Posts Tagged With: silly

14 days!

Posted on August 17, 2015 by robynbird

I never underestimate the importance of a countdown.
I talked about countdowns at they apply to my birthday in counting down.
During the four years that YBW and I dated long distance, we always made a countdown when we knew we would see each other again.
I love counting down to pretty much anything! Right now I’m actually counting down two things simultaneously.
The first is easy: last two weeks at this preschool. The second one is my new favorite: 14 days until Thing 2 arrives!

She and I have been trading texts and emails the last few days:
Me: I’m so excited to see you! I’m going to kiss your face off!!
Thing 2: You know, I have really been needing a good Momma hug this week so all of that love will be hella reciprocated when I get there! I also wanna hug those boys!
Me: It’s gonna be SO great!! Snuggles. Baseball. Tom’s Diner. Snuggles. Lin’s. Hanging out. Snuggles. New do. Girlie stuff. Snuggles. (Y’all notice a pattern? Cause I sure do!)
Thing 2: All those made me really really really excited and smiley!

Me too, girl. Me too!
I’m near bursting with excitement to see my baby girl! We have yet to celebrate her birthday. I can hardly wait for her to open her pressies!
YBW and I scheduled a meeting with the event coordinator at the winery for when Thing 2 is here because we want to share it with her and have her input.

YBW came home today and I said: Want to know something SO exciting?
He said: Sure!
Me: (with a giggle) 14 days!
He giggled and hugged me.
Me: Do you know till what?
YBW: Thing 2 comes!
More giggling.
Me: I’m so excited.
YBW: Me too!
Then I said: I have a little Momma jealousy, I think she’s just as excited to see you as she is to see me.
YBW: REALLY!?!
Me: Yep.
YBW had a GREAT BIG GRIN!

I love a good countdown. It’s a playful way to mark the passing of time between me and something I feel happy about.
I thought, today, of the countdown clock on the wall in Matt Albie’s office on the show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
It’s an old show that only lasted one season. It was a tad left-leaning for me but I loved the characters and the way they related to each other. I adore Matthew Perry, and the natural on screen chemistry between him and Bradley Whitford was a joy to watch! Aaron Sorkin’s rat-a-tat-tat dialogue suited these actors.
One of my favorite scenes happens during the second episode: The Cold Open.
Danny Tripp, played by Bradley Whitford turns on the clock.

Matthew Perry’s character, Matt Albie reacts:
Matt: How did it know?
Danny: How did it know what?
Matt: Exactly how much time was left in the week?
Danny: Yeah, it’s a miracle of technology that we’ve invented, an electronic device that can count backwards from seven.
Matt: But it was off.
Danny: It has a battery.
Matt: [in horror] So it always knows?
Danny: Don’t endow the thing with special powers, Matt – it’s a clock.

I disagree, Danny. I’m all about endowing the clock with special powers! But only if you’re counting down to something good.
Matt is counting down until the next show…and he has to write it.
Isn’t that every writer’s nightmare? The deadline.
My deadline is picking up my child at the airport on time. I’ll countdown to that ANY day, thanks!

Categories: me | Tags: 14 days, Aaron Sorkin, Bradley Whitford, countdown, countdown clock, counting down, Danny Tripp, daughters, deadline, excited, excitement, fun, giggles, happy, joy, love, Matt Albie, Matthew Perry, mothers and daughters, playful, silly, snuggles, special powers, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, teenagers, The Cold Open, Thing 2, unconditional love, writer, writing, YBW | Leave a comment

Who do you think you are?

Posted on August 14, 2015 by robynbird

The last couple of weeks have been exhausting. I’m worn slap out. When I finally dragged my world weary ass out of bed this morning, all I could think was: Thank God it’s Friday!
And then I got in the car and this was playing:

It jump-started my energy and I danced all the way to work!
There is no shame in my love for Spice Girls. Thing 1 discovered them when she was a little girl and I was hooked! I love the Girl Power message mixed with the incredibly ridiculous shoes!
I hope this song brings you a little wiggle this morning!

Categories: me | Tags: dance, daughters, energy, fun, Girl Power, joy, love, silly, Spice Girls, TGIF, who do you think you are, wiggle | 2 Comments

sassy birthday love

Posted on July 18, 2015 by robynbird

I write a great deal about my love for my daughter, Thing 2. Partly that’s because I’ve honestly never loved another human being the way I love her, and partly because she (frustrating as she is) has become one of my favorite people. She’s become a bit of an acquired taste, but if you can get through her thick hide of protective armor she’s rather spectacular!

The kind parts of her personality are truly something to behold. The unkind parts are somewhat amusing, she can sarcasm and sass like nobody’s business, but sometimes it can cross that line between amusing and cruelty. I don’t believe that’s her intent. She just calls it like she sees it.
She’s quite like me in so many ways. Perhaps years of life have helped my sass remain more so on the amusing side of the line with occasional jaunts over to cruelty. I’d like to think so anyway. My sass intentions are never cruel and, surely that counts for something.
Thing 2 is still in that ‘figuring it out’ phase. That wretched place in life we all have to wade through to get to the place where our actions more and more reflect our intentions.
We do think very similarly about things and have those moments when we call each other and report some event of the day when she had a “Momma moment” or I had a “Thing 2” moment. We laugh about them and I tell her I’m so glad she’s a good sport about being so like me.

There is trouble in her heart. A wound that she simply hasn’t figured out how to let heal. I’m hopeful that with time and hard work she’ll realize that it doesn’t have to define her. But I have great concern she may not ever know how to come to that place. I’ve offered every kind of help I can think of. She’s becoming more open to help…perhaps that’s a good sign.

She celebrated the eighteenth anniversary of her birth last week. Eighteen years of Thing 2. With all honesty, I can hardly believe it! It seems only a moment. Only a moment since she was a teeny little think in the NICU. Since she was fitted for her first pair of glasses (at sixteen months). Since she put on her first black leotard and pink shoes. Since she got on the school bus the very first day of kindergarten holding her big sisters hand and smiling from ear to ear. Since she stood on the stage for the first time as a young princess in disguise.
Since the terrible moment she told me she didn’t want me to be her mom anymore. And the beautiful moment we found our way back to each other.

Eighteen years of love and laughter and sadness and tears. Eighteen years of silliness and snuggles and sassiness to spare.
One of the best gifts I’ve ever received! And so many more to come!

I wasn’t with her on her birthday, that was hard for me. But I’ve come to terms with it. She was with her friends and her big sister even came to town to celebrate with her. She and I decided to celebrate later on, when she’s here for a while. I didn’t even send her gifts (some she even knows about). Because I found what I hope will be the coolest gift and I selfishly want to be with her when she opens it. I can’t yet share the secret because she sometimes reads these words. I can say the item is celebrating it’s centennial this year, that it was involved in an important historical situation, and that it is meaningful to our family.

Interestingly enough, it was YBW who came up with the idea that sparked my search for this perfect item. I love that he gets us, even though he sometimes doesn’t understand us.

I have this item for her and wanted a special way to present it to her and nothing felt quite right. So I made a trip to the craft store and found the thing that sparked my idea for the way to present Thing 2’s special gift. A janky little balsa wood suitcase that with a bit of stain, antique travel and map stickers, and some mod podge became the perfect box for her gift!

Thing 2 loves antique suitcases and bags, I hope she loves this one too!

The inside had to be as perfect as the outside.

How precious is this little case?
I’m so excited to celebrate my baby’s birthday!

Categories: love, on being a mom | Tags: birthday, blessings, daughters, eighteen, family, gifts, giggles, happy, happy birthday, joy, love, motherhood, mothers and daughters, sarcasm, sassy, silly, teenagers, Thing 2, unconditional love, YBW | 4 Comments

mad (libs) responses

Posted on July 12, 2015 by robynbird

On October 24th, when Robynbird and YBW _______________________________

(verb)

down the aisle, ________________________________________________________

(your name)

______________________________ be there to ________________________________

(will/will not) (verb)

them. I am so ___________________________________ for Robynbird and YBW! I can’t

(adjective)

wait to see them __________________________________. I wish them many

(verb)

years of ______________________________ and _____________________________.

(noun) (noun)

This is a sample of our response card.
I’m asking each person to return a card whether attending or not. I’m going to create a book to display at the reception so everyone can read all the mad (libs) responses.
I’m so excited to see how creative our friends and family will be!
This is going to be great!

Categories: wedding | Tags: book, creative, fun, mad libs, playful, reception, response cards, RSVP, silly, wedding | 2 Comments

cheers, bitches

Posted on April 26, 2015 by robynbird

My birthday is coming and I absolutely need these candles for my cake.

I’m just sayin’.

Categories: me | Tags: birthday, birthday cake, candles, cheers bitches, fun, happy birthday, phrase candles, playful, silly | Leave a comment

our love (of Joss Whedon) is ever-changing AND constant

Posted on March 11, 2015 by robynbird

Just had a great conversation with Thing 2. She called as I was leaving school this afternoon and we just hung up the phone. Her voice is one of my true joys. We’ve been playing phone tag for almost a week now and I am so happy I got to talk with her!
She was sounding a bit sad when we first started talking. I asked and she explained there was a bit of drama. Girl drama. I laughed and said: I didn’t think you hung out with girls any more. She laughed too then said there was some ickiness with her best (girl)friend. I asked her if she wanted to talk about it. She explained that she’s hurt that her best friend has gotten really close with another girl (a common friend) but Thing 2 is kind of feeling put out. She said: Like I’m suddenly less cool than (girl’s name)? (I can assure you that Thing 2 is INFINITELY “cooler” than this other girl, and I’m not saying that just because I’m her Momma.)
We talked about how all her friends are in school and she’s not. How her life is completely different than their lives. Then she said something that gave me pause (and great pride).
She said: Maybe it’s me. Maybe I need to change my expectations.
Damn, that kid has insight. How many seventeen year olds have that much self awareness? (I did something right.)
So we talked about her perspective, she was thrilled to have my feedback. I feel hopeful that it will help her when she begins to feel this way again.

We talked about our adoration, nay, worship of Joss Whedon, Thing 2’s girl crush on Eliza Dushku, and how freaking talented Alan Tudyk is.
This portion of the program started with her sharing that she finally started watching the second season of Dollhouse.
(Then it went a bit like this: OMG Thing 2! I was just thinking about Dollhouse earlier this week! OMG Momma! We’re totally connected!)
This was a hilariously animated discussion which moved into Buffy and what a total whiny crybaby we both think Angel is. (We love Spike.)

We discussed a visit. She told me she promised to visit her sister first and then come here. But she wanted to come here sooner rather than later but didn’t want to hurt her sister’s feelings. Hmm…this got me thinking…and I said: It isn’t lost on me that we are talking about a twenty-one year old grown ass woman and the concern that if you spend time with me instead of her it will somehow hurt her feelings.
Thing 2 said: Wow! Way to put it into perspective! I’m coming to see you! (We don’t yet know when, but she’s a-comin.)

We talked about our emotional connection now that we don’t really have our physical connection. I told her I missed the days when (as a teenager) she would come into my room with her pillow under her arm and I’d say, “Whatcha doin?” and she wouldn’t speak, but walk to my bed, move the other pillow, place her pillow and get into bed, look at me and grin.
She giggled and said she missed that too. She said: Now you have a boy in your bed. We laughed. But I said: You know, there are other beds in this house, but you were all, No! I wanna be right in the middle of this big bed with your tiny self. (the same bed that was mine into which she would plant herself) She laughed again and said: Well damn, if I’d know that, I wouldn’t have left. (Interestingly, hearing that didn’t sting.)

We agreed we were both missing our connection. We agreed to be more aware and mindful of it and to amp up our communications.
That kid.
That kid has been my very favorite human being since she first grabbed my finger through the tiny hole in the incubator bed in the NICU.
Our life is different now. We’ve hurt each other immensely, but we’ve healed each other, too.
The love we share is different from any other love in our lives. It is true and it is deeply rooted, but it is also adaptable. And that is what will keep us together even though we’ve been through some gut wrenching pain. Even though we’re five hundred miles apart. Even though she’s almost grown.
Our love is unconditional. Our love is ever-changing AND constant.
But I could cut off her Netflix at any moment…
(If you’re a Whedonite, you know what I did there…undercut a “sappy” moment with “sharp” humor. Thing 2 would be chuckling…as long as she believed I was kidding.)

Categories: love, on being a mom | Tags: Alan Tudyk, Angel, being connected, Buffy, changing expectations, connections, daughters, Dollhouse, Eliza Dushku, expectations, family, friends, giggles, happy, Joss Whedon, joy, love, mothers and daughters, Netflix, perspective, relationships, serious, silly, teenagers, Thing 2, unconditional love, voice, Whedonite | 1 Comment

how I spend my days

Posted on March 3, 2015 by robynbird

My kids decided we needed a hair and nail salon in our classroom. So after about two weeks of hard work creating shampoo chairs, hanging hairdryers, a pedicure station, and asking for donations we’re ready!
Yesterday was the Grand Opening of Sound Stage Salon (The kids chose the name.)

before the ribbon cutting ceremony

Some friends decided to take a shave.

They actually got quite good at this.

One little friend decided it was time for me to stop taking photos and have my hair done.

He worked really hard to make me ‘fancy’.

This transformation of our dramatic play area was completely their idea. We designed and built and play in it together and will continue to do so until we’re no longer interested.
The kids enthusiasm and excitement are contagious! Our administrators and other teachers have requested to come have their hair and nails done to the extent that we had to create an appointment book. Mommies and Daddies are beginning to ask for appointments too.
I love teaching and learning with three and four year olds!

Categories: education | Tags: early childhood education, emergent curriculum, enthusiasm, excitement, fancy, fun, get your hair did, giggles, hair and nail salon, hair salon, happy, love, preschool, silly, teaching and learning | Leave a comment

cold as balls

Posted on February 18, 2015 by robynbird

Sundance sent this as commentary on our weather:

Thanks to the folks at DC 101 (a local radio station) for their sense of humor.
Thanks to Sundance for knowing it would tickle me.

Stay warm, y’all!

Categories: me | Tags: cold, cold as balls, dc101, fun, funny, sense of humor, silly, snow, winter | Leave a comment

cake topper

Posted on February 17, 2015 by robynbird

One thing YBW and I discovered early on in our relationship was that we both love Firefly.
I love it because I’m a tried and true Whedonite. YBW loves it because he’s a big fan of Alan Tudyk. (Actually, YBW looks quite like Alan Tudyk and I’ve always wondered if that’s why he’s a fan, even if he doesn’t know it.)
I started with Whedon’s Buffy (the TV show) and YBW started with Tudyk in A Knight’s Tale but we both ended up at Firefly.
After we’d been together for a while, YBW began to compare us to the beautiflly written and acted married couple aboard Serenity. He maintains that he’s Wash (the funny one) and I’m Zoe (the one who can kick your ass). That I love him because of and in spite of his wacky antics, and he loves me because I have the patience and kindness but also the ability to get the job done no matter what.
YBW always looks surprised when I am “the funny one” by making an inappropriate remark or doing something ridiculous. I say to him: You’re not ALWAYS the funny one.
To which he replies: Of course I am. I’m the wacky pilot and you’re the warrior woman.

Our love for Firefly and our similarities to these characters caused YBW to suggest we find Wash and Zoe action figures to be our wedding cake topper. While I adored the idea because it’s just so “us”, I honestly wasn’t sure I could find them. I have action figures of Mal and Jayne, but have never seen the others. A quick google search lead nowhere and I moved on to other ideas.
That is until Thing 2 sent me a snapchat of a ‘Pop! Funko’ Zoe she saw at the comicbook store. Now, I discovered she sent this last week as we left the winery (and I’d had more than a bit of a tasting). YBW and I went to dinner and before we even looked at the menu, we’d found there was also a Wash and Amazon had them both and they could ship via Prime. With a couple clicks of my phone, they were on their way.
When they arrived, I put heart stickers on them and called them Valentines.

We wonder if folks will question the little black doll on our wedding cake…
I hold the boxes in my hand and giggle. It just feels right.
YBW is crackin’ the wise and that shows me how pleased he is with them.

We kind of are Wash and Zoe…here’s a bit of the script from the episode Bushwacked that pretty much nails their relationship and ours:
Commander Harken: Is there any particular reason you don’t wish to discuss your marriage?
Zoe: Don’t see that it’s any of your business, is all. We’re very private people.
(in Wash’s interrogation)
Wash: (enthusiastic; animated) The legs!
(chuckles)
Wash: Oh, yeah! I definitely have to say it was her legs. You can put that down! Her legs. And right where her legs meet her back. That – actually that whole area. That and – and above it.
Wash: (very enthusiastically) Have you seen what she wears? Forget about it. Have you ever been with a warrior woman?

I’m not really a warrior woman and I’m not quite that private about our relationship.
YBW really is that enthusiastic about my legs. (Why thank you, sir!)

Categories: wedding | Tags: Alan Tudyk, Amazon Prime, cake topper, Firefly, Joss Whedon, love, Serenity, silly, the funny one, Wash, wedding, wedding planning, YBW, Zoe | 2 Comments

it’s official…I’m old

Posted on August 27, 2014 by robynbird

So this happened:

Finally broke down and purchased my first pair of readers this weekend.
I tried on several adorable pairs at this precious little shop in Clifton. Stood in front of the mirror trying to decide. Asked YBW what he thought…helpful soul that he is said: I’m not use to seeing you with glasses.
(Um…thanks?)
They’re pretty cute…I can use them in low light when no matter how far away I hold things I still can’t read them…and the little fabric case matches the arms.

No shame in my readers game…I started wearing glasses in 1985. Great big Estelle Getty looking glasses, too. (For that I may feel a bit of shame.) Had LASIK in 2007. Best decision EVER! But that surgery caused the need for readers…I’ve held out for five years, though. I didn’t want to get them sooner than I really needed them and become reliant upon them. But when I catch myself tipping something into better light and having to hold it further away, I figure the time has come.

I’m not yet ready for a chain round my neck, but I suspect that’ll come in time.

Won’t change my sassy attitude.
I’m young enough to be sexy and old enough to not waste my time trying too hard.
It’s win win. In a damn cute pair of reading glasses.