In Another Life

Have you ever thought about what you would want to be in another life? Yesterday, I had the brilliant idea of heading out to the driving range in 90-degree weather. It was so hot that I actually got sweat in my contacts. Good one, Anna. There was a golf professional that helped me when paying for my range balls. She kindly said, “You’re one of the brave ones to venture out.” I thought about her as I chunked and sliced way too many of my shots. I wanted to blame the heat and humidity. I kept thinking about how the golf pro was probably witnessing all of my bad shots. My mind started to wander – wouldn’t it be cool to be a golf pro? “In my next life,” I thought.

Then I started thinking about other professions that I would like to take on in another life. I have always thought it would be great to be a fitness or nutrition expert. As I have grown older, my love for fitness has surely grown. I enjoy reading about it and trying out new classes. Being a fitness instructor or personal trainer would definitely be my next profession if I decided to go back to school… again. So, don’t freak out (Mom). I’m not planning on heading back for a third degree. I’m fine with just the two for right now.

But, honestly, I am thrilled about being an English teacher. I have been preparing as best as I can. I’ve mentioned before how overwhelming it all is, but more than anything, it’s very exciting. I get to live out the dream that I have worked very hard at. Maybe in another life I would still come out as an English teacher. 

Kids Are So Cool

Yesterday, I was watching the boys play in the pool. It was a hot Iowa day, making it a definite pool day. I'm not going to lie, they were kind of being little stinkers. It's hard to tell if they are playing or picking on each other. Must be yet another 'boy thing' that I will never quite understand.

Earlier in the day, the youngest one helped me make chocolate chip bars. It was pretty cool watching him try and figure out the measurements and beg to lick the beaters. At one point, he started reaching for a spoon to slang a heaping lump of cookie dough. Not on my watch ;-) He was so proud of the results as we took the 'blondies' out of the oven. He asked the others if they liked the bars he made. Of course, they were a big hit.

I then listened to him chat with my mom on the phone about the book he is reading and the birthday party he will be having soon. I was smiling as I heard the excitement in his voice. It was one of those moments when you realize how cool kids really are. The mixture of innocence and surprising bits of random knowledge is fun to witness on a daily basis. Honestly, I'm surprised at how much I learn every day. They are smart little boogers when it comes to animals. It's fun getting to know them individually. I also hope they are learning a little bit from me too :-)

When you are about to throw a head of lettuce at the screaming kid at the grocery store, just remember that kids really are so cool.

Crabby Pants

I don’t know who was the last person to do my laundry (me), but somehow or another, my crabby pants got folded up in the mix.

I guess I should apologize to anyone that has caught the wrath of my sour mood over the past few days, but I’m still actually a little bitter. Maybe I am a terrible person, or perhaps I just feel like being crabby. Either way, it’s not that fun to wear crabby pants. What’s the worst (or possibly the best) part of this? I’m really the only one who can change my mood. I am in control of how I start my day, how my day progresses, and the way I feel as I lay my head down to sleep.

You may be asking, “why the need to slide on those crabby pants over the past few days?” The short answer: my current and future living situations. I am very ready to move on – physically. I am very frustrated with where I am at now. I know I should be grateful; however, the constant lectures and small talk is just too much for my liking. Too make matters worse, I feel undermined as I look for my place in the fall. Wait, was this supposed to be the short answer? Whoops.

At any rate, I’m still plugging along. I’m still doing what I can to make the best of my situations and be as productive as I possibly know how to be. In a few months this will all be history. Until then, I may have to wear my crabby pants – well, at least a few more times. 

What's Your Flava?

After a trip to the zoo today, we stopped at Wendy’s for a late lunch. Sadly enough, this became the highlight pretty quickly. No, it wasn’t the frostys or the fries. This Wendy’s in particular had an amazing pop machine.

We were able to choose from over 100 different types of pops, lemonades, and sport drinks. The crazy part? They all came from one spout. You simply pressed a button and the soda of your choice fell into your cup. I love fountain pop, so this was a total dream for a girl like me. I went ahead with the Cherry Vanilla Diet Dr. Pepper. It, of course, was delicious. Something about that soda tastes like candy to me.

The kids were raving about this machine. They went back twice in order to try different flavors. Various Dr. Peppers and Fanta drinks filled up their cups as their mouths turned shades of red and orange. “We should just stay here all afternoon and try every flavor,” I joked. I wonder if they would have kicked us out for loitering? Maybe next time ;-)

It’s not as if I am already indecisive enough. Now I can’t even ‘soda up’ without considering over 100 types of drinks I could possibly consume. I may have to switch it up next time. If you are thinking of visiting one of these machines, there is something you may want to consider beforehand: What’s your flava?

Sleep Signals

We get very mixed signals about sleep. They tell us how important it is to get a full eight hours in each night. Most people hear this and laugh, because there just never seems to be enough time in the day to complete all of our tasks and have a little fun too. In fact, adolescents are supposed to get nine-ten hours a night. I highly doubt many teenagers put their head on the pillow much before ten or eleven.

This weekend I didn't get the significant amount of sleep. Sometimes you have to sacrifice sleep for fun and productivity. My problem is that I've never learned how to sleep in, so no matter how late I am up, my body wakes up far too early. I'm sure a few nights of early bed times and a couple naps will have me all caught up.

On the flip side of the recommended sleep time, we also hear, "The secret of life is getting up early. The secret of life is staying up late." Let's be honest, all of the fun happens late in the night. I know your parents tell you, "Nothing good happens after midnight." Well, they're wrong. That's when all the good talks happen, the funny dancing, the everlasting stories are developed late at night.

Live.

So, what do we do? Stay up late and sacrifice our beauty rest? Miss out on living a life past midnight? A little bit of both. That's always the answer.

A Good Day

I think it's easy to underestimate a good day. Often we take for granted the small blessings that make up our good days. I spent a lot of yesterday smiling and thinking about how great the day was from start to finish. I want to share with you what made it so great, in hopes that you will remember to recognize the good that occurs each day when we take time to see it.

I have been thoroughly enjoying my workout classes at Kosama. I feel much stronger as the instructors push me to limits that I wouldn't do individually. They are knowledgable and take interest in every person that attends each class. Yesterday was circuit training, and I left sweaty and strong.

I had a good day with the kiddos (I used to hate when people used this term, but it fits them so well... what do you do?). We had a few issues with attitude, but overall, we are starting to get used to one another. I took them to the Des Moines Arts Festival, which was full of activities and neat things to see. I feel youthful around them, which is important. I love how they continue to keep me on my toes :-)

After I got home, I spent a good amount of time chatting with my grandpa. Sometimes he gets to be a little overwhelming, but I know it is important to take time to reconnect, talk, and listen. While in many ways we are worlds apart, I am grateful for the kindness he continues to show me.

Then, the BEST part of my day - dinner and a movie with Beth! We had a chance to catch up at The Cheesecake Factory before we ventured over to the theatre to see "Rock of Ages." Oh. My. Gosh.... it's was amazing! I smiled the entire movie. I laughed, moved my feet to the beat, and enjoyed time with my friend. I really couldn't have picked a better person to share Milk Duds with. Seriously, y'all need to see this movie. I love musicals, 80's music, and now I have an official "girl crush" on Julianne Hough (that's normal, right?). I might have to buy the soundtrack... like, today. I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan, but he was awesome. And Beth left with a new crush - Diego Boneta. Just go to the movie, you'll understand ;-)

Off to apartment hunt this morning... don't worry, I've already grabbed my morning iced coffee. Happy Saturday peeps!!

Nala says hello :-)

I Go Back

Yesterday I was driving home, and I couldn't stop smiling. Mostly because of the silly things my little dudes did, but also because the music on the radio was so perfect. I had heard the lyrics and melodies of these songs time and time again, but something was different. The words hit me in ways that they hadn't before.

Depending on where we are in our lives, words have different meanings. Something may make us cry one day and laugh the next. Songs may take us back to a moment. When I was running my half marathon, Katherine asked me what song was playing on my iPod as we began to run. "You'll remember it forever." I remember songs that I played on my way to my cousin's funeral. I remember songs played in college as I danced along with my girlfriends. Songs take me back to places I want to revisit, but also to times when life was tough. I love music. I love what it represents to me, as well as what it means to others. We are all able to interpret, dislike, and cherish each song that plays. Music is powerful. 

I started listening to "Every Now and Then" by Garth Brooks. It reminded me of my past, but it also helped me appreciate where I am today. Yes, it's okay to look back. It's okay to think about how things used to be, but it's important to realize what we have today. 

"And I love my life. And I'd never trade between what you and me had and the life I've made. Cause she's here and she's real, but you were too."

The past sits in the past, and it's not worth revisiting. It's not worth sulking over or wondering what might have been. Even though every now and then I go back, I am pleased with my life and the events that brought me here.