Anticipation

Several weeks back I wrote a post about looking forward to things. The post was prompted by our vacation plans. We leave tomorrow.

As I rush around today to finish the rest of the myriad things that need doing, I have realized something. In my great anticipation for the next big event, I have failed to recognize a lot of the wonderful things about daily, mundane living as well. I've been a rather hands off mother for the past several days--worrying more about my laundry and my vacuuming and packing than my kidlets. My sleeping patterns in the past two weeks are nearly as poor as if I have a newborn baby in the house, and I was in full grouch mode yesterday.

I'm trying harder today to just breathe and tell myself that even if it is not all perfect, it will certainly all work out. I'm learning the hard way (as too many of my lessons come) that while it is important to look forward to something, it is perhaps more important to not look beyond the something we already have. The future is worth planning for, but only the present is worth living in.

In the spirit of focusing on the little things that made this week interesting, here are some entirely random thoughts.

My last post pointed out Plantboy's gift for ruining (or improving?) any chick-thing I might be interested in watching. Last week at the Goodwill I was looking for old Disney movies on VHS. The kids don't care a whit for about the poor picture quality and I can pick them up for a couple of bucks apiece. I scored Emperor's New Groove. The big boys got giggling so hard at one point they could hardly hear the movie. I also picked up this:


Plantboy saw it in the stack and said, "That is a cool movie, but its soundtrack is terrible." Soundtrack? What was he talking about? He can't even remember his kids' birthdays. How can he remember the soundtrack of a movie made in like 1985?

"So do you want to watch it or not?" Says I. A little bit testily I might add.

"Of course. I always love doing anything with you." Plantboy has a way of taking the wind out of any tirade I might be prepped to start. So while I was in the middle of making Hazelnut Ring-a-Lings, we decided to give in a try.

Plantboy said nothing as the music started up and just waited for its utter cheesiness to sink into my astonished psyche. After about ten minutes I said, "It is really like Manheim Steamroller meets the Boston Pops. In an elevator."

"Told ya."

The in between moments were okay, but every time that soundtrack got going at top volume I just about had to plug my ears. "I'm sorry; I think I've ruined it for you."

"How hard would it be to just orchestrate over the top?"

"Easy. They could hire John Williams."

"Or Danny Elfman."

"Or maybe they should just remake the whole thing."

"I don't think anybody but Michelle Pfieffer could do this part. And this is easily Matthew Broderick's best movie."

"But Rutger Hauer?"

Long pause. "Why is he the only one without an accent?"

Anyway, it is official: Ladyhawke is the coolest movie with the worst soundtrack. And don't even get me started on why there is and extra "e" on Hawke. Ye Olde Bad Musique.

We had a couple of supremely gorgeous days this week. Sunday afternoon it hit 75 degrees. We don't normally do the park thing on a Sunday, but we just couldn't help it this week. It was too nice to stay home. I think part of my anticipation thoughts today have to do with the bleakish weather forecasts we are reading for our destination. Even with the best preparation and dearest excitement, there is nothing to be done about chance.

The garden doesn't look like much, at least this portion of it, but in a few weeks it will be growing like crazy. As long as it isn't too warm and dry while we are gone, this whole area should be sprouting by the time we get home. You'll have to excuse the ugly grass. My darling water-boy has it in his head that we should be growing food instead of grass. Go figure.

In my last salute to living in the moment, I have to attribute the funniest phrase of the week to Jedi Master. We have had some extremely serious and highly frustrating potty training issues with my oldest darling. Just when we think the problems are over and past, something will happen to set us back. Sure enough, he wet his pants TWICE at school this week. After the second time, when I was finally calm enough to discuss it with him, I asked him about what happened. He explained, "I was on my way to the potty both times and I just didn't make it."

"Did you go to your teacher then?"

"No. I went straight to the office."

"To the secretary?"

"No, there is a special office you can go in if you have problems." I said nothing for a moment figuring he probably meant the counselor's office. In my pause he must have decided I was confused because he clarified, dropping his voice to a whisper for some reason, "Not math problems, Mom. Other kinds of problems." I wish we all had an office like that.

The video is of the kids dancing to Beyonce. The baby wants to listen to my iPod all the time, but only if I put on "Single Ladies." 1000 songs to choose from and he wants the only piece of dance music in the bunch. I guess The Youngling likes his music bouncy.

The children are looking forward to seeing grandma and grandpa too--how could they not? But I need to try harder to make sure that they are just looking forward to getting out of bed each day, and that my enthusiasm matches their own.