So you want to know what I did today?

Okay, I'll tell you. I woke up, got dressed and went off to babysit. I spent the entire day with three little ones--ages 4, 2 and 1.

We read books--most notably the Ladybug Girl books. Those littles love to read and be read to.

We made chocolate chip cookies--and I managed to minimize the mess!

We pretended to be dogs. Many thanks to my mom for years and years of exposure to fun songs for kids. Charlotte Diamond's "I Wanna Be a Dog" is a new favorite in the "Family I Babysit For" household.

We got makeovers care of lil W's new makeup kit. I learned from experience why women shouldn't wear blue eye shadow on a daily basis.

We danced! This was not a one song dance party. We rocked out for a good 30 minutes. I love to dance. Some things will never change.

At the end of the day, all I can think is how amazed I am at women and other caretakers who do what I did everyday. As much as I want to be a mom, I'm very grateful for what I have now--limited accountability and abundant freedom.

beck

Ennui

Straight up ennui. The real kind. I can't think of anything else to describe how I've felt for the past couple of weeks.

en·nui

noun

1. 1.

   a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

   synonyms:

   boredom, tedium, listlessness, lethargy, lassitude, languor, weariness, enervation;

I can't even articulate why or the circumstances. It's too dissatisfying. Give me some excitement and a real occupation for my days, please!

beck

Backpacks are sexy

A guy asked for my number this morning because he liked my..."book bag." I have to give him credit for that, because I really like it too. It's one of the Dakine backpacks given out for BYU's Study Abroad programs. I actually won this morning's backpack in a lottery so I now have two backpacks from doing one study abroad.

The backpack that got attention this morning is especially cool looking because it's black with rastafari coloring. This morning's guy was not the first guy to comment on it. He was also not the first black guy to comment on it.

I give mad props to guys who are bold enough to hit on a girl whom they've barely met. That kind of self confidence is so sexy to me--and not at all creepy. So I gave him my number. He was just too smooth to turn down.

beck

Hey, I still love, "Hey, It's Christmas!"

I am especially loving this song, as it transitions from the holidays into the New Year. I've been listening to all my Christmas music before New Year's Eve. Luckily I've been pretty much home alone, so I haven't had to annoy roommates by still playing Christmas music. :)

http://heyitschristmas.bandcamp.com/track/all-year-long

beck

Empathy over Sympathy

Okay, let's not rule out sympathy just yet as beneficial to mankind. But this video does make a pretty good argument for why empathy reigns supreme. (the full TED talk is pretty good too.) And apparently you'll be a better person for watching. Good luck!

http://failblog.cheezburger.com/share/56915969

beck

Word of the Day/Week/Month/Year/Always

sin·cere
 

1. honest and open: honest and unaffected in a way that shows what is said is really meant
2. not feigned: based on what is truly and deeply felt

Synonyms: honest, open, frank, natural, straight, unaffected, candid

This is how I feel right now--and really all too often. For I find I am so earnest that my sincerity is nearing a point of desperation. I seem unable to entertain frivolities. This is my word. This is me.

beck

Ghosts in Social Media and Beyond

I've been thinking about and wondering what happens to my deceased friends' social media accounts. There's nothing quite so haunting as seeing some of my deceased friends tagged in posts on facebook. They're long since gone, but they still get tagged in posts and photos in memoriam. Sometimes, I'm sad to say, I get a little excited only to remember the sad truth of their loss. And every time I log in to Skype I see my friend's name who passed away this year. I know that I can remove it, but I can't bring myself to do it. I guess I like the reminder that they once were there. I probably like it for the same reason I like wearing my grandmother's ring and necklace: I don't want to forget. And the more I remind myself, the more recent the memories feel to me.

Coincidentally, someone else was thinking about this topic with me yesterday. Spooky. And they wrote this post on the subject. It's kind of morbid to think about writing down usernames and email addresses in case you die. But now I think I might do it. That's what journals are for, right?


beck