Hodge Podge & Moving Madness

Well I am taking a QUICK break from packing to join in on the great Hodge Podge questions.  Please stop by Joyce's blog after reading and commenting here to find other great blogs and join in!  

1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

Publish an e-book

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

Four remotes & I wish I could control.....my oven turning on by remote.

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?

I don't know if truly having it all is attainable because there is never enough time, or money, etc.  BUT, depending on your personal definition of having it all you might.   I have a home, food, a car and an amazing family who is all pretty healthy.  My husband has a secure job and we live in an amazing place.  I think we pretty much do have it all.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

There are numerous amazing soundtracks & I love music.  Not sure if I can narrow it to one.  Growing up we use to listen to The Jazz Singer all the time so I really like that.  Jurassic Park has some amazing music on and it and I like some of the Twilight music as well.

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.

When we lived in Japan our first apartment had a rooptop area that we could go and watch the sunrise and sunset.  It was amazing to sit there and look out over the Ocean etc.    No idea where on the computer those picture are and I don't have time to look as I am suppose to be packing my heart out.  Sorry!

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

Mosquitos and snakes.

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

Wet, funny, chaotic, laughter, tears, new.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Found out last night that we are moving in 7 days and the only thing packed up so far is my husband's dresser and nightstand.  So the next few days might be a bit frantic. We are doing it all ourselves in the midst of summer camp, the dog's surgery (which we travel 3 hours each way for starting at 4am) and all the other things life has to throw at you.  I know this is the best thing for my family but I am not excited about it and feeling a bit panicky.  So, if you are a prayer, pray that I don't lose my schmidt in the next three weeks.   
For something lighter here is a hilarious picture of my husband and dog swinging at the park.  Yes my dog loves to swing.  Who knew?  I am so glad I had my camera so I could capture this because it will make me laugh for forever :)

Music Monday published on Tuesday

So because I am lazy but still want to post more than I do I decided to do Music Monday.  Super original right?  I also LOVE music so there is that :)  My tastes are super super varied.  I listen to just about all of it.  Country, pop, classical, rock, and even some rap.

I stumbled upon this song and I really love it and play it over and over.  My kids want to listen to Alvin & the Chipmunks but there are only so many times I can hear that before I want to throw it out the window.  It almost took flight last week.  So I have been declaring large portions of time these days
as "mommy music time".

I love the song because it is just upbeat and happy.  I smile every time I hear it.  I also love the lyrics.

Make You Smile by Catherine Papworth

We know nobody's perfect

We all gotta work at it

No one can see you, show us the real you

Oh and I just want to see you smile,

So hang with me awhile and soon you'll be laughing out loud

Stand up child because better things are coming your way

Sing it out loud no matter what they all say

Those are part of the lyrics.  I like it because I am really trying to teach my kids right now some of those very things.  No one is perfect and we are all trying to do better.  Stand up, be yourself no matter what.  I think being confident in being you is one of the key things a child needs to learn, feel and do.  I am in my thirties and I still work at being comfortable in my own skins sometimes or in new situation.  I struggle and I don't want them to do it so if a song can help that is fabulous.

Here are two links to the song.  It is much better if you can hear it rather than just read about it but I had a hard time finding a really good link so here is two.  One is a live recording. 

website

 If you have a song that you are loving right now leave the title and artist in the comments so I can check it out.  Hope your week brings you lots of smiles!  

Back to our regularly scheduled whining... I mean venting

So when summer rolled around I was ready to do nothing for a week or two because I was exhausted from the end of the year running.  We did that well.

I then read several great blogs about summer schedules and thought it was genius... we don't do well here left to our own devices at times. 

 So I made a plan, at least in my head & we did not do it in June.  I blame this partly on my husband's business trip (I am very good at rationalizing my lazy & poor behavior/parenting).

For July I had big plans.  Well it is now the 26th and well we have not done so well this month either.  The boys are playing a lot and well together more times than expected which is great.  But, we have not tried a new recipe each week with them helping me cook nor done an art day each week or the other things we had planned.  But I still have time people and I will make some of this stuff happen even if it kills us all :)

In other failure news here is this tidbit.  Last night at about 11:30 when I was checking my email and getting ready to blog (the hubs was super excited about that by the way) I said, " I need to pick when I am doing book club ... I could do it this day before school starts but then we have only been in the new house like a week so I probably won't be ready or I could do it the week school starts but will that be okay with people?" And Bill said, "What?"  So I explained it all again and he was looking at me like I was insane so I said, "What?  What do you think?"  He said well I would go with the second since the first one is my birthday.  Then he walked/stalked away... and I was yelling, " I would have remembered soon ya know"

In my defense it was late, I was tired and had only had 2 cokes that day.  In his defense he has every right to be super irritated because he always wants to go to bed early and I never do, I often forget important dates like our anniversary, his birthday and lastly I am not great at birthdays.  I would be irritated too.  In fact if he mistakenly was thinking of planning something on my birthday I would probably flip out...he just looked at me like I was nuts.  Because I am.

So honey when/if you read this I am sorry that you are married to such a flaky night owl.  Much love!

Big plans for August people ... BIG plans :)

Oh and since I am so good at making plans and sticking to them I am going to do a list of 101 things in 1001 days.  I discovered the idea via Joyce who found it via her daughter Shannon.  Who wants to join in and see if we can accomplish something?  Or 101 things :)

Olympic Hodge Podge

I am super excited for the Olympics to start.  I love watching the opening and closing ceremonies and seeing the athletes do amazing things.  Wasn't it amazing what Michael Phelps did?  I think we all become a bit entranced by various aspects of it.   I look forward to sharing parts of it with my kids this year who are getting older and starting to be interested in sports & things besides Nick Jr.   If you are new & are unfamiliar with the drill, read my answers, leave me a comment, then head over to Joyce's great blog where you can link in or find other great blogs to check out.  

1. The Summer Olympics officially begin this Friday...will you be watching? If you could see just one event in person which one would you pick?


Just one huh?  Well.....I think Gymnastics because I use to do gymnastics and I am fascinated by the strength they have & how they flip around.  We have a friend who got tickets for synchronized swimming and is not super excited but I think that would also be pretty cool.


2. Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?


Well I am lazy so many days are lazy days...lol.  But, I really only like planned lazy days and it being an actual lazy day where you get to read all day or have a movie marathon.  If you can't do that and really enjoy it and unwind that I feel unproductive.

3. July 25 is 'officially' Threading the Needle day...can you sew? On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being not at all and 10 being Betsy Ross-like, how would you rate your skill with a needle and thread?


I can sew barely.  I can do straight lines well :)  I wish I had really stuck with sewing lessons as a child and I am working on picking it back up.  I would rate my skill as a 4.

4. Threading the Needle can also mean to walk a fine line between two things or issues (think awkward social situation). When was the last time you had to 'thread the needle', figuratively speaking?


Well, the one that sticks out the most in my mind is the following tale.  I was getting ready to go to a work dinner with my husband & when I was getting dressed he said, "that ribbon belt makes your dress weird" but I wore it anyway.  Then after the dinner his boss, (who had been gone for a few months in his defense) said, "So when is this happening" and pointed to my stomach.  I had no idea what he was talking about initially.  He said, "oh come on you know these things do have a time limit" and I still was clueless.  So I was looking really confused and I said, "what Sir?"  and he said,  "the baby".  I replied, "he is three months old"  In the meantime my good friend who had quickly caught on had walked away laughing hysterically while I stood there with no idea what was happening.  The guy once he realized what had happened was more embarrassed then me I think and apologized and left very quickly.  In the moment I was just embarrassed that I still looked so pregnant which I had not realized I guess in that dress & now it is just something to laugh about.

5. Kidney, pinto, black, or navy-your favorite bean?

Black beans.


6. Have you ever hosted a garage sale? Was it more success or bust?


Yes I have.  I have had success and bust ones.  I think if you can do it with another person it can be good because then you have a variety of items and help.  Plus it just depends on location & weather.  I think the best ones I have been to have been community sales where there are a lot of people.


7. What makes you roll your eyes?

Currently my husband who is giving me lip about finishing this at 11:30pm rather than go to bed. 

8. Random Thought....

I am losing the battle of the soda war again.  My husband and I were talking last night about if we just don't buy it then we don't drink it.  He said he would not buy anymore and I looked at him like he was crazy I am sure.  I was thinking I don't think you want me off my meds like that when we are getting ready to move.  Yes I refer to soda as my meds, my kids refer to it as "mommy juice".
  So today of course I was out so I went and bought more and found myself thinking well when we move I will quit.  Then I think well once we get all unpacked and settled I will quit and then after that I am sure I will find another excuse and another deadline.  It is just so hard to stop drinking it and I don't want to be that person who gives in and just keeps doing it.  Sigh.  We shall see.  Soda won the battle today but it will not win the war :)

Outside every time

So I have not been posting because I have not been inside so much as outside at places like this:

{picture not the greatest but I snapped it really quick on my phone the other night}

Because the weather is beautiful right now. 

 It is warm, it is sunny, it is not raining & so we have to be outside every second that we can because in a blink it will be gone.  My house was even hot the other night. Hot!   I could not believe it was so hot we all had a hard time going to sleep.  Opening the windows, turning on the fans early in the evening to cool the house down is a new concept around here & I am loving every second of it.  

So, until the weather turns I again I will be an infrequent visitor because as a wise woman I know said something like, "I will pick  real life and being outside every time".  

That is not an exact quote from Natalie because I could not find the post where she said that but I remember the gist of it being burned into my brain when I read it.  Because she was so right and I had not been doing that.  I had not been seizing those moments with my kids like I should have... but I am now.  

*If I find the post I will link it here.  You shoudl go check out her blog though because she is an amazing photographer and incredible person.  I keep trying to lure her here to England but so far no such luck :)  Natalie if you read this you need to come !!!!!!

• • TODAY
  • MOSTLY CLOUDY
  • HIGH67°
  • LOW56°
• • TOMORROW
  • CLOUDY
  • HIGH73°
  • LOW57°
• • FRIDAY
  • MOSTLY SUNNY
  • HIGH68°
  • LOW50°

See that!  Amazing :)  And no 67 & 68 is not hot in most places but here it is :)  And it has been over 70 a few days.

Olympic Hodge Podge

1. The Summer Olympics begin next week and London is playing host. If you had the chance to go in person which (non-Olympic) London site would you most like to visit?

Well we have been to London but I would like to go back and walk around more and see many things.  I would really like to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace & I would like to check out the museums.

2. What is something in your life right now that feels like an Olympic event?

Getting all three of my kids & myself ready quickly and then out the door to be on time to anything.  Or I could really say getting them to do anything lately.  Getting them to pick up without whining, getting them to play nicely together, I think I would also add taking care of our dog.

3. What's your favorite supper to prepare and serve when it's too hot to cook?

Cereal?  Okay if you want me to actually put some effort into it I would probably make for the grownups chef salad and for the kids I would grill hot dogs, have a veggie tray & some fruit.

4. July 18th is National Get Out of the Doghouse Day...when was the last time you were 'in the doghouse'?

I am sure I have never been in the doghouse :)  And if I had ever been there I would plead the 5th.

5. What television advertisement do you find particularly irritating or inappropriate? You may not answer with 'all of them'. I know some of you were thinking about it.

I find the game Doggy Doo game disgusting and I despise when the commercial comes on because my kids crack up & want to get it.  It will never happen.  I told them if they want to pick up dog poop we have a backyard full of it go for it.  Here is a link if you are not sure what I am talking about and curious.

6. Share one piece of interesting news from the year you were born.

Apple Computers was formed that year.

7. What's the best part of your average day?

Bedtime.  No in all seriousness I love after breakfast, when I get to sit and cuddle up with my boys and read.  Everyone is happy in the morning generally.  4pm until dinner hour is probably my least favorite part because everyone is hungry, whiny, cranky and tired - myself included.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have been watching Downton Abbey and I find myself wanting to scream at the tv... just marry Mathew for heavens sake!  And I really want to take Mary & Edith and knock their heads together and yell, "grow up already!"  Love the show.  Anyone else watching it?

Now hop on over to Joyce's fab blog From This Side of the Pond to play along and/or to read other people's fun answers.

It's Okay Tuesday

It's Okay that it is raining.... again....

It's Okay that I don't have enough hangers to hang my kids clothes so I am going to buy more, rather than do the work of cleaning out their closets.

It's Okay that my new iPhone does not seem to have coverage at the house we are soon moving to.

It's Okay that I had to say for the 100th time, "do not hit your brother in the nuts with a light saber"

It's Okay that my children thought it was opposite day and disregarded most of my instructions this afternoon.  And by most I mean all.

It's Okay that we are so unaccustomed to sun here that on Sunday when it was a mere 60 something I was actually hot at one point.

It's Okay that after like an hour of actual light on my face it was slightly sunburned & it looks like I  have the complexion of a vampire.

It's Okay that when I watch Downton Abbey I just want to grab Edith & Mary's heads and crack them together and yell "grow up both of you".

It's Okay that even with all the "venting" I do I realize that my life is pretty sweet.  I have an amazing husband, fabulous friends & family, gorgeous kids who love me even if they act like howler monkeys.

It's Okay that you are now leaving my blog because my rant is over :)  Hop on over to 

Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Dirty Sock at a Time and visit the funny blog that started this & if you have a need to rant join in.