Where's the Fault in Singing Let It Go?

There are many times I am proud to be a mom, many times I am frightened, and many times that I feel I just fail at the whole motherhood thing.

I am afraid of: failing my kids, failing my husband, getting in a car accident, people, drowning, birds attacking, and appliances I never used before.

Luckily, time softens the judgment I place on myself and uplifts the happy moments.

This is about that a time I knew I just failed my kid and I don't want to forget it. 

The school's talent show is coming up and he asked if he could audition. After reading the permission slip to enter the audition process I asked him if he was prepared to do his best and practice.  He said yes and he wanted to sing for it.

He has a sweet voice, a confident voice. No, he is not trained and no, I don't think American Idol is calling but he did get to sing a solo in music class.

My little man sees the world in black and white. There is wrong and right and there are rules.

He is not perfect and he gets into his fair share of trouble but when it comes to doing something, he has to do it the way it was intended.

Like when he had to read fifteen books in a month for a class project. The prize was to be allowed to participate in a pizza party. C-man was one book shy of the goal and I offered to sign off on it, if he promised to read it when we came home.

He said no, it would be a lie. 

That is one example of many.

I asked my sweet, little man what he had in mind to sing and if he would sing it for me.  He started to sing Let It Go from Frozen. 

My heart sunk a little. We are having an About a Boy moment.

You know that moment in the movie (or TV version) were the kid sings that uber uncool song but his uber cool friend saves the day.

My son loves Frozen. He knows the movie, he knows the songs, and he loves to sing Let it Go. Every little girl auditioning will be singing that song. Do I tell him no since his choice will be popular with the girls and uncool for the boys?

3 Days of Doodles

I love to doodle.

I even like to color.

It may be the only way I was able to stay awake in school and now in meetings.

There was a study w-a-y back in 2009 that said that, "subjects given a doodling task while listening to a dull phone message had a 29 percent improved recall compared to their non-doodling counterparts." (source)

I don't need an excuse for doodling.

I even used a doodle in a post not that long ago.

I feel like I have discovered a whole world of other doodlers this week and it has inspired me to doodle more.

I was writing in my planner one thing I was thankful for a day; without success.

I am not saying I will doodle all that more often but maybe the days that words escape me I will doodle it instead.

On Doodle a Day - Miracle in a Can

Do you doodle? 

The Prompts: 4.) I love this idea of an art journal, try it (or have your child try it) and share your creation!

Learning to Grieve, again.

source by petradr

When I look back at the last few weeks I am in awe of how much has changed. It seems like it was just yesterday I said, “See you on Sunday, Mom,” and today there are no more Sundays with her. No more moments, no more arguments, no more quite talks about nothing special and no more time. I’ve learned to miss her.

I have learned that losing a parent does not prepare you for losing another and no matter how many times I thought that it would be the end, I was not prepared for it to actually happen. I never thought it would.  I am learning to grieve, again.

I have learned that the days after someone’s death is not when the mourning happens. The days leading up to the wake and the funeral are full of planning, lists and comforting others. You find yourself sharing details that you may not want to share just so they are not trapped inside your own mind to fester. You find yourself sharing parts of you that you don’t normally share in the hopes that you don’t come off to mechanical and cold. You find yourself going through the motions but not really feeling anything.

6 Books to Read for February (and One Not To Read)

This post contains affiliate links

I made this list of 39 things to do before I turn forty and one of those things is to read forty books.

I once lived to read but making time for reading was not a priority for me.  I am trying to make reading a priority again and I have read twelve books so far in my quest.

The Divergent Series Complete Collection

We Are The World?

source: The Anti-Media

You know you are old when you hear someone ask, "What's We Are the World?" 

I wanted so badly to find out that they were joking.  They weren't.



I was eleven when this was released but it feels like yesterday.  
I had so much hope and truly believed that the world was going to hell but these people would make a difference.
I feel so old.  

The Prompts:  3.) You know you're getting old when…

Drawing a Dinosaur

The last time I felt guilty. The last time I felt guilty? I don’t remember a time when I didn't feel guilty about something.

I feel guilty writing this now.

The kids have been trapped in our home because of the weather and I’ve had my face buried in a screen. I have read two books on my kindle, played candy crush saga and worked on my laptop while catching up on Downton Abbey.

I can’t wait to go back to work and I feel guilty about that.

Say What! 8 Things I've Said to My Kids This Week (that I betcha you didn't say to yours)

8 Things I've Said to My Kids This Week (that I betcha you didn't say to yours)

1.  You can poop in a pull up or on the potty but p-l-e-a-s-e just poop.


2.  Yes, you can have ice cream for breakfast (but only because you can see the laxative in the cereal bowl and we are out of yogurt)


3.  I’m sorry the evil witch turned you into a girl, but I like you as my girl.


4.  If Jesus hung on the cross for three hours you can spend an hour at mass. Besides, we are late that is even less time we will be there.

5.  I’d prefer you don’t call anyone dumb-ass but if you must, you can only say it at home.


6.  No, that is not inappropriate that is Cupid and Bacchus. You can tell by the grapes...

7.  I’m sorry but you won’t be allowed to marry your brother and I’m married to your dad.


8.  No, I don’t remember what I said while I was sleeping.

What have you said to your kids this week?

Prompt: 3.) 8 things you said to your kids this week that maybe other parents did not say to their kids.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Throwback Thursday Work Addition: My Colleagues Took Their Clothes Off

It is hard to imagine lives before kids but we had them.  I wanted to compare me from ten years ago with today but I found this gem from 1999 and that is close enough.  I am posing with a colleague during his shift.

Fourteen years ago I managed a nightclub quite by accident. I was the receptionist by day and ran the coat check at night until the night managers quit to open their own nightclub.  One of my responsibilities became managing an all male revue (aka male strippers), overnight

Today, I order supplies and sign for packages.  Back then I ordered supplies, signed for beer deliveries and got to watch my co-workers take their clothes off. Every. Saturday. Night.

Good times.


The Prompt: 1.) Find a photo of yourself taken 10 years ago and display it on your blog along with a current photo. How have you changed since the day that photo was taken?

My Old School Happy Song

When I was young I worked at a nightclub.  I was a coat check girl, a door girl, occasional bartender, the office girl and a manager.  It was so cool.  I was so young.  The best part was being allowed in the DJ booth to play with the lights.  My favorite song at the time was Amber's Sexual and I only heard it at the club.

One of the DJs eventually put it on a mix tape of club songs so I would stop asking to hear it played.  I lost the tape but now I can hear it whenever I want.

This song still makes me so very happy.

An Insider’s Guide to Marriage Secrets

A few months ago I saw  something on Facebook that was being shared by single friends of mine. It was a list of 50 marriage tips. I remember thinking how odd it was that a single friend was sharing it so I had to read it and share it with the Husband. We had a good laugh over how silly it seemed.

Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of great advice, but it is hard to take anything seriously when someone who is not married is sharing it. Come to think of it the only thing I remember from the list is something about sex and that is the one the Husband and I agreed with wholeheartedly.

The post has been in the back of my head for a few months now and I decided to come up with my own list.

Mind you this is complete bullshit because we have not been married all that long. Seven years is a mere drop in the bucket when you think of how long we are expected to live.

I will also caveat it by saying that we have been together about nine years and I have known him my entire adult life. We meet when I was 19. We know each other fairly well and we work off the expectation that the other will leave. Just kidding, he will have to take me with him.

Top 5 Marriage Secrets (That Should Not be Trusted) from an Insider.

Sex

It is on every list for a reason. It is important and scientifically proven to be necessary to the success of marriages but let’s be realistic about sex and we should consider - quantity over quality.

Sure, quality is nice, but with a toddler who still co-sleeps for the most part, a third grader with insomnia, and a husband with rotating shifts that include overnights - quantity is way more important. Get it when you can and remember that you, hopefully, will have a long life together and quality sex will be much sweeter with each other later, because you are still together.

Don't use Sex as a Weapon

What can I say, sex is important and even if you are mad at your spouse don't withhold sex. Sex can be healing, on both sides, and using it as a weapon will only cause problems.

Show a United Front

This is the hardest for me when it comes to the kids but the easiest when it comes to the rest of the world. I struggle because I am with the kids the most and I just fail at hiding how I feel about some things. This can be a major stressor on a marriage especially when you disagree on discipline. Of course, if you discussed your parenting philosophies before setting the date like all the “experts” say to do this should not be a problem.

Let. It. Go.

Whatever it is, just let it go. Holding a grudge not only hurts your relationship but will make you mean and give you worry lines. This could also be titled ‘Pick Your Battles’ because sometimes, some things we want to quarrel over is really, just not worth it in the long run.

Remember who you married

I know that my Husband’s idea of romance is making sure I have gas in my car and the utilities are paid. I know that he sends me flowers at work for the funny story of jealous women later and I know that he will never hold my hand in public unless it is to keep me close in a crowd, and he forgets to do that. That is how he shows me his love and I can’t imagine expecting him to change any of that based on a silly notion of what others believe love is.

There are times we don’t agree and I know, for the most part, on what they are even before he opens his mouth to object because I know who I married. Yes, we change over the years and feelings change and somewhere down the line I may write, “I thought I knew him…” But, that is not today. I may not always like him but I will love him - till death…

Marriage secrets? DO share!

The Prompt:
2.) Your top 5 secrets to a successful marriage!

10 (coffee) Things That (coffee) Make Me (coffee) Smile

 But, the only thing that makes me truly happy is these smiling faces....

The Prompts:

1.) 10 Things to Smile About (inspired by Things I Can’t Say)

How to be Brave

When you think of bravery fireman, police and those that serve in the military often come to mind first and yes, they are some of the bravest people I know but not the only ones. Sometimes being brave means leading a purposeful life and sometimes it means facing situations that are difficult and seeing it through to the end even when you are scared or fail.

I tell my children daily to be brave. Their fears, their challenges are ones that only they know and thankfully cannot imagine anything harder but that does not mean that their childish worries won't prepare them for larger, harder ones that lay ahead.

When I find myself in the midst of a situation that requires bravery I quietly remind myself that it is just one moment and all moments pass. No, this does not help my children but one day they will realize that telling them to be brave is the same thing and their mom was very wise.

The Prompt 3.) Write a post inspired by the word: brave.

A Summer in 9 Words and Instagrams

Loving

exploring, 

 playing,

eating;

 driving

 this

beautiful

 Cleveland

summer!

Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back to add your name to the link list.

The Prompt:

2.) 9 pictures. 9 words. (inspired by Bits of Bee)

6 Random Facts About...

6 Random Facts About Me

1. I am terrible at keeping a clean house.

2. I sit on a ball at work.

3. My letter to the object of my affection was featured by Mama Kat.

4. Until last year, I have never been to the theater in Cleveland and I grew up in Northeast Ohio.

5. I am currently tracking everything I eat on fatsecret, now.

6. I wish I could be a stay home mom because I am that bad at keeping house, keeping kids clean and keeping the husband happy.  It was so much easier when I was younger to juggle two (sometimes three) jobs and now... not so much.

What are some random facts about you?

The Prompt:
2.) List six random facts about yourself.

A Safe Look Back and Nicholas Sparks

Last year, at this time I was attempting to complete the #AtoZChallenge.  I failed.   I got to L and quit.  I am not sure why, but if I was to guess I would say real life got in the way. 

I was writing about everything - my funny kid, coffee and how I sometimes miss being single.  Oddly enough, my most viewed post of all time came from the #AtoZChallenge - Listable Life and Nicholas Sparks' Movies - #AtoZChallenge.  The post listed my top 5 reasons that I can't stop watching his movies.

Now, I love Nicholas Sparks' books and I love his movies.  But, I don't love that the movies are never as good as the books. Don't get me wrong - they are great as movies but the books are wonderful and the movies lose something in the translation.  Like Safe Harbor. Great as a movie but the adaptation lost how wonderful the father was with this children and the quite strength that radiated from the main character.

I would still watch it again because it is Josh Duhamel for crying out loud and he is in a Nicholas Sparks' movie but I may turn down the sound and read the book while I am watching it.

My wish is that he would write screen plays and write books but not make his books into movies.

Oh, who am I kidding?  I would read and watch whatever that man put out.  I just adore him.

Do you have a favorite from Nicholas Sparks?

Speaking of books... come back tomorrow and join this week's Because Prompts are Fun.  This week's theme is books!

The Prompt:
4.) Look into your archives. What were you blogging about a year ago around this time? Are you still dealing with the same thing? Your thoughts?

A Mama Geek's Top List of Doctor Who Quotes

My all time favorite show is - Doctor Who.  Romance, danger, humor, fantasy... it has it all and I eat it up!

So what if I just started watching the "new" series last November and watched the first six seasons in a month, ignoring family and friends to get caught up.  And, who cares that even though I remember watching it in the 80's, when it was on PBS, I don't really remember it.  The point is that I watch it now (or would it be again) and I may even watch it daily thanks to my DVR.

Doctor Who has some fantastic writing and there are some brilliant, brilliant lines in it. Yes, it is a show about a time-lord alien who travels all of time and space but there are a lot of good life lessons in there. And, if you are not about the life lessons - how about hot guys and romance.

 Here are my...

Top 9 Doctor Who Quotes

A Tweet About Sleep

This whole morning thing would not be so bad if I had a good night sleep #fb
— MryJhnsn (@mryjhnsn) March 12, 2013

The Prompt:
2.) Draw a picture that you feel accurately depicts one of your last tweets.

Starbucks from Mama Kat? Yes, Please!

If Mama Kat (or anyone for that matter) gave me $500 right now, what would I buy?

I could put it towards a bill or buy something the whole family could share but since this is a very unlikely scenario I am going to say - splurge on me and buy a Starbucks gift card.

Starbucks?  Yes, Starbucks.  Sure I would prefer local but, for $500 I would like to be able to buy coffee anywhere in the world and it seems that there is a Starbucks everywhere in the world.

Not that I am planning to go anywhere but that much money may last me awhile. 

I know that what they offer is potentially harmful.  One of their frozen concoctions meet the daily calorie requirements of most adults but it just tastes so darn yummy.

I do feel a little silly when I order my venti, quad, no foam, skim latte, but not silly enough to not order it.  That is my go to order after all.


And, sometimes the highlight of a hot summer day is a venti, unsweetened iced coffee.  Plain and simple.


But nothing and I mean nothing compares to that first pumpkin spice of fall.


Starbucks is a splurge for sure and our budget doesn't always allow for it but if I had $500...



Fine print: This is not a sponsored post... just fantasy.

The Prompt:
3.) If I gave you $500 today, but you could use it for only one purchase, what would you buy and why?