Moondancing Above

It's been almost 30 years since my sister and I would rush into my parents' room to watch the Michael Jackson's Thriller video. We'd hear,"It's on! It's on!" So, we would take our places on the edge of our parents' bed and watch attentively until the dance routine came on... Then we were up movin' and groovin' - knowing ALL the steps in the routine. Because each time we watched it, we would get closer to being in perfect sync with MJ. Well, this morning we were watching some news on the death of MJ. MTV(the same station we watched so many years ago) was playing his videos as a tribute. The Thriller video came on and I watched my own children sit at the foot of my bed doing the same thing. As soon as the dance routine hit -- they were up on their feet working out the steps and hittin' the steps they already knew with tremendous passion. It brought tears to my eyes. It is amazing that even though almost 30 years has passed - MJ still has such this charisma and excitement that we still want to get up and dance. Well, he's no doubt journeying to moondance in the clouds.

My Fondest Michael Jackson memory!

I put on a dress my mother made for me, a pair of textured white stockings and my favorite patent-leather platform shoes. My dad handed me my shiny white handbag and threw a white crochet shawl over my shoulder. After all it was my “first” date. My dad told me that he was the one to take me on my first date, and the time had come… I was 8 years old! We went to Radio City Music Hall to see one of his favorite acts (Blue Magic). Blue Magic opened for The Jackson 5. Although the night was a bit of a blur, I vividly remember my dad getting me a tshirt, and the program booklet. I was so in love with Michael Jackson – just like the rest of the world. It was my first live concert and it was my first date – A MJ memory I could never forget.

Michael Jackson R.I.P. - August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009

Review: Next to Normal Musical

Next to Normal is an outstanding Broadway musical. I can't say too much more than that. The music is great, the cast is fabulous and I highly recommend that you check it out...if you want to feel!

Miss Lauryn Hill

Lotion Lotion Lotion

Every mornng I lather the children up with vaseline so they are shining on their way to school. I'm not responsible for what happens during the day. For about a week straight, I thought this little bottle of lotion would be the backup for them if we were in the car and I didn't have any vaseline. I would take it and make sure they put it on their hands and exposed knees, but never on their faces. They would complain every morning about it. They complained about the smell, about the way it would NEVER dissolve on their hands, and how it made their hands feel sticky. I just told them to rub harder and keep on til it went away. Well, one day - the seventh day - I looked at the bottle closely and realized that it was SOAP. Hand soap. For about a week I've been making the children rub handsoap into their dry sensitive skin. Great. So, I'm going to get my eyes checked this week because I have noticed that small writing has to be held at a bit of distance from my face in order for me to see it. Hand Soap.

Ring the Bell

I received a lot of responses from my elders who related to the Standard of Excellence blog. Each one has their own similar story to tell about the experiences they’ve had with us, their children. And, the experience I had today with my oldest daughter echoes a tale I’ve heard time and time again. I’ve heard stories about how I was as a child. And when my parents see her – they are amazed at how much she looks and acts like me.

The story goes… I’m on a boat, not at sea, not in a river, but a little circular pond at the amusement park. My tiny tin boat has a string connected to a bell that sits in the center of it. Upon boarding the boat, which is connected to many other boats that will make their way around a circle a few times, I am shown how to ring the bell. Pull the string – the bell rings. Those instructions were very simple. As the boat begins to move, I am encouraged by my parents to ring the bell. “Ring the bell, Fran! Ring the bell!” I didn’t ring it. The next time I come around, they are probably thinking, this time she’ll do it. With high expectations, they get the camera ready. “Ring the bell, Fran! Ring the bell!” No, I still didn’t ring the bell. After many circles, and hearing the Ring the Bell song from my parents on the sidelines, I never rang the bell.

At the amusement park today I watched my daughter circle around in that same tin boat with the bell. I had my camera, and I was singing the same sideline song, “Ring the bell… Ring the bell…” But she would not pull the string to make the bell ring. The only ringing I heard was the voices of my parents in my ears! "Ring the bell, Fran! Ring the Bell!"

Standard of Excellence

I’ll make this quick, although it didn’t seem like it was…. A couple of days ago, my eldest son told me he lost his concert book. It’s the practice book they use for beginning saxophone lessons. At the time, I told him to hurry up and find it before the big day. He whined and whined and cried and cried. “I can’t find it anywhere. I have looked everywhere!” Then on the big concert day, he said the magical phrase, “I won’t be able to perform without it.” Of course, I would do anything in my power to get him another book, especially since he looked so hard, and we wouldn’t want him to have worked so hard all year and not be able to play in the spring concert.
So, I called around to the local music stores. They all opened at noon, and his concert was to begin at 1pm. I found one that had his book. I traipsed across town – about a 20 minute trek to the music store to purchase the book, Standard of Excellence ($10.55 nonrefundable – tax included). I made it to the school just in time, creeping into a gym full of children. And my son was already on the stage, armed with his saxophone, and to my surprise a Standard of Excellence book perched on the music stand in front of him. Oh, well, it had to be and extra the teacher had, right?
Well, I walked right up to the front of the stage in front of the students sitting on the floor and all I did was look at him and hold the book I purchased up above my head, and in a very nonchalant way, he says, “Oh, it was in my desk.” – I’m going to end the story here at the good part. But, I did return the book for a full refund.

Hugs Abundantly

Do you know what it feels like to always have someone hugging on you? All day? I do. There is not a moment in my day when I don’t have two arms flung around me or wrapped around my waist. The other day my 3yr old daughter – for some reason couldn’t keep her hands off of me. And then it clicked. Four children…one of them is bound to need something from you. As soon as they see I’m free – they take that as their opportunity to jump me. I love my hugs abundantly. And, I’m not afraid to use them at all when I need a pick me up to my day. Hope they always feel that way!