Dressing on the Bottom

     The other day MJ and I were talking about Pinterest.  Shocking, I know.  It was there she learned a tip about packing salads for lunch.  Put the dressing on the bottom of the container and then add your goodies.  You can mix when ready to eat and your greens won't get soggy.  I have one of those containers that has the special little pop open thingamajig.  Today I only had a regular container and I thought...A-HA! Sure enough it worked quite nicely.  This was a lesson in two ways.  First off sometimes you need to just simplify and think about something in a different way than you have ALWAYS thought about it.  Also, one little tip or trick today can make your life easier.  Find new ones.  Add them to your tools and weapons.  Start to stockpile them and one of these days life might just seem so much easier!  You know what?  Make it three ways...in the middle of a packed day find a way to do something new.  Something.  Anything.  You have no excuse.  And damn, if you have a great tip or idea share it with your peeps!

New Taylor

    I finally listened to the whole Taylor Swift album today.  I couldn't stop listening to it both ways to and from work.  I do love a good story in a song.  I knew a bunch of the songs already.  My new thing besides listening to the album is a song I have never heard before until today.  This morning I looked into Playlist and it turns out my other blog might have to fold...I'll give it some time and some hope but until then I think today my two blogs will overlap a bit. 
     Here are the haunting lyrics:

"Dear John"

Long were the nights when
My days once revolved around you
Counting my footsteps
Praying the floor won’t fall through, again
My mother accused me of losing my mind

But I swore I was fine

You paint me a blue sky
And go back and turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game
But you changed the rules everyday
Wonderin’ which version of you I might get on the phone, tonight
Well I stopped pickin’ up and this song is to let you know why

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone

Don't you think I was too young

To be messed with
The girl in the dress

Cried the whole way home, I should've known.

Well maybe it’s me
And my blind optimism to blame
Or maybe it’s you and your sick need
To give love and take it away

And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand
And I'll look back in regret how I ignored when they said

'Run as fast as you can’

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone

Don't you think I was too young

To be messed with
The girl in the dress

Cried the whole way home

Dear John, I see it all now it was wrong
Don’t you think nineteen’s too young
To be played by your dark, twisted games
When I loved you so, I should've known.

You are an expert at sorry
And keeping the lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you run dry have tired lifeless eyes
Cause you burned them out

But I took your matches
Before fire could catch me
So don’t look now
I’m shining like fireworks
Over your sad empty town

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone

Don't you think I was too young

To be messed with
The girl in the dress

Cried the whole way home

I see it all now that you're gone

Don't you think I was too young

To be messed with
The girl in the dress

Wrote you a song, you should’ve known.

You should’ve known
Don’t you think I was too young
You should’ve known.

Marathon Mama and Her Kick Ass Kids

     Today felt like a week.  We had a nice breakfast at home and hustled off to school.  At 10am there was a class party to celebrate the end of kindergarten.  It has been a year of growth and the challenges that accompany it.    For every new word learned or math problem solved there was a hard Monday morning.  We muddled through and came out on the other side with nothing but smiles and appreciation.  The teacher created a 40 minute video of the year's events and to say I felt so proud of how far he has come would be an understatement.  I was able to thank the teacher for all of the extra effort.  Then off to pick up Emily.  I found her in the hallway rambling on about how she was interviewed for the news.  She didn't want to leave school but it was time.  It's been her favorite year yet.  When you make your kids your focus it is a blessing to have such a success story.  Two sparkling report cards later and we were off to celebrate Sweet Creams style.  In between lunch and the next episode of accomplishment were chores, to do items and piano practice.  Then we zoomed off to karate.  Today both kids had belt testing.  Emily is now a green belt with blue stripe and Ethan is a green belt.  He also showed a few boards who was boss.  Emily and I ate the second half of our lunch sandwiches on the way to a two hour flash mob practice.  Two hours of dancing and learning steps...after today?  Yep, we did it.  So here I am at 11pm exhausted.  Proud.  Beaming.  These days are hard.  There are lots of challenges. But they are a good hard.  I would rather be tired from these kind of days than the other kind.  These days make it all worth it.  Let the summer adventures begin...

Pastels and Scrabble Tiles

     If we got a nickel for every time we said "Pinterest" at work we would all be rich.  But it has good stuff.  It also helped with some fun things to do with the kids.   The other day while at the craft store we finally picked up the pack of chalk pastels.  Pinterest showed us that if you twist a chunk of wet hair and then run a chalk pastel over it...let it dry...and brush it out you get a streak of color.  It's the fun of dye without the commitment.  One shower later and it's all gone.  It will be a fun new way for a little extra color in our lives should we need it.  Emily was thrilled to wear the blue and green streaks in her pony that matched her outfit.  I enjoyed the "Is that GREEN in your hair?!?" and look of horror that came from Leigh Ann at work. 
     Next Pinterest has been showing me tons of ideas for how to use Scrabble tiles to make jewelry.   I took it one step further.  I grabbed two cheap and (on sale) frames at the craft joint and glued the letters of the teachers' names onto them.  A poem went inside the frame.  They were perfect.  These teachers deserved a little extra love for all they have done for the kids this year!  Hey Moms...summer is here...Pinterest has tons of ideas for ways to make it awesome!!!

Mickey Mouse Platy and Korean Drama

     Today was productive.  It was a very busy day of things I have done a million times...or once... so it just doesn't count.
     So what's a girl to do?  Well, I thought I had seen many a tropical fish but today I found a new one. After checking out the selection at the store we purchased two Mickey Mouse Platy fish.  They are a nice addition to the tank and I can't look at them without smiling.  They have Mickey ears on their tails...who wouldn't smile at that?
     Then I checked out my friend's blog.  Teresa posted a clip from a Korean drama that she has been enjoying titled, "Shining Inheritance".  I watched a few minutes and enjoyed the funny translations that came along with the story. 
     It's a busy, busy, oh so busy week ahead and this combination of goofy new things is making me giggle.  I'll start the week with a laugh anytime! Have a good week folks!

Candy Crush

     I woke up around 5am.  It's a new thing that has been happening.  It gives me quiet time I guess but my thoughts are usually filled with the overwhelming amount of things I have to deal with.  I stayed still for a bit but once the sun was up I busted open the computer.  I noticed someone had played a new game on facebook.  Now let me state that I've never gotten into those mad little birdies.  I also deleted my farms from the ville sometime last year because they were time suckers.  My compulsive blitz days are over...maybe once a month I get the urge to play a few times but that's it.  Oh and then there's Words.  If you know that I play then you are mad at me because I let my games sit so long that they get dusty...and then automatically resigned.  :( Sorry to those victims.  Turns out I play Words with NOT Such a Good Friend. 
     It has been at effort to not let these time thieves take me from the important things in life.  I try to do the other things instead.  But this morning (thanks to Jackie....grrrr) I found a game that is colorful, blitz-like and involves levels and challenges.  I did alright and only played until real life needed me. 
     Let me state for the record that I went on to have a nice day  involving quality time with my peeps and a day trip to the lovely town of New Hope.  I was so tired that I didn't even write this post. 
So here I am on Sunday morning...in bed...and guess what?  I had to play.  Turns out that if you lose a life you have to wait a certain amount of time to play again.  This is a wonderful little meter for a junkie.  You simply don't have a choice but to walk away.  This am with my little sidekick cheering me on I played four more rounds.  They were fast and I was successful and Ethan was excited.  But I am now stuck on level 20.  Seems that Facebook wants you to suck your friends in as well. 
     So to my dearest friends, family and FB peeps...anyone want to play Candy Crush?  Maybe you could play while:
--waiting for the load of laundry to spin
--relaxing in your lounger
--sitting in a waiting room
--lounging at your beach house
--hoping for that phone call
--thinking about your garden plans
--having trouble sleeping
--bathing in sunshine
--waiting for the pool to fill
--watching the paint dry

Here's to reaching the next level!

Hatfields & McCoys

     To sum it up..."Those Hatfields!"...."McCoys"..."Hatfields"... shootin'..."Damn McCoys"...bang bang..."Hatfields"...pow pow..."McCoys"..."Git on outta here"... shot of whiskey..."Head right on out"...horses in woods...

     I think they have said the names a million times.  It is violent and tragic.  And awesome.  Part 1 finished...2 more to go.