Please Look After This Bear. Thank You.

Last week we took the girls to see the movie Paddington. I had been waiting for this movie for some time and I know for a fact I was more excited than the girls to go see it. Something about a bear with manners and the best overcoat had me channeling my inner child.

 I was ready to take a trip to London...

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As I sat in the movie theater I got a lump in my throat. I know I am a neurotic mess most days but you know this bear, he gets it. And he saves this family from mundane living to dancing in the kitchen kind of living. He didn't care that they were less furry than him, he just loved them. Kindly. He was respectful. He was dapper. He was curious and perfectly poised. 

Could you imagine what Mary Poppins would do if she ran into Paddington?  I think they would be fast friends. And she would, of course,  keep his unintentional chaos to a minimum. Not too mention they would share each others treasured optimism and a love for tea and crumpets with lots and lots of marmalade. 

Oh, I simply adore that fuzzy brown bear in a hat.

I wish we could all wear a note that simply reminded each other to "Look after me today...Thank you." Or a rubber band on our wrist or stamped to our foreheads! . Addicts do it to remember to be strong in their sobriety. We right post it notes all over the place, to help not be forgetful. 

Siri can even give us reminders to do every day things : take the trash out, pay the bills, 

pick up milk, soccer practice, ballet @ 4p.m. 

What if you set a reminder on your phone and at 11:45 am every day

(in the most persuasive Colin Firth voice) would say... 

"Look after others today...thank you. Carry on."

 Pretty simple, don't you think? 

A daily reminder to just look out for each other. I mean why do we have to not be kind or  not nice or not show grace to the ones we are around- DAILY.  I realize I am comparing us to a bear...he is a different species and all. But it doesn't matter what species we are does it?  I mean come on...we are all different.  Black, White, Tall, Short, Fat, Skinny, Gay, Straight, Rich, Poor, Stay at Home Mom, Working Mom, Christian, Jewish, Muslim. You get it right? Don't keep pointing out all of our "speciest" differences...just embrace and celebrate it.  We truly are all soooo different. 

I think Michael Bond was on to something all those years ago...

 "Paddington stands up for things, he's not afraid of going to the top and the hard stare"

The thing that connects us is the need to be loved and to love. So for the love of all that is good in this world -  just look after each other. Today, tomorrow and always.

Ice Cream, yes please!

Okay. Seriously. I love. Ice cream. It is probably one of my favorite guilty treats. I have been known to cry and carry on until someone, (aka husband) goes and gets me some.  Even Sara Mclachlan loves ice cream...  she wrote a song about it! I am not alone! Addicted much? Finally - someone else gets it.  I know exactly how these cute kiddos feel. Go ahead and watch. 

Now granted they are all wearing diapers and most can't communicate verbally yet. But I don't really care.  The only thing that can ruin ice cream is when someone puts back an empty container in the freezer. YES! someone has done that to me!!! How rude, right?  

My favorite ice cream of all time is chocolate peanut butter ice cream by Baskin Robbins. What is yours? The truth is I love the memories that come along with the ice cream...judge me as you wish about all my food issues. But we use to have a peach tree and made the best homemade peach ice cream during the summers. My brother and I would pick the peaches and we would sit for hours it seemed watching the machine churn,  I loved going to Golden Spoon on Bristol in Costa Mesa, California after school with my friends. I loved going to Thrifty drug stores ( I think they are Rite Aid now) and getting an ice cream stack for 10 cents. I loved the scoop...

laweekly.com

Who knew you could buy one  here for $155...free shipping!!!! That is a sweet piece of my childhood for sure.

urbanspoon.com

Any whoooo...I came across that amazeballs video that made me laugh until I cried and pined for ice cream and my husband got me some sherbet. Ya know, its a little bit better for me and since its a little too early to give up on my resolutions I enjoyed every bite of my raspberry sherbet.

 For those that have been know to dabble in the lactose intolerant arena it is an unfortunate fate, But they still understand that they are willing to sacrifice the awful tummy cramping for the sweet taste of ice cream on their lips. I for one am highly intolerant to a certain preservative put into certain ice creams...lucky for me I have figured that out and only go for the good stuff. 

Now please don't go calling the healthy police on me...we don't eat ice cream every day...( I could if I wanted to) and I think I only have force fed it to the girls for dinner maybe 4 times... 

I get it is a treat and should be just that...a treat. I love all kinds of ice cream and love to try new flavors...unique and distant flavors too. I still remember sitting in a West Hartford sushi restaurant enjoying lavender and green tea ice cream with my dear friends. It has never been duplicated!

Ice cream makes life better.    It makes it light and airy and sweet. My love for ice cream is deep and it comes packed with so many memories and its really is part of our culture. I think my next party will be an ice cream party to share the yumminess with my village. I did get a new ice cream maker for Christmas... It is da bomb!  

Snoop Dog said once that when he stops rapping he would open up an ice cream parlor and call it SCOOP DOG...guess what, Snoop? I'd be first in line!  

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

2015 is here.  It is. I can't believe it. Another year finished. Where has the time gone? 365 days. What did they stand for you? and yours?

My reality today is that I am looking back at my Pinterest board and I didn't accomplish half of the crap that I said I was going to- and for a list maker that sucks. And I have been mad at myself and fighting my demons because of it. I am playing the blame game and it is everyone else's fault except mine. I am still fat. I have more wrinkles then last year. My  house is disorganized, the boxes of clothes still sit in the garage, my kitchen is a mess, my pantry is in disarray which sends my hubbie into a tailspin weekly, my girls rooms are still painted from when they were babies.  Isn't that scandalous???? HA! I am laughing at myself now!! The truth is I really should be mad at 

No One.

You see for me 2014, was one of my bravish of  years...I finally did something that I have wanted to do for years. I put my thoughts on paper and I freed myself. I told my story and I am feeling lighter everyday.

Some people may not have liked what I wrote but that is too bad for them because I wrote it for me. Don't get wrong...I like to please. I like to be liked...but it is getting easier to realize that I am not nutella and not everyone is going to like me!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Can I get an AMEN???  I should end the essay there..that is huge peeps. Did you hear what I figured out in 2014????  It is okay not to be everything to everybody - but I at least know I am something to someone.

Writing has been my therapy. I write when I am sad, happy, angry, scared confused, questioning - it gives me peace. Sometimes I do feel the pressure that it isn't good enough or that what I have to say is irrelevant. But then I am reminded by one of my village people that is the shame talking. Keep writing. So instead of making my list of the things I want to accomplish in 2015 I am making my list about all the things that I did in 2014 that made this my bravish year. 

I graduated with my teaching degree
I started a new position that I LOVE.
I started to blog
I visited Chicago
spent quality time with my loved ones near and far
made another year commitment to my church
shared in the joy of a loved ones new baby boy
mastered a fast change during Nutcracker that would make any dance mom proud.
sent my oldest daughter to camp : those that know me know how anxious I was but it turned out to be such an amazing spiritual journey for her
went to a marriage seminar

I danced in the kitchen.
I taught my girls how to fry chicken.
After twenty three years I finally was able to part with some of my mom's things
celebrated birthdays with friends
I spent time at the beach
I read.  A lot. 

I sang loud!
I went camping ...and stayed in a tent. Enough said.
I stood up for myself when I was supposed to and stayed quiet when words weren't necessary
I learned how to be still
I visited my childhood home
I made a new friend
I opened my online boutique chloe + isabel
I didn't give up on me and my hubbie- everyday we fight the fight and show up for each other. No one tells you that marriage is one of the hardest things you will "do" because love is about doing. 

I think the thing I am most proud of is that the realization that my life is my life - all the messed up moments and crazy daily things is what makes it whole. I am imperfect. It is still a pretty sweet life. I will continue to let love invade my heart and set daily reminders that love DOES. I will not sit idle. Sometimes I may not get what I want...but I believe in a big GOD and He will give me what I need.

That is a LONG list... I like it totes better than my short list of things I may or may not actually get done in 2015. But I have 364 days left. That is 364 chances to make each day better than the day before. Who is with me? Let's do this and be awesome and love until our hearts burst and our wings can't take us any higher.

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