From a book within a book

As I was reading A Million Little Pieces by James Fry he writes about reading a little book that gave him some calm called the Tao. The following excerpt from his book struck me today:

Be careful as crossing frozen water, alert as a Warrior on enemy ground. Be as courteous as a Guest, as fluid as a Stream. Be as shapeable as a block of wood, as receptive as glass. Don’t seek and don’t expect. Be patient and wait until your mud settles and your water is clear.

Act without doing, work without effort, think of the large as small and the many as few. Confront the difficult while it is easy, accomplish the great one step at a time. Don’t reach and you will find, if you run into trouble throw yourself toward it. Don’t cling to comfort and everything will be comfortable.

Failure is an opportunity. If you blame others, this is no end to blame. Fulfill your obligations, correct your mistakes. Do what you need to do and step away. Demand nothing and give all.

House of LOUD

It is Sunday afternoon. You know, the day of rest. Well, there is no resting to be had here. All there is is noise, and LOUD noise at that…songs, questions, endless jabbering, abc’s and counting to 100 over and over and over again, gun noises, kids falling, crying, laughing.

I try to embrace the noise, because it won’t always be here. Their voices will change, they won’t talk so freely, they won’t need me as much.

I’m really trying to embrace it…really.

Feeling Surly?

This is our friend Omar; he owns and operates Surly Brewing Company right here in our own back yard. This photo was taken one very snowy night when he so graciously hand delivered a growler for our very own consumption…mmmmmm so goooooood.

If you haven’t heard about Surly, make sure to read this Star Tribune article and check out their web site.

Omar say’s if he catches you wearing any Surly swag while you’re out having a Furious or a Bender, the next one is on him.

So drink up and by all means drink Surly!

Cheers.

Snip-snip-clip-clip-snap-snap-snap

I love getting my hair cut. Or should I say, I love my uber-gay, cute, young hair stylist. Here are just a few of the things we, or should I say “he” talked about:

Last week he went out to “tie one on” and we were driven home by a man with NO legs. I can’t really remember how the guy actually drove and I don’t remember a wheel chair.

Have you ever taken 800 mg of ibuprofen? It’s so great and if you have it with a few drinks it’s craaaazy.

In response to a man at the bar coming on to him he said, “I didn’t order tea. Please get your bag away from me.

And finally he looked at me and said,

Last night I had a BAD make-out. It was with a close friend and he couldn’t kiss. His tongue kept coming in and out in and out in and out like a little poker…it just isn’t going to work.

Oh John…I love you, but keep your hands off my husband.

Earl?

Aimeeeeeeeeeee

Happy Birthday.

I hope this day is filled with everything…and more.

Is it odd…

that we invited Adam’s parents over for dinner and concluded the evening with this week’s installment of Grey’s Anatomy?

I love the show and apparently so does my mother-in-law. So, all four of us sat watching with baited breath and then let out a giant dreadful sigh when Meredith pulled off George’s shirt. She couldn’t actually sleep with George, could she?

And no, it was not weird at all to watch the girl spontaneously orgasming throughout the whole show. No, not weird at all.

STOP THE PRESSES

Adam came home from his dentist appointment yesterday with his FIRST cavity. Thirty five years of age, brushes only once a day and is an avid coffee and red wine drinker…just one cavity!

And yesterday he heard the lucky ping of the dental instrument being stuck in his very own decay hole.

Nice work babe!

Get ready for the drill.

What the hell happened to Secret Regular Scent?

There is something seriously wrong here. The Secret people have pulled all the Regular Scent off the shelves.

Oh, that doesn’t sound like a big deal to you? Let me tell you something punk, my sensitive armpits breakout in an itchy fine red rash if I get anywhere near Glacier Mist or Powder Fresh or any scent from the Sparkle Collection (I don’t know what dumb ass thought of having your arm pits sparkle, but that person deserves a kick in the teeth).

Anyway, where the hell is it? I now am relegated to wearing Unscented. Do you know what unscented means to a mother of three whose hormones clearly turned the stink valve “on” when The Menace was born?

This is so uncool, unfair and clearly uncalled for. I can’t be the only woman wearing it?

21 months

In a nutshell, YOU ARE A MENACE!

Every chair and stool we own has been put away in a closet or put up on top of the table. Everything on the counter must be pushed, as far back as it can, or you will get it and run. Your favorite toys are dimes and large apples and razors and forks and you can’t get enough of running on wet tiled floors.

While we were at the doctor’s office yesterday and you were running around the exam room bumping into walls and then falling on the floor giggling, the doctor looked at me and said, “How many stitches has he had?” I told him none. He then asked, “How many bones has he broken?” I said, “He hasn’t broken any bones either, but if you look in his mouth you’ll notice most of his teeth are chipped.”

Even though you push me to the edge and I can’t find you many times during the day and when I do find you I find you with something you clearly shouldn’t have or clearly should not be doing, I would not trade you for the world.

You are filled with everything. Great and wonderful this world is with you in it. And you, my little big boy, are taking it by storm. Rage on.

I love you,

Mom