July 2011 - Full of it...

ScribbleMonster on Kid Tune Tuesday…

26 July 2011 By gina 6 Comments

Anyone remember the game LIFE?
Remember, you graduated, got a job, gained a spouse, had some plastic kids, and drove around in a rectangle? This was by far my favorite game growing up. I don’t know if it was the fake money, or the idea of a fantasy grown-up life that I hadn’t achieved yet, but I would play it at the drop of the hat.

Well, ScribbleMonster has created an adorable little song about this very game called “The Song of Life”. Except that at first you don’t know if they’re singing about the game, or actual life. I feel fairly certain this was used in a commercial somewhere, but I couldn’t find it.

And now for the results:
MR B: Mommy, I love you and I love life! five%252520sippy%252520cup%252520white ScribbleMonster on Kid Tune Tuesday...

MISS P: Do da do da diddy da do…

Filed Under: Kid Tune Tuesday, ScribbleMonster, The Song of Life

Plateau…

25 July 2011 By gina 20 Comments

I know, I know. I haven’t been in here much lately. Not nearly as much as I’d like. I’ve had a lot going on. Both externally and internally. My mom was in town last week while my husband was away on business, and while that sounds like “help”, it didn’t feel like it. I spent the majority of the week feeling pissed off that I wasn’t getting much help beyond a comment here or a picked up toy there. And then there was another person to clean up after and schedule showers around. My mother means well, but as like many grandparents, it’s been a long time since she’s been around small kids, and has no memory of what is needed. And she’s in a self-absorbed place in her life, trying to take care of her needs, which I’m trying to respect.

And last week was just too down of a week for me to write. I felt like I was riding first class on the slow train to Crazytown half of the time. I just want these drugs out of my system so I can feel even again. But who knows, maybe I’ll never feel entirely even again.

We’re headed on vacation soon, the first little official vacation that our family of four is taking. It’s beachy, has a kids club, and offers the promise of relaxation and reconnection. While I feel a good 5-6 pounds chunkier than I’d like to for parading around in a bathing suit, I’m also super excited to fall asleep while reading a book poolside, indulge in a fruity Adult Cocktail throughout the day, see my daughter play in the ocean for the first time, bury my kids in sand, and spend some kid-free time with my favorite guy in the world. I just can’t wait…

Filed Under: anti-depressants, depression, vacation, weaning

World Party Music on Kid Tune Tuesday…

19 July 2011 By gina 10 Comments

I scoured the grand internet trying to find out more information on this week’s selection, only to come up with a whole lotta nuthin’. There’s this song they play on Kids Place Live called Have Fun! (Viel Spass!) I believe it was recorded by Nico & Morlunah for an album called “World Party Music!” but I don’t know much about these guys or the song, other than that it requires a lot of exclamation points! The only thing I really know about it is that much of the song is in a language I can’t replicate. But it’s an upbeat tune. The gist of the song? Very simple. Have fun. Come dance with me. In several languages. Hey!

It’s rather fun watching small children sing songs with mixed languages. Because they simply either have no idea or do not care. They will mumble along confidently as if they know exactly what they are singing. And “HEY!” apparently means the same in several languages. So, there’s that part of the song to fall back on. Mr. B and Miss P sing along like this: “????wweeee???ss??? Sha-la-la-la-la HEY!….????….eesh…????….Sha-la-la-la HEY!

Still, it gets them moving. And if we’re at home and this song comes on, it is immediately time to jump on the beds. Perhaps there is some hidden message in all of those Eastern European verses that prompts them to do so…

And now for the results:

MR B: This one gets me jumpin’ around! four%252520sippy%252520cup%252520white World Party Music on Kid Tune Tuesday...

MISS P: mmmnnnaaawawa….HEY! three%252520sippy%252520cup%252520white World Party Music on Kid Tune Tuesday...

Filed Under: Have fun, Kid Tune Tuesday, Nico and Morlunah, Viel Spass

Weaning…part, uh, what number am I on?

19 July 2011 By gina 16 Comments

I’m headed down the final stretch of weaning off my anti-depressant, and I’m not gonna lie…it hasn’t been pretty. Now that I’ve gotten quite a bit of this out of my system, I’m finding myself right back where I started 18 months ago: snappy, on edge, on the verge of exploding at any second, full of rage and anger and resentment. It’s a horrible place to be. I spend most of my day feeling as if I don’t want to be in my skin. Embarrassed at how I may have just acted towards my kids and husband, about how scared my kids must feel towards me, not knowing if I’m going to blow up unexpectedly.

Today I saw a therapist for the first time in two years. He came highly recommended by a friend of mine. And this guy? He might actually be the answer to things. I’ve already got an assignment for next week. And I left feeling hopeful. With a sense of promise. Keep your fingers crossed…

Filed Under: anti-depressants, depression, therapy

Dancing queen…

11 July 2011 By gina 19 Comments

I had a week off recently from rehearsals, and seeing how wrecked my body feels lately, it was probably needed. The extra five pounds I gained in the process? Not so much needed, but tomorrow is another day to get working on it, right?

I’m not going to lie, my body is feeling the effects of aging lately. I’m pumping myself full of ibuprofen in the hopes it will help, but what I probably need is some youth serum. After returning from the week off, my dancing felt rough - like it was hard to get moving. However, K had some nice comments too, so go figure. I do think that I spent last week dancing a little less needy, a little less desperate perhaps, and with a bit more, uh, maturity? I don’t know.

I haven’t really jumped back on the “slimming down” aspect of things, which I really need to do. And I’ve been trying to rehab some nagging injuries in the hopes I won’t feel like Igor when I get up from the couch. But what I also focused on this week was trying to remember what it is I like about dancing. What is it that makes me want to commit most of my life to this art form? It’s been an interesting experiment. I don’t have any answers yet, but I’m enjoying the discovery.

I also managed to scrounge up some recent dance photos. While not entirely happy with some of them, I like how they motivate me to get back in shape.