Don't take my Kodachrome away

I know this makes me sound old, but I really don't care for most of the crap that is called music today. I try to be a cool mom and listen to new music, but when I hear my kids singing along to the Black Eyed Peas, well, that's where I draw the line. It was time for my kids to listen to some really good music. Thankfully, after much searching, (have you tried finding specific CDs lately? Kinda hard, thanks a lot IPod), I finally found a good Paul Simon CD. Now the kids sing along to Paul Simon. Every morning on the way to school they request "Kodachrome". They always giggle when they sing "all the crap I learned in high school". On longer car rides, "Loves me like a Rock," is the second most requested song. It's funny that I hate most new songs because of their content, but some of Paul Simon's songs are questionable too. Maybe my kids shouldn't know all the words to "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" but they do. And "Late in the Evening" isn't played much because I really don't want my kids saying they "stepped outside to smoke a 'J' ". It's about time to change CDs in the car and since they are loving Paul Simon I think we should move right onto Simon and Garfunkel. Time to learn the words to "At the Zoo" and "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)."

Living for today

This past weekend I finished the book "Two Kisses for Maddy." If you're not familiar with it, it is a memoir by Matt Logelin, who lost his wife the day after she gave birth to their daughter. It is a heart wrenching story, but uplifting at the same time. And truthfully, it has left me a little shaken. But in a good way. I know in the back of my mind how fragile life is and tomorrow is not guaranteed, but I'm still young so I don't think about it a lot. However, since reading the book, this subject has been on my mind. Matt and his wife Liz, talked about all the Christmases they would spend together and all the things their young family would do. And in that I relate. How many times do I precede a sentence with, "Someday"? Too many. Of course, some things will have to be someday events like Disney World or Paris, but there is so much that I'm going to do that isn't going to be on the someday list. It's going on the Now list. For that, I'm thankful I already booked our trip to Minneapolis for a Twins game this summer. Last year we didn't go because we needed to save money and we were busy. No more. We are going every summer. Last night Fred asked if we were going to Fargo again this fall for our anniversary. I said yes. That month is extremely busy for us, but we are going. No excuses. I know someone at work that goes to Mexico every winter for a couple of weeks with her husband. She said she only regrets that they didn't start doing that when they were much younger. So Fargo is nothing like Mexico, but Fargo is our place. It's special to us and to get away for a weekend, just the two of us, is what we really need. And it's not the big picture stuff either. The small everyday details that make up our life are more important than things like traveling. So I now vow not to stress the minor stuff. No more snapping at the kids or husband because I'm so busy trying to make the holidays "perfect." And no more telling the kids we'll do something later because I'm too lazy to do it now. I think I do a pretty good job of things, but it's good to have a reminder sometimes too. I've been in a rut. But it's spring now and here's to new beginnings.