The Happiness Project :: Week 2

Daffodils blooming in my front yard.

Want to join in the Happiness Project?

<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 />

Show us a photo of something
that makes you wildly happy.
Then, simply copy and paste the code up there
and display the button on your post.

Together we will infiltrate the Blogsphere with happiness.

Be sure to add your link to Mr. Linky.

Movie review: Where The Wild Things Are

When I first saw the preview for the film version of the beloved book Where The Wild Things Are I almost choked on my popcorn. Emotions swirled in my chest as I watched images of Max run through the forest to Arcade Fire's song Wake up. It looked beautiful. Roger and I gave each other a high five over our Large Diet Coke in the cup holder ( a gesture we do whenever we get excited about an upcoming movie) and declared that we couldn't wait to see it.

Well, life got in the way and we didn't get to see it in the theatre but lucky for us it was playing On Demand and we watched it over the weekend. I was all aflutter when it started. I adored the book as a child and was so ready to go on a fantastic journey led by Spike Jones. Let it go on record that I love Spike Jones. In my humble opinion, Being John Malkovich is a stroke of cinematic genius, but that is a post for another day. The point is, the stars were all lined up for me to love Where The Wild Things Are.

Sadly, I didn't love it. Maybe my expectations were too high but I thought that story was not handled as fantastically as it could have been. The movie seemed to stall out as the plot unfolded. I understand that stretching a children's story that consists of ten lines is no easy feat but I found myself daydreaming as Max and the Monsters had one wild rumpus after another. The dialogue had one pause for every other word as my heart yearned to get invested in the characters. I tried to imagine that I was a kid again and lower my expectations, I really wanted the wild thing in me to be awakened by this film. It never happened, even when I pretended that I was a six year old boy. This movie is not a children's movie yet it doesn't rise to the occasion of being a film for adults.

I will say that the visuals are inspiring as Max's little crown sits atop his head and he runs through the forest over and over to Indie Rock songs. Perhaps just the site of Maurice Sendack's wild monsters makes me feel emotional. Still, in the end, my inner child was pouting because the movie did not live up to the beloved book that my mom read to me every night before bedtime.

Better luck next time Spike Jones. Thanks for trying.

Scroll on down to see the winner of Freakshow Friday.

Winner: Studly Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

MamaOTwins+1
After learning doggy style, Karen
set out to prove that Horsey style was better.

VandyJ
Karen always like to be on top,
no matter what.

Amy
We get it Lisa, you're undefeated
in the heavyweight division.
No need to beat a dead horse.

and the winner is...

VandyJ

Karen always like to be on top,
no matter what.

VandyJ is the funniest Blogger in all the land.

Please head on over to her Blog

and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.


Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

The day that my kid beat me at my own game.

Did you ever play Opposite Day when you were a kid? Just in case you grew up under a rock and don't know what I'm talking about, here is the definition from The Urban Dictionary.

Opposite Day:

"Rooted in playground tradition.
A fictional holiday, in which everything you do
or say means exactly the opposite.
Often used at the end of a sentence
to negate what you just said."

Get the idea? Okay...moving on. I was the master of Opposite Day when I was a kid. Priding myself in the fact that I could always confuse my Grandma who really had her wits about her. She was still an easy target as I would randomly declare the holiday then proceed to prance around her and flex my brain, saying the exact opposite of what I meant. We could go on for hours, me talking smack and her getting all flustered as the day wore on. It was great.

Well, the other day, Karma came into my home, plopped down on the couch, and laughed her ass off at me. Here is a conversation that I had with Griffin.

G: It's Opposite Day.

Me: That's cool. (Trying to act all casual but really I'm excited on the inside
because he has no idea who he's dealing with).

G: I need a snack, please.

Me: So, you're not hungry then?

G: No.

Me: So, you don't want a snack?

G: Yes

Me: (Getting flummoxed) Hmmm...so you're telling me that you want a snack?

G:No

Me: Okay, time out...I'm going to the kitchen, am I getting you a snack?

G: No

Me: Is it still Opposite Day?

G: Yes

Me: Okay...that means that it is not Opposite day at this moment?
So, this whole snack thing...did you really want one?

G: No

At which point I just walked away, went into the bathroom, closed the door, took a good long look in the mirror, and said to myself: "You're losing your edge, Leigh!"

Please scroll down to play Freakshow Friday.

Freakshow Friday : Studly edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a photo taken from Awkward Family Photos. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is the week's photo. I'm a little bit worried about this girl.

"Karen straddles the only Stud
that will ever love her back."

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.

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.

Look, I'm domestic AND skinny.

I've lost 15 pounds
since starting Weight Watchers.
Woo hoo!

To celebrate, I am sharing a recipe by delving into my
Weight Watchers five ingredient 15 minute cookbook.
That's right...
five ingredients
15 minutes,
Mommy likes!

Skillet Sheperd's Pie

Points value: 6

I've made this once a week for the past 8 weeks.
It's all cheesy and yummy and warm
on the belly.
It's not exactly gourmet cooking
but it sure is good!

1 pound ground round.
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce package refrigerated mashed poatatoes (such as Simply Potatoes)
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat broiler
2.Cook beef in a 10-inch large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until browned,
stirring to crumble. Add frozen peas and carrots, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
(I like to add some BBQ sauce and grilled onions. MMMMMMMMMM BBQ!) Cook 3 minutes until heated.
3. While beef mixture cooks, prepare potatoes according to package directions, using remaining
1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Spoon potatoes evenly over beef mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or
until cheese melts.
(serving size 1/4 of the skillet)

It's just so simple and

let me tell ya...
my man loves this recipe.
He rubs his tummy and squeezes my knee under the table
and says
"That was yummy!"

Maybe it will be lucky for you too.

May I sit on your couch and a have a quick therapy session? Grab a drink and have a seat because this might take a minute.

Disclaimer : This is a longer post than usual.
If I had a fat wad of cash, I'd pay some dude with glasses
to listen but I don't and besides... that's why I have you!

When I was a little girl I would play with my dolls and daydream about being a Mommy when I grew up. My collection of baby dolls would take turns being rocked, burped, and loved on. I just knew that one day I would have a real baby to take care of. Now, I have two awesome little boys that I adore with all of my heart. I am meant to be a mom to boys. I can use the word "Poot" in any number of sentences. I can make an incredibly realistic fart noise by licking my palm and then blowing on it. I've been known to play video games for six hours straight. I can name every Superhero, including what their powers are and who their nemesis is. I cherish my sons.

I'm good at having boys.

Yet, I must admit, my heart has been aching because I always thought that I would have a little girl. My dream as a child was to have a daughter. Now, here is the part where I tell you that I am done having children. Two is plenty for our family. Now, here is the part where I talk about the fact that maybe one day, we'll get a little surprise and I'll get my girl or another gloriously sweet little boy. Oh, and the hubby and I both think that adoption is amazing but we honestly feel that if a baby is going to be in our family then we would prefer that I grow one. Let's just, for the sake of my sanity, say that we are done having children.

Now, come take a ride through my thoughts as a million questions blaze through my mind. So, what do I do with this unmet desire that burns in my chest? How do I deal with this disappointment? Do I ignore my sadness that I don't have my little girl? Do I pretend that this is not a struggle for me? I mean, I never EVER want to make my boys feel like they are not perfect for me. How selfish am I to have two healthy and amazing little boys and still feel heartache for the little girl that I'll never have? Do I allow myself to mourn for her or is that a big waste of time, what if I bother to go through a grieving period and then end up with a daughter one day? I don't really have time for wasted tears. Do I just go ahead and try for a girl? I mean, I'm no spring chicken. Is it worth the risks? I feel like my body just now healed from giving birth! Do I really want to be pregnant or give birth again? How would I feel if it was another boy? Do I even want a third child? I really want to be done having babies. All of these questions and thoughts have sat in my heart since the moment that I found out on the ultrasound that I was having a second son. Then, I realized that

I don't need to be ashamed of my feelings.

So, I decided to give in. I quit fighting my sadness and just felt it. If I was at Target and I saw a cute little girl wearing a tutu with cowgirl boots, I would just go ahead and start crying. If I felt an ache in my heart at the thought of not having a daughter to take shopping for a Prom Dress or to be the mother of my grandchildren one day, I would just go ahead and feel that heartache from my head to my toes. Sometimes I would pass the Barbie aisle at the store and just sigh a sad sigh. I talked about it with close friends, I talked about it A LOT. I prayed about it before I fell asleep. Sometimes, I would cry myself to sleep. I grieved the loss of my childhood dream.

I cried for my little girl.

Then, something amazing happened. I felt a tiny spark ignite within me. I've always wanted to be a Stay at Home Mom (call me old fashioned) I've never put much thought into what else I'd like to do with myself. I've never had a drive or a passion that pushed me towards a career. Let's just say that I was a few beans short of a chalupa when career day rolled around. I've been okay with this and just knew that I wanted to get married and have babies. Now that I've done that, I've started to think about me. Not me as a Mom but me...as a woman. I started to wonder,

what do I want?

I want to write my novel. I want to take beautiful photographs. I want to travel. I want to give my boys all the love that my heart can hold without pushing through heartache. I want to do things for myself for once in my life. I know that there are women out there with tons of children pulling at their skirt and they still find time to do what they want for themselves. I'm just not that kind of person. I have thrown myself into motherhood and just having two is a balancing act for me. Then, I started to realize that I am so fortunate that I can stay at home with my children and not have to work. It's a sacrifice but it's so worth it! I need to take advantage of my life being so open.

I think that my time of grief for the daughter that I may never meet is almost over. I know that my life has a path and that the people who are meant to walk down that path with me are here. With this openness came a creative surge. As each day passes and I pick up my camera to take a photo, I feel myself healing a little bit. I might write a paragraph of my novel and smile a smile that comes from deep within my soul. When I take care of myself, I feel complete. Recently, I decided to look for the blessings in my life. On my little quest for Happiness, I discovered something amazing.

Maybe...just maybe,
I am the girl that I need.