A mobile family of 4!

I have to share how fun today was. We, as in Jonas, Carleigh, Craig, and I, rode our bikes 3.5 miles to Challenger Park. We spent 2 hours swinging higher than each other, exploring nature trails, investigating "banana spiders", avoiding said spiders' webs, making up and then racing each other on WipeOut obstacle courses on the various playscapes, and oohing and ahhing over the cooler breezes. We then finished by riding 3.5 miles home. It was wonderful! There was about 5 minutes of whining from Carleigh about being tired, and that was it. Amazing!
Super cool, in my opinion, that we are at that stage that we can all go for a bike ride. A bike ride longer than the distance to the neighborhood park and back! While some moms may see this as a sad thing, that her babies are no longer babies, but not me. I am thrilled to say that we are here! It means we are doing good things with the kids. That they enjoy the outdoors and like being with us. I will savor these days as long as they last. The kids are semi-independent, but still need us for most things.

Beautiful and wicked

If you read my posts, and that's the only way you know me, then you may often forget that I have 2 children. I do, in fact, have a youngest, and she doesn't get much attention in my ramblings. Let me tell you about her now, and you may soon see why I don't use the therapy offered here to discuss her very much.
She disappointed me the moment I saw her for the first time. Horrible thing to say, I know, but flat out truth. When the doctors handed Jonas to me, the very first thought I had was "it's Craig!". I was surprised by the shocking resemblance this minutes-old child had to a 30 year old man! So when I was pregnant with Carleigh, and I knew she was a girl, I began to dream of a mini-me to go with a mini-Craig. Dark hair, blue eyes, round face...I knew exactly what the doctors would hand me this time!
And what did the doctor hand me that beautiful, snowy, February morning? Another mini-Craig (with one notable exception, of course)! I was shocked that AGAIN my 40 weeks of work was a tribute to my husband! I was very sad, and it honestly took me several weeks to get over my disappointment.
But that little girl began to become something more than another clone. She began to melt my heart. Her smile...oh, her smile! For months she couldn't smile without opening her entire mouth. It was infectious. And her tenacity. From rolling over to crawling and then walking, she didn't do anything less than well for very long. She has always been determined to things correctly.
The one thing that she took her sweet time about was her hair. She was practically bald through her third birthday and had very little at 4. And the hair she did have was white blond. And curly. A far cry from my dark straight hair...but so cute, I was resenting it less and less.
Today, my daughter is a 6-year old pixie. Her hair grows faster now, but stays short because of the curls, and since I don't know how to do much with that, we keep it short. Her blond curls frame a rounder than narrow face, and show off her big blue eyes. And she now has control over that smile...so much so that she can work it to her advantage. Heaven help us!
So why don't I rant and rave about her here? Well, she's so good, and is still so eager to do things correctly, that I don't need to rant about her, anywhere. This morning, for instance, she made her own lunch. Curious as to what it might entail, I peaked at it before she put it in her backpack. It is exactly what I would have made her, and there isn't an extra smudge or smear of jelly anywhere. Two pieces of fruit and some cheese nips. And her bed is made. And there is no towel on the floor in her bathroom.
She's obedient and thoughtful (wish you could see the picture she drew of us this morning) and charming. She can play rough with the boys, and loves practicing her ballet. She'll occasionally throw in a hip bump move thing that makes me laugh. She has me wrapped around her little finger...
and she'll probably be the one to break my heart in to a thousand little pieces some day.
Needless to say, I am way over my disappointment. I am thrilled to be her mommy. And if I want a mini-me, I'll go buy a Cabbage Patch Kid with dark hair and blue eyes. =)

Things to come...

I try not to dwell on the past, as it can't be relived or reclaimed. I try not to think about the future too much, as I used to have a tendency to make things bigger in my mind than they actually turned out to be. That led to disappointment, and lack of appreciation for what did result.
So I try to live each moment right here, right now. It's a hard thing to do, especially when right here and right now is not fun at all. This past weekend, however, was one of the most successful attempts I've ever had to experience the here and now to the fullest. Harvey went off spectacularly! Each actor was on spot on, and the energy was palatable. The cast party afterwards was fun, and a little (ha!) crazy. I even jumped in a swimming pool fully dressed at 2:30 am. But I was up and ready to take on the world at 7:15, and enjoyed every second of Sunday. From Taco Cabana for breakfast (yum!!!), to Wii with Carleigh, helping Jonas spend his birthday money at Toys R Us, to making sloppy joes for dinner, and finally to a family round of Wii, it was a wonderful day.
BTW- have you been to Toys R Us lately? The toys I grew up with are back! Smurfs! Mon chi chis! My Little Pony! Rainbow Bright! And did you know that Cabbage Patch kids still smell like Cabbage Patch Kids????
I was in bed by 8:00 and dreaming soundly. Truly a wonderful weekend.
But today, I am thinking about things to come, just for a little bit. I'm editing my second book, and the author is looking at a November publishing date. I'm excited for her, but also for my ability to say, with all confidence, I am a book editor. I guess I could say that now, as I have edited one published book, but somehow the second one makes it feel more legitimate.
We're taking a road trip out to TN in October. So excited to meet co-workers face to face! And to see parts of the country I haven't seen in years, and to introduce them to my kids. And to show the kids what fall is supposed to look like!
I'm auditioning for another play tomorrow, and if I get a role, the production will be in December. Which leads right on in to Christmas!
And then, BIG things in January!!! My brother, his wife and their sons, my mom and my dad, and my family of four are all leaving out of New Orleans for a 7-day cruise! It will be my first cruise, and I can hardly wait. Grand Cayman, Honduras, and Cozumel...
And with that thought I am brought right back to the here and now, which is 20 pounds heavier than I would like to be. Guess the farthest in to the future I should be considering right now is this afternoon, when I can get in to the gym.

Acting

I recently rediscovered my love of the stage. When I was a kid, I participated in the summer acting workshops at our little community theatre. I was in every play possible in Jr. High. In High School, I had a great part in the one act play my freshman year. It was wonderful, and I was pretty good. Even won awards! That play should have gone all the way to State, but that's another story for another day.
But my sophomore year, I was given a tech role, threw a 15-year old diva hissy fit, and quit. Then I got a boyfriend, joined the Army, and went to college. I briefly considered getting back in to acting while at UNT, but I was intimidated by the depth of talent on that campus. Additionally, everything the school did was musical in nature. I cannot sing. I have lots of stories to support that, but again, not relevant today.
This time last year, Jonas asked to do some acting, so we enrolled him in a children's theatre company and he performed in Alice in Wonderland in November. Such stage presence! He had a supporting role as one of the royal cardsmen, and carried it like he was headlining the show! I think he's been bitten by the bug, and I will completely support it. Even if it gives him nothing more than the courage and presence to stand in front of an audience and communicate clearly, it's a great skill to learn. And get this- the boy can sing, too. Good to know the bad vocals gene isn't passed on like the taco-tongue gene. (You know the one?)
Anywho, he wanted to audition for Winnie the Pooh in January, so I took him down to let him have it. They were also casting adults in some roles, and asked if I wanted to read, since I was there. Imagine my surprise when I was cast as Winnie himself!
I had a blast! I had forgotten how much I love being in front of people, how easy it is for me to slip in to another character. And to sweeten the deal, I was able to participate in a hobby with my son.
Currently, I am in a production of Harvey. We are performing this weekend and the process has been wonderful. I must have been in some sort of funk, or even minor depression over the summer, as I found myself sleeping a lot, and having no self-control over my eating habits. But since Harvey has started, I am thriving on 5-6 hours of sleep at night, lost 6 pounds without trying, and couldn't be happier.
So last week, I had an epiphany. I need to act more often. In fact, I need to act as much and as often as possible. I know it's a little late to be deciding what I want to do when I grow up, but I think I finally have. I want to be an actor.
Today has been a very good day toward this goal. I auditioned for the director at College of the Mainland. He can't use me in their current production, but invited me to try out for a future show. Then, my wonderful, darling, talented friend Julie (who I want to REALLY be when I grow up) got me connected with a new theatre in Friendswood. I have an audition next Tuesday! As a bonus, Jonas gets to try out for their kid production of Cinderella. They're looking for a Prince Charming, and I think he may just fit the bill!
I see lots of future posts about acting...mine, Jonas', maybe even Carleigh's, as she is now asking to try her hand at it, too. That makes me very happy!

A little late to the party, but here just the same

A few months ago, several friends were talking about some funny minivan commercials they had seen. I recognized the commercials to which they were refering, but honestly didn't think they were all that funny.



But today, I stumbled on the video that goes with those commercials. And now I see the light!



I was laughing so loud that my dog came over to the desk to investigate!



I have never been a minivan hater, but my husband is. I may have to show him this video, and see if he doesn't change his mind. =)

Mind if I brag on Jonas for a bit?

You see, my son and I have the most volatile relationship of any relationship in this house. I can adore him and dislike him within a 30 second window. He can cuddle up to me and flatter me within 10 seconds of saying something snotty and sarcastic. We love each other very much, and push each others' buttons daily. I have struck him in anger (God forgive me) and begged him to forgive me. He is only 9, and I sometimes wonder what the next 9 years will bring us, if we've already seen so much strife. But then, then we have a weekend like this past weekend, and all my concerns slip away.

For his birthday party, we went to Putt Putt Funhouse, and invited 4 of his friends. It was low- key and fun. The kids hit the jackpot, literally, when they played a game that must have been on the fritz, as it continued to dispense tickets long after it should have stopped. In total, Jonas gathered over 2400 tickets! And the other kids all agreed they should pool their tickets and give them all to Jonas, as he was the birthday boy.

When the kids emerged from the ticket-redemption place, they each were wearing large multi-colored hats, similar to the Cat in the Hat. Each hat was a different color combination. Jonas had chosen to use his tickets to get each kid something, instead of keeping them all to himself. I was proud, to say the least, and the kids were thrilled.

In a separate incident, we were talking about why we call 9/11 Patriot's Day. Jonas asked why those people wanted to kill so many people. I explained, "Those men believed that people who don't think the way they do are sinners, and must be killed." Jonas replied, "Well, that's ridiculous. They'd have to kill everyone in the entire world, including themselves, as we are all sinners. The only perfect person is Jesus."

Did your jaw drop open like mine did? That's a truth many adults don't get in their entire life, but my 9 year old stated it just as confidently as he was saying his shirt was green.

I thank God for that first-born of mine, and for his bright mind and kind heart. I don't doubt that he will teach me as i try to teach him.

Jonas turns 9, and other evidence that I am getting old

There will always be moments in a generation that cause us to look at one another and ask "Where were you when...". My parents had the first moon landing, JFK's assassination, and maybe Pearl Harbor. I say maybe to December 7, 1941, because my parents were very young then. My generation has, so far, the space shuttle Challenger disaster, the space shuttle Columbia tragedy, Michael Jackson's death, and 9/11.

I personally like my 9/11 story best of all, because it resulted in my son's arrival. And every year, millions of people are reminded of the horrors that happened that day. I'm lucky enough to tell a whole lot of them that some good came of that day too, and introduce them to Jonas. He's a sweet hearted boy, who is smart and funny. He also is about the most hard-headed stubborn kid I've ever known! We've had several run ins as he's gotten older, because guess what? I'm stubborn and hard-headed, too. I love that boy. But watching him grow reminds me that I'm getting older, too.

Then last night, some cast mates and I went out to have a drink after practice. I think those of us with acting in our blood are goofier than the normal person, but it sure makes for a fun night out! The "wow, I'm old" moments of the night were thus: the waiter asked for my ID, but then said he was just kidding. Ouch. Then, we decided to leave because the music was too loud. What?? Seriously, it was depressing. The final blow came when, after a few shots of very good tequila, the lawyer in the group started telling us how to best avoid a DWI conviction. That simply is NOT a conversation we would have had 15 years ago. We thought we were invincible back then, and never would have thought past the drink in our hand.

But I'm not sad or discouraged. Growing older just means we're getting more right than wrong. I'll take that! And then I'll go play putt putt golf tonight with my son to celebrate his 9th birthday!

A Year???

Uh, hi. Not sure if you remember me or not, but I used to post to this blog. Yeah, I even think my name is on here somewhere. Ring a bell? Yeah, it's me. Sorry for the extremely long break.

I think the blame lies with Facebook. I got caught up with the lives of other people, spelled out in quick bursts, and forgot the joy of spelling out my own life in long, drawn out fashion.

But I'm back. Maybe it is the insomnia that has kept me up the past few nights. It might be the tumbling thoughts in my head that are begging to be hashed out, flung on to paper (er, screen?), and analyzed for clarity and consistency and content. Oh wait. That's what I do for a paycheck.

I don't want to promise that here. Here, I want to be inconsistent. I want to ramble and not be clear at all. Sometimes. Here, I want YOU to dissect the content and let me know what you think.

Do we have a deal? Great! Let's get started...

I need a camera. That picture on the front page is OLD! No one in my family looks like that anymore! I've missed the last year of events in my kids' lives because we don't have a camera. We have a camera phone, natch, but someone needs to teach me how to download the result of that. Anyone? Let me know...I'm not too proud to beg.

I'm going to stop there for now. Ease myself back in to this. I have a lot to say (can I get an amen?), so don't fear. I'll be back. =)