Happy Birthday To My Super Star!

Star light star bright first star I see tonight....I wish

 I prayed...for a 3rd girl.
and there you were and I heard the gasp of your first breath and then.....

My Littlest is not so little any more. A literal hairs breadth below me. I have a feeling we will always see eye to eye. Familiar with the darkness you persist in sparkling and drawing the eye. Your words on paper like those tiny beacons that strike us with wonder. Sometimes a soul that seems to have been birthed with those same stars above us. The wink in your light can make us smile and dissolve us in laughter. You are steadfast in your glow. You are wisdom shining in your constellation. Growing brighter with each year I have no doubt someday you will reach down to pat Sirius between the ears and we will be blinded by your Light ........ hopefully not struck deaf with shock by your mouth.

This week it will be 15 years. Fifteen years since the obstetricians clumsiness nearly choked your voice forever. Drowning with your first breath.  God reached out and pushed you back because I have no doubt that voice is meant to be heard. That this little light was meant to shine.

So My Brilliant Starlight. I Wish For All of Your Dreams To Come True.

I would rather listen to You sing this in the kitchen...or on the back porch swing,  but well....
I know you think these guys did a pretty good job ; )

Panic at the Disco - New Music - More Music Videos

...taisetsu yo-chan ; ) which is probably all screwed up but I will make you rice too. cause I LUVS U!

© 2010 All Rights Reserved

Just Me

Hi,
This is just me. Ms. G.
Which I sometimes refer to myself as in my blog. I'm thinking about changing my blogging/comment name to that. Motpg is just what I started using when I first started blogging and needed to sign on and didn't feel like writing out my whole blog name. I didn't give it any thought. What do you think? Would it be too confusing to change now?
I'm changing my husbands blog name to SeaMonkey. I should have thought of that sooner. I like sea monkeys and I like him and he is...well...a sea monkey in a way.

I don't have any stories or silliness to share today. I'm just hanging out waiting for a load of laundry to dry. I am bored out of my skull so this might be the most boring post ever but it beats folding the clothes. It finally hit under 90 today which is nice but not nice enough. We are supposed to be getting some heavy rain today which I am very pleased about but so far it's just been overcast. We are supposed to be getting some good waves too. My husband is usually very excited about that but he twisted his bad knee and as a result decided to become addicted to Halo instead. Then he decided to by a new TV. Then he decided to hook up the new big screen to his computer and play Halo on it. He's behind me right now and the red team has the flag! I'm looking....he's on the red team, that's good. Littlest is at the Library visiting her Anime club and Middlest is on the couch...watching TV and eating bugles. I don't know where Biggest is but she called me earlier and put the phone up so I could hear a tiny kitten meowling and then tried to give me the kitten. I told her to quit squeezing kittens, they're not lemons... and thats mean. She said she wasn't, he just wanted to come home with me. I can see my Summer Vacation with a tiny kitten.....he weighs about 38 lbs. now.  He eats rocks....and dirt....and roots....and dust bunnies. He cost me a fortune last week because of a stomach ache.

The younger girls had their first week of school and seem pleased enough with their classes. I can't believe I have a high school senior. My oldest didn 't go the conventional route so this is a first. We had her Senior pictures done a couple weeks ago but I haven't seen them yet. My sister is going to be on a TV show tonight  and I'm looking forward to that but I can't tell you what show it is because it would divulge her name and location which kind of sucks but she is on because of something she was part of several years ago and She Rocks. I am really looking forward to going to bed and watching it there.

Do you know what I can see when I look up through the window in front of me? Oak trees. Really huge gorgeous ones. I love them. Whenever I look at them I feel blessed. Whenever my husband looks at them he worries they will fall through the roof one day. I wouldn't mind. I chose them, not the house when we moved in. Impractical, I know.
Game over. uh oh! Oh wait, it starts over.
Well....I hear the dryer dinging.

How are you doing? What are you up to? Have you finished your laundry yet?


© 2010 All Rights Reserved

A Mediocre or possibly worse....Poem

I've been checking Word Up, Yo!  ever since I heard

The Nerd Mafia challenge, Post with the Weekly Word!
The problem for me? I'm a mediocre nerd.

A never mediocre place you can log
on..and find the challenge is at this blog;
a belle a bean & a chicago dog

Check out Mommy of a Monster and  Taming Insanity

The other un-mediocre places to test this vanity
Hey, Dons -does anything else ryhme with anity?

Every week I go look and check to see
But because I have a mediocre vocabulary
A Man In Waiting is all that I could be!

But tears of Joy! I had myself a soaker!
No more chamberpots for this joker.
Cause one thing I'm sure of is that "I'm  mediocre"!

© 2010 All Rights Reserved

Wordless Wednesday...well almost...

I thought this might need an explanation. Littlests' writing instructor gave them an assignment on the first day of school to make a collage that represented their

 INNER CRITIC.

This not only cracked me up but was a perfect representation for her own Inner Critic.

How many of us can say they recognize that bunny?



© 2010 All Rights Reserved

What's That I Hear?

All through my house.

That's it!

Absolutely Nothing.

Generational Angst Gap?

The first time I heard this I thought it was lovely. I asked the girls who it was and they told me they loved the song, it was one of their favorites. As I listened a little bell kept going off in the back of my mind. Beautiful...familiar...familiar...and then it hit me.

It has occurred to me that the current generation of teens seems to feel more angst ridden than mine did. There seem to be more of them that might want to hide away in their room and watch the world go by and ponder deep thoughts. Peering through the window at that mad, sad world.

All Alone





Gary Jules and Michael Andrews on Youtube  From the movie Donnie Darko.

Gary Jules


When the reason it was familiar hit me I came to a realization. The difference between their generation and mine is that when we were feeling angsty we might peer and ponder.

But then we would get up and go outside.

And Dance


Tears for Fears - Mad world
Tears for Fears

Weirdly

After all, our outfits were so awesome how could we stay sad long? We needed to get out anyway to pick up some mousse.

If you have the time and inclination give them both a listen. Anyone remember the 80's version?
Which do you prefer? Guess which one actually gets stuck in my head?

This video contains content owned by Universal Music Group that they have removed from everywhere but here  dailymotion.com so far, including where it used to be on youtube so I can't have my matching borders. But I am hoping they won't be Meanies and make me remove it because I'm somebodies mother.  I'm just an old lady. And I am directing everyone to them here- http://www.youtube.com/universalmusicgroup because they are so awesome and stuff and I am getting No Gain from my blog other than Personal Joy that will be destroyed if they removed it and I will have to stare out the window sadly because they don't understand me and I can't go outside to dance because it's way too hot and my knees hurt.

Addition to original post:
This must be a family thing because my brother called me after he read this and said the song haunts him too. Only I didn't include his favorite version which is Adam Lambert's and which you can listen to here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ50AuKQOyk&feature=related
True, Adam Lambert does have a lovely voice.


 And then because he is a SAHD, which is really not Sad at all but extraordinarily cool in my book, went on to taunt me because he is a booger  a brother and tomorrow school starts and I have to get up at 5 a.m. to get my kids to school but my nephew doesn't have to be at his school till nine and my oldest will be out by 1:30. He wished me a Happy Tomorrow and said he is looking forward to His nap. *Sigh* Boogers I mean Brothers.....

Shop Till You Drop..Down Dead Of Humiliation.

It is time to go school shopping again. When you have daughters. When you hoped for daughters. When you are thrilled and thankful that you were given daughters. You have fantasies. At least I did. You look forward to them becoming teens. Teaching them to use make-up. You visualize fun shopping trips together and going out for lunch. Having nice chats about their lives. And do you know what? All of those things happen.

And when you're the Mom of the Perpetually Grounded. Sometimes more.

  When you pull up at the store everyone is excited and they laugh because they are matching, wearing the really funky big yellow sunglasses they both bought . Or one of them does and the other one gets ticked off and says, "no I was wearing mine first, take them off." And then they argue about it in an obvious way all the way in to the store and in to the restroom where they get distracted by the fact that only one of them has a brush and won't let the other use it until she gives her a hug which results in a mock slap fight which is when you say act your age and the youngest holds up 4 fingers and says, "I'm this many." They then emerge from the restroom with their arms around each other and skip into the store. Ahead of you. While you follow a little behind and smile because you don't really know them but think they are kind of cute.

  They pick stuff out and go in the dressing room and they show off their outfits and they look adorable and you smile and tell them so. They come out wearing something a color blind hooker with delusions of actual dress size would choose and you frown (or if you're me laugh) and shake your head no and they roll their eyes and say "why-not?" They beg a little bit and then finally give up when their sister tells them they look like a freak and they have no taste. Or they tell their sister "shut up, I hate you, you suck" and then they give up. Sometimes the middle one will pick out a dress she really loves and it looks nice but kind of "different" on her. You tell her it is a nice dress ...but kind of different. She says she knows, that's why she likes it. When the youngest (the one who was born with no tact) sees it she says, "No. Do not buy that dress. Just don't. It's awful. Mom, tell her, don't let her buy it. Think, she tells her sister, what would Stacy and Clinton say about that dress, they would shame you!" And then the middle one tears up and has a tantrum in the middle of the store, flinging the clothes around, announcing, "I freakin hate her, she's a jerk, you both hate it, fine I just won't get the dress." And you have to take her out in the aisle for a whispered lecture about her mouth and acting her age and then console her and tell her the dress is fine. Because it is. It's just...different. The youngest ( one who was born with no tact) then follows this up with a loud proclamation in the tightly enclosed changing room hall that a skirt she tried on looked "gay". (she didn't mean cheerful) Disregarding the fact that she not only has good friends but a beloved family member who are Gay and that I pointed out to her before that using this as derogatory slang might hurt someones feelings. "But no", she says,  "I mean it looks gay", in a special tone meant to explain to me that she meant "gay" in the "I don't like it sense", not the "people who are fine with me" sense. So yeah, Dense and Tactless. So I resort to "just don't talk anymore today, please."

  You tell them to head to the underwear section while you grab notebook paper and when you return they are all aflutter because they found cute undies with elephants and peacocks on them. The hold them up and then the youngest says "look, peacocks" and then puts them over your head and at that moment you hear "Hi there" and turn around and it's your neighbor. Luckily the one who has lived next to you a long time and is still willing to speak with you and acknowledge you in public. You make yourself feel better by forgetting she is the neighbor who will talk to anyone, about anything.... forever but she is very sweet so you really don't mind when she stands there for 15 minutes discussing her dogs sensitive stomach and that she ate grass this morning but never did throw up. (the dog that is). You finally get away and somehow have arranged for a play session for the dogs even though you missed that part and don't realize it till she shows up at your house that evening. It may have been while you were distracted by the girls dancing past you wearing polka dotted rain boots with the elastic still holding them together. You let them get the cute underwear even though they are more expensive and are so glad you did when the next day during the middle ones birthday dinner, which includes their dad, your son-in-law and her boyfriend, the youngest tells the middle one to watch how she's sitting in her skirt and the middle one announces "I don't care if you saw them, they are awesome, they have Elephants" and the youngest answers "well I have Peacocks" and then the oldest who didn't even go shopping with you chimes in with, "Oh yeah, well I have Seahorses". And then smiles like she won a contest.

  But anyway. Let's return to the store where in typical fashion the middle one finds everything she likes within a half hour. She knows what she likes when she sees it, grabs it up and is good to go. Which may be why she came home with red pants, a yellow and purple floral print skirt, a gray and white plaid dress with ruffles down the front and neon green Converse. The youngest one tries on 50 things and picks out 3. They will be great looking outfits put together with excellent style. 2 of them will be worn once and never seen again. The other will be seen once a week and the rest of the time she will appear in jeans and tank tops.
  The middle one is becoming bored and antsy...and a little frisky. She starts riding the shopping cart when I'm not looking, rotated with complaining about how long it takes her sister to find things, telling me she is horrible and she hates shopping with her. The youngest finally makes her small selection informing me that we will obviously have to go to another store because this one has "nothing". We are walking towards the front. I am momentarily distracted by a cute blouse. I hear the words, playfully uttered, I'm going to run you over and turn to see the middle one revving up the cart behind her sister to a good clip just as the youngest stops beside me. And yep. That's when it happens. And the youngest for the Second time in public, that I know of, the first time being in 8th grade math class.  LoudlyYells Out.....
you got it.....the F Word .
when her sister rams the cart into the back of her ankle. The middle one quietly says, "I was joking, I wasn't really going to hit you, why did you stop?"
As for me and the circle of elderly people who just happen to be surrounding us, we are aghast. And none of us can escape because they are blocking the aisle. The angry looking gentleman behind the middle one can't get past and the gray haired lady with very red lipstick looks like she would know how to handle this if it were her kid and at that moment I would be happy to oblige her with a new child. Everyone is frozen in place by my kids and it's like a slow mo movie moment. The youngest finally looks up from holding her ankle and nonchalantly scoots off to the side so everyone can get their highly offended selves out of there.

I am a study in the other F word; Flabbergasted. You would imagine after dealing with my oldest, who once went through a period where she refused to wears shoes or wash her clothes and told people to F off if she thought they looked at her funny, I would be immune to this. But no. I am not. All that I can get out of my mouth is "Excuse Me?"

  Obviously it is time to go and to top off our trip I am so busy with the under the breath lecture in the checkout line ( in which the one with no tact actually tried to defend herself with the reasoning, "but it really hurt bad" ) that I don't notice it's my turn until the cashier has to call out ma'am several times before I realize he means me. Which the long line of people really appreciated. Even better when the middle one blocked the aisle with the cart again and someone had to say excuse me, ( very snottily I might add, the rudeness of some people, geez ; ) to get past. Oh yes, we were a big hit!
 And the youngest actually had the guts to ask, "where are we going next?" when we hit the parking lot.
That would be home.
 Forever. Because I'm Never leaving the house again.
Or at least not with them.
Until tomorrow.
Because the youngest one didn't buy anything to wear back to school but two tops......
 and some Peacock underwear.


© 2010 All Rights Reserved

Happy Birthday To My Moon Light

Because my Moon-Shine doesn't sound quite right.
17
How did this happen?
For my child that I dreamed before I planned any children.
My little one who said she wished for the Moon to come down and sleep in her bed.
Who would color a rainbow in the sky.

For the young woman whose beauty astounds me but has no concern for it herself. Who will walk out the door looking incredible and put together one day and walk out the next wearing old shorts, a paint spattered t shirt a pony tail and her glasses with no make-up.  Who sees and represents the world with pen and paint. Whose art is splashed across every surface of the house. Carelessly. Set  down as she walks away. The paintings and sketches... the brushes, the paint, the pencils, the paper, the erasers...
the sharpener filings...the paint  drips.....; )

Who rides her bike through the streets happily singing at the top of her lungs...out of tune...and she knows it....and it makes her smile. Who thinks the 30's and 40's were supposed to be her era and rocks the Big Band Sound.  Who loves all music really. The noisy screeching music, the campy off beat stuff  and also the same music her grandfather favored and even the stuff her mother likes. The one who once purposely broke her metronome. Said it was driving her crazy. Perhaps it was interfering with her internal beat. The one we can't hear. The one she is singing and dancing, walking, riding and living to.
The beat she follows...the beat of her own heart.

For my fellow reader. The one who will talk about books with me. To the one who also loves to sit and discuss the possibilities. Philosophize. Theorize. Put the pieces of the puzzle together. Who can envision those parallel universes. Who can find the links in the legends and lore. Who, along with me can look at the history and the science and find God.

The Wallflowers weren't here again this year to take you to see as your gift so I had to make do.
But I know this one is your favorite.
Happy Birthday Middlest!
I ♥ U



Video Made By
wallflowers.com

To The One With The Albums

Who even let me wear her really cool suede boots around sometimes...for a few minutes.  I even forgive you for when my hand got stuck in the fridge door while I was sitting in my high chair and you thought I was just whining. Even though it still kind of hurts....just a little ; )

Not celebrate? NONSENSE!! 59 is Awesome. And You Are Awesome!

Look who I got for you. I called and said Paul, she says she is not celebrating her birthday.
And he said "What! Are you kidding! I'll call a few friends and we will take care of that!
And then he said, "I've loved her for so many years and I wish she would settle down and marry me but she just won't give up her life of adventure." And I said, "I know, She has loved you all along but Adventure is her middle name and I'm sure she would never be content just sitting around the house and doing nothing. Never. It wouldn't work out."





Besides, what's 59. The Wizard of Oz is turning 71. And look how Perky it is.
Get off your Butt and on that Yellow Brick Road girl.

I Luvs U


Disclaimer: The conversation with Paul is fictionalized silliness.

Oh My Blog Is Way Behind

But you should see the rest of my life.

I seriously started writing this one month and a day ago. I'm a lliittttllle behind on things.
This is the meme for the Oh My Blog award that mommmymommymommy at Kiss ( Keep it Simple Sister)
Sweetly passed to me in practically another lifetime and that I passed on to some Very Cool People Here

There were several choices to go with this award.
(a) Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight, or for as long as you can focus.
I've been so tired if I had one drink I'd fall asleep in one minute.
(b) Write about your most embarrassing moment.
Umm, No.
(d) Make your next blog a ‘vlog’/video blog. Basically, you’re talking to the camera about whatever.
I cannot I am incognito....and I can't find my video camera. Hardly ever use it. I prefer watching life the first time ; )
(e) Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make up,
etc) and post it.
Once again incognito...and dandelions don't wear make-up. I thought about taking a picture that shows you the state of my toe nail polish right now but I actually never got the chance and I need to get this ball rollin..

So! I chose (c) Write a “Soundtrack of your childhood” post.
I love this meme because music has surrounded my entire life. The only problem I had was not completely filling the page and stopping at my childhood. So I narrowed it down to a difficult 10 and stopped at age 13. I truly have a soundtrack to my life and my memories and emotions are nearly always associated with songs. I truly could write a post every day about a different song and how it corresponds with my life. As Biggest says, Mom has a song for every occasion and emotion but you never know what it might be.

My home was full of music. My mother knew countless songs and strange and funny ditties that she performed in the kitchen. I remember her holding me in the big white chair and singing Too Ra Loo Ra when I was little.  My father would listen to the radio and whistle along to orchestra music. He was the most amazing whistler. It was simply beautiful and he tried hard to teach me but alas, I can't even whistle for the dog. My brother closest to me in age sang and played guitar and was also involved in musical theatre. We spent much time "competing" with each other over the acoustics in the bathroom. I also was born into a house full of teenagers and rock music.....was ever present.

So the soundtrack of my childhood started  something like this:

1. I Got You Babe. My sisters and brothers had the song dedicated to me on the radio the day I was born. Maybe my parents had been talking to them about tightening our budget with a new baby, idk; )
2. Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water album. My sister would play this album or her Peter Paul and Mary album for me to go to sleep to. I liked Puff the Magic Dragon and Blowin in the Wind because I could picture that little dog sailing around on that boat but Bridge was my favorite. It May have embedded melancholy into my psyche but I still know every word to every song and love them all.
3. Close to you Burt Bacharach. Now remember I had really old parents, yeah they were my age when I was little. Ancient. They dragged me all over the place on Sunday drives and would sing this song to me whenever it came on. Of course I wasn't a totally spoiled princess who thought the song was really about me (isn't that another song?) what are you talking about?
4. The theme from Laurence Welk. Ok. Once again, old parents. My first ambition in life was to sing on the Laurence Welk show when I grew up. It looked like the ultimate to me. But seriously it is why it occurred to me to try to sing in the first place so I give it credit. Plus those outfits they wore were Divine. Unfortunately the show ended before I got there. See, if they had waited it would still be a hit. I could be the Champagne Lady and wear ball gowns and boa's and recline on a sofa and...oh nevermind
5. The music of Oklahoma; The first musical I ever attended and from that moment people could say I was in love.
6. The Music of The King and I.  The first show I participated in and I Whistle a Happy Tune which was my first solo in a recital. I hated that song, I preferred 'I Have Dreamed' and 'We Kiss In A Shadow' which I think are the best songs in the show but my voice teacher didn't think it was appropriate for my age. I was thirteen.
7. Country Roads by John Denver: I remember my brother who is closest in age to me playing his guitar and singing this and other songs including those he wrote himself. (I miss that by the way and wish you still did it. Happy Birthday on Tuesday. You don't look a day over 54. Or at least you won't until Wednesday xp, love you ; )
8. More Than a Feeling by Boston. 1st album I ever bought.
9. Free Bird of course because where I grew up I think there is actually a law on the books that says you can be hung if you turn it off
10. And Last of all, this is my favorite "kitchen song" from my mom. 

This is sung to the tune of Turkey In The Straw. I have never heard it anywhere else. She learned it from her father, God knows where he picked it up. Has anyone else ever heard this? I'm beginning to think my grandfather made it up himself.

Oh there was an old man
And he had a wooden leg
And if he didn't have tobacky
then tobacky he would beg
Said the first old man
would you give me a chew
Said the second old man
I'll be damned if I do
If you save up all your money
And you pile up your rocks
you will always have tobacky
in your old tobacky box

From the woman who didn't think Brandy, (You're a fine girl) was an appropriate song to be my favorite as a child. That is the kind of influence I was raised with.


P.S. Big B, I have anonymous set so if you sign out you can comment without you're personal info showing.


© 2010 All Rights Reserved

In Which I Have Skills

This meme goes along with the Master of Karate and Friendship Award that was very kindly bestowed upon me by this Fabulous blogger Lee the Bubble Bath Queen and which I passed on here Yes, I Have No Bananas. Which you must go back and check if you have not because ...um...there aren't any bananas there for you but you need to go anyway : )

The meme involves listing 6  things I do well. I had to edit of course. I threw out taking my bra off with my shirt on and sleeping with a cat on my head because with enough practice anyone can accomplish these feats.

What I do well:

1. Iron. I can iron a blouse perfectly. A skill I picked up while watching the ladies at the dry cleaners where I had my first job as a clerk. How often do I use this skill? Once or twice a year if anyone gets lucky.
2. Fold shirts. Also a skill I learned at the cleaners and further perfected at another job where shirts had to be perfectly aligned in cubes. How often do I use this skill? Never.
3. Walk in heels. I'm a natural. In high school I was able to run track in 3 inch cork wedges....and a peasant dress ( I wasn't real big on dressing out). How often do I get to show off this skill? Twice in the past two years when I got to a chance to wear my favorite, gorgeous alligator pumps. To funerals.
4. Losing earrings. I have two pairs and a special collection of about 8 singles. Why do I keep these? I have one extra hole in my head and sometimes I use it.
5. Writing letters or stating my opinion. I write a mean letter. Sometimes literally but not always. I have an opinionated side that can be rather sarcastic or sometimes soapboxy. I don't do it much here. I think I am much better at it than I am at the stuff I write in my blog. I guess I could write a blog in that form too but I have to be worked up about something. So where do I use this skill? My local newspaper of course. Or maybe one day I will share my "letter to the cops" with you. It was a mama bear thing after Biggest began to straighten up.
6. Driving. The reason? I'm a nervous neurotic wreck if I go beyond my easy little 2 lanes at 35 mph local roads. So I avoid this as much as possible.  I have been driving 27 years ( I didn't start till I was 18) I have never had a ticket or accident, Ever. Draw back: I am so anal about being careful that I totally fail at instructing my daughters. They make me a nervous wreck. Because the two oldest still can't drive I use this skill .......more than anything else in my life.

So these are my Awesome Skills.  I can even drive and wear heels at the same time, lose an earring while I'm ironing, and compose a letter while folding a shirt.  But I still think none of this compares to taking off my bra while leaving my shirt on and balancing a cat on my head........

I Can Too!!!!!

Just ask the cat.

P.S. I will be traveling a lot to work on an out of town project this week starting tomorrow and I'm already behind in blog visiting so I feel like a total blog following crudface because my skills do not include driving and reading blogs at the same time but I will be traveling back and forth and come by whenever I can : )

2010 All Rights Reserved