Fitness Level: Spandex

It's official: I can stop exercising and working out for I have achieved the ultimate fitness accomplishment.

The other night at my volleyball game, at girl on the opposing team reaches under the net, grabs my arm and says,

"I wish I could wear spandex like you. Me and [team mate] were talking and saying how we wish we could look as good as you do in spandex."

I couldn't even respond. I was in shock...I still am.

I mean, it's no big surprise that girls be wantin' to look like and be me. That's just what happens when you're so totally awesome like I am. Everybody be wantin' a piece. It's just the cross I bear.

But let's get real, spandex isn't a fashion choice. Rather, it's an athletic necessity. When I wear them in volleyball, I'm praying to the gods that people are focusing on my awesome setting skills and not the dimples in my butt cheeks, so accentuated by the cling of synthetic fiber.

I guess I must have been sucking in extra hard or something during my volleyball game cuz for whatever reason, these girls thought I was toned, tight, and lookin' right in my hot pants. And to my credit, I have been working out a lot lately. The 4 week boot camp I just finished up almost killed me with the amount of squats and lunges we did.

I guess if anyone is gonna rock the hell outta a pair of spankies, it might as well be me.

The Help

Being a stay-at-home mom has some awesome perks, but there are always two sides to every coin.

Apparently being a SAHM is synonymous with being a maid cuz people in my house be thinkin' I just LIVE to clean up their messes!!

Some chores in particular are worse than others.

Doing the Dishes

Mostly this dishes suck because you are never done. Especially in my house, where my husband completely ignores/avoids/disregards the empty dishwasher and instead, dumps his plate and silverware right into the sink.

Um, HELLO!! It would have taken you a total of 5 extra seconds to rinse your dishes and place them in the washer.

And when I catch him in the act and flip my lid, his response is, "Oh, it's SO hard for you to put them in the washer. You don't have to get so mad!" Apparently it IS hard if you can't do it!!! And you call yourself an MBA...

Preparing Meals

I used to absolutely detest cooking. Mostly because I didn't really know how. But now, with thanks to Pinterest, I've learned me some recipes and have moved on from loathing to cook to just being mildly inconvenienced by it. Still, it's a pain in the butt when I've spent forever making a meal and then nobody eats it. Whether you don't like what I made or you've already eaten, you'd better finish that plate! I did not just spend 2 hours, dirtying every pot in my kitchen to make a meal for nobody to eat!!

And even worse, I'm the only one in my house who eats leftovers. Husband says it's cuz he doesn't like eating the same thing two days in a row, but then I'm the one eating all the leftovers for like 5 days in a row just so it doesn't go to waste. Don't be complaining to me that i didn't pack you a lunch for work when there are 5 Tupperwares in the fridge full of leftovers.

Cleaning the Bathroom

Do I really need to explain why this chore sucks?? Eww.

But the worst chore of all time??? All the other little things you will spend hours of your life doing that no one will recognize, appreciate, or give you credit for doing. So is the life of a stay-at-home mom.

Whether you're a stay-at-home mom/dad or not, what are some of your most loathsome chores??

I sing you to me

The other night I'm at the gym and Australia is playing in the cardio cinema. I've seen this movie dozens of times, as it is one of my ALL TIME favorites. I can NEVER watch that movie without bawling my cryballs out. So when the following scene appeared on the screen, I quickly grabbed a wad of tissues and cranked my treadmill up to a sprint. Commence water works.

Even now as I rewatch this I'm teary-eyed and covered in goosebumps!! Following this scene, Lady Ashley (Nicole Kidman) and little Nullah share this exchange:

Lady Ashley: I will come and find you; whatever it takes, we'll be together again

Nullah: I believe you, Mrs. Boss (whispers) Mrs. Boss, I sing you to me

...

Lady Ashley: And I will hear you, my darling

Are you dying???? Cuz I am!!!

Perusing the interweb for more commentary about this movie, scene, and musical influence, I came across a blog entitled Behind the Voice. Author Ken Mademe writes about Australia:

Oh, that the songs we sing could bring people to a good place. Oh, that we could sing each other to health and caring. Oh, that we could sing each other to healing and comfort.

Yes, yes, YES!!! Music is such a significant and powerful tool. The effect music has on individuals is amazing.

Some of my fondest memories from my childhood were centered around the piano in our home. My mother would often play a church hymn and my siblings and I would each choose different voice parts to sing. The game would be to guess what Dad would sing as he was famous for switching parts and harmonies at random. Most of our evenings at home were spent in this manner. As a family, we were brought together by our shared love of music.

The same holds true today. While my brothers enjoy listening to rap and my sister sings along with show tunes, we still find common ground around a hymn book and piano.

Music offers us the unique ability to unify ourselves and express our feelings for one another.

Each night before I put Lolli to bed, we cuddle in her room and sing songs together, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Not only is it my way of calming her down for the night, but it's also my way of instilling in her my love of music.

I hope she grows to find joy, comfort, and delight in music. And when she hears or sings the sweet melody of one of our bedtime lullabies, she will know of my love for her.

My sweet Lolli, I sing you to me.

Cast in Bronze

As a warning, I'm sure nobody will find the following story amusing or humorous. It was really one of those you-had-to-be-there type moments. Plus, it's rife with inside jokes so many people won't enjoy it to the fullest extent anyways. BUT ALAS!!! I record this story for my family's and our posterity's sake!

With that said, our dinner conversation the other night at Mom's house revolved around funerals. Below is the mostly true dialogue that followed:

Grandma: "I just want to be cremated"

Mom: "I want to be cremated, too, and be sprinkled up in the mountains somewhere."

Me: "I want to be cast in bronze and displayed in a mausoleum! Shoot! I want to be displayed as the dining room centerpiece so you can all admire me even after death!"

Mom: "Yeah, okay. I'll just take you to Sierra West and ask 'Can you dip this for me please?'"

Me: "No, Argento!"

Christopher: "We'll probably just end up selling you down at Check City"

Mom: "So we can buy a coffee at McDonalds"

Me: "Or the cheap stack of pancakes at Village Inn."

Mom: "Or just the free pancakes at IHOP."

And...SCENE!

See? Told you you probably wouldn't find it too amusing. But of course my family, we all think we're the most hilarious people in the entire history of comedy.

Guess you just had to be there.