Let me know before you leave~

“Please let me know before you leave. I’m losing friends and I need to prepare if you’re going to leave me.” Is not the way you want to start your morning phone call off with your best friend, but she had a good point. We’re at the age where everyone seems to be “leaving” us. They’re not really going anywhere, and they haven’t even packed up their bags—but they have made the leap into the serious relationship world. Tuesday night dinners now take a little more effort, and a night out ends a little earlier for some late night phone conversations. We now are consumed with the tiny details of our fairytales, which once seemed a million years away.

There are some that are in a rush to get to the next phase of life, and others who can’t turn back time fast enough. I’m often torn on where I stand. Sometimes, I want to be on the bridge to the next phase, and other times I want to run backwards until I regain 6-12 months of my life back. There are certain friends that seem to want to pull you to the other side, and others who want to sit down and drink coffee in the current phase.

I hadn’t thought much about this recently until the early morning phone call. Then the reality check set in when I was waiting in line for the rental car. I politely told the man I was going to grab the car seat out of my car, and I’d be right back (the line was rather long). When I came back in he then asked me if I needed a mini-van or an SUV for the car seat. The words couldn’t come out of my mouth fast enough. “ ONLY ONE CAR SEAT, A CAR IS FINE!! IT’ WILL BE GREAT!!!.” Then it dawned on me. I’m not ready to grow up!

Here’s to the extended warranty on my hybrid car, and the nice man who stopped dead in his tracks and didn’t give me the rental mini van. Here’s to the girlfriends who dare you to dream, and those that ground you when you need it. Here’s to a little bit longer before I drive around town adding to my sticker family on my back window!

 But one day~ This will be mine, on the back of my station wagon... I don't think I'll be the " M.V." type of women. 

Time to Climb

I’m ready for the next challenge.

I’m ready to climb the next flight of stairs.

I’m ready to have the waves chase me, and the deck protect me.

I’m ready for what’s next.

By the beach is the best place to set the plan for our goals.

I’m thankful for sand and salt and hours of pondering! 

In the Game of Life...

Ever wish that your day-to-day activity mattered on what number you spun? That maybe if you got a 1 you’d win $10,000 for being a good citizen, or if you spun a 5 that you’d adopt twins, and only pay $5,000 for furniture? Or how about college only costing $50,000 (after the $10,000 interest) and you could be a doctor!

As a child I loved the game of life. I loved making an absurd amount of money, and watching it “grow” before my eyes. I loved adding multiple children to my car and collecting life tiles at various points across the board. I got giddy when I landed on the spot to trade salary cards, and felt an instant sense of relief when I could avoid unnecessary life cost, or speeding (The person who spins the number 10 must pay the police officer $5,000!!).

Since plan “A” fell through with the kids yesterday we decided to play life. It was quite comical and cute to watch them get excited at the very points I did as a child. They couldn’t wait to pick a career, they were excited to get married and grab a life tile, they thought it was funny each time someone else added a child to their car, and they made real world comments each time they picked a tile.

My two favorite quotes of our game were:

“ I want a wife, because wives always stay pretty and husbands get ugly.”

         --- Interesting logic there!

“I only want to learn CPR if it is with Megan Fox.”

         --- After landing on the spot that said, “ learn CPR”.

Even though we do not spin to move to the next spot of life, I think it’s important that we still walk through life with the same enthusiasm.

Caution: The actual game of life is similar to retiring at Millionaire Estates, your “life tiles” are not safe.

I made it from scratch....

It is a Monday in all ways...

First, I didn't want to get out of bed. It just seems so difficult on Monday. Then, the nosey worker at the coffee shop wouldn't stop with the horrible jokes. Then, as I'm already almost late to nannying I get behind the handicap bus, and dump truck on the feeder road to the interstate. When it splits into two lanes, the dump truck naturally gets in the left lane.... I drive off yelling " MOVE IT'S A MONDAY!!" and finish guzzling my rocket fuel (coffee). 


As I was waiting to turn this morning I watched this middle aged mother cross the street with her two kids. They looked to be 2 1/2 and 6 months. She looked like she was about 45, but was probably 35... Her hair looked like it hadn't seen a brush in 6 plus months, and her mom shorts were riding up her ass. I started wondering, if you are predestined to be that mom. I have never heard any young lady say, I can't wait to look like a frazzled wreck toting multiple children around town...


What if this is the only time in life I'll be able to say " I made it from scratch"??? Does one know if they'll be the skinny starved mom with a smile on her face , who runs on "E", stays up till all hours of the night sewing buttons on little Johnny's dinosaur costume, volunteers for a charity, bakes from scratch, and runs the put together looking family. What if I'm the complete opposite... The one who can never shed the baby weight and for the next 40 years of her life looks like she is due to give birth at any minute. The one who no longer bakes, only does store bought or frozen meals. What if I'm the one with kids who don't match, forgot their lunch money again, can't return library books on time... Ahhh~ What if some coffee sipping 20 year old judges me when I try to exercise? This wasn't part of my fairytale dream--  Please- help me understand how I'll figure this out now. 

If this is the last time that I'll be able to say I made it from scratch~ I'll make this Monday of the busiest week of the summer, the best Monday ever.

I wish I could have dated in the 1980s---

the plain and simple reason is because it would have been much easier.

The complex reasons lie below-

No cell phones

- no texting

- no reminders no one has called

- no ability to listen to old voicemails that you saved when life was great

- no e-mail directly to your phone

- no facebook mobile

- could add another list when you add the word "drunk" after each no.

No facebook

- no need to broadcast your business to the world (easy to say as I woke up and updated twitter!)

- no need to confirm your relationship and then later break up.

- no need forever a million pictures to follow you through your happiness.

No digital cameras

- one photo is enough, no need for 1 million.

If we dated in the 1980s and you didn't answer the first time I called, well I could go about my business and not care... Unlike now I can continue to wait for you to call me back ( or I can call/text/ email you) as I take care of my business.

I am not writing this because I'm bitter, angry or mad... I'm writing this because at what point is the past the past? Pre-digital era we didn't throw away hard copy pictures, because that's all you had.

When is the right time to clean out the digital photo album?