Spring Break is for the Birds

I know that envy is one of the big, bad, Kevin-Spacey-will-cut-your-head-off-and-put-it-in-a-box deadly sins, but I feel it is virtually impossible to overcome when everyone and their mom is on vacation in Florida/Cabo/Panama/France/Branson while I am working 70 hours weeks and can't sleep due to a pinched nerve in my neck. So forgive me while I indulge myself in a 'Pity Party for 1'.

I love to travel. This is something I have been vaguely aware of my entire life. Being poor makes traveling incredibly difficult. So I'll just use this opportunity to take a trip...down Memory Lane.

When I was a kid, we used to take these epic Simon Family Fun Trips (aka vacations). They always involved:
Holiday Inn
where two kids had to hide when the roll-away bed was delivered so management wouldn't know we were sleeping 7 people in a 5 person room
second hand smoke
thanks, Dad.
vomit
inevitable with 5 kids in one overheated mini-van for 14 days+
sunscreen
because redheaded children just can't handle the sun
civil war sites
on the East Coast Tour '91 we visited 22 historical locations in 15 days. many of these locations were merely fields that my dad thought looked 'relevant'.
slumber parties
having 3 little sisters comes in handy when you're bored out of your mind in a Michigan summer house
McDonald's
easiest way to feed 5 kids and guarantee a rest stop 1 hour later
camera
if I had been thin, I'm certain I would've become a model. God knows I had the training.
Grandma Simon
it seems like she was always with us at some point along the way.
motion sickness
no 10 hour leg from St. Louis to Pennsylvania will stop a girl with a heart for reading. but it may lead to some of the aforementioned vomit.
fighting
at this, we excelled.
imagination
developed, encouraged, facilitated and enjoyed by my parents and any adult within hearing distance.

I miss vacation. I miss road trips. I miss Europe. I miss sleeping in. I miss margaritas at noon. I miss the way that salt water smells. I miss dreaming big. I miss the anticipation of adventure. I miss Spring Break. Sometimes, I miss myself.

What is a Nanny?

Erin has a book called 'What is a Princess?' It is her favorite book and to my knowledge, the first book she ever read all by herself. In it, several princess (Disney, or course) define themselves.

A princess is caring.

A princess is happy.

A princess is loving.

So the other day, the kids and I were trying to not fight (I mean, they were trying not to fight) so I got this idea to put them in front of my iCamera and ask them 'What is a Nanny?'

These are the results

Kiss me, I'm Irish

Being Irish, I was always taught a healthy respect and appreciation for St. Patrick's Day. I think there is something about being a freckely redhead that immediately bonds you to this day. It's like it is the one day a year when people wish they had you pasty white, brown speckled skin and frizzy, uncontrollable ginger hair. At least, that's what I've chosen to believe. I hope you have a very Happy St. Patrick's Day! Caed Mile Failte!

The Music in Me

Music has always held a special place in my life. I think it has something to do with my dad. He always used to make us listen to the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers and Mary Chapin Carpenter in the mini-van during family vacation when I was a kid. So many of my memories can be associated with songs. Here's a brief list of past, present and future songs that are important to me.
1. Here Comes the Sun - Abbey Road, the Beatles
This was my very first CD and I distinctly remember hearing this son and wanting to dance outside.
2. You've Got it (The Right Stuff) - Hangin' Tough, New Kids on the Block
First boy band experience of my life and it was magical. Hearing this song reminds me of Bristol Elementary School, girl scout camp and being 9.
3. I Will Always Love You - The Bodyguard Soundtrack, Whitney Houston
This was not my first R-rated movie, but I think it was the first one I ever rented and snuck past my parents. I LOVED Whitney when I was a kid and singing along with her made me believe that I truly was made to be onstage.
4. Everything I Do, I Do It For You - Waking up the Neighbours, Bryan Adams
Now, I did not know who Bryan Adams was until I heard this song, but you better believe that after my first viewing on VH1 of this particular music video, I was a lifelong fan. This was my first 'They'll play that at my wedding' song. But not my last.
5. To Be With You - Deep Cuts, Mr. Big
This song IS going to played at my wedding, or my funeral. Whichever one comes first. I LOVE this song. The first time I heard it, I was in junior high school and I felt like it was written specifically for me. At the time, I pictured it being sung to me (in public) by Leonardo DiCaprio, but now I would settle for it being played during the slow dance portion of my future love story (more to come on that later).
6. I Try - ?, Macy Gray
This song was HUGE in England the semester I studied abroad and I remember having a great conversation about it with Sarah, my Shakespeare professor, in the pub my first week spent at Harlaxton. So now, every time I hear it, I think of Grantham, England, the Gregory Arms Pub and Richard III. Weird, but also very cool.
7. Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay
This is an entire album, I know, but I used to listen to this on my way to and from work when I lived in London and there is not one word on the CD that I can't sing along with. This album sealed my affection for Brit Rock music and whenever I hear it, I feel international and very autonomous.
8. Dust in the Wind - Dust in the Wind, Kansas
When I was in college, I wanted to be a screenwriter. It was my dream and my objective. But in my first screenwriting class, I was basically told I didn't have very original ideas and needed a LOT of work. But the first 30 pages or so of my first and last screenplay 'Dust in the Wind' were definitely written from the heart.
9. Warning Sign - Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay
If you want to know how what my relationship with God looks like, listen to this song. I want it played at my funeral, along with 'Spirit in the Sky' by Norman Greenbaum, 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing' by Sufjan Stevens and 'Life in Technicolor' by Coldplay. If I die soon, will one of you be sure to tell this to my parents? I want them to know.
10. Learning to Fly - Into the Great Wide Open, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
This song is currently my mantra. I want to live it every day.

A Pain in the Neck

My neck hurts real bad. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I woke up last Wednesday with a crick in my neck and as the week has progressed, it has moved lower and gotten worse. My mom thinks I might have a pinched nerve, but I don't really want to believe that because that might require a cortisone shot. The thought of a huge needle being inserted into my back (and how much that will cost me) is just nauseating.
If you have any home remedies you want to send my way, I'm taking suggestions. Here's what I'm working with right now
-I can't raise my left arm above my shoulder
-I can't sleep of lean on my left side
-Holding my head too far forward or backwards hurts A LOT
-If I rest my elbow on anything at the wrong angle, tears spring to my eyes.
-Picking up kids = OUCH!