f.r.i.d.a.y. five

4:35

It's Friday!  Who knew?  This summer vacation stuff makes the time seem to fly by just as much as it stands still.  How can that actually be?  I guess because it's like every time I look at the clock I am surprised that it's like, late afternoon almost dinner time-ish already, and then again, somehow I feel like we've been doing a lot of nothing, which makes it feel kinda draggy.  I am anti-scheduling things to death, but during the summer I need to keep the kids busy.  I refuse to have them sitting around watching TV and telling me they are bored all day.  Except today.  Because it is so freaking hot, as soon as I open the door I feel all melty.  Plus Alex has a girl over (!) so I can't really leave to go do something fun or swimmy because I definitely don't want a 15 year-old boy/girl free-for-all going on.  I need to supervise.

Alex and a few friends

My spectacular method of supervision is having the little kids periodically make their way through the room that Alex and the girl are hanging in.  You know, just to make sure they're behaving.  Kara is pissed because she thinks I am easier on Alex than I was on her at that age.  Which is fairly accurate I guess.  I'm not sure why.  Well, she was the guinea pig!  I tested everything out on her, poor kid.  She did turn out pretty decent though, so I guess I did something right.  I still absolutely worry about Alex though, don't get me wrong.  I can't stand the fact that my boy is old enough to be semi-dating.  Teen-aged girls these days are like predators!  Did I mention that Alex was invited to the prom by a senior??  He just wrapped up 9th grade!  Sheesh.  Anyway, it makes me think back to being a teenager myself, and boy do I feel sorry for the moms of the boys I dated.  Ugh.  If only I had a time machine...

4:42 Time's up.  Happy weekend!

a couple of ideas

You know, I often feel like I have writer's block.  Like I feel this pressure to come up with something interesting and cool and fun to write every day, and then I just blank.  So when I see something somewhat interesting, or have an idea that I think is worthy of a post, I usually make a note of it.

Except if I'm in the shower when I think about it.  In which case I have to repeat the idea over and over in my mind until I rinse off and get out and can actually get it written down.  Because besides chronic writer's block, I have this brain block thing where I forget a thought that I want to remember almost immediately.

Anyway, here are a few things that could make a decent blog post if you're drawing a blank.

1.  Share some things that make you less than perfect.

2.  Write a top ten list of the celebrity crushes you had as a teen.

3.  Trying too hard.  Write on this topic.

4.  Write about the last time you got angry.

5.  Write about some of the things you'd like to see before you die.

6.  Write some tips for a new mom.

7.  Write about some funny things your child has said/done - something worthy of a baby book entry.

8.  Think of a fork in the road.  Write about how your life would be different if you followed the path not taken.

9.  Write about some of your pet-peeves.

10. Write a list of some of your favorite things, and include links to where you can get them.

So there you go.  A couple of OK ideas.  You can thank me with a frozen drink with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

funplex fun dad

When I was away a few weeks ago, Alex took the kids to this place called The Funplex.  Whenever I go away, he does fun stuff with the kids as much as he can, which is great because he typically doesn't get any real quality time with them alone, without me.  

They had so much fun, it made me feel less guilty for going off without them.

Scaredy Meg does not appreciate fast and furious

B-dog bungee bouncing like a champ

Alex and Brooke go on the go-cart

More bouncing for Brooke

Alex rock climbing to the top of the tower

Axeman hitting some homers in the batting cages

11 questions

1. What would you be doing right now if you weren’t answering my 11 questions?

Reading 50 Shades of Grey.  Except, that might be weird because my kids are all roaming around and I might feel like that could be considered inappropriate to read such smut in their presence.

2. If a genie were to grant you 3 wishes, what would your 3 wishes be?

1. That I could get a little puppy that wouldn't poop on my kitchen floor or chew stuff.
2. That Vampire Diaries could be on every night.
3. That I could have a personal chef to cook for me - breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And a few snacks.  All crazy yummy and low calorie/healthy.

3. What’s in your purse?

Oh boring normal stuff.  I have a tiny purse because I am anti-purse, pro-pocket.  In my little purse I have cash, credit cards, Burt's Bees lip balm, Burt's Bees tinted lip balm, a pack of gum and a winning lottery ticket. Five bucks, but hey, I'll take it!

4. What book are you dying to read (or, if you’re more of a movie person, what movie are you dying to see)?

Well, I'm sure about dying, but I am interested in reading 50 Shades of Grey, mostly because everyone is talking about it.  I just downloaded it to my book nook.  I just can't not read it - I hate feeling like I'm missing out.

5. What are the three best words to describe yourself?

• Pensive
• Multi-tasker
• Introverted

6. If you could trade places with someone for a week, who would it be and why?

So very shallow of me, but I’d probably trade places with someone rich and famous and beautiful, just to see if it was all it's cracked up to be.

7. What is your favorite song?

I just cannot answer that.  But some of my all time faves are: Just Like Heaven by The Cure, I Melt With You by Modern English, The Ghost in You by Psychedelic Furs, Lips Like Sugar by Echo & the Bunnymen, Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths,

8. What’s the best title for your biography or autobiography?

Mine would have to have the word 'boring' somewhere in the title.

9. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

I’d buy a bunch of houses spread out around the US, and maybe a few in other countries.  I'd need a beach house in CA, a mountain house in CO, a lake house on the east coast, and a brownstone in NYC, among others.

I'd absolutely hire a personal chef, to like, live with me.  A trainer would be good too.

Then I’d donate big bucks to some charities that mean something to me, like Project Cuddle.  I'd set up some good accounts so I could send my kids to whatever schools they wanted to go to, regardless of the price, and I'd give my sisters a bunch of money so they could get whatever they wanted.

10. Your worst day ever?

Hm.  Gosh.  I'm not sure I guess.  I've been very lucky in the fact that I haven't had much tragedy in my life.

11. Did you resolve to do anything differently this year? How’s that going?

I did.  I'd say that I am doing OK with most of them.  There are a few that   don't seem to working for me at all.  Like cooking dinner more often and dealing with several years of family pictures on three different computers. 

a thousand bucks

So, if someone handed me a thousand dollars and said, "Hey, take this money and spend it in any way you want to like, today-ish.  No giving it away, no banking it.  Go!"  This is what I would do, like right now:

1. Pack a few overnight type things and load the kids in the car.  Go to gas up, sadly fork over about $75.

2. Stop at Dunkin' Donuts.  The kids would request bagels and hot cocoa with whipped cream on top.  And we'd get a large coffee for Alex.  I may or may not get a "low fat" blueberry muffin which in all actuality is a complete and utter SCAM because it is like 8 Weight Watchers points, but whatever.  That would set me back about $15.

3.  Take a two hour drive to Old Sturbridge Village in MA.  Admission for my family would be about $75.

4.  Spend the day at the park.  Kids get a little souvenir budget and by the end of the day, between that and park food, I bet we'd have spent about $200.  Yow.

5.  Stop someplace for an early dinner, hopefully get away with spending less than $100.

6.  Head to Pine Acres Camping Resort, which is not far from Sturbridge at all.  Rent a lakeside cabin for two nights.  Which would end up running about $400.

7.  Go to the nearest grocery store and stock up on good camp food for the next two days/nights.  Should be able to manage with about $125.

8.  After two nights of cabin camping, head home.  We'd probably have to make a stop at McD's on the way for some Happy Meals and Frappés for the ride, which is where I am guessing we'd pretty much spend the last of the cash.

Well, hm.  Not a bad few days, right?  Now I just need to get someone to give me about a thousand bucks...

friday 5

Good day for a five minute purge, right?

4:40p
Been spending every afternoon at my sister Ali's pool.  Each day it's been over 95 degrees - I even got in there yesterday!  I actually love swimming and being in the pool - I just don't like to be cold in there, so it's got to be pretty hot for me to get me to go in.  Also, I hate bathing suits, and it's kind of a requirement to wear one, so there's that.

The kids love it.  I love watching them, it makes me smile, makes me think about being a little kid swimming with my sisters.  We'd play sharks and minnows and Marco polo and some kind of baseball type game.  We'd spend hours in the pool.  Every summer day.  We never got tired of it, and pretty much had to be dragged home by the babysitter at 4:00 to watch Quincy M.C.  It was her favorite show. 

We were really lucky to have a few great pools available to us as kids.  We grew up two doors down from my Aunt Sue, and she was pretty generous about letting us swim even though we were obnoxious. If Aunt Sue got sick of us, we always had my grandmother's pool, which was amazing, just a little bit of a long walk.

We toss around the idea of getting a pool all of the time, but my sister lives right around the corner.  It's kind of silly, we'd be swimming here and they'd be swimming there, and we wouldn't even be hanging out.  Where's the fun in that?  So for now we'll just let them host us.  Because you know, why not?

Alex wants a hot tub but I am opposed.  There are so many gross germs in there, I have a fear.  I got a hot tub rash once and my kids seem to get it at least once a year - and we only go in clean hot tubs!  It's awful where my mind goes when I think about the disgusting things I am soaking my body in.  Lets just say I am not the best at public pools/hot tubs, or anyplace that I would be submerging myself with a lot of other gross people's spit and pee and phlegm and ugh.  I feel a little nauseous.  Last summer all three little kids were covered in spots - it 100% looked exactly like chicken pox and was really itchy.  Even our pediatrician diagnosed them with chicken pox.  And they had all been vaccinated!  I was actually a little concerned because I have never had chicken pox, and I was never vaccinated.  I heard it is way worse as an adult.  So I did a little research because I thought it was weird that they all were vaccinated and I WebMD diagnosed them with the hot tub rash - Folliculitis.  I'm pretty sure that my pediatrician didn't appreciate the second opinion.  But I WebMD was right!  Poor kids had to go back to school, after suffering through the quarantine section of the doctor's office.

I suppose if I got a hot tub I could be selfish and not let anyone in but my people, so I'd only be submerging myself in their germs.  I don't know.  I'll think about it.

Whoa - time's definitely up.  I'll zip it now.  Happy weekend!  

the last day and hot pockets

So today was the official last day of school.  I mean last hour.  Because there was only one hour of school.  But today was it.  My kids all made it through their school year with ease, and that's a great feeling.  Alex was pretty lazy about his final quarter and exams, but the girls did great.  Megan got on High Honor Roll, and Alex made Honor Roll - little smarties.

It was 98 degrees out today.  In fact, as I write this at 6 pm, I believe the temp is still in the 90s.  Crazy.  We spent the afternoon in the pool, which was really nice.  Alex was supposed to have a soccer game, and Brookie had a Little League game, but they were both actually cancelled because of how very hot it is.

I usually don't mind the heat if I can be in the shade or the water.  But I definitely have a hard time if there's no air conditioning - especially at night when I am trying to sleep.  We've had it for so long, I think my body is spoiled.  It does not respond well to being forced to endure hot stuffiness.  Here at my house, both of my Alex's have environmental allergies, so we can't leave windows and doors open for like, fresh air.  This time of year, their allergies seem to get worse, so even in transitional weather periods, when you normally would have some outside air flow going on, we can't really do that.  Which is where the beauteous AC comes in.

Just today, I noticed for like, the second or third time in a week, that there was pretty much a hot pocket of air upstairs near my laundry room and I couldn't figure out what the deal was.  It was a hot pocket even when I wasn't running the washer or dryer, and it was kind of driving me a little crazy.  I'd walk through and feel the thick heat and it would momentarily throw me into an oh-my-cod-the a/c-is-down-we're-all-going-to-be-forced-to-live-in-sweaty-squalor! panic.  Then I'd make it through and just go, huh?  So today, I did a little deep sleuthing and discovered that my ditzy son has been leaving the bathroom window open while he showers.  Letting all of that nice expensive cold air right out in to the back yard.  Greeeeaaat.

Well at least I know now, and hopefully won't have to suffer through any more scary moments like that.  I mean, sheesh.

So tomorrow, we're going to sit down in the morning and come up with a list of fun things to do this summer.  It's going to feel so official when we don't have to get up and rush rush rush.  Awesome.  Happy Summer!

i love lists. i love lamp.

*repost
Somewhere out there is a really really funny blog post that this lady wrote about 23 things she has learned so far in her lifetime.  I have searched and googled and binged and for the life of me, I can't seem to find it.  It was hilarious.  And it gave me the idea for this post.  I wish I could find it to share with you.


Twenty Three Things that I have Learned:


One:  Those new hand dryer things are very blowy.  Seriously, some of the new ones are like industrial strength and they absolutely have the power to flip your dress up Marilyn Monroe style.  However, it is very amusing to watch that crazy strong air moving the skin on your hands around.


Two:  Just let your kid wear the fringed pleather cowboy boots with the tacky Christmas dress to school if she really wants to.  Or also in my case, the full on sparkly ballet costume including matching headdress thing.  Because in the scheme of life, who really cares?  If it makes your kid feel happy and awesome, that definitely matters more than your mild embarrassment over the double takes and weird looks.  Trust me, other parents totally get it.  I promise you they do not think you picked that hideous outfit out.  


Three: Appreciate your skin when it is flawless and young.  Because there will come a time when your kids ask you if you're mad every day because your wrinkled forehead totally looks like a scowl.  There is virtually no way to keep it as great as it was in your twenties.  So love it, and take care of it while you can.  


Four: In keeping with that theme, also appreciate and take care of your bod when its young and tight and cute.  You can't fight gravity and age, but you can slow the hands of time a little.  Take my word for it, it fucking sucks to hear, "Mommy, why do you have those dents in your leg?"  Slather up with sunscreen and good lotion now and it will pay off later.


Five:  You know that little "ass practically on the ground" squat that two-year-olds can get into, and stay into for the duration of an entire episode of Dora the Explorer?  Yeah, don't attempt that.  Or if you do, definitely have somebody stronger than a two-year-old nearby to help you get up off the floor.  Because I think the ability to hold that squat goes away somewhere around the same time as the your amazing skin and tight bod.  Also, I'm pretty sure that the same goes for attempting cartwheels and herkies when you're old enough to have a teenager. 


Six: When you've been standing on line to get into Test Track at Epcot for an hour and fifteen minutes with cranky annoying kids and sweat on your brow, and you notice that the guy in front of you all of a sudden is chatting heavily with a girl that just "happened" to walk by, please recognize that you just got scammed with the traditional "chat and cut" move that sly people try to use to jump the line.  How you choose to deal with that offense is entirely up to you.


Seven: A snore now will be a snore later.  It doesn't matter if they are freaking adorable and a great kisser.  If you have nothing in common (besides the great kissing), nothing to talk about and the person is just plain boring, you will never be able to change that.


Eight:  You don't have to be fall off the bar stool drunk, but let's faced it, talking to certain people is just way more tolerable with alcohol in your system.  I'd say a mellow three drinks or so should do the trick if you need a buffer.


Nine: And on that note, never drink a double bottle of cheap wine by yourself.  Unless you were planning on throwing up in, on or near your bed, and having the worst fucking hangover of your life the next day.


Ten:  There are two kinds of people in the world:  party makers, and party fillers.  If you're fun to be around, chat and generally have a good time, you're probably a maker.  If you stand there looking at your drink and the clock and talking on your cell phone the entire party, you're probably a filler.  You should really figure that out.


Eleven: Everybody needs somebody.  Be a somebody.  It feels really good.


Twelve: Small hands and feet don't necessarily mean anything other than you have small hands and feet.  Give the guy with the little fingers a chance, he may just surprise you.


Thirteen:  You can pretend you don't hear that awful thumpy bumping a car makes when the tire is flat because you don't want to deal with the fact that your tire is flat, but pretending something doesn't exist won't make it not exist.  You have to deal with shitty things sometimes, just get it over with now, because it only gets worse the longer you wait.


Fourteen:  Perfection doesn't actually exist.  So quit knocking yourself out trying to find it or be it.


Fifteen:  If you quit something to avoid failure, you've pretty much actually failed.  


Sixteen:  Ridiculously good looking guys are dicks.  I don't mean to generalize on an entire population, but I would venture a guess that it is true approximately 97% of the time.  It has to be a proven scientific fact somewhere.  Because there's just no denying that when you're extremely attractive, you get away with much more.  And it's a rare person that can be hot and humble and nice and sweet all at the same time.


Seventeen: Recognize that you can't make everyone happy.  Sometimes, you just need to worry about what makes you happy.  And that's OK.  Really.


Eighteen:  Good looks will only get you so far, and that stuff eventually fades.  Smart and kind and genuine usually lasts forever.  Seek those kind of people and surround yourself with them.  Better yet, be one of those kind of people.


Nineteen:  Realize that nobody is looking at you and nobody cares.  And if they are looking and they do care, it's none of your business what they are thinking anyway.  If you don't do things because you are worried about what people might think or say, or you're afraid you'll look stupid or mess up in front of someone, you're tossing away potential valuable experiences. When someone dies, you don't usually hear people say, "Remember that time when she was so pretty..."  You hear, "Remember that time when she totally went for it and ended up hitting a home run?"


Twenty:  Don't leave things on the table.  Too many times people walk away from a situation and say, "I should have..." and feel regret.  Regrets suck.


Twenty One:  Trust people. Life is hard if you have a green pit of worried jealousy in your stomach all of the time.  If someone is going to deceive you, its going to happen whether you're up their ass or not.


Twenty Two: If you are in the line that is going at a snail's pace and you are watching everyone moving swiftly through another line, as soon as you make the decision to bail and switch lanes - it's almost a give in that your original line is going to speed up and you're going to feel pissed that you didn't just wait it out.  Sometimes you have to wait it out.


Twenty Three: A crappy bra isn't your friend.  Do yourself a favor get fitted.  Suck it up and let the girl at Victoria's Secret feel you up for a second, and take a true measurement of your boobs.  Everything looks better when your bra fits right.

wordless wednesday

third days and forgetting your kids

                                                                                                   Santa Fe, NM sky

Welp.  Kinda feels like summer has begun.  This is the last week of school for my kids, and it barely even counts.  I hate this week.  Because Monday through Wednesday, the girls have a "half day."  I am air quoting half day because it is actually more like 2 and a half hours of school.  It's more like a third day.  Let's call a spade a spade.  And Thursday may as well not even be considered a school day at all, because the kids literally go in to school for one hour.  Yep.  One hour.  It's not even worth my time getting up and dressed and driving Brooke to school for an hour.

Anyway, my problem with the third days is this.  I forget to pick up my kid.  All joking aside, I am mental.  I have a blockage somewhere in my brain that makes me forget certain things.  Like picking up my kid from school apparently.  Which is exactly why having my iPhone is so important to me.  Because I have conveniently set an alarm to go off every school day a few minutes before dismissal.  Except however, on the days that the kids are going to be released early.  Those days, I am on my own.  And damn it all, I forgot to pick my poor little Brookie up today.  Thank Cod that I happened to randomly look at the clock at 11:39.  On these third days,  she gets out at 11:30, and it only takes me about 2 or 3 minutes to drive to where I pick her up.  But you guys, 11:39!

So anyway, there are times when I haven't been there on the nose for whatever reason.  She just sits in the grass by the crossing guard and waits for me.  But I've never gotten there more than a couple of minutes later than she has.  But the extra bad thing about today was that Brooke was having a friend over after school.  Which  means I wasn't just late for my kid, I was late for someone else's kid too.  Which is a terrible thing.  So when I looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:39, I was like, shit!!! 

And even though I was still in my pj pants and shockingly, bra-less (don't judge me!  I didn't get around to the shower at that point for some reason!), I ran out the door bare foot, grabbing my sweatshirt as I went. I rarely have to actually get out of the car at pick up, so I thought I was OK.  Either way, there was no way for me to go change and put on a bra - so I took the gamble on being that mom who shows up in such a mortifying state of affairs that you pretend you don't know her.

So I frantically pulled up to the pick up spot and I was so happy that she wasn't there.  I could see her and her little friend swinging on the school playground swings and I felt myself physically loosening up.  I was all stressed, and I had forgotten that when Brooke has a playdate, I let her swing for a few minutes before she walks down the path to my car.  So they were just swinging along, happy as little clams, no idea that I was late.

Phew!

So as I waited to for the girls to wrap up swinging and make their way down the path to me, I temporarily reset my alarm to go off a few minutes before 11:30 so we don't have such a thing happen again.

Then we came home, had yummy popsicles and lunch, played house, went swimming, jumped on the trampoline, got chill zones... such a good happy summery day.  I hope all of the summer days go like this.  Except for the late part.

99 and friday 5

So you guys!  I officially have 99 followers!  WooHOO!

I am so close to triple digits I can almost taste it.  

I just wanted to point out that exciting news before I started a little Friday five minute purge.  Yikes, can you believe it is Friday already?!  I know!  Me neither.  Do you like how I am conversing with myself? Or more like I am conversing with an imaginary reader.

So yeah, I know I am weird.  
11:40 a

Hm.  It's a beautiful sunny morning, and I sit here with my coffee, kind of cold.  Ah, pretty much definitely cold.  In warm weather I tend to have a harder time finishing a cup.  In fact, when it's warm, coffee usually makes me a little nauseous.  I've actually been a little nauseous for the past few days.  I should be in a better mood than I am.  I just got back from a little adventure that I so loved.  Have you ever been to New Mexico?  Now I can say that I have.  It was just a really cool place.  Very dry, very brownish, very different from home.  There was so much to see and do and eat.  If you are an art lover, there are these sculptures all over the place in Santa Fe, wind sculptures that are totally cool and mesmerizing.  I wanted to take one home.  Or twenty.  I'm not sure I would have been able to smuggle them onto the plane.  And they probably might look weird at my house, but I don't care.  I like them. Also, the food there is incredible.  I actually believe I had a meal that could be in my top five all time meals ever eaten.  It was breakfast at this place called Pasquale's.  I highly, strongly, fully encourage you to eat a meal or three there if you are ever in Santa Fe.  The menu is amazing and it is so hard to decide what to order.  I had a Durango Omelet with green chile sauce and I may have died a little bit eating it.  It was a man sized portion and I pretty much think I would have licked my plate if I thought nobody would notice.  So, so, so good.  I was seated next to this couple traveling from Michigan I think, who ordered pancakes.  Like, why would you order pancakes in New Mexico?  I love pancakes. But I can have pancakes every day at home.  Well, they looked amazing, I must admit.  But still, I personally was going for the southwestern experience food-wise, and I had to order something spicy and different.  Anyway, I need to go back.  I didn't get to see nearly as much as I wanted to.  And guess what?  John is dumb.  New Mexico is not boring at all.  I'll post more about it next week.

11:50.  whoops, that was ten minutes.

satellite

                                                              Santa Fe, NM

Shining like a work of art
Hanging on a wall of stars
Are you what I think you are?

You're my satellite

You're riding with me tonight
Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find

Elevator to the moon
Whistling our favorite tune
Trying to get a closer view

Maybe you will always be
Just a little out of reach

-guster

wordless wednesday

                                                                                                                 Albuquerque, NM

the last word, v6

People Magazine has this new feature thing on the last page of their magazine.  On the last page, they have a new feature called the last word (so clever!) where a celebrity answers a few questions on the last things they've done.

So even though I'm not a celebrity or anything (wait. what?!), I'm going to go ahead and answer the questions.  Because, why not?

The last playdate that (I?) had:  Well, I am a grown up, so I don't have playdates.  So I am assuming that we are all referring to the last kid playdate that occurred here at my house.  And that would be Friday, when there was a houseful of kiddos here, entertaining my kids.  Lots of sleepovers.  Yow.

The last purchase that I made:  Today, I purchased a rotisserie chicken and some chicken broth.  WooHOO!  So exciting!  But I am making my favorite chicken soup, so even though I was being a little sarcastic, I really mean it.  WooHOO!

The last time that I used a coupon:  Hm.  I am not opposed to coupons at all.  I love saving a buck.  I used a coupon Thursday when I picked up a few things at Macy's.  I would never buy anything there without using a coupon.  Because, why would you?!

The last time that I worked out: I worked out on Friday.  Hating every freaking moment of it. 

The last thing that I laughed at:  I was perusing damnyouautocorrect.com.  I absolutely love those things.  Hilarious.  There is no way you can read them and not laugh.  I can spend an embarrassing amount of time on that site.

The last junk food that I ate:  I ate three pieces of dark chocolate.  Apparently it is supposed to be good for you.  I believe that it's supposed to be one piece of dark chocolate a day, but I'm just going to tell myself that three must be much better for my health.

The last time that I cursed:  That would have to be pretty recently I'm sure.  I cannot exactly recall the moment of the swear.  But I'm sure it happened.

The last thing that I cleaned:  I cleaned the kitchen.  Because that is what I do constantly.  All day.  Every day.  How does a kitchen always get so messy anyway?

My last impulse buy:  Basically, everything that I buy is impulsive.  I don't follow an actual list.  But I'm going to have to go with Popsicles.  I have tons of Popsicles, but I happened to see these pops that I knew my kids would like, so I just grabbed them.

The last time that I stayed up late:  I stay up late every night.  Because I can't fall asleep til well after midnight usually.  Something must be wrong with  me.

monday listicle - things that make you go hmm

So I've been reading this new to me blog, The Good Life, and it's fun and funny.  And guess what?  That Stasha does a feature thing that is called Monday Listicles.  There are different topics every Monday where you list ten things, then link up.  Well.  You all know how much I love lists.  So I have to participate.  Because, you know, it would be a crime if I passed up an opportunity to write a list and link it to other list writers and then like, love my list so hard.  So apparently this week's topic is "Ten Things that make you go hmmm."  Well huh.  This shouldn't be too hard for an opinionated girl like myself.

It makes me go hmmm when I step on a piece of chewed up gum in the parking lot.

It make me go hmmm when I find a used band-aid just like, somewhere that is not in the actual garbage.

It makes me go hmmm when everybody throws their dirty laundry in front of the laundry room door.  As opposed to inside the laundry room.

It makes me go hmmm when I look nice in a dressing room mirror, but look like a disgusting oaf in my own mirror.

It makes me go hmmm that people take my things and do not put them back.  Such as my shampoo.  My razor.  My hairbrush.  You know.  That.

It makes me go hmmm when I see someone being mean to their kid/s in public. Not like, being a parent reprimanding or correcting, just like, being a mean, mean person.

It makes me go hmmm when people make rude comments to and about each 
other all over the internet.

It makes me go hmmm when people are so judgmental about one another.  As if they are perfect.

It makes me go hmmm when people begrudge you for your good fortune.

It makes me go hmmm that I could come up with these things all. day. long.

friday five - the boring gym post

6:25 p

So it's Friday.  And it's past five.  The house is filled with kids - everyone has someone sleeping over.  It's a little busy here right about now.  I don't really mind, it seems like an easy group, so that's good.  

I had no interest whatsoever in going to the gym today.  Actually, I never have any interest in going to the gym.  I hate it.  HATE.  I don't even know why I go, it's not like it seems to change anything.  I drag my ass there three times a week because I know I should, and throughout my whole workout, I am hating every single minute of it.  This one old guy who talks to me sometimes, he is at the gym every day for like an hour and a half.  I think he might be lonely because who would do that?!  Plus, he talks to me.  He is very pleasant, but I have my ear buds in, trying to listen to something, anything, that will keep me moving, and he'll say something.  So I have to pop an ear bud out because I can't be rude.  But I kind of like doing my own thing at the gym.  I'm not really into chit-chatting.  I'm sweaty and testy and not wanting to be there.  But I feel guilty pretending not to hear him, so I always talk back. *sigh*

I'm rather friendly like that.  Grr.  I have a soft spot for lonely old people I guess. 

6:30 p  Time's up.

some favorite things

Favorite workout song on iPod - Oh man, I have a workout playlist, and it definitely has some high energy tunes on it.  I have a tough time ever picking favorites when it comes to music, but I will say that when the song "Shipping Up to Boston," by the Dropkick Murphy's comes on, I definitely pick up the pace.

Usual at coffee shop - So in my little hick town, there isn't exactly a coffee shop like a Starbucks or anything.  We do have a Dunkin' Donuts though.  WooHOO.  But in all honesty, I like the coffee at a local convenience store, Griffin's, better than any Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts anyway.  They have the brand of coffee that I like, and they also have the only cream that I will use, Hazelnut International Delight.  I only go there when I run out of coffee though, because I make my own at home. 

App addicted to - Besides the regulars, like Safari or Facebook or something, I am a Scramble addict.  It's probably the app I use the most.  And I have a dumb amount of apps for some reason.  But yeah, Scramble.  I can't help it, I love that game.  Wanna get beat?

Item in makeup bag - Oh man.  I don't wear much makeup, but what I do wear I really like.  I use Laura Mercier makeup, it's awesome.  I could probably not give up my under eye cream.  Or my translucent face powder.  It's so soft and silky...  I also use this stuff by Yves St Laurent called Forever Youth Liberator that I'd have a rough time giving up.  It is so great because I definitely think it makes my wrinkles less wrinkly.  It's so expensive though, seriously ridiculous.

Calm spot in house - Ah, my big deep cozy bathtub is a pretty awesome calm spot.  I love to take a bath and just relax in there.  I could read an entire book in that tub.  Happily.

Movie watched the most - I have watched a bunch of 80's movies over and over to the point where I can pretty much recite them word for word - like The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller - so many more.  There is no denying that the 80's produced some seriously unforgettable movies.

Favorite website - Ah, another one that's hard to narrow down.  I'll say that I log on to these sites every single day, in this order:  msnbc.com, Facebook, this blog, gmail, pinterest and etsy.  Then from there, it's anyone's guess.  I try to read a bunch of blogs that I like.  Also, I'm kind of into picmonkey lately - it's a very cool photo editing site, and I love messing around with pictures.

Guilty pleasure TV show - Well.  I'll admit that I watch The Bachelor and Bachelorette most seasons.  And Real World, and ugh, 16 and Pregnant.  I usually keep that under my hat though, because it's such mindless, train-wreck, waste-of-an-hour TV.  In certain circles, I may not reveal that information.  It's classified.  And rather embarrassing.  Don't tell anyone.

we could always talk about the weather

Yow.  Summer is like, right around the corner.  I've been thinking that it's about time to write down some things that I want to do this summer with the kids.  We usually write a list and see what we can get to.  With just a few weeks til the last day of school, we better get on it so I don't hear the dreaded "I'm bored," that I love so much.

It's been rather un-summerlike recently.  So much rain I've hardly been able to mow my lawn for like almost two weeks!  And I hate a sucky looking lawn.  My lawn usually looks like a cozy carpet.  A green cozy carpet that I could roll on.  But lately it looks more like a freaking field and it's driving me crazy.  If it isn't raining, it's damp from having recently rained.  Then my mower gets clogged and I get frustrated.  It's a vicious cycle.

Ah well.  At least it's not sweltering.  Sweltering is difficult for me. I don't think I could ever live in a state where it's hot all of the time, like Florida.  I like warm, but hot is definitely not my favorite.  Hot is sticky, oppressive and sweaty and like, consuming.  When you can feel the thickness of the air, I'm over it.  It takes some serious heat to get me in the pool.  I do love to swim, to wade around and cool off, it's just the actual getting in part that I usually avoid.

And forget about sleeping in a hot stuffy room.  It brings back memories of being little, just tossing and turning in my bed for hours, so sticky and sweaty that even the sheet was unbearable to have on.  I grew up in this little Cape Cod, and when I was younger, my sisters and I shared a room upstairs.  Where it was literally stifling in the summer.  Fans did nothing to touch the heat.  I'm lucky I made it through.  Sheesh mom.  I might go so far as to suggest that my sleeping conditions in the hot summer were like a form of torture.  No air conditioning?!   What were we, animals??  

So, I suppose weather-wise, my favorite is warm with a breeze.  Where could I live that the weather would be like, a sunny low to mid 80's with a breeze pretty much all of the time?  That place may not exist.  Maybe North Carolina.  If I stayed east coast.  Not that I am planning on slipping away from NY in the middle of the night or anything.

Anyway, I'm going to New Mexico soon, and I think it might be hot.  I thought I researched it and the weather was supposed to be in the 80's, but apparently I was wrong.  90's.  Yep.  I'll have to pray that it cools down so I don't die there.  A slow, hot, sweaty death.  I really hope the air conditioning is functioning.  I'm scared.

Also, speaking of New Mexico, my BIL John told me that it is boring and lame, and there is nothing to do there.  I believe he drove through NM once in his life so I am choosing not to believe him.   Have any of you guys been there?  In the ABQ area?  Tell me about some fun stuff to do so that I can prove John wrong.  Proving John wrong is the best thing ever and I need to do it.

OK, laters baby.  Back to my book for now.  I have an hour til I have to go pick up Brooke from school, and I'm trying to finish up.  Can you guess what I am reading?