MAMACADABRA

I have never been able to shake the internal schedule of a school year.  Each year as the trees begin to bud I get antsy for summer and three months to decompress.  As August comes to a close I slowly come out of my summer haze and begin to feel more grounded…ready to get back to business.  I’m nearly useless from Thanksgiving to Christmas as my mind swirls with thoughts of baking, and shopping, and wrapping, and decorating.  And when the snow falls relentlessly in mid-March I feel like a week off, hopefully somewhere warm, should be right around the corner.

This poses a problem, in that, I am not in school anymore.  Nor do I work in a school.

Last week the little girls went back to school, my husband started three (count them…THREE) new classes, and I, my friends, am doing a whole lot of nothing.  Well…aside from my job, and of course helping with homework and doing the normal home/mom stuff.  I’m not looking at any new and exciting challenges, no classes, no new projects.

I’m in my “back to business” mode and I’ve got a.  Whole.  Lotta.  Nothin’.

I, like most people, have a long list of things I want to do.  Things I’ve always thought about but have never taken action because they are superficial, low on the priority list, and not integral to our day to day lives.  The other day, as I was thinking about the upcoming months, I started wondering if now isn’t a great time to start checking things off of that list.  You know…my own “back to school” in a sense.

For example…

A for one.  You know that one guy who can dance at parties?  The one all of the girls watch and sigh and think ‘I wish my husband/boyfriend could dance like that…’  The guys like this?  Okay, okay, so his dancing isn’t great but I used to think David Silver was the bomb.  Yes, well, my husband is that guy.  He can dance.   We have good friends and the husband in that duo can dance too.  When we’re all out together, and those two guys dance, it’s ridiculous.  The really ridiculous part is that I can’t dance.  No sir.  How did a dude who loves dancing get hooked up with a broad who doesn’t?!  The thing is…I’ve always wanted to take hip hop lessons, without telling my husband, and then just surprise him some night out by being able to keep up with his dancing.  I found some lessons this fall and they are on a day that my husband is in one of his classes.  This seems like the perfect opportunity to do it, right?  It starts next week.  Could I pull off taking a three month hip-hop class without telling him?  Or without any of you telling him?  Hmm…

Side Note:  When I was searching for good David Silver footage I came across the last scene of the last show of 90210 and I’m not going to lie…I got a little verklempt.  Also?  From time to time, out of the blue I will start chanting “DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!  DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!  DONNA MARTIN GRADUATES!” in my head.  I miss that show.  Sigh.

B for two.  I have long eye lashes.  I wear a lot of Diorshow Blackout mascara.  That, however, is the extent of my eye make-up routine.  I never wear eye liner or shadow.  I have throughout my life, but never in a way that was intentionally amazing.  More in a “this might be good” kind of way.  I long for eye make-up (and let’s be honest…hair) like the Kardashians.  LONG.  FOR.  IT.  But I just don’t know how.  And I’m a make-up snob…I spend a good deal of money on it.  I don’t want to go crazy at the Macy’s cosmetics counter if I don’t first know what I’m doing.  I really really do want to learn how to do my eye make-up better!  There is a fabulous make-up artist at a salon I used to go to.  Maybe I should have her teach me how to do something more with my make-up?  I could learn how to create Kardashian eyes every day of the week!  I’m sure endorsement deals, riches, and fame would be right around the corner after that…right?

C for three.  I love me some wine.  There are days (including today) when I think it should be a prescription for all mothers.  Drink two of these and call me in the morning.  I know what I like, kind of, but I really know nothing about wine.  Aside from it being life saving lovely.  I’ve always wanted to take a wine course.  I would love to understand why I like particular wines over others.  I would love to “get it.”  I know they have classes at local grocery stores.  Maybe this is the perfect time to take one.

D for four.  I’ve spoken of my love of yoga.  How it’s a stress reliever, a life/sanity saver, and how it makes me feel so good.  And yet?  I will go regularly for a bit, and then miss it for months.  I’d really like to get into a regular and long-lasting routine with yoga.  Really.  It does me a world of good so I might as well put more effort into getting there.

E for five.  Diet.  Okay…I’ve had my fun.  And, while it WAS fun, it’s taken a toll on the available clothing in my closet.  I simply can’t continue to buy new wardrobes every time my body changes shape.  Not to mention?  The toll it takes on my body every time I make a change for better or worse. I’m going back to school on this one.  You’ll recall that I used to be fat and then I spent a good deal of time on Weight Watchers and lost 100 pounds?  I was small, and happy, and having a blast when I met my husband in 2007.  And then things weren’t so rosy (how’s that for good spin?) and I gained some back, then last summer I lost it all again, and this year in my bliss I’ve gained some again.  Now…to be clear…I’m not saying I think I suck.  I do, however, think it sucks that all sorts of fabulous fall clothing in my closet doesn’t fit me right this second.  I tried WW again a couple of years ago and hated it.  But I went on Saturday morning, stayed for a meeting (typically they make me feel violent), and I re-joined.  And you know what?  It’s been nice.  I’ve been able to do it thus far without obsessing which, if you know me, is like the biggest success ever.  I’m going to write a blog over there in the WW internet world.  If any of you are doing the WW also (I know some of you are!)…check it out!  I will post a link once I have it up and running.  For those of you who have done WW, you’ll understand this, but I’d like to finally become a lifetime member.  The elusive lifetime membership!  That’s what I’m hoping for as I go back to school with my diet this fall.

I feel like I could sit in my house, watching Real Housewives and drinking wine this fall while everyone goes back to school, OR I could do some schoolin’ myself.  As a wise woman once told me, the time is going to pass no matter what, so I should probably do something with it!

TODAY:  What if I join my little girls and my husband by going “back to school” this fall?