Outside the Lines, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

I'm not an organized person at all.  In fact, I'm the opposite of organized.  I'm chaotic, messy, some might say scattered.  It's always been this way.  My desk was messy in elementary school where I got papers sent back to my parents for coloring way outside the lines.  In middle school I could never quite remember my locker combination, ever, and had trouble drawing a straight line (yes, even with a ruler).  In high school, my closet was a disaster and I drove my big sister crazy because I actually walked in a crooked path, leaning into whomever I was walking next too.

Outside the lines, straight lines who cares right?  I mean I was called the "creative one" from a very early age I was expected to be a little zany right?  

Usually it never bothers me.  Seriously, I usually  do not get bugged out by a mess on my countertop or a pile of papers next to my bed.  I like to have a clean kitchen before I go to bed at night but throughout the day it's more of an ongoing working space.  

But lately, it's been getting a little overwhelming.  And yesterday the shit got serious because it involved getting my roots done, or I mean NOT getting my roots done.  Nobody messes with my hair.

Because let's face it, it's about more than hair.  Getting my hair highlighted is me time.  Time to hang out with my hair dresser turned friend after 10 years Gloria and talk about all things pop culture.  Time to feel a little pampered.  Time to read the Star magazine hidden under the pile of Vogues and In Styles at the salon.  Getting my hair highlighted is two hours I look forward to every month. 

So yesterday, after a full day of swimming and puppy walking and breaking up fights between the kids, I got ready to leave for Gloria's.  I went to the messy pile of paper where my thoughtfully saved cash was stashed and it was gone.

"Those kids took my money," I said like a mad woman totally turning on my four kids sitting in the next room.  My husband looked surprised.  "Oh I've spent all day with them, they'd do it, they would, they would," I said totally irrationally.

I searched and searched the piles for the money.
"You know if you were a little more organized, you...," Tim said not finishing his thought after seeing my crazy lady glare.

But he was right.  I knew he was right, just like those elementary school teachers so many years ago.  I needed to be a little more organized and keep life inside the lines more.

I called Gloria and tearfully said "I have to cancel my appointment." Sniff, sniff.  Because getting my hair highlighted every 6 weeks is great, but it's also really damn expensive.  And until I found my budgeted, saved cash my roots weren't being highlighted.

I searched, swore, interrogated the children, even accused the puppy of eating the money, but came up empty.  Waaaaa.  I threw away papers, went through piles, actually filed stuff in folders I didn't know I had, cleaned up the craft mess left from Monday and still came up empty.  Then Tim walked in, moved one piece of paper to the left and found the cash just like that.

Tim took the boys to Peyton's baseball game.  I took Lucy to Dairy Queen--we took short cuts through alleys and around parking lots just for fun.  

After we got our awesome Blizzards from DQ, we stumbled upon dueling pianos in our park. 

Yup, it's that magic of outdoor music and a crowd again.  

We sat down ate our ice cream and bobbed our heads to the music.  It was amazing.  Then one of the singers dedicated Katy Perry's Firework to all the girls and asked them to sing. What? Come on!  It was so much fun.

The boys met us there after the game.  

And you know, boys have fun in their own way--wrestling, chasing and such.  It was a perfect night.  And I didn't even care about my dark roots (that much).

Tim wasn't trying to be artsy when he took this pic, but the lady's shirt in the background says it all--LOVE!  And it provides a great distraction from my incredibly dark roots.

I know for sure that even though I lose some things and feel a little scattered and overwhelmed sometimes, it works because I'm open to the unexpected and the fun, perfect moments waiting outside the lines.

Here's what else I know for sure (this week):

• Being sick in the summer stinks, especially when you are 7 years old and you have to miss your last baseball game.  Half of the family suffered through a weird fever virus this past week and I found JT snuggling his baseball when I told him he'd have to miss his game.

• My puppy owes me an apology. Yup. This week's vlog explains it all.  Check it out if you missed it.

• Swimming and dancing go hand in hand with this family.  After everyone felt better, we finally went to the pool yesterday.  And Wade was so happy he swam and danced all afternoon.

• There are positive things happening in education and in Detroit. This is a powerful story about how some schools, some kids are triumphing.  It's 11 minutes, but it's 11 minutest that will make you hopeful and proud and feel such compassion for what some of these kids go through to get through.  I was so moved by this, I wanted to share it here.  

• I am not at all excited or interested in seeing the latest Brad Pitt zombie movie.  But the new Monsters movie? Monsters University, yeah, I'm pretty psyched.

• Wade is a future baller no doubt.  But for now it's all about the giant sandbox that is the infield.  

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. What's your week been like?  Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

  Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

I'm linking up today with my friends Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Sarah from SundaySpill.com for the #iPPP link up.  They host a link up where they encourage people to share "your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite photos of the week" from our phones.  Check them out.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood, subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here and follow my Pinterest boards here.