My Poster

 So I’m on about revision/almost total rewrite of my second novel *feel scream rising in throat* and I’m in one of my character’s rooms (in my  head, I know they aren’t real, but I do get attached. Random side note: When Vaughn ‘died’ on Alias, Dan bought me flowers and a condolence card) Annnnnnd we’re back . . . in one of my character’s rooms and wondering, what posters would they have in here?

I walked into my daughter’s room for inspiration. She has LOTS of Harry Potter, then one Narnia, Twilight (more for my benefit than hers, so I can come in and drool at Rob whenever I want since Dan wouldn’t let me hang one in ours), High School Musical (again, more for my benefit, so I can stare at Zac whenever I wish), Transformers (again, so I can smile at Shia, well, you get the point–you’re not as slow as I am), Percy Jackson, Hannah Montana, and then some motivational sayings like,  “Be someone others admire. Be someone you admire” (I LOVE that one!).

But she’s a preteen, not quite there yet. So help me out peoplez! The only posters I remember hanging on my wall were NKOTB (again, preteen) and then one that said, “Racism Sucks” in big white block letters with a total black background. I was protesting all the haters out there. Nothing like making a political statement in your bedroom where no one will see it but hey, I was gonna change the world back then! (Maybe I still might, ya never know).

N-E-Ways, suggestions pleeeeaaase!

So the whole change your profile pic to your favorite cartoon character these past few days on Facebook inspired this blog. Some are from my era and some I’ve endured these past 10 yrs as a mom.

Best Top 10: (No particular order)

Smurfs- can’t wait for the movie! Ashley still plays with Dan’s old Smurf toys. I wish I still had my Smurf raincoat to give her, it was way cool.

 TMNT-I’ll admit I didn’t watch this one growing up, Dan turned me onto it when he bought all the movies. Now it’s a standard Saturday morning cartoon in the Ayres household.

Muppet Babies-I loved all the adventures they had and would try to recreate them on my own, even had Muppet Babies curtains way past the age of appropriate, lol.

Fraggle Rock-the theme song will forever live on in my head. Dance your cares away, Worry’s for another day, Let the music play, Down at Fraggle Rock

Thunder Cats-hopefully another one that’ll be a movie soon

 My Little Pony-I’ll never forget coming downstairs Christmas morning when I was 5 yrs old to the huge My Little Pony castle Santa left under the tree.

Sponge Bob-I know many parents don’t like this one, but I can’t help myself–HILARIOUS!

 Strawberry Shortcake-Any cartoon where characters are named after deserts is gonna have me as a fan. Even the DVD’s smell like strawberries, sweet!

 Scooby Doo-just classic

 Space Ghost Coast to Coast-if you’ve never seen this one, check You Tube for their songs.

Top 10 Worst: (again, no particular order. Explanations on these are mainly just too annoying or too vulgar).

Hello Kitty (I know she’s cute, but the cartoon is like listening to nails on a chalkboard), Dora, The Simpsons (one of Dan’s favorites), Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy, Beavis & Butthead, Bratz, Metalocalypse, Caillou, and Peanuts. I’ll probably get into trouble for that last one, and I did love them growing up. But now that I have kids, I think it’s one of the worst because most of the characters are just so mean.

Feel free to agree or disagree and comment with your own suggestions!!

The other day I was driving with this guy right on my bumper but there was nowhere to get out of his way. When the car in front of me finally did change lanes, we were approaching a red light so I wasn’t gonna race to the red light just to appease this jerk behind me. But of course he changes lanes in a huff and stares at me the whole red light and I just kept thinking, “That’s AWKWARD!”

 I started contemplating other awkward situations, like at school when I’m the only one walking down the hall and it’s empty but then someone waaaaaaaaaaaay down the hall appears on the same side as me and I think, Ok, do I wave now and move to the other side, wait until we’re closer to do it and smile and say hi? Do I just keep my head down?  Does anyone else worry about such things or are these just the mad rantings going on in my head alone?

And of course the mother of all mother awkward situations is when 1.) You get asked if you’re pregnant, and you’re not! or/and 2.) YOU ask someone if they’re pregnant, and they’re not!  I must admit both happened to me twice. Once, when I visited a church for the first time and during the meet and greet someone asked me when I was due, to which I said, “Oh no, I just had a baby!” (Trying to play it off) but then she asks, “Oh, how old is your baby?” And I had to admit that Ashley was in fact already 3 mo. old and I still wore maternity clothes (I should note I gained 60 pds w/ her and was very surprised when I didn’t have a 60 pd baby and had to lose all that weight). Another time I was asked if I was prego was at school, but I won’t embarrass the culprit;)

But like I said, I can’t waggle my finger at anyone because as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve done the same thing (shrugs). Once to one of our acquaintances from high school whom we hadn’t seen in a while but when we saw them 4 mo earlier, I could’ve SWORN she said she was pregnant and they were painting the nursery but demonstrating my ADHD once again (SQUIRREL!) it was actually that she told me there were taking the nursery down b/c their son was turning 2 and he was getting a big boy room. So when I asked, “When are you due?” And she said, “Oh, I’m just fat.” Talk about mortification!

The other time was to a complete stranger- the cashier at the Disney store and yes, I know the cardinal rule that you never ask anyone this under any circumstance unless you’re absolutely, positively 100% sure . . . but I’m telling you, even a 9-month pregnant woman could not have a more prego belly than this girl. I’m still convinced she was messin’ w/ me;)

Soooooooo, what are your “That’s so awkward!” moments? Do share!!!

Last night I watched my friend Monique Whan shave her head with 45 other momma’s on the Stand Up To Cancer special. Her son, Caleb, was 4-years-old when he lost his battle to cancer.

Part of Caleb’s story provided inspiration for my young adult series, Sarah’s Road. In book #2, Sarah’s Yield, one of the main characters is diagnosed with leukemia and makes a bucket list of 21 Things To Do Before 21.  As I watched the special, I started contemplating my own 21 Things and here’s what I came up with:

Take the girls to Washington DC to show them the enormity of sacrifice for our freedom

Become fluent in another language

Go back to college

Run a mile in 7 minutes

Learn to play the piano

Help Dan make a movie (even if it only plays on YouTube:)

Move to a Stars Hallow equivalent

Camp out under the stars, no tent, just the sleeping bag and me

Be more patient

Go to Africa to meet Maculate

Sponsor another child

Own a paddle boat (yup, I’m small town country at heart;)

Run the Australian Outback Marathon (with Ayers Rock as its backdrop, how perfect!)

Take up rollerblading with Dan again

Go to the Harry Potter premiere in England for the last movie

Buy less, invest in people and causes more

Retire and become a full time cruiser!

Take more pictures!!! And actually print them for the scrapbook, LOL

Remember names

Help Kaylee and Ashley realize their dreams

GET A BOOK DEAL!!!

. . . So that’s all folks! What’s on your life list–inquiring minds want to know!!!

Today I watched the movie, Dead Poet’s Society. It’d been so long since I’d seen it, I’d pretty much completely forgotten the plot. Being a teacher & also an author who has written a book with an attempted suicide in it, it moved me to tears. So, tonight I’d like to share a poem I sent Dan when we were in college. I was a new Christian and since he didn’t believe in God at the time and very bitter over his father’s death, he mocked me constantly for it. I wrote him poems all the time, but this one actually caused him to think about his life.

Die to self & live for Jesus! Turn to him & you will find, Silent strength deep down inside you,

Courage, hope, & peace of mind.

Take a glance around at all the faces, then look deep inside your heart.

Have you given your life to Jesus? If not, why not start?

Why sit at home on Sunday morning when  you could rejoice within the church pew?

Trust in God to end  your struggles, it’s the best thing you could do!

In each soul a song sings out, ‘who am I & why am I here?’

Some try to run & ignore the cries, when the answer is drawing them near.

Take a deep breath & look around you at all the empty faces.

Then lift each mask & this truth you’ll find, God is in all these places.