Ugh, gah, frick, ALRIGHT.

It's that time.  The time I knew would come eventually.  I'm glad it's here as much as I loathe its return.  I am officially, and publicly, recommitting myself to the gym.  I have to for lots of reasons but to be honest with you the main reason is I don't want to wear the size I'm wearing (or even the size below it) to my cousin's wedding in June.  Plus Lauren turns ONE on Wednesday and I just can't use the whole, "I just had a baby" or "I've had 3 babies in 4 years" gig anymore.  DAMN that.  Anyway, I figure if I have a tiny bit of accountability to someone - you, my blog readers, all 6 of you - then I may get my ass there even on nights after the kids have gone to bed and I'm exhausted.  Soooo, let the games begin!

Thank you, my faithful gym friend.  I could not do it without you.

   

A little Victor Borge wannabe

This was 3 years ago while visiting Nana.  What Drew lacks in piano skills she makes up for in Victor Borge-wannabe skills.  It's Friday, I have nothing else to post, and I just love love love this clip.

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Have a great weekend.

I'm gonna be one of those parents...

When I taught 5th grade, before I stayed home after having kids, I used to secretly snicker at all the LAAAAME emotional parents who dropped their new kindergartener off on that first day of school.  The cameras, the hugs, the tears.  PLEASE.  It was so annoying.

But now...

This little girl

is offically registered

for Kindergarten.

And she is going to turn me into one of those crying, picture-taking, peeking-through-the-window-one-last-time kinda moms.

Photo by Kia Gregory. 

Snicker all you want.

Hush little baby. No, for reals. HUSH.

If you know William at all, you know he'll tell you his life story the moment he meets you.  He hasn't stopped talking - like conversation talking - since he was 20 months old.  I am not bragging.  I am trying to evoke sympathy from you.  Can you imagine, a little 20 month old who speaks in sentences and wants to converse with you?  All day?  Everyday?  And now that sweet little boy is 3 years, 5 months old and he hasn't stopped since the day he started.  It's EXHAUSTING.  He's cute, he's charming, he's emotional, and he's curious.  These are the things that have kept my ears open thus far.  For people who don't know him or who haven't spent much time with him you may wonder how this really goes.  Like, how can a little person his age speak so much all day.  You're welcome to come visit ANYTIME and see for yourself.  Thankfully he doesn't require a response of affirmation for everything he says but I don't want to be rude or seem disinterested so I've paid attention for the last year and a half of talking.  I'm not sure I can do it much more, though. 

I saw this and immediately thought of William.  This is William in 35 years.  I'm not even kidding.  And his name tag will say, "Hi, my name is William.  I am here because my mom stopped listening to me when I was 3."

If you don't believe me, here is a little look in.  This was just one moment yesterday.  I happened to have the camera because I was taking a video of Lauren trying to walk.  He was by no means performing for the camera.  This is NORMAL.

 

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OMG.  See? 

I'm less smart because of reality TV

I swear to God my mind has turned to moosh in the last 6 years.  I don't blame it on my pregnancies or my kids (I hate when people do that).  I blame it 100% on reality television.  It's pointless, it's mindless, it's trashy, and it's fabulous.  I think American Idol started it all for me.  I mean, I did watch The Real World back in the early 90's ("True stor-aaaa!") but I think the first real reality show I got into was American Idol.  From there it's just gone downhill.  I don't even watch regular shows anymore.  My DVR is set with Real Housewives of whereever, Pawn Stars, American Idol, Keeping Up with the Kardashians.  I know!  You think less of me already.  And not only that, I love Fridays when my People magazine comes in the mail.  I've replaced real, quality television shows with reality tv.  I've replaced real books with practically tabloidy literature.  What has happened to me?  The only thing I feel good about with all of this is that by the time I sit to watch any of the shows I've taped or read any of my magazines that my children are in bed.  They are not witness to my trash.  I must change these habits and be a better role model.

On that note, I'm super excited that tonight begins the top 24 of American Idol!  I think the girls sing tonight.  Did I mention that I went to the finale of American Idol when Fantasia was crowned the winner?  I got two tickets to the Kodak Theatre in L.A. for the taping of the finale so Kristina Wing and I took the day off school and went.  We spent half the time on our cell phones with our classrooms so the kids could know what we were seeing.  See?  I've been a great role model for young children for years.

Oh, and Jersey Shore people in Miami?  YES.      

Not just words

I was washing my face this morning and before doing so I put my hair in a messy bun and a headband on to keep the little fly-aways off my face.  Drew was in the bathroom with me.  She usually misses this ritual of mine because I usually do it at night when she's already in bed.  I watched her watch me in amazement.  I was thinking to myself, "What is she thinking?  Why is this so interesting?"  That's when she said, "Mommy, what are you doing that for?"  I told her I wash my face everynight and did last night but this morning I thought it may help me wake up a little so I was doing it again.  She said, "Oh.  I like your hair like that."  I laughed a little, looking at my horribly messy appearance.  Then she said, "You are so pretty."  It nearly knocked me to my knees because I knew she meant it.  She was just watching me in the mirror for minutes and then said it.  She didn't want anything, she wasn't distracted at all.  This is a child who is sneaky and often unkind to her baby sister and who doesn't flinch when I yell at her.  She's stubborn and independent and has been since the day she was born.  Somedays my method of dealing with her is killing her with kindness because it's my only option.  I speak those kinds of words to her all the time but she is not free with the compliments.  I wouldn't expect her to be, she's only 5.  But it's not just that, she's just not the touchy-feely kinda gal.  She's just like her daddy and had I hooted about what an awesome thing to say, blah, blah, blah she would have just walked out.  Instead I knelt down and hugged her and told her she just said something so kind that it made my heart so happy.  She smiled and then said I got soap on her shoulder.  Then she walked out.  But she got it.  And so did I. 

A great lesson from that 5 year old girl.  If you feel it, say it.  And then walk out if you feel like it.  But say it.

Watch your tone...

I've never had to work in sales or in any type of customer service industry.  I was a lifeguard in high school as well as my first summer in college, I was a camp counselor at a ritzy camp up in the mountains (I had Peter Cetera's daughter and Kevin Costner's daughter), I was an R.A. in my dorm, I was a 5th grade teacher, and now a mom.  Actually now that I write it that way, I have always had a job where I get to tell people what to do and enforce rules.  Jesus, no wonder I'm so bossy.  Anyway, even though I've never had to deal with someone snarking at me from behind a counter, I can just imagine how that would feel.  I think I've always been exceptionally kind to customer service people knowing that on a fairly regular basis they probably encounter rude people.  Rude people like the asshole who was in front of me at the Kaiser pharmacy a few days ago.  He went on and on about a copay, their computer system messing up, his medication should  have been mailed to him but it wasn't so he had to get dressed (gasp!) and go pick it up himself.  His words were inappropriate, his tone was hateful, and his volume was much too loud.  It grabbed everyone's attention in the pharmacy.  I am glad I didn't have my kids with me but on the other hand, I kind of wish I had.  It would have provided me with the courage to step up to him and ask him to watch his language.  People who yell and are mean lose ALL credibility in situations like that.  And more importantly, they walk away while the rest of the people in the room have one collective thought - "What an asshole."

As I tell William often, think before you speak.  Use your head.  And always mind your manners.  Good lessons for a 3 year old.  And for old men at the Kaiser pharmacy, apparently.