My Favorite Pastime...

Ever year I get excited about who I might see in concert.

And ever year I see a lot of good concerts.

But this year? This year I saw everyone I never wanted to see.

Some were happy surprises (ZZ Top, The Prentenders, Hank Jr. with Skynyrd (you can't knock that!)).

Others should have stayed on the never list (Nickelback).

But this past Wednesday I topped them all. I totally outdid myself.

I saw Garth Brooks in concert.

Out of state even.

And I have to admit, the guy puts on a good show, even giving ol' Bob Seger a run for his money with a solo rendition of 'Turn the Page'.

After the show a colleague of mine (I've always wanted to say that) tried to get me started on my top ten concerts of all time list.

As far as I'm concerned, I could talk on that list for 2 days straight, until I passed out. But when asked this time around, I got nervous, stumbled over it, spit out various experiences that shouldn't have made the list, and forgot others that probably should have.

So I'm taking this opportunity to give my top 10 another go. Whether you want to know or not. And I'm not putting these in any order, one show will not overshadow another, and besides that would take to much time, as I would certainly over-think it.

So here we go:

1. Bon Jovi, Nashville, Valentines Day 2006. if you know me you know why. and this one actually does deserve the #1 spot.

2. The White Stripes at The End, Nashville, September 9th, 2001.

3. Lollapalooza 95, Cincinnati, July 1995...Pavement, The Jesus Lizard, Beck, Sonic Youth and of course, Hole.

4. Foo Fighters, Cincinnati, July 1997, complete with awful homemade 'I love you Dave' t-shirt.

5. Rocket form the Crypt, Los Angeles in 1999 AND 2001 in Nashville.

6. Tom Petty, Nashville, July 2005

7. The Pixies at The Ryman, sometime in 2004

8. John Mellencamp, Nashville in July 2005. Everyone should see Mellencamp in concert once, even if you've never been to Indiana.

9. Rancid, Nashville, July 2001. Totally worth getting beat up just to see Tim in person. Yummy. (Apparently July is a good month to see a show, I'm starting to see a trend forming here)

10. The Flaming Lips, Nashville, in a parking lot, when was that? Anyone?

So that's it, my current top ten, though 2008 is already shaping up quite nicely. More Foo Fighters, more Bon Jovi and maybe even a little Bruce Springsteen. Lets keep our fingers crossed, people.

List It

Lists. I like making them.

I make them about the to-dos.
I make them about the to-don'ts
I make them about the what-to-packs.
I make them about the what-to-gets.
I make them about the what-to-reads.
I make them about the what-I-wants.
I make them about the I-don't-likes.
I make them about the I-do-likes.
I make them about the birthdays.
I make them about the christmases.
I make them about the bills.

I make lists about what I make lists about.

You could say I'm a list expert, no? Hmmm, maybe not.
But yesterday I made a list here about being an expert mom.

You should probably put that read on your to-do list.

Bear with me, dear reader

I have grand ideas for this little blog, I love it so.

I remember a few months ago, I was telling a friend how I was going to start my own, and how I'd pour myself into it.

And he said "Are you ready to write everyday?" and I said "Well of course! It just comes naturally to me! That'll be no problem." I should have knocked on wood, because as is my customary style, I totally jinxed myself.

I'm still working out the kinks, you know, finding the time, and trying to save myself from the idea that i don't need to write an novel or have a revelation with each passing post. I'm my worst critic, and sometimes I let that get the best of me.

So bear with me, my legion of fans (ha.......), I promise you'll be seeing much more of me over here in the near future, in the meantime, you should be reading and re-reading my love letter to daddies everywhere over at musiccitymoms. And don't forget to read my plumbing saga either. This is important stuff, people.

happy halloween!

its not even dark yet, and we're already sick of candy...
check out my pre-hallows freak outs over at musiccitymoms.
you know you can never get enough of my self-depricating humor and panic.

If You're Looking for a Good Time....

Just go to the grocery store?

Its hard to get the grocery shopping done with 2 four year olds in tow. The pleas, the demands, the fights. Oh, the fights! So when I can, I try and do the shopping alone. It shaves at least an hour and a half off the time it takes to get it done, and that includes aimless wandering or half-hour debates with yourself in the beauty aisle over which face wash to buy (both things I am often guilty of).

I enjoy this time alone, probably because its the first time all day I've been able to hear myself think. But it never fails. The same thing happens to me every time I reach for the peanut butter or open the freezer door for waffles.

I get hit on.

Usually by guys stocking groceries. Most of them are normal, hard-working guys. But a handful of them? Definitely creepy weirdos. And of course, those are the ones that always try and talk to me. Once, the same guy kept showing up stocking in every aisle I moved to, and he was always stocking whatever I was looking for. Sure, that may have just been a coincidence, but the fact that he kept telling me to 'put that beautiful smile back on my face' wasn't. Whatever, guy - I'm not smiling because frankly, you're starting to freak me out.

Earlier this week, I got hit on by another customer. I'll admit, this one was kind of flattering, as he was pretty good looking, except for the fact that he was mostly just enamored with my rain boots.

I know its partly my fault. Being a procrastinator at heart, I always put off shopping until the weirdo witching hour starts. I mean, if I was alone all night, shelving groceries, I'd probably get sick of talking to canned corn and start talking at everyone that walked by too. But I don't know what's worse anymore, fighting over animal crackers with my kids or fighting off propositions from um, animals, in the cracker aisle.

I think I'm ready for the online grocery revolution. At least then I can just hand out rejection by deletion.

where have I been?

oh my poor new little blog, how i've neglected you and the two people who read it this week.

will you ever forgive me?

I promise, things will be back to normal soon.

Before you know it, we'll be chatting all night, having pillow fights and tp-ing peoples yards on rainy nights just like the old days.

LYLAS, TTFN, BFFE,

emily

time for a magnadoodle masterpiece

My kids like to draw.

The walls of my house bear all the evidence.

Recently we, have made the move from abstract to portraiture:


Much to amusement of ourselves:




Luckily, there have yet to be but a few instances of this, though I'm sure something like this is right around the corner.

Do I smell a gallery opening and a documentary right around the corner? Hmmmm....maybe.

High School Preschool

When I dropped the boys off at preschool yesterday morning the teacher was asking all the kids what they were going to be for Halloween.

Yet, somehow the conversation quickly switched over to High School Musical. All the kids were giddily discussing how they had just watched the sequel the night before. One little girl was waxing on and on, very poetically I might add, about all her favorite scenes.

And I thought to myself, seriously? High School Musical? Every kid in this class is four. Aren't they supposed to be discussing if blue is better than green or if chocolate milk is better than regular milk? My kids would rather have their heads shaved then sit through HSM. If what's on TV isn't about the alphabet or flatulence, they're not going to watch it.

It was kind of surreal, as if I was witnessing in person that first moment when my kids had no idea what TV show all the other kids were talking about. And that's OK, really, its bound to happen sometime. I just didn't think it would be in preschool. I mean, I remember trying to stay cool in 8th grade by keeping up with In Living Color, but I certainly don't remember any extensive discussions about the latest Letter People episode in kindergarten.

Sigh...just another sign that my babies are not babies anymore. Next thing I know they'll be begging me for IPods and video games and things I can't even imagine yet. I better enjoy all the Sesame Street and SpongeBob while I can....

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Bedtime, this evening.

Cash to Mommy (not daddy) after nighty-night kiss:

"You need to cut your beard"

They say children only speak the truth.

Looks like its time for somebody to visit the wax lady.

I'm (totally) Claiming This Trend

Just a few short years ago I managed the small feat of birthing two children at one time.

Apparently I made it look so easy, everybody wants to do it.

First Julia, Elvis Costello, and McDreamy, and now J. Lo too?

Now if I could just manage to bring back tight-rolling and Eastlands.....

Beard Banter

"He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man."
William Shakespeare

I never liked beards. And truthfully, I never really disliked them either.

Then my husband grew one.


And I fell in love. Sure, there might be days when it may look a little 'I just slept in a box on the street' but most of the time? Its totally hot. I had never really pictured him with facial hair, but now I can't really imagine him without it. In fact, once or twice a tear has come to my eye at the thought of losing that beard.

When I was in high school, I used to check out guys by looking at their shoes or the length of their hair. If you weren't wearing Converse or skate shoes or Doc Martens, and your hair wasn't approaching your shoulders, I probably wasn't giving you the time of day.

Now, 10 years later, its all about the beards. You know, like this one or these two, though maybe not yet these two. I'd even go for this mustache. I don't know what it is really, the hippy feel? The rockstar aura?

Whatever it is, its working.
And I like it.

tinkle time in the trees

Yesterday, I came across this.

A 'tinkle tube' for boys. Tinkle tube, really? What boy do you know that uses the word tinkle?
Speaking as a mom of twin boys who like to stand over the toilet together and 'race' their pee, they should have come up with a more-boy friendly title, like you know, the Pee Pole.

I can see how this looks like a good idea....but the thought of having to get the aim just right coupled with the fact that you'd then be carrying around a tube full of pee? Um, no thank you. We'll just stick with going to the bathroom in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

When I was potty-training the boys earleir this year, I used many creative tactics to try and get them 'excited' about going to the bathroom. One that really worked was mentioning to them that while outside, if they had to go, they could go in the yard. I should of known right then and there that maybe it would have been better had I just kept my mouth shut. They immediately started going all over the yard, giggling with delight.

And ever since then, if they can help it, they'll choose going out the back door over going in the toilet. I don't even want to know how many times my neighbors may have witnessed them going off the deck. It's not just at home either, it really doesn't matter where we are, at a picnic, Target, in the park, in a friends yard, I'll turn around just in time to catch them in the act.

As usual, my self-declared 'genius' has come right back around to bite me in the butt....now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stop my kids from peeing on the mailbox.