You Mean Life ISN'T a Musical?

Ok, I admit. I hadn't seen Mamma Mia! yet. I mean, I'd seen the live version and had the soundtrack for ages. But I didn't get to the movie until tonight. It was fan-tabulous. I couldn't believe that Remington Steele/007/Pierce Brosnan could sing! I was duly impressed. And that adorable Amanda Seyfried was awesome, she's got a real career ahead of her. Getting to things like that is tough. One-I have a toddler. Two-I have an autistic toddler and babysitters I trust are hard to come by. Three-Until it gets to my small town, I have to drive at least 35 minutes (usually 45 depending on where it's playing) to get to another movie theater.

Now I know why my husband always says, "You and your mom...you think life is a musical," in an amused way. Ummm. Yeah, so we like to sing. So we break out into song a lot. I have so very few talents, and this one just takes over once in a while. I've even had a couple of students write about it in essays about me (apparently I do it in class, too). But hey I think it's a good quality! I mean, how you can be unhappy or stressed when breaking out into song just because something said or seen makes you think of a song?

The only bad part---I had to return a pair of shoes to Wal-Mart that I picked up for my daughter. I could hear "Honey Honey" in my head (and no, I didn't sing out loud at Wal-Mart)---but the bad part was---

I just couldn't believe people didn't start dancing in the aisles as I walked by.

In Memory of Todd Fletcher

February 15, 1961 - August 27, 2008

What we remember most about our friend Todd:

1. a Parrot on his shoulder

2. Marshall hat and tee

3. Navy dad

4. Michigan

5. guitar jam sessions

6. making up new lyrics to songs

7. Guitar Hero stories

8. Golf stories

9. too many "love you guys" to count

10. a good FRIEND

Book Recommendation

This week's book recommendation is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. This is a MUST READ! It's different than most things I read, but it really kept me hooked. We learn on page 1 that a teen has been murdered. The rest of the book is this teen watching her family and friends and trying to lead them to her killer. Truly amazing!

When Friends Hurt Us

Ever since getting married and especially since I had my daughter, I've realized that friendships change and hell, I really don't have any. Which is ok in a way, I mean, when do I have time to hang out anyway? I'm lucky in that while I can never give "hang out time" to people, I still have people who aren't family that still love me and are there when I need them.

But it's been a long time since a friend hurt my feelings. It sounds so juvenile, but there's really no way to say it. And it stung. My heart hurt.

The thing about this happening when you're an adult is that unlike when you're a child or teen, it makes you really look at the person. The person was not who I thought they were. I looked up to them, I wished I was more like them, I was proud of how genuinely "good" they were. Now I feel like I didn't know them at all. That's a hurt in and of itself. My heart hurts.

Now, on the upside. The other thing I learned after having my daughter is that while it hurts, I'll be fine and my energies will once again be focused on her and I'll lose a piece of the hurt every day as I go about my life.

Funny how the problems we have as kids are really not that different than they are now that we are adults.

Just Another Monday???

It was one for the record books. I got up early, got ready for work, and left myself enough time to get daughter dressed for her first day (!) of preschool. Got to work, had a billion things to prepare for classes. Got them ready, taught my classes. Everything was okay. We began reading Lord of the Flies today. Everything so far so good.

Talk to hubby at noon. Daughter went to preschool SO EXCITED. Left daddy's side no problem, was ready to go. Then daddy returned to a crying baby girl. No one's happy. Had to get hold of my father to have him help hubby move in our new furniture! (Ok, it's a year old, but it was my aunt's and it's like a 4500 dollar set that I paid 500 bucks for--ya can't beat that). And boy did we need it. We didn't even have a couch, we had two beat up recliners for a living room.

Sent email to preschool wondering why daughter went in excited and left in tears. No reply yet. Called friend whose boyfriend is terminally ill--checked up on the two of them. Called mom to see how terminally ill grandmother was today.

This is all before 1 pm, mind you.

Taught the rest of my classes. I totally deserve an academy award for my performance with my afternoon classes. I was so NOT IN THE MOOD--but I sure acted as if I was! Had a meeting after school. Ten minutes to cry to friend Kirstin about life before the meeting. Did so. Moved on.

Got home, picked up cookies for aunt's going away party--she's moving to Colorado tomorrow. Went to help decorate. Attended party. Ordered a pizza. Came home and fed family.

Took daughter to my grandma's. We try to visit briefly each day. And Lord help ya if you don't take the child with ya! :)

Now I'm home, hubby has daughter in the tub getting ready for night time rituals. It's OVER!

Now tomorrow...

Doing for Others Thursday

School is beginning all over the United States. So many kids do not have adequate supplies. Get a couple of bucks and head to the Dollar General or some such place. Buy a couple of packs of pens, pencils, highlighters, or paper. Take them to a school near your home. Either give them to a teacher directly or take them to the front office. I guarantee no matter who you find, they will know students who never seem to have what they need for school. This could make a huge difference in someone's first days of a new school year.

Great Give A Way!

Check out all the stuff you can win for back to school. Go now to http://www.themommiesunited.com/2008/08/back-to-school-its-family-affair.html. It's easy to enter!