Right Now

I remember writing a post like this a few years ago... I was too lazy to go look for it but I'm sure I would have a good chuckle at how different my life is now. It's a little worse in some ways (no job = no pressing need to fix my hair every day) but better in almost every way (Alice = all the heart eye emojis ever.) My days now include fewer bulletin boards and lesson plans and more bottles and baby toys (or anything that can fit in Alice's mouth, which makes it a toy to her and includes my hair, lucky me) but of course I wouldn't trade it for all the red pens in the world (although I do miss that power. Ha!)


Also, it should be said that I tend to get stuck on things. By this I mean I'll listen to the same song/album or read the same author or eat the same food until I can no longer stand whatever it is and go on to the next thing. I'm basically Toad in The Wind in the Willows, always following some new "mania." Although my "manias" are usually Broadway cast albums or baby clothes and I don't have friends named Rat and Mole, so that's where the similarities end. (Side note: if you've never watched the Disney movie "Ichabod and Mr. Toad" please do. Such a treasure.)

-I'm seriously prepping myself for some legit "let's lose this baby/last two years of inactivity" weight. I can't even blame Alice for this... girth because I was actually on a diet when I found out I was pregnant so it's not like I was just thrilled with myself before I had a baby. My goal is to be a little more pleased with how I look (and how my clothes fit, ugh) by her birthday (which is many moons away and not something to even be discussing about my tiny tiny baby. #denial)

Me, right now! (Well, yesterday.) Also, I don't want to brag but my nose is the same size it was before I had a baby. I mean... #fitnessgoals

-On repeat: The Music Man, both the movie and the soundtrack. Don't ask me why; I can't explain it to you. All I know is I revisited this movie for the first time in years after Alice was born and in the past couple of weeks I've become obsessed (mania!) with knowing all the words to the Rock Island train scene. Again, I don't even know why. But I will conquer that song one of these days. I've also really come to love Shirley Jones's voice, which has never thrilled me even though Oklahoma! is one of my favorites. Who knows? This entire paragraph is only making me seem nuts so let's move on.

-Um, let's talk about Apple Music: y'all, why haven't I had this my whole life? (Um, because it didn't exist until like last year?) I did the free trial and I'm already feeling drunk with power. I can listen to anything, anything at all?? I can jam to the A Walk to Remember soundtrack like it's 2004? I can play Patch the Pirate endlessly or download the Jim Brickman lullabies? Any Disney playlist or soundtrack? ALL THE BROADWAY CAST ALBUMS ARE MINE FOR THE TAKING? (See The Music Man nonsense above.) I've had this for like two weeks and it's already improved the quality of my life significantly. (I wish I were exaggerating but sadly I am not.)

-I'm pretty much drowning in library books the moment (and just finished this one last night- creepy!) but I'm in the middle of The Quiet Man: the Indispensable Presidency of George H.W. Bush by John Sununu, his former chief of staff. I actually just finished another giant Bush biography but this one is more comprehensive regarding his years in office. It's really interesting and inspiring but also terribly depressing given our current political climate. (Also there is a Bush documentary on Netflix called 41 on 41 and it's quite good if you like that sort of thing.) Reading about someone who is well-liked and admired by both parties (at least now, several years removed from his term), it's amazing that such a thing is even possible when we're faced with two of the most polarizing candidates in history. (Gag.) Anyway, George H.W. Bush is my favorite President and I'll gladly read anything I can about him.

-Have you tried the A Cappella app? I'm not nearly as talented as my sister ("oh, you know, just doing six part harmony like I'm the entire Von Trapp family! No big deal!") but it is fun to play around with. This is pathetic but I almost always turn the camera around because facing it makes me feel SHAKY AND NERVOUS IN MY OWN HOME with no one around (seriously, why) but if you like singing and harmonizing it's pretty cool. ("I enjoy the sound of my own voice; I won't apologize for that." Ha- best Shawn Spencer quote ever.)

-It's probably a fruitless search, but I've been looking everywhere for some flattering clothes (see weight loss paragraph.) Anything too fitted shows off my pregnancy souvenirs, but billowy tops (normally my go-to) make me look like I'm about six months pregnant soooo. what is a girl to do? It's so much easier (and cheaper) to just buy clothes for Alice (knowing she'll look adorable) but at some point I have to move past my rotation of Old Navy t-shirts and swing dresses and try to actually find something flattering. (Or, you know, make myself easier to be flattered... I type as I sip my Dr. Pepper.)

-Speaking of losing weight, you'd think I'd be a toothpick considering that a) I pick up my 18.5 pound baby and her million-pound carseat multiple times a day, and b) I spend a large portion of my time chasing her away from various dangerous objects. (This kid will be the death of me.) She is definitely into everything- terrifying considering she's only nine months old and there are years of destruction to come- and what's worse, everything goes straight to her mouth. Stuffed animals? Fine. Her baby monitor? Um, no, darling. The little dear pulled every single book out of her lower shelf in her room last night and proceeded to crawl inside. Ha! "What times we have, what great games!"


Okay, there you have it. Multiple paragraphs about things I enjoy and how I spend my time... I'm afraid we're veering into some serious navel gazing here, so I'll wrap it up. But if you want to chime in to the shopping/book/music/dieting conversation, please do. There's something for everyone! I'm basically the food court of bloggers. (Not a bad analogy for many reasons, especially if I represent Chick-fil-A.)