My Real Life

May 17, 2012

Stories from the Night

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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So, I don’t really sleep anymore because my neck hurts so much as it continues to re-tighten after my amazing Cancun massage.

I need to get a new pillow.

Anyway, I’m a light sleeper, to begin with, and add the tossing and turning and I can just forget about sleeping.

So, last night, I’m pretending to sleep and I hear footsteps.

I immediately reason that it’s Baby Monkey, because he’s our resident sleepwalker.

I hear him go down the stairs, and then back up again.

Then, I hear him go into Julia’s room, I see the light turn on, then off, then the footsteps leave her room.

The next thing I know, Baby Monkey opens my door, walks into my room, closes the door behind him, looks around, turns around, opens the door again and walks back out.

I hop out of bed and follow him.

“Baby?” I ask.

“Yeah, Mom?” he replies.

“Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

“Yes.  But I can’t find it!”

So, I escort him to the bathroom, he goes, walks back to his room, climbs in bed and is instantly asleep.

Such is a typical night in my house.

May 16, 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Filed under: Wordless Wednesday — Amy @ 6:00 am
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May 15, 2012

Truthful Tuesday

Filed under: Truthful Tuesday — Amy @ 6:00 am
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Today’s questions come from Heather and Jen.  Heather and Jen were nice enough to create a list of questions for me to answer today, so thanks ladies, and on with the show!

1.  The most important lesson I’d like to teach my children is___________.

To be kind.

I really just want them to be good people.

How we treat others is so very important, and I just want my children to be kind.

There is so much thoughtlessness in the world, I want them to be mindfully kind.

I don’t think people always are meaning to be unkind…I think they just don’t think hard enough to realize that kindness is a choice.

Makes me sad.

If everyone were more kind, the world would be so much different.

2.  Which would be harder for you to hear…..the honest but difficult truth, or a nice but obvious bold faced lie?

Harder to hear?

The lie.

I’m pretty good at sniffing out lies, and I find lies to be the ultimate in disrespect.

So, if you are lying to my face, in my mind, you don’t respect me.

Always tell me the truth, even if you think it will hurt me.

I will appreciate that more than you could ever know.

3.  At the end of your life what would you like people to remember you most for?

This goes hand-in-hand with Question #3.

I’d want people to remember me as a good person.

That would be enough for me.

4.  Peas or spinach?

Peas.

I love peas, but I hate spinach.

I know how good it is for you, but ick.

5.  Fat and funny or skinny and no sense of humor?

Oh, fat and funny, as long as it was true humor and not self-deprecating funny.

I so appreciate a good sense of humor, and people who can make me laugh are always good with me.

Although, with my diabetes, it’s kind of important that I not be fat, so healthy-weighted and funny would be optimal for me. 🙂

6.  What’s one place you really want to go, but need to use your kids as an excuse?

I really, really want to go to Harry Potter world at Universal Studios in Florida.

And, I don’t even bother using the kids as an excuse.

I just want to go.

However, it’s entirely helpful that the kids want to go, too.

7.  Milk out your nose or sand in the bathing suit?

Milk out my nose.

It happens once, it burns, it usually happens because I’m laughing, and then I’m done.

Sand in the bathing suit is a tragedy that never really ends.

You find those grains of sand for DAYS afterward.

So, milk out my nose.

8.  Truth or dare?

I’d take either.

Not afraid of dares and always willing to tell the truth.

And that’s the truth!

May 14, 2012

Mother’s Day Recap

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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I spent the majority of my day sitting here:

Looking out here:

And watched a lot of this:

Then we went to dinner with this lady:

Because, you know, she kinda gave birth to me and all that.

It was a great day…a great weekend, actually.

I hope all the other Mom’s and Mom’s-to-be who visit me, each day, had a wonderful Mother’s Day, as well!

May 13, 2012

Some Sunday Randomness

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My mind has been a jumble of randomness, lately, and I’ve (clearly) taken to jotting down some of these random thoughts as they occur to me.

1.  Anyone else sing along to the instrumental end of “Hotel California” with a lot of “wa-wa-wa-waaaaaaa” and “digidoo-digidoo-digidoooooooo?”

It came on in the car the other day and Monkey Girl looked at me and said, “Is that it?  Aren’t there any more words?  Why are you making those sounds?  Stop, already!”

Can’t help it.  Must listen until the end and “sing” along with the guitar.

Awesome.

2.  Monkey Girl and I have decided that this will be us when she leaves for college:

That being said, in trying to find this commercial online, I found that there are many, many people who think this is completely asinine commercial, and possibly the worst they’ve ever seen.  They say it degrades women and is insulting to the consumer public.

Whatever.

It just reminds me that my girl is leaving home, someday, and even if she is 4.2 miles across town, I’ll miss her.

A lot.

3.  Can’t stop thinking about the season finale of Vampire Diaries.

She picked Stephan.

Ick.

Now she’s a freaking vampire?

Whatever.

Disappointing.

4.  When I was a kid, I wanted to be in the Go-Go’s.

I didn’t want to be Belinda Carlisle, though.

I wanted to be Jane Wiedlen.

Guitarist and vocals.

She was badass, and I wanted to be badass, too.

I totally wasn’t.

But I wanted to be.

She rocked the short hair and I had to keep mine long.

See her?  Second from the left?  Wearing white when everyone else is wearing black?

Rebel.

Now?

Green hair!

So wanted to be her.

5.  Monkey in the Middle bought himself an iTouch.

He is now texting me all the time.

Which is fine, however…

Sound familiar, anyone?

And with that, I bid you a Happy Mother’s Day!

May 12, 2012

The Vow

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am
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Okay, first of all, how have I NOT seen this movie until now?

Rachel McAdam is one of my two favorite actresses (Jennifer Garner being the other).

Channing Tatum.

Well, seriously…Channing Tatum.

But, actors aside, what a movie!

I realize it may not be for everyone, but for me…it was heartwrenching.

I absolutely cannot imagine being in that situation, where the person to whom you are married, suddenly can’t remember you.

I had to Google it, of course, as soon as I saw it was based on a true story.

That surprised me, because, honestly, it sounded like a really creative plot for a movie, but to think that it actually happened to someone?

Ugh.

Gets ya right here…ya know?

Things have to happen exactly in the way they do in order for you to get to where you are.

To get them to happen twice?

Sounds impossible.

Or, as Real Man said, “I’m not sure how I got you to fall in love with me the first time around, and I definitely don’t think I could repeat it to make you do it again!”

Cutie.

Anyway, if you are looking for a movie about love, starring lovely people, that will make you cry (at least, it made me cry), then I recommend “The Vow.”

Good stuff.

May 11, 2012

Five Question Friday

Filed under: Five Question Friday — Amy @ 6:00 am

1. What advice would you give a couple getting married?

Be each other’s best friend.

Make each other laugh.

Tell each other, every day, how very much you love each other.

Mean it.

Be willing to change together.

Fight.

Make up.

Be willing to do the hard work to make it forever.

2. If you could tell your 16 year old self ONE thing, what would it be?

It gets better.

3. What do you do to keep cool in the summer? (AC, windows, fans, swimming, etc.)

We join our local pool.

We use our ceiling fans.

We wear shorts and tank tops.

We run through the sprinklers.

We drink cold drinks.

We try really, really hard to not turn on the AC, but usually, by mid-July, we cave.

4. What did you (or your wife) crave most while pregnant?

Milk.

I normally drink milk regularly, but when I was pregnant (all four times) I drank more milk that any one person should ever drink.

5. Who is your favorite TV mom? Why?

As I told you in this week’s Truthful Tuesday, I watch a lot of tv.

A pathetic amount of tv.

However, I don’t think that I can pick a favorite tv Mom out of the shows I watch.

They are either too snarky or too sweet.

They are all just…too.

I’d like more of a balance of all of it.

That would be my favorite tv Mom.

May 10, 2012

Addendums and Randomness

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am

1.  Addendum to Truthful Tuesday:

Can’t believe that I left my favorite show off of the Truthful Tuesday post from this week.

How I Met Your Mother.

I will never delete this show.  Makes me laugh like crazy.

Neil Patrick Harris is unparalleled, and the rest of the cast is equally as hilarious.

(Yes, I realize that he actually IS paralleled if the rest of the cast is EQUALLY as hilarious.  You know what I mean, though.  I know you do.)

Love. That. Show.

2.  Being awakened at 2:15 am from an 8 year old with an ear infection wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to get out of bed to get the Tylenol.

Because, everyone knows that once you get out of bed, you are done with sleep for the night.

3.  Have seen the Hunger Games twice, now.

Once with Real Man, once with my 8th graders.

Peeta was miscast.

There should have been much more of Gale.

MUCH more of Gale.

4.  Heading to Washington, D.C. with my 8th graders next week.

Preparing myself for the verbal beatings I will endure from my fellow chaperones over the fanny pack I wear every year.

5.  The monkeys have discovered a new app for the iPad called “Happy Snowflake.”  It lets them cut snowflake after snowflake after snowflake, and save them all to a gallery.

I love this app because it feeds their creativity, they are actually using some geometric principles while playing, and, most importantly, I don’t wind up with a bag of snowflakes or a floor full of cuttings.

6.  Real Man’s cell contract was up last week.  In getting a new phone, he decided to try to get us a new plan, as well, because I go over my 200 texting minutes every month, and he is always way under.  We have over 2,000 rollover voice minutes, though, because we rarely talk on our cell phones.

In his conversations with AT&T they tried to tell him that he had to upgrade our voice plan in order to upgrade our text plan.  He said, “So, you want me to pay $10 more for something I don’t use so I can pay $20 more for something else?”

It took over an hour and three different cases to be opened before they finally “found a plan” that would allow us to lower the voice and raise the text.

Nonsense.

7.  I love when babies learn a new word.

This week, Michael learned “yellow.”

He was holding a yellow toy and said, “Yellow.”

We clapped and cheered and made a big deal and were calling Harvard about scholarship opportunities.

And then he picked up his blue toy and said “yellow.”

Parents are silly.

8.  I love Zumba for the Wii.

I’m currently borrowing Zumba and Zumba 2 for the Wii from some colleagues.

It totally rocks my socks.

I’ve made a few custom playlists, and when I get to it, I am a Zumba-ing fool.

I love a Latin beat, and I love that there are elements of Indian dance in there, as well.

It’s a great, fun workout if you love to dance.

Which I do.

9.  Michaela has a new page on Facebook that I’d like you to check out.

It’s called “Bites of the Big Apple.”

It’s stretching her creative legs and sharing her love of all things NYC.

She’s amazing, and I’d love for you to check her out!

10.  I’m wondering if anyone else has ever had to have this conversation.

Child:  “It’s not fair.”

Me:  “What’s not fair?”

Child:  “That you get a Mother’s Day and Daddy gets a Father’s Day, but there is no Children’s Day.”

Me:  “Honey…every day is Children’s Day.”

Child:  “No, it’s not!”

Me:  “Believe me.   It is.”

I know I can’t be the only one.

11.  I wouldn’t have slept for the rest of my life.

Check it out.

May 9, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: All Communioned Out

Filed under: Wordless Wednesday — Amy @ 6:00 am

May 8, 2012

Truthful Tuesday

Filed under: Truthful Tuesday — Amy @ 6:00 am

I have a confession to make.

I guess, as far as confessions go, it’s not a huge confession, because it’s not much of a secret among those who know me, but after re-reading what I’ve already written, it does make me feel a little pathetic.

I love television.

I’m not a trendy TV watcher.

I know the big thing is reality tv, and EVERYONE is watching it, but it doesn’t hold much appeal for me.

I watch The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and the first few episodes of Dancing with the Stars.

I will admit to even watching the last season of Bachelor Pad.

I’m embarrassed by that one.

I give Big Brother a good ole’ college try each season, but usually am out two or three episodes in.

Overall, reality tv doesn’t do it for me.

I love shows with stories.

Shows that let me take a break from reality and get lost in the story of some fictional character.

Shows that are more like books than like real life.

It’s why I love movies and Broadway, as well.

It piques my imagination.

Normally, people can enjoy television and it’s not a problem.

I am not one of those people.

The problem lies in the fact that as much as I enjoy television, I enjoy being outside and playing with my kids more.  I love tv, but have a hard time sitting and watching tv, because there are so many other things I could be doing, so, I record things and then they build up until I get the message that I don’t have any more memory left on the DVR and it’s time to either sit down and watch for three days, uninterrupted or start deleting.

Let me share with you what is currently on my DVR.

The Office

30 Rock

Revenge

Modern Family

Suburgatory

The Middle

Private Practice

Unforgettable

New Girl

NCIS

House

GCB

Desperate Housewives

The Mentalist

Rules of Engagement

Fairly Legal

Smash

Bones

Castle

Grimm

Scandal

Awake

Up All Night

Touch

Criminal Minds

Glee

Happy Endings

Bent

Breaking In

The Vampire Diaries

Gossip Girl

Once Upon a Time

Game of Thrones

In Plain Sight

Seriously.  This is like digital hoarding.  Someday, there will be a TLC show about me.

And I’ll DVR it.

So, it’s time to cut the proverbial fat, my friends.  And I’m going to do it here, as I type, because I need to be held accountable.

First, we have the non-negotiables.

These are shows that I will not, under any circumstances delete or stop recording.  They are just that good.

Modern Family, The Middle, Suburgatory, New Girl, and Happy Endings are the comedic non-negotiables.

I watch Modern Family and The Middle with Real Man, and we both enjoy them.

Suburgatory and Happy Endings I watch alone and they make me smile.

New Girl I watch alone (although Real Man seems to be in the room more and more when it’s on) and I laugh like a freaking hyena.  Absolutely non-negotiable.

My non-negotiable dramas are: Unforgettable, Fairly Legal, In Plain Sight, Castle, Criminal Minds, Game of Thrones and Once Upon a Time.

Unforgettable and Once Upon a Time are shows I watch with Monkey Girl.  We DVR Unforgettable and try to watch Once Upon a Time when it’s actually on.  It’s like our Sunday night date.

Castle, Criminal Minds and Game of Thrones are shows I watch with Real Man.  Castle: one of the smartest shows on television.  Criminal Minds: just so enjoyable.  Game of Thrones: satisfies the inner (and outer) geek in both of us.

Fairly Legal and In Plain Sight are cable shows that I really enjoy.  I think cable shows are so witty and entertaining.  In Plain Sight is ending this season…in fact, the episode I have DVR’d is the series finale, so I don’t feel badly about keeping this, since it will be no more.  It’s okay, though, because over the summer, I love Necessary Roughness, another cable show, and that will take it’s place.

Now, I have some that can go immediately

Private Practice – used to watch, lost interest, tried to watch again, diligently recorded, don’t care.  Gone.

NCIS – Love me some Leroy “Jethro” Gibbs and really love me some Agent DiNozzo.  However, I’m not loving the show anymore and when it’s time to watch something, I never pick this.  Buh-bye.

Desperate Housewives – I’ve never been a regular watcher, but it’s the final season and I love beginnings and goodbyes and so I tried.  Unfortunately, I’m not loving the lives of the women on Wisteria Lane, so farewell, ladies.  You had a good run.  Just not with me.

Scandal, Awake, Touch, Bent, Breaking In – They all intrigued me when I saw the commercials.  So, I recorded all the episodes.  Never got around to them.  Clearly, they didn’t intrigue me enough.  See ya.

Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries – Deleted.  But, I’m cheating.  I love these shows that are 100% not made for people of my demographic profile.  So, I watch them on my computer when I’m folding clothes.  Gotta love cwtv.com

Grimm – I’m a big fan of the supernatural.  In fact, Supernatural, is a show I used to record pretty regularly until I realized the stories were just being recycled.  Love me some Sam and Dean, but how many times can they die and go to hell and come back and chat with God and Lucifer like they were high school football buddies?  Grimm, despite it’s good intentions, also appears to be a one-trick pony.  Guy is descended from the Grimm brothers and can see the creatures and is trying to do right by the world by getting rid of the evil beasties.  I get it.  I saw it.  I’m good now.

GCB – I really, really enjoyed the first three episodes of this show.  Then, I kinda lost it.  It was a too passionate romance.  We fell in love, burned like wildfire, and then petered out.  No staying power.  Sorry, GCB.  You weren’t the one.

Up All Night – I will pretty much watch anything with Christina Applegate.  I’ve always been a fan.  Add Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph and you should have GOLD!  Except, it also has one storyline and it’s played out.  So, away it goes.

The rest are harder to deal with, as there are mixed feelings involved.

Relationships.  They’re tough.

The Office.  We’ve been together a long time.  A very long time.  But, it’s gone through some changes and I don’t think it’s weathered those changes very well.  Steve Carrell…I miss ya, buddy.  James Spader…You should have called it a day with Sex, Lies and Videotape.

30 Rock and Rules of Engagement.  These are shows that Real Man and I watch together, but we don’t always keep up with them.  We’ve missed episodes, here and there.  30 Rock is hysterical.  Tina Fey is one of my favorite funny women.  Genius.  Alec Baldwin.  Horrifying human being.  Wonderful comedic actor.  Rules of Engagement.  Since his days as David Puddy, I’ve loved Patrick Warburton.  Add David Spade and I’m good to go.  However, neither Real Man nor I can stand Oliver Hudson’s wife in this show, and I’m not a great fan of Warburton’s wife, either.  Get rid of the women and I’d love this show more.

We love House.  I love Hugh Laurie and am absolutely intrigued/repulsed by/in love with Gregory House.  He’s a train wreck and I can’t stop watching.  I haven’t been totally loving this season.  However, we keep taping and keep watching, albeit weeks and weeks after the original air dates.  Tough call.

Bones and the Mentalist.  Love Bones.  Love David Boreanz.  Angel was one of my favorite characters EVER and I’d watch anything with David Boreanz.  However, I’m so backed up on this show, I haven’t even watched the one where she had the baby, yet.  I’m on the fence.  I love the Mentalist, as well.  Just a good cast with good stories.  Except…I really don’t like Robin Tunney as an actress.  Nothing against her, personally…I’m sure she’s lovely.  I just don’t quite gel with stuff she’s been in.  And, she and Simon Baker don’t really have any chemistry, and I kinda miss that in a show.  Eh…I don’t know.

Glee.  Love to dance.  Love to sing.  Would have loved to have gone to a high school where it wouldn’t have been frowned upon to just burst into song at random times, and where I would have had a backup band whenever I did so.  So, despite the almost painful-to-watch storylines this year, I keep watching.  We’ll see if I give it another year.

Revenge.  I’m digging this show.  Seriously.  But then Daniel got arrested and I haven’t watched any more episodes.  Not sure why.  I think I’m just wondering how they can keep this story going, and instead of watching and seeing, I’ve just kinda turned my back on it.  I don’t know.  Just don’t know.

And finally, Smash.  I’ve recorded every episode of this show.  Haven’t watched a one.  Everyone says it’s a show that I would fall in love with.  But, seriously…you’ve read this post…I just don’t think I have time for it.  I’m kinda saving it for summer.  We’ll see.  It’s tempting just to delete them all and let them go.

So, there it is.  While you’re all watching fashion reality shows or The Voice or American Idol, I’m watching (or recording) these things.  Through this post, I’ve deleted quite a few, and I think I have a few more to go, but don’t judge me.  I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, but I like my television.  And yet, I can give it up pretty easily, too.  Erin and I didn’t turn on our tv once in Cancun, and get my nose in a good book and I’ll forget we even have a tv.

I’ll play outside, go for a hike, play a board game, or read a book; all before watching tv.  But, when I do settle down for some tv time, I’m in for awhile.  It’s my vice.  Deal with it.

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