Summer 2015 Playlist

Since yesterday was the first day of fall and I am not quiet ready to give up summer, I am reminiscing about one of my favorite summer projects; our Summer 2015 playlist. Music is one of my favorite memory stirrers. I love the nostalga I feel when I hear a song and it takes me back to another time and another place. I was hoping with this playlist we could listen to it all school year and no matter how crazy and hectic things get we can be transported back to summer 2015 when things were calm(ish), warm, and relaxed(ish).

Starting in June the girls and I began collecting our favorite songs. We listened to them in the car. We listened to them at home. We listened to them while cleaning. We listened to them while we ran.


On our trek home today A3 and I were jamming out to our playlist. I realized my girls choose to listen to some pretty strange and kick a$$ music.  I am pretty proud of our odd list we assembled.

1. Rummer Has It- Adele: This has been a favorite of ours for years. It started when A2 fell in love with Boomer has It and continued with A3 falling in love with Goomer has It. Every time we got in the car she would scream for Goomer. We would all get in the car and hold our breath hoping that, just once, she would forget to beg for her Goomer. Even with this tune being over played we couldn't leave it off the playlist. Too many tantrums occurred over the summer because of Goomer.

2. Little Things- One Direction: Yes, we went there.  How could a bunch of girls not fall head over heals in love with this sappy song?

3. Merry Happy-Kate Nash: This super fun song is every new piano players dream... A1 believes she will be able to play this song very soon. I think she could too, if she would willingly practice... Also the word "bum" is used when talking about a butt. "Bum" sounds so sophisticated!

4. Uma Thurman- Fall Out Boy: Even though the girls don't have any idea who Uma Thurman is, we still couldn't help but sing and dance anytime this song played. Plus this was one that even Mac liked.

5. The Show-Lenka:  I don't have any idea where she found this song, but it is A2's favorite. Even though she changed the lyrics to suit her life situation. "I'm just a little bit caught in the middle." easily became "I'm just a little girl caught in the middle." "I want my money back" quickly became a message to A3 in "I want my mommy back." A2 really felt like this song was written just for her. Plus it is a fun song.

6. Everything at Once-Lenka: Again, I don't have any idea where she found this song, but it is A1's favorite. She really likes the way it motivates her to choreograph her own creative dances. Plus it is an English teacher's dream when teaching similes...

7. Piano Song- Meiko: We love Meiko.

8. Fight Song- Rachel Platten: I had dreams of using this song as my 80's movie song. I imagined showing up during one of the many blow ups fights arguments strong discussions between the girls and blast the chorus, "This is my fight song." I know the fighting would end at that very moment. I am certain the girls would have ended up joining hands, spinning in a circle, and sang the power lyrics in unison... Hey, a mom can dream, right?

9. Ramalama-Roisin Murphy: Holy Onomatopoeia, Batman! This onomatopoeia filled song was introduced to us by our honorary A Team member, Andrew. I dare you to listen to this song and not dance. It isn't possible. Plus onomatopoeia!

10. Rotten to the Core- Descendants: Title says it all.

11. Evil Like Me-Descendants: Song about an evil mother daughter duo + Kristin Chenoweth sings it, do I really need to say more?

12. Just Give Me a Reason- Pink: I felt like it was important for the girls to know and love Pink. That is all.

13. Cheerleader-Omi: Fun song. No other reason needed.

14. Go Big or Go Home-American Authors: Anytime this came on the radio we would all end up singing along and wish the song would last longer. Now it can...

15. Party in the USA-Miley Cyrus: Miley and I have had a love hate relationship.  I can't say I really like the current Miley. The girls don't like her either. They think she is disgusting.  They are right.  I used this fun, clean Miley song as a lesson; drugs are bad, good people make dumb choices and become icky, stay off wrecking balls, and keep your tongues in your mouths.

16. King of New York-Newsies: Honestly, did you think we wouldn't have a show tune of some sort?

17. Restless Heart- Matt Hires: The entire A Team, including their manager, loved to turn this one up really loud, scream sing and jump dance. SO MUCH FUN!

18. My Little Love- The Weepies: When A2 first heard this song, she thought it would be the perfect song for me to sing to her every night before bed. So sweet. Now we all sing it all the time, not just at bed time. Love this sweet song and my sweet girl for loving it too.

I can't wait to make another playlist next year. Perhaps this will become a "thing" like the Now That's What I Call Music cds.

August...

August 1 means summer panic time. Every year on this day I wake up early and try to go back to sleep thinking about all the things I need to finish in the next two weeks. So much to do.

Find the floor in the girls' room. Figure out what clothes they can still wear. Decide what I still need to buy. Find the time to go to the store.  Decided to just use Amazon instead. Plan stuff for school. Plan for my classroom. Plan for the library. Learn what I am doing in the library. Figure out what I am doing in the library. Get all my paperwork ready. Remember to feed the kids. Lose those 25 lbs I planned to lose at the beginning of summer. Write a novel. Read 20 books. Organize the entire house. Help A2 be a better reader. Help A1 learn to relax. Get rid of the pacifier. Have a garage sale. Watch a new tv series. Clean out the garage. Plant a garden. Learn to knit. Finish a scrapbook. Run three miles without stopping. Live a more simple life. Remember to eat things that aren't from a fast food place. Find time to relax. Get a cleaning routine set up. Get all of the laundry cleaned and put away. Find a calendar or organizer I like and will actually use.  Buy a new dresser for the girls. Buy new blinds. Get a new hair cut. Let the girls pick their own hair styles. Officially decide on a musical. Plan the musical. Take the girls to Knight's action park. Find the money to afford to take the girls to Knight's Action park. Sleep. Make doctor appointments. Reschedule my dentist appointment.

Making lists and writing out my thoughts has always helped calm me. This seemingly endless ramble of things I need to do in two weeks helped me prioritize my anxiety.

I guess some of these I should just give up on now. The time has passed... plant a garden, lose 25lbs, read 20 books, and sleep. Some of these are probably darn near impossible; teach A2 to relax. If it is something I can't do, I don't think it is something I could teach someone else to do. Some of these are so unrealistic, but they make my summer list every year; organize the entire house and clean and put away all the laundry. The items I have left can be put into two categories; things I actually have to do and things I might actually find time to do.

I am not letting today go to waste. I am using my hours of quiet before the A Team wakes up to get things done...
So far I have:
Tossed and turned in bed.
Ate breakfast.
Watched another episode of Outlander.
Browsed on Amazon.
Pinned a few classroom things on Pinterest.
Pinned a few library things on Pinterest.
Wrote the first 81 stupid words for my "novel" that I won't show anyone.
Made a plan for cleaning out the girls' rooms.

I think it might be time to take a break.

Summer Time Failure

It is that time if year, again, where I develop a sever case of the August Blues or August Angst. I can't help feel sad for the summer that is almost over as I start to prepare for a new school year.  Please understand, I'm not complaining about my job. I really love teaching! I just also really love no schedules, free time, sleeping in, staying up late, and, most importantly, hanging out with the A Team. 

As soon as August 1 hits, I start getting serious anxiety thinking about the unrealistic list I set for myself in June. All the things left undone. All the things I have to do. All the things I want to do. 

There was a small part of me that knew I wouldn't accomplish all the goals I set for myself. I knew I was setting myself up for failure, but I did it anyway. 

I planned on reading. Not kid books. Real, grown up books. My favorite librarians loaded a bag of books for me. Books they recommended. Books that looked really good. Books I couldn't wait to crack open as soon as I got home in June. Well, I did do some reading. I read 1 book. 1 flipping book. Way below my goal of 13. Fail. 

I planned on getting my house organized. That should have been laughed right off my list. I hate cleaning and organizing. I get overwhelmed before I even begin. I can't stay focused long enough to finish a task. I'm pretty sure I have adult onset ADD, which is, coincidentally, brought on by having children. I had a plan on how I was going get my house in order. I did get some organizing done. My downstairs bathroom is super organized, at least, it was a few weeks ago. Fail. 

I planned on having everything ready for the musical in the spring. I wanted to have the show ready for auditions. All paper work ready. A fundraiser set. Prop list ready. Costume list finished. Set designed. I have, at least, read through parts of the show. Good news Act 1 scene 1 is ready. Fail. 

I planned on taking the girls on fun trips. I wanted to go places. I wanted to make special memories. I wanted them to have a vacation they would always remember. We went to the Abraham Lincoln Museum 15 mins away from our house and that was the extent of going anywhere. Fail. 

I wanted to lose weight. I wanted to start the school year wearing clothes that aren't snug. I wanted to eat healthier. I wanted to exercise more. I am exercising more, but we had Taco Bell for dinner. I have lost no weight. Fail. 

I'm tired of being a failure. It just adds extra weight to my August Angst. Tonight I decided, next year, I'm only going to have one goal. It is just to simply enjoy myself. No more setting myself up for failure. 

After we cleaned up our dinner mess, which mostly consisted of throwing away wrappers, I decided to go outside with the girls and just enjoy. We started with a very unfair game of 3 on 1 soccer. I might be complaining, because I lost... Then the girls and I lounged on the hammock and told a group story. We each took turns adding to the story. Of course, once A2 took a turn the story turned into an adventure with "poop flowers," but I was enjoying the story time, so I just let it go. 

We ended up having a great time. We stayed out until we became a bug feast. The girls were happy and giggly. It may have been the best night of the summer, simply because I decided to enjoy myself. 

Summer Time Success

Summer Day 1 was a success!

A1 has one major goal for the summer; learn to ride her bike without training wheels.  Who knew she would accomplish it on the first day!?!

I know, I know, an eight year old still riding her bike with training wheels seems old, but she was TERRIFIED of trying. She was afraid of breaking her arm again, even though she broke her arm two years ago doing cartwheels and she doesn't have a problem flipping now, somehow she has decided falling from her bike will have the same results.  I wasn't going to push her, only encourage her. I knew she would come around when the time was right for her. 

The time was right yesterday, after one of the training wheels fell off her bike and a neighbor kid encouraged her by yelling that she was a baby because she still had training wheels. Thank you peer pressure... A1 came into the house and declared she wanted the other training wheel off right now.  She was done being a baby.

As soon as Mac got home, she met him in the garage begging for the removal of the training wheel. Within minutes the training wheel was gone.  A1 hopped on her bike and just took off.  She was riding like an expert in no time.  She is so proud of her summer accomplishment.

Since she is an expert at this bike riding stuff, she has been teaching A2 how to ride the bike too.

 A3 isn't ready to even reach the pedals, but she loves hanging out with the girls.