The Melody of Chaos & What I Know For Sure

We are a loud bunch of people.  Like really loud.  We are all trying to be hearrrrrd.  Sometimes when the whole family is together, I feel like an orchestra conductor--waving my hands, pointing in the direction of one child that wants to talk and pushing my hand down to quiet another child who is interrupting and again back to waving the other child along with their story.  

It's like conducting a really loud song of life.  It's loud (have I said that?), pitchy and exhausting, but it's oh so sweet.

This is a photo of them all warming their toes by the fake fireplace after playing outside in the snowy cold. It looks quiet, but it was very, very noisy. Sweet but noisy. Look how many toes are in this picture, you know it was noisy.

I get that life is ebbs and flows, and times of loud orchestras of noise and kids wanting to be heard, and times of teenagers closing their doors and wanting to get away.  For now, I am going to revel in the noisy soundtrack of our life and conduct my heart out because I know there will soon come a time when they may not be so eager to share their lives.  So g'head kids talk over each other, talk louder, give me more emotion, more stories about your day and what so-and-so said, I'm ready with my conductor wand and I want to remember this...this sweet melody of chaos...I know that for sure right now.


What else I know for sure this week:

• I love award show season.  I enjoyed the Golden Globes--so happy for Transparent (I LOVE Jill Soloway!) and Boyhood and Patricia Arquette. 

Me in my happy place--watching pop culture, drinking wine and Tweeting my deep thoughts about it all.

• Old people dance. Old people other than me. And they have great moves.  I love this guy, his dance moves and the New Addition alum Johnny Gill's classic song "Rub You The Right Way."

• My kids love each other and I love them, and fresh flowers in January.  At the grocery store, Wade wanted to buy Lucy flowers.  So sweet.

• Lucy is a feminist.  Here's the video to prove it.

• Social media and teenagers can come together and be truly inspiring.  This week a story in my small town made national headlines because a group of high schoolers tried to help their dying friend.  Their friend, who only had a couple days to live after battling a fifth round of cancer, wished to meet Eminem.  Those teens, along with an entire community and a radio station and a nonprofit and a rapper with a pretty good heart, made it happen.  Read more about it, it's sad but inspiring--http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/01/13/gage-garmo-eminem-rainbow-connection/21687243/

• I will always love Whitney Houston. That's why I will be watching the biopic on Lifetime on Saturday night. 

• Pre-K is pretty much the best age.  I love how Wade has some swagger as he strides into pre-K carrying his best friend, his giraffe Ert-Ert.  So rad.

• I LOVE Instagram. It's art, it's poetry, it's silly, it's awesome. It's not just for your pre-teen, come on over and hang out with me--@JumpingWithMyFingersCrossed.  

• I'm glad we never put the pool away.  My kids play with that damn pool year round.  Last weekend it was their battleship.  

What do YOU know for sure this week?  Leave a comment here or over on my Facebook page.  Share the knowledge, tell us what you know.