Category Archives: playing along

2011 and 2012

Written on December 31, 2011 by in playing along, Quirky Me

Oh, I know.  I’m so unique with my end of year review list thingy.  Here is last year’s list.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

I ran miles and miles and miles.  I started a business. I got paid as a freelance writer. I sent my baby to Kindergarten.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I actually feel pretty good about my resolutions from last year. I mean, I didn’t get all of them accomplished, but I still feel like I put a rather sizeable dent in my list.

Last year’s goals (2011):

Personal:

1.  Continue to work on being more calm, less rushed, less prone to yelling
**I am still working on this.  I think I will always be working on this. I try to remember the quote from Ann Voskamp, “Life is not an emergency,” particularly when I’m practically a damn ringmaster with a whip, freaking out about how NOT QUICKLY the children are moving when it’s time to go somewhere.
2.  Lose two pants sizes DONE! (Actually it was 3 pants sizes, but whose counting?!)
3.  Drink at least 64 ounces of water everyday
**I–I just am unable to remember to drink water, or any liquids, except when I’m suddenly dying of thirst.  I’m keeping this on my list for next year.
4.  Bake bread from scratch
**Nope.  Not really feeling this one for 2012 either.
5.  Run two 5K’s DONE! (I think I ran 4 5K races and 1 10K race.)
6.  Have an email/social media/computer free day per week
**I did such a good job on this for the first few months of 2011, but then I just didn’t.  I do try and and reduce my computer time on the weekends, but I just can’t have completely email/social media/computer free days.
7.  Read a whole bunch-a books (again) Mostly done.  Will try to read 40 books this year!
8.  Help teach my children to be kinder and more thoughtful by doing random acts of kindness.
**What kind of a loser sets this as a goal and doesn’t do any of it?!  This kind right here. I’ll admit that this one feels uncomfortable to me, which is probably why I SHOULD do this.
9.  Get a passport and travel somewhere out of the country with Tate for our 10th wedding anniversary.  DONE-ish! We went to Hilton Head, SC for our anniversary. I was…disappointed when we initially set up the vacation there.  I wanted tropical, all-inclusive resort in a foreign paradise. Tate wanted safe, familiar US soil.  Hilton Head was such a lovely place, though. I just fell in love with it that I hope we can go back there every summer.
10.  Keep in touch better with my extended family members
**I suck at this.
11.  Initiate more with friends, be the one to call, the one to invite out for dinner…
**I suck at this, too.
12.  Catch up on Mad Men DONE! Also got caught up on Friday Night Lights.  This year’s plan includes Breaking Bad.
13.  Organize our basement and attic
**Ha! Ha ha ha ha, ha.  No.
14.  Have a garage sale and/or donate to a worthy organization (any suggestions?) (DONE!)
15.  Buy all new make-up with the help of a friend to tell me what to buy DONE!
16.  Be a better blog commenter (comment on at least 10 blog posts per week)
**I’m keeping this one for next year.  My blog commenting got even worse this year.
17.  Take more risks even if it means that I might look stupid or embarrass myself I guess starting a business counts as taking a risk?  It feels like a risk. It feels like I look stupid quite often.

Photography:

1.  Take photos of at least 3 families Kinda done! I took photos of one family and one newborn, plus a wedding.  Photography is a lot of work and I’m pretty sure that it’s not something I want to pursue as a profession.
2.  Get more photos printed DONE! They are in a box, though, not displayed. *shrugs shoulders*
3.  Make a photo book of my favorite shots
**Nope.  Didn’t get this done.  Maybe this year.  Probably not, though
4.  Get better with photographing and editing shots taken in artificial light. I’m calling this one DONE, even though I still have a lot to learn.  Lightroom has been a big help with fixing white balance, as well as the Clickin’ Moms class I took.
5.  Learn to use my external flash (affiliate link) Another one that I’m calling DONE, but still have SO, SO MUCH to learn.
6.  Shoot a wedding DONE! NEVER AGAIN.
7.  Instead of Project 365, complete a Project 52, choosing the best photos from each week in 2011.
**I need a photography project for this year because I’m going weeks without even picking up my camera.  I don’t want to lose everything I’ve learned, but I also don’t need yet another thing to make me feel overwhelmed.

Spiritual:

1.  Write one post about my faith that explains how much it means to me DONE!
2.  Read books about other faiths
**I need suggestions.
3.  Remember to pray before every meal
**I’m usually so hungry and ready to get dinner over with, cleaned up, and the kids to bed that I forget to pray.  (See above regarding my goal to stop rushing.)
4.  Lead a prayer outloud DONE.  It was semi-awful the three times I did it. I don’t feel confident in HOW you are supposed to pray outloud.  I usually just talk to God like he’s my dad sitting next to me on the couch, except silently and in incomplete thoughts, and I don’t know how to do that outloud with other people listening.
5.  Lead a study in my women’s group at church DONE! (Actually I co-lead a study, but I’m counting it!)

This year’s goals (2012):

Personal:

1.  Calm, patient, less yelling.  Yadda yadda yadda. Same ol’, same ol’.
2.  Drink more water!
3.  Work with my kids to figure out how to serve others, maybe through donations, projects, volunteering, and/or random acts of kindness.
4.  Call family and friends.  On the phone.  Just to say hi.
5.  Organize the basement and attic.
6.  Be a better blog commenter.
7.  Run a half-marathon.
8.  Run a 5K in under 30 minutes.
9.  Laugh more.
10. Catch up on Harry Potter movies
11.  Read 40 books this year!
12.  Find a TV show that Tate and I can watch together.

Business:

1.  Set up my business as an LLC.
2.  Grow my business, increase pageviews to the website and get more Facebook fans.
3.  Sell advertising for my business and create campaigns with local companies that are mutually beneficial.

Spiritual:

1.  Figure out how God wants to use me and then do it.
2. Read books about other faiths
3. Read the Bible

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My neighbor had the cutest baby boy ever.  Besides Carson, of course.  I think this link will work to see the newborn pictures I took of him.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank God.

5. What countries did you visit?

None.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A clean house.  Organized papers.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

October 8-13, our trip to Disney!  Everything about the trip was just so MAGICAL.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Losing weight, sticking with running for longer than a month, and starting my business.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I feel like I lost my funny this year.  I read every post I wrote here in 2011 and I had nothing funny to say at all.  I feel so bogged down with work and life and school and everything else, that I notice that I don’t find things as funny as I used to.  I want my funny back.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Our vacations.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Everyone I know who did something kind for others.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Too many people.  Jerry Sandusky and everyone who covered up for him definitely stands out.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Mortgage, our new car, vacations, and Kroger.  I should never complain about my life.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

God, Running, Friday Night Lights, Hilton Head, Disney World

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts.  My kids were obsessed with this song and we listened to it over and over and over.  Also, You are My Sunshine.  I sang that to Ella many nights this year before bed.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:  a) happier or sadder?  b) thinner or fatter?  c) richer or poorer?

Happier and sadder, thinner, richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spending quality time alone with Tate.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Being so serious.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

We spent Christmas here at home with my parents.  Christmas day was relaxing and lazy.  The weekend before Christmas we enjoyed a visit with Tate’s family.  Our holiday season was wonderful as always. Except for all the new stuff that I have no idea where it will go and the lack of Christmas spirit I felt this year.  Other than that, it was GREAT.  Just great.

21. Did you fall in love with 2011?

I did re-fall in love with Tate after our anniversary trip and trip to Disney.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Mad Men and Friday Night Lights. 

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I really don’t like to use that word, hate.  But no, there is not.

24. What was the best book you read?

I feel like I didn’t really read that many good books this year.  If I had to pick the best, it would be Cutting for Stone. (affiliate link)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Mumford and Sons

26. What did you want and get?

Thinner thighs and hips so that I could wear skinny jeans with tall boots.

27. What did you want and not get?

I can’t think of anything, I’m a very lucky girl.

28. What was your favorite film of 2011?

I really enjoyed Inception and The Social Network.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was 36 and my in laws came into town to watch the kids so that Tate and I could go to Nashville for the weekend.  It was perfect.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More laughing and having a better handle on juggling working with parenting and wife-ing.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?

Trying hard not to look frumpy. Always avoiding the frump.

32. What kept you sane?

Saturday and Sunday.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

That Rick Perry video sure was disturbing.

34. Who did you miss?

Family and friends who live far away

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Heather from TheMommyhood.com

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Trust your instincts. Pray. You can do anything you put your mind to.  Kindness always wins.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

See?  I can’t think of a single song lyric when put on the spot like this.

********

Happy New Year, everybody!  Hope 2012 will be a great year for all of us!

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Mario and Sonic and Carson and Ella at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Written on December 13, 2011 by in Little Monkeys, playing along

We received SEGA’s family friendly game, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (affiliate link) as part of a family game night package that also included popcorn, nuts, and candy for free.  I received no other compensation. All opinions are my own…and my children’s own. 

Left to their own devices, my children, especially Carson, would love nothing more than to spend all day, every day playing Wii.  I’ve had to set limits on Wii play, they’re only allowed to play on the weekends and only for two hours.

Both kids love all things Mario. We are well stocked with Mario games, their favorites being Mario Sports Mix and Mario Kart. These games can easily be played by young kids, unlike several games in our library that cause nothing but screaming fits because they are so complicated.  I’d seen Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games advertised and had considered it for a Christmas gift for them, so I was VERY excited that I was contacted to review the game with the kids.  When it came in the mail I just couldn’t wait until Christmas to give it to them.

Luckily Carson, age six, and Ella, age four, both easily picked up on how to play Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Ella actually loses interest pretty quickly in playing Wii, but she loves to watch her brother battle it out as one of the characters in discus, swimming, volleyball, track, and gymnastics.

Carson loves the new-to-him characters like Sonic and Vector the Crocodile.  His favorite game to play is the 4 x 100 meter relay, with Sonic, Silver, Shadow, and Knuckles.

“Watch this cool trick, Mom,” he’ll say as one of the Sonic characters performs some cool stunt that puts them in the lead.

This game is apparently not just for kids. After Carson and Ella were carefully tucked in bed, I caught my husband picking up the Wii remote to play a little Mario & Sonic.  I keep catching him as Sonic on the parallel bars in the gymnastics game.

This game is available for Wii right now!  Which? Is perfect for Christmas!  It will be available for the Nintendo 3DS in February.

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Eavesdropping

Written on October 25, 2011 by in Mommydom, playing along, working mom

Just Write“Can I ask you a very candid question?” her voice boomed across the small seating area of the local coffee shop.  Her hair is state fair hair and I can smell her perfume all the way over here.

“Of course,” she replied tentatively.  Black suit, unassuming haircut. Quieter. She looks like she hasn’t slept well in about 13 years.

“You seem so OVER it all.”

I can’t even hear the reply, their voices are suddenly hushed.

::

I have six articles due by the end of the day.  My eye is twitching, reminding me that I really need make that eye appointment.  I forgot to buy a hula hoop for Carson’s birthday this Friday and I’ve looked at my calendar and can’t figure out how I could possibly fit in a shopping trip.

I hope I get to shower today.

::

I can hear the women talking again.

“Do you think it’s because you regret volunteering for it?”

“I felt backed into a corner.  You know how she is.  I should have said no.”

::

Ella has a fall party at school today, but I’m not going.  I feel really badly about not going, other parents will be there and I hope that she won’t feel sad when I don’t show up.

I did send in some pretzels, so there’s that.

It’s just that I can’t be in two places at once I have this long list of deadlines and…

Really? I’d just rather go to my running class than serve candy corn and pretzels to four-year-olds.

::

I’m not OVER it all, though.  Not really.  I wish that I had more to give everyone, sure, but I feel like I’m giving something to myself for a change.

She probably won’t even miss me at her fall party.

::

Booming voice lady isn’t really listening to black suit lady.  She keeps trying to convince her to keep giving.  More and more and more.

 

 

 

 

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They wore their helmets

Written on September 21, 2011 by in Little Monkeys, Pictures, playing along

We don’t waste these gorgeous fall days.  Sunshine and warmth tucked between the rain and gloom, Carson and Ella rode their bikes on chalk outlined race courses.  Around and around.  Everyone gets a chance to win.

In our front yard, they ride, hoping the neighbor kids will see them and come play, too.  A whole gaggle of bike riding kids with their sweaty heads in helmets.  I get to be the kool-aid wench.  It’s all so much fun, until it’s time to go inside for dinner, bath, and bedtime.  Promises are made to play again tomorrow, sometimes through tears, sometimes with eager waves.

Didn’t someone say once that parting is such sweet sorrow?

:::

Join Story Bleed Magazine and the Go Go Gang in celebrating Worldwide Day of Play. Story Bleed is hosting a blog carnival, all the details on how to join are there, and help celebrate this day of play. Two entries will be published on the magazine!

Like GoGo squeeZ on Facebook and when the GoGo Gang is 100,000 members strong, GoGo squeeZ will team up with Action for Healthy Kids to renovate a play space in an under-served community.  Cool, huh?

This post is sponsored by Story Bleed on behalf of GoGo squeeZ as part of the #GoGoDayOfPlay photo carnival.

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Crumb trail

Written on September 20, 2011 by in Mommydom, playing along, working mom

Just WriteI’ve stopped going barefoot in my kitchen. Too many crumbs. Too many things to do to do anything about the crumbs. My eyes and my time are directed at the computer. Click, click, click. Crumbs on my feet.

I can hear the kids downstairs with their vroom vroom noises. Wait? Is that an “I’m hurt” cry? No, not this time. I’m relieved, yes that the cry isn’t one I need to run to, but I’m relieved they are occupied without me. Without the TV. It makes me feel less guilty. They’re playing, old fashioned, get on the floor, run trucks back and forth against the carpet playing.

It’s just a matter of time, I know it is, before I hear their step, step, steps up the stairs.  Click, get a glass of milk, click, click, break up a fight, click, “I’m sorry Carson, will you tell me that again, I didn’t hear what you said the first time?”  He knows better.  He knows about the crumbs.  They stick to his feet, too.

I wonder where the broom is?

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It feels good to breathe again.

Written on September 13, 2011 by in playing along, Quirky Me

Just WriteThe gray, gloomy cloud lifted from atop my shoulders this morning, taking with it the bricks weighting down my shoulders and the cross words that have spewed from my mouth for two weeks.

Last week while standing in line at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, I felt the beginnings of a panic attack. I had just come from my Bible study, a study that I’m reluctantly co-leading, so my Bible was in my purse. I was so afraid that I’d melt down right there in front of all these people holding their iPhones and iPads, in front of blue shirted, head set wearing Genius Bar employees, and in front of my daughter. As my chest tightened and I felt like screaming for everyone around me to just shut up for two seconds, I reached my hand inside my purse and placed my hand on my small silver Bible and I prayed for God to help me to get control of myself. I prayed the same prayer over and over, breathing deeply in and out until I felt like I could finally look around at the people around me without my face crumpling into an ugly cry.

My children’s behavior has been shockingly atrocious these past few weeks. I told a friend after a particularly grueling meltdown in the front of Steak and Shake that I think my daughter finally broke me. I continue to feed her daily and tell her that I love her and do all the things I’m supposed to do as her loving mother, but each kind thing I did for her it was with suspicious eyes, waiting for the next shoe to fall. Wary, weary, and desperately wanting a reprieve from their bad behavior, I’ve been running further and further distances just to be alone.

I’ve definitely taken on too many responsibilities at once, too many things that I don’t have to do, but I know that I need to do. Freelance writing jobs, Family Friendly Knoxville, volunteering, and Bible study.  It’s funny, though, the Bible study I’m leading, the one that I’m reluctantly co-leading, is based on the book, “One Thousand Gifts,” by Ann Voskamp and it’s an entire book based on thanking God for every thing in our lives, a practice in seeing all the beauty that surrounds us.

In purposely practicing this gratitude, I think I’m beginning to heal from the wounds slashed into my soul these past two weeks. The self inflicted, the child inflicted, the husband inflicted wounds are each healing nicely as I focus more energy on the good instead of sinking further into the cesspool of muck that I’ve created in my own little world.

It feels good to breathe again.

(My friend Heather has started this free writing exercise and I decided to see what would happen if I just sat down and gave myself 15 minutes of uninterupted time to just write.  This is what came out.  Unedited, except for the red squiggly lined typos.)

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Where I’m from

Written on June 23, 2011 by in meme, playing along, Quirky Me

I am from hand-me-down couches,
from newsprint on Silly Putty and a dusty bottle of brandy-colored Chanel No. 5.
I am from dog hair covered rugs where Virginia Slim smoke hung heavy in air, held in place by the dim, lamp light.
I am from the tall pine tree whose sappy branches we climbed, from spiky evergreen bushes, their needles stuck in my bare feet.

I am from opening one gift on Christmas Eve and hot tempers with quick fuses and red flashes,
from Jacqueline Lane and Georgia Emma and Vicki Ann.
I am from the never forgets and the rarely forgives.
From life isn’t fair and he doesn’t know what he’s missing.

I am from kneelers and holy water, RCIA and catechism,
from baptism, first communions and reconciliations, with more questions than answers

I’m from the flat Kansas plains, from Southern plantation owners who became poor Southern sharecroppers, I’m from Denmark and Scotland.
I’m from sugary, tart cranberry ice and pink salad with canned cherry pie filling,
from Coors with pull tabs and two olive martinis
From the man who sold vacuum cleaners in the dust bowl, the burned hands in Vietnam, and the arthritic hands showing me here’s the church, here’s the steeple

I am from cedar chests filled with locks of hair in envelopes, 4th grade report cards, and macaroni and Elmer’s glue artwork.  The pack rat’s proof of worth, memories of smiles in photographic form.

(Found this via Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing.  I loved hers so much that I decided to write my own.  I hope you’ll play along, too.  The template to make your own can be found here.)

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