Revised Approach to Life, 2009

Last year I tried to create a simple list of resolutions and for the record (there's a record, right? Somebody is scoring how well I do in life? That's important to me), I've done reasonably well at meeting most some a couple one of them - I have posted on my regular blog everyday. Whether or not it's been pithy and/or meaningful is debatable.

• I think I've become more mindful of my everyday life, but I don't feel solid at it and look forward to improving.
• No claw foot tub (Stu really tried, but they're all too strangely-shaped for our house. Plus they weigh 1,000,000 pounds) but my man did install a fabulous modern bath tub for me. I only have one candle near it, though. Will work on that.
• And everything else I actually do sometimes but not as often as I'd prefer.

So I'm designing this year's resolutions list as a What Not To Do in the hopes that it will stick better that way; I much prefer avoiding what I shouldn't do rather than doing what I'm told.

In 2009 I will not:

1. Lie in bed listening to the radio alarm for more than 2 minutes or get up, turn it off, and return to bed.
2. Stay up past 10:30 on a school night no matter what. I'm serious.
3. Forget to choose the next day's outfit each night (just for me; Stu can fend for himself).
4. Skip breakfast, wherein "breakfast" refers to a decent grain - cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter toast + fruit and milk. [Bonus points for meat or egg product. Not sure what the bonus points are for but I'll think of something].
5. Start making dinner without lighting a few candles around the house.
6. Forgo a cup of tea in the morning & after school.
7. Scorn & avoid the Wii Fit Balance Board after the kids are in bed, and on weekend mornings.
8. Put off planning getaways (including babysitter) for me & my man once a month.
9. Miss opportunities to make cards from my photos.
10. Allow my classroom to smell like teen 'spirit.' (I got these for $7 at Whole Foods last night!)
11. Let other people's poor/thoughtless choices affect my outlook on life. I'm talking to all the dumbass drivers out there - watch me smile & wave and pray for your soon-to-be-wrecked-or-ticketed souls. Too much? I doubt they're reading my blog anyway.

*Happy, happy, delightful, magical, marvelous, enjoyable, agreeable New Year to you*

thank you, lord, for fridays. amen.

1. Oh, I can't wait until I have a clone to do all the boring and/or yucky stuff.

2. Our Brita water pitcher is the first thing I see when I open my refrigerator but I quickly train my eyes on the wine.

3. I never leave home without reading material, for everyone.

4. If I were a condiment, I would be brown mustard because I am understated yet spicy; enjoyed by many but not all.

5. Ignorant drivers is really high up on my list of pet peeves.

6. The last thing I thought of before I went to bed was I'm so bleeding tired; and Tomorrow Is Another Day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Camp Naughty! [I'll miss you, Bad Husband!], tomorrow my plans include haircut & napping (though not at the same time), and maybe a movie with Bad Husband, and Sunday I want to go to the Wine & Art Festival at our local winery.

Blessed be the Friday Fill-Ins; go & be at peace.

oh yes it is that day

1. Idle hands are not paying proper attention.

2. I love lots of good-smelling stuff in the shower.

3. My favorite time of the day is when I'm falling into bed.

4. The last tea I drank was my beloved Raffles Morning tea.

5. I like to relax some, plan some, play a lot in the Summer.

6. My mother always said many things that made me cringe (but I still love her, with plugged ears).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to my students' Art Show & my kids' school carnival, tomorrow my plans include scoring big at the community garage sale, haircut & highlights, then friend Dave's birthday on the town, and Sunday I want to celebrate our PTA volunteers with a potluck.

Friday Fill-Ins, they're good for you.

it's not just emmitt smith's birthday

Other than it being our 15th anniversary, here are some more good things about today:

1. Stu delivered a bunch of white Gerber daisies + Dove bar to me at school this morning (a round of AWWWWWWs, please; thank you)
2. Leftover pepperoni & pineapple pizza for breakfast
3. SUNSHINE!
4. The cooling unit in my classroom is working like a dream
5. No student complaints today. I'm totally serious. (Maybe I blocked them out?)
6. The beloved husband of 15 years unloaded & loaded the dishwasher
7. Payday [also known as Grocery Shopping Day...woohoo]
8. Did I mention SUNSHINE?
9. I saw one of these dudes on the way home from school:

And it's almost Friday. Can somebody say "Amen"?

tuesday blessings

Because I don't want to miss a thing (with props to Aerosmith - and today's #1 blessing).

1. Joe Perry is still holy-crap-hot at 57
2. Homemade chocolate cake from one of our marriage group members
3. New lights installed in my classroom (and promise secured for putting up a bulletin board)
4. Son kept his head through entire Conestoga wagon-making project (will post pictures soon)
5. New tissue box cover from daughter filled & positioned on my desk at school
6. Vanilla Chai yogurt for lunch
7. Pepperoni & pineapple pizza for dinner, ordered online
8. Yummy-smelling almond soap, only $1.79 at Whole Foods

Eight seems reasonable, doesn't it? I see you nodding. I think I'll go to bed early.

because you might care

This came in an e-mail from a dear friend (who is far better at keeping in touch with me than I am with her, although I did meet up with her when our family went to Disneyland a couple of years ago. That may not have been her idea of super fun though...), it seemed interesting, and my list blog has been neglected.

If you would like to consider this a super fun meme, please feel free to copy and leave a note in comments so we can visit your version.

Random stuff I've done. Discuss.

( ) Gone on a blind date
( X ) Skipped school (to finish a paper...How lame am I ?)
( X ) Been to Canada (oh, long lost Canadian kind-of-boyfriend...)
( X ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
( X ) Been on a plane
( X ) Been lost (literally and metaphorically, as a matter of fact)
( ) Been on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Swam in the ocean (Does having a panic attack there count?)
( X ) Cried yourself to sleep
( X ) Paid for a meal with coins only (I don't remember specifically, but surely I must have at some point...I've been that tightwadded thrifty)
( X ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't (Um. Daily?)
( X ) Made prank phone calls (GASP! Don't tell my kids)
( X ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( X ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( X ) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa (Made lots of detailed lists - SURPRISE - but never wrote an actual letter)
( X ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( X ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
( X ) Blown bubbles
( X ) Gone ice skating (It was disastrous. And cold. Not for me)
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors (Sounds disastrous. And cold)
( X ) Gone to the movies alone (Once on Mother's Day and people kept looking at me with pity - I CHOSE to be without my kids, people!)


1. Any nickname? Well...Formerly "Frog," which spun out of control and was quickly regretted
2. Mother's name? Loraine (yes, only one R)
3. Favorite drink? Pepsi for anytime; raspberry lemon drop for grown-ups-only time
4. Tattoos? Negative. Pain = bad.
5. Body piercings? Doubles in my ears, but I rarely fill them.
6. How much do you love your job? So much it hurts. (I'm serious; it's my destiny)
7. Birthplace? Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, Washington
8. Favorite vacation spot? Disneyland with family; Shanghai with my man
9. Ever been to Africa? Not yet...
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Cookies, no. Cake? Yes.
11. Ever been on TV? Not on purpose.
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? That would be illegal and wrong.
13. Ever been in car accident? Sigh. Yes.
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? Only 4-door for this suburban hipster
15. Favorite salad dressing? raspberry vinaigrette or honey mustard
16. Favorite pie? Some kind of berry, or my own chocolate chip-walnut pumpkin (Yes, I have baked)
17. Favorite number? 28
18. Favorite movie? To make me choose one, that is crazy and mean. Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Terms of Endearment come to mind first
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas, and my birthday
20. Favorite dessert? Nanaimo bar followed closely by the easier-to-find Oatmeal Carmelita
21. Favorite food? See "Favorite dessert" But also pepperoni & pineapple pizza and cinnamon toast
22. Favorite day of the week? Friday is most hopeful & exciting with prospects
23. Favorite brand of body wash? I usually use bar soap - Trader Joe's Oatmeal Almond is pleasant
24. Favorite toothpaste? Tom's of Maine Cinnamint
25. Favorite scent? Coconut or nutmeg, depending on the season
26. What do you do to relax? Read, listen to quiet music (Natalie Merchant, Chris Botti, Norah Jones)
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? As blissful as today. Maybe still teaching, or maybe running a funky bookstore.

things that please me lately

Because I can't seem to make Thursday Thirteen about anything other than me, here are my [occasionally shallow] blessings during the past week:

1. Lunch out & pedicure with my sweetpea daughter
2. Watching my Cub Scout boy proudly race his Pinewood Derby car
3. Best friend making delicious dinner for everyone Monday night
4. Warmth in my classroom (at least in the vicinity of the space heaters; midroom can still be rather chilly)
5. 32 short story students (23 male, aged 15-17) under reasonable control and actually participating in class for two days in a row
6. Finally cleaning up my secret hideaway/kids' playroom/Christmas gift-wrapping central
7. Continued awe about No Country for Old Men
8. Downloaded the soundtrack to Juno, an absolute delight
9. LOST resumes tonight! (Even though the title now refers to me and my grasp of the storyline...)
10. Good husband doing all of the dishes
11. Three new books to read
12. Being the Mystery Reader in my daughter's 2nd grade class
13. This. Sheer, hysterical brilliance:

thirteen prized possessions in my immediate vicinity

#1-4 Whiteboard/bulletin board; necessary lists (surprise!) about being happy, loving yourself (it's not naughty, sorry), and things I want to do before I die; charming photo of a Hobbit-like residence in Ireland; dry erase pens for recording important notes (like "BUY MOM CHOCOLATE")

#5-8 Stuffed Velveteen Rabbit from an antique store; little stuffed girl who just makes me smile, I can't explain it; jar of pencils (even though I never use these - it's more of a visual thing); framed Susan Branch print about heaven being within me (she must not know about my bad momness)

#9 - 11 Ceramic mug with roses and vines - I bought it with my very own money at a swanky gift store while in high school and felt very grown-up about it; funky multi-colored mug handpainted by my daughter - a recent present, it makes me feel very Alice in Wonderland; more pencils - the blue & white ones in the back are vintage, one features the LA Rams and the other St. Louis Cardinals (for you non-football people, those are long gone NFL teams)

#12 - 13 Handy (and humble) journal - spiral binding a must; coaster for my cup of tea (and occasional glass of wine), from a set bought as a reminder of our whirlwind trip to London - they have cool drawings of pubs around the city

More Thursday Thirteen coolness

'twas a good year

More good stuff at Wordless Wednesday

it's winter break! tra la la!

Friday Fill-In time ~

1. Snow snow snow snow (it's my mantra for the next few days...).

2. I'm looking forward to sleeping in (!!!) and spending time with my kids in their classrooms.

3. My man is the best husband ever! (Sappy, I know, but it's the holidays. And I want a back rub).

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is The Dick VanDyke Show. I watched reruns every morning during the summer.

5. I'm done with feeling guilty (and perpetuating guilty feelings in others).

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is egg nog & Christmas lights at night.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dressing up & going out with my man, tomorrow my plans include a haircut (possibly something new - I've got some time to work with it before going back to school), and Sunday, I want to enjoy the Christmas service at church.

thirteen blessings in a ridiculous half-week

I was Woman on the Verge this week, but I have successfully (read: sans criminal record/with teaching job) made it to Vacation Day #1! And there are many blessings that got me here relatively unscathed:

1. A best friend, whose Monday was comparably horrible, ready to share tea, tears, and stories right after school (Thanks, Jen!), plus all the great reader friends who propped me up, too
2. Enjoying a junior high orchestra concert (wherein some of the tunes sounded like the somber string quartet in Nightmare Before Christmas, yet it was just what the psychiatrist would have ordered)
3. Inspired poems by teenagers styled after "Stopping By the Woods On A Snowy Evening"
4. Witnessing the usually checked-out students in my speech class rising to participate in an assignment
5. Listening to the lovely (or at least earnest) voices of a local girls' choir singing carols
6. Watching my best friend's frequently squirrelly first grader sitting rapt during the choir performance
7. My 7-year old daughter coming down the stairs in her black velvet pants and black t-shirt (decorated with a heart made of bones) announcing "I feel like a shadow today."
8. My son calmly & coolly completing his Moon Base model after the initial "IDON'TKNOWHOWTOPUTONTHEFOIL!" freakout
9. Digging out the jeans I decorated with my faux-edgy quotes and pictures during my freshman year of college - and fitting into them! It's a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!
10. Two classes (20+ kids each) totally excited about playing Taboo for the entire hour & a half periods
11. Receiving an official "Welcome to the school family" present from my principal (a stained glass star in our school colors; I will hang it in my office window with utter pride)
12. Cards, chocolates, cookies, and an ornament from students
13. The train & trestle my Advocacy class created from granola bars, pretzel sticks, marshmallows, frosting and gummi bears, complete with a jumper on the top bridge beam (Merry Morbid Christmas, everyone!)

Ah. Life is good.

Visit more Thursday Thirteen listers.

i'm beginning to get impatient for christmas

It's that time of the week! TGIF, baby

1. I relish Christmas.

2. White (simply elegant) is my favorite colors for the Christmas tree lights.

3. The candles in the window have no bulbs (candles in the window? I don't have the energy).

4. It's A Wonderful Life is one of my most favorite Christmas movies (followed closely by Elf).

5. My favorite Christmas lyrics are "We'll pass around the coffee and the PUMPkin pie!"

6. I'm dreaming of a snow day or two.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cleaning my house then slugging in front of the TV, tomorrow my plans include feeding teenagers during their progressive dinner party before heading to a grown-up party, and Sunday, I want to be still for eight hours in a row!

Friday Fill-Ins, so brilliant.

what's so great about brown paper packages tied up with strings?

I'm doing it all wrong; Mrs. G told us to post our Favorite Things on Friday and to let her know. Well. I didn't do that but I still want to play, so here goes:

1. This guy (my first husband). Hi, love.

2. This kid, Miss Manners.

3. And this kid, the carnivore.

4. Nanaimo bars, heaven on a plate.

5. My 'boys, win or lose (of course the "favorite" part is easier with wins...).

6. Second husband option #1. Hello, darling, how was your day?

7. Fountains of Wayne, even though they hate me...(I am NOT a stalker).

8. Books, books, and more books

9. Movies, movies about books, movies with Potential Second Husband #1...

10. Broadway shows

11. Prada perfume (I wish you could smell this link)

12. My birthday

13. Shopping at Goodwill

14. And still this song, despite all the mean haters who mock me.

are you ready for some football?

Or, are we ready for me to mentally check out from meaningful family duties, sundays 11-8, for 16 weeks?

TO DO TODAY:

• shower (even though it disrupts the lucky "no-shower-on-game-day" pattern for my Cowboys, but it's a new coach so we'll see)
• figure out tasteful yet team-supportive outfit
• church (because God is kinder to my 'boys when I worship Him first...Ha.)
• lunch with friend (she needs my support more than the Seahawks this afternoon)
• football
• some laundry
• football
• more laundry
• call Dad before Cowboys game (so I can read Harry Potter to kids during halftime - see, I'm not all bad!)
• dinner (focus on family for 15 minutes...focus on family for 15 minutes...)
• football
• post-game wrap-ups and highlights
• back rub for kind & loving primary caretaker

Oh, I'm so excited!

about my 39th birthday

I could try to do a list of 39 things, but...no. I'm tired. It was a great day!

• my darling daughter decorated a plain brown box with markers to make it look like a wrapped present, with a drawn-on ribbon and little hearts, then put inside a soy candle (bought with her allowance money) and some items from her jewelry box
• the kids remembered which chocolate bar I craved from Trader Joe's (dark chocolate with raisins & pecans!)
• my darling son announced first thing in the morning that I'm officially half-way to being an old geezer
• found a cool old black metal lunchbox at an antique store for $7 (for the darling son who brought me the dire message)
• tried on some outrageously expensive clothes at a boutique where I had a gift certificate; bought a couple of mildly expensive pieces...
• had my favorite baked ham sandwich at Wild Oats (alas, no Dairy/Freezer Guy)
• got a French manicure and now can't stop looking at my fingernails
• enjoyed dinner & singing at Red Robin (when our waiter announced, "You're 21 today, right?" and Mason had to correct him, loudly, another server said, "Buddy, trust me, she's 21." I wanted to kiss him)
• picked out speakers for listening to the iPod in MY CLASSROOM
• delighted in a wine & chocolate cake party at my best friend's house
• I didn't cry once; I think I'll be okay at this aging thing

Oops...As noted by Saint Husband, none of these fantastic things would have happened without the Best Man Ever hanging with the kids all day. You complete me.

thirteen things i love about the world

Thursday Thirteen ~ Now this is a meme I can get behind!

1. kids laughing till they can't breathe
2. dark chocolate with raisins & walnuts
3. gerber daisies
4. rollercoasters
5. that sharp smell of a fresh rain
6. music
7. harry potter
8. watching squirrels bury their booty
9. swings
10. real smiles
11. fresh berries
12. my man who rubs my shins without complaint
13. it's so big, yet so small

(Thanks, God. You rock).

it makes the world go 'round

...and the ride worthwhile

Nominees for Best Heartwrenching, Tear-Jerking Platonic/Lamilial-love Relationship in a Movie are:

• Aurora & Emma (Shirley Maclaine & Debra Winger) in "Terms of Endearment" (I'm afraid I am only small steps away from this kind of mom-mania)
• Damian & his dad and mum (Alex Etel, James Nesbitt & Jane Hogarth) in "Millions" (I hope my son is this brilliant & kind-souled if I die young)
• Frankie & Maggie (Clint Eastwood & Hilary Swank) in "million dollar baby" (Mo chuisle! *sob*)
• Billy & his dad (Jamie Bell & Gary Lewis) in "Billy Elliot" (the hugging, the weeping)
• Wilbur & Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" (I adore her tough-love attitude about the inevitability of death)
• Chief & Randle P. McMurphy (Will Sampson & Jack Nicholson) in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
• Guido & his son (Roberto Benigni & Giorgio Cantarini) in "Life is Beautiful"
• Jumbo Jr. & his mother in "Dumbo" (can't listen to "Baby Mine," can't watch with kids - too much sobbing, they get scared, and I start to curse at the mean lady elephants)
• Elliott & his extra-terrestrial (Henry Thomas & alien) in "E.T."
• Travis & that dog (Tommy Kirk & Spike) in "Old Yeller" (why WHY do I do this to myself?)

Sure, you'll disagree with some of my choices (bff Jen, hater of sad endings), but these make my heart knot up in a necessary way, and that makes them worthwhile in my world.

ways my current husband is perfect

• he is perfectly willing to have any of my potential second husbands come mow our lawn for my pleasure
• he rubs my legs if I sit with him while he watches "American Chopper"
• he pretends to care about football
• he encourages me to shop as long as I bring home something from Victoria's Secret
• he accompanies me to Broadway shows with minimal eye-rolling and sighing
• he only complains a little about my furniture-moving fetish
• he's a fearless bugkiller
• he asks for just one action or comedy flick among my selection of 50 foreign & dramatic video rentals
• he knows when to bring me a creme-filled donut
• he's sexy in his greasy garage clothes...and in his sweaty just-back-from-the-gym clothes...and in his grown-up button-down work clothes
• he uses his wacky powers for good, not evil (usually)
• he occasionally indulges my travel fantasies
• he keeps his family comfortable & cared for
• he likes to be fancy
• he rarely begs
• he tells me I'm perfect

ah, joy

It's the little things (alright, and occasionally the big ones)...Savor them all

• a dozen mini peanut butter cups & ice cold pepsi
• jeans just out of the dryer (except for the scalding metal button searing my skin...)
• fat fluffy pillows, lots of them, all around me
• new magazine in the mailbox
• kid-just-out-of-the-bathtub smell
• that "I'm still alive & actually having fun!" thrill when the elevator drops on tower of terror
• show tunes, really loud, when I'm alone in the house
• those prosciutto-wrapped almonds & dates at South Park
• fresh & bright Gerber daisies (ask about the amazing Shanghai Westin breakfast room service)
• rollerskating
• the first snowflakes (and my kids' faces at the sight)
• me & Fountains of Wayne, driving around singing at high volume
• leisurely grocery shopping
• reading in bed
• pajamas
• my leather-bound John Keats volume from a used book store (and the unexpected British Library exhibit about him when I was in London!)
• coloring on a rainy day
• rainbows