Rock a Bye

Lately, this scenario is happening more and more. She's a good little mamma.

Out Of Touch

The Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week. I am a little embarrassed to say that I have only seen one of the films nominated for best picture. And really, if I didn't have a kid, I wouldn't have seen that one either. I used to be kind of a movie buff. Sadly, no more. However, I am going to make an effort to see as many of the best picture nominees as I can before the Oscars. Wish me luck. In the mean time, I thought I'd tell you what my top 5 movies of all time are (because I know you are just dying to know).

In no particular order:

• The English Patient - I love everything about this movie. The casting is great. The score is fantastic. And, it's just a beautiful movie to watch.

• Life Is Beautiful - I'm kind of a snob and I like to watch foreign films in their original language. Reading subtitles doesn't bother me, but bad voice overs do. This movie is so beautifully bitter sweet. I particularly like this scene, because it reminds me of something my husband would do.

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I just really like the concept of this movie. Very thought provoking.

• To Kill a Mockingbird - It's no secret that this is my favorite book, but I also love the movie.

• Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 - Technically, these are 2 separate movies, but director Quentin Tarantino originally envisioned them as one work. Kung Fu movies are one of my guilty pleasures and this movie is a great mixture of old school kung fu and modern edginess. Yes, it's violent and at times inappropriate. But, I still like it.

Ok, what's your top 5?

Completed My 30th Trip Around The Sun

Yep. Today's my 30th birthday. I'm ok with it. Harper woke up crying this morning (very unusual) and was kind of cranky until I dropped her off at baby school which reminded me that today is just another day.

But, I will say that I have given more retrospective thought to this birthday than others in the past. For the most part, I'm ok with where I am in life. I don't feel old. I still feel about 25 despite the fact that I go to bed much earlier and have gained about 10 pounds since then. I like my life. I like my husband and I like my daughter. I like my family and my friends. I like my job. I like that I haven't given up on trying to better myself. But, I will say that there is a part of me that looks back over the years and wishes I could have gotten more out of them. I wish I could go back and re-do college. I wasted a lot of time and missed a lot of opportunities. I wish I could go back and spend more time with grandmas and grandpas that aren't around anymore. I wish I never would have owned a hair crimper. But, nobody gets a do-over. So I guess I need to make the next 30 years count for more so I don't look back when I'm 60 and think that I wasted my time. Ok, enough introspection.

At the risk of my mom killing me, I thought I'd share this picture from 30 years ago. I was not an easy delivery. 30+ house of labor that culminated in an emergency C-section. Not fun. But, it looks like she forgave me.

Here's one from a couple months later. It reminds me of this picture.

And finally, here's one from my 10th birthday sleepover. Yeah, I rocked the side pony tail and had a NKOTB poster over my bed. What's it to ya? The girl on the far right just had her first baby about a month ago. How time flies...

Anyway, to close out this post I thought I'd leave you with something fun. This story ran on NPR yesterday. It's about a book that compiled 6 word memoirs (a 6 word phrase that describes your life) from famous people. You can read/listen to the NPR story here. Today I think my 6 word memoir would be Still trying to figure it out. What would yours be?

4 Things That Are On My Mind This Morning

• I'm doing ok at keeping to my running schedule. I may miss a day here or there, but for the most part, I'm sticking to it. My knees and shins are starting to hurt. Hopefully, I'll just toughen up and get over it.
• There has been a lot of (unnecessary?) nakedness in the gym locker room lately. I'm not sure why. It weirds me out a little.
• I love my kiddo. She's pretty much awesome.
• I'm not very good at sharing my feelings. I had to do a lot of sharing first thing this morning. It wore me out.

Icy Roads and Panties

Not much to say today (I know, I know. I don't have much to say most days. No laughing please.)

• Yesterday, I had to wait a good 15 minutes for this lady to maneuver her car out of the middle of the road. Some good Samaritans who lived in a nearby house came out to help her. I have a feeling that she probably ended up in a ditch somewhere else. It was not pretty.

• There are a couple words and phrases in the English language that I very much dislike. They include panties, tramp (as in tramp on the gas), moist, and eat on it (as in we will eat on these leftovers for a few days). I know there are others, but I must have selectively blocked them from my memory. Do you have any words or phrases that you don't like?