i don't know about myself sometimes...

I read LOL cats daily because I just think they're cute. Sometimes I come across one that has me gasping for air in laughter.
Like this one.



I have no idea why. But that totally cracked me up. Must be that the rest of my day has sucked ass. But... I was nice to someone today, so I have that going for me :)

random acts...

i flipped on the ellen show today. Mostly because David Cook was performing today, but also because she always makes me laugh. After David sang (YUM), her next guest was Dr. Wayne Dyer. Apparently a month ago he was on the show and they challenged the entire audience to practice random acts of kindness daily. He is one of those people that believes small bits of kindness can change the world. It was a really good show and they interviewed a lot of the audience members who had participated. What I noticed most was not how their kindness changed another's world, but how it just made them feel better. What struck me most was that he said that it becomes habit really fast. And that if you just consciously try to be nice to a stranger once a day, that soon, you just do it, because it's what you do, not because you're trying to. Interesting concept! Going out of your way to do something nice for someone else makes you feel good and you never know when letting someone go ahead of you in line at the grocery, might just be the only thing nice that happened to them that day.
So go on. Get off of your ass and do something nice today for someone else. And then do it again tomorrow. Wouldn't it be nice to be the bright part of another person's day?

is that your phone?

just think of the money we'll save...

hannah already knows pretty much everything she needs to know. No, really. Just ask her. She'll tell you.
Today she learned all about the esophagus and how food can get lodged in it. She learned the Heimlich maneuver, and how to do it on yourself if you're ever alone when you start to choke. Her kindergarten teacher is very hands on with the kids. Obviously. So, as she is explaining to me how to Heimlich yourself, and how we have a breathing tube and a swallowing tube, and how sometimes food goes down the wrong tube, she pauses and says, "did you know all this already mom?"
"Yes, dear, I did."
She replies with, "oh, so you learned it in kindergarten, too?"
"Umm, no I learned it in college".
She very matter-of-fact like says "Oh, well then I don't even need to go to college then!"
Well I guess not. Good, I can go buy some shoes or fill up my gas tank with all of that money we have socked away for her college education.

things that made me smile today...

it takes a lot to make me smile today. I'm feeling a little like Eeyore.
However, Ryan is always good for a few smiles. He has been in a sunny mood today. I told him how nice it was that he was in such a good mood today, and he asked me what a mood was. So I tried to explain "mood" in a way that he would understand. "It's how you feel and act every day. You can be happy, or sad, or funny..." and he says "or cranky, like you mama?" Yes, son. I believe you grasp the concept. It made me smile in spite of my grey mood.
Then Hannah came home from school. After lunch Ryan asked her to read a book to him. Fish Out Of Water is his current favorite, so Hannah began reading. She still does a lot of sounding out but when she came to the pet store owner's name (Mr. Carp) she read it out loud without sounding it out much. Mr. Crap is the new name of the owner of the pet store. That made me laugh out loud.

mom!! I peed standing up!!

subtitle: my son is going to kill me for posting this if this blog still exists when he is 13 years old.
Ryan has had some bizarre fear of peeing standing up. He's never been cut off by the toilet seat, but I think in the back of his mind somewhere he visualized it being a possibility. We tried all the various tricks for getting boys to stand (i.e. fruit loops floating in the water- why does it appeal to boys to try to shoot down fruit loops anyway??) but it never worked. Finally I just thought...hmmm...his wife might thank me one day because she never has to clean his pee from around the rim of the toilet. He can sit for the rest of his life if he wants. I do.
So today...I'm on the phone with a friend of mine who works at a real job with a real paycheck. The same friend who questions my sanity at least once monthly because the thought of staying home makes her cringe in much the same way that the thought of working full-time makes me cringe. Mid-sentence I had to stop, because Ryan came flying in the room with his face all lit up and he was so excited that he was stuttering and speaking in tongues. When I finally got a legitimate sentence to spew out, it was "Mom mom mom mom I peed standing up!!! I peed standing up! Can I get a high five?" I completely dissolved in hysterics- but not until after I gave him his high five. I guarantee nothing that fun would've happened if I was in an office working at a 'real job'.

happy may...

mine won't be happy until about the 3rd week or so. May is consistently known as "volunteer month" in this house. Although in all fairness to May, it is actually in APRIL that I do the volunteering, it just all happens in May.
I practiced saying no in the mirror. Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit people like me! I should be able to say it better than I do. Instead I get Catholic guilt (and I'm a watered down Catholic, Lutheran girl) because I'm letting people down.
However, I got better at it this year. Several people have asked me to do things, and I surprised my ownself by saying "I have too much on my plate already. I'd love to help you, but I know I couldn't give you 100%" And you know what? I didn't spontaneously combust! Who knew? I still have too much on my plate, but it was stuff I mostly anticipated having on my plate. After this weekend when the Preschool's Mother's Tea is over, I'll almost be able to have a life again. I've mostly maintained a good attitude this week (shaddup Matt) even though it was the busiest of my existence. Only a slight exaggeration. I think I only cried in complete desperation once. Compared to this time last year, that's golden.
I think I'm slowly learning that "No." is a complete sentence.