Crazy Days, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

I reluctantly rolled out of bed, hazy from the Tylenol PM the night before.

Poured a cup of coffee, yawned and stretched and tried to come alive...it's starting to sound like a Dolly Parton song (which is totally more than fine with me).

Hugged my middle school son who is taller than me by an inch.  He patted my back like we were strangers and then he was off.  I sat on my porch and watched his bus drive away (I have to do this every morning).

Back inside, I shuffled to the living room to hug the rest of the children that were awake and zoning out in front of the television.  

He's still sporting the short short bangs he gave himself, as well as a new bruise from football or wrestling or tag or some other rough game he plays.  But he really does make them look so cute.

Made my way back into the kitchen to pack lunches.  I watched Good Morning America while packing gluten-free, peanut-free lunches.

Coffee and the GMA gang.

I made pancakes.

I yelled at kids.  I hugged kids.  I bugged kids to eat their breakfast, brush their teeth, make their beds, wear their coats, gloves and hats.  "It's cold, we live in Michigan, you knew this season was coming?," I reminded.

I let the dog out.

I burned my hand on the pancake griddle. I cried.
Wade and I went to our fitness center. He went into the child care and I went to my kickass fitness class.  I even did yoga.  

Working on my fitness.  Yeah, that's a hole in my pants. 

I felt amazing.

We went home. 
I made Wade lunch.  I sent two emails. I folded laundry.  I let the dog out.

Wade and I went to his speech class.  I apologized to the teacher for forgetting his folder and waved good-bye.

I went home and hoped to get amazing amounts of "work" done on the computer while Wade was in his one-hour class.  I sent emails, I checked emails, I sent Facebook messages, I smelled smoke.  The space heater was on fire.  Flames, big ones, were coming out of the space heater I had placed right behind my desk chair.  I panicked and said "holy shit" 325 times in 30 seconds.  I searched for our fire extinguisher.  I sprayed the hell out of the space heater and put out the fire.  I updated my status on Facebook because I wanted someone, anyone, to know "holy Jesus, I just put out a damn fire."  Embarrassingly only a few people noticed (thank you Beth, Angela, Greta and Jodi, I love you).  I left to pick up Wade from speech therapy.  I told his teachers "um, I just put out a fire, can you believe it?"  

Wade rested on the couch with a snack.  I cleaned up fire extinguisher residue.  I cleaned the kitchen.  I did laundry. I let the dog out.  I felt scattered.

Wade and I took the dog for a walk.  The dog got away from me and ran and I let her, secretly hoping she would find a home where people had more time and love for her.  She came back.

I welcomed my middle schooler home from school with a hug.  He patted my back like we were strangers.

I vacuumed.  I called Tim to complain about my life and he said he had to go because a student of his was writing "we all die someday" in blood on the bathroom wall.  

My middle schooler did his homework while Wade and I went to the bus stop to wait for the other kids to get home from school.  I welcomed them with hugs.  

I hugged more, bugged more and made dinner.
I cleaned more.  I let the damn dog out again.

Grandma came to babysit (thanks Grandma).  I took my middle schooler to indoor baseball practice.  I had to get gas but had no debit or credit cards with me so I had to scrounge for change to buy $4 in gas.  Middle schooler said he was embarrassed.  I felt happy that I had $4 in change and didn't run out of gas.

I met Tim at parent teacher conferences.  Met teachers, talked, bragged, worried, patted myself on the back.

We went to the grocery store and bought a frozen gluten-filled pizza for the two of us and a bottle of wine for me. 

Came home to a loud house.  Said good night to a tired Grandma.  Let the dog out.  Marched kids up to their bedrooms. More hugging and bugging.  Read stories, talked about hopes and dreams and school lunches and weekend expectations.

Ate pizza.  Drank wine.  Wrote blog post.  DVR'd Parenthood and Scandal for what is shaping up to be an awesome Friday night with new shows and leftover wine.

Said good night.

A day in the life of mwah. Glamorous? No way.  Busy, exhausting, crazy, loud, full of hugs? You bet. I could do without some of it like the fires and Tylenol PM hangovers, but mostly these chaotic, no-rest days suit me just fine, I know that for sure (right now). 



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

• Storytelling is art.  I went to a concert this week, a concert of stories.  I went to The Moth Mainstage & it rocked the house.  My friend said it best when she described the show as "refreshing to be in a room full of people who were captivated just by people telling stories, no flashing lights, no singing, nothing extravagant."  Check it out if it comes to your city.

• Old buildings can be beautifullllll.  The design, the detail, the colors, the everything.  This was The Fillmore Detroit where I saw The Moth this week.

• Holy shit, the advertising genius behind the new Jeep Cherokee ad totally gets my mid-life crisis.  I wish I could buy one right now.  Well done Jeep Cherokee, well done.

• Free stuff is awesome.  And giving stuff away is even awesome-er.  You can win this dress for your daughter, for your niece, for your neighbor's daughter...it is that time of year.  And it is totally adorable and designed by a creative, smart, inspiring mom.  Click here & leave a comment for a chance to win.

• I am LOVING this song- Counting Stars by One Republic.  Seriously. "Everything that kills me makes me feel alive," Um YES. Waaaaa.

• I don't have a problem with stores being open on Thanksgiving.  I'm not a shopper nor do I work at a store that is open that day, so I really have no place to be in this argument.  Buuuut...  I know people are worried about the workers, I just think we need to remember not everyone has a family they love or traditions or happy holidays.  I mean if Jo-Ann Fabrics would have hired me I would not have minded leaving my mother's house early to work on Thanksgiving.

What do you know for sure (this week)? What are your days like?  C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. 

Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page or on Twitter.

Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed. 

I'm linking up today with my friends Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Robin from FarewellStranger.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.