I'd Rather Dance Than Sit

Last week I went to a Madonna concert.  I actually just recovered from the Madonna concert (four days later).  I'm not as young as I used to be.   And neither is Madonna's audience, we're all aging except Madonna.  But getting old doesn't mean we have to turn into grumpy middle age/old ladies.

Yeah, that's right, my pal Steph and I wrote MDNA (Madonna's latest album) on our fingers with permanent marker.

I was shocked with how many people I saw that seemed grumpy at the concert.  I was also surprised at how many people sat during the show.  Just sat, not dancing in their seat, just sitting.  It is something I will never in all my life understand.  I saw it happen once at a Tina Turner concert, those sitting, non-dancing, non-standing people.  Maybe it's because most of the audience was getting old and tired. Waaaah.

Madonna. 

After the rocking concert, we got in a shuttle to head back to our hotel.

"Well, I didn't appreciate her getting political," said the advanced middle aged woman clutching her purse and frowning.  "No, that was unnecessary."

"I know, I totally agree," replied another close to middle aged woman (her daughter) with her arms crossed.  "I wish she would've played Borderline."

What? I said, I said, What?  Sorry to go all FogHorn Leghorn on you, but seriously, What?

Did this mother/daughter angry dynamic duo know what concert they were attending ahead of time?  Or did someone gift these ungrateful women tickets to surprise them?

Madonna is all about being political, pushing buttons and not singing Borderline.  Did these two soft-spoken, yet easily annoyed suburban women think they were going to a Kid Rock, Mitt Romney inspired concert?

Oh no she didn't. Here's Madonna with Obama T-shirts for her encore number.

Madonna is about expressing herself (yeah there's a song about it, c'mon girls you believe in love..."),evolving, developing new music and new styles.  

The ladies in the van weren't the only unhappy people at the concert.  Some of those seat sitters booed Madonna when she expressed her happiness over Barack Obama winning the election. 

"Hey, my dad's in the audience tonight, don't boo," Madonna appealed to the crowd of thousands.  "He voted for someone different that I did and he didn't boo me when I walked into the house."

I think it's funny (cute even?) that her dad came to the show, just like in Truth or Dare.  Remember? She said she wasn't going to change some of the more controversial (masturbation simulation on stage) scenes and he got uncomfortable?

So here we are in 2012 and Madge is still talking about her dad, she's still putting on an amazing show with new music and kick ass revamps of her old songs.  And I still want to be her when I grow up.

I want to get old like Madonna.  

Getting older doesn't mean you have to become a seat sitter.  Getting older doesn't mean you have to boo people that don't agree with you.  Um, if I went to a Kid Rock concert I wouldn't boo him when he expressed disappointment with the election, eye roll yeah, maybe, but no booing and I would still dance. Do people dance at Kid Rock concerts?

I vow never to be a seat sitting, non-dancing, judgement-making, grumpy tired concert goer.

Here's what else I learned from Madonna:

• I'd rather dance than sit.

• I'd rather say too much than not enough.

• I'd rather take a risk and totally f*ck up rather than wonder what if and/or have regrets.

• I am totally working out, a lot.  Madonna's body is amazing.

• I'd rather ride my emotional roller coaster than feel nothing.

• I like being fully engaged and not living on the sidelines of my life.

• I won't apologize for dancing, saying too much, risking a lot, riding the emotional roller coaster and not living on the sidelines. 

My favorite new T-shirt from the concert--Girl Gone Wild. 

"Rock out like you get paid to disturb the peace." This is my new mantra.  Hell yeah. You MUST watch the video below and replay it anytime you need to be pumped up  Seriously.  I LOVE it.  

Rock out with your bad self and don't apologize.  And don't ever think you are too old.

Thank you to all of you that voted on my outfit.  I went with the most voted for # 1 and paired it with the side pony from look # 2.  

Brotherly Love and What I Know For Sure (this week)

My kids were off from school last Monday and Tuesday.  It was a good four day weekend, but it was a long four day weekend.  The whole tortuous wonderful four-day run ended with a bang on Tuesday night.  No, not the whole re-election bang.  It was a literal bang to the head, JT's head.

Wade hit JT in the head with a curtain rod.  I like to think that Wade wasn't trying to hit him on purpose, but I can't be sure.  Anyway, JT's head started to gush blood.  If you've read my blog for more than one day, you know that I am not what you call a calm mom.  Or a mom that doesn't get emotional or hysterical.  And blood all over one of my baby's heads? You better believe I got pretty fucking hysterical.

"Oh my god! Call your father!  What the hell! Get a towel!," I screamed.  My older kids jumped into action and their father jumped in his car and headed home.

The cut turned out to be small, but probably should have been stitched. (I took him to the doctor the next morning and she confirmed my thoughts, but we walked away with no stitches and a flu shot.) Okay, that story isn't the crazy part.  The crazy part is the way JT forgave Wade.

If someone whacked me in the head hard enough to make it bleed, I don't think I would've been so forgiving.  But they moved on and fast.  Tuesday night as the country was gearing up for a big angry divide, my boys were coming together.  It's crazy, but it's true.  I feel like there's a lesson in here.

Brotherly love, it's a powerful thing...that I know for sure.

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

• Voting with four kids was an adventure...here's how it went down at my precinct if you missed it.

• I am too old to stay up late more than one night during the week.  Election night and then a Madonna concert? Too much!

• The campaigning hasn't stopped, help me get to 1,000 Twitter (@AngelaYBlood) followers by Christmas.  Why?  Why not?  Click here to follow me and please, spread the word.

• Shoulders take forever to heal.  My husband, Tim, who had shoulder surgery two weeks ago is doing really well.  And making a speedy recovery, so say his doctors.  I miss the old Tim.  I'm ready for everything (him) to be back to normal.  Boo shoulder surgery/recovery.

Tim is a great dad.  Here he is playing Legos with one arm.  

• I love the Daily Show.  Here's the awesome opening of the election night show. "If it ain't Brokaw don't fix it." Hilarious. clips from election night coverage:


The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

• Laughing is contagious.  I don't care if you buy a VW, I love this commercial though.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know.  Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

Come find me on Instagram (@jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed).

I'm linking up today with my instagram/Blissdom/blogland friend Greta fromGfunkified.com for #iPPP link up.

Electronic Devices-I've Got The Power

Last week we celebrated my son's 11th birthday.  All he wanted for his birthday was something electronic--a phone, an iPod touch, an iPad, a Kindle, etc.  

It all seems like too much.  Too much money, too much responsibility, too much freedom, too much entitlement, too much YouTube availability.  

It feels like the first step in letting go.  Letting go of the little control I have left in his tween almost teen life.

I know you might be rolling your eyes, like give me a break lady every kid has an iPod Touch you're over thinking it.  And you might be right.  But that's what I do.

My husband and I made Peyton write a report on what electronic device he wanted and why he wanted it.  "Do some research on the computer or iPad we already let you use," I suggested highlighting that he already had ample access to family technology.  "Or better yet, poll your friends and find out what they have and what they like."

He nodded, grunted and left the room.  I thought maybe he wouldn't write the report, so my dilemma, my whole what does this mean drama would be over.  But that kid worked on his report for two weeks almost every night after he finished his homework.

Watching him type away, I leaned over to my husband and said "You know we have to get him something don't you?"

He presented his report in front of the family after dinner on the night before his birthday.  We all applauded and had an open Q&A which he handled very well.  When he was finished, we told him we'd have his answer in the morning.  Making him wait longer was unnecessary but fun.

Peyton was thrilled when we told him the Kindle Fire would be arriving in the mail the next day.  And he could hardly contain himself when it actually did arrive.

 This is Peyton hardly containing himself.

Since tearing open the box, the Kindle Fire has barely left his hands, which was one of my fears.  I hate the idea of every one of us (me included) lost in our own electronic device not paying attention to the world or each other.

But that's the part of the whole story that I didn't get until now, I still have some control, limits, boundaries, what have you.  To quote a late 90s pop song, "I've got the power, woah-oh-oh-oh..."  We (Peyton, his dad and I) are in the process of contract negotiations.  We're working out an appropriate electronic device usage agreement---daily time limits on Internet and games for example.  He is understanding that with electronic device ownership comes great responsibility, or at least starting to understand.

Even though all you eye rollers thought I was over thinking this a bit, I'm glad I did.  Because this really is the first step in letting go.  Letting go of the little control I have left in his tween almost teen life.  And these early steps are pretty important because I'm teaching him control.  These are the years I can help him start practicing all these mega-important lessons like self-control, respect, responsibility and a million more.

These are the years that I can begin teaching those lessons and he'll still wear a goofy homemade hat his little sister and brother made for him for his birthday.  Tweens are actually pretty cool.

Sure he may not be thrilled, but he still wears the hat like a good big brother.

How does your family handle all these electronic device issues?  And, um, do you have any kind of contract I can copy?  

And yes, I had to put up this video from the lyrical Jesse James. Snap-I've Got The Power

Try It Tuesday/Pinterest Poser Challenge

It's time again for the Try It Tuesday/Pinterest Poser Challenge.  In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,* every week I  detail a new Pinterest challenge whether it be a new recipe or a craft.  Or maybe it's not even on Pinterest, maybe it's just something totally new that I'm trying for the first time.  

**My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.** 

A Thanksgiving-y Project 

We were walking through Walgreen's the other day and they were doing some major rearranging.  The employees were hustling to rid any sign that Halloween existed.  They were in a hurry to make room for all the mini-Santas, faux garland, tinsel and miscellaneous Christmas paraphernalia. 

"What happened to Thanksgiving?" asked Lucy in her best Tiny Tim voice.

"Oh, honey, no one cares about Thanksgiving," I honestly explained to joked with her.  

The Walgreen's employee hunched over a box labeled Mickey Mouse Santas looked up and laughed a "you said it sister" laugh.

Oh but I do care about Thanksgiving.  And so do a lot of grateful people on Facebook--all those folks participating in the 30 days of gratitude who are thankful for sunsets, their amazing husbands and the like.  Mildly annoying, but I like their Thanksgiving spirit.

I've wanted to do a Thanksgiving-y project with my kids for a long time.  And the Try It Tuesday/Pinterest Poser Challenge seemed like the ideal place to give it a go.  
The inspiration came from this pin from katescreativespaces.com.

This is all about a cute, meaningful way to enjoy fall.  I gave mine a Thanksgiving/Gratitude spin, as well as a much more simplified set up.

With a cheap puffy poster board from Michael's for $4.99, ribbon on sale for $1 a roll and old construction paper and push pins we had around the house, my Thanksgiving/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown was created.

This new tradition is going to be fun because I thought of it more as a game or lesson.  Each leaf represents a day closer to Thanksgiving and a lesson in gratitude--what to be grateful for and how to express that gratitude.  For example, one leaf says Family: Call your grandparents and tell them you love them.  Other leaves say Neighborhood: Offer to rake a neighbor's leaves; Health: Go for a family walk; Home: Clean your rooms (I'm sure that one will be their favorite.).

Today's leaf.  We are very grateful for democracy.

There are a few leaves that read like game cards: Pass It On: Do one extra nice thing for someone in your family.

So far, I think I love this challenge.  Again, it's not perfect and doesn't look as great as the cute picture in the Pinterest inspiration.  BUT I feel pretty happy with this challenge.  It's cute and has a pretty cool purpose.

So how about it, will you take the Try It Tuesday/Pinterest Poser Challenge? What have you made, painted, cooked, arranged, sewed, Mod-Podged from Pinterest?  Or did you try something new and outrageous?

Share it in the comments or leave the link to a picture of your project or meal or furniture or pumpkins....well you get the idea.  

Check out some of my other Try It Tuesday/Pinterest Poser Challenges:

The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here

The pumpkin address-click here




Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here

Oh yeah, and follow my Pinterest boards too.

The Last Four Years

There's a lot of election talk right now. I know, I've been doing a lot of talking about candidates, proposals, electorates, etc.  And I am tense and worried and hopeful and ah shucks, all kinds of emotional regarding the outcome of Tuesday.  It made me question recently what Wednesday will look like.  

But then I started thinking about what the past four years looked like.  Not nationally.  Personally.  And holy shit, a lot of life has happened in the past four years.

Some of the happenings of the last four years. Going through the pictures (and there were thousands) made me cry at how much my children have grown.

In the past four years:

• I had my fourth baby, my boy Wade.

• I started my blog.

• We short-sold our home and became renters.

• My husband switched jobs.

• We took two very looooong road trips to the ocean.

• Two more of my children started elementary school.

• I lost dear friends to cancer.

• My son broke his arm.

• I ran a marathon.

• My son JT was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and we all went gluten free.

• I went to my 20th high school reunion.

• The family experienced the Swine Flu outbreak first hand- 4 out of 6 of us, two weeks after baby Wade was born.

• Three of my children learned to ride their bikes without training wheels.

• We became a Mac family after visiting the Apple store and never looked back. 

• I discovered (and fell in love with) the show Mad Men. 

• My marriage was tested with financial challenges, health issues, family struggles, my own battles with emotional balance and more.  And it (my marriage), got stronger and better.

• I tried for the first time and quickly became addicted to Nutella.

There were a million more things, events, moments, big things, little things--a lot of life in four years.  No matter what happens on Tuesday, life will go on and we will live all the moments big and small.  We will love, cry, laugh, achieve, grieve, cope, hope and triumph and remember.  Life will go on.

Think about it.  How much life have you lived in the past four years?  What has happened to you and your family?

There's been a lot (I mean a lot) of laughs over the last four years.  Have some more by watching one of my favorite comedian's on SNL this past Saturday night.  Louis C.K.=total f-ing hilarious.



Check out my first contributing post for the very sweet blog Ring Around the Rosies, click here:

Better Than Fine and What I Know For Sure (this week)

Today is my son's birthday.  Peyton, my oldest child, turns 11 years old.  

Peyton is a serious, thoughtful, quiet, smart boy.  
He wants to please people.  He wants to get things right.  He' a rule follower.  He has high expectations of people.   

He's the rock, the center, the guiding light for the kids.  They're all like "what would Peyton do?" Even when he's dressed as some stupid scary zombie, grave dude for Halloween.

I've never really had to be hard on him or strict because he is the toughest on himself.  If anything, I've had to remind him to take things in stride, not be so serious or too harsh with himself.  We've never really had to remind him to do his homework, study for a test or finish a book for school.  Which, by the way, totally screwed us up for the rest of the kids that came along that weren't such big fans of rules and exceeding expectations.

As much as I wish he would feel more confident and outgoing sometimes, I don't want him to change.  And I know things are going to change.  He's a tween heading into teen faster everyday.  

Sometimes I can't even remember who I was before I was a mother.  Before Peyton. 

When I was pregnant with him, I struggled with depression and anxiety.  Having a crazy mother, like I do, can make any chemical imbalance in your brain or in your hormones scare the shit out of you.  But once Peyton was born, I was fine.  I was better than fine.

The past 11 years have been hectic, nerve-wracking, funny, fabulous, heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching, beyond amazing, exhausting and all kinds of wonderful.  That's motherhood.  And I couldn't be happier that my boy Peyton and I started on this journey together, that I know for sure.

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

• Class parties are a big f#&*ing deal.  I went to all three of my elementary school age kids' parties this year and all I can say is "wow."  

• Compliment or Burn?  Not sure how to take it.  One mom asked me if I was new to the school because she hadn't seen me at school before.  We've been attending the same school for over five years now.  I have three kids in the school.  What do you think?  Compliment?  Like wow, you've been here so long and you don't have to volunteer everyday? You're awesome.  OR. Burn? You loser, I can't believe you have three kids here and YOU are never here. You suck. 

With Wade trailing and needing to be held every second, I wasn't much help at any of my older kids' class parties anyway.  I don't think the other moms thought I was very cool either when I asked my first grader JT to take this picture so I could post it on instagram. Whatever.

• This makes me happy- Louis C.K. hosting SNL this Saturday night. Can't wait.

• We got stranded at the Pumpkin Patch.  In case you missed it, here's the video evidence of our stranded-ness.

• Sherbet is stupid.  First of all who likes it?  Who would EVER choose that over ice cream?  And why the hell do we pronounce it SherbeRt?  It really bothers me.

• True love is simple and the real dream.  I posted this on the blog's FB page, but feel that it needs to be posted again.  I LOVE it.  It's a love story from StoryCorps.org.  Watch and remember what's really important.

• I love my husband, I'm glad his rotator cuff will be like brand new, but in the words of Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, it takes two.  Yeah, it takes two fully functioning adults to keep this family of six running smoothly.  I. Need. Him. To. Get. Better. Now.

Tim has become obsessed with some stupid zombie game on the ipad and plays it for hours. Ugh.

• Can't mention Rob Base without posting the song, duh. 1, 2, 3 get loose now....

• I'm nervous about next week.  What will Wednesday look like?  I guess all we can do is vote and wait and watch the endless coverage on TV.

• Congrats to Brenda Y on winning the Jewel Kade giveaway!

• Running is cool, but running for a good cause is even cooler.  Click here to read about how my friend Jen is running in a Team Challenge half marathon to raise money for Colitis.  And hey, help her reach her goal of $3,700.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know.  Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

Come find me on Twitter (@AngelaYBlood) and Instagram (@jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed).

I'm linking up today with my instagram/Blissdom/blogland friend Greta fromGfunkified.com for #iPPP link up.

My Story Is So Good (A Music Review)

I'm a people watcher.  I'm a storyteller. 

I love busy sidewalks, crowded subways and airports, oh airports are the best--people and stories everywhere.   But guess what, I'm rarely anywhere very busy anymore.  Unless you count holiday parties at my kids' elementary school (because it does get all kinds of hectic and crowded in there) or my living room full of chaos and mess.

Every good story needs good music.

I used to commute by bus (71A in fact) when I lived in Pittsburgh and I loved it.  Sitting with strangers, watching them interact (or not) and creating stories.  Some mornings I would picture everyone getting up and doing a song and dance number like in Ally McBeal (very popular a hundred years ago when I worked in an office).  Now it would be more like an episode of young professionals on Glee.  On the commute home, I loved listening to opera music on a cassette tape in my fancy Walkman (told you it's been a while).  I came up with some great stories.

My life is very different now, per aforementioned living room full of chaos and mess.  No commuting these days.  But there's still good music and there are still stories to tell.

I was recently sent a Chris Mann CD to review.  Fans of The Voice will remember him as one of the finalists.  From Christina's team?  The opera guy?  Amazing voice right?

Don't watch the show?  Well, this guy is good.  We downloaded a few songs last year during the voting process for The Voice and when my son listens to them he gets emotional and confused.  "Why do I feel like crying when I  listen to this guy sing?" he asks me while listening to Mann cover "Bridge Over Troubled Water." 

That's what Chris Mann does--emotion.  His voice is all power and softness, Broadway showman and Swing band front man.  He sings with feeling leaving the listeners feeling emotions they didn't even know they had.

His new album Roads is no different.  And it's the perfect soundtrack to my storytelling/people watching addiction.

The story outside my window.

The other day I stood in my kitchen  and watched my four children playing with each other.  Yes I said playing, not fighting, it happens.  I watched and my heart almost burst wide open.  Chris Mann was singing about roads that will always "lead you home" while I watched my dream realized. My dream of a big, happy, healthy family.  

My son came to the back window to make sure I saw his great play he made in the soccer game.  "Mom, why are you crying?," he  asked.

"Oh, I'm just so happy," I said. "My story is so good."  He shrugged and went back to his game.

And Chris Mann kept singing.  The album is full of good, emotional songs.  Mann has definitely got the voice.  He's s little bit Michael Buble, a little bit Andy Williams, a little bit Luther Vandross and a little bit opera dude (yeah, I don't know the names of any opera singers off hand).

I've found a perfect soundtrack to part of my story.  Maybe I'll pop in the CD while I wait in the elementary school's car loop line at pick up tomorrow.  Maybe with Mann singing I'll have more compassion for all the crazy, chaotic parents.  It will at the very least make a good story.

Go buy Chris Mann's new album Roads on iTunes (http://bit.ly/SgkwJb) or Amazon.com (http://amzn.to/XQpJc8).

This is a review post from One2One Network. I was provided with a copy of the album and I am eligible for a prize drawing. All opinions stated are my own.