Note: This post is part of Fatherhood Friday at Dad Blogs, where all the cool kids are hanging out. (Moms are welcome over there!) Welcome to my visitors from DB; thanks for stopping in! Parents have to work as a team. It should be a natural thing; after all, you start out as a team before the kids come along, right? For many people, the arrival of children decimates the marital team or, much worse, creates different teams that pit a parent and a child against the other parent. Thank goodness, Jim and I have always, without fail, been on the same team. We adamantly adhere to the Bill Cosby…
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Wayne and I Miss You, Spindle!
I’m currently trying to squeeze early-morning time into my schedule (for three weeks I’ve dragged my butt out of bed at 5:30 a.m.) to get some writing done, on this here blog, on magazine articles, and on a book I’ve been working on (and off and on and off and on) for two years. In looking through some photo folders on my computer I found this one, of the Spindle: The Spindle, you might recall, was internationally famous for appearing in the movie “Wayne’s World”, but locally it was famous for just being a landmark. The boys and I made a visit to the Spindle in the summer of…
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On Becoming A Shredhead
Last Wednesday, I was on the treadmill at the smaller of the two health clubs where I’m an instructor, the one where I’ve worked for almost 14 years in many different capacities. The group fitness director (who is really just a personal trainer with the title) came up to me–during my own private workout time–and bluntly said, “We’re cutting your Saturday spin class.” What? First of all, could you wait until I’m off the treadmill? Second, how about a little intro sentence, like “Hey Melisa!” or “How’s it going? I have something to tell you.” I have taught this class for six years, and before I taught it, I was…
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Remembering.
Today, as if I’m telling you something you didn’t know, is Memorial Day. The majority of people are off from work, the kids stay home from school, government offices and banks are closed, and we Americans typically celebrate by gorging on barbecued foods, various kinds of salads, and lots of desserts. Great day, right? Hopefully everyone will remember why we celebrate this holiday, and hopefully parents will teach their children that it’s more than just a day off. On Memorial Day, we remember those who fought and died for the very freedoms that we are enjoying today and everyday. As has been the tradition in our house for the last…
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I’d Like to Thank The Academy & a Few Ladies…
I have been blessed to receive three lovely blog awards from three lovely ladies, and I thought I’d pass them on over Memorial Day weekend: what the heck? First, from Surprised Mom, I received the Queen of All Things Award: I am apparently supposed to list seven things you all don’t already know about me before passing it on to a few other well-deserving folks. Hmm. Here we go. 1. I was on the yearbook staff in high school. 2. I took shorthand in high school, because my mom thought it would be a good skill to have. Now, not only do I think they have gotten rid of the…
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If You Can’t Say Something Nice…
Note: This post is part of Fatherhood Friday at Dad Blogs, where all the cool kids are hanging out. (Moms are welcome over there!) Welcome to my visitors from DB; thanks for stopping in! Our family has spent the last six weeks in the thick of lacrosse season. It’s been very, very busy, but glorious. I love lacrosse. I absolutely adore going to the games (sorry, Weaselmomma), each and every one. I have even gotten a sub to teach two of my beloved Wednesday spin classes so I can get to a game. I like to scream from the sidelines, and I root for everyone on our team. Everyone. Of…
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Uh, THAT’S Awkward…
I’m finishing up a crazy ten days today (yay!) and have several posts floating around in my head but wanted to toss this one up here today because it’s all I have time for and, frankly, it’s hilarious. In the tradition of Cake Wrecks (sort of), which is more of a visual blog, Awkward Family Photos has me laughing my head off. Exhibit A (the source is Awkward Family Photos, of course!): I just heard about this website yesterday on the Today Show, and I added it to my reader immediately. I looked back into the archives a bit and found all kinds of disturbia and hilarity, like this one.…
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The Day That It Paid Off To Be Forty
Last week I had a moment when I was so excited to be forty, and I wanted to share it with you. Normally, though I had a bit of angst when I turned the Big 4-0 in November, I don’t even think about my numerical age because I always feel so much younger anyway. It’s just a number and doesn’t really hold much importance. Until Saturday. I took the younger boy out to lunch after his last band concert. We went to a new burger place, a “fast casual” restaurant. Orders are placed at the counter but they give you a number to put on your table; a server delivers…
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K-I-T-T-E-N-S
Someone at work brought my attention to this adorable video. It cracked me up because it reminds me of when Julesie and I were kids; we recorded a few “radio shows” (on station K-I-D-S) on cassette tape. The results were hilarious then, and still pretty hilarious now. I bet this little girl will laugh just as hard (maybe harder) at herself when she watches this as an adult.
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Play On.
The younger boy played his last clarinet concert on Saturday. It was a bittersweet experience for me, full of all kinds of memories. When he was in third grade, he was so very excited that the elementary school music teacher was going to start them on playing recorders. Actually, the words “so very excited” don’t even approach what he was, but you get the idea. Anyway, the year went on, and no recorder was brought home. He kept asking the teacher, “but I thought you said we were going to play the recorder?” and she would say, “Soon! Soon!” Finally, May arrived. She told the third graders that she wasn’t…