The worst brings out the best

How many more people are we going to hear about that are losing their jobs? Too many for my taste. You read the sad stories everyday, people selling their most prized possessions, cutting back on luxuries, downsizing their homes, cars, etc., etc. It's not often you hear the stories of people making it work with the new time they have or finding a new love after a long career was put to rest. Here is such a story. This is the story of Anna. This is a single mom, one of the millions in America laid off. Her newest venture - art. And I love it! It's funky and retro, and just plain fun! Her collages are my favorite. Please check out "It Takes Two" and imagine my girls.
http://www.annacreates.com/

She has her very first art show this Wednesday, August 19 at Get Coffee in Chamblee. Good luck Anna!!!

A time for firsts

Today is Mia's first day of 1st Grade. On Thursday of last week, she lost her first tooth! On Saturday, she took her first trip to Tennessee. And for the first time, my camera has stopped recognizing my memory card! So I have zero pictures of any of these events. So far.........

This blogger's absense has been brought to my attention twice in the past few weeks so I guess it's about time I put it back into my daily routine. Starting tomorrow!

Until then, let me tell you - though I have no photographic proof until I steal the photos I took with my Mom's camera - Pikeville, TN is pretty darn gorgeous! And my Great-Aunt Priscilla & Great-Uncle Ed have one amazing house sitting atop a mountain with the most amazing view from their front porch! We were only there a few hours but had a blast! Thanks to my wonderful family for a great day!

Wearing them out!

Hello Blog readers! Long time no see! I've been busy and lazy lately which is a wicked combination!

Layla has recently decided that only babies nap. She turned 3 in December and therefore has decided that she is NOT a baby and will NOT nap. An issue that wouldn't bother me as a working mom but kills me when I pick her up and she's tired. Tired in a 3 year old translates to whiney and rude. And since my 6 year old has decided that stomping her feet and screaming at me is going to earn her extra play time, my afternoons are just as soothing as they can be.

So I have a new plan. I can't control the weekdays since I don't have her but the weekends - oh boy, I'm going to wear her out on the weekends! On Sat we spent 4 hours walking around the zoo. Our friend had a stroller. Did I let Layla rest a bit in the stroller? Nope. She was walking. Now, I'm no tyrant and did occasionally carry her or put her up on my shoulders but not for long. The Altanta Zoo has 2 playgrounds. We let the kids run around on both. Now it amazes me that Layla is "too tired" to walk from the otters to the pandas but show her a playground and suddenly she's Usain Bolt. (you know, that dude from the Olympics? The fast one. Right. Him) Ten minutes into the ride home and she was conked out. I dumped her on the living room couch, not risking a walk upstairs and had a peaceful hour and a half to read. It was amazing! On Sunday, the only active thing we did was go to the grocery store and she was still so worn out from Sat that she fell asleep watching cartoon at her Papa's house. Thank goodness for the family pass b/c now whenever I have a good book to read, we're going to the zoo first!

5 Albums that shaped me

On Facebook there is this application where you can pick your top 5 of basically any catagory you can think of. And if you didn't think of one, don't worry, some moron thought of it for you. I chose "5 Albums That Shaped Me" and as I did, very specific memories came into focus. And because most of my readers are family, I felt the need to share them. And Facebook status just isn't the place for that. So I give you my childhood set to music (the music will be in your head so sing along!)

The Beatles: Let It Be - My parents loved the Beatles and passed that love on to me & my sister. We spent hours watching their movies, singing their songs, choosing our favorites. I chose this album mostly for the title song. Remember the skit on Sesame Street with The Beetles singing "Letter B"? My cousin Steve & I loved that so much that when the real song would come on, we'd sing the Sesame Street version.

The B-52's: This is their self titled album. I'm saying album because that's how I was introduced to them. On authentic vinyl. It was awesome. Countless times my sister & I would scour the collection to find that bright yellow cover. I have no idea what songs are on this album except for one. The only one that mattered to a 6 year old and her 3 year old sister and the only one that matters to my now 6 year old and her 3 year old sister. That song is "Rock Lobster" and I contend that it is one of the greatest dance songs of all time!

Squeeze: 45's and Under - This is the soundtrack to 1982. Every car ride we listened to this and everytime I hear a song from it, I immediately feel like driving. Steve's favorite song was Cool for Cats. It's on Rock Band 2 and it makes me happy to sing it for him. He had a thing for cat songs, I remember we both loved the Stray Cat Strut too. This album was remasted onto CD in 1995 and became the soundtrack to my freshman year of college. It made my psycho roommate much more bareable when I could drown her out with Pulling Muscles from a Shell. When I wasn't driving her crazy blasting Mr. T Experience of course.

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - This is the album my mother would leave parties early to go home and listen to. I know this because she told me hundreds of times! When I was in college I finally bought the CD and realized what she meant. It's an amazing album. My dad used to wake us up singing "Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head". It's timeless.

They Might Be Giants: Flood - My Aunt Nancy made a mix tape for my mom back in 1990 that included several songs from this album and I fell in love immediately. I must have been crazy nostalgic in college b/c I bought this one too and realized that there isn't a song on it that's not fantastic! And thus began my love affair with TMBG. I've seen them in concert twice and have several of their CD's plus both children's music CD's to pass the love on to my kids. I was so enamored of them that it was very hard to contain myself when on one of the first dates with my husband, he turned this CD on in the car. I was all, "You like them too?!" and I was done for. Not to put too fine a point on it.

Get Unspoiled

I think I'm in love with this man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus

It won't let me embed it, I apologize but it won't hurt you to click. It's worth it I promise.

So is this:


My cousin gave up Facebook for Lent. My mom is giving up internet Boggle. I'm giving up just being on the computer at home for anything other than necessities. Family & friends are more important. Call them on the phone, go visit them. Life is more than instant gratification. Just wait, it's worth it.

From the mind of a 3 year old

Mia: Ooh - it's a Tom Tom
Me: Well, Daddy's is called a Magellan
Layla: Jello?
Me: Not Jello, Ma-gell-an
Layla: I like Jello!

Fail

Have you seen the Fail Blog yet? If not, go now. No wait, read this small post first, and then go because once you get there, you will undoubtedly spend hours scrolling through the ridiculous blunders showcased. It is one of the few blogs I view every single day. Although sometimes it's fun to wait a few days so I have more posts to view when I get there.
While I'm out and about, I usually find my own fails that I only hope will one day get posted on Fail Blog. Such as this:

I don't know where to even begin with this. The idea alone appears to be a fail but then there's more. The final 'S' on Jesus is insane. The final 'S' on Loves was an afterthought. It is just fail gold! What is the message here anyway? Are they trying to tell me that Jesus loves police or that the Jesus Police love me? I'm so confused! I didn't even get a photo of his rear window which was covered in spiritual messages. How he sees out of it, I have no idea. So maybe the message is supposed to be that Jesus loves Police so that when he gets pulled over, they will show mercy.