to see what they’ll all invent when they become adults.

7.  E-cards.

I kind of hate them.

They are everywhere.

Particularly Facebook.

And Pinterest.

But, some of them.

Funny.

Really funny.

So, I try really hard to hate the e-card.

But I really can’t.

June 13, 2012

Not My Words Wednesday

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am

Oh, how I absolutely love all these boys in my house.

Being a mommy of boys is awesome.

June 11, 2012

It’s Not Easy

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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Monkey in the Middle was in his class play, last week.

The theme was “Heroes” and Monkey in the Middle played Neil Armstrong.

He did great.

He was so nervous, as he is about so very many things, but he made it through, remembered his lines, and did just fine.

At the end, the kids all came out in super hero capes with their initials, and they sang the song “It’s Not Easy to Be Me,” by Five for Fighting.

Some of the words were changed, but the message was the same.

For those of you unfamiliar with the song, the last line is, “It’s not easy to be me.”

Real Man and I both teared up at the line, because it’s not easy to be Monkey in the Middle.

But he’s working on it.

And we are so very, very proud of him.

June 10, 2012

Sunday Randomness

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am

1.  I think I could be a competitive eater.

Whenever I watch tv shows about competitive eaters, I think to myself, “I could do that.”

I wouldn’t want to dip my hot dog buns in water before eating them, and I probably wouldn’t win any competitions, but I could totally be a competitive eater.

2.  Strange follow-up to number 1, but, more and more, I’m hearing about the “clique-ishness” in the Diabetic community from Type 1 diabetics toward Type 2 diabetics.

I’ve read three articles and heard one person on talk radio, in the past week, refer to Type 2 diabetics as “not real diabetics,” “diabetics who brought it on themselves,” and “the fat kind of diabetics.”

My assumption is that those of us who suffer from Type 2 diabetes haven’t been diabetic since birth, so clearly we brought it on ourselves.

Clique-ishness of any kind gets my ire up, but clique-ishness within a group of people all suffering from the same condition???

Seriously???

So, here I’ll make my stand and then let it go, because it ain’t worth it to stress about it:

a.  I am a real diabetic.

b.  I eat well, I exercise, and I take care of myself.  I stray, occasionally, but I’m also a human.

c.  I’m not even the slightest bit overweight.  I have some extra skin leftover from 4 monstrously sized babies, and that cold probably shave 5 pounds off my numbers, but even with it, I’m not overweight.

It’s genetic for me, and there’s nothing I could have done to prevent it.  Now that I have it, I’m doing what I can to stave off the insulin injections, through diet and exercise.

Not fat. Not lazy.

So there.

3.  We have one more week of school to go.

I know this in my head.

I see this on paper.

In my mind, it is summer.

These weekends have this summer feel to them.

Nights sitting on the deck, listening to music while the kids play.

Going hiking with Monkey Girl.

A feeling of peace and relaxation that has taken over me.

I don’t care what the calendar says.

Summer is here.

4.  Is it in the genetic DNA of every child to try to go up the slide backward?

I mean, I get it.

We all have a little salmon in us.

That desire to go against the flow, swim upstream, climb the slide.

But, is it actually genetically coded in us?

Because, I’ve never been to a playground where at least one child isn’t climbing up the slide.

And, as the picture shows, my own are no exception.

And I’m cool with that.

5.  We love parks.

June 9, 2012

“Yes” Day

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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So, my junior high school friend, Jen, posted this post, the other day about having a “Yes Day.”

I’d never heard of one before, and apparently, it’s when you say “yes” to everything your kids ask for, over the course of one day.

Jen was a little hesitant, so she had a hypothetical “Yes Day,” instead.

Go read about her hypothetical day, then come back here, because here is what the monkeys said when I asked them what they’d ask for if they knew I’d say “yes” to everything all day.

Monkey Girl:

If we could immediately get on a plane and go to DisneyWorld (I’m working on it, baby…I’m working on it)

If I’d make french toast or pancakes for breakfast (doable…definitely doable)

If we could go get her a 3DS (she doesn’t even play with her regular DS…she’s not getting a 3DS, but I knew she’d ask for one)

If we could go to Game Stop and buy her a few games (we always go and look when we are over there and she never sees anything she likes…I guess she thinks if I’m saying “yes” all day, the store will suddenly improve its inventory)

If she could stay up until 10 or 10:30 (we are tyrants…boys are in bed by 7:30 on school nights, Monkey Girl goes to bed at 8:00, but can read until 9:00…her asking to stay up until 10 or 10:30 reminds me of many a night where I fell asleep on the landing of the stairs, trying to watch Love Boat and Fantasy Island without my parents realizing I was there)

If I could make some smoothies (I have a Magic Bullet and suck at using it…my smoothies taste like crap…I need my friend, Jean, to come over and give me a smoothie tutorial)

If we could make a run to Barnes and Noble and buy a ton of books and magazines (Uh, yeah…me too, Monkey Girl)

If we could get a bunch of iTunes gift cards (She wants to download every single song she hears to her iTouch)

If we could go hiking every weekend (She and I are actually heading out today for a small hike…can’t wait)

 

Monkey in the Middle: (This guy had a tough time, because, according to him, he didn’t want to be rude and ask for too much)

If we could go to a NY Ranger game (gotta wait til next year on that one, bub)

If we could buy any game he wanted from Game Stop (Like Monkey Girl, he goes, he looks, he doesn’t see a thing he wants…not sure what he thinks they’d have that would be different on “yes” day)

If we could get 10 packs of Oreos (this kid and Oreos…)

If we could buy him a new bike and a new scooter (he needs a new bike…I’m with him on this one)

If we could get him a 4G phone (you are 8…dream on, my little friend…no phone for you)

 

Baby Monkey:

If we could build a tree house (that would be AWESOME)

If we could get a new Batman toy (because Batman is the savior of the world, so he tells us on a daily basis)

 

I’m not entirely sure what these lists say about my kids.

I’m not entirely sure what these lists say about me.

I can tell you that I will not be having a “Yes” day any time soon, but that there are some things on this list which aren’t things my kids should necessarily have to dream about.

Like french toast and smoothies.

I’m on it.

It’s interesting to see what  they think are pie in the sky kinds of dreams.

Now I’m kind of wondering what I’d ask for if someone gave me a “Yes” day!

June 7, 2012

Guilty Pleasure

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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Monkey in the Middle had football camp tonight.

I borrowed Real Man’s Jeep to go pick him up, which meant I was able to listen to satellite radio.

It’s my favorite.

While driving, Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” came on.

And, as always happens when I hear that song, I was transported to 1995 and was watching “Dangerous Minds.”

I absolutely love that movie.

It’s not a great movie.

It’s not even the best movie about teachers and teaching that exists.

But, I love that movie.

Not that I want to be teaching my students karate or throwing candy bars at kids in order to get them to learn, but I can certainly understand the desire to do almost anything to get kids engaged.

I get teaching a diverse group of kids.

I get wanting, more than anything, to reach them.

I get rejoicing in their successes.

I get being absolutely heartbroken and crying, alone in your classroom, when you realize that you have no control over what happens to them when they leave the school each day.

I get loving them as if they were your own.

I just love that movie.

And now, I think I have to watch it.

June 6, 2012

Where I’d Like to be Wednesday

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am

In my quest for simplicity, I’m feeling like here is where I want to be today:

We could spend all of our time outside, and when we were inside, we could read by the fire and I could write.

We could play games and tell stories and hang out.

We wouldn’t have a lot of “stuff” and wouldn’t be bogged down with anything other than what we wanted to do.

Let’s be honest…

I’d be kinda cool with this place, too:

However, there’s a lot more room for “stuff” here, and that is what I’m trying to avoid.

But still…it’s pretty darn nice.

If you could up and move your family today, for a little vacation, where would you like to be?

June 5, 2012

Purging for June

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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Krista, at This Mumma’s Life, recently posted that she wanted to pick something up and do something every day for the month of June.

I liked the idea, and have decided that I’m going to spend June purging the house.

I like summer to be a time of simplicity, and “stuff” gets in the way.

Once school gets out and the school “stuff” stops coming in the door, that will be very helpful, however, I also have some baby things to donate, some things from the garage that we moved last summer and are realizing that we don’t really use, that plastic bag that is STILL on my bedroom door since we came home from the beach last summer.

I want to spend June purging so that I can just enjoy summer.

I want to spend my summer outside…not inside cleaning.

So, out with the stuff and in with the simple!

Anyone want to join me?

June 4, 2012

Picnic

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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Sunday was our family picnic.

It is something the monkeys look forward to all year.

So does my father-in-law, if the emails he begins sending out in January are any indication.

We picnic at Lewis Morris Park, an enormous, beautiful local park.

The area we reserve has a ball field, a playground, fields, and nature paths.

Snacks, burgers, dogs, sausage and peppers, s’mores.

We have it all.

This year, the skies opened up on us five different times, but we persevered.

Finally, after the fifth rain, we called it a day, but that was around 5:30 and we had been there since 10 am.

It was a good day.

June 2, 2012

WWBD?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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So, I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that, every summer, I rewatch the entire Buffy the Vampire series.

I know I mentioned it here.

I have always loved that show.

I watch on my computer while I’m folding laundry, doing dishes, etc.

I’m toward the end of Season 2, right now, and I’m in heaven.

It’s not just a show about vampires.

It’s a show about friendship.  True friendship.

It’s about inner strength.

It’s about love.

It’s even spawned a book; What Would Buffy Do?  The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide that examines the themes of the show.

Whenever I watch Buffy, I feel faster, stronger, better.

It’s a dose of girl power at it’s best.

Yes, she’s the original human girl in love with a vampire, but she’s no sniveling Bella Swan.

Buffy makes me happy, and is a great way for me to kick off each summer.

If you’ve never given it a try…written it off as a stupid show about vampires, I’d love for you to give it a try.

It’s funny, smart, and well-done.

Buffy.

Good stuff.

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