My two youngest children are covered from head to toe in red marker.

P.S. Broadway fans, don’t miss “Legally Blond the Musical” on MTV this evening. 7 EST, 6 CST. It is the first Broadway show to be broadcast on TV while still having a successful run on Broadway. We’ll be watching!

$75 for orchestra seats.

Ugh.

Tickets go on sale in 8 minutes. Think the five of us will be heading up to the balcony!!

Of course, balcony seats are WAYYYYY better than no seats at all.

(Also, I painted my fingernails glittery Cubbie blue. Do you think this will make them go to the playoffs? I want so badly to go see a Cubs game during the playoffs. Also, today sucks and I think I’m losing my mind. Hmm. Do you think my toenails need to be blue as well for them to win?)

Off to buy tickets.

**Edited to add..got 1st row, center, of the lower balcony. Great seats, and was able to ge them for under $300. (Thanks Geo!) I love green babies!

**Edited to add again…over on my review blog, the author of Money for Nothing responded to my post. Go say hi to him

Tell them how Iiiiii am defyiinnnggg gravityyyyy….

I got an email saying that the back pay I’m owed (about $1100) should come in 10 days. No word on the respite or mileage, but hey, I’ll take what I can get at this point.

Of course, I was also told it was coming in July, so……..

AND..

I just got two third row orchestra seats to RENT! Which I’ve never seen live, despite my blog name and my RENT love.

Did you read that right? TWO! Two tickets. I get to go on alone date, to RENT, with Geo. I can’t even get five minutes alone to go the bathroom most days!

WOOOHOO!!

Thank you to those of you who purchased something from my first ever blog yard sale. All weekend long we’ve been decluttering our house. It’s a really good feeling. I read recently that if you want good things to enter your life then you need to make room for them. So that’s what we have been doing. Organizing. Throwing away. Selling. And whatever we don’t sell we are going to give away. The kids have been helping. Callie went through her clothes and came out with a pile. And Snowbaby gave me a piece of toilet paper. “MONEY!” she said.

I sold my laptop to a lady here locally which was kind of sad but I didn’t use it much in the BDH since we are on dialup (oh the horrors) and it was too fragile for the kids to use. 

Some of my readers have offered up donations for the virtual yard sale which is just amazing to me. My mom has fabric for sale. 5 pieces for $20. So does Amanda. Isn’t that nice of them?? And Amanda has offered to handknit either a scarf or hat for you if you make a donation of $20 for a scarf or $15 for a hat to the “take the kids to see a Broadway show” fund. What an amazing thing to do. I will never get over the fact that people offer to do this kind of stuff for my kids. It makes me cry just to talk about it.

I mentioned to Callie earlier that I was having a virtual yard sale on my “website.” She doesn’t really know much about this blog, just that I keep up a website where I talk about issues related to foster care. I told her that I was selling some of my things in order to raise some money so we can get tickets to the show. And that one person had just sent me some money without buying anything, telling me that they wanted the girls to experience what she had the first time she saw a show. And that someone else had purchased something from me for way more than it was worth, just because they wanted to do something nice for “someone who deserves it.”

Callie looked at me in shock.

“You mean people sent money for us? So we could see the show?

“Yeah. I don’t even know them. They just wanted to help and to be nice.”

“Oh my God. I didn’t know that people actually cared about kids who are in foster care.”

Thank you all for showing her that there are people who care very much. I can never say thank you to you enough.

Inspired by this post, I decided to try to restore my IPOD back to its previous glory. I figured that I would enjoy my two hours in the car before and after visitation much more if I could jam to some of my favorite Broadway tunes.

You might already know this, but one of my biggest dreams has always been to be in a Broadway musical. It has been one of my dreams since I was a little girl and I went to many dinner theatre shows. Fiddler. Sound of Music. Joseph.

I’ve mostly given up on that dream now. Life has taken me in a different place now and I don’t know how I would ever pull it off. I’ve all but abandoned that dream, except for in the shower (great acoustics) and after I see a touring Broadway show or a sit-down Chicago performance, especially when Geo leans over and says, “You could totally be doing this.”

However, I’ve discovered the hidden advantage of having four children and two hours of car riding a week.

They are a built-in audience with nowhere to go. So I can belt it out to my heart’s content. “Telling them how Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii am defffyyyyyyyyinng gravvittttyyyyy..Seassons of lovvvvvvvvvvvvvveeee….Weeeee always knew you were a winnnerrrr….so when it’s your wedding dayyyy…”

And it is great. Bubba and Snowbaby even clap and cheer when I finish a song. (I’m so thankful they recognize true talent at such a young age.) And Bug is a good duet partner, except for our artistic differences. (”Why do you get to be Elphaba! You always get to be Elphaba in the good songs!” “MOMMY! I said you were Galinda. And Fiyero.” “Bug! That’s not fair! I want to be Elphaba. You can be Boq!” “NO! That’s not fair, Mommy!”)

And of course, there was confusion on Butterfly’s part.

“What IS this??”

“It’s music from Broadway musicals.”

“What’s a musical?”

“It’s a play where people dance and sing.”

“Real people? Like in real life? In front of you?”

“Yes, just like that. It’s wonderful. You’d love it. If you are still here in the summer, I’ll take you to see a few of them.”

“Really? Awesome……….Hey. Bug. Is it really awesome?”

“I’m serious. It’s MAGIC.”

Bug: Can I do your Thursday Thirteen this week, Mommy?

Me: No, I already did.

Bug: Darn! I had a really good one too.

Me: Oh yeah, what?

Bug: THE THIRTEEN ORIGINAL COLONIES.

********

Here are the songs that contain my favorite lyrics:

#1 Stupid Boy by Keith Urban

#2 There’s a Fine Fine Line..Avenue Q

#3 I’ll Cover You..Rent

#4 Never Neverland composed by Scott Alan (You can see Stephanie J. Block who was Elphaba on the Wicked Tour when I saw it…I met her..perform it on her website. Scott Alan is also a blogger.)

#5 Thank Goodness..Wicked

#6 Do You Love Me…Fiddler on the Roof

#7 I’m Kissing You..Des’ree

#8 I’d Rather Leave While I’m in Love…The Boy from Oz

#9 Defying Gravity…Wicked

#10 Tell Everybody I Know..Keb’ Mo’

#11 The I Love You Song…The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

#12 I Should Tell You…Rent

#13 La Vie Boheme..Rent (Which by the way is the song from which my blog name and my online name come from)

********

Now that I’m TV deprived, I’ve been watching a lot of movies. I signed up for Netflix but I’m having trouble finding movies which I haven’t seen or that I’d be interested in. I need some suggestions.

I don’t like horror movies or action movies that consist mostly of people getting blown getting blown up. I do like action type movies where there is some intellectual problem to be solved. Like comedies, romantic comedies, dramas, even romance movies like The Notebook. I’d also like to find movies I can watch with Bug that don’t make me want to poke my eyes out with a stick. For Bug movies, I’d prefer G or PG but if it is a PG13 that isn’t too bad, I can deal. I’d also like TV show recommendations. Like, if I watch Lost from the beginning am I going to understand it? Musicals, documentaries..all good. Movies that I can watch with Geo without him poking his eyes out will be appreciated too.

What should I be watching?

(Oh, and is there anyone else above age 13 here and a fan of High School Musical or am I the only one?)

Technorati Tags: Thursday Thirteen, song lyrics, movies, Netflix, Avenue Q, Wicked, Rent, The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee, High School Musical

Happy New Year! Yesterday Bug and Geo and I went to see CATS. Despite my love of musical theatre, I had never seen it. They had free face painting, and Bug got her face done up like a glittery blue cat. Do any of you love this show? I didn’t love it. Geo leaned over as the second act started and whispered, “I don’t understand the plot.” I whispered back, “There isn’t really one.” The dancing is amazing, I liked the idea of it being based on TS Eliot’s poems. But it didn’t do it for me like some of the other shows have.

I liked it though, and now I can finally say I’ve seen it. (I still haven’t seen POTO yet though. Sheesh.)

I found this meme over at Random Again, and so here is my review of 2006.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Um..I saw CATS!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn’t make any last year. I made some for this year. Make 100 extra dollars a day, do the Flylady program, try to do more Love and Logic parenting, get more kids.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

A friend of my mom’s and her stepdad.

5. What countries did you visit?

Just the US. No international travel.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?

Patience and a cool head.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory and why?

The only thing that stands out is our one year adoption anniversary.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I finally graduated from college.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I lost my temper too many times.

10. Did you suffer from illness or injury?

Some illness, a surgery, no major injuries.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I rented the BDH.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Bug’s behavior improved greatly, and Geo’s behavior in the past two months has been wonderful.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The President’s, people who are hateful, Geo’s for a little bit.

14. Where did most your money go?

Moving expenses!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The BDH.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?

The Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack.

17. Compared to this time last year are you:

a. happier or sadder? Happier!

b. thinner or fatter? About the same.

c. richer or poorer? About the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Sleep.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying about what other people think.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my created family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2006?

I find that falling in love is something that you will do over and over again with the same people.

22. How many one-night stands?

None.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

Duh.

24. Did you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yes, dialup.

25. What was the best book you read?

I don’t think I had a favorite, although I really enjoyed the book Fantasyland.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

That when you listen to music on a quality speaker system, it truly makes a difference.

27. What did you want and get?

Stuff for my kitchen. A chance to see some musicals. A nicer home. My own blog domain. An answer about my reproductive system.

28. What did you want and not get?

Some more local real life friends.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

Although it came out in theaters last year, I love my DVD of Rent. It’s nice to be able to pop it in anytime, and although it has flaws, I love it.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I didn’t do much on my actual birthday, but on my birthday weekend I went to Chicago, watched a Cubs game, and saw The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee. I turned 28.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Patrick Dempsey.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

I learned that I do not like wearing pantyhose, heels and business suits every day, and much prefer my pajamas.

33. What kept you sane?

This blog, the people who read it and are kind enough to comment, and Wellbutrin.

34. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Patrick Dempsey.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

I was disgusted by the way stem cell research was portrayed in the campaign ads around here.

36. Who did you miss?

I miss seeing my Mom every day.

37. Who was the best new person you met?

Dr. Gel, who did my surgery.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.

Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep, it’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

I’m through accepting limits, cause someone says they’re so. Some things I can not change, but til I try I’ll never know.

Technorati Tags: new year, 2006, 2007, meme

Must not sit on the computer, as I still have four or five hours before Bug comes home and need to start packing and moving. WOO!

Just a few short things:

*Buggy! Don’t get busted for cheating twice in one week. She is now trying to earn 100 points by not pouting, not having her school call me in the middle of my math final, not arguing, not stomping the feet, and being exceptionally helpful. Or else I am not emailing Santa to tell him where our new house is. Did I mention Bug was exceptionally helpful after hearing this news?

*Bug performed in her Church’s musical on Sunday and it was really cute. She had one line in a song as a solo and she did AWESOME. She has a very nice singing voice when she isn’t trying to sound like Carrie Underwood.

*Speaking of musicals, if you are a Wicked fan, you’ve got to go watch some clips from Wicked in London. It CRACKS me up. I think you have to be a Wicked fan who can belt out every word of “Defying Gravity” while loading the dishwasher (”Something has changed within me..something is not the same….) but hearing Galinda speak like she is Mary Poppins and hearing a British accent in the Emerald City makes me giggle. Go watch it, especially you Angela. Here’s Defying Gravity, One Short Day, and my personal favorite, What Is This Feeling? The word Loathing sounds so much better with a British accent. I think next time I chase Bug around the house singing show tunes, I will be singing this song with a British accent. Try it. It’s fun. She’s a Tahtah! She’s a Mahtah! LOVE IT.  (I think that a British actress is playing Elphaba next, does anyone know?)

*Finished with exams, managed not to cry during my math exam. Waiting to see if I will indeed graduate.

Technorati Tags: Wicked, London, college exams, graduation