We Can Dance if We Want To

We had another day full of fits yesterday. It makes me weary, both emotionally and physically. As soon as I got my rebellious child (who had, for the record, hugged me and apologized, saying, “It’s okay, Mommy. Tomorrow be better.”) into bed, I collapsed on the couch and turned on my computer.

And there was this video, just waiting to brighten my day. Enjoy:

As you know, whether it’s watching my favorite dance movie or a reality TV show, I do love me some dance. Sometimes, I can even find it in my favorite non-dance shows, like Psych. I loved the episode a few weeks ago that featured Gus and Lassiter tap dancing. And check out this video. Could it get any better than a Psych/Glee mash-up? (Unless the video quality were better, but beggars can’t be choosers.)

For more about my obsession with love of dancing, check out these posts:

Do you enjoy dance? What’s your favorite dance movie? (Or TV show?)

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Summer Science with Wisk

If I had to rank all the subjects in school, science would come in last every time. But somehow, armed with a tiny lab coat, beaker and pipette, science became fun when I recruited Annalyn for a little laundry experiment.

The new Wisk with Stain Spectrum Technology™ fights all kind of stains. Apparently – not that I’m telling you science nerds anything – stains fall into several basic categories such as proteins, carbohydrates and oils. This week’s experiment focused on the protein kind.

Protein stains can come from eggs or baby formula, but the best-known culprit is grass. Wisk sent me a grass-stained swatch, a science kit and some simple instructions. Here’s what happened:

First of all, I put the tiny lab coat on Annalyn. To say she got into her role would be an understatement. Later in the day, she wore her goggles to the store. I guess you never know when you might run into a science experiment.

I filled the beaker with warm water. Then I poured a small amount of Wisk detergent in the cap and filled the pipette. (Pipette?! When was the last time I said THAT word? Oh yeah. High school. College chemistry. Ugh.)

Then I drew a big A on the protein-stained swatch with the pipette.

Annalyn watched carefully as Wisk’s Stain Spectrum Technology started to work.

After a minute or so, I put the swatch into the beaker of water. Then we swished it around. (Yes, that’s the technical term. Duh!)

After we took the swatch out, we could see just how well – and how quickly! – the detergent works. Where I’d drawn the A, the stain was gone.

As you can see, Annalyn was VERY impressed.
And did I mention how GOOD Wisk smells?

This post will be linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family and Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus.

Disclosure: This sponsored post on behalf of Wisk laundry detergent was facilitated by One2One Network. While I will be compensated for this post, the experiences and opinions expressed are my own.

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10 TV Characters Who Started Out Annoying…and Grew on Me.

Do you ever find yourself watching a TV show and loving it – except for that one character? Have you ever wished a certain character would meet an untimely demise, as they say?

But what if he could change? What if she promises it will be different this time? What if they really mean it? Today’s Top 10 Tuesday is about TV characters who started out driving me up the wall . . . but ended up being my favorites (or at least bearable).

1. Morgan Grimes (Chuck): When my favorite show of all shows debuted, Chuck’s best friend was super annoying. While Chuck’s nerdiness was charming (and slightly unbelievable), Morgan’s was irritating and kind of made you watch to trip him in the hallway. But somewhere along the way, he calmed down and became someone you root for, and his discovery of Chuck’s spy status was one of the best parts of last season.

2. Madeline Westen (Burn Notice): I remember when this show first came on, I read several reviews complaining about Michael’s harpy of a mom. But rather than limit her time on screen, the showrunners made this character work. And this season, she’s become a full-blown member of the team, even helping them rob a bank.

3. Andy Bernard (The Office): Talk about a character reinvention! When Andy’s character was first introduced, he was an arrogant tool with an anger problem. But anger management classes worked wonders, and the New Andy was funny and sweet, though still really foolish. You may recall I denied my love for him a while back. I’m sticking by that post, of course.

4. Addison Montgomery (Grey’s Anatomy): From the moment her character was mentioned to the moment we met her, we were conditioned to hate Addison Montgomery. After all, she was the woman who broke McDreamy’s heart and the one who might come between Derek and Meredith. But it didn’t take long before Addison was one of the most sane, adult characters on the whole show. Let’s not talk about what happened when she moved to That Other Show, though.

5. Randy Disher (Monk): Somehow, while we were figuring out who killed Trudy and debating the merits of Sharona vs. Natalie, Randy went from a bumbling idiot to a real cop in the forty million seasons that Monk was on the air. I even kind of liked him toward the end.

6. Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory): I’m not sure Sheldon really counts for this list. Being annoying is part of his character. He’s supposed to be weird and irritating. But while it seemed over the top at the beginning, it’s charming and lovable now. Did he change, or did I? I may never know . . .

7. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother): It doesn’t make any sense. Why would I love a womanizing creep like Barney? And yet, I do. Even in a lackluster season like we had last year, he consistently had the funniest lines of every episode. You might say he’s legen…dary.

8. Marc and Amanda (Ugly Betty): These two characters were horrid. Just wretched. They were cruel and ugly and judgmental and, well, I could go on. But I won’t, because by the end of the series, they were truly Betty’s friends. And while they could still be catty (and hilarious), they were also pretty sweet.

9. Tracy Jordan (30 Rock): You might disagree with me on this one, but a lot of people think Tracy Jordan is funny. [I’m one of them. Don't judge.] I know. He’s ridiculous. I agree. But over the years, his mania and idiocy has gotten funnier and funnier – and sometimes is the only laugh-out-loud moment in an otherwise grin-but-don’t-laugh episode of 30 Rock.

10. Gob Bluth (Arrested Development): Don’t tell me you don’t still think of old Gob when you hear those familiar notes of The Final Countdown! And while he may have seemed annoying at the beginning, it didn’t take long for “I’ve made a huge mistake” to warm my heart. Okay, maybe not. But I can’t help but love Gob.

Has a TV character ever grown on you? Which TV characters do you find most annoying?

Affiliate links were used in this post. Also, this post will be linked to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.

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We needed a weekend like this.

Friday morning, unfortunately, brought a reprise of the Major Meltdown (does that make anyone else want to salute, ala How I Met Your Mother?) of earlier in the week. It wasn’t quite as bad, but I also didn’t react nearly as well.

And that’s an understatement.

I blew up. I yelled. I yelled so much I cried. That calmed HER down for a bit. She didn’t say anything, but she tilted her head and looked at my tear-streaked face and oh-so-slowly reached out to touch my cheek.

Don’t be thinking that’s sweet. Because the fit resumed just as soon as I stopped yelling. Thankfully, though, it ended before we got in the car to head out for the day.

I was determined to be positive and calm when I picked her up after work. And I was – but she was not. So I dropped her off with my husband and drove straight to the grocery store. I bought cookie dough and rented a chick flick – and began the countdown to bedtime.

Soon enough, Mark went to work and Annalyn went to bed. I broke apart the cookie dough, baked up more cookies than I really needed and popped in my movie.

By the time I went to bed, I was feeling a little better.

[Movie review side note: The Back-Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez is ridiculous. But if you’re in the mood for – or in need of – a silly romantic comedy, this might do the trick. Unless you hate JLo. Then you should probably skip it.]

On Saturday, we hung around all day, enjoying Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, naps and a trip to the grocery store. (Okay, I wouldn’t say we ENJOYED the trip to the grocery store. But we did survive without any major incident.)

Then, after naptimes, showers and a frantic surface clean of the house, I picked up our babysitter and we went on a date.

Thanks to generous friends and family, we’ve never had to pay a babysitter to watch Annalyn, so this was a first. One of our pastors’ daughter, who is in choir with me and works in Annalyn’s nursery, agreed to come over and watch our daughter, so Mark and I could get a few hours of much-needed time together.

When I asked Annalyn the next morning if she liked “New Lauren” (because my sister-in-law’s name is Lauren, and there can’t possibly be TWO Laurens!), she said, “She’s nice, but she doesn’t talk.”

I’m not really sure what that means. But I am pretty sure New Lauren didn’t eat dinner. I told her she could have anything in the kitchen and even pointed out a few good options. So I don’t know what that’s about. Aside from getting paid – and the kids. Sometimes. – the best part about babysitting back in my day was the frozen burritos. And watching Baywatch and The Commish.

I don’t know. I’m weird.

Sunday was another low-key day. We went to church, ate leftovers for lunch and enjoyed long naps. We also played a lot of pretend, watched another Mickey movie and ate a bowl full of messy chips.

The best things I heard this weekend? Annalyn looking at Mark and me, as we sat on the couch with those chips: “We’re sharing. We’re a family.”

And THAT is a good weekend.

Later this week, I’ll link this up to Tuesdays Unwrapped on Chatting at the Sky and Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things.

How was your weekend? Do anything exciting? Or relaxing? Or BOTH?

P.S. Feel free to check out my post about Cheesy Chicken from a while back. I’m linking it up to recipe carnivals this week. And even though I still don’t have a photo (what can I say? It doesn’t LOOK pretty.), it is DELICIOUS. And pretty much our family’s favorite thing to fix.

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Saturday Review: Just Between You & Me

During my Blog-Warming Party, I gave away a copy of Just Between You & Me: A Novel of Losing Fear and Finding God by Jenny B. Jones. And then I promised a review . . . which never happened.

Until today. It’s happening right now. In case you hadn’t figured that out.

That’s a long title, right? Honestly, if I hadn’t seen the book on a list of recent award winners, I wouldn’t have requested it from the library. It sounds serious. And when it comes to my fiction, I almost always prefer, well, NOT serious.

Thankfully, I did check out this book. It was GREAT. As soon as I finished it, I got online to stalk research Jones. I HAD to know if she’d written other books. And if she had, you better believe they were going on reserve at the library, pronto.

Sadly, her other books – which look adorable and fun – are more of the YA variety. And while I like my chick lit fluffy, I don’t typically resort to reading YA. (Typically. I’m not saying never, because I loved As You Wish by Jackson Pearce.)

With the wonder that is Twitter, though, I found out that Jones (or Jenny. Should I call her Jenny?) has another adult contemporary coming out in a few months. I can’t wait.

Until then, I’m reading Jenny’s blog (Yeah, I decided first names are better.) and telling everyone I know that if you read Christian fiction, you should read this book. And, actually, even if you just like adult contemporary, read this book. The Christian aspect is not heavy-handed at all.

So, why do I like this book so much? Well, I’m so glad you asked. I like it because the characters talk like real people. The main character even thinks like a real person, saying things like, “I’m so sure.” and “Crap.”

Yep, that’s really all it takes for me. (See: Brad Meltzer’s first couple of books and my disappointment in his later novels.)

The novel follows the usual pattern of contemporary romance, but the situations play out a little more realistically than a lot of the fairytales – I mean, books – I read. I was hoping it would end differently, but I didn’t mind the story’s resolution too much.

A few times while I was reading it, I thought that it felt a lot like reading someone’s blog. And while I never want blogs to replace books completely (The horror!), I do enjoy hearing Jenny’s characters use a genuine conversational tone.

Here’s the summary:

The only thing scarier than living on the edge is stepping off it.

Maggie Montgomery lives a life of adventure. Her job as a cinematographer takes her from one exotic locale to the next. When Maggie’s not working, she loves to rappel off cliffs or go skydiving. Nothing frightens her.

Nothing, that is, except Ivy, Texas, where a family emergency pulls her back home to a town full of bad memories, painful secrets, and people Maggie left far behind . . . for a reason.

Forced to stay longer than she intended, Maggie finds her family a complete mess, including the niece her sister has abandoned. Ten-year-old Riley is struggling in school and out of control at home. The only person who can really handle the pint-sized troublemaker is Conner, the local vet and Ivy’s most eligible bachelor. But Conner and Maggie keep butting heads—he’s suspicious of her and, well, she doesn’t rely on anyone but herself.

As Maggie humorously fumbles her way from one mishap to another, she realizes she’s going to need to ask for help from the one person who scares her the most.

To save one little girl—and herself—can Maggie let go of her fears and just trust God?

What does it take for you to consider a book great?

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With toddlers like these, who needs teenagers?

On Monday night, Annalyn woke up crying. Actually, it was technically Tuesday morning. Whatever you call it, it was dark – what we call “sleep time” in our house.

She didn’t calm down on her own (and it’s strange for her to do this in the first place), so I went in and rubbed her back. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“The PAINT on my FINGERS is coming off!” she wailed. WAILED.

You would have thought the world was, in fact, ending. I very calmly and without a hint of laughter said, “It’s okay, sweets. Just go back to sleep. It’s still sleep time.”

“But THE PAINT! Waaaahhhh!”

I finally had to tell her that if she didn’t quiet down and go to sleep, I would NOT put more paint on her fingers. It was a great way to spend an hour in the middle of the night.

Just over 24 hours later, on Wednesday morning, my little drama queen woke up early, though not technically during sleep time. Shortly after 6:30, she woke ME up, crying.

I went in, told her whiny self good morning and informed her, gently of course, that I’d get her out of her crib when she stopped whining.

So she did. And I did.

But as soon as I pulled her multicolor gingham skirt set out of the closet, she started throwing a doozy of a fit.

“I want to wear a DRESS!!!”

Normally, I indulge her. If the girl wants to wear a dress, I usually let her wear a dress. But that day, all her clean dresses (that fit) were in the laundry. So a skirt set it was.

But no. She wanted to throw a fit. Finally, in frustration, I told her that she could either quit crying or go back in her crib, naked, while I took my shower. “Is that what you want?” I asked her.

“Yes!”

Okey-doke. I put her (mostly naked, but she was wearing underwear) back in her crib, and I took my shower.

When I got out, I asked her if she was ready to behave nicely and put her clothes on. She said NO.

After that, I went back every few minutes and asked her the same thing. Each time, I got the same hateful answer. And the whole time, she was crying and hollering and pitching one heck of a fit.

Finally, we had to leave. So I wrestled her into her outfit, shoes and ponytail, and I picked her up to head out.

It was at THAT point that she decided to kick it up a notch. THAT is when the screaming started. At the TOP of her LUNGS.

She continued to scream all the way through the house into the car and all the way to her daycare. As we pulled up, I said (calmly, and I’m not sure where that calm even CAME from), “You can keep this up if you want. It’s your choice. But I’m going to carry you inside, and ALL your friends are going to see you acting like an animal.”

I know. Harsh, right? Totally mean. But IT DIDN’T PHASE HER.

She kept screaming. All the way up the sidewalk, into the daycare and down the hall. When her teacher said, “Annalyn! What is WRONG with you?” she didn’t even stop to take a breath. She just KEPT SCREAMING.

Her teacher urged me to just leave, so I did. And I only cried a little.

I have NEVER seen her act that way. She was completely out of control! I know it was a full moon this week – and even my cats were kind of spazzing out. And I know we’ve been too busy and had too little family time lately.

But seriously? More than an HOUR of the worst fit I’ve ever seen? What the heck???

Thankfully, about 25 minutes after I left her (SCREAMING) at daycare, her teacher called me at work to say that she’d calmed down. He even made her get on the phone and apologize to me.

She was fine when I picked her up that night. I told her that she’d made me really sad, and she apologized again. I told her that I forgive her and she hugged me.

But MY GOODNESS! That was TERRIBLE!

And here’s the kicker: I can’t even say, “Where on earth would she GET this?” Because, um, YEAH. I know. I can remember times not so long ago when I cried so hard I made myself physically sick.

Poor girl. The crazy comes naturally. Too bad it has to be so LOUD.

This post will be linked to Friday Fails. Because, well . . . do I have to explain?

How was YOUR week?

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Things I Love Thursday: Commercials

Over the weekend, Mark was listing the many benefits of getting a new, fancy television. Again.

He explained that, now that many stations are going to HD, our not-that-old TV isn’t the right shape. So the sides of whatever we’re watching are getting cut off. And that just won’t do, apparently.

After nearly 16 years, though, he knows that possibly missing the crucial play in a football game is not likely to convince me to do anything – especially spend several hundred dollars. So he said the words guaranteed to get my attention: “And then we could get a DVR.”

I’m no fool, though, and I promptly replied, “We could get a DVR with this TV.”

It’s true. Despite my continued love – and use – of our VCR, we could get a DVR. But so far, I’ve resisted. Is this because I don’t see a use for it? Uh, no. Obviously (see: TV schedule), I could use a DVR to manage my addiction obsession attachment to a plethora of television shows. And I’d end up spending LESS time watching TV, I’m sure, because I could skip all those pesky commercials.

But would I? Really?

Probably not. You’re going to think I’m crazy (like that’s new), but I kind of like commercials. In addition to being great times to go to the bathroom, change laundry or empty half the dishwasher (or, okay, get a bowl of chocolate Cheerios), commercial breaks are a good chance to, well, watch commercials.

Whether it’s a quiet, happy little piece for phone service or Peyton Manning trying to sell pretty much anything, I have a soft spot for commercials. (And don’t even get me started on the Superbowl, which some people think is about sports.)

I blame my short-lived career in advertising. Although I’m pretty sure it goes all the way back to the days when my mom kept my brother and me quiet on trips to the city by telling us to count billboards for certain companies or products.

Whatever the reason, I do enjoy good commercials. And lately, two in particular have been cracking me up – and no, I’m not talking about the Old Spice guy. I’m talking about Geico’s bird in the hand commercial, and 1-800-Contacts’ “overly dramatic dramatization” about a man with “special eyes.”

Enjoy.

Do you like to watch commercials – or do you skip right over them? What’s your favorite commercial or ad?

This post will be linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries. Because, as I may have mentioned a time or twelve, I love commercials. Good ones, that is. Not the cheesy local commercials broadcast late at night. Unless we’re talking about Rhett and Link’s cheesy local commercials, and that’s an entirely different story.

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Wednesdays at Work: The bathroom situation

Who out there was an Ally McBeal fan? Do you remember their unisex bathroom? How weird was THAT?

Maybe it’s progressive or hip or mature. (Or sumpin’, as my daughter is STILL saying.) But I think it’s just . . . icky. And awkward. Extremely awkward.

Because sometimes you need to do bathroom business alone. Am I right? Okay, of course I’m right. You know what I’m talking about.

I’ve worked in several different offices over the years, and in addition to the office’s proximity to conveniences like a gas station and post office, the bathroom situation is also a huge determining factor in just how much I like any particular office.

Bathroom Situation #1

In my first “real” job, a handicapped bathroom – full walls and door, total privacy – was located just across the hall from the regular women’s three-stall restroom. Now that was handy.

Except for the time my co-worker was walking up to the door right as I was exiting. I guess it’s true what the book says, but still. Awkward!

Bathroom Situation #2 (No pun intended. Don’t be gross.)

At my next job, my office was located in the third floor of an old building that also housed a movie theater. My office had shiny, noisy concrete floors, and the bathroom walls didn’t go all the way to the vaulted ceilings. So, pretty much everything that took place in the bathroom – from gossip and crying to flossing and flushing – echoed throughout one side of the office.

I was so thankful when my co-workers told me about the second-floor bathroom – and even better, the hidden, first-floor bathroom. Luckily, the building’s first floor held not just the theater but also lots of hallways, twists and turns, and nooks and crannies. And an old, isolated, slightly scary bathroom.

Sure, it may not have always had soap, and you may have always wondered who you would run into back in that dark corner of the building. But isolated can be a good thing when you need your privacy.

So that was handy, too . . . until the day that the toilet wouldn’t flush. I still feel bad about that. (Because, really, there’s no telling when that situation was discovered. I know. Let’s move on.)

Bathroom Situation #3

In my current job, my office is located in an old farmhouse that was also previously a restaurant. We have a few random hallways, nooks and crannies here, too – but at least they’re well-lit.

For the first year and a half, I sat just outside the second floor handicapped bathroom. It’s a big room, so it’s roomy, you know? But it’s also an acoustical nightmare and echoes every sound like nobody’s business. Except what goes on in there becomes everybody’s business.

Seriously. That was NOT pleasant. I was so glad to move into another, out-of-bathroom-earshot desk!

Have you ever had a bathroom situation at the office?

This post will be linked to Works for Me Wednesday, because a good bathroom situation at the office works for me! And for more on bathroom situations, check out The Secret Bathroom at Church from Stuff Christians Like.

Bathroom image by cote.

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Celebrity Lookalikes, the short version

I got to spend a great evening with my sweet friend Brittany last night and then chatted for a bit with some other great friends. I also wrote a brilliant blog post yesterday  – in my head. All that adds up to this: a celebrity lookalike post.

Here’s who I’m looking at today: Jamie Kaler from My Boys, Paul Bartholomew from commercials and small bits in movies and TV shows, and Sam Jaeger from Parenthood. What do you think?

If you haven’t seen Bartholomew in anything, here’s the Jeep commercial where I first noticed him. After that, it was like the guy was everywhere.

[Click here to see the embedded video.]

Have you noticed any celebrity lookalikes lately? (And how do you feel about singing and/or dancing animals in commercials?)

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Monday Morning Mmmm: Zucchini Bread

Over the summer, Annalyn got to spend the night with my parents once a week. My mom is a teacher, so she has a couple months off to do things like baking, organizing and hanging out with her favorite (okay, only) granddaughter.

That worked out well for Annalyn, who not only loves spending time with her grandparents but also loves the breads that my mom bakes all summer. She likes banana bread, but she really loves “keenie bread.” You might know it as “zucchini bread.”

Mark and I love it, too. And since I don’t spend a whole lot of time baking, my mom is usually kind enough to send a loaf home with Annalyn. She says it’s for Mark, but I’m pretty sure she knows we both enjoy the home-baked goods!

Funny enough, when Annalyn and I took our little road trip to Iowa last weekend, our friend Cory did the same thing. And while I think it’s normal for a mom to send bread home with her kids, it cracked me up that our friend did it, too!

Not that I argued. Nope, I took that loaf of zucchini bread home – and we all three enjoyed it!

Now, you know the trouble I had making banana bread. But I’m hoping to have better luck with zucchini bread. I’m pretty sure I have my mom’s recipe, but my neatly organized recipe binder has kind of, sort of turned into a big mess of paper. So I asked our friend for his recipe.

Apparently, he got the recipe from a lady at church. So it’s possible this recipe is almost as good as my mom’s. Try it out. Let me know what you think!

The Church Lady’s Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cup shredded zucchini
3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg

Bake at 350 for approximately 50 to 55 minutes.

Where do you get your best recipes? Do you enjoy any foods during the summer that you don’t get (or get to make) the rest of the year? (And whose recipe would you rather use: your mom’s or a church lady’s???)

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Friday Food, Foodie Friday and Food on Fridays.

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