Friday, January 04, 2013

Day Four

I'm already over the 365 Project. Four days in and it's becoming a chore. But hey, here's your picture:




Sushi
Sake
Scrabble
Wine
Johnny Football

The next time I buy a bag of oranges, I'm going to attempt this.

Not long after we placed our sushi order , A Very Nice Sushi Chef made one of these for me for no reason. Maybe he knew it was a night to celebrate? (Probably not.) But it sure made me feel a little special. After admiring it, we set it aside to eat at the end of the meal. While I wasn't looking, one of the overzealous waitresses cleared it from the bar! My friend nobly tried to run her down, tackle her and bring back my bear,  to no avail. It was rudely discarded.
Blasphemy!
The same Very Nice Sushi Chef saw what happened and before I had time to truly lament, he presented another.

I don't know why I shared that story other than to point out that generosity is is pretty damn cool.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Day Three


COMEBACK.

“What an odd thing a diary is: the things you omit are more important than those you put in.” -Simone de Beauvoir, The Woman Destroyed

Today was nerve wracking on so many levels. I woke up earlier than I needed to, just to be certain the girls made it to school on time. Then, I had to check Audrey out for her dreaded dentist appointment- dreaded by me, not her. 
The last trip to the dentist brought on streaks of silent tears for me when I was told her tooth did not have a cavity like I thought; it was, in fact, a new tooth emerging without the enamel. All of her first molars have grown in sans the beautiful white shiny enamel most of us take for granted, me included. No enamel? How can that happen? Why does that happen? I was so upset. Audrey, however, didn't seem to be all that worried. So, I tried to adopt her carefree attitude.

It was hard though, putting on a happy face in that dentist's office today. Audrey was getting her first filling. I did my best to prepare her for the hurt and pain she was about to experience without scaring her completely. She remained cool while I paced the floor and wrestled with my hands. The dentist took one look at me and promptly kicked me out of the room.

My stomach turned as I waited. I paced some more, peeked around the corner, got a glimpse of the needle and listened for the whimper. 
It never came. 
45 minutes later, Audrey proudly walked out into the waiting area with a smile and stated, "It wasn't really all that bad. I didn't even cry."

I think similar words escaped my lips a little later in the day when talking with my mother about a completely different but somewhat similar situation.

Let's just say we can both sleep a little easier tonight, Audrey and I.

Speaking of sleep, I'd write more, but it's already 1am and I have to get up early again tomorrow.







Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Day Two

FIND THE HUMOR.
"Don't take life too seriously."- Larry Waddy

I must laugh.
I have to get out of my head.
My pop knows when I need reminding. Today, I reminded myself.

The girls and I started the day by eating breakfast and then heading to the Y. Harper was thrilled because one of her best friends from school arrived at exactly the same time as us. So, she was set. Audrey got excited when I dropped her off at her room because the air hockey table had been unveiled. Sweet! Mama could workout without guilt.

After running a couple of miles on the treadmill, I thought I'd go downstairs to see if they'd reactivated my account (for the machines). I really wanted to get started on my core. I'm determined to be smoking hot.

Don't laugh.

Anyway, they had! Great. I was in the system. Now, if only I could remember how to use the damn  machines. Which one was for abs? You should have seen me. Anyone watching me was probably highly entertained. I was laughing at myself, even! Finally, I gave up like a good girl and made an appointment to meet with the fitness expert in a couple of days for a much needed review. Although, the one machine I did manage to figure out sure did feel great- back extension, was it?

Grabbed the girls and we headed to the pool. We were all very anxious to try out our new goggles. (Thank you, Target, for the misprint. I bought three pair for less than the regular price of one. Score!) Now Harper, that kid, she never stops amazing me with her precociousness. From the minute she hits the water she busies herself by chatting with adults and teaching herself to swim. Today, I laughed so hard when she interrupted my laps to blurt out, "WATCH THIS!" Of course, I was monumentally surprised when I saw that she did an underwater handstand ending in a perfect flip. I thought for sure she'd come up coughing and grabbing her burning, water-filled nose. Nope. She wore a grin from ear to ear. I couldn't stop laughing and shaking my head! She did it over and over again in order to keep me tickled. Full of surprises.
On to Audrey, she wanted to hang with me. So, she asked me how to push off the wall like I do. Then, she asked me to show her how to swim, really swim, she said. I did. She observed and then,  to my amazement, that little determined soul sped off freestylin' it like a pro. Quick study.

After the Y, we piled back into the car and sang songs about poop. That's always funny.


The rest of the day was pretty much a blur. We ran some errands, ate some lunch and had a dance party in the living room. Harper kept her swimming suit on all day. And I let her. She had good reason to be proud. We watched a movie, of course. I tried to capture that.

I laughed hardest this evening.

I'm really a little reluctant to post this link but damn, it's funny!

Louis CK- On being single again.

If you have tender ears, don't listen. If you find yourself single again and over 30 you'll be able to relate and laugh. I never ever thought I'd be back out there again. I distinctly remember saying, several times, over the course of twelve years, "Damn. I'm glad we'll never have to go through that again. Dating sucks." Sigh. Anyway, just listen. He's a funny guy.

I ended the night watching Hunger Games. I wasn't all that impressed. Glad I didn't wait in line to see it at the theater.

Books are always better.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Day One


HAPPY NEW YEAR.

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice, And to make an end is to make a beginning.
-T. S. Eliot, Little Gidding

I've been waiting for this day for some time.
2012 could not be over fast enough for me. And although I had invitations to go out and party it up, ring in the new year right, it became more of a reflective time for me. "Out with the old and in with the new." Never has it applied to any of my years more than this one. The girls and I did, however, go roast some s'mores at our neighbor's house. So, we were a little festive.


2013
I have high hopes.
I'm going to start blogging again. I miss it. Besides, my memory is going to shit and I want to remember what I do on a daily basis. This will be good for me.
I am going to attempt the 365 Project. You know, where you take a picture of yourself every day for an entire year? We'll see how long it lasts. I thought it'd be fun to start today. After all, it's a big year for me, certain to be chocked full of highs and lows. And look at it this way, you'll get to see me age. It will make you feel better.
I'm going to paint. For real. Yes, I'm going to art. Audrey used the term "arting" the other day and I'm going to steal it right now, right here. As in, "Mom, don't bother me right now. I'm busy arting." Well, I'm going to be busy arting, too. Damn it. I am.
I'm going to figure it out. I don't know what that means, exactly, but I know I need to do it.
I'm going to watch some baseball. Lots of it. Baseball makes me happy. Go Braves.

My high hopes will multiply, for sure. Those are the first five that came to mind. Well, besides the ones I've already started like working out and  being more social.

THIS MORNING
We met some of our favorite people at Jiva Jive for breakfast in our jammies. Well, I got a scolding for not wearing mine. You know? I have no jammies. I wear t-shirts to bed. I guess I need some pajamas.




















THIS AFTERNOON
I cooked collard greens for the first time in my life. Not bad! I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly.
I also took the girls and one of their good friends to the local bouncy place. I got some photo editing work done and the young ones came home breathless and red-faced. (Makes for a relaxing early evening.)















THIS EVENING
Well, this came as a surprise to me and definitely wasn't on the agenda, but the girls begged me:
They got haircuts. Now, I was super nervous because when I was younger I got what were called "Attitude Adjustments" (haircuts) which only happened when I needed to, of course, change my attitude. You can probably guess why I keep long hair, now. When I was a wee one, I sported a very short haircut. Funny, I don't remember being that difficult of a child...
Anyway, I was so scared that they would cry. (I did. Every single time.)
Quite the contrary. They squealed with joy! Audrey wanted hers shorter! She wanted layers. She wanted bangs. I was beside myself. And Harper just kept staring at herself in the mirror. It definitely fits her personality. Haircuts welcomed? Who knew?

SUMMARY
This new year brings change. Change is good. I think I'll buy some paint for my walls tomorrow. Start redecorating. I might even get myself a haircut. I sure could use an Attitude Adjustment.