The Piano Guys Made My Daughter Cry and It. Was. Magical.

Shortly after Cyra started taking violin lessons last year (her school offers a Strings Alive program so for a nominal $10 fee she gets weekly lessons and a violin to borrow) she was searching for violin videos on YouTube and she discovered The Piano Guys. If you have never heard of them, please stop reading right now and go check out a couple of their videos. This one is Cyra’s favorite or this one or maybe this one…heck pretty much any and all of their videos could qualify as her favorite! It just depends on her mood that day. Anyway, go click some links, I’ll be here when you get back.

We good? Did you check them out? Amazing, right?

Anyway, for months Cyra would watch theses videos daily. She began to talk about learning to play the cello.

“I bet I could learn cello easily now that I know violin,” she’d tell us.

She talked about cello so much it broke my heart because at the time I was still unemployed and we couldn’t afford lessons much less a $600+ beginner’s cello. Nonstop all through the winter, through the holidays, and well into spring we heard about cellos and The Piano Guys.

In early spring, The Piano Guys announced their upcoming US tour and Cyra nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that they would be playing the Florida Theater in Jacksonville, a mere 40 minutes away. Still unemployed, I told Cyra that we really couldn’t afford the tickets, but really, I knew that I would save every penny I could to get her there even if it meant doing without Internet, power, or skimping on groceries for a few weeks.

But with gainful employment comes financial wiggle room and after I’d gotten a few paychecks into the bank, I told Scott I was buying tickets. That was in May. Coincidentally, the scheduled stop in Jacksonville fell just a few days before Cyra’s birthday.

Perfect timing. She’d be thrilled with her birthday gift.

All that spring and summer Cyra talked about cello lessons. And the more she talked the more Scott and I really started playing with the budget to see if it was possible. I priced cellos online, I looked around town for a music store that offered cello lessons.

This wasn’t a passing fancy for her. Cello was her dream.

When school started in August, her music teacher told Cyra that she might not have returning students join the Strings Alive program. Cyra came home devastated. Violin, you see, was her gateway to cello. She knew that if she couldn’t take cello lessons then at least she would still get the practice with a string instrument.

That same day, I emailed the one store in town that offered cello lessons. A few phone calls later, Cyra had a meeting with the instructor, an older gentleman whose preferred instrument was the cello. He was thrilled that such a young girl would be interested in cello.

When we went to meet him, he measured her to see what size cello she would need and watching her touch and hold a cello for the first time cinched the deal for me. Her smile just about engulfed her face and she couldn’t stop trembling.

“If I made a down payment, would you be able to let me make payments?” I asked the instructor softly as I stared at Cyra pulling the bow across the strings.

“Absolutely,” he said.

“Done. Let’s do it,” I said.

Cyra looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes. “Really?”

I nodded. “For really.”

I came home with a cello that barely fit in my car, weekly lessons that worked with my work schedule, and a little girl in complete shock.

(And now I do something that I don't often do: post photos of the girls. But today I feel it is important for the story.)

Cyra and her cello, first day home. Possessive doesn't even cover it.

First time practicing before lessons had even started. By the end of the first evening home, she had a reasonable sounding Twinkle Twinkle going. All that violin work really helped!

Let’s return the The Piano Guys.

Around the end of September, Cyra once again asked me if we could go to the concert. I looked her dead in the eye and I lied to my child. Lied through my teeth knowing that what I was about to tell her would sadden her.

“I’m so sorry sweetie,” I said softly, “With Ashleigh’s wisdom teeth and buying the cello…we just don’t have the money for it.”

Her face fell a little, “I understand, Mommy. It’s okay.”

And not another word was mentioned. Until yesterday.

Yesterday, the day of the concert, Cyra came home, scuffing her feet, frowning, and irritated.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” I asked as she sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around me.

“I had a rough day, Mom,” she sighed.

I nodded sympathetically as she told me about her day. “Sounds like you could use something to cheer you up.”

She nodded. “Maybe a nap too.”

I laughed, “You’re that tired?”

Another nod.

“Well, maybe this will help.” I grabbed the envelope that held the tickets for over 6 months.

She raised her eyebrow at me.

“Open it up.”

She pulled out the printed tickets and scanned over it without really seeing it.

I pointed to the top, a small gray rectangle with the concert information. "Read in here,” I told her.

She read.

She looked at me.

She read it again.

“Mommy, I think you better cover your ears because I am about to squee like I have never squeed before.”

She jumped off my lap, jumped around the living, the walls echoing her squees of joy.

At the Florida Theater, after buying $70+ of merchandise, including a book of sheet music, Cyra, Ashleigh, and I sat quietly as the house lights fell dark. Cyra took a deep, calming breath as The Piano Guys walked onto the stage.

It. Was. Magical.

The first three songs, Cyra cried. Tears of happiness and joy streamed down her face and her quiet snuffles made me wish I had brought some tissues. Ashleigh and I couldn’t stop smiling.

These guys put on a great show! Aside from the music, which is phenomenal, they were personable, humorous, and humble. Sprinkled throughout the show the guys talked about their background together and the piano player, Jon Schmidt kept telling the audience that Steven Sharpe Nelson was the number one cellist in the world. And while I absolutely loved the show, the best part was watching Cyra’s reactions: amazement, admiration, hero worship.

Afterward, I told Cyra we could hang out in the lobby to see if they’d come out for autographs. She about fell over.

We waited in the lobby for a good 45 minutes. After most of the crowd cleared out and there were only about 30 people left in the lobby, the security guys had us line up.

And then, there they were. Cyra, who had been containing her excitement as best she could earlier, broke into a jittery dance and tears welled up again. As the line moved forward, Ashleigh and I tried to keep her calm.

“Can’t blame her,” Ashleigh said, “I would totally be fangirling as hard if I was meeting someone I really liked,”

Then it was her turn. And surprisingly she stayed put together.

“You’re going to need the table,” she told them as she handed over her items for signing.

The guys were gracious, polite, and asked her all sorts of questions.

“Do you play an instrument?” Jon, the piano player, asked.

“Yes,” she replied, “The cello.”

“You are my favorite person so far tonight,” Steven, the cellist, replied. Apparently, everyone they had met had claimed the piano as the instrument of choice. “How long have you been playing.”

“I just started this year,” she paused. “Because of you.”

“Wow. That’s fantastic!”

I swear he was flabbergasted.

“Did you name your cello?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Did you name it Steve?” Jon Schmidt asked.

“No, Agent Romanoff.”

“Whoa. That’s a serious name.” The guys laughed.

Cyra nodded.

“When I grow up,” Cyra said shyly, “I’m going to be right up there with you,” she looked at Steven, “I’ll be the second best cellist.”

Steven looked down at her with a smile, “No. You be the number one cellist. I’ll be second.”

Oh. My. Heart. It pretty much exploded.

Pictures all around and then our turn was over and once again Cyra could not keep the joy contained and she burst into tears again. She was floating as we walked back to the car.

“Best day?” I asked her.

“Best. Day. Ever,” she said through her tears.

From left to right: Al Van Der Beek, Steven Sharp Nelson, Cyra, Jon Schmidt, Paul Anderson

Free Advertising

Ashleigh had her first SAT today and as chance would have it we were short on #2 pencils, water bottles, and snacks - all things recommended for students taking the SAT. I don’t recall being told I could bring a snack or drink when I took the SAT but times, they do change. With a grocery store on the way, a quick stop to grab the required items was no problem.

Knowing that I was going to spend the morning cleaning, I threw on an old pair of shorts and the first winner’s t-shirt I ever bought from NaNoWriMo. It’s my favorite simply because it was the first one I was ever qualified to buy. Soft grey cotton, bold orange block lettering, and a squirrel saying “Whoa!” What’s not to love?

Image source

Ashleigh and I were walking down aisle 8 looking for #2 pencils when a man - probably about my age or maybe just a touch older - came striding down the aisle, a basket in his hand. He was a ginger, so of course I noticed him. And he had a beautiful, rugged full beard. But what struck me the most about him was his deliciously bright hot pink shirt, shorts, and socks. He had on black running shoes and a number pinned to his shirt so I can only assume he was doing some sort of run, probably for breast cancer (because that’s all October is about now-a-days).

As he approached, he slowed down, hesitated, his stride broke and he looked me up and down. He regained his footing and continued on. Curious, I kept my eye on him because - well, he’s a ginger! And I never get perusals. He got about ten feet beyond me and then turned and looked me up and down. Again!

Folks, I was floored. Dumbstruck. Flabbergasted. Getting one glance almost never happens and a second one is unheard of. 

He walked a few more feet, stopped, turned fully around, and caught my eye.

“I love your shirt,” he says. “I’ve thought about giving it a try and just haven’t .”

Of course, my shirt, my walking billboard to NaNoWriMo. I laugh.

“You should give it a try. It’s a lot of fun.” I tell him. By this time, Ashleigh and I have successfully acquired #2 pencils and were heading back up the aisle towards the guy.

We start walking together.

“My friend does it and keeps trying to get me to do it too,” he says.

“That’s how I got started.” I reply, “You know there’s a small group that tries to meet at Barnes and Noble, usually in the mornings-”

“Oh. I teach,” he interrupts.

“Well, the time is flexible.” I tell him as his pace quickens. Am I being too outgoing? Too pushy? “The website is NaNoWriMo.org,” I tell him and slow down a little.

He strides on ahead of me. “Thanks, maybe I’ll look into it.”

He continues walking. I continue walking. Following right behind him. Crap. He’s going to the same aisle that I need to go down.

“Now I feel like I’m stalking you,” I laugh.

He turns around and smiles. “No problem.”

Is he creeped out? Was that a forced smile? Am I reading too much into it?

Social awkwardness at it’s best.

He beelined down the personal care aisle and I made for the cheese and dairy aisle. We parted ways, but jeesh, wouldn’t you know it, back at the register, who am I behind?

So, I’ll take a second and throw out an apology to the guys over at NaNoWriMo. I tried advertising and recruiting for you. I don’t think it worked. Maybe next time I’ll leave it at, “Gee thanks. You should give it a go,” and walk away.

Plumb Tuckered Out

April, much like November and NaNoWriMo, is tiring. Different reasons for being tiring, but tiring nonetheless. NaNo is a hectic and fast paced but it's a me against me thing. April brings a different level to the writing. It's me writing, but also making the rounds, reading, commenting, responding. More giving of my time to outside influences, maybe.

And that's a good thing. NaNo is all about removing myself from reality and focusing on my novels. Blogging A to Z is all about making connections. And really, who doesn't like connections. Introverts maybe, but then introverts probably wouldn't be participating in such a challenge. Though I could be wrong. Heck! for all I know I was the only extrovert participating this year. I'm tired but in a good way. I feel accomplished and dedicated. And that's saying a lot right now. So no worries, Pickleope, I'm still going to be blogging. I miss my "I Made It Mondays" and my "Friday Photos."

Two things before I go. First, I hit a blog milestone during the A to Z Challenge: 300 posts! Yay! But even more awesome? All my new peeps! I'd like to give a great big welcome to all the newcomers to my blog. You found me through A to Z and stuck around and that's a major ego boost! Glad to have you around for my journey!

M is for Malarkey

I tell stories. Frivolous stories full of unapologetic malarkey and hyperbole. I have been doing this all my life.

When I was little, as my family would sit down to dinner, I would be asked one simple, almost insignificant question: What did you do today, Heather.

Without a second of hesitation I would launch into a detailed description about my day interspersing actual occurrence with snippets of malarkey just to see how far I could take the tale. Nine times out of ten, I was encouraged to spin the tale out further beyond what I could have readily imagined. 

Oh how I wish I had a record of the stories I told. Looking back, I’m sure not a single one of them made sense and my siblings only tolerated my shenanigans because I was the baby of the family.  My childhood was fantasy wrapped in delusion filled to the brim with malarkey.

Today, I still tell wild stories full of malarkey. Just ask the girls about the orangutans that I blame for everything. Or Scott. Poor Scott. Last night while we sat at dinner, a thunderstorm rolled overhead with flashes of lightening and great booms of thunder that shook the windows in their frames. As we ate, I bemoaned the fact that we left my newly purchased bags of soil – the ones for the raised garden bed I’m building – out on the lawn. Unprotected. Scott and the girls looked at me incredulously.

“It’s dirt,” Scott said.

“Yeah,” I sighed, “But it’s my dirt now and I should take better care of it.”

“What are you going to do once you put it in the garden?” He asked.

I looked at him like he was the crazy one, “Put umbrellas over it, obviously.”

Like I said. Malarkey.

Malarkey is a noun from the 1930s that means nonsense.

Example: Marty the Magnificent managed to mumble the magic word making Melvin the Mouse move. “What malarkey!” Marcus moaned at the meager maneuver. 

This post has been brought to you by the Letter M and the fine folks at Blogging A to Z. And by the number 566. Check out more A to Z blogs here!

E is for Egad

 Back in high school one of my favorite cartoons was Animaniacs. Who am I kidding? It still is one of my favorite cartoons. So much so that I’ve introduced it to my daughters who also now love it! I love the pop culture references, the hijinks, the pure unadulterated chaos caused by the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister. It is a show that is entertaining and intelligent, introducing kids to concepts like the theory of relativity, our small place in the universe, and thematic movies like the Godfather.

And of course most of these concepts were introduced by song. Best way to learn, right? Give a shout out if you can remember the Preamble because of School House Rocks! Seriously, Friends, the only reason I know all the state capitals is because of Animaniacs.

But by far my favorite part of the Animaniacs was Pinky and The Brain. They must have been popular because they landed themselves a short lived spin off. I giggled uncontrollably every time Pinky screwed up or “narffed” and I loved it when he would exclaim, “Egad, Brain!” marveling at Brain’s plans for world domination.

This might just be the oldest word on my list. I’m not 100 percent sure though as I still have a few words left to pick.

Egad is an interjection dating from the late 1600s used to express shock or surprise.

Example: Egad, Evelyn! Every earthworm we’ve enjoyed exposing to excrement enthusiastically endures endless episodes of Entourage, Eureka, and as expected, Ed, Edd, ‘n Eddie. 

This post has been brought to you by the Letter E and the fine folks at Blogging A to Z. And by the number 584. Check out more A to Z blogs here!

Interruption

I interrupt your regularly scheduled blog reading for some minor announcements:

1) Holy Moly People! Working is ruining my life of lesuire! I am finding that adjusting to a new schedule at 36 is not nearly as easy as adjusting to a new schedule at 22. That being said, I'm trying, but I am going to have to prioritize my time here. So for the duration of the challenge, I will be focused on making comments on other people's blogs. I love your comments and I read every one of them. Twice. I do! Really! Once in my inbox and then again on the blog. So for Goodness sake keep them coming because you're all awesome like that but I probably won't get around to replying to them until my days off. 

2) I am going to disallow anonymous comments. Blogger is pretty good about filtering for me, but the amount of spam is increasing exponentially and I think I'd rather be a bit more proactive with my blog management.

3) I'm not sure if you noticed but at the end of each post, I've been giving a shout out to a fellow A to Z-er. For this first week I'm linking to people I already know and follow, but for the rest of the challenge I'm going to link to people I don't know all that well but have been intrigued by their posts. 

4) I have been blessed with a gaggle of new followers and I want to take a second and acknowledge them! The A to Z Challenge is a great way to discover new blogs and people who might just be crazier than me and I am grateful for everyone who has stopped by on a whim (and if you are like me you click a link because the name intrigues you) and then stuck around. Thank you!

Happy A to Z-ing!!

Exciting! Two Posts for the Price of One. (FYI: If you did pay could you let me know because I've not seen a cent of profit here!)

So I don't usually post twice in a day, but some rules are meant to be bent. Bent because I don't actually have a rule about posting twice in a day. I've done it before and thus far Blogger Police have left me alone.

As you know I am big into games. Big! I love them. I've posted about it here and here if you're interested. And as many know I subscribe to Felicia Day's Geek & Sundry channel (and you should too. Because. It. Is Awesome. Can you believe I'm not even getting paid for these endorsements? I really should be.).

Apart from the Guild, my favorite show on Geek & Sundry is TableTop hosted by Wil Wheaton, actor and all around awesome guy. I say that knowing that I don't know him personally but he seems like a pretty decent fellow. Each episode of TableTop features Wil and a group of friends playing a game. Hilarity ensues. Some games I was familiar while others were completely new and nifty! TableTop played a huge role in Christmas presents this year: Dixit, Gloom, and Star Fluxx to name a few. 

Anyway, a few days ago, Wil Wheaton posted about a BIG announcement for TableTop and I bet like many, I assumed the worst. No second season? No Wil? No table?

Turns out my fears were for naught. TableTop has sparked such a response that Felicia Day and her team of intergalactic superheroes, unicorns, and friends have declared March 30th to be International TableTop Day! Here's Wil's announcement about it on his blog.

So I will be participating. I'm hoping that somewhere in my town a small coffee shop, bookstore or game shop is planning on it as well. Although even if I just spend the day playing games with my girls it is still going to  be a great day in my book!

I wish I was cool enough to declare an international day...but alas, I haven't reach that level of awesome yet.

Someday.

(Was my fangirl showing a bit here?)

I Made It Monday

I've mentioned before how I am a gamer - I should clarify that though I play video games and board games, my love is tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons and, of course, Pathfinder. For the past two plus years I've been playing in a single adventure path ("adventure paths" are self contained adventures that take a character from 1st level to a high level over the course of six interconnected adventures, hence, adventure path).

Two weeks ago my gaming group and I completed an entire adventure path. It is the first campaign I have ever finished. It was sad to see it end. Characters that we had developed over two years suddenly ready to retire and new characters and a new campaign to start. As sad as I was to see the old campaign come to a close I was excited to start a new one. Yesterday, my group started a new adventure path called Skull and Shackles in which we, the characters, get pressed into piracy.

I love pirates. I love pirate themed anything. And as it happens I also love to bake. Typically I make some kind of dessert, snack or treat for my guys each session. I spoil them really. But that's okay because I love baking so much that I can sometimes overdo things and having three extra guys in the house helps to take care of the food.

So this week for the start of the campaign I made my guys hardtack.

Seriously.

The dough was so sticky I had my doubts to whether I would actually be able to roll it out.

Now, I wanted my guys to actually eat the stuff so I didn't go with a traditional flour, water, salt recipe. I found one that called for oats, honey, and buttermilk. Again, not exactly hardtack, but...similar.

Interestingly enough I actually have a small round biscuit cutter.

 

The bottoms of the hardtack got a nice golden brown but the top remained a slightly pale shade of dough. "Dough" is a color, right?

Pretty, right?

These actually tasted pretty good. Although not technically "hard" the guys still got a chuckle out of it and Scott and the girls said they wouldn't mind some in their lunchboxes to snack on during the day. I'm definitely going to make these again but next time with a touch more honey and maybe some cinnamon or nutmeg.

And because I didn't want my guys to get stuck with scurvy (because who in their right mind would) I made a lemon wafer cookie. Oh my goodness this cookie was just about the most delicious lemon cookie I have ever made before.

A crisp buttery cookie with a tart lemon glaze. Yum!

I Made It Monday

I've been kind of slow on the crafting lately. Coming off of the holiday crafting high always leads me to a slow down in January and February. I've been feeling the yearning for some learning. I like knowing how to do things and I'm all about learning a new craft. There's about a half dozen crafts I would love to learn: spinning...okay spinning it the only one I can think of right now, but I swear there are more! I'm a bit bored with what I have right now and that makes it hard to want to sit down with a skein of yarn or a half dozen photographs and be creative. 

Plus, as I've mentioned before I haven't been all that...enthusiastic...with life right now. A lot is going on and often I find myself sitting with a project in my lap or on the table in front of me and no desire whatsoever to do any work on the project. I'll stare at the TV not seeing what I'm watching, worrying instead of working. It happens and I hate it when I catch myself zoning out. I end up putting the project aside and doing chores or more often than not, wasting time on Pinterest (I don't have an account and refuse to get one, but jeesh do I love scrolling through). Hopefully one of the biggest issues going on right now will soon be resolved and I'll get back into my normal routine.

I actually started working on today's project way back before Christmas but only finished it late last week. It should have taken a day or two tops. I worked on it for an hour, lost interest, went back a week later and couldn't remember what row I was on so I tore the whole thing out and restarted.

This happened a whole slew of times.

I got the pattern from one of my favorite crocheters, Ana Paula. Her book Amigurumi Toy Box features a quartet of cute sea creatures that make me squee. The jellyfish, though, is by far my favorite. 

"I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy."

I've hung him where I normally hang up our mistletoe and love watching Scott hit his head on it every single time he walks into the living room.

See how awesomely I am channeling J.J. Abrams? I think I've got a talent for lens flares.

This isn't a "Real Post." Seriously.

In my mind, I've been off fighting pirates in the Caribbean, making life-altering crafts out of pine cones and duct tape, saving the world from alien Bigfoot invaders (again) and baking the heck out of some nice crusty bread.

In my mind, that is. The truth and reality is never that exciting and excuses are so 2012. So I'd like to just jump right into things, pretending that I've not been ignoring my blog so much as...

Heck. I can't even come up with a good "so much as."

Forget it. I said this isn't a real post and it's not. I just wanted to take a minute from my excruciatingly normal and slightly boring day to give a couple of shout outs. It seems in my absence I've gotten some Bloggy Love (that doesn't sound...dirty...does it?) and despite my utter apathy for the Internet and blogging and socialization right now, I really appreciate the recognition.

I have received no less than three Liebsters! Serious blogging love going on there and while I am in no way capable of answering all those questions or actually, really passing on the award right now, I wanted to make sure that recognitions was recognized.

So, first a big thank you to Ruby at Whispering Thoughts. She is one of my earliest followers and always has a kind word for me! She also writes some very thought provoking poetry and short stories on her blog. And she has a photo blog too!

Next a couple of bloggers at Moonkissed. New followers Hannah and Holly host a fashion, artsy blog that is cute and informative - especially to someone like me who pretty much owns nothing but jeans, tee-shirts and polos (man I love polos!).

Finally, my BFF Sara at A Bend in the Road. She is the reason I started blogging in the first place and one of my biggest fans (if I do say so myself). Sara blogs about her grief of losing her daughter Lauren, everyday life and food.  

Boxing Day Gratitude

Christmas was a success. It typically is so it goes without saying but it is nice to acknowledge when things go right. The presents were all under the tree, wrapped and ready to go by 11pm Christmas Eve so I potentially would have gotten a good night’s sleep if in fact I had been able to sleep at all. The blueberry sauce didn’t bubble over, which meant that I didn’t have additional kitchen clean up. And most importantly, to me anyhow, the Girls loved every second. Granted, I could probably wrap a couple of brightly polished rocks or a couple of packs of funky socks and they’d be thrilled (no joke, those kids love rocks and socks!).

I managed to keep Christmas reasonable and budget friendly by starting my shopping way back in August (in some cases even earlier). I knew what they would like and I started looking for sales and discount and coupons and for the most part found them easily while convincing the Girls that the few things they did asked for were ridiculously expensive.

I’m kind of mean like that.

But on the other hand, I lucked out with my kids because they are so unimpressed with gadgets and technology it is a rare Christmas that finds mp3 players or e-readers under our tree. This year was no exception. Legos, board games and DVDs dominated the top spots. For Cyra the Lord of the Rings Lego set was her big gift and for Ashleigh seasons 1 – 5 of Doctor Who were hers.

I’ve mentioned before that we are a family of gamers. Board games, video games, card game, RPGs, we play them all. Our living room is taken up by DVDs and games. We have two storage ottomans stuffed with all manner of games. My point? We are always looking for new games to play.

And that brings me to some very sincere “thank yous.”

First, to my BFF Sara for marrying such an awesome guy. Geordie introduced Sara to Settlers of Catan and then shortly thereafter, introduced it to me and the girls. Who would have ever thought sheep herding was a fun thing? But we loved it, especially Cyra who quickly developed a knack for the game.

Catan was the first game to find its way under the tree.

Next, for the rest of the board games, I’m going to have to give a huge shout out to a celebrity, something I’m fairly sure I have never done before. But a big thanks to Wil Wheaton.

Yup. Wil Wheaton, awesome actor and avid gamer.

Wil Wheaton who, among other things, hosts a cool web show called Table Top on Geek and Sundry (I’ve mentioned them before too) where each episode he gathers some of his friends around a beautiful gaming table that I so desperately yearn for, and plays a game. Wil Wheaton introduced Ashleigh and I to Gloom, Star Fluxx, and Dixit which all found places under the tree this year too.

There were a bunch of other games that were features on Table Top that I was willing to get but…budget, budget, budget.

I’d also like to thank Ashleigh for insisting that we trade in old Wii games for some new used ones. If she hadn’t I would have never found what is clearly the best Wii game in existence: Dinosaur Strike.

I can barely describe it because words can not adequately explain the awesomeness that is this game. So a very brief description: You get to fight dinosaurs AS A DINOSAUR!!!! OMFG!! This is a game that was designed specifically for me. It is, as Sara said, like a dream come true. Why Dinosaur Strike was not the most heavily promoted game of 2010 I have no idea. Even worse? They’ve stopped making it and while I got it for a song at GameStop, I looked it up on Amazon and the prices for it there range from $50 to $250! Yikes!

Scott and I played it last night while the girls ate dinner (I make a huge Christmas brunch rather than a dinner so later meals are a ‘get it yourself’ deal). He played as a T-Rex (of course) and I was a velociraptor (totally my favorite carnivorous dino. FYI: pachycephalosaurus is my favorite herbivore). And oh how the hilarity ensued! Fun fact: I am horrible at fighting games. In fact I am so horrible at them I tend not to play them at all. But Dinosaur Strike takes the cake! I am pretty sure I will never stop playing this game!

My very last thanks is to my Mom. (Hi mom!) Mom is pretty awesome in and of herself so any gift she gives me is pretty cool. This year she got me a pressure canner and cooker that I’ve been longing for since last spring when I planted my very first garden. While the garden didn’t turn out as fabulous as I was hoping for, that didn’t stop me from reading and researching all the cool things I can make and preserve. Remember that sour orange tree out back? Guess who’s making marmalade this week??

Making marmalade might just be the only thing that tears me away from dino-fighting this week! Or maybe pie-making. Did I mention the awesome lime green Le Creuset pie plate that Scott and the Girls got me to replace the one that broke last March? So. Very. Beautiful.

And there you have it. I hope that your holiday (which every flavor you like) was shiny like mine! And a happy Boxing Day to you all…whatever that is!

Photo A Day - Grateful

As I spent yesterday and this morning in the kitchen, struggling to cook while dizzy on pain killers (don't worry, my girls helped me out a lot!) I thought about what photo I'd use for today. But then I realized in a moment of clarity (or as the pain meds were wearing off) I might not be able to post a photo here (Oh Blogger how you disappoint me!) but I probably wouldn't have posted a photo today anyway because I don't do people photos here all that much.

And that, my friends, is what I am grateful for: people.

Amidst the potatoes, pies and turkey, I knew that even if I hadn't a single thing to put on the table today except a bowl of cold gruel, I would still be grateful because of the people I have in my life.  By nature, I am a people person. I like to pretend otherwise, but I really am. I like having people around me and with me. I like sharing my experiences with my friends and family. People make each day fuller especially when they are people you love. And I love me some amazing people!

Today as many gather around the dining room table to celebrate a completely made up holiday I am grateful for:

My Friends - Sara, Natasha, Amanda and Ericka. BFFs who've shared with me good times and bad, dreams and disappointments, celebrations, quiet times and adventures.

My Family - My Mom and Dad, my sister, who at the drop of a hat will be by my side if I need her, my brothers who grew up watching over me and protecting me even as I tried my hardest to annoy them, my extended family that I don't get to see very much but when I do it is as if no time has passed by and the family I married into, the strangers who opened their homes, hearts and worlds to me simply because I married Scott.

My Husband - We have been together for half my life and I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to share my love and life with. He loves me in spite and despite all of my flaws and idiosyncrasies. He makes me feel beautiful on days when I feel ugly, he holds me when I am sad or scared and he dedicates his life to making mine wonderful.

My Girls - If there is a center to my universe it is clearly my girls.  I am beyond grateful to have two compassionate, intelligent, playful and beautiful girls. From the very second I knew I was carrying them I loved them unconditionally. They make my world better. They make me a better person. They make me who I am.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it today!

Photo A Day - Can't (Won't) Live Without

Out of all the topics for this month's Photo a Day, this is the one I really didn't like. I'd like to think I've grown from when I was in my twenties, when back then stuff was important. Sure I've got a collection of crafting supplies, books and kitchenware that I love. But could I live without them? Absolutely. It's just stuff.

Piles of clutter, papers, clothes, knick knacks, even my jewelry are all things I place no importance on. Sure it's nice to have. I like having things that make my life easier and prettier. But I keep going back to the fact that stuff is stuff and really in the grand scheme of things we can go without stuff.

My friends, my family, my husband and most especially my children. These are the things I don't want to live without. I couldn't for one second imagine my life without my girls or Scott. I don't want to think about not meeting Sara or Amanda or Ericka. I  might not get along with all of my family all the time (very different beliefs going on there) but I wouldn't even consider not having them as my family. They who played such an integral role in making me who I am.

By no means do I want to demean stuff but sometimes...a lot of times...I think we, as a culture, put too much importance on stuff. Too much commercialism and wants. Not enough reflection on needs and what we do have.

If all my stuff dissapeared today, sure I'd be sad (shocked and appalled because clearly I didn't realize how much my craft supplies appealed to aliens) but as long as I have my people, I'd be fine. Better than fine.

This is an old photo of my girls in Maine. It is perhaps my favorite photo of them together. Ashleigh, although occasionally exasperated by her younger sister, is very protective of her and that feeling shows through here.

My very grungy husband working on my car the other day. Sure he's got his faults, but don't we all? He gives the girls and I 120% of his love and affection. He devotes himself to making sure we are safe and taken care of, often sacrificing his own wants to make sure ours are met.

Quiet Time

I’ve been quiet lately. Censoring myself, really. Because I am not writing an anonymous blog there are things that I will not and can’t write about. Well, write about and post here, anyways. Sometimes I think that maybe I should have instead created an anonymous blog but then I remember that many of the things that I like to write about – the Girls, my family and friends – are things that I want my family and friends to read.

So I don’t often put up too much of my feelings here. I try to stick with funny, silly stories about little things that happen, my experiences with the girls, the world through their eyes. But I also don’t want to be just a mommy blogger because I am more than that too. I like to bake and craft, explore the world and discover new…stuff. And I like sharing that as well. I blog about quiet things, daily life and adventures. I’m good with that.

Except sometimes.

Sometimes there are so many problems running through my head I’m sure that I’ll explode if I don’t talk about them. Sometimes I get so mad at the girls because of something they did or didn’t do (in the case of the teenager) that I want to yell and scream and rant at them. Sometimes my family irritates me to no end and I want to complain. Sometimes life throws me such a curve ball that there isn’t anyway I’ll be able to hit it in time.

All those times I write down. I tell.

But not here because that stuff, those emotions are private.

I don’t rant about work because even if I was working, it wouldn’t be professional. I don't set out to upset or offend anyone with my words and I try not to write anything that I would be embarrassed if my Mom read it.

So, for the past few weeks I’ve just been keeping things to myself. Problems and emotions that are mine will stay mine. No emotional rants, No bits exposed. Having a gazillion followers was not my intention when I started out as a blogger. I had ideas of just keeping in touch with friends and family but then I discovered something: an amazing community of people with stories and tales of their own. Bloggers who develop dialogues and friendships. Bloggers who expose me to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Bloggers who, although from different corners of the world and different backgrounds, can relate to something that I wrote.

So even though it wasn’t my intention, I’ve found that I quite like the friends that I’ve made here and I hope that they don’t mind too much while I’m quiet, because I promise – I’ll even pinky swear – that I don’t stay too quiet for long. I’ve got stories and plan on telling them…it’s just taking me a bit longer than I anticipated.

I Love Dudes

Through a few blogs I follow I have stumbled across a new blog. A blog for Dudes. About Dudes. By Dudes. Some of the funniest writers I've read on the internet are over there. Editors WilyGuy and Youngman Brown have turned a fun weekly link-up into a man-sized contest (isn't that just like a dude?). Each week boy bloggers (like boy bands but 5 gajillion times better because 1. I don't listen to boy bands and 2. I totally read boy bloggers and 3. I am a totally fan girl of many male bloggers) link up a post and readers get to vote on their favorite.

So, check it out. Because Dudes need love too!

People Love Me...

...and I feel like a complete heel.

So blog awards have been floating around and I've actually been tagged by a number of people and I never properly responded. So today, I'm acknowledging the love and giving it back. Sorry it took me so long.

First, way back when, Pickleope tagged me with a trio of awards, the Liebster, Kreativ Blogger and a quiz. I started off strong and then promptly got swept up in the Photo a Day and A to Z challenges. I was supposed to also tag others and list ten things about myself that were super top secret. Pickleope is one of my earliest followers and consistently makes me giggle and you should visit if you haven't yet. Plus, I think I might have inadvertently caused Pickleope to have arachnophobia and snort milk out of her nose once (do pickles even have noses?) so I sort of feel bad.

Then Ruby at Whispering Thoughts and Fuchsia Vision tagged my with a Liebster which I never properly acknowledged. Whispering Thoughts is a sweet blog and Ruby posts short stories there - often participating in Trifecta challenges. On Fuchsia Vision Ruby posts a lot of great photos! She is one of my early followers and always make such positive comments. I am a little concerned for her though...she once mentioned she had a monkey problem in her garden! And I was worried about aphids and pickleworms!

Melanie at Sporkin' On Down The Road gave me a Liebster too. She has fast become one of my blogger BFFs and if she lived in Florida or I lived in California we would totally hang out and she would cook fabulous food for me (not that I can't cook fabulous food. I do. Often. But she totally has an adventurous side to her food of which I am in awe). Plus she sent The Girls and me some radical wallets. Just Because! Who does things like that anymore? Her blog is very down to earth, honest and funny.

Finally, just the other day, Ken at ken-inatractor sent a Kreativ Blogger my way. Ken, a Canadian farmer who likes killing moose (or at least likes taking credit for moose slaying) and picking rocks, has quickly become on of my favorites. His posts are sometimes sweet, sometimes quirky all the time well written and awesome! And he once promised that he would ask his wife if they needed an Underwife (because I want to be a farmer's wife and Scott doesn't seem too interested in becoming a farmer) but I never heard back from him on that...odd, right?

So first up the Liebster.  

Liebster is the German word for beloved / dear / favorite. the Liebster Blog Award is "passed from one blog to another to honor smaller blogs (those with less than 200 followers) that deserve recognition for their fabulous blogging abilities."

The rules: 

Thank your Liebster award presenter on your blog.

Link back to the blogger who awarded you.

Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.

Reveal your five picks.

Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okey Dokey.

I did the link backs above, so a big thank you to Pickleope, Ruby and Melanie. You guys are great! Fantastic even! And I really appreciate the recognition (despite the fact that it took me a bit to actually acknowledge the recognition).

And for the Kreativ Blogger:

The Rules

Thank and link back to the awarding blog.

Answer seven questions. (Note - When Pickleope gave me this award there were different questions which I did answer here)

Provide 10 random factoids about yourself.

Hand the award on to 7 deserving others.

 Again, the link backs are above so a huge thanks to Pickleope and Ken for sending me an award!

The Seven Questions:

#1. What is your favorite song?

 I really don't have a favorite favorite song. I cycle through. I have a terrible fondness for 80s Monster Ballads and Rodgers and Hammerstein Musicals.

 
#2.  What's your favorite desert?
This is an unfair question that is probably a trick question designed to make me reveal a weakness! But I don't have any weaknesses unless you count tapioca, cake, custard, frozen yogurt, cookies, cupcakes, truffles...anything with sugar or chocolate or caramel or... Is it any wonder why I need to lose weight? Nope. It really isn't. 

#3. What do you do when you are upset?
It depends on what you mean by upset? A pissed off upset sends me to my room or as far away from the cause as possible. I am non confrontational and do not like to fight because I start to cry. Am I upset because I broke my favorite mug? I yell. Loudly. And curse without any profanity. Am I upset because Florida drivers give me road rage? I seethe and fume until I erupt (regardless of who is in the car) with sailor talk the likes of which should only ever be said on the docks.
 
#4. Which is your favorite pet?
Currently or ever? Currently, it would be Zoe because she is such a cat, but rarely has hairballs like her sister Simone, and she is never freaked out by everything like Junie. In fact Junie is probably my least favorite pet although she has taught me a valuable lesson: I should never own dogs. EVER!! My all time favorite pet was Precious, a beautiful grey cat we had while I was growing up. Or Abraham, a pit bull that had a heart of pure and solid gold! Or maybe Buddy my turtle. Man! This question is like asking me which kid is my favorite!!
 
#5. Which do you prefer, White or Whole Wheat?
I like both. Seriously. Weird, right? But yeah. Breads of all types are equally loved in my house. 

#6. What is your biggest fear?
Sharks. Zombies. Aliens. Bigfoot. The Dark. Growing Up.
 
#7. What is your attitude mostly?
I try my hardest to always have a good attitude. I try to look on the bright side and try to not let little things bug me.


Ten Super Secret Facts (but don't tell anyone! Okay?)

1. I’ve come close to death twice. The first time brought me one of my greatest joys: Ashleigh. The second time was far less pleasant.
2. When I sit, I curl my toes under my feet instead of having my feet flat on the ground.
3. I joke about it, but I really am terrified of aliens. The idealist in me hopes that if aliens came here they’d be benevolent like E.T. or Vulcans. But it is more probable that they’d be out to conquer and destroy.
4. My favorite painting is Flaming June by Frederick Lord Leighton.
5. I cry every. single. time. I watch Lilo and Stitch because I love my sister.
6. I am so terrified of becoming a hoarder I throw things out and donate stuff all the time.
7. I used to bite my nails but I stopped and now when I am nervous or upset, I pick at my cuticles. Sometimes until they bleed.
8. I only swim in the ocean when there are plenty of other swimmers and surfers in the water because I figure my odds of getting bitten by a shark are greatly reduced.
9. I spent three plus years working to save enough tickets at an arcade with my dad to get a stuffed 20 foot long pink snake. I slept with it curled around my bed for years until I outgrew stuffed animals and it ended up in the basement being used as a home for mice.
10. I was six credits shy from earning a double BA when the financial office met with me and informed me that I had exceeded my lifetime Stafford Loan limit and I had to graduate or come up with my own money to continue.

Bonus Facts: I can recite The Jabberwocky from memory, my favorite class in college was Milton and I have never, ever had a leech attached to me for any reason at all.

And these are the cool bloggers I am tagging for both awards:

Meg at Tales of a Half Crazed Housewife
KC at The Occasional Adventures of a Hermit
Charlie at The Semi-Retired Gamer
Valerie at Valerie Nunez and the Flying Platypi
Jamie at Awakenings and Reflections
Carly at A Sewcial Life 

And finally Sara at A Bend in the Road 

If giving blog awards is like tag then it means there are no tag backs. Stupid rules. But even so, I also think Pickleope, Ruby, Melanie and Ken deserve lots of love so go visit them too!

Doodles

I love to doodle. I doodle when I'm on the phone, on-line, in meetings, at restaurants. Pretty much everywhere. I always tend to take pen and paper with me where ever I go, just on the chance I might get some quality doodle time in.

I also own doodle-specific books:

Do You Doodle?
Doodle While You Work
Pocket Doodles for Girls

Just to name a few.

In school, my notebook margins were covered with doodles: flowers, vines running up the page, faces, stick figures and geometric shapes: triangles, diamonds, cubes. I wasn't not paying attention, I took notes. Plenty of notes! But if I wasn't writing down what the teacher was saying, then I was doodling.

I stumbled across Vi Hart earlier this year and despite her doodles being all mathy she has introduced me to some new favorite doodles to doodle. Her videos are awesome and both the girls and myself are infinitely amused by her classroom doodles. And as an added benefit, I can now tell people, "I'm not doodling! I'm doing Math!"

Cupid peppered us with arrows so it isn't our fault.

I started out writing a post yesterday afternoon about how much I disliked celebrating Valentine’s Day. And while that still remains true, I think this post is far less "soap-boxy" and far more "me." But for the record, I am not a fan of Valentine's Day.

Scott and I are not very affectionate out in public. We will occasionally hold hands, maybe give a quick peck on the cheek. We are, however, very affectionate at home. We snuggle on the couch, we kiss in the kitchen, and we hold hands at the table. 

As Scott and I were saying goodnight last night (he goes to be bed way before me) we were smooching…NOT sucking face, playing tonsil hockey or anything that would normally take place in the bedroom – just affectionately kissing and hugging each other in the kitchen.

Ashleigh yelled out from the living room, “Could you please kiss quieter?”

To which both Scott and I burst out laughing and then kissed, smacking our lips together as loudly and as exaggeratedly as we could. Because, of course! Ashleigh stomped into the kitchen.

“Really?” she asked glaring at us. “I mean really! You’re worse than teenagers!”

Had seven KGB agents burst into the house demanding microfilm that was smuggled into our backpacks, we still wouldn’t have been able to stop laughing. Scott, trying so very hard not to laugh, leaned down and kissed me again.

“UGH! Get. A. Room!” She said and stomped into the dining room. “Why can’t you be normal like other parents?”

Still giggling, Scott and I went down the hall into our bedroom and once again kissed loudly.

“I can still hear you!”

“But we got a room,” Scott replied evenly.

Ashleigh followed us down the hall and pulled out door closed.

“You are so annoying!”

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours!

Somebody Loves Me!

Sara at A Bend In The Road gave me an award last week:

Liebster is German for dearest or beloved, but it can also mean favorite. This award is intended to draw attention to blogs with less than 200 followers.

As part of receiving the Liebster Blog award, I now have the honor and great responsibility to do the following:

1. Choose 5 blogs with fewer than 200 followers to grant the Liebster Blog award.
2. Show appreciation to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them!
3. Post the award on your blog and link back to the blogs you have given the Liebster Blog award to so everyone else can pay them a visit!

Yikes!

Okay here are my five:

Different Paths, Same Destination – This is new blog run by seven women all of whom are out to lose weight and get back into healthy lifestyles. Their posts are funny and inspiring. Many times I catch myself nodding my head along with their stories because I have been there…am still there and their journey is mine as well.

A Sewcial Life – Carly is still in college and boy does she CRAFT! I love the projects and photos she shares. I stumbled on her blog looking for scrapbooking ideas and knew right away she was a crafter I wanted to watch! I've already borrowed one of her scrapbooking ideas!

Think.Stew – DBS never fails to make me laugh with his “Things that deserve the stink eye” photos and his wordfuses. Quite honestly, I am really surprised that he doesn’t have over 200 followers yet!

Antares Cryptos – I lurked on Antares blog for a while before following. We seem to travel to the same blog circles and his comments are as witty, insightful and amusing as his posts are.

Trifecta – This is a writing challenge blog run by Lisa Marie Harvey of Seeking Elevation and David Moore of Puffery & Taradiddle. It just started up back in October and they have already been nominated for a Bloggie!