A stream of consciousness post where I start out strong but then quickly descend into an internal battle that becomes external.

I know that a lady is not supposed to admit her age but I'm going to get wild and crazy and tell you that I am 36 glorious years old. People have remarked my entire adult life that I am a kid at heart and I've really held onto that over the years to keep me feeling fresh and young. Well, since we're friends and all, I've got to admit that I am feeling a shift within me. It's not that I feel all old and lackluster or anything but I am feeling...less young than usual.

It's okay, I don't have to panic about it, even though I am a little bit. While at the dermatologist recently to get a biopsy done on a wonky looking mole (it came back benign-whew, now I can sleep again) I found myself looking at their anti-ageing literature out of the corner of my eye. I suddenly envisioned myself getting a chemical peel and some skin tone evening done on my face. You know what? I looked great in my imagination. Screw you wrinkles...I'm not scared of you. Well, maybe a little. Oh and you know what else? It didn't freak me out that I had that vision either. See what I mean, I've had a shift?

I feel myself trudging out of my fertile years and cruising into the next phase of my life. Where I am done having babies and I release my identity as a Mom with young kids. I know that I am years from hot flashes and Botox but I'm also light years away from my past of Cosmopolitans at Happy Hour and falling asleep drunk with my make up still on. No, these days I fall asleep quite sober with moisturiser smeared into every pore on my body. Except for the nights when I might slip a little Bailey's into my decaf and pass out on the couch at nine o'clock pm while drooling into pools of lip balm and mascara...but I'm not admitting anything. Okay, I'll go ahead and admit it. See, there I did it again, a shift!

It okay for me to age. It's okay for me to shift as I age. It's okay for me be 36 and feel 36 and just go ahead and accept that I am going to be 40 sooner than later. It's okay for me to get chemical peels and wear Spanx to the grocery store. It's okay for me to wear sensible shoes and elastic waste pants. It's okay that very soon, I will go to the grocery store in my Spanx and have no need to shuffle down the baby aisle because I won't have a baby any more. It's okay for my babies to become children and for them to be embarrassed by my sensible shoes and elastic waist pants. It's okay that I am trying really hard to convince myself that I will be okay with all of this.

It is going to be okay, right?

Winner : Magician's Assistant

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. I gotta be honest with you...my super hilarious and non biased best friend has an itty bitty baby now and by the time I get around to calling her to judge the contest, it's too late to call. So, when that happens, I am the trusty judge. Cool? Okay...here are the top three in no particular order.

Jeremy from We Took The Bait
The Gallagher children pose with their pet bunny
the morning before it was boiled by Glenn Close.

VandyJ
All was well until the bird crapped
and the bunny bit the hand that fed it.

Shannon
For my next trick, I will attempt
to pull some normal parents out of my hat!

The winner is...
VandyJ

All was well until the bird crapped
and the bunny bit the hand that fed it.

VandyJ
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog
and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever

Thanks to all who played and tune in Friday
for the next installment of Freakshow Friday.

Freakshow Friday : Magician's Asssistant

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, these girls know what's up.

Watch out for these two, they wanna reach out and grab ya.

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Snow days.

If you need me, this is where you can find me.
Right by the yummy fire!

Cabin Fever is setting in.

It snowed...oh boy, did it ever snow.
We are all bundled up and safe

and keeping the crazies at bay, for now.
Both of the boys have colds so we aren't playing in the snow.
Which is making this situation very interesting.

Activities to keep us sane have included...

*Throwing birdseed in the snow and watching the birds feast.

*Watching a group of idiots get their truck stuck in the snow
and then watching the idiotic ways they tried to get unstuck.
At one point they considered tying a rope to the truck
and then using the fire hydrant to get out.
One dude tried to push the truck while it slipped in the ice.
He almost got run over twice.
They finally turned around and drove back home.

This was a good 45 minute distraction.

*Eating...lots and lots of eating.

*All kinds of Wii tournaments

*Dance parties

*Did I mention eating? Oh and baking too.
Then we eat what we baked.

So far we have electricity but it looks like it will be days until this snow and ice thaws.
I anticipate a bunch more eating in my future.
We are trying to survive, after all.

The Happiness Project :: Week 45

Stepping back onto the dance floor after 20 years.

I'm feeling very brave and taking a Lyrical Jazz class.
My body is so happy to be dancing again.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://leighvslaundry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/2876650690_005fb39e00-4-2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></div><br />

If you want to jump on the bandwagon
simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy.
Then, steal my button up there
and include it in your post.
Please let me know if you decide to join in.

Snow Watch 2011!!

So, the weatherman is predicting ice and snow.
Which in Georgia means that everyone is losing their minds.
Including me.
The grocery store is a nightmare.
Everyone makes a run for bread and eggs.
Including me.

Once upon a time in the great ice storm of 2005,
Griffin was a mere 5 weeks old
when we became iced into our home.
The power went out and it was so cold
that we considered burning our furniture in the fireplace.
It was pretty scary.
We survived but we learned our lesson.
Our neighborhood is so hilly
that it's impossible to get out in the ice.

So now, whenever the forecast calls for ice and snow,
we pack up the family and head over to my parents' house.
Where a gas fireplace makes us warm and toasty.
Where we all huddle up and enjoy family time.
It's super fun.

So, if things are quiet around here for a bit it's
because the power went out.
We'll get back to our regularly scheduled programming
once this snow madness ends.
Stay warm folks!