The One With All the Resolutions

Happy 2012!

I know, I know...it's been a while.  I don't know what happened: one minute I was obsessing over Wicked, and then it was nine months later and I hadn't blogged a single post.

Note the new blog name.  You may know that Byron and I are quite the Friends connoisseurs.  I thought the new name was fitting.

(The One With All the Resolutions is a great episode.  Favorite quotes: "If the paste matches the pants, you can make yourself a pair of paste pants and she won't know the difference!" and "oh, you nailed the old lady! Oh, ha ha!")

Despite the demands that come with my wonderfully insane life, there are a few things I would like to do in 2012.  Don't get me wrong; I've never really been a New Year's resoluter.  Resolutions are made to be broken.  Goals are made to be reached.  I think of these more like goals:


1.  I'm going to blog at least 12 times this year
2.  I will read at least 10 books
3.  I will run 500 miles (Follow me on this journey and check out my running blog here!)

I am hoping these three things will lead to other benefits that will allow us to share more of our lives with our friends and loved ones!

Ps.  As a follow up to my previous post, for my birthday I received orchestra seats to the show on January 29th! Stay tuned!

Wicked

As you may know, I love, love LOVE musical theatre (not theater, thanks). I cannot get enough of it. The first musical I remember seeing was Annie at Music Circus in Sacramento. From there, the Broadway tour of Showboat. Then I graduated to The Phantom of the Opera in San Fran...twice. Apparently when we were dating, my husband got the impression that the only way he could spend quality time with me was by letting me drag him to whatever show was playing. In fact, he first found out I could (sort of) sing when I sang "Over the Moon" in its entirety, to him in my driveway (thanks Idina).

 

In high school, I was a wannabe Broadway star. This just means that I was in choir (treble, concert, show, all of 'em), tried out for all the musicals, and trailed close behind the most talented kids in school in hopes their brilliance would rub off on me. Those "greats" are now on Broadway, on cruise ships, and ... Law and Order?

Anyway, I first learned of a show called Wicked in 2005, when it came up on my "show tunes" internet radio station (no, I'm not joking). Wicked is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, obviously one of the most beloved movies of all time.  Here's what I know about Wicked so far:

 

Glinda (the "Good Witch) and Elphaba (the "Wicked Witch of the West") are roomates in school.   Elphaba had the unfortunate privilege of being born green.  Glinda is popular (and sings about it).  There's a man named Fiyero who eventually turns into the Scarecrow. The wizard is there of course, with some monkies, a weird lady name Ma-blah blah something, the "Witch of the East," Elphaba's tortured sister, a munchkin, and some other stuff.  

 

Commencing now, I am making it my mission to see Wicked, because I would like some questions answered:

• Where did the ruby slippers come from?
• Why will the witch melt if you throw water on her?
• Is the Wicked Witch of the West REALLY wicked (I kinda don't think so based on what I've heard)?
• Why did Judy Garland OD when she still had so many talented years ahead of her?
• Do you think sometimes people mistake me for Kristin Chenoweth?  
• What is the origin of the yellow brick road?
• Could I have been talented enough to appear on Law and Order, or even the cruise ship Celebration, for that matter? 

The Broadway tour of Wicked: coming to Austin, Texas January 2012! Backstage passes welcome.

The Princess and the Frog

I guess the new construction has attracted these tiny frogs to our front yard. Almost every single morning, Abby wakes up at 6:30, dresses herself, and asks if she can go ‘look for frogs.’ She spends hours on end, digging, finding these oversized tadpoles and playing with them. The problem is that I think they get a little shell-shocked and well, they die in her arms more often than not. The other day she gave one to her dad and said, “Daddy can you hold this one, he’s sleeping.” She is becoming more aware of the problem (thanks to her mean mommy), but today when I went outside to check on her, she had just put one down on the driveway:
Me: “Is that one dead too?”
Abby (knowing full well she had killed another frog, but not wanting to admit it): “No, he’s just waiting.”

Josh's Prayers

Lately our kids have been very excited about praying. As soon as we sit down for what they recognize is a "famiwy dinner," Abby especially will immediately tell us it's time to pray. Her prayers include thanks for the food and a simple request or two....short and sweet. Joshua, however, has taken it to a new level. Here are a couple of examples of Josh's latest supplications:

(you may need to read them aloud to yourself for the full effect)

Upon hearing that Abby's teacher's dad passed away:

"Oh! We need to pray for him.....'WARD Jesus, be wif him in Heaven. Give him sometin' to dwink when he's firsty and sometin' to eat when he's hungwy. Aaammeen."

At IHOP just before our meal:

"Ward Jesus, fank you for dis food and be wif Nanny's spiwit under da ground. Amen."

Where do Babies Come from?

I've tried to blog for what seems like forever now...but it seems as though my thoughts always come at the most inopportune times: frequently while grocery shopping, laying down to sleep, while sitting on the....well anyway - I never seem to sync the time my thoughts come to me with the time I'm sitting in front of a keyboard. Today, the stars aligned.

My kids and I have a pretty good relationship, but on this particular day, I felt that my limited interaction with them was spent telling them to 'stop doing that,' and raising my voice. So, I made us all lunch and sat down at the table with them for a few minutes of bonding. While I don't consider that move a mistake, this is the result of that decision:

Abby: 'Mommy, how do babies get in mommies' tummies?'

While this is a perfectly normal question for an ever so curious 5-year-old, I was totally not ready to even make up an answer to this question, even being the most prepared parent I know how to be. This only happens in TV sitcoms! On top of that, Byron was not closeby to distract her with a milkshake or come up with some witty answer (she believes everything her daddy tells her).

Me: Uh....uhhh.....well.
(as she looks at me with a great expectation for the right answer)
They just grow in mommies tummies!

Abby: yes, but how do they GET there?

At this point, I start sweating (literally) all the while thinking about how I can't wait to 'tweet' about it and get a few good laughs in about this oh so awkward moment.

Me: Well, the mommies and the daddies...see...they...they...well, they ASK for them to be there!

Now we KNOW that can't be right! Sure, most of us WANT kids at some point or another, but REALLY? They ASK for them to be there?? I look at her with an expression of hope, fully expecting her to demand a better explanation...

Abby: ohhhhh...well

Josh: Hey! Abby look at Mariokart!

And they go on with their day.

I am off the hook. Until next time.......