Friday High Five

Time to bring out the old yoga mat and "strike a pose".

FIVE CONCERNS IN MY MIND
AS I THINK ABOUT DOING YOGA AGAIN

1. Will these dusty yoga tapes still work in my old VCR? I know, it's sad that they are VHS.
   
   
2. Inhale now? Exhale when? I hope I don't screw up my breathing when I'm trying not to fall on my face.
   
   
3. Do I want an amused, possibly heckling audience during the workout? I need to build my own Mommy sanctuary so I can get into my yoga zone. I can already hear the kids calling for me when I'm twisted into a pretzel kind of move.
   
   
4. Yoga pants or shorts? What fits? What is comfortable? I also want to find pants with a drawstring. I don't need my old yoga pants falling off during a stretch :)
   
   
5. Will I be distracted by my own laughter when I hear the instructor's name? It's Mr. Finger. You can imagine my husband's comments.

Visit Angela for more "Friday High Five." Happy Friday everyone!

My favorite musical

I love how YouTube allows me to take a break from my routine and relive a moment from film or theater. This is one of my favorite songs from the musical, Les Miserables. Listen to the soul searching and passion in his voice. He cannot quiet his conscience and let another fall for his crime. The song's momentum builds with power as he gathers courage to proclaim his identity and accept the consequences. I love when music and lyrics reveal the character's inner struggle and revelation from line to line. That's when a character grabs not only my attention, but also my empathy. The music creates a bridge for this type of intimacy between the performer and the audience.



A little funny observation: I love how he sings the song, but his facial expressions kind of crack me up during the performance :) I'm sure there's a SNL skit somewhere about these "wide-eyed" performing actors.

A Place I Don't Want To Go

Nightmare Creeps In

Cloaked as an aggressor,
stress invades my dreams.
Scattered images of fear
climb into my mind.
Cast as unwilling narrator,
then running actor afraid.
Duty instantly awakens
disoriented and troubled.
Mind urges open eyes,
dream of fear keeps popping.
Fragmented plot half buried,
I choose not to unearth.

Some of you may remember this past post about dreams. Last night, I had a real Stephen King kind of dream. I'm not a fan of the horror genre in any way. Where are all these horror/suspense images coming from? My subconscious is playing a game with me apparently. I've heard that the subconscious can be a good provider of creative material. I'm not comfortable exploring this genre for my writing. I am earnestly looking for some new poetic material. Just my luck that my mind is working in this way these days. Hopefully, more "Kelly like" material will start surfacing soon. What are you dreaming about?

Tot Talk Tuesday

It's time for another Tot Talk Tuesday, hosted by Niecey over at The Monkeys and Me. Head on over to Niecey's blog to find out what more tots have to say.

Look what Jillian had to say this week:

One day, Jillian picked up my latest book and flipped through the 300 + pages. She scrunched up her face as she said, "Mommy, the words are too tiny on these pages. Too many words for me. Where are the pictures? Mommy, you can borrow one of my books. I have just the right one for you. It's about a pretty princess." I wonder what Jillian would think if I told her I was reading a book about a pretty princess. Unfortunately, in my book, she literally loses her head!

Here's another part of a conversation with Jillian. When we are at the park, Jillian sometimes will worry about a toddler who may appear to be on his or her own. She will say, "Mommy, we have to find his Mommy. He misses her." I always have to point out the Mommy to Jillian so she can feel better and continue playing. I think she'll be a good Mommy someday :)

Happy Tuesday!

Take A Chance Challenge - Book Cover

Here is my "Judge A Book By Its Cover" review for Jenners' Take A Chance Challenge over at Find Your Next Book Here. Jenners' guidelines for this challenge: "Pick out a book based SOLELY on the cover. First, write about what you expect the book to be about based on the cover art. Then read the book and write about how the book was different from and/or similar to what the cover art led you to expect."

I found the solitary figure on a lonely dusty trail to be intriguing on the cover of The German Bride by Joanna Hershon. Why was she alone, vulnerable and searching? The cover presents a shadowy female figure stopped on a desolate trail surrounded by a possibly unforgiving landscape. Based on the cover art, I wanted to know more about where this female character would lead me in her story.

MY EXPECTATIONS BASED ON THE COVER

Looking at the cover, these questions popped into my mind:

Has she been abandoned by an unruly husband? Did she run away from an abusive home? Is she searching for a lost family member? Is she anxiously waiting for a loved one's return? Is she venturing out on her own, wondering which path to take towards a new future?

Since the title is The German Bride, I could assume that she is standing somewhere in the German countryside. She also may be an immigrant in a foreign land, trying to adjust to a new life in difficult circumstances. My curiosity pushed me to open the book and start reading.

WHAT I LEARNED AFTER READING THE BOOK

The story begins for the reader as we meet Eva, a German girl of privilege in 1861. Eva and her sister Henriette live a very comfortable life in Berlin with their attentive father. Their mother is mostly absent from their lives as she stays at a "retreat" to help her with emotional issues. Henriette, the older sister, enjoys the attentions of many suitors, but Eva becomes focused on her portrait painter. Their clandestine romance leads to life changing tragedy for Eva, and ultimately she decides to leave Germany and escape her secrets.

As the story progresses, I discover that Eva is the solitary figure on the cover art who is trapped in a loveless, callous marriage to Abraham Shein. Wanting to escape her conscience and memories, Eva agrees to marry Abraham and live a self-imposed exile in the American West. The author, Joanna Hershon, paints a harsh picture of Eva's struggle to endure the long boat ride to America and the horrible, frightening journey on the Santa Fe Trail. Petite and fragile, Eva nervously follows her husband's lead through hostile Indian territory. Things don't get much better when she arrives at her new home. She quickly learns that her new chosen life will be a daily punishment and very far removed from the comforts of her Berlin childhood. Eva also will face dangers that she never expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Joanna Hershon's The German Bride . My questions about the plight of the mysterious figure on the cover are quickly answered in this fast moving, well-written novel. Eva Shein's humanity and resilience make for a very intriguing and sympathetic main character.

Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday Citar - Teachers

For "Sunday Citar", Fresh Mommy invites us to share interesting, insightful or funny quotes. Today I would like to spotlight the teaching profession with the following quotes.

Big hugs to my bloggy friends who are teachers :) Thanks to all the teachers who encourage creativity, critical thinking, inquisitiveness, compassion, cooperation, perseverance and kindness. I could go on and on, but I think I'll let these quotes continue the tribute.

He who opens a school door, closes a prison.
- Victor Hugo

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. - Carl Jung

Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. - William Butler Yeats

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin

My Mom always talks about giving children the chance to "blossom". Dedicated and caring teachers are wonderful gardeners for the the spirit and the soul. They know how to give the careful and often tender attention necessary for a child's beauty to shine.

Fast singing pirates

I haven't thought of Pirates of Penzance in so long. Who knows why it popped into my mind tonight. Does anyone else remember this movie? Kevin Kline is terrific as the Pirate King. Hope you enjoy this scene :) Talk about singing fast!

Friday High Five

Friday really sneaks up on me. I'm ready to add my Friday High Five to Angela's list over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps. Visit Angela to join in the fun :)

FIVE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULDN'T MIND
NOT ANSWERING ANYMORE

1. Do I have to? This applies to almost every situation with kids: homework, general hygiene, eating healthy food, sharing, bedtime, etc.
2. Do you really need me to go too? My husband's predictable question whenever I need him to help me at the supermarket, the mall, the park, the pool, etc.
3. Where is all the food? My typical response to the kids: There is a full pantry and fridge. No McDonald's here today.
4. Where are my sneakers? There is always at least one kid who doesn't put his or her shoes in the usual spot. Hunting for sneakers can be an exhausting task.
5. Don't you have any more pencils? You should see how many pencils I buy throughout the school year. Do the kids eat them at school?

Happy Friday everyone!

Thankful Anyway Thursday

The wonderfully honest and insightful Mon, over at Holistic Mama, invites us to join in with Thankful Anyway Thursday. In Mon's words, "It's easy to be thankful for the good stuff, can you be thankful for the not so good?"

Here is a poem expressing what my sister and I shared yesterday.

Grief Still Visits

I saw your face change
when that memory knocked.

Our shared hurt surfaced
and slowed our world.

Disbelief sat next to us
and tapped our shoulders.

Time tells Daddy's little girls
to watch him fade away again.

Grief adheres to our souls
and cycles back to visit.

We watched our kids play and laugh together all day. Then we started to remember Dad's last days. Our tears were as fresh as the day that his soul lifted up.

After ten years of a life without him, we still feel the sting of that sudden grief. Seeing her hurt ached my soul even more. Love mixed with grief will always be part of us now. We didn't even try to console each other. We looked at each other in silence. After a few moments, I shared a funny memory about Dad. It helped us to smile again and plan the next activity for the kids. That's what he wants us to do. Life is about joy. Gratefully, grief is not a regular visitor. In many ways, I'm thankful for this opportunity for me and my sister to share our grief together. It strengthens our bond as sisters and deepens our commitment to family. I am thankful for not being alone in that moment of grief. We were able to honor my father's memory together as we smiled about how his humor continues to bring life to our family.

Take a moment to hop over to Holistic Mama to read more Thankful Anyway Thursday posts.

Fingers Crossed for Undisturbed Sleep

I'm not lucky in the sleep department this week. All three of my younger kids seem to take turns when it comes to waking me up at around 3 a.m. Three nights ago, my 3 year old came looking for Mommy. She wanted to cuddle together. So I caved and let her snuggle with me. The next night, my 6 year old had a nightmare and asked that I stay with him until he fell asleep. I walked like a zombie and sat at the edge of his bed until I heard him snoring. Last night, my 9 year old woke up complaining of stomach cramps. Eventually, he felt comfortable enough to go to sleep. My dear hubby slept through all these nighttime encounters.

One night I was so disoriented that I jumped out of my 6 year old's twin bed to answer my daughter's cry in her room. Without my glasses and in the darkness, I couldn't figure out which way to walk. You should have seen me feeling around the walls to figure out how to get out of the room. I was really out of it, I guess. Once again, my knight continued to snore away.

If by some miracle all the kids sleep easily tonight, I will hopefully recharge my old batteries and feel half way alive during the day :)

You know that I will be awake for tonight's "So You Think You Can Dance". Here's a terrific routine, well danced and choreographed. It's a dance exploring the strangle hold of addiction. Hope you all get a good rest too!

Tot Talk Tuesdays

Raining buckets here in New York today. The kids are bouncing off of the walls. I'm taking a referee break to share a cute story with you. My daughter, Jillian, gave me some more good material for "Tot Talk Tuesdays" hosted by Niecey over at The Monkeys and Me. Please click on the above image to see what all the tots have to say!

Here is a conversation between Jillian and her grandma about visiting the pool.

Jillian: Grandma, you can share my watering can at the pool.

Grandma: Oh, that would be fun!

Jillian: Grandma, don't forget to wear sun lotion. You don't want to be red like a lobster.

Grandma: Thank you for reminding me.

Jillian: Oh yeah, Grandma, one more thing. You should wear a pink bikini.

Grandma: Jillian, I don't think I could fit into a bikini.

Jillian: That's o.k. Grandma. You look beautiful in anything!

My daughter loves her beach Barbie in her bikini. In her mind, all of her Barbies are "mommies". Jillian tells me that I should wear a bikini too. Whenever we go to the pool, I tell her that "my bikini" is lost way back in the closet. At the pool, she asked another mother in a one piece suit, "Did you lose your bikini too?"

Maybe Monday

I like Mondays. I like to plan how I'm going to complete my wish list during the week. Unfortunately, I wind up carrying over my wish list from week to week. I think I'll start with just one wish and happily fulfill it each week.

This week's wish list:

Maybe I'll actually use the Bender ball. At the mall, I fell for the Bender ball sales pitch that you can get "sexy abs" by using the Bender ball exercise method. They claim that it is 400% more effective than crunches. Has anyone tried it? I still have to blow up the ball.

Maybe I'll make a weekly meal plan. It always sounds like a good idea in my head. I'm getting tired of trying to think of something an hour before dinner. Since I have 2 picky eaters in my bunch, I tend to fall into the trap of running "Kelly's Diner" around here and taking specialty orders. Tiring, and these kids don't even tip:)

Maybe I'll find a home for the tower of books threatening to topple over in my bedroom. My husband likes to joke that he doesn't want to buy one more bookcase because he is starting to feel like he lives in a library. Hey, maybe I'll just store the books in the back of his SUV. I'm sure he wouldn't mind:)

Maybe I'll start having lunch on the deck with the kids. Every summer, I talk about having these lunches, and I never get around to actually doing it. This year we do have a bee problem. My son was stung on Thursday. The bee guy came and took care of the problem today. My kids now feel safe again to venture on the deck. Now if only we had an umbrella...

So which "maybe" item do you think I should try this week?

Sunday Citar - Acting Quotes

For today's Sunday Citar hosted by Fresh Mommy, I found some interesting quotes about acting. Have you ever watched Inside the Actor's Studio? Actors and directors reveal often fascinating perspectives on acting. Here are some quotes from past and present actors.

"Acting is standing up naked and turning around very slowly." Rosalind Russell

"If you give audiences a chance, they'll do half your acting for you." Katharine Hepburn

"The actor should be able to create the universe in the palm of his hand." Laurence Olivier

"Playing Shakespeare is very tiring. You never get to sit down, unless you're a king." Josephine Hull

"Therapy? I don't need that. The roles that I choose are my therapy." Angelina Jolie

“With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying.”
Johnny Depp

"I'm curious about other people. That's the essence of my acting. I'm interested in what it would be like to be you." Meryl Streep

Enjoy your Sunday! Wish me luck today as I need to "put on my actor's mask" to get through my in-law visit :)

Take A Chance Challenge - Random Book Selection

The witty and well-read Jenners over at Find Your Next Book Here is hosting theTake A Chance Challenge to all who want to expand their reading horizons. There are 10 interesting and fun challenges to try. If you would like to learn more about the challenges, just click on the above image and you will find all the challenge descriptions.

Here are Jenners' guidelines for this Random Book Selection challenge: "Go to the library or bookstore. Position yourself in a section such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery, Children (whatever section you want). Then write down random directions for yourself (for example, third row, second shelf, fifth book from right). Follow your directions and see what book you find. Read the book, and then write about it."

After spending an hour navigating through the chaotic, but happy children's section of my library, I instructed my four kids to quietly follow me into the adult section to find my book for the challenge. My two middle guys took my instructions quite seriously by the concentrated looks on their faces as they gingerly walked by all those studious reading adults. It was if they were entering a booby-trapped temple in "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

Gratefully, we made it to the fiction section and only dropped a couple of books on our journey. I first chose to select a book from a library shelf at my eye level. My boys were ready to help me find our random book. Well, my 3 year old wanted to control this activity and decided that she would count the books on a shelf at her level. She happily handed me The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. It turns out that she made an excellent choice.

One hundred years old and a longtime resident of Roscommon Psychiatric Hospital, Sligo born Roseanne McNulty bares her soul and fragile humanity on journal entries quickly hid under floorboards in her room. Author Sebastian Barry skillfully presents Roseanne's character sympathetically and vividly. His writing is poetic and philosophical at times. Here are two examples of his well-crafted prose:

"After all the world is indeed beautiful and if we were any other creature than man, we might be continually happy in it."

"That strange responsibility we feel towards others when they speak, to offer them the solace of an answer."

The other main character in this novel, Dr. Grene, tries to uncover the truth about Roseanne's mostly tragic past and her present mental state through carefully questioning. Often, he would just sit in her presence and allow memories and painful admissions to take over his thoughts. Throughout his interviews with Roseanne, Dr. Grene's own personal struggle with grief and doubt start to unravel in front of Roseanne and the reader.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Secret Scripture. The writing and characters captivate your attention and raise significant questions about family dynamics, religious control and personal rehabilitation. My three year old was my lucky charm with this random book selection.

Happy Saturday everyone! Today is my nephew's third birthday! We're having the party here so I better start blowing up balloons :)

Friday High Five

Here's my Friday High Five for Angela over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps. If you want to join in the fun, jump over to Angela's blog and add your own Friday High Five list. It can really be about anything that is on your mind.

HERE ARE FIVE ACTIVITIES FROM MY TEEN YEARS
THAT I WISH I COULD STILL DO

1. Rollerskate. When I was a kid, we would skate all day on broken down sidewalks. Why do I think that I'll break a bone somewhere if I even tried to stand up on roller blades?
   
   
2. Lunch table entertainer. When I was in high school, I liked being the stand up comedienne for my lunch table. Even though I was on the shy side in class, I worked hard to make the other girls laugh at even the stupidest observation or joke. I liked being "on stage" for my friends. Now I make my kids laugh. My young ones are an appreciative audience for my silliness. They haven't heckled me yet:)
   
   
3. Doughnuts for breakfast. As a mom, I don't advocate this choice for breakfast, but as a teenager I liked sneaking a doughnut in the morning. Remember those days when we were all happily oblivious about calorie amounts and fat percentages in our food?
   
   
4. Hanging out. My girlfriends and I would spend hours and hours just hanging out in front of the apartment building on my block. We didn't do much, but we had fun. I don't think we even said the word "bored". I think "bored" is sometimes my kids' favorite vocabulary word. Kids really want to be entertained all the time these days. When I was a kid, we didn't have such high expectations. We just went along and made the most of the day.
   
   
5. Marathon reading. Those were the days when I could literally knock out one book after another. Of course, I had no real responsibilities when I was young. I could stay up all hours of the night to finish reading my latest book. Tonight, I'll probably fall asleep (glasses on) after one page. I even can tell that my eyes are getting heavy as I read. I try to fight it, but this tired mom has to give in. Now I sneak a paragraph or two of reading throughout the day. Sometimes I'll even try and read while sorting laundry or chopping veggies. I'm going to finish my book one way or another!

Happy Friday everyone!

Poems without direction

Unsettled

Blessed by treasures
a life to the fullest
What drum beats within
calling me to action
Wrapped up in a bow
a life apparently content
Unrelenting nudge wraps
around my days and nights
like a slinky cat
Unease climbs through
emotions and limbs
looking to spark a burst
to release clarity

There's that something pushing me to go somewhere with my "voice". In this poem, I'm trying to explore this nagging feeling that I have yet to discover the direction for my poetry. I wrote it without punctuation to give the sense of a stream of words and images just falling out of me.

I think I'll have to rework it, but here it is anyhow. Thanks for taking a moment to share this poem with me. Have a good night everyone:)

Tot Talk Tuesdays - Our little dance

Niecey, over at The Monkeys and Me, hosts "Tot Talk Tuesdays". If you would like to join in the fun, click on the image above and let's see what all the tots have to say :)

Jillian can tell you all about Mommy's favorite songs. Certain songs make a lasting impression on me. Often, I'll fold laundry or organize something while listening to music in my bedroom. One song in particular has become a special break time for me and Jillian.

Whenever my daughter hears the beginning of "Iris", she will run in and say, "Mommy, let's dance like butterflies." We have a grand time together as she teaches me how to flutter like a butterfly during our dance. These are moments of joy that I will always remember.

Since my daughter is a firm believer that "only girls can be butterflies", my poor sons are sent to the sidelines to be our audience for this dance performance. I know that Daddy doesn't want his sons to be "butterflies" anyway. Maybe Hubby would agree to manly moths!!

Once I publish this post, I'll play the song and I'm sure she'll be surprised to see that our dancing song is on the laptop too!

A poem after playing with my sweet girl

I'm loving all that is beautiful in nature today with my daughter. If I allow myself to absorb the generous spirit of this earth, I think I can find "eagle wings" for my poetry to soar to new heights.


A Generous Muse

Arms raised to catch her
swirls of air dance around
as girl of curls slides down.

To be within my grasp
that natural energy
filling the air and her smile.

How my words may burst
through the quiet page
fueled by purity and light.

Caressed by a pasture
the poet's pen is the sky
each breath awakens.

Life builds within me
a sense of arrival
words to be born.

I didn't really work this poem. I let the words stand as they came to me. I want to keep the poem's energy as fresh as the experience that inspired it.

Take a deep breath outside today. You will feel good, I promise :)

Sunday Citar - Mother Teresa

For today's Sunday Citar with Fresh Mommy, I am sharing these quotes from Mother Teresa. Selflessness defined Mother Teresa. Her words and example will open hearts and minds forever.

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."

"God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try."

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

Beautiful Day

All I can say about Bono and U2 is "WOW"! Amazing lyrics with powerful music. If U2 comes on the radio in the car, my kids know that I will turn it up so I can sing along. That's when I hear the karaoke jokes. I can't resist joining in when a good song is playing. Wishing you a beautiful day!

Friday High Five

Let's play Friday High Five with Angela, over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps.

FIVE THINGS I SAID TO MYSELF AT THE POOL TODAY

1. If I close my eyes, maybe I can pretend this is the Riviera.
   
2. That guy has one hairy back. He turned around. His chest is hairier!
   
3. Looks like I missed shaving that part of my leg. Oops!
   
4. Her bikini top looks like it's about to pop a strap.
5. I think this 4 year old linebacker is about to tackle my daughter in the wading pool. Having sat here for an hour in one foot of water, I wonder if my legs will be able to spring into action to stop this ultimate collision. Where is this kid's mama?
   

Happy Friday everyone!

Fun and Games with Jenners Wacky Word Problems

Fun loving Jenners, over at Life With a Little One and More, knows how to come up with some original games for all of us to play. Today's "Fun and Games with Jenners" is all about wacky word problems. Jenners asks that we create "word problems that are as ridiculous, detailed, impossible, stupid, and dramatic as possible, in other words, the math does not matter."

I'm happy that this is all about writing and not about math. Numbers and I don't tend to get along. If you want to join in the fun, click on the image above and add your own wacky word problem. Here are two that I came up with while all the wee and not so wee ones were sleeping this morning at 7:30 a.m. Do you have your pencils ready?

Paris Hilton has 82 stilettos in her 4,294 foot closet. She also sent 65,329 text messages to her publicist in June. If she wears only red stilettos to movie premieres, how many times does Paris look at the camera and say, "That's Hot"?

32 tired, cranky 3 year olds enter a McDonald's in Syracuse. 10 whine that they want McNuggets, 3 demand cheese burgers with 2 1/2 pickles, 7 want to know why they can't get a Whopper, 5 need to go potty and 7 dropped their fries on the floor. How many 3 year olds put ketchup in their pockets?

Hop over to Jenners' blog to see her funny word problems!

A Question Meme

My friend, Kitten, tagged me for this fun meme.

The Rules for this meme:

1. Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your blog. Replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, and add one more question of your own.

2. Tag other people.

What is your current obsession? Where are my dancing shoes? Of course, I'm glued to the TV watching "So You Think You Can Dance". I'll even watch favorite routines on You Tube when I get the chance. They have an extremely talented bunch of contestants this year.

What are you wearing today?
Capri stretchy pants (with a drawstring that comes untied every minute), daughter-approved pink t-shirt, and mary jane sandals. Love these comfortable days of summer. It hasn't been too warm here in New York yet this summer. I'm waiting to take out my shorts for one of those scorcher days.

What’s for dinner?
That's my kids' favorite question. I'm blank right now. I just figured out lunch. Any ideas?

What would you eat for your last meal?
Chicken parmigiana, pasta, salad, lots of bread and a big piece of chocolate cake

What relaxes you the most?
Reading helps me get out of the chaos zone and into a peaceful sanctuary. Even five minutes of reading can relax me before I get back in the trenches with the kids.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Alone, kid free? Sitting on a beautiful beach watching the horizon.

Which language do you want to learn?
I would like to learn Italian so I could help my son when he takes his first class in September.

What do you love most about where you currently live?
I like living only 40 minutes away from my mom and sister. I love the trees surrounding my house and watching the birds fly by. We also have a nice variety of stores. It's a family-friendly town. Most people are very down to earth.

What style is your current home decorated in?
I hope Better Homes and Garden doesn't come knocking on my door :) They would probably say that I like comfort and color. My bedroom is starting to become overwhelmed with my books. I like to have paintings and prints on all available wall space. I like having a home where you can stretch out and relax. Be careful when you visit that you don't trip over a toy or two.

If you were a time traveler what era would you live in?
I always thought that The Roaring 20's looked like fun (before the Depression). Dancing the Charleston and those cute haircuts.

What is your favorite color?
I like pink, green and blue. My daughter tells everyone that my favorite is purple. I go along with her.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
I have a Looney Tunes jean jacket with all of the colorful characters on the back. I also love my two pairs of jeans that fit just right.

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was 30 years old. My oldest son was 1 1/2 and I was pregnant with my 2nd son. We were living in a nice duplex apartment. I can remember telling my husband that I didn't think my little son had enough toys. You should see the toy warehouse that I live in now!

If you had $300 now, what would you spend it on?
I would like to see some Broadway shows or the ballet. It's been so long since I've had a night on the town. My husband would probably rather buy a techie gadget :)

What are you going to do after this?
Go to the supermarket, fold some laundry, clean some mystery mess, entertain the kids, maybe play a baseball game out front. My usually glamorous list of things to do.

What are your favorite films?
I like any movie based on Jane Austen's work. My all time favorite is Mansfield Park. Of course, I love "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice" too. I love the songs and dancing in "West Side Story". Since I was a little girl, I love to watch Scarlett do her thing in "Gone With The Wind". I would highly recommend "Love Actually". Lovely film, filled with subtle insight and witty humor.

Your favorite books?
Too long of a list. I was a Literature major so I fall in love with books easily. I am currently reading many historical fiction novels. I just finished reading Alison Weir's The Innocent Traitor. Now I'm reading Carolly Erickson's The Last Wife of Henry VIII. I'm beginning to dream about the Tudor realm in England now!

Do you collect anything?
Art books. I also seem to be a "dust collector". Dust is the guest that never wants to leave :)

What makes you follow a blog?
Honesty, creativity and humor. I also love insightful blogs with amazing photography.

What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?
Driving to the dentist's office listening to my music. A mom has to take her "me moments" when she can!

Ann's Question:What makes you comment on a blog?
I think of blogging as an ongoing conversation, so I always try to acknowledge a post with a comment. I want my blogging buddy to know that I appreciated what they had to say.

Amy's Question:What is your favorite thing to do when you have some free time?
Blogging, reading, playing with the kids, crossword puzzles, sleep.

Tonya's question:What is a talent you wished you had?
I wish I could dance. How wonderful it would be to move gracefully with purpose and expression. Now I live vicariously through my favorite show!

Gena's question:As you may know, I am all about "Serene Moments", so what is your "Serene Moment"?
When I complete a poem, I have a moment of peace and fulfillment that renews the true me.

Noelle's question: If you could go to heaven who would you see, and why?
My Daddy. I miss him so much. I could use one of his hugs.

Vickie's question: Who is your favorite actor?
Ever since I saw Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy, I tend to be a Colin Firth stalker. I'll watch any of his movies. Remember that scene in "Pride and Prejudice" when he ran into Elizabeth at the estate right after swimming in the lake? The expression of love and hurt on his face was priceless. How could you not fall in love with Colin's Darcy?

Kitten's question: Other than Blogger, Facebook, and/or Twitter, what are your most frequently-visited websites?
I visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art site. I try to get advice from parenting sites. I have to admit that I get 95% of my online entertainment and information from blogging now. It's fun!

My question: What was your favorite subject in school? I loved taking literature classes in college, but my all time favorite subject was French.

Now it's time to tag these three blogging friends:

Randi,
Heather
Christy

There is a battle brewing in the front yard. I better get back to the troops. Thanks for reading!

Searching for poetry ideas

The beautiful Hudson River. This is a picture of the Hudson River viewed from the Bear Mountain Bridge here in NY. There are spectacular views of the river and landscape at all times of the year. (photographer unknown)

There are days when I feel like my poetry well is dry. I'm hoping to get a resurgence of inspiration over the next few weeks. It is a busy time in my house, but I fear that I will lose touch with those poems stirring in me if I don't allocate some time for writing and thinking. On my next day trip with the kids, I think I'll do a poetry scavenger hunt, and hopefully find some raw material to inspire me.

Jotting down ideas or thoughts in a notebook may be a good idea. I better not rely solely on my memory anymore :) Motherhood keeps my mind spinning in tons of directions. When everyone is happily sleeping at night, I can benefit from going over my notes and trying to work out some poems in a calm and peaceful environment. I've always been a note taker, so I feel comfortable with a pencil ready to record my observations. I just better remember to add it to my HUGE "what to take for the kids" list when we go out on a day trip.

Hopefully, this plan will help get me out of my poetry dry spell. Maybe I'll even get inspiration at the supermarket. Who knows? Happy Wednesday everyone :)

River of words
seep into me.
Images for thoughts
travel waiting.
Conscious net
immerse to find.
Poem unclear
reflects possibility.

Tot Talk Tuesdays

My friend, Shaye over at Miller Memories, invited me to participate in Tot Talk Tuesdays over at The Monkeys and Me. If you would like to play along, just click on the Tot Talk image and join in the fun!

The tot running around my house is my 3 1/2 year old daughter, Jillian. Like me, she has a lot to say. Having 3 big brothers, she is very particular about categorizing girl things and boy things. Now it looks like she wants to help Daddy stay on the boy side:

Jillian: "Mommy, you have a pink room."

Me: "It is a pretty rose color, don't you think?"

Jillian: "Mommy, this is a girl's room. Daddy can't stay here."

Me: "This is Daddy's room too. He needs a place to sleep."

Jillian: "Mommy, boys can't stay in a pink room! Maybe we should build him another house."

I guess I better paint my bedroom a new color, or Jillian will give Daddy a hammer and some wood to start building.

Enjoy your Tuesday!!

On the job training

When my first son was born on February 11, 1997, I officially became a mother. Almost 13 years later, I still feel like a rookie. As a caretaker of their physical and practical needs, I am confident that I can handle most any situation. When it comes to the emotional ups and downs of life with kids, well, that is a different story.

When I speak with mothers of 2 year olds, I usually tell them that I think "the terrible two's" sometimes come back with a vengeance in unexpected ways as kids grow. I wish I could crawl into my older child's psyche to figure out why he is suddenly upset. When my kids were two, I knew that their tantrums often came from developmental frustration, lack of reason, fatigue, hunger or just boredom. Mothering kids at different stages can be a challenge. We are in week two of the summer and I've had emotional meltdowns in various forms from all three of my oldest children. I try to figure out why they are upset, but sometimes it seems like they lose it for no apparent reason. I can chart the physical development milestones easily. Helping a child navigate through these tumultuous emotional stages of childhood and adolescence is proving to be an exhausting period of motherhood for me.

I also think that sensitive Kelly has produced some sensitive kids. They probably take a lot to heart just like me. I guess I can pass on some kind of sensitivity gene. I never anticipated that my children could possibly mirror this aspect of my personality. They talk a lot like me, and apparently they can "feel" like me too. Gratefully, they do have a good deal of my husband's resilience and practicality. Every once in a while, there are those sudden kid emotional meltdowns that sneak up on me and then I say to myself, "Now what?"

I always want to help them with everything. I'm learning that I can be supportive, but maybe they just need to ride out some of these emotional outbursts. A tough day is when any combination of my kids will have an emotional moment at the same time. I've had those days when two kids are working out their issues simultaneously. A moody 12 year old and 9 year old in the same house is no fun. I do love how they bounce back pretty quick. The ups and the downs. Hooray for the ups!

I wonder what shape I'll be in after my fourth child finishes her teen years. Check in with me in about 14 years. I think I'll be "checking in" to some kind of spiritual renewal retreat to put me back together emotionally. Maybe a sleep retreat would be better.

Hopefully, I'll get one Poet Laureate out of the bunch. (Don't tell my husband I said that :)

I guess this is my Monday vent about figuring out this whole mothering thing. It's definitely a day to day learning on the job experience. Gratefully, there are plenty of smiling moments with my kids to balance out the craziness.

Life with kids is an adventure!

Sunday Citar - Georgia O'Keeffe

My focus for today's Sunday Citar is Georgia O'Keeffe. The color and drama of her floral paintings have always fascinated me. Joining Fresh Mommy for Sunday Citar, I would like to share these Georgia O'Keeffe quotes about her art.

• "I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty."
  
  
• "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way... things I had no words for."
  
  
• "So I said to myself, I'll paint what I see, what the flower is to me, but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking the time to look at it. I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers."

Once I checked out a HUGE book on Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings from the library. After trying to lift the book, my 5 year old son said, "Mommy, she must have painted every flower in the world." Sorry to say that the kids didn't look through the book, but they did enjoy trying to lift it to show off their strength!

Happy Sunday!

A Family at Play on the 4th of July

A bottle of bubbles kept my three youngest children happy this morning. My 12 year old tried to ice skate for the first time today. He only fell three times, and he's looking forward to getting back on the ice. I gingerly skated next to him and the guardrail. I haven't been on skates for 10 years. I was surprised to see that I could still get around the rink without falling. We ended the day with basketball and hockey on the driveway. My daughter loved cheering for her big brothers as they hustled during the game. All in all, it was a lovely day filled with play and relaxation. I hear lots of fireworks going off in the neighborhood. We're going to watch the fireworks display on TV. I think my daughter would hold her ears if she was there in person. Our Fourth of July was laid back and enjoyable. No big plans, just spending time together.

Happy 4th of July!! Hugs to all my buddies around the world too!!

Friday High Five

My brother and his family were here for a BBQ today. He drove up from Tampa for the week. I'm glad that we all had the chance to catch up and have some fun. Happy smiling kids ran all over my house today. Hooray that it didn't rain!

I couldn't let Friday go by before joining in the fun with Angela, over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps, for Friday High Five.

Five Activities of My Husband; Five Activities of Mine
(during a typical weekend)

1. Me: Laundry, of course
   Hubby: Watching a favorite action move AGAIN
2. Me: Playing street hockey with the kids
   Hubby: Laptop surfing
3. Me: Organizing something
   Hubby: Assessing what to do with the garage
4. Me: Blogging
   Hubby: Afternoon nap
5. Me: Going to the park
   Hubby: Full afternoon siesta

Looks like someone is getting HIS rest around my house :) My husband has a good sense of humor, and he also loves his naps!!

A Three Year Old's Question

I like to use postcards with pictures of favorite paintings as my bookmarks. Yesterday, this postcard fell out of my book. My little daughter said, "Mommy, did you wear beautiful dresses when you were a teenager?" Imagine wearing that sumptuous gown walking down the halls of a Catholic high school :) Glad that one of my Ingres nude painting postcards didn't come to my daughter's attention. Who knows what she would ask? Happy Friday!

Jumping on the Ipod Bandwagon

Considering my last post was about music, you would assume that I have an Ipod. You should see the horror on my 12 year old son's face when I pull out my CD's or even worse, my cassette tapes. What would he say if he saw some of my old albums? I remember sitting on my bed looking at album covers as my record player (my son just winced) played one of my favorite albums. Apparently, I'm a music dinosaur around here. Did you see that recent news story about the 13 year old who was trying to figure out how to work a Walkman? I think Yahoo referred to this device from my childhood as "ancient". What would that kid say if he saw those huge 8 tracks that my father used to have in our 1970's station wagon?

So this dinosaur will take the plunge and get an Ipod. I think I'll probably have it in the docking station most of the time. I don't know if I would use the headset too much. I like my music to fill the room.

You ever notice how a bunch of people wearing Ipods are all bouncing along to their own song. Since I enjoy live music, I'm a little saddened to see music becoming such a solitary experience. I understand why it is necessary, but I love being surrounded by a group of people all enjoying the same song. Our excitement and enjoyment for the music becomes contagious and enriches the listening experience even more.

I love that Beatles' song from my last post. My son was laughing at how many times I went back to my blog to listen to it. Music is a good moment to moment Mommy vitamin to help me get through my hectic day! The summer just started, and I am happily exhausted trying to keep my kids happy and busy. The days seem to be getting longer and longer. That can be good or bad depending on the kid excitement/tantrum barometer on a particular day.

The Ipod Shuffle is so small. I'm afraid of losing it. I hope it doesn't wind up in my son's Lego table or in my junk drawer. I'll have to wear it on a chain around my neck :) I better run to those July 4th sales to get an Ipod this weekend. Right now, I'm listening to some crazy cartoon banter, two boys begging me for pizza and my so called quiet dishwasher humming along. I think I'll have to get used to the Ipod headset.