The Adventures of the Headless Family

Random-ocity

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:30:00 +0000

There are 4 school days left. Mixed feelings. I'm ready, the kids are ready, but other than projects on the house and a couple of vacations I have no idea what my kids are going to do.
Do people know how to drive? I know I've complained about 4-way stops before. Still a pet peeve. Most recently though are the people who stop at the beginning or middle of a loading zone while there are 100 cars or so behind them trying to get to the loading zone too. Really? Pull forward so 10 more cars can unload at the same time, not just you and your preshusbaybeeeee. Douchebag.
Planning a wedding: I was serious about that winning lottery ticket, y'all.
Another pet peeve? People who dress inappropriately for special occasions.
2 weeks ago I was within a few miles of all of you that were at Mom 2.0 Summit. I was bummed that I couldn't see you! But HD and I did have a great time at the wedding we attended. Small, intimate, lovely. Plus: hotel room on the water, last minute, for $200. WINNING
Having my aunt and mom here last week was the BEST ELIXIR EVER.

So. What have you been up to?

Talking Tebow

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:40:00 +0000

I pretty much love Tim Tebow. Great kid. Great future.

Why doesn't anyone else think so? Come discuss it with me over on Draft Day Suit!

The First of Many Big Days

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:42:00 +0000

Last Friday was a big day. It was a day that every girl dreams of. A day that Moms and Dads everywhere have mixed feelings about.

Headless Girl got engaged.

He took her for a breakfast picnic. Something he's done before, but this time he had friends 'lying in wait' for the big moment. Obviously, since there are pictures. She wasn't expecting it to happen on this day even though she knew it was coming 'soon'.

They have been dating for 6 years so even at the young age of 22 and 23 it was the obvious next step. They are both graduating from college next week and somewhere around the start of 2014 they will be married.

I threw an engagement party together in a week, and yes, I had a little help. Headless Dad cooked tri tip, his mother (the fiance's,) made the desserts, I cleaned, shopped, and ordered the sides. Her mother came as a surprise and it was lovely to have her here. About 20 of their friends came for dinner and I think they had a nice time.

I, of course, loved the centerpieces. Who wouldn't love these roses? ;-)

Since they want to get married relatively quickly we're starting to look at locations this weekend if we can. It's exciting and scary and OMG HOW DID I GET OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE A CHILD OLD ENOUGH TO GET MARRIED????????

So we are soon to be the parents of a married daughter. Any tips? Suggestions? Words of wisdom? Lay it on me. I have to be able to handle it. It's now or never!

Picture credit: Judi, one of Headless Girl's close friends, took the top two, the roses are all mine.

Roses, Vegas, and Life

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:17:00 +0000

My roses are in full bloom. These are my favorite so far this year. The colors are so vibrant and the 2 that I cut are making my kitchen smell divine.

Last weekend Headless Dad and I were here. At the top of the Rio having dinner with friends at the VooDoo Steakhouse. The food was great, (I had the best sea bass I've ever tasted,) the company better, and this view? Out of this world. The Voodoo is also the rooftop nightclub with amazing views of the strip as well as the mountains. See the railing? Yeah, there was no way I was getting any closer. The wind was howling that night- knocking over empty glassware that was left behind!

Sunday afternoon we decided to relax by the pool with boat drinks. Frozen Pina Colada for me!

If you ever need a place to eat in Vegas you must try Bacio's in the Tropicana. It was beyond spectacular. Above is my dinner: veal scallopini with artichokes and proscuitto. Headless Dad loved his dinner too. And our apps and salads and the bread and the dessert...... I would go back to Vegas just to go back to this restaurant. No lie.

Aaaaahhhhh yes. Back to reality. This is only part of the ironing that I did today. I also did 5 loads of laundry and cleaned my kitchen.

Where is my cocktail waitress? Where is the valet?

She's back!

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:27:00 +0000

No, it's not me. Heh.

Shannon, from Rocks in my Dryer has started writing again. I am thrilled! Go visit, say hi, and make sure she knows we're happy she's back.

People of Blissdom '13

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:24:00 +0000

Every conference I go to I get the chance to meet many lovely people. Here is a list of a few of the people that I met this weekend: (in no particular order, like seriously. it's the order in which I grabbed your card out of my bag. Which means there might be a few that were misplaced. Sorry!)

Cris Goode/GoodenessGracious
The Homeschool Post
Heather Solsbery/Sprittibee
Zakary Watson/Raising Colorado
Michelle Albright-Peters/So Wonderful, So Marvelous
Claire Mola/ a little Claireification
Sherry Carr-Smith/PaperScissorsKeyboard
Julie Crisp/Eyes Full of Pretty
Emily Emmer/Extra Space Storage
Debbie Shadid/detailed with love
Allison Davis/Girl Returns Home
Anna Tovar/annatovar.etsy.com

And some old friends that I met for the first time:

Holly Homer/June Cleaver Nirvana
Kat/Sassy Irish Lassie
Allison McDonald/No Time for Flash Cards
Deanna/Domestic Chicky

And some of the regular folks that I enjoy seeing at every conference:

Carmen/Mom to the Screaming Masses
Shannon/100 Routes Across America
Michelle/Honest and Truly
Christina/A Mommy Story

And, of course, there are perhaps dozens of you that I spoke with, laughed with, or sat with in a session that I didn't get your card or can't for the life of me remember your name. It's not you, it's me. Forgive me and leave me a comment with your link?

Oops, I Did It Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:21:00 +0000

A little nervous, I'll admit.

The day after Valentine's Day was THE DAY. I was getting my hair done. I had thought about it for a while. Discussed it with my stylist. Checked Pinterest. Emailed pictures. Decided to just.do.it.already. February 15th was THE DAY.


During.

I arrived for my 10:45 appointment and we promptly got started. To do what I wanted to do I knew it was going to take a long time. Double processing: Bleach out most of my head, color the roots and rest, then re color what the bleach had taken away. @UncleCrappy, one of my cohorts over at Draft Day Suit thought it looked like I had burritos in my hair. Hey! Lunch and a new 'do!

Point of reference: When I was a teenager I used to listen to my mom and her best friend from high school, (who is also my aunt,) talk about the time that they used a red rinse in their hair. This was in the 1950's when this kind of thing were kinda taboo, ya know? Anyway, my grandmother was pretty torked that my mom had colored her hair and she made my mom wash it over and over and over and over that night (about 20 times!) until most of the red rinse was gone. Somehow this story stuck with me and I assumed that my mother would have done the same thing. When I was in high school I really really wanted to do something c.r.a.z.y. with my hair. Those were the 80's, you know? Shaved on one side, mohawks, punk colors. I was jealous of anyone who could do THAT.

A couple of years ago I did purple streaks. I loved them but it wasn't nearly enough.

Fast forward to February 15, 2013. I'm a 44 year old married mom of 3. I'm an adult, right? I can make my own decisions and if I want purple hair there is no one to stop me.

Ta Da!

So look out Blissdom! Me and my purple hair will be there with bells on. (OK, well, maybe not the bells. I usually only wear those at Christmas time. But the purple hair? It's staying.)

The Aftermath

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:35:00 +0000

When we last checked in on our heroine, she had just gotten devastating news about her son's football coach......

That's all I could think about last week. I just couldn't shake it. I've only known this young man since October but he had such a great impact on my son and our family in such an amazingly short period of time.

We scrambled to get #2 and the other boy jerseys with the coach's college number on them. They arrived on Friday for the Saturday funeral. #2 wore the jersey for the service and then again to school on Monday. The service was beautiful. Turns out, he was the extrordinary young man that we thought he was. My #2 and his friend had signed a football that the florist attached to the spray that we sent. His parents loved it so much that they tucked it under his arm in the casket. My son is with him forever. I tear up just thinking about it. His sister gave each of the boys a framed picture of him from his college football days.

His father came to football practice on Sunday and pledged to the boys to help coach them. He thought it would be what his son would have wanted. We are grateful.

His father also told us the full story about how he died. Long story short: he was bench pressing 530 lbs. and bouncing it off of his chest. Bruised heart that led to a heart attack. There is just so much wrong with all of this.

*****

It's currently Thursday. Almost a week after the funeral, and I'm still so angry. So hurt. I went to church on Sunday hoping for a little comfort but realized that I was pretty angry at God. Angry for taking such a great kid in the prime of his life with so much to look forward to. Angry that my son had found a mentor and coach that was ready and willing to work with him for the long term. Angry that my 11 year old has to deal with such grief and loss. Angry that a man with so much joy in his life and so much to live for would jeopardize his health and life by doing something so stupid.

I know God has a plan, His ways are perfect, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

I almost didn't write this. It's still fresh and painful. But I want to remember. I don't ever want to forget such a generous and caring young man, and I want to be able to remind my son that you can be a big football player and be gentle of heart too.

*****

Go Jayhawks!

Just Earning My Nightly Glass of Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:08:00 +0000

Yesterday should have been a nice holiday. A break from the routine. A chance to sleep in, catch up, get ahead of the week before us.

Yeah, not so much.

It started a few weeks ago when my husband had to schedule a tooth extraction for that day. He isn't fond of the BIG dental work. (I mean, who is, right?) It was going to be a simple procedure that shouldn't take long, not require full anesthesia. He wasn't happy about it having to be on a Monday but considering we were having to reschedule from a Thursday (the only other day the doctor is in the office, one Thursday and one Monday a month-UGH!). Whatever. We scheduled so it could be over and done with.

THEN. My #1 got braces and a referral to get 2 more baby teeth pulled. Simple, right? Yes, until you realize this is the kid that H.A.T.E.S. dental work with the heat of a thousand fiery suns. So we went to the dentist who then had to refer us back to the oral surgeon to get them removed. (The irony here is that the ortho and the oral surgeon are in the same office yet cannot refer to one another.) That was last week and guess when the surgery was scheduled for? Yep. Monday.

So off to the surgeon we went yesterday in the morning, since he was being completely put out. No food and all of that. OK. Done. No problem. I had asked for Headless girl to run to the Juice Smoothie place to grab her brother something that he could get down and on her way she witnessed an accident. So she and #2 had to wait for the police and paramedics to arrive before they could get to the smoothie place.

We had a lovely 15 minutes or so until the text came in.

The text was from a friend who's son works with the same private football coach that we do. She was texting me to let me know that their coach had passed away on Sunday evening. What???????!!!!!! We were just with him that afternoon??!! (The cause of death has not been determined yet. So sad. He was a great guy.) Then I had to tell Headless Dad this lovely piece of information just before he was leaving to have his tooth removed.

So this was a great way to pass a holiday afternoon. Then we had to tell HB#2 after dinner.

And also why I had 2 glasses of wine last night. Hmph. So much for a relaxing holiday.

Getting Back On The Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:50:00 +0000

I'm having such trouble lately with what to write here. I might think of something as I'm drifting off to sleep or while driving to one of the kids' activities but when the cursor blinks I go blank. Even a funny story that should be easy to recall seems to be only laughter with no story. I guess the blog matches my mental dialogue lately. I wish I could blame it on the weather... like the first winter that I lived in Knoxville, Tennessee and it was so grey that I literally could.not.stand.it. So I quit college. (True story.) (I went back and graduated. Just not in Knoxville.) It's crazy that I feel this way in a winter full of sunny days and the mercury reading 75. 75 is no kind of winter. I know that so many of you are dreaming of days this warm and would trade places with me in a New York minute. I guess I feel silly saying that I'm down. There are so many that have it worse than I do.

So that's why I'm just writing. I need to write now; it's gotten in my blood. There may be some doozy posts to follow-silly, nonsensical, rambling, but I need to do it. I want to do it. Feel free to kick me if I don't write. Keep me going until I can kick myself, ok?

The Obvious Game- Avaliable now!

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:11:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder when or how 'simple depression' crosses the line into a serious condition: drug or alcohol addiction, eating disorders or deeper mental health issues. I mean, I've dealt with bouts of depression my whole life, but what kept me from crossing that imaginary line? What causes someone else to cross it?

*****

In The Obvious Game, Rita Arens shows us one girl's downward slide into a serious eating disorder. Diana, the main character, is a high school student that most of us would identify with in some manner. She's not the popular girl, she was teased about her weight, her circle of friends is changing, she falls for the new boy in town. Oh, and her mother is battling cancer. (That one isn't on everyone's list, I'm guessing.)

Quite often while I was reading I wondered, "How did Rita get into my head?," my identification with Diana was so strong. Her inner dialogue about her appearance could have been written by a teenage me. (And quite honestly, sometimes it could be written by a current me.) We come to see what pushed Diana past that line, but what about my own line? Would an event tomorrow cause me to cross that line in my own life? And what or who would notice or be able to 'save' me?

Diana has stuck with me for weeks since finishing the book.

*****
I highly recommend this book for young adults and adults alike. I think that it would be a great conversation starter for a mother and daughter to explore body image, stress management, communication, and more. I would also suggest you urge your local middle school and city libraries to have copies as well. The topic is that important and books like this are a great way to start the conversation.

Get your copy of The Obvious Game at these retailers: (both sellers have print and digital copies for sale)
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Oh, and when you visit the Rita Arens page on Amazon there are links to all of Rita's published works. Worth it.

*****

I was given a digital copy of The Obvious Game for review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Unsafe

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:08:00 +0000

It's funny how blogging is cyclical. Someone writes a post and you think "Wow! That's totally me!", so you write it too, then someone else does. A month or so will go by and the next cyclical topic pops up, and so on, and so on.

Stimey wrote a post today about having safe places. This particularly stuck out for me:

It has also made me think about what I consider to be safe—and how much I value those things. When I talk here about safety, I’m not referring so much to physical safety, but mental safety. Safe means a place I can be myself. Safe means a place where I can make a mistake and it’s okay. Safe means a place where I don’t have to be ON. Safe means a place where I don’t have to hide parts of myself. Safe is where there are no unexpected, unreasonable attacks—interpersonal, sensory, what have you.

*****

Earlier this month, I finally sent out Christmas cards. December was particularly emotional for me this year, we hadn't taken a picture yet, and I hadn't sent a letter since my daughter was still in high school over 4 years ago, so I knew that I needed to get it out. I had no choice but to be perfectly ok with the fact that it was late. I, for some reason, decided that this was the year to 'come out' to my entire Christmas card list that I had a blog. (I've been writing here for over 5 years and for some reason don't share that openly. Maybe that will become apparent in a few paragraphs.) (Hi! to those on my list that have never been here before! Hope you like what you see/read.) That is scary for me.

Unlike Stimey, this blog has never felt like a safe place for me. I've always worried 'what other people will think' or that I'll get attacked in the comments for something I've written. See also: Why I don't write about politics or religion.

The other side of that coin, of course, is that when I decide to branch out and say a little something, even slightly controversial or comment-provoking, it's like I've written my thoughts in a personal journal and no one but me even knows that it's there. No comments, no nothing. There's no predictable pattern.

*****

One reason that I don't say too many controversial things, besides the fact that I don't like conflict in general, is something that happened years ago when I was new to blogging and the blogging community. It was 2008 and we were deep into election season. A friend wrote about a controversial subject that was big during that election cycle. I had a polar opposite opinion on the topic and left a very carefully crafted comment about how I saw her point but respectfully disagreed and gave a reason or two why. Shortly thereafter, a third blogger (that I had recently met and thought that we were beginning to be friends,) TOTALLY BLASTED ME in the comments for my views. I was totally shaken to the core.

Polite people don't do that? Right? Was I foolish to have commented on such a sensitive topic? Was I in the wrong? Had I mistakenly been mean or inflamatory? I sent an email to the author of the blog post apologizing (Seriously, I apologized for the other person's behavior. What?) for starting that 'discussion thread' in her comments and asked her to remove my comment. The author pretty much blew the whole thing off: maybe I should have too, but it has obviously stuck with me.

*****

I think that's why this place doesn't feel completely safe for me. Yes, I realize that it's pretty irrational for me to link that one incident, on someone else's blog, years ago, to this space and my friends here. You have all been supportive and helpful and not like that other blogger at all. But it's still linked in my mind, regardless of the evidence to the contrary.

Who I Am

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:01:00 +0000

Again, stolen from Carmen. I've been thinking about this ever since she posted it over a week ago. I hope my copy does hers justice.

I am the wife of 1, mom of 3. I was a much different parent when it was only my daughter, before the boys came along. I think I walk a very fine line between being the 'mean mom' and being the lenient mom. I suppose how you view it depends on which side of the fence you're on. Manners are a big thing to me. I prefer to be called "Mrs. [last name here]" by children. No, you are not my peer so you may not use my first name. That goes for store clerks too. My children may not call adults by their first name unless instructed to do so by that adult. I respect their preferences but the default greeting is Mr./Mrs.

I am very conservative, and Christian. Which I find amusing since I was the polar opposite when I was young. It infuriates me that Congress can't pass and stick to a budget when we, as citizens, get hammered when we don't. I find the loose social culture in our country disgusting. I firmly believe that as a country we started to kick God and Jesus out decades ago and we are now reaping every bit of what we have sown. Interestingly enough, I hate to argue about politics or social policy so I rarely, if ever, write about these things, nor will I engage in debate about it, on this blog, or elsewhere. (Unfortunately for you, yes you that is thinking of commenting about this, if you are inflammatory I will delete you. You may kindly disagree with me without fear of being deleted but I will not engage with you. My blog, my policy.) I think political debate may be what puts me on high blood pressure medication.

I think I am a good, if conservative, cook. I don't like to try off the wall foods. While Carmen hates beets, I love them. We grow them. My children love them. I do love most vegetables though, and am recently having a renewed love affair with baby lima beans, much to my family's chagrin. My husband is a meat/green/starch/bread at meals guy. I'm more of a casserole/soup person. It's not so easy to please everyone around here. I make the best apple pie ever, yet don't love to bake, and if I do, it's usually a box cake. I think it's because of the mess involved. I love honey crisp apples. Or granny smith apples with peanut butter. That is the only thing that I like that involves peanut butter. The smell of hot water washing something that has had peanut butter in it makes me gag. So does the pet food aisle at the store.

I've always been a borderline hoarder. I wash Ziploc bags. I keep coupons for places that I rarely go to "just in case". I still have every paper that I took notes on while I was planning my wedding. Why? I have no idea except that I want to organize all of that stuff into an album someday but the task is too daunting. So I have a large box of all of it instead that continues to collect dust after 15 years. This is par for the course of my life. I used to keep every memento, trinket, and unused something or other whether or not I would ever use it. I'm better now but not completely reformed. Example #2: I was a chapter consultant for my college sorority and I still have my "Ox Box". It was a huge briefcase that we carried all of our manuals and paperwork in. It's still full of my files. OK, ok, it's been in the garage collecting dust, but it's still here. To Do on Tuesday? Toss the files, put the case in the garage sale stack.

I am a work in progress.

I love clean sheets but hate to make the bed. I love doing laundry but hate putting it away. I love a clean house but hate to clean. I love working in the flower garden in our yard but hate the obsession Headless Dad has with the grass. I hate Southern California as a general rule but I'm getting acclimated to the mild winter weather. I'm not, however, getting acclimated to the heat of the summer. I hate hot weather. Anything over 85 pisses me off. I love the results of exercise but the exercise itself? Not so much. One of this year's goals is to find some kind of exercise that I like to do and can consistently do without hating every minute. Zumba is the first thing on my list to try since I do like to dance and I seem to like exercise classes better than solo exercise.

I love working on my house (read: painting, remodeling, redecorating, etc.,) but get easily bored with a project unless it A) goes very quickly, B) someone else is here to motivate me to finish. Witness: my master bathroom that is still not done. It's almost been a year since the flooding up there. I KNOW.

Some people think that I'm intimidating, but usually I think it's because A) I'm shy around people that I don't know, B) I tend to follow the rule "If you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all." See also: I hate arguing or getting in disagreements with people.

*whew* That's a lot. Did you learn something? I could probably do 8 more paragraphs, but I'll spare you. So. What do we have in common?

48 Questions

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:50:00 +0000

Yes, I stole this from Carmen. Who took it from Issa. Who took it from Zakary. (Whom I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. Us Colorado gals have to stick together. Hi!) For the record, I didn't read anyone's list but Carmen's before I wrote my answers.

Like Carmen, my words aren't coming so easily lately so you get this. Some you may already know about me, some may be new. Whatever. I like these, so you get it regardless. There is another one of Carmen's posts that I'm going to swipe, too. Perhaps on Monday. Then maybe my mojo will have returned?

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

No, but my name was supposed to be my cousin's name and my cousin's name was supposed to be mine.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

December 3, 2012. I know because I got a text that I was so angry and hurt over that I cried.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Sometimes. I like it when I'm trying. I remember being in about 4th grade and my dad making me practice at our kitchen table because prior to that my writing was horrible.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

I don't like sandwiches, thus I don't dig lunch meat, either.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Three. 22, 13, 11.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I'd like to think so. Although, some people have said, over the course of my whole life, that I'm "intimidating" (whatever that means,) so who knows?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Not as often as I think it.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

NONONONONONONONONONONO. NEVER. My biggest fear is falling. You know, those nasty dreams where you fall off something really high? Yeah, that will be the cause of my heart attack someday.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

I really love plain Cheerios, with no sugar, but I sneak a bowl of the kids Lucky Charms sometimes. They're really good. (I buy them for weekends and holidays. Stop judging me.)

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

Yes, if it's my good pair of running shoes. No on all the others.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Most of the time, yes. I have what it takes to get through most sh*t. I am glad that I have a spectacular partner in Headless Dad, who lets me let down my guard now and then when I need to. See also: #2.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

I don't like ice cream, and if my family wasn't so damn addicted to the stuff we would have a bigger bank account and more freezer space because I would NEVER buy it. I will, on occasion, get a chocolate/vanilla swirl frozen yogurt, though.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Hair or eyes.

15. RED OR PINK?

Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

Probably that I don't want to quit smoking.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

My Grandmothers. Granny passed away 5 years ago (you can read about her in this post,) and my other grandmother who turned 92 this week. She is in a nursing home in Memphis and doesn't know anyone anymore. There are so many things that I wish I could ask them now that I'm an adult.

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?

As of right now I have no idea. I thought about it and I still don't know.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

Dirty, old blue and white running shoes.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Peanut brittle. Right now, as a matter of fact.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

HB#2 is playing BlackOps 2/Zombies and discussing it with HB#1. The zombie noises are driving me INSANE. NomNomNom

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Purple. Or green. Or maybe orange.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Vanilla, cinnamon, sweaty little boy head (but only my own, thanks. And they're not little anymore.)

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?

Very important, but I'm less than vocal with anyone but my husband and a few select friends.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?

Mountains to live, beach to vacation.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Football. Have you even read this blog before?

27. HAIR COLOR?

Medium brown, but not for long!

28. EYE COLOR?

Green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

No.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Real food, like you would have for dinner. Pizza. Chips and queso. Mmmm.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy, although I can't recall the last movie that I chose to watch.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

Can't remember. Maybe Wreck-It Ralph? The last movie I watched that I actually chose was probably in 1996.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Black tshirt

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Fall or Spring

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Not a big dessert gal. See also: #13 Cheesecake, maybe?

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?

My favorite exercise is walking, if you can call that exercise or favorite. It's what I can tolerate.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?

Computer. Unless Days, Grey's, Big Bang, Parenthood or Private Practice are on.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

THE OBVIOUS GAME by Rita Arens and I can't wait to share it with all of you!!!

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

I use a MacBook so I don't have a mouse.

40. FAVORITE SOUND?

My children's belly laughter.

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?

Contemporary Christian, but I used to work in the music business so I love so so so many kinds of music. Pop, country, early rap, 80's New Wave, etc., etc., etc.

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Singapore. Best trip ever. I would highly recommend stopping there if you are ever in Southeast Asia. (What is with all of you saying Maui?)

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

I am a good hostess. I'm super clumsy. (Is that a talent? By frequency of which I trip/fall/drop things, it should be.)

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

California

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?

California

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?

Buff/Taupe/Tan. Some non-descript beige-y color, but the trim is a lovely dark blue/green and my front door is RED!

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?

Green

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?

Actually I do. I miss these things going around like every week. And it's a great way to type through blogger block.

A Body in Motion

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:22:00 +0000

No, this is not about exercise. Although it probably should be.

Recently, in a closed group on Facebook we were having a discussion about things we were trying to do differently this year, largely focusing on productivity.

A body in motion stays in motion.

It's true. In science and in day to day life. And it proves itself over and over again.

Over break we were able to go to Colorado for Christmas. (It's the first time my boys have seen it snow, but that is a story for another day.) While there I helped my mom with lots of holiday prep, as you can imagine. I didn't have the option of sitting: things had to get done. This may seem like a "duh" statement to you, but it was somewhat of a revelation to me.

When I got up, got dressed, ate, and started my day I got a lot of sh stuff done.

There was even time to check Facebook, text with friends, take some pictures, and visit with family. Who knew?

Actually, I know this. Have known for years but knowing somehow doesn't make doing it on a consistent basis any easier. I've always lived on the premise that "tomorrow is another day" and "If it didn't get done today, there's always tomorrow." Which is fine on the surface but it gives us permission to procrastinate. To watch that tv show or follow the breadcrumbs around the internet. Ahem.

My solution: Get up each day and start it like I always have: coffee and get the kids to school. (Change is hard y'all.) HOWEVER. Then, rather than grab the laptop and sink in, I am (trying to) get dressed, eat, and do SOMETHING. Start that load of laundry. Wipe down the bathrooms. Clean off my perpetually cluttered counter. Grocery shop. Something usually leads to something else and before I know it I've spent at least 50% of the time that the kids are out of the house getting something productive done.

A body in motion stays in motion.

It's easy and so hard at the same time, but it's working.

The Little Things

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:19:00 +0000

Shortly before Thanksgiving I started taking some little steps to eat better. Eat less. I knew the holidays were coming and didn't want to be that much further behind the 8 ball with my weight. I'm not super heavy for my height but I've got to watch it or it could easily get out of hand.

My routine in the morning regarding food forever has been coffee then eat around noon. I know. So I've permanently cut that 3rd cup out. I've also been trying to eat some kind of breakfast no later than 10 am. (Hey, baby steps, people.) Most mornings I'll just have a bowl of cereal, but at least it's something. Sometimes oatmeal, sometimes a fried egg on a toasted english muffin. Something.

The second thing that I've done pretty consistently is have fruit for an afternoon snack. In November it was Honey Crisp apples. Recently it's been Cuties. I sometimes have to force myself to do it but it's a habit now that I'm reaching for fruit rather than crackers or something else.

Finally, I've been having reasonable portions at dinner. I'm not really much into sweets-'real' food is more of a weakness for me. At first, it was hard to stop while the rest of the family was still eating but I've settled into it. And it has helped. I don't typically have a problem eating after dinner, so most nights I don't have anything but a little wine and/or water after dinner.

All of these little changes have worked. I've lost 5 pounds and am back in my favorite jeans. Don't get me wrong, they're still tight around the waist, but I can wear them. I'll count it as an early 2013 win!

Marvel Avengers: Win!

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. #UbiChamps

As you guys know, my kids have an affinity for the war-type games. They're boys, ya know? But Marvel Avengers has changed that somewhat. I was skepitcal. Wasn't sure they'd like it. This is how it goes...

My #2 was the first to try it with his friend from the neighborhood. Immediately I heard laughing and the requisite "ugh" "oof" "hooah"! This Kinect game gets the boys moving and still has the 'fight' element that the teen and preteen in my house want. They really liked it and are playing it a lot. Interestingly enough, the next day #2 told me that he was a little sore in his arms where he was punching. Unintended exercise -Yay!

After the two younger boys tried it, Mom had her chance. Honestly, I was laughing so hard I could hardly follow the on-screen movements. There's punching, kicking, and jumping. And, as I learned, if you can't follow then just do it all as fast as you can while laughing. I didn't do so bad after all! It felt like a great workout for me too.

My older boy, #1, liked it as well. He likes that he can play on XBOX live and compare scores with his friends because you know, when you're 13 it's all about the competition and who is winning. Leveling up is a big thing for this one and while it's pretty easy to level up he is ACTIVE doing it. Win!

Get your copy of Marvel Avengers from Amazon or your favorite retailer. (It's discounted 10% today on Amazon!) I'm excited to have it for the after-Christmas let down when my kids start whining about being bored and I start whining about them not getting enough exercise. (Honestly, why do kids do that?) I'm thinking a tournament with all of the neighborhood boys- All ages will be welcome and all will have a blast!

The Obvious Game: Exposed

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:00:00 +0000

5 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Rita Arens in San Fransisco. I was new to blogging, new to conferences, and (yikes!) new to this whole writing thing. Rita is one writer that I've grown to respect personally and professionally. She was the Editor of Sleep is for the Weak, a compilation of early blogging essays about motherhood, that was on sale during the conference. (Great read, not an affiliate link.) I have read her short stories and been waiting, waiting!, for her book to be published.

I'm pleased to be a part of the cover reveal for her first Young Adult novel, The Obvious Game.

I will be the first one in line to get this! Knowing part of Rita's personal story and her skill as a story-teller makes this on my Must Read list in February 2013. I hope it's on yours too!

The publisher is hosting a giveaway for one copy of the book and 2 copies of the ebook. Enter to win below! (Open to residents of the US, UK, and Canada only.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Officially, about the author:

Rita Arens is the author of THE OBVIOUS GAME and the editor of the award-winning parenting anthology SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK. She writes the popular blog Surrender, Dorothy (www.surrenderdorothyblog.com) and lives in Kansas City with her husband and daughter. THE OBVIOUS GAME is her first young adult novel. She is at work on a second.

Unofficially, she's just plain awesome. Go visit her blog to see what I mean. I promise she doesn't disappoint.

All They Want For Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this post. Please visit Amazon.com to get your own copy of Assassin's Creed 3, today's Gold Box Deal of the Day! I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

A few years ago we Santa got the boys an XBOX for Christmas. It was a huge surprise for them since we've been, um, 'late adopters' of technology and gaming. They, for obvious reasons, loved it and dove into gaming head first. One of my boys even has his own YouTube channel for gaming. (But you knew that, right?)

Similarly, I've not always been a fan of the shooting/war type games but I was over-ridden in the decision department and the boys haven't looked back. They are hooked.

Screen Shot of #AC3 via Digital Trends

For years now my boys have asked for Assasin's Creed. They ask and ask and ask. So far, the answer has always been 'No'. Why? Eh, I don't know. Because I can? But earlier this fall I started to have second thoughts about the new Assasin's Creed 3. It is the story of the American Revolution and if you've seen the commercials you know that it doesn't look like a game, but like a movie. The scenery is beautiful, the colors vivid, and all of the historical 'players' are included. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect it to be 100% historically accurate, but any video game that has my son walking around quoting Benjamin Franklin deserves a shot in my house. My boys have already watched numerous videos (on YouTube, of course!) on this game and they are drooling to get a chance to play it. Who am I to say no to a video game that is getting them interested in history?! Sshhh! Don't tell them, but I'm not saying no to this one anymore.

Especially when there is a deal like this one. Spread the word because this is the best deal of the season!

Today only, on Amazon.com, Assasin's Creed 3 is the Gold Box Deal of the Day! For only $33 you can be a hero to your teen boys too.

If you'd like to try your hand at winning your own copy, Clever Girls has you covered there too. On Tuesday, December 11 only, retweet the following and you could win one of 5 copies of Assasin's Creed 3:

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day: Assassin's Creed 3! To buy: http://clvr.li/AC3Gold - RT to enter to win a copy! #AC3Gold

Head on over to Amazon for the Gold Box Deal of the Day. You'll be a rock star to your kids, I promise.

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day: Assassin's Creed 3! To buy: http://clvr.li/AC3Gold - RT to enter to win a copy! #AC3Gold

Head on over to Amazon for the Gold Box Deal of the Day. You'll be a rock star to your kids, I promise.

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day: Assassin's Creed 3! To buy: http://clvr.li/AC3Gold - RT to enter to win a copy! #AC3Gold

Head on over to Amazon for the Gold Box Deal of the Day. You'll be a rock star to your kids, I promise.

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day: Assassin's Creed 3! To buy: http://clvr.li/AC3Gold - RT to enter to win a copy! #AC3Gold

Head on over to Amazon for the Gold Box Deal of the Day. You'll be a rock star to your kids, I promise.

Holiday Traditions

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:14:00 +0000

It's the little things that make the holiday, right? Every family ends up with their own traditions that make it unique. I know that in general, our Christmases look pretty similar to those of my family growing up. I do love the little things that we do that make it different, though. Like these:

Baking sugar cookies on Christmas Eve eve, then decorating them on Christmas Eve for Santa. Dude gets tons of cookies here.
Jingle bells on the front door and garage door handles. Drives HD CRAZY. But I love it that I can hear bells consistently, but not constantly, throughout the holidays.
My growing collection of Nativities. I have the Little People, Willow Tree, a heart set, a small 2 piece set, and now 2 from Malawi. Well, HG gets one of those but for now they are both in the front hall.
My Christmas dishes. They will probably stay in the cupboard this year unless I get really productive this weekend. They are pretty, green trees with pink accents. Different than the Spode pattern that everyone and their brother has.
Candied Pecans. My mother started this so I guess it's not new, really, but all of my local friends and their husbands start bugging me for them about this time of year.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

What Happened On Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:14:00 +0000

As many of you know, I have been on the football board since last March. I had the position of Executive Assistant: the Secretary basically. Meeting agendas, meeting minutes, that sort of thing. I set up an account with an email service so it would be easy to send out professional emails each week to keep each family updated. I started a Facebook page for the league for quick updates and to share game scores on Sautrdays. I was helper to everyone else on the board. Which I was fine with. I tend to prefer to be the helper.

Anyway. Monday.

I spent 4 hours on the final newsletter of the season. 4 hours because I had to create an online, end-of-season survey as well as wait on a couple of emails for information.

Within an hour or so of hitting 'send' I got a text message thanking me for my service and relieving me of my duties.

*****

It took me this long to calm down to be able to write about it. I'm still stunned.

To be quite honest, I've had such conflicting emotions. Things I haven't felt in a long, long time. Anger, sure. Hurt, of course. But revenge is something that I never, ever think about and those were some of my first thoughts and it shocked me. It scared me that something like this would make me think like that. That's not me at all. With a little time and distance I have a little perspective; I've calmed down. But I'm still really hurt.

*****

Text message. That's what gets me.

Tuesday Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:00:00 +0000

#1 had a great piano recital on Sunday. He is so talented!
#2's team lost their football game on Saturday. While it's a total bummer that they lost, it's been a really, really long season and he was ready.
I got some other, um, 'news' on Monday. I will share about it later, totally deserves it's own post, but for now I'll just say that it really threw me for a loop. There are just some things that you shouldn't say in a text message, ya know? Don't worry. It's nothing earth shattering, but I'm all kinds of pissed off/hurt/angry, etc., etc., etc. Once I'm done processing all of it I'll fill you in.
My girl will be done with college in 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS. Process that!
My To Do list is crazy long.
I thought that online shopping was going to be easier. Joke's on me. I've spent 2 days trying to place an order and the website won't take my credit card. TWO DAYS. I now have a phone message and an email in to the company. They better call me tomorrow or I may take my business elsewhere. This is why I usually just go to the actual stores.
HD has been working a crazy-long string of 16 hour days. Luckily, today he got home by about 4pm. FOUR! He did the shopping and made dinner and it was so, so, so nice to have him here. He leaves again at 4 am. *sigh*
I just realized that I didn't plug in the tiny Christmas tree tonight. Read into that what you will.

A Little Christmas Help?

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I told you yesterday that I was going to do a bunch of my shopping online. I'd love, love, love to be able to buy from small retailers, Etsy shops, and the like.

Your Mission: Leave me the link to your favorite small, online retailer. It can be for any product, for any age range, any price range. I have a big list, and I'm not afraid to admit it. (Psst. And I can't really tell you exactly what I'm looking for since a few of my family read here. Ahem.) Have you written a holiday gift guide? I'll read those too. (I promise to approve any comments that happen to get caught by my spam filter. You know, as long as they are not p0rn.)

Tell me where to shop!

This is the Fat Lady Singing

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 05:48:00 +0000

I wish my blog had some sort of word counter so I would know how many words I've written this month. Renae just posted on Facebook that she has completed NaNoWriMo-that's 50,000 words for those of you that don't know. Fifty thousand. Well done, Renae!
I just read through Fussy's NaBloPoMo, and the funniest post was actually before November started. "I also wanted to grow up and be a Playboy bunny" about made me spit out my wine. I don't know if I've ever shared her here, but Eden is an icon in the blogging world. Start with that post. She is a spotty post-er but well worth the wait.
I really had no intention of turning this into a linky-love post so I'll stop now.
Semi-finals in football tomorrow. In the rain. None of our teams has ever played in December before and this year we have two! Go Saints!
Then, on Sunday we get to be proud parents of a pianist. Variety, y'all.
I tried to start my master December To-Do list today and failed miserably. I did however get most of the laundry done, so I guess it's a wash. Heh.
I have only one Christmas decoration out so far. My goal is to have the house clean (or at least picked up,) and all of the decorations (that are going up,) up by Monday, Tuesday at the latest. It's a lofty goal, but one that's achievable. I think. Of course, I'm only one person, so we'll see.
I got the go-ahead to call an electrician to finish the bathroom lighting installation. Melisa, I think I was right. 1 year won't be too far off.
Oh! The other goal is to get all/most of my shopping done, online, this week. There will be a few odds and ends that I'll have to complete later but I'd love to have the bulk of it done by Friday. That means a list. And a conversation with HD. But you all know how much I love this stinking machine, so hopefully I'll be able to say I'm done by Friday. Is that realistic?

NaBloPoMo, check.

T-2 posts

noreply@blogger.com (Headless Mom) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 06:35:00 +0000

November is long, y'all.

I'm out of ideas, I need a night off. I need to write lists and clean and shop and coordinate my calendars, you know, just take care of business. It feels weird that it's still November and Thanksgiving was a week ago. And December is still 2 days away. Weird.

NaBloPoMo is a great exercise for me. It gets my writing juices flowing again. (Yes, I know, just in time for me to be buried with Christmas stuff. Still.) I'm looking forward to doing some of Diana's Writer's Reverb for 2012 posts. She has some great topics relating to those of us who write for a living, or like me, aspire to. You should follow along. I'm planning on doing some of them, maybe not all, but go check it out. I bet you'll like it.

*****

The holidays are looming. What's your favorite part? The food? The parties? The presents? I'll answer, you'll just have to remind me. My mind is jello after 29 posts. One left, y'all. One more.