Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men

Could it be compared to rubbernecking? I don't think so. It's so much worse than a car wreck that you can't quit watching.  It has to be the worst thing I've ever seen unfold. Every day the details become more horrifying. It's not the number of deaths. Shit, we lost THOUSANDS on September 11th.  It's not the shooting spree.  He wouldn't be the first to use a gun as his weapon of choice. It can't be just the age of the children. Look at Rwanda. What seems to be getting me, is just how mean this was. 

And that's the irony here. There is so much cruelty happening and there's so much love happening. I feel like a crazy person watching the news. One minute, I'm weeping over these damn comfort dogs and the incredible kindness of strangers and the next I just want to mow down the fucking Westboro "church". 26 decorated Christmas trees... some asshole setting up fake donation scams. A family coloring pictures on their daughters casket... some douche shoots up China Garden. It's a bit like watching Hallmark commercials during a Horror film. 

It's got me thinking how I've often read and heard about times like these yet I'm not sure I've really understood it in this same way.  I think Charles Dickens put it pretty well in A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way".  He figured that shit out in 18frickin59. Brilliant. And of course, there's my favorite, Dave Matthews.  In a song called "Christmas Song" he tells the story of Christ from birth to death and ends it singing "Father up above, why in all this hatred do you fill me up with love".  Not sure there is a better way to put it.

From where I sit, in this season of peace and joy and merriment, the whole country seems a bit bipolar. A range of joy and sadness and one constant lack of peace. I'm not sure the answer here except that perhaps Dave hit it right on the head, in all this hatred, fill yourself up with love. 

Project 52: FIFTY ONE

With Christmas just a week away, I can't help but post a little nod to two of my favorites, Neiman's and Target.  Still not sure how I feel about most of their holiday merchandise but this piece is fanflippintastic! Go Neiget! Or maybe Tarman! 

Project 52: FIFTY

$30 bucks for a little red elf and book? For 'ril? But Pinterest made it look oh so fun. So I bought in. And boy am I glad I did. This little elf has been so funny and so wildly entertaining every morning not to mention one extra little incentive for good behavior. So meet the newest Moody member, Miss Darla. 

Project 52: FORTY NINE

Oh my sweet little Rhett is growing a mile a minute.  He hit a new milestone this last week. He has finally learned to open candy all by himself.  In my foolhardy attempt to keep him awake on the way home from the gym, I handed him a little candy cane to play with.  I figured it would keep his attention for a good 5 minutes before he threw it back at me.  Silly me, never cued in to the silence in the back seat and instead discovered one sticky mess of passed out candy drunkeness when I got home. Awesome.

Project 52: FORTY SIX

I'm not one for costumes.  But when my sweet little neighbor, Tuesday, turned 3 her one request was for a costumed princess tea party. Who am I to resist little Miss blue eyes? So there you have it, Snow White and Mommy flashing her faux fur wedding shawl. Shit, when else am I going to get to bust that one out?

Project 52: FORTY EIGHT

Last week I took Ella to New York City with my mom for a little Christmas vacation.  We did all things kid, touristy and Christmas.  It was sooooooo much fun. I was a little nervous that 4 was a little young for this kind of trip but Ella was amazing. Totally pleasant, easy going and hilarious to be around. She said so many funny things, I wish I had written them all down. Here's a list of what Ella told me she loved about NYC:
* Taxis (cause they are yellow)
* No car seats
* Taking showers instead of baths
* Wearing her jewelry every day (I don't let her wear it to school)
* Candy stores (Dylan's Candy Bar)
* Real Mary Poppins
* Snacks after dinner

Ha! Good thing I took a ton of pictures to remind her of ALL the wonderful places we went.  This one is my favorite. She LOVED the frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity.  She used all 4 straws at once to drink it and ate the whip cream by the spoonful.  Delicious.

Project 52: FORTY SEVEN

Best part about having two kids? Watching them play together. 

Worst part about having two kids? Watching them play together. 

Project 52: FORTY FIVE

Where the hell have I been? Well... everywhere. From Wichita Falls to New York City. And it's left little time to be at the computer. Life is good. Busy and hectic, but full of fun and merriment.  Despite a flurry of activity I've kept to my saving grace, yoga. I can't explain just how much I love yoga. I'm really not very good. Actually, the more I go, the more I realize just how bad I am. And this is why I love it. It's a challenge just for me and the mat I practice on. It works my mind and my body like no class I have ever done. And for me, it's extremely spiritual.  I have gained more clarity in my little hour classes of yoga than I have doing almost anything else. And really, nothing compares to those 5 little minutes at the end of class for shavasana (relaxation).

A Short- Rollercade- Part 2

It was supposed a nice little ladies night out. More specifically a night off for mommies of preschoolers. How much more sweet can it get? Pulling up to the 80’s neon SKATE sign brought back floods of elementary school memories. Backwards skate, limbo, hokey pokey, roller blades and bouncing off the wall when you can’t stop.  The parking lot brought back high school anxieties.  All sorts of clicks hovering around one or two cars. A bit shady? Nah more like tailgating. And that’s when the light went off. PRE PARTY you moron. Or perhaps they sell booze inside and I never realized it as an 8 year old. I mean of course they do, right? Look at all these people.  Literally skaters, posers, hood rats, work-out fanatics and shit mommies of preschoolers. These fools definitely need a cocktail with their wheels. So I thank the good Lord I carpooled with my sweet sweet friend Becky, tell those inner voices that are shouting out my insecurities to peace out and savor those last few minutes in the comfort of shoes.  

Few bucks, one coupon and a skate rental later and I’m in. Same benches, same rink, same snack bar. And holy shit, I see machines swirling slushy goodness. WTF? Icees? No booze? Why are all these people here then? Think of exit strategy NOW.