Listen To Your Mother Week & VEDA

It's Listen To Your Mother week around here.  Yeah, the Metro Detroit show is less than a week away.  The show that I am co-producing!!!!!  It's kind of surreal and exciting and nerve wracking and holy-shit-oh-my-gosh-what-the-hell-here-we-go!!!!

So I haven't been crafting or Pinteresting lately and I miss it.  Pinterest Poser Tuesdays will return after I recover from the show.  But until then, head on over to my YouTube channel and watch my VEDA (Vlog Every Day April) videos.  

Here's the vlog that I did last night.  It's about how uncool I am, tragically uncool.  I promise you I didn't even plan on having something green stuck in my teeth, it just sort of proves how uncool I really am (and how tired I am right now, because there was no way I was going to redo the video, lol).


Since it's Listen To Your Mother Week here are the VEDAs I did about the show:

The one where I talk about my biggest LTYM fears:



The one where I show you a behind-the-scenes peek into our rehearsal:



This doesn't have anything to do with Listen To Your Mother, but so what who cares? Here's the most adorable 4-year-old boy talking about his first day of T-ball.



Subscribe to my YouTube channel, click here.

His Own Team

It was strange being on the sidelines and not having to take care of anyone.  No toddler to chase or baby to soothe.  Nope.  Just me watching my boy play baseball.  My baby boy, who isn't really a baby anymore.  

This past Saturday, my baby boy who isn't really a baby anymore, got his very own team.  

He has been going to games of his brothers and sister since he was two days old. 

The big brothers had baseball games this weekend too.

I'm not exaggerating to make his story more dramatic.  He was born on October 7, on October 9 I took him to his big brother's flag football game.  Tim had to work, Grandma had the other kids and I took Wade to the game.  It's literally been his whole life.  So getting his own team? Yeah, that's a very big deal.

I knew it would hit Wade in a big way, but I was surprised by how hard it hit me.  Watching my baby boy who isn't really a baby anymore walk up to the tee and hit the ball made my eyes well up with tears.  

How did this happen?  Four and a half years felt like a minute.  I'm happy and sad and all kinds of oh-my-gosh-he's-growing-up-and-when-did-I-become-such-a-sap?  It's happening, my baby isn't really a baby anymore.  Nope.  He's a happy pre-schooler who loves baseball, looks up to his big brothers, plays anything his sister will play with him and now has his very own team.  He also has the sweetest lisp that better not go away this year or I will f*%#ing go over the edge of the sappy-I-can't-handle-my-baby-not-being-a-baby ledge.

Here's the video of his very first day with his very own team (and you can hear the sweet lisp):

The weekend was a weekend of baseball firsts.  JT won his very first tournament, which made him very happy.

Moments & What I Know For Sure

Life is such a blur right now and I feel like my ADD is in full effect.  My mind is bouncing from one idea to the next and there are so many things to think about and do and say and oh.my.gosh....there's so much that all I really want to do is lay around, eat ice cream and watch old episodes of Thirtysomething.  But duh, there's no time for that.  I'm not complaining, just explaining what's going on in my crazy head/life right now.  I feel like I should pull an Olaf and say that these are "all good things, all good things."  If you don't get the Olaf reference then, well, you obviously haven't watched Frozen a billion times.

Last week in the middle of all this craziness, Tim and I went out for a date after the kids' parent/teacher conferences.  It was really sweet and romantic and wonderful and quiet.  

We were holding on---to the moment, to each other.  Because it's very easy to get lost and caught up in this thing called life.  

I know for sure that you have to grab those moments and not let opportunities for connection slip away.

Here's What Else I Know For Sure:

• In a little over a week, I will be on stage for our Listen To Your Mother show in Detroit.  Holy shit! I can't believe it.  I know for sure that I am nervous and excited and just curious about the whole thing. I kind of love that it's happening.  Click here to buy tickets: http://concerts.livenation.com/event/08004C3796F258B4

Me at our last rehearsal at the amazing Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit.

• I am upset that Tori Spelling is putting her therapy sessions on TV.  But I watched anyway. I know! I couldn't help it.  I really liked them and I feel so sad for them.  And so pissed at Dean.

• Sunshine is a wonderful thing.  Wade was digging the sun at his sandbox this week.  He's so in the zone in this picture.  Soaking up the rays, sucking on a BlowPop from his Easter basket, singing war chants (because that's what he does) and playing with the sand. 

• Father and son matching fashion is pretty rad.  I dreamed of maybe my only daughter and me dressing alike one day.  Okay, I didn't but I thought if there were going to be matchy fashions to post it would be us.  But nope, JT loves to dress like Tim.  I kind of love it so much.

• April is almost over and I am going to miss VEDA- Vlog Every Day April.  I've missed a few days, but not too many.  I am having so much fun and being so ridiculous.  Here are a few most recent ones:

The One Where I Do A Bunch Of Different Accents

The One Where I Put Make Up On And Go Out

The One Where I Ask The Important Questions Like Is 40 Too Old For Braids

What do YOU know for sure this week?  Come on, we're friends, tel me.  Leave a comment below or head on over to my Facebook page.  Share what you know for sure right now.

And come on over and play with me on Instagram- @Jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed

Epic Homework Battle of 2014 (Round 375)

"Well, say good-bye to your birthday party!," I yelled to my almost 8-year-old son.  "That's right mister, no party!"

I yelled that because I am a horrible mother.  I yelled that because he was officially, how does the old saying go... he was on my last nerve.  

The homework stare-down.

My older children do their homework without much intervention or reminding on my part.  But JT, my almost 8-year-old son?  He is so much me it's crazy.  I mean we both kind of agree, without saying it, that home is not really a place for work.  We both have trouble concentrating and would rather be dancing or playing or doing anything but work.

But it is my job as a responsible, caring mother to make sure he does his homework.  Right?  I need to make sure he doesn't fall behind.   I need to teach him about responsibility and doing all the have-tos in life. 

It started out fairly peacefully.  "Honey, finish up your homework and then go outside and enjoy the sunshine," I told him as I gave him his after school snack.  I smiled like an idiot thinking it would go smoothly.

JT wasn't interested.  

I bribed him with leftover Easter candy.   I bargained, "do half the problems now and half after dinner."  I begged.  I counted, "1, 2...if I get to 3 mister and you haven't started your homework, well, well, I'll...."

Ultimately, I threatened.  I threatened to take away his birthday party.  A party we haven't even planned yet.  He stared at me, his beady little eyes saying "you wouldn't dare cancel a party for someone as cute as me."  But his cuteness had no effect on me.  It was hour two of the epic homework battle of 2014 and I'd had enough, he was on my last nerve.  I stared right back and that's when I said "If you don't start your homework right now, I will cancel your birthday party for sure."  Not swayed, that stubborn kid put his pencil down and crossed his arms.  

And well, you know what happened next--me yelling and canceling, JT crying and going to his room.

I stayed in the kitchen making dinner, muttering to myself and feeling like the most horrible mother ever.  A few minutes later, Lucy came in and said "I just talked to him, I think he needed to cry.  I helped him start his homework."

Needing a good cry? Um, I told you he was so me.  I understand the whole not focusing and not wanting to do math and needing to cry.  I get it!!!!!!

I also get the whole idea of doing something when you are ready.  I get the idea of fighting against something.  I get the idea of pushing buttons and testing people.  I get the idea of wanting to know that there are people that will love you know matter what kind of meltdown you have.  I get the idea of loving that there are people (like amazing big sister people) that reach out when you need them.  I get it.

Before bedtime I laid down next to JT and we talked about homework, change, what scares us, what reading comprehension means, what the best kind of Easter candy in the world is, how we need to get mad sometimes and cry sometimes and do work at home sometimes. 

"Do I get a birthday party?," he asked.

"Yeah, okay," I said because I am a horrible mother who is the queen of empty threats.

Are there any winners of the epic homework battle of 2014?  Oh, I don't know.  It's just another night around here, I can't really over analyze it.  Besides, I have a party to plan.

Family & #iPPP

Candy for breakfast? Check.  Bubbles inside? Check.  Hands up in the air, waving like we just don't care? Check and check.  Yo.  It was a holiday weekend and we did what we do...celebrate and act all crazy.

We also carried on traditions like Easter Bunny cake.  

Even though the dog ate an entire ear of our bunny before we could say Peter Cottontail, it worked out okay.

When I was little, my mother was was all about the Easter Bunny cakes, Labor Day picnics, candy for breakfast on special days and more.  Every year, it wasn't perfect, but it happened.  Until it didn't.  When my parents got divorced traditions stopped.  

In between a million moves, parents remarrying, my mother's anxiety and mental instability and addiction issues, and us just growing up, traditions stopped.  My brother and sister and I used to try to maintain some of the little things they did--making special foods at holidays or singing certain songs.  But it never really stuck.

Traditions, even silly one-eared bunny cakes, matter.  They are part of the story of the family.  They link generations.  

Peyton rolled his eyes when I asked him to get in the traditional Easter Bunny Cake picture this past weekend.  I promised not to post it anywhere on social media and he reluctantly agreed.  "Listen kid, I am going to make a bunny cake forever," I told him.  "You will be posing for this picture with your kids."  He rolled his eyes again. But I know. I know that if I stopped making this bunny cake or doing the things that make our family us, it would matter.  Because it's part of the story of the family, it links us.

We went to Tim's parents' house for dinner on Easter evening.  I looked out on the deck and saw him talking to his three brothers.  They weren't talking about anything particularly special.  They were just hanging out on the deck on Easter evening because that's what they do.  That's their tradition, that's part of the story of their family.

What is the story of your family?  

What traditions do you all have?  

All the pictures in this post were taken with my iPhone.  And I post most of them to Instagram.  Come on over an play with me there.

Now link up for the #iPPP 

Angela Amman (my LTYM co-producer and #iPPP co-hoster) and I want to see your funny, yummy, heartfelt,  favorite phone photos from the week!  Your post can be about anything, as long as it contains one picture from your phone.  Link up below and don't forget to visit some of the others!

<img src=”http://mamamash.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/ippp-polaroid-125-x-125.jpg” alt=”GFunkified” style=”border:none;” />

Crazy Busy, Mostly Crazy Good

Life is busy right now.  Busier than our normal busy.  So busy my heart is racing and I'm short of breath a lot and feel like I am late for something all. the. time.  

Life is jam packed full of baseball games, birthday parties, holiday celebrations, family, creativity, friends, good food, good music, meeting new people, getting new ideas, traditions and so much more.  

It's life and I am living it waaaaaay out loud right now.  It will be quieter soon--there will be ebbs and flows, peaks and valleys.  Right now, it's crazy busy and mostly crazy good.

Creating a vlog every day doesn't make life less crazy, but it does make it a little more fun.  I have missed three days so far and I am a little ashamed of that since VEDA stands for Vlog Every Day April.  But I've had a blast making the other 18 vlogs.  

Check out a few of them: 

Here's the vlog where I do different accents. Yup.
 

The one where I read my diary from 1990.



Head on over to my YouTube channel to check out the other videos and subscribe. Click here.

How I Write

I was asked to take part in a blog tour.  I was surprised to find out that it didn't involve a fancy bus and hitting the road and groupies and stages.  A blog tour isn't exactly like that you guys.  But it's still cool.  A blog tour is linking up with other bloggers and sharing words/ideas/thoughts/stories.  This particular blog tour, called How I Write, asks participants to write about their writing process.  My friend Sarah Reinhart from little white whale asked if I wanted to be a part of this tour.  I met Sarah when I started linking up with #iPPP last year.  She has become a good friend who has supported and encouraged me so much over the these last few months.  She is a talented writer, an amazing photographer and a mother of four (who is going to have a fifth baby very, very soon). Sarah asked me to answer a few questions about my writing process and to talk about my video/vlog process as well.

So, here it is, a peek into my process...

1. What am I working on?
I try to write a new blog post every night.  Sometimes it's very easy and I am bursting with creative energy to share the funny or the weird or the frustrating or the amazing parts of my day.  Other times I write about a craft/recipe or fashion or the occasional sponsored post (which I still try to make part of a story).  

I am just starting to dabble more in putting my stories out there beyond my blog.  I've worked with Mamalode a little bit the past couple months and What To Expect.com. Dipping my toes into the rather intimidating world of freelance writing. Pitching ideas and getting ideas rejected, edited, applauded, approved, judged.  It's very validating when a story is approved.  It's humbling when it isn't.  I am learning so much and I love that.  I am learning to appreciate editors' suggestions.  I am learning to not take rejection too personally.  I am learning to be a better writer, a better storyteller.

As far as vlogging, I am smack dab in the middle of VEDA which stands for Vlog Every Day April.  I have been putting up video blogs on my YouTube channel pretty regularly for a couple years now.  But VEDA?  That shit is crazy.  Every day?  What was I thinking?  

Actually, I have had a lot of fun with VEDA already.  I have sort of turned into a suburban version of Joaquin Phoenix in the movie Her, carrying my camera everywhere and talking to it. I even filmed myself in the grocery store the other night.  I've also interviewed my husband and my daughter, vlogged myself on the same stage where Adele, Nirvana, Eminem and other artists have performed, captured moments with friends and dancing like a fool in my kitchen.  Pretty rad stuff.

2. How does my writing differ from others of its genre?

I think I write with an honest voice that is both raw and funny, sad and happy.  There are so many talented writers that pull this off.  I think the thing that sets me a part a little bit is that I am not afraid.  I am not afraid to go to places that others might tiptoe around.  I don't tiptoe.  I march. I dance. I stomp. I skip.  I do not tiptoe.  

The same can be said about my vlogs.  I am not afraid to look stupid, look bad, look silly and it's sort of freeing (for me and the hopefully the viewer).

3. Why do I write what I do?

I write what's in my head and heart.  I vlog the same way.  

Some days it is silly and light.  Other days it's hard, spirit-crushing kind of hard.  That's life.  And that's why I write.

I write to make sense of my head and my heart.  I write to get it out of my head.  I love what Ann Morrow Lindbergh said about writing.  She said "I must write it all out, at any cost.  Writing is thinking.  It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living."

My whole life--before blogs were a thing, before the Internet was a thing--I wrote the same way.  I wrote stories in journals and diaries, on napkins, notebooks, receipts, the back of my hand.  When I couldn't find the right words to speak I wrote and wrote and wrote.  I wrote stories, essays, notes, letters, newsletters, ad copy, columns, interviews and eventually emails, Facebook statuses and blogs.

I simply don't know any other way to think or feel.

I vlog more for fun and to capture memories of my family.  I love making videos of our life and set it to music.  It is a huge creative outlet for me and a whole different kind of storytelling.

4. How does my writing process work?
I write every night after the kids go to bed.  Sometimes the words and stories flow out of me easily. Sometimes wine and the Aretha Franklin Pandora channel help.  

Sometimes there are stories that are in my head for days or weeks.  I usually format them while I'm running on the treadmill.  Then when I get an hour during the day, I knock out the story and my head is clear and it feels amazing.

Vlogging is the same.  Sometimes I have an idea for a video and format the whole thing in my head before shooting it.  Other times it's a shoot from the hip kind of deal.  


Or I link up with other bloggers and use their prompts to make videos.

Here's the closest thing I have had to a viral video, it's my attempt at the cup song and where I end up singing a Prince song:
  

My process is a bit scattered, full of emotion and passion and creativity, love and a sense of humor.  My process is messy and appreciates editors and validation.  So, yeah, my process is basically my metaphor for my whole life.  


Part of the blog hop is asking two more writers to answer these questions.  

First I thought of my dear friend Greta Funk of GFunkified.  I met Greta at BlissDom a few years ago.  We have a lot in common, she is a mom of four, gluten free and enjoys running.  She is down to earth but at the same time such an inspiration.  On her blog she gives people a peek into what it's like to have a house full of kids.  She also writes about her fitness journey, shares great gluten free recipes and takes amazing pictures. She recently started a new adventure managing the site Today's Work @ Home Mom.

Next I thought of my new friend Andrea Mowery of About 100%.  I just started getting to know Andrea and I am so happy about it.  She is funny and sweet and real.  When I read her her words I always smile.  Andrea recently wrote a piece that was featured in Mamalode, called Transition, that had me nodding and saying "mmm-hmmm, totally!"  

Be sure to check out Greta's and Andrea's responses to these questions!  They'll be posting their answers early next week. 

Safe & Happy

When we first became parents, Tim and I really didn't know what we were doing.   The day we took our firstborn home from the hospital, we had no idea how to put him in the car seat to actually take him home.  Tim oh-so-gently guided Peyton's tiny little body under the buckles which I held up so they wouldn't touch his new baby skin.  It took a good 25 minutes.  Neither one of us thought about unbuckling the buckles to put Peyton in the car seat.  We simply thought "wow, people weren't kidding when they say babies are a lot of work and now we understand why it takes so long to go anywhere."

A few days later, as we attempted to leave the house and take Peyton to his first doctor's appointment, a friend watched as we once again tried to gently ease our new baby into his car seat without unbuckling buckles.  That friend, an experienced parent herself, tried not to laugh as she reached over to unbuckle the buckles and suggest that might make things a little easier.

Well, 13 years and three more kids later we have unbuckled and buckled car seats a million times.  We know so much more than we ever thought we'd know about kids and car seats.  

We know weight limits, height requirements, what buckles work and what buckles Houdini-like children can wiggle out from under. We understand and respect that getting to the booster stage is a rite of passage that kids really look forward to, much like the coveted front-seat, shot-gun seat that our firstborn is now old enough and tall enough to call his own most of the time.

Our baby, Wade, has reached the booster stage.  He's not a baby anymore, he's four and more than ready for a booster.  But not just any flimsy, old booster that has been passed down and beaten up by his older brothers and sister.  No, Wade got a pretty sweet seat--the Evenflo Symphony™ DLX car seat.  

"I can see the whole wo-wld!," Wade exclaimed when he sat in his new luxury liner of booster seats feeling like a king.

Wade loves the height the seat gives him and the cup holders.  Those are really great, but this seat is about more than fancy bells and whistles.  It is safe. Evenflo has taken safety and comfort to the next level with the introduction of the Platinum Protection Series of car seats, which feature NASA-developed Outlast® technology, a temperature regulating fabric that keeps babies and toddlers comfortable during hot and cold weather.  Yeah, NASA.

I love the Buckle Pockets, they protect from hot buckle burns and eliminate digging under your kid's legs for lost buckles.  I only wish I would have had this car seat years ago.  This All-In-One seat accommodates kids ranging from 5-110 lbs, making it the only car seat you would need forever.  It is hands-down the easiest car seat we ever adjusted to a booster seat, ever.

Now that I finally found the perfect way to keep them safe and securely buckled in tightly, I can't even believe I'm only a few years away from my firstborn actually driving.  I can't even go there yet, so I won't.  I am just going to focus on being so happy that Wade is happy and safe and excited to see the whole "wo-wld" outside his window.

Click here for more information about the Evenflo Symphony™ DLX car seat.

I participated in this sponsored campaign on behalf of One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.

Discovering

Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit is less than three weeks away.  When I first started this journey of co-producing a live storytelling show, I hoped it would be an opportunity to connect with other storytellers in my community.  But so far, the journey has been so much more.  Connecting with storytellers is just part of this journey.  The other part is all about discovering.

Discovering places that I now love but had never had been to in Detroit.

Discovering that I have a rusty skill-set (do they still call it that in resume speak?) in marketing that that works and fun to use again.

Discovering that it's pretty amazing to have this little idea of bringing a really cool show to an area full of rich, meaningful stories, and that you can make it happen in a big way.

Discovering that people you thought you have nothing in common with, you actually do.

Discovering that going outside comfort zones is crazy scary, but beyond rewarding.

Discovering that you aren't too old to start new dreams, new ideas, new stories.

Discovering that everyone has a story and when they tell it, compassion grows, love grows, understanding grows.

Discovering that um, I kind of love being on stage.

Watch what happened behind the scenes at our final Listen To Your Mother rehearsal (and where I discoverd that I love the stage!).

I hope we fill the theater on May 4, so more people will make their own connections and their own discoveries.  Click here for more information about the show.  Click here to buy tickets.
Click here to find out if a Listen To Your Mother show is happening in your city.

Read more about Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit in this Detroit Free Press article. Click here.

T-I-M-E & What I Know For Sure

Last Sunday, we got out an old poster board and divided up the days and asked the kids "What do you want to do? The week is wide open."

Spring Break is coming to a close and I'm sad.  Even though I miss a little of my routine, I love having everyone home.  And the end of spring break means our life gets busier than normal.  Spring concerts, baseball tournaments all over the place, end-of-the-school-year mania and more.  It makes my heart race just thinking about it all.  Maybe that's why I  enjoyed this wide-open week we just had.  

Our poster board/calendar-of-fun included activities like riding bikes, nature hikes, bowling, Belle Isle, jumping rope and more.  Nothing fancy, nothing expensive.  

We did something this spring break that we've never done before, we had a Mom/Dad/Kid date with each child.  Since we didn't have much of a budget and we didn't want to hire a babysitter four times this week, we offered the kids alone time with us at home and a chance to stay up late. Each child had a "My Night"--they got to pick what we all had for dinner, choose an activity to do or a movie to watch together and enjoy staying up late.  

Lucy chose to watch The Book Thief with us after the other kids went to bed.  She recently finished the book and wanted to see the movie.  We got treats and snuggled on the couch, just the three of us.  (The movie was incredibly sad, but moving and well done.)  JT chose to play a few video games and card games with us.  Peyton wanted to watch a few episodes of The Simpsons (a show we just started letting him watch with Tim on special occasions) and eat cake.  Wade was the only one that got something a little different, he wanted alone time with Tim at the baseball field.  We thought that was a good idea since staying up late to a 4-year-old sort of wrecks them.  

We also had fun all together.  Like cheering each other on when we went bowling.

I love how they were rooting for Wade and hoping he got a spare.

Oh man, the agony of a split. Bowling, grrrrr.

I love this picture.  Peyton is trying not to laugh and look like he's having fun with us, because duh, what pre-teen has fun with their goof-ball family?  His expression is the perfect mixture of smile and eye roll, like he's saying oh-my-gosh-you-guys-are-so-annoying-but-funny-and-I-love-you.
At least that's the way I see it.

You've heard the expression how does a child spell love?  T-I-M-E.  Well, it rings true in our house.  Without spending a crazy amount of money or planning anything extravagant, our kids, our family, felt the love I know that for sure.  


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

• VEDA is hard ya'll, but fun.  VEDA stands for Vlog Every Day April.  A new vlog every day.  I have only missed one day so far.  Here's one from last week where I reveal my biggest fear about Listen  To Your Mother Metro Detroit (hint, it has something to do with Cindy Brady).

If you want to spend your weekend catching up on all my VEDA videos head on over to my YouTube channel.  Subscribe if you like.  I have some fun videos from last week, like our trip to Belle Isle, Lucy's book review and of course, a kitchen dance.

• Tulips are blooming in Holland.  When I was in elementary school, we sang this song that went a little something like this: "Tulips are blooming in Holland...Michigan.  Tulips are pretty and gay."  I don't know if every elementary school kid sang that or only kids that lived in the lower western part of the state of Michigan.  We had tulip pride.  But man, look at this gorgeous tulip pride in Holland...in the Netherlands.

Click here to read more about the rainbow fields of tulips. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/dutch-tulip-fields-create-cacophony-color-n75701

• I am not over my phobia of frogs.  I was able to pose for a silly picture at the nature center, but it is blurry because I could only sit still for a few seconds.  This phobia is crazy, but it's real, people.  I skipped the frog exhibit.

• I love what Pharrell has to say about women.  And I just love Ellen so much.

• I can't help myself.  I didn't want to, but I did, I watched the Lindsay Lohan reality docu-series and I sort of like it.  Ugh.  I know, but I am rooting for her.  

• I'm looking forward to this weekend so much--our final Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit rehearsal and the return of Mad Men.  Ahhhhh!!!!

What do you know for sure (this week)? How was your spring break? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. 

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

I love getting to know everyone through pictures.  Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.