Black and White

Another post already!  I'm joining Clan Donaldson for my first ever Theme Thursday- Black and White.  Hairspray opens tonight, well tomorrow night really, but tonight is a final dress rehearsal for friends and family, so close enough.  Hairspray...Black and White...get it?!  Here's a full page spread about it from the paper in Black and White (and color:) )

And here's a closer look at the one with Madi in it...

 

And for a little more Black and White, here are their headshots.

 

Five Favorites

In the spirit of blogging more, I'm jumping right in with another post joining Hallie and friends for my first ever Five Favorites. The rule seems to be just go ahead and list five of your favorite ANYTHING... people, food, books, TV shows, insects, whatever.  All can be in the same category or all completely different, anything goes.  It reminds me of the game we often like to play, Whoonu, where you have to randomly rank how much you like mayonnaise, cotton candy, fishing, big cities, and squirrels for example. Let's make that #1 shall we?

This is a fun family game.  Until we went to CT in April we hadn't seen my brother and his family in three years.  Within minutes of arriving at their house, my nephews pulled out this game because we had played it when we were together three years ago.

#2. 

 

My current late night waiting for the kids to get home from theatre DVR-ed comedy of choice.  I'm watching it right now.

 

#3.Texting!  I have no idea how parents of driving teenagers functioned before texting.  I can breathe easier every time I get that happy face emoji that tells me Jonathan has arrived safely.  Obviously there is no texting (or talking) WHILE driving, it is strictly for after the safe arrival.

 

 

#4. St Christopher patron saint of travelers.  Along with DVR-ed TV, and happy face emojis, St Christopher is working overtime for me these days using his pull with God to keep my travelers safe.

 

#5. Theatre.  I love how much all of my kids love theatre.  It has made them who they are, and who they are is pretty cool.  I have to admit though, if ever I were to list five of my least favorites, it might have to be tech week.  It is seven minutes before midnight and 2/3 of my children are still not home.  My #3 favorite, texting, has enabled me to know that rehearsal has ended, but it is still unclear if the kids can come right home or if they need to bring other kids home first.  I would have loved to end this with my all time favorite...when everyone is safe and sound in the nest, but I'm closing up for the night with kids still out in the world.

 

Teenagers

There are a lot of new to me blogs that have been keeping me entertained lately.  This is the crown jewel of toddler antics blogs, but there are lots of good ones.  These ladies are 20something years old, which is roughly half my age and their oldest kids are less that 1/3 the age of my youngest kid.  Still I find myself checking in on them almost every day.  Is that weird?  Sometimes I wonder if I'm prematurely turning grandmotherly, other times I think it was just yesterday that my kids were little too.  Yesterday at Mass, Jonathan and Madi were both ushering and as they were walking up the aisle side by side I was reminded of  the days when they were each other's favorite (and often only) playmate.  Mike and I often reminisce about the time when we were flying and Jonathan ordered for the two of them, "one sprite two cups."

That was then.

This is now.

 

 

 

 

 

Now it's even a different day than it was when I started this.  I'm not even sure if I have a point.  I think what I was trying to say is, I've had thoughts of getting back into blogging, kind of along the 'toddler antics' genre, but with my own kids.  There's a problem with that though, teenagers (and even the 10 year old:) ) can read!  That makes this idea a little more challenging.  It's fairly easy  to poke fun at a small child that poops on the floor or spreads sugar all over the kitchen, it's another thing entirely to air the dirty laundry of a teenage girl who flings her own dirty laundry all over her bedroom floor.  If  I can find a way to share some of the joys and humor involved in being a mom who must stay awake until all hours of the night when the driving teenager has been at the theatre for tech week and then has to bring the girlfriend home or the balance that is parenting a 15 year old girl who has taken on an overwhelming amount of responsibility this summer including a summer camp job, two major productions at the theatre, and still has classes to finish in time to enroll full time in public school in the fall, then I'll be back.  If I can't find a way to do that while keeping the kids' dignity intact, then I won't be here very much.  You'll just have to catch me at Starbucks since I'm a little freer to share our life outside of the printed screen.

7 quick takes

1. Aside from life's general busyness one of the main reasons I've been such a stinky blogger is because I can't seem to skip lines, number things, and lay out my posts in a readable manner.  I am attempting to manage that situation right now, as you read this you will know if I was successful or not.

2. Jonathan is registered for his first college course.  He will be taking English Composition this summer.  He had his orientation last night, he drove himself there in his new (used) car.  I was unsure if this was supposed to be a parent/ student thing or students only, but he did fine on his own and is exercising his wings more and more every day.

3. Madi is enjoying her camp counselor job and between finishing this year's school work, work, and Hairspray rehearsals she is busy from the minute she gets up until the minute she goes to sleep.  Generally speaking this is how she likes things.

4. I have taken to responding to people's inquiries about my kids going to school by not giving any more information than they ask for.  If someone asks about Jake going to fifth grade, I'll give them all the info they ask for about him without going into Madi's high school plans or Jonathan's dual enrollment and vise versa.  Our family is 100% comfortable in our plans for next year, but I'm getting very tired of the question "What are you going to do with all your free time?"  I flip flop between saying that I'm going to clean my house for the first time in 18 years, and telling them what they are already implying... that I'm going to sit around eating bon bons all day.  Interestingly it is often mothers at home with kids in school that ask me this question!

5. I'm currently listening to Jake practice his cantoring for Mass tomorrow.  In the summer there is no choir, so the cantor leads everything.  Tomorrow at 4:00 Mass that will be my ten year old son!

6. I'm teaching Jake's class at our church's VBS next week.  I have yet to look at the material.

7. On Tuesday the kids and I were extras for Brazilian kids Idol at Disney's Hollywood Studios, it was a long fun day, and we came away with four free Disney passes.  Brazil has some very talented little kids, and an entertaining but poor lip syncing Brazilian Idol.  Jon Secada of 80s fame was one of the judges and sang this song.

Go here for more QTs.