Wonder powers, activate

We're leaving tomorrow for a two-week vacation to visit family and friends.

{Secretly, I love the pre-trip bustle. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.}

Now, where's my golden lasso when I need it?

Oh, the campiness! Raise your hand if you practiced your Wonder Woman spin on the playground and, with your posse of girls, tried to capture unsuspecting classmates with your golden lasso/beaded jumprope {me! when I wasn't playing Charlie's Angels}.

Yes, what I would give for those wonder powers: a few spins, my hair gracefully cascading down my back. Truth-forcing golden lasso, invisible plane, bulletproof bracelets and a titanium bikini.  All a girl needs to take care of business.

Instead, I'm having to use my non-wonder, mortal abilities to wrestle these tasks to the ground:

launder every piece of clothing owned by every member of the household (seriously. Who knew we had so many? Suddenly everyone's interested in having clean clothes.)

download The Closer episodes on my new ipod Josephine (yes, I enjoy naming things)

write up instructions + information for the dog sitter/house sitter

print out boarding passes online

pack my suitcase

supervise the kids' packing (or risk a no toothbrush, no underpants, no jammies fiasco repeat)

go to the library for travel reads for all

change sheets and tidy the house for the housesitter

try to get kids to practice their music one last time

have some I-have-nothing-to-wear moments as I pack

oh, and spend way too much time writing this and perusing Wonder Woman video clips.  Priorities!

Here we come, Logan-Wildwood-Bear Lake-Salt Lake City-Park City! 

We'll have our party shoes on...

*I know wonder twin powers, activate wasn't from Wonder Woman.  But it was an irresistible title.  My apologies to Wonder Twins fans.

uncurbed enthusiasm

photo by Phil Stern, 1952, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

I have this postcard on my bulletin board
love the enthusiasm
the go-for-it-ness
the absolute
commitment
to hitting the note
& to being in the moment.
Sing it, Louis & Ella!
I don't get the sense
they're too worried
or caught up in
how they look,
what people think,
will this be silly?...
just singing.

***
I used to admire
cool (hello, high school)
that kicked back,
back-row opposite of
eager, front-row enthusiasm
but now my heroes are
interesting, engaged people
who are passionate about what they do
who open wide
and belt it out loud
(and end up cool anyway).
***
Like...
Louis Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Leonard Bernstein
Sam
GB Hinckley
Esther Petersen
Steve Carell
Matt
Madeleine Albright
Nikan, Sam's piano teacher
Anne Lamott
Anna Quindlen
Grandpa Pax
the guy who bags my groceries with gusto
my kids' 5th grade teacher...
{feel free to jump in here with more}
***
I'm a little stingy with my own enthusiasm
but I'm trying to be better
especially since it drives
my hyper-coolness-aware
daughter
crazy
and that's kind of fun
{at what age does enthusiasm
come back out of teenage hibernation?}
***
Believe me, I know it happens to the best of us
When I was young, I had enthusiasm to spare:

just give me a swing

or a hula hoop
But then, the hibernation occurs...

Family vacation? Not a bit of enthusiasm to be found.
But I will humor you with a photo.

And Grand Canyon? Please.
To show excitement would be weakness.
Don't bore me with your natural wonders
and your fantastic vistas.
Excuse me while I avert my eyes
from such enthusiastic nature.
Just give me my walkman
and my 80s wayfarer sunglasses &
I'll call you in 20 years when
I get my enthusiasm back.

Small pleasures #4

~ the smell of chocolate cupcakes baking (right now)
~ the kids playing basketball outside daily
~ finding a wireless connection in the car outside L's flute lesson
~ this book and the thought of making something from it
~ this hilarious spoof of Lost (warning: @#!% word at the end)
~ a clean and vacuumed car (thanks, G)
~ brainstorming with G on April Fools' Day tricks to play on the kids
~ gumball machines
~ reconnecting with cousins
~ a (relatively) free weekend! Have a lovely one, too!

Small pleasures #3

This list is dedicated to the now-almost-spent week of my spring break:
~ deciding not to do any work this week...let the chips fall where they may!
~ getting my hair cut, complete with scalp massage
~ going to Target TWICE
~ getting fruits and veggies at Wilson's Farm, the shrine of all things fresh and farmy
~ buying a cool new poster
~ making a Barefoot Contessa dinner
~ M in braids
~ being ahead in the family NCAA march madness brackets contest (who knew?)
~ a new supply of tunes on my iPod
~ strawberries and kiwis
~ sun streaming in through the windows

I wish I....

- could play by ear or by heart
- lived down the street from my mom and dad
so they could be grandma and grandpa on a daily basis
- felt more comfortable in my bathing suit
- gave myself a chance to write that book I've always wanted to do
- threw more parties
- spoke Spanish
- didn't procrastinate so much
- felt more at ease at "functions"
- knew how to direct movies (and that someone gave me a chance)
- enjoyed exercise more
- kept in touch with more of my family and friends
- followed more of my spontaneous whims
- followed through on more kind thoughts/ideas
- could take my kids on a trip around the world
- knew the names of the constellations ( and could point them out)
- were several sizes smaller (see exercise wish. and bathing suit one.)
- always knew the right words to say

Some of these are on my resolution list, others on my do-before-I-die-list, others I'm not sure I'll ever check off.
What about you???