Les Miserables the Movie

I have to admit I just now watched the Les Mis trailer for the film coming out on Christmas and I'm truly excited. I've seen Hugh Jackman in Oklahoma, but I've never watched the others in musicals, but I think they are tremendous actors and actresses espectially Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway. What a truly difficult part to play because it's been done so many times on stage with such amazing talent. How hard would it be to try to create this film that would be everything that you as the actors and actresses want and everything that the audience expects. How difficult! I'm confident they will deliver...Christmas is going to be good this year!

Pranks

I have to admit I'm such a mean mom sometimes with the pranks I play on my kids. They're not really mean (I hope) but I do like to jump out at my kids or just startle them when everyone's sitting quietly reading. I know! I'm terrible! I didn't realize how often I must do it until my son started trying to scare me about 2 months ago. He's not that sneaky, but he certainly tries to startle me whenever he can. He's only succeeded once, but I just know that he's got my mischevious side and will scare the daylights out of me some day soon when I'm not on my toes. I hope that it makes me giggle as much as it does when I do it to him. How terrible would it be if I was not as good sport as he is about it? I'll let you know how it goes when it happens.

Music for my Mood

I have to admit that when I feel like I need to blow off some steam or just vent some energy, I like to sing...LOUD! My kids probably don't appreciate having Phantom of the Opera or A Thousand Milesbelted as loud as I can sing, but it does the trick. My Mom used to say she knew what mood I was in by the music I played on the piano. I think that must still be true today. When I'm feeling extrememly happy with lots of energy, I play my favorite memorized songs as fast as my fingers can go. When I'm frustrated, I sing EXTREMELY LOUD. When I'm sad, I play melancholy, slow tunes. When I'm happy, I sing whatever. I don't have enough "frustrated" music though because I realized tonight that I was playing the same song over and over again. Hmmm...I'll have to fix that.

The Next Big Thing

I have to admit I was just thinking today about "the next big thing" and wondering what it will be. I've lived long enough to see so many "next big things" come out. I actually remember when we got Windows on our computer for the first time. I also remember the CD craze and the movement from tape decks and boomboxes to CD players and headphones and then again to mp3 players (mostly iPods) and the earbuds. I also remember the movement from VHS to DVDs. And then again when Blue Ray came out. And do we all remember when beepers were the next big thing? I chuckled to myself as I remember that it was the dream of every kid my age to have a beeper. Older siblings had them and it was "totally in" to have one. And now when I think about it, I realize that big craze is completely obsolete now. So here we sit with our cell phones, our flatscreens and our Nanos. We keep up with friends, acquaintances and enemies through Facebook, Twitter and any other means available to stalk them through the internet. And I sit here wondering what else is out there that will be "the next big thing"?

Cookie Dough

I have to admit, I am a sucker for cookie dough, but over the last several years, I have gotten sick everytime I try to eat the stuff. Naturally, I've stayed away from it. But the other day, I was browsing through pinterest when what should I behold but a recipe for EGGLESS chocolate chip cookie dough. So of course I had to try it. It was scrumptious! And I'm a bit embarrassed by the fact that I scarfed it down in less than 24 hours (I did have some help from the kids and my hubby). Oh well. What's life if you can't really endulge sometimes, right?

Potty Training Revisited

I have to admit I am ECSTATIC that one of my daughters is nearly potty trained. Yesterday in church she was giving a taletell sign that she needed to go potty, so my husband leaned over and told me he thought she must have a UTI. So when I looked and saw what she was doing, I rushed her out and she went potty--at CHURCH! It was awesome! She stayed dry all day without any accidents and so far so good today with no accidents. I was even daring enough to let you take her nap with a diaper today. (We'll see how that goes).  Unfortunately, not much luck with my other daughter. I know it will come in time. But hey, 1 out of 2? I'll take it...for now.

Bonking

I have to admit I totally bonked after I did a bike ride to today. I was totally fine when I got back and felt great, so--like and idiot--I didn't rehydrate and replenish nutrients the way you should after a hard workout. So about 2 1/2 hours after I got home, I slowly got weaker and weaker until...I hit the BONK! Now for those of you who have never reached this point, I'll try to explain it as best as I can. It comes when literally all your energy is gone. You can get up and move, but your muscles ache because the lactic acid is there and every time I stand, I start blacking out. You really just feel like you have to just sit because you can't to anything else. In fact, if there was anything that required less energy, you'd do it because sitting is just too exhausting. What's the quick solution for this? I'll tell you, a tall glass of juice. It's got a high sugar content that goes quickly to your bloodstream; just give it 5 minutes or so. Then, with your newfound energy, you must make a beeline for the kitchen and find something of substance so that when the sugar wears off, you have some real energy to replace it. So there you have it everyone, THE BONK! A word of advice, don't do the ridiculous like me and do this to yourself. It's NOT WORTH IT!!!!

Homemade Bread

I have to admit I LOVE homemade bread. I haven't made much in the last few years because, let's be honest, I haven't really felt up to it with the ages of my kids. But today, I was looking through a cookbook my Mom sent me that ladies from her Church had put together. I found this really great French Bread recipe that only took 10 minutes prep, 40 minutes rising and not quite 25 minutes cooking. It turned out so scrumptious! And it was super easy too, which is a must in the kitchen with me. I'm eating so much of it, I may just have to make some more tomorrow. Yum!

Cruella DeVil Eating a Candy Bar

I have to admit that the quotes me sister forwarded to me are sadly true of me. The first one says, "How is it I can start out the day as Mary Poppins on to end the day as Cruella DeVil." Now I don't know if I really start the day out as Mary Poppins, but I'm pretty sure I don't start the day out as Cruella DeVil...most of the time. But somewhere around 4-5pm when my husband isn't going to be home for several more hours, the kids are tired of me, dinner needs to be made and the house looks like a bomb went off in it, my mood changes and suddenly Cruells rears her ugly head. "Don't fight...Quit making messes...No you can't have a treat...Because we're going to eat dinner soon, that's why...I can't play right now, I have to make dinner...Spaghetti...Well I'm sorry you don't like spaghetti, but that's what we're having...Can everyone be a little bit quieter?...I wish Dad were here too..." And then I snap from the mundane to the nasty and my voice reaches a level that I would be embarrassed for anyone to hear. Why can't I stop it? Hmm....if I could answer that, I guess it wouldn't happen anymore. I'm working on that.

The other quote that makes me laugh (out loud) every time I read it is, "Here's to every mother who has ever eaten a candy bar in the closet because, frankly, you didnt' want to share". Now I've never actually taken to my closet to eat a snack/treat/candy, but I have hidden from me kids in the kitchen to scarf down some sugar and try to hide any telltale signs. Sometimes I think it's selfish, but when I think about the meals I've made and plated for everyone, only to have my kids not eat their's but come and eat mine--which is EXACTLY the SAME as their's--I stop and pause...Is it too much to have a snack to oneself after sharing (from AM to PM) my bed, pillow, bathroom time, drinks of water, breakfast, snacks, shower/bath, piano, lunch, garden gloves, gum, dinner, dessert, journal space and husband (yes sometimes I feel extremely selfish about that too) not to mention that I've spent all day trying to help them in every way possible? Maybe it is...

In any case, these are my admitions, my thoughts and my deep dark secrets. Now you know....

The Great Debate

I have to admit, I'm a little bummed about things not working out as I had planned with my family to do the Ragnar in February. (Ha! I'll bet you all thought I was going to go off about last night's Presidential Debate. Not today my dear friends, not today). I'm still planning on doing it and I'm hoping that several of my family members can still do it, but I had these grandiose plans of having a team completely made up of my siblings and their spouses. But life happens and some have had to drop out for lame reasons such as getting pregnant and becoming foster parents. Just kidding, but hopefully one of these next few Ragnars, we'll be able to get a family team going. In the meantime, those who can make it from my fam and those of my friends who are brave enough to be on the same team as a bunch of crazy siblings will just have a blast come this February. And if it isn't a blast on the day of, it certainly will be a blast when the memory fades of how hard it was physically. Happy running to all!