Midweek Break

Tonight I had the rare opportunity to escape the chaos of the Kearns home for a few hours. My mom and I did a bit of shopping, had a beer, and won several great items at a fun Tupperware party. 

It was a lovely evening, and now I'm definitely ready for sleep. It is way past my bedtime. 

Countdown

Summer is upon us!  The kids only have 18 school days left for this year.  As much as I dread the change of routine for Alex (there is never a seamless transition), I am more than ready to move on from this school year.

I've been thinking of all the fun things we should anticipate: summer reading programs at the library, the new exhibit at the zoo, evenings at the pool, relaxed bedtimes and morning schedules, all the fun day camps and VBS, and lots more!  I also read recently that this summer could be cooler than usual, because the extreme cold this winter (something about the Great Lakes still being frozen??).  I don't know if that's true, but I would love to have a less humid, pleasant summer (as opposed to the stifling hot and humid summers we typically get).

If we can hang on and get through the jam-packed schedule of the next few weeks, we'll make it to summer break.  I will soon have a fourth grader, a third grader, and a Kindergartner!  Seems impossible.

Loss

I've posted recently about reigniting my efforts to be more healthy.  The whole "wellness plan" needed some more support, though, so last week I enrolled in Weight Watchers.

I've done WW in the past, with great success.  It's only been when I've let myself get sidetracked that I've fallen off the path and succumbed to my stress eating habits.  I'm tired of that, though, and last week made a decision to try again.

I spent all last week counting points, and figuring out the best choices for filling meals, while carefully allowing points for small snacks or treats.  After just one week, I'm happy to report a loss of just over four pounds!

Now, before you get all worried about such a big loss (1-2 pounds/week is expected), I'm quite certain it can be attributed to the fact that I drank a ton of water (eliminating my afternoon soda and/or Starbucks, except for a couple days, as well as choosing way more fruits and veggies over cupcakes and junk).  It will level off eventually, but until then, I will most certainly enjoy this little ego boost.

Here's the best part: last week, I had pizza for dinner one night, and Chipotle another.  I counted all those points, though, to stay on track, but I was very satisfied after allowing myself those treats.  I've tried other programs where there is little to no wiggle room on meal options, and found myself face first in a box of donuts after days of deprivation.  The WW program obviously clicks with me, so I will stick to that.

I'm hopeful that I will continue making better food choices, manage stress through exercise rather than junk food, and set a better example for the kids.  Wish me luck!

This blog post contains my own thoughts on the Weight Watchers program, for which I was not compensated in any way.    

Stellar Sunday

What a great day. 

We started Sunday off by spending time with our King Ave UMC family. We celebrated a new baby, a baptism, and a marriage; we listened to wonderful music and heard a terrific sermon. You really can't ask for much more out of your Sunday morning. 

After church, we headed to a district-wide art show. My Addie was one of just 20 students at her school to have a piece on display in this show. We're so proud of her!  She was very excited to see her work displayed other fine pieces. There is great talent among the kids in our community!

For our next stop this afternoon, we were happy to visit a spring and summer favorite: the Miracle League field. Alex will  play in his eighth season of ML baseball this year!  He has come such a long way from his first season, and it is so awesome to see the joy on his face as he hits the baseball and takes his base. 

After that, we made one more stop. We decided to surprise Mark at work so the kids could see his new store (he recently started a new job, and now manages a different retailer). The kids always think it's super cool to see Daddy's office, and Mark enjoys showing off the kids. 

At that point, Al was over our adventures and ready to go home. The kids played outside, we had a nice family dinner, and played a couple games of Uno. Now the kids are tucked into bed, and I'm watching Parts Unknown while I wait for Mad Men to begin. 

Yep. It was a fine Sunday. 

Springtime Saturday

We had a surprisingly low-key Saturday. A meeting with Alex's behavior consultant, followed by some grocery shopping and his music lesson, some errands with the family, and then a quiet night. 

We had to stop at Lowe's today, and Alex and I excitedly looked at all the blooms and talked about which ones we will plant once we're very certain that winter is truly over (this is Ohio, you know). We're all anxious for gardens and flowers and sunshine and short sleeves and more cookouts...I could go on and on. 

We paid our fair dues with winter. Welcome, Spring!  We've been waiting for you. 

Kaboom

Ooh, did you hear that?  It's the sound of my schedule, blowing up.  Ha.

The kids only have 20 school days left for this year.  Twenty!  That is crazy.  They get out super early, but go back in the  middle of August, so I guess it evens itself out.  I'm used to having an extra couple of weeks to get all of this end-of-school-year business finished, though, so I'm starting to panic a bit.

In light of this, I am posting an abbreviated blog tonight so I can go relax.  (This is code for I've had my hands full all evening and I can't think of anything enlightening to share.  You're welcome.)

But hey, it's Friday night, so hopefully you're able to relax a bit, too.  Happy weekend!

#InclusionMatters

You may have seen me use this hashtag before, on Twitter, when I share a link or express my thanks to a public figure for drawing positive attention to a situation which involves an individual with Down syndrome.

@jamesmaslow Thank you for being a great advocate for #DownSyndrome. I'm so excited for Hannah! #inclusionmatters
— Jen Franklin Kearns (@jnfranklin) April 15, 2014

This is something that I do to try and share the importance of inclusion with everyone, as many people just don't have cause to think about it.  It is my hope that someone sees the hashtag and puts a little thought into why inclusion is such a beneficial element.

Today, I was fortunate to see inclusion in action.  Alex went to a birthday party for one of his third grade classmates.  For the last couple of years, this has not been a standard occurrence.  For some reason, the party invites stopped arriving; we feel as though this has coincided with the decline in classroom inclusion in previous years.  The kids just haven't been given an opportunity to see Alex as their peer.  However, we (Mark, Al's third grade teacher, and myself) have worked hard this year to increase Alex's inclusion time.  When Mark spoke to Al's class on World Down Syndrome Day, he made sure to point out all the similarities between Alex and typical third graders.  We sent home an information sheet about Down syndrome to the class, and Mark felt like he really got through to the kids.  I would have to agree.

When we arrived at the party this afternoon, he was greeted with the usual enthusiasm, and after that, he chose to shoot baskets on his own for a bit (the party was held at an indoor play area).  This is what we typically do.  The kids are always happy to see Al, but then they get caught up in their own activities.  This doesn't usually bother Alex, as he still gets to see his friends, so I just followed Al around as he explored all the different play areas.

Then, something remarkable happened after Al happened to catch up to some classmates.  They decided they were going to play on something else shortly after Al joined them, but instead of taking off, they stopped and waited.

"C'mon, Alex!" one boy said, and then another repeated "Yeah!  Alex, c'mon, with us!"

Alex beamed.  I beamed.  It was wonderful.

They all stampeded toward a trampoline, where they bounced and shot baskets into an attached hoop.  Al has a pretty good shot, and could keep up fairly easily with his peers as they all jumped around, playing basketball.

My amazement didn't stop there.  "Mrs Kearns!  Did you hear that Alex read to our class today?  It was awesome!!", one of the boys yelled.

There were no other adults involved in this conversation; nobody was prompting them to make conversation about my kid.  They seemed genuinely proud of their friend and his accomplishment, and they wanted to make sure I knew about it (I did know, as his teacher had sent me a note to tell me).  Again, Alex beamed.

Then, the pizza arrived and it was time for the kids to eat, but Al decided he was too hot and he asked to leave.  He said goodbye to his friends (and even got a couple more hugs), and we thanked the birthday boy's family for the invitation.

I hope this is the beginning of a new trend.  The more his peers see that Alex can do what they can do, I feel like they will include him more in their activities outside of school.  This is just one way that inclusion benefits everyone, and hopefully, with time, we will be able to spread the word even further.

Inclusion matters.  It really, really does.

Broken Record

I'm tired. The kids are wearing me out. Our schedules are overwhelming and we'll never get caught up on anything. 

Yep. Again. You've heard it before (from me, and maybe from yourself, too), so I'll stop there and spare you my whining. 

I'll just go to bed, and tomorrow will be a new day. Thank goodness. 

Performances

What a busy week we're having!

Yesterday, Alex's third grade class presented a keyboard recital.  They've been working very hard for the last several weeks, and they all did a great job.  I was most impressed that they all bounced out of their seats to perform a solo or duet, without the slightest trace of nerves.  That is such a great experience for them!  I was very proud of Alex; his love of music certainly shines through performances like these.

Big Al, musician extraordinaire 

Tonight, Addie and her second grade peers presented a musical for Earth Day (after Al's track practice, no less!).  What talent in that group of kids!  It was a joy to see all the little personalities on stage.  Addie loves to sing, and she was very proud that she got to be the "dancer" in the game her class played on stage (as opposed to a "tree"), and she just beamed throughout the performance.  

Addie, my second grade song bird

After the musical tonight, I was talked into a trip to the school's book fair.  As much as I love seeing the kids' excitement over books, I was not entirely thrilled to be stuck in a small room with a hundred other people and my cranky kids.  Ugh.  But, we made it out alive and that's what counts, I suppose.  

We're not even half way through the week, and I'm completely exhausted.  I am actually looking forward to tomorrow evening when we "only" have one after school activity.  Pathetic.  I'm just hoping I can get these kids to bed soon (the little one just won't give in tonight...what's the name of that story read by Samuel L. Jackson?) so I can go read some of my book before falling asleep.  (Who am I kidding?  I'm going to watch reruns of The Big Bang Theory.  Sad, but true.)

Crazy Busy

Ugh.  My schedule just blew up in my face.  This week is jam packed, and it just seems to snowball for the next four weeks.  I'm tired just thinking about it.

I'm still wondering what happened to April.  I feel like it was March, like five minutes ago.  Now all the sudden I'm looking into May, June, and July.

The older the kids get, the faster time seems to fly.  I suppose that is part of me getting older too, right?

Good night, all.  I have a long week to go rest up for, so I'm heading to bed.

Easter

Today, we enjoyed a lovely Easter holiday.

From church this morning, to a fun-filled afternoon spent with family (and lots of great food, games, and laughs!), to time spent out in the backyard this evening playing with the dog, it was all fantastic.

We're all tired, but happy, and we're headed to bed early.

I hope you had a nice day, too.

Spring Fun

Such a great day.

We began our Saturday with an Easter egg hunt in a lovely park, and with gorgeous weather.  We could not have asked for a better day: sunny and pleasant, not too cold but not hot.  Perfect spring weather. The kids got to enjoy lots of crafts and activities (seriously, how can you beat bunny hats and parachute games??), and then, of course, The Hunt.  What fun!  They filled their baskets with colorful eggs, and then opened them one by one, oohing and aahing over each egg's contents.

 Checking out their goodies!

After our morning in the park, the kids spent time playing outside, and Alex had a music lesson (even his lesson was held outside today...this is how beautiful the day was!).  After that, I packed up the kids and we went shoe shopping (not our best part of the day), and then visited some adorable puppies at a nearby pet store.  (Now, before you get your panties in a bunch because we stepped foot in a pet store, let me assure you that we didn't buy anything.  The way I see it, those pups didn't ask to be sold in such a place, and they need snuggled before they are purchased, so that's what we did.  Cool it.)  Of course, the kids are now begging for another dog, but I think we have a while before we add another living creature to our family. After the puppy cuddles, we had to make a stop at the grocery store (again, not the best part of the day, but we made it through with minor incidences).  

When we returned home, it was egg coloring time!  The kids have this down to a science by now, and they created some beautiful eggs.

The eggs

Then, dinner and baths, and off they went to bed.  It was a fairly easy transition to bedtime, as Ad and Andrew were convinced that they wouldn't get baskets in the morning from The Bunny if they didn't scurry off to bed.  Al, on the other hand, not so much; he is still wide awake (I hear him emptying the ice machine in the kitchen as I type this...).  I will have to get him to bed soon, though, so The Bunny can get to work.  Although I had the best intentions of having the baskets put together before now, it just didn't happen.  So, hopefully I won't fall asleep before the baskets are ready and the eggs are hidden. Fingers crossed!

Ad's clever note to The Bunny

All in all, a splendid Spring day.  I'm looking forward to many more of these!

Contest

I swear, my children have a contest going to see which one of them can make my head explode first.  Right now, I'm not certain who is winning.

They were out of school today (you know, because they haven't had enough time off this year), but since I had to work, I was only with them from about 2:15pm to now.  We finally made it to bedtime, but not before they spent hours yelling at each other, tattling, fighting, and not listening to me.  Seriously.  It was a rough day.

Trying to put a more positive spin on our trying afternoon, I offered to take everyone out for ice cream after Alex's dance class this evening.  When we got there, the drive-through line was really long, and the kids were beyond wound up in anticipation of said ice cream, which made for a very noisy wait (there was no way I was herding all three kids inside Dairy Queen...I'd rather contain the chaos in the car whenever I can).  By the time we pulled away, my nerves were shot.  So much so that I declared the ride home a "Mommy Time Out", and said that I needed a couple of minutes of quiet.

"Mommy!  MOMmy!  MOMMY!", was Andrew's immediate response.

My first thought?  Are you freaking kidding me?  It's been 12 seconds!!  My calm reply?  "Andrew, if you're not on fire or dying at this very moment, please wait two minutes before you talk to me."

"Mommy?  What's dying?  What does that mean?  Why can't I talk to you?  When are you going to eat your ice cream?  How many days until the Easter egg hunt?  Is Daddy going too?"

All I could do was shake my head.  Fastest Mommy Time Out ever.  EVER.

So now, as they get ready for bed, I will gather up my (mostly melted) ice cream and the book I just started, and go crawl into bed.  Tomorrow is a new day.  It may not be a quieter day, but it will indeed be a new one, full of opportunities to score points in their Make Mom's Head Explode contest.

Maundy Thursday

This evening, Addie and I were fortunate to spend time sharing The Living Last Supper, a service at church that brought DaVinci's painting to life.  What an amazing presentation.

I've blogged before about how much I love our church, but I am constantly reminded of all the reasons why that is so.  Tonight, I was blown away by all the talent that surrounds us; the music, the monologues, all the behind-the-scene prep work (that, although we didn't witness first hand, was obviously there) were all fantastic.  This was truly a unique experience, and one that even held Addie's attention for the full hour.  She came away asking questions that showed that she related what she's learned at church to what we saw unfold before us during the production.

What a blessing it was to share this with Addie.  Thank you, to all involved, for such a lovely service.

Peeps

With Easter approaching, we are being inundated with candy.  Every time I turn around, I see a display, or a commercial, or a new candy-infused pin on Pinterest.  It almost makes my teeth hurt.

When I was young(er?), I loved waking up to find a generously filled basket on Easter morning.  Candy galore: chocolate eggs, chocolate covered marshmallow eggs, jelly beans, and Peeps.  Thinking about it now, I wonder how I didn't have any cavities as a child.  I remember filling up my cute little purse with a bunch of candy, so I could eat it throughout church.

These days, I'm not sure I could eat a whole Peep.  I think they might just be too sweet.  I've even seen chocolate covered Peeps; to me, that is just pure nonsense.  Chocolate should never have to compete with that sugary coating.  In my attempts to find a fun dessert to make for Easter dinner, I came across a Peep trifle.  It didn't even look good; the sugar was almost dripping off my computer screen.

Maybe I'm just too old to appreciate the pure sugary goodness of Peeps.  I don't know.  Maybe I should just keep an open mind, and give them another try.  My kids will probably find a colorful array of Peeps in their baskets on Sunday.  That bunny enjoys leaving the sugar, you know.

What's your favorite Easter candy?

Complete Chaos - My Messy Beautiful

Family photo, October 2013.  The chalkboard reads "Really?!?" as the kids meltdown.  

Chaos.  It's inevitable, especially in this household.  For example, right now I'm beginning to compose this post while I'm on hold with tech support for my contract gig, Addie is bouncing up and down just a few feet away from me because she is dying to ask a question, Andrew has the dog in (what he believes is) a loving headlock, and Al is throwing his Hot Wheels cars down the stairs, one by one.  The tv is blaring, the dishwasher is humming, and the dryer is fluffing that same load of laundry that has already been fluffed three times.

This is not out of the ordinary.

Every parent, I'm sure, can relate to this type of commotion.  It really doesn't even feel like chaos any more, because it's the norm.  If someone else was to knock on my door right now, though, their jaw may drop. This place is a mess.  The kids are wild.  I'm exhausted.  But, it's what we do.

The bedtime countdown has already started in my head: two hours and 26 minutes until we can begin the evening ritual of pajamas, toothbrushes, books, tears, drama, drama, and more drama.  I just want to sit, with the hubs, and watch Sunday's episode of Mad Men.  In reality, though, we'll collapse into bed, Mark watching a documentary on his phone, me pinning endless recipes from Pinterest that I will never, ever attempt to make.  But, it will be calm and quiet, and for that we'll be grateful.

But, that two hours and now 24 minutes will drag out for all it's worth.  There is homework to be done, and even worse, Alex needs his fingernails cut.  I don't know what it is, but I really believe that there is something on his extra chromosome that makes him despise having his nails cut.  His nails are longer than mine at this point, so we really can't put it off any longer.  I wish we could.  It would make for a more enjoyable evening, that's for sure.

Even if we did delay the fingernail trimming, there would surely be more chaos to deal with in its place.  Just a moment ago, the dog came flying through the room with the Twister mat in her mouth, my husband arrived home from work, and Addie just burst into spontaneous tears because she didn't get all her homework problems correct.

Deep breaths.  It will all be ok.  It's what we do.  (This is what I will continue to remind myself until I drift off to sleep tonight.)

Upon hearing about my daily adventures, I am often reminded by others (especially those with older children) that someday I'll miss this chaos.  I'm sure I probably will.  But, at this very moment, I might just trade a moment of wistful reminiscence over wanting to bang my head through this desk.

No time to daydream about that, though.  There are tears to dry, dinner to make, laundry to refluff for the fourth time.  Chaos.  Messy, beautiful chaos.  I wouldn't trade it (or these little chaos causing rugrats) for anything.  Their sweet hugs and sloppy bedtime kisses will give me the strength to get up and do it all again tomorrow.

This essay and I are part of the Messy, Beautiful Warrior Project — To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE! And to learn about the New York Times Bestselling Memoir Carry On Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life, just released in paperback, CLICK HERE!

http://momastery.com/carry-on-warrior

Vote!

No time to write tonight, friends!  I'm too excited to see the lovely Hannah tonight, getting her wish granted on Dancing with the Stars. 

It's great fun to see a member of our very own Down syndrome community getting an opportunity like this. I've never met Hannah, but I couldn't be more excited for her. 

If you watch the show, please vote for James tonight!

And now, back to the show!

Pretween

After spending a lovely morning at church, and enjoying a nice lunch out with the family, I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and go shopping for Easter outfits.

It shouldn't have been such a task, but it seemed very overwhelming.  The boys don't like fussy dress clothes, and I am just not in the mood to buy new clothes for myself, so the only person really excited about the shopping adventure was Addie.  So, she and I set off to see what we could find.

Addie is in an interesting stage: not quite a "tween", but definitely not such a little girl anymore.  I mean, I guess she'll always be our "little girl", right?  But you know what I mean; she is starting to have an opinion (and sometimes an attitude) about what she wears, the activities in which she participates, the music she wants to hear.  This previously subtle change was a bit more obvious today.

She immediately found a pair of sandals that she fell in love with and begged me to buy; being in Ohio, I know better than to expect the weather to be nice from here on out after just one weekend of nice weather. I told her that we were going to hold off on sandals for now, but that maybe we could get them when it's closer to summer.  Plus, she couldn't wear those sandals for Easter, and that was the reason for shopping today.

Cue the whining.  And the bargaining.

"I'll make a deal with you!" she offered, which meant that she was ready to agree to do chores that she would never complete, in order to get the shoes today.

"Not a chance," was my response, as I sifted through racks of clothes.  She persisted, I continued to refuse, and ended up threatening to forego the new Easter dress if she didn't drop it.  Bingo.  She really wanted a new dress, I guess.

She found four different dresses that she liked, tried them on, and selected the dress that twirled the best.  I tried on several different things, got frustrated because they all looked ridiculous, and put everything back.  I did find shirts for the boys, which aren't very dressy but are at least a springy shade of blue.  We'll call it a satisfactory shopping trip.

Although we had a rough beginning, my pretween did at least thank me as we left the mall, both for bringing her along and for buying her a new dress.  I definitely call that a success.  I know in the years to come, we'll continue to butt heads, but if she can still say "thank you" at the end of the day (without prompting!), then I will be willing to look past the pretween/tween/teenage/beyond attitudes.

Now, if only I could convince Andrew to drop his little five year old attitude.  That one will take some work.

Music

This afternoon, Alex began music lessons.  I noticed a Facebook post on a local networking board, and when I checked out the website, I was immediately intrigued.

Alex has always loved music.  He enjoys singing, dancing, playing instruments; all aspects of music really appeal to him, and we've always tried to encourage that.  So far, I think we've done a pretty good job of that.  He takes dance classes and sings with the children's choir at church; the only thing that was missing was music lessons.

I've hesitated with lessons in the past because I didn't think we could find anyone who would just let Alex explore and enjoy whatever instrument was put in front of him.  I didn't want another recital, or more testing; the kid just wants to play music.  After reading the philosophy of the music teacher who posted on Facebook, I thought we had hit the musical jackpot, and we were really excited to get him started.  Even better, the teacher is just as excited to work with Alex.  Sometimes, it's really cool how things just seem to work out.

Alex sat with him today and played different notes, in different sounds, on a keyboard.  He loved it!  After the lesson, when I was talking to Al about the next lesson, he said that his teacher was going to bring a guitar. "I love that!", he said, beaming, and then bounced off to play basketball.

I look forward to seeing (and hearing!) how Alex progresses in his lessons.  It should be a fun ride!

Weekend

It's Friday night.  We made it.

The week back to school after Spring Break is always a rough one.  It's like relearning the school routine all over again, and just a couple of months after we went through all this after holiday break.  It stinks.  We're all exhausted.

So, friends, I'm going to keep this short and sweet.  It's after 9pm, and I'm heading to bed, because my tired old body just can't take another minute of this week.  (Tomorrow doesn't count, because it's Saturday, so there.)

Here's to a great weekend!

#tbt

I've decided that #tbt is not just for photos anymore.

Check out my #tbt blog post here.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Today, we celebrated my husband's birthday.  Being a Wednesday, it was a quiet affair, but there was cake so we'll call it a party.

There were also gifts, pizza for dinner, and the promise of an evening out to properly celebrate when there is more time on the weekend.

On top of all that, we also got a nice family picture out of the deal.  I hope Mark enjoyed his day.  Three more to go before we celebrate a big one!

Sore

The other day I mentioned the beginning (again) of my Wellness Plan: eat less and go to the gym more. Well, today I hit the gym for the first time in a while.

And now I'm ready to crawl into bed and stay there for a couple of days.  Ouch.

Seriously, I'm sore.  I worked on my legs today (so I did the leg machines), but I also do an ab machine on leg day, too.  And wouldn't you know that my abs (or obliques, maybe?) are killing me.

I felt great when I was there, and I was careful not to overdo it.  I did my leg workout, then hopped on an elliptical machine for 20 minutes.  Boom.  Easy, peasy.  Except for that whole not being able to move right now.

I'm determined, though, to keep up with this.  I want to be able to enjoy the warmer weather this summer without the creeping unhappiness that comes along with wearing less clothes.  Let's face it: in the winter, it's easier to hide under layers and not feel so chunky.  Not the case in the summer.  Everything is more transparent (including my pale, pale skin, ha!), and I often find that I'm very uncomfortable in the summer.

Yes, it sounds very vain and egotistical, I suppose, to write that I want to keep up with this because I want to look better.  But, it's the truth.  Not the only reason, but this is a big one, and probably the one that will keep me the most motivated right now.  It has great side effects; more exercise, better eating habits, more water drinking.  Instead of overwhelming myself, I'll just go with the looking better aspect.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

10 Things

It's Monday.  Not just any old Monday, but the Monday after Spring Break.  I'm so over this day.  My kids are currently running around upstairs - it sounds like they are ready to fall through the ceiling - because they will not stay in bed.  They are tired, I am tired, and we're all just done.

This doesn't lend itself well to a blog post.  Everyone complains about their kids not going to bed.  I don't want to do that; it's been done.  So, I will take a shortcut, and post a list.

I remember several months ago that a Facebook post went around where you had to list 10 things that people probably didn't know about you.  Given tonight's cranky attitude and exhaustion, I give you my list:

10 Things You (Probably) Don't Know about Jen

1. I do not like salad dressing. Ok, to be fair, a lot of people already know this.  It's something that everyone tends to have a difficult time accepting, though.  It has nothing to do with calories, or dieting; I just don't like it.

2. I'm an introvert.  The thought of speaking in front of a group of people makes me break out in hives.  I would much rather spend time in a small group of friends rather than be at a huge party.

3. I don't really enjoy movies.  I haven't seen the full Star Wars series, or the Indiana Jones trilogy, and probably a bunch of other really popular films that everyone else on the planet has seen.

4. Similarly, I haven't read any of the trendy book series.  From Harry Potter to Hunger Games, they haven't had a place on my reading list.  (Note: I did read the very first Harry Potter book, and enjoyed it, but couldn't get into the second one.)

5. I have a huge head.  Like, so big I can't wear most hats.  It's a problem in the summertime, especially, because I'm also very fair skinned and would like to hide under a big, floppy straw hat (that also plays into the whole introvert thing, too).

6. I love watching reruns of my favorite sitcoms on tv.  I do not watch most popular dramas; instead, I'm content watching the same episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory. (My husband does not enjoy this.  He would rather watch documentaries.  Fortunately, he falls asleep first.)

7. Someday, I want to be a published author.  I used to want to be a children's book author, but now, I think I might have a novel in there somewhere.  And, if you're lucky, maybe even a memoir.

8. I love to shop, but I don't like shopping for myself.  I always promise myself that it will be more fun to buy clothing for myself after I lose a few pounds.  Then I eat a cupcake.  I need to stop doing all of that.

9. I hate flying.  (I typically don't use the word "hate", but in this case, it's true).  As a result, I have not traveled very much.  I think I'm missing out, but I have no idea how to conquer this particular fear.

10. I can swear like a sailor.  It escalates with alcohol consumption and time spent with friends without the kids.  I try to control it, but sometimes you really just need to let an f-bomb fly.

So, there you have it.  Any surprises there?  Anything about you that I don't already know?  Do tell.

The D Word

Here we go, again.

After about a month "off", it's time to get back in the gym routine, and well past time to stop shoving mass quantities of food down my throat.

I'll admit it: I'm a stress eater.  I try to solve my problems with junk food.  Kids not listening?  Hostess cupcakes.  Another issue at school?  Peanut M&Ms.  Long morning with an even longer afternoon and evening ahead?  Starbucks.  I soothe my worries and anxieties with poor food choices, and now my pants don't fit.

Enough is enough.  Time to be a grown up.  As I said earlier today, I need to stop eating like I'm an unsupervised 12 year old boy.  I need to get into the gym on a more regular schedule.  No more excuses.

Not only do my pants not fit, but I realize that I'm putting myself into all kind of health dangers by not taking care of myself now.  More importantly, I'm setting a terrible example for my kids.  So, for three reasons (looking/feeling better, health, setting a better example), I'm embarking on this journey.

Yes, I've declared these intentions (many times) before now.  Yes, I've fallen off the wagon.  I'm sure I'll struggle along the way this time, too.  But, I need to remind myself that some things are ok in moderation, and I can't get discouraged and just quit the first time a bad day sends me tearing into some full-fat dinner deliciousness.

I decided a while ago to ditch the D Word ("diet"), so I will refer to this as my Wellness Plan.  Go to the gym, don't eat as much.  Pretty simple, I think.  I don't want to use the word "diet", because I heard a couple years ago that girls can develop eating disorders as early as four years old.  With a daughter (and sons!) watching, I don't want to lead them to believe that you have to diet to be happy with yourself, or to please other people.  I do, however, want them to make better choices and be healthy.

So, here I go, again. Wish me luck.  It's going to be fun.

Crew

We were fortunate to receive tickets to tonight's Crew game. The seats were field level, and pretty cool (cool as in awesome as well as temperature-wise). 

The home team didn't win, but it was a fun game and a great way to spend a spring evening. Hopefully, we'll get back to another game this season. 

       Andrew & Addie with Crew Cat

                      Great view!

Friday

Ah, Friday. Finally. 

Earlier this evening, I posted that I just needed an Oreo Blizzard and a couple of hours on Pinterest to be happy. 

Well, I just finished a Blizzard, so now it's time for Pinterest. Perhaps I'll find inspiration for more interesting blog posts. 

Happy weekend, friends. 

Muppets

Rainy days make for good movie days.  Especially on Spring Break.

Today, I took the kids and we met up with friends to see the new Muppets movie.  They have been talking about it for what seems like months; I'm sure we saw a preview for it a long time ago.  Addie and Andrew were very excited to finally get a chance to watch it; Alex was excited for the popcorn.

I grew up watching the Muppet Show, so I will admit that I was happy to see the newest installment of the Muppet adventures.  What I have a hard time getting past, though, is the different voices.  Sure, I suppose things must change in 30 years, but it is still a little off-putting to hear a character speaking in a voice that just doesn't seem quite right.  Beyond that, it was fun to see characters that I've enjoyed for many years in a new story line.

The kids enjoyed the movie, but they also enjoy the experience of being at the movie theater.  With the new reclining seats, you can't really blame them.  Add the bottomless bag of popcorn, and it's a nice way to spend a couple of hours!

With the high cost of taking the whole family to a movie (typically, at least $60!), going to the theater is reserved for special treats (unless, of course, we can wait a couple extra months to see a film at the "cheap theater"...all of us can go there, and have treats from the snack bar, for under $25!).  I am happy to see that several local theaters are offering showtimes with $5 tickets.  That is way more reasonable!  Maybe someone finally realized that lowering ticket prices means that families will frequent theaters more often.

We had a great afternoon, and thanks to the previews, the kids have several more movies on their "To See" lists.

Busy!

Tonight, I will use my blogging time to update my calendar and put all of the kids' activities for the next two months on our schedule.

Yeah, just kidding.  I'm having a glass of wine, and soon I'll enjoy a handful of peanut M&Ms while I watch reruns of The Big Bang Theory.

I really should spend some time updating my calendar, though.  I just had a minor freak out, remembering that Addie's Girl Scout Sock Hop is coming up in a few weeks.  Does her poodle skirt still fit?  Does she have costume appropriate shoes?  What will Mark wear? (It's a Father/Daughter sock hop.) WAIT...does Mark have to work that night?  Crap, what the hell am I going to do if he has to work?!?

Then I stopped, opened my schedule book and checked Mark's schedule and determined that at least the timing works out.  (Yes, I still use a book with calendars in it...partly because I don't like putting everything in my phone/on Google and partly because I really don't know how and I don't have the time to spend learning it.  Writing is faster.)  The costume pieces will all come together, somehow.  (But hey, if you're in the area and have something Mark could wear, please let me know.  Thanks!)

My kids are going to be finished with school in about seven weeks, which means that time will fly and we'll be obnoxiously busy as Miracle League baseball, t-ball, and track practices/games will soon begin, and the kids will be wrapping up their dance studies for the year and preparing for the big recital in June.

Whoa.  We're so close to summer!  Cue the next freak out.

Are the kids enrolled in enough day camps?  Where did I put the forms for the camps they are already attending?  Who will watch the kids while I work?  Can I lose some weight to fit into my bathing suit so I don't have to go through the agony of finding a new suit?

These are important issues, my friends.  I think it's time for another glass of wine while I figure all this out.

April Fool's Day

Ugh, another "holiday"??  Who has the time?  Not me.

I did actually think about playing a couple of pranks on the kids, but really did run out of time.  I just didn't plan well enough, and to be fair, some of the jokes that I liked were just too mean.  My favorite?  The air horn above the door stop, so when someone opened a door, the horn went off.  I about peed my pants just thinking about that one.  Maybe in a few years.  

I saw something unrelated to April Fool's Day, on Pinterest probably, but I decided to incorporate it into my last minute efforts of playing a joke on the kids.  I saw online, somewhere, an idea for a new display on your smart phone: have your kid smash their face against a window and take a picture, then set it as the background on your phone.  It should look like your kid is trapped in your phone.  Funny and creepy, all at the same time.  I tucked this little gem away for another time; little did I know, it would come in handy today.

After dinner, the kids were running around the backyard, and Mark was outside with them.  I saw an opportunity.  I called him over to the door, had him smash his face against the glass, then snapped his photo. He didn't think much of it; I guess I do take a lot of pictures.  He came inside and went upstairs, and the kids stayed outside for a bit.  When they came in, I showed them this:

...and told them that I found a magic trick to try online, but I messed it up and ended up trapping Daddy in my phone.  They thought it was hilarious.  Then they ran upstairs and found Mark sitting at his desk, to catch me in my tale.  Foiled again!

It really wasn't the best joke, but hopefully they appreciate the fact that I didn't let the day go by without some little prank.  Hey, if nothing else, I have this gem of a picture of my hubby...that he will be oh-so-thrilled to find posted on my blog.  I'm sure he will get his revenge somehow.  I should probably hide his phone at night so he can't post a picture of me at night, snoring away...

Did you pull any stunts today?  Do tell!