Can't let it go.

I’ve got a new obsession.  It’s called Idina Menzel.  Ever since I saw her in the preview of “If/Then” at National Theatre and then saw her again when the show went to Broadway in NY, I’ve been listening to her non-stop.  First it was the Broadway recording of the musical, then her “Holiday Wishes” CD came out – way before Thanksgiving and I’ve been listening to that.  So much so, that Sam was questioning why we were listening to Christmas music and it wasn’t even cold out yet.  I guess the song “Baby, its cold outside” loses something when you are wearing capris and a t-shirt.

Idina Menzel has been everywhere!  She has got one heckuva a publicity tour happening for her CD.  It’s been great seeing her do the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, listening to her DJ the IHeartRadio show, watching interview after interview on all the morning shows and reading all the articles in the magazines/newspapers about her.  I’m loving it!  It adds fuel to my fire.

Imagine my delight to find out Idina was doing a tour.  My friend Susanne and I decided the show in Baltimore would work better with our Summer schedule.  Both husbands were quick to join in and up for the road trip.   All I needed to hear was when the presale was happening and I could go into action. 

I got lucky, there was an American Express presale being offered a day before the Fan presale; which was two days before tickets went on sale to the general public.  The minute the clock stuck 10:00am, the website was launched and I purchased tickets.  We will be 13 rows from the stage, on the left hand orchestra side.  I realize now these are great seats without paying the additional inflated prices for the few front rows that were packaged as Platinum, Gold and Silver VIP seats – those were ridiculously expensive.   Believe it or not, for the first few hours (ok, days) I was bummed that I couldn’t get front row center.  What is wrong with me??  Why do I keep thinking that I will magically get the best seats they offer at a reasonable price?  I do this to myself time and time again.  I remember when my friend Amanda and I back in high school camped out all night for George Michael tickets.  I walked away disappointed that we were in the second section of seats on the field.  Come to think of it now, those were awesome seats!   For those few hours leading up to the tickets going on sale, I have such high expectations that I will be in the front row.  I guess it’s my eternal optimism. 

I am excited about the concert.  Idina has a phenomenal voice – I call her this generation’s Barbara Streisand.  Only she must be better than Barbara Streisand because even Jeff loves listening to Idina.  And I can’t get Jeff to listen to Barbara.  J    We are going to drop off the kids at Jeff’s parents’ house.  They will watch the kids for us during the show and then Jeff & I will crash at their house afterwards.   I love having a show to look forward to attending. 

 

Movies

Going to the movies has become fun again.  I LOVE what our local theatres are doing to elevate the movie going experience.  Get this! Regal cinemas are installing full on recliners in every single one of their theatres.  How awesome is that?  To be sitting in a comfy recliner (complete with a little table attached) watching a movie on the big screen…ah, bliss!  

And Mosaic District has reserved seating available for the same price as a theatre that doesn’t offer it.   You can pick exactly the seats you are going to sit in, go eat at one of the nearby restaurants and not worry about getting to the theatre much earlier than when the movie starts.  You’ve already got your seats reserved!  

In an increasing trend, most every theatre is now offering full bars and a wide range of food – beyond the traditional hot dog and nachos.  

I used to get excited when a theatre I went to had stadium seating. That seems so year 2000 now.  :)

It was very necessary the movie theatre industry did something to get people back out there.  With streaming services running rampant and high tech televisions so readily available, I am sure movie ticket sales were suffering.  I love that someone somewhere decided to bring their ‘A” game and make going to the movies an event.   It was getting to be a bit too much with only making almost every single movie in 3D hoping to get people to show up.  

I am so excited, not only for myself but for my kids too.  Ian is now at the age that he is enjoying seeing movies.  When we were at Aunt Lori’s, a commercial for the new, updated version of “Annie” came on and Ian said, I want to see that movie.  Then a few minutes later, a commercial for the “Night at the Museum 3” (Was there even a “Night at the Museum 2”!?!?!) came on and Ian said, I want to see that too.   Without missing a beat, Aunt Lori told Ian, “Ian, that’s one thing you don’t ever have to worry about.  Whatever movie you want to see, you will go see.  You mom loves the movies.”   Why yes, I do.  

With all these changes, it just keeps getting better.  I may be wrong, but I think even Jeff said he wouldn’t mind seeing a chick flick with me if it was done in a recliner.  Oh no, does this mean Kelly and Jen (my main movie watching buddies) have competition?  Probably not, someone has to be home to watch the kids.   And going to the movies has been my means of escape.  In my opinion, there are few ways better spent than 2 hours at the movies.

On a related side note:   I am saddened and disappointed in Sony's decision to not release "The Interview".  By letting North Korea dictate what we can watch, go, and do means they won.   It becomes a very loud sign to North Korea that we are wimps and cowards.  This is not what the USA is about!  We stand for freedom, courage, and bravery.  I hate, hate, hate that North Korea is getting their way.  They are bullying us and winning.  Haven't we learned yet from past events in history that we need to stand strong and not cower to them or any other country for that matter?? 

If by chance Sony changes their mind and does release the movie, I will be the first in line to see it.   Come'on Sony, show North Korea who they are messing with.  Release the movie EVERYWHERE, don't charge people to see it the first weekend it is opened and get the theatres jam packed with our people. 

Ian and email

Watch out, Ian is on the loose emailing everyone.

For the past several years, Ian has repeatedly received a “2” (on a scale of 1 to 4) for one of his music grades.  The one specifically he gets the “2” on is “Singing appropriately”.   This has been troubling Ian deeply.  He takes his studies very serious and wants to do the best he can.  Each quarter the progress report comes home and he sees that “2” again under the music section, he asks us why this is.  We tell Ian as long as he is doing his best, it’s ok and not to worry about.

Since all of Ian’s other scores are 3’s and 4’s, Jeff and I have never been bothered by Ian’s 2 in music.  Neither Jeff nor I are singers, nor can we hold a tune, so it must be genetic.   Ian finally had enough being troubled by this score and decided to do something about it.  He emailed his music teacher.  All on his own.  He did show me the email before he sent it, but it was 100% thought of and generated by him, in his own words.  He looked up the music teacher’s email address on Blackboard and sent it on its way.  About an hour later, Ian had a reply from the music teacher.  And sure enough, Ian met with her the next morning and found out what he could do differently to get a better grade. 

I love this kid! I am so impressed that he had a problem, found a solution and took action.  I know it was hard for him to confront his teacher.  But he did it!  Way to go Ian!  I would’ve never had this kind of confidence to do something like email a teacher when I was his age.  Actually, I was just happy if I got a passing grade and wasn’t looking to make more work for myself with wanting to get better grades.  Back in the day, I am sure I even hid from my teachers after-hours, let alone would’ve willingly emailed one – that’s assuming we had email back when I was in school.  This part of Ian's personality must come from Jeff. :)

Below is a copy of the email Ian sent to his teacher. 

Hi Mrs. X,

[I am Ian Toppall from group C and I have music on Wednesday]

I hope its ok that I am emailing you but there is a question I have been wanting to ask. I have not had the courage to ask you in class.  Why did I get a 2 for singing appropriately in class on my report card last quarter? Is it my tone? How can I improve?

sincerely

Ian Toppall

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mrs. X’s reply:

Dear Ian,
Please come see me after the announcements tomorrow. I will be happy to speak with you.

You are a wonderful student and I have some ideas for you to try.

Sincerely,
Mrs. X

 

One less thing to do.

I am not doing a holiday card this year.  There I’ve said it.  And since I’ve written it down for everyone to read, I will not go back on my word.  Nope, no holiday card.  I’m just not feeling it. 

The idea of taking photos of the kids and us as a family that I really like sounds painful.  Have you seen my family when they are less than cooperative?  It’s not pretty, I will tell you that.  Picking out a card style that isn’t too Christmasy seems like more trouble than its worth.  I will look at hundreds and hundreds of cards on various websites before I find the one I like best.  Getting the address list made into labels is just not something I have an extra evening to mess around doing. People need to stop moving!  And finally, getting it all together and put in the mail makes me want go to bed early and hide.  All of it sounds too exhausting. 

I am on holiday card strike this year.  I am making my life less complicated this holiday season.  I will sit back and enjoy the holiday cards we do receive and not feel guilty that I haven’t sent one out in return.  It will be hard, but I can do it. 

Tinsel Teeth

Ian's excitement for getting braces was through the roof.  He had seen almost everyone in his 4th grade class get braces on their teeth.  Phase 1 officially started on Tuesday, December 9th.  The smile on his face in the days leading up to his appointment couldn't have been bigger. 

It is a different day and age.  I had braces when I was 12.  I am pretty sure I wasn't this excited. I did my best to not dampen Ian's spirit on what a pain braces are.  How food easily gets stuck in your teeth, how you can't eat chewy-type foods (OMG!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE caramel -- so not fair!).   How sore your teeth are each time you visit the orthodontist.  The wearing of rubber bands, the wearing of head-gear (could you look more like a geek??  I think not) and the wearing of a retainer.  I didn't tell Ian any of this.  Let him have this moment to be excited.  He will figure it all out soon enough.

The morning that Ian was getting his braces on, two twin 15 year old boys were getting there braces off.  It was neat to the see the full circle. Ian's first phase includes 4 braces in the front of his teeth.  It's a nice little introduction of what is to come. This is like dipping a toe in the pool before deciding to jump in.  This phase should last 9 to 12 months.  And then Ian will get a break before Phase 2 starts.  Ian fortunately didn't need to have an expander -- the thought of turning that key weekly freaked me out.  The main goal of doing phase 1 is to get Ian's overbite under control, because right now you could a sail a ship in the space he has with the top jaw extending over the bottom jaw. 

Ian gets to chose what color to put around the braces.  For the first 6 weeks, he has gone with a Hanukkah color theme and picked Blue & White.  I love the Orthodontist.  When the 15 year old boys were done, she handed them each a goody bag of everything they weren't able to eat -- gum, starburst, popcorn.   How cool is that? 



The before shot.

He is still so happy!!

 

The after shot. 

Another great thing about this orthodontist office is they encouraged me to come back to the area where Ian was being worked on and hang out.  And, they didn't mind the camera at all. 

Can I get that to go?

My dad and stepmother are currently enjoying themselves on a cruise.  When I heard they were leaving, I was instantly reminded of a very funny story that occurred during a vacation when the whole family got to go.

We were all gathered together, ready to leave.  We were just waiting for Lori to meet up with us.  My dad calls Lori to see where she is.  We don't here what she says to dad on the phone, but we do hear my dad's side of the conversation. 

Dad:  Lori, where are you?

Lori: -------

Dad:  Well can't Robyn pick that up for you?

Lori:  ------

Dad: Ok, we are ready to go when you get here. 

It turns out that Lori told my dad she was getting waxed.  Hahahahaha.  Um, no.  I can't pick that up for her.

This is one of those inside stories that keeps making its way into conversation.  Whenever I speak with Lori and we hear the other is getting waxed, we joke "How about you just pick that up for me?"

Gosh, I love my dad.

Thanksgiving wrap up.

It's taken me a while to get back into the swing of things.  Most days I feel too exhausted to want to write.  However, I love looking back and reading how I felt, what the kids were up to and what our family was doing.  This can only happen if I actually write it.  :)   I plan to do a better job of getting back into the routine of writing with the frequency I used to.

I have the best family.  Hands down, that's all there is to it.  I am so thankful for so many things; my life is truly blessed.  I don't have the newest car (it's become a family joke how many miles are on it) or the biggest house (by far I live in the smallest in my family), but I am rich with love.  So much love.  It's the best when we get together.  You'd be hard pressed to find a family that enjoys being with each other more than mine.  It's non-stop reminiscing, making new memories and laughing non-stop. 

I know my family will not be around forever.  I can cry buckets just at the thought of losing one of them.  It's important to me to go down to Orlando as much as possible.  There is nothing like family.

This past Thanksgiving I took the kids for a week. Jeff hadn't built up enough vacation time at his new job and stayed home while we flew down.  My niece turned a year old on November 13th.  Lori & Ben had her first birthday party while we were in town. 

It was a jam packed visit.  Not only were we around to attend Rachel's first birthday party, but we also witnessed her taking her very first steps.  How exciting! 

While traveling, my bucket of what I was grateful for overflowed.  Here is a just small sampling - some are very trivial, some not so much.  But all touched me in some fashion.  In no particular order -

* The airlines lifting the "no electronics" rule on take-off and landing.  Wow, I can't even begin to tell you what a difference this makes when flying with the kids.  I don't think they even realized we had taken off or landed.  It was a breeze.  I am not sure I could do a cross country flight with them right now, but I'm getting much closer.

*Ian being a wonderful big brother and letting Sam have the window seat on our flights. 

*My dad/stepmother and mom/stepfather not only getting along, but truly caring for each other.  It makes coming together for the holidays a breeze.  There is never a discussion of which house my sister and I will spend the big day at; it's just a question of who is hosting. 

*Having 3 different residences (my mom, my dad, my sister) all fight for us wanting to spend the night at their house.  We were there 6 nights and I split it up equally-- 2 nights at each place.  It gives me a gushy feeling to have so many want us to invade and make a lot of noise in otherwise quiet, peaceful homes.

*When we realized it wouldn't be possible for Jeff to go with us, it wasn't a question that me and the kids would travel without him.  To have the ability to purchase plane tickets (when we would have otherwise been driving with Jeff) is something I don't take for granted.  Having Jeff's parents take us to the airport and pick us up when we got back was a few more drops in my bucket of gratefulness.

*The woman who sat in front of Sam on the return flight. I am thankful for her gracious and understanding nature.  In an uncharacteristic move on Sam's part, she intentionally kicked the seat in front of her, repeatedly.  Ugh.  It took about 25 minutes before I could get Sam to finally stop.  She is known for a lot of inexcusable behavior, but she has never kicked the seat in front of her.  I guess there is a first time for everything.  The woman who sat in the seat in front of Sam was very sweet and should've been highly annoyed every time she involuntarily lurched forward again and again.  Miraculously she wasn't.  Believe me, Sam got punished for this, especially when she refused to apologize to the lady.



I love these people.

My gorgeous niece turning 1!

*My friends Amanda and Molly.  I've known Amanda since I was 6 and Molly since I was 12.  To show up at random times in Orlando and have a date instantly get put on the calendar for us to get together warms my heart.  Our kids are only weeks apart in age.  How awesome it is to have a playdate for my kids whenever we need it.  And a girls night out for me is always a must; I don't lack childcare to help take care of the kids.

Our girls at 6 months old and again at 6.5 years old.  Love.
 

It wasn't all sunshine and roses.  Southwest Airlines did lose the kids' luggage on the way there.  Fortunately, It was found the next day.  But for about 12 hours, it was a pain to think we'd need to quickly buy clothes, shoes, toiletries for the kids for the week.  On Tuesday, it rained ALL DAY LONG.  Like hurricane type rain.  That kept us mostly indoors hanging out at my mom's house.  It actually turned into a nice day being with my mom and Jim.  Mom and Sam made cookies together.  And, lastly Sam had a few major temper tantrums that I am still recovering from.  She has been pushing my buttons big-time.  Most days I feel majorly beaten-up by the time nightfall comes.

I can't complain.  I am truly blessed and I know it.