Just a kid.

For a while my dancers have been asking me if I have a baby, or if I have children or if I am a mommy.  I answer no, & quickly change the subject to less complicated matters like tendus or plies.

Lately, my girls have been following up with asking me if I have a mommy.  The first couple times they asked, I laughed to myself and said "yes," what a funny thing to ask...
Monday, it finally occurred to me what was going on in their heads when I had the following conversation with Sarah:


"Miss Jossy?..... do you have a baby?"

"nooo."

"oh......Do you have a mommy?"

"yyyes."

"Do you live with her?"

"no..."

"why not?"

"uh... b/c I'm a grown up."


Oh, I see what's going on here. One either has a mommy (i.e. lives with her) or is one.  

I have since realized that my kids are confused about what I am b/c I am neither.  I feel like I give off a sufficient adult vibe...  They must see right through me and recognize that the person leading dance class is practically on their maturity level.  It freaks them out b/c I'm really tall, and for some unknown reason, I'm in charge.

conversation 2.

"Miss Jossy? Why do you get all the papers?" (referring to a small stack of attendance sheets [as if it's a cool thing to have])

"B/c I'm the teacher."

"AWE Miss Jossy! You're just a KID!"

...

Yay for Spring

I went running 2 days ago around Belle Isle, and was reminded of a few things.

1. I should run more.

2. Richmond is pretty cool.

3. 90% of the people on Belle Isle in the middle of the day, in the middle of the work week are hippies or homeless. 

 4. The i-phone can simultaneously serve as an i-pod, a camera, and a phone.  Neat.

5. I love old stuff.

(These picts are ACTUALLY taken from the Canal walk, not Belle Isle... but it's all in the same place.)

My bored face.

Alternative title: This is for you Mare, I know how you're over my lack of pics of Clint and me.

Clint is on Spring Break, so we're getting a lot of togetherness time in.... more than usual ;)
Two days ago, I suggested that we go to a quick 9 hole course and so he could get his golf fix, and I could watch him play, and it would be fun.  It was supposed to be a quick 1-2 hour activity, with him golfing and me hanging out in the cart.  Literally, at the last minute, two of our guy friends wanted to come too, so it ended up being sort of a long afternoon of the three of them golfing and me bundled up in my blanky watching/spacing out/taking pictures from the cart.

Clint was worried that I was bored out of my mind and annoyed.
Does this face look like the face of boredom?

Clint is always hot-as in, sweating.  So it's like 65 degrees out and he thinks it's shorts weather.  Good thing I brought my blanky!

Yay!

My boyfriend, is so cute.

To Clint's query, I respond:

1. I am rarely bored.   I can sit, staring out into space indefinitely and not be bored.  There's too much going on in this head of mine.  If you're bored, you're boring.


2.  As long as I'm with my monkey, I'm good to go.  Boredom is not part of the equation.

update

I've started taking classes at the Cary Street Gym.  They include athletic conditioning, step, body sculpting, and yoga.  I kinda love/hate the first 3, but love how I feel afterward.  I love yoga, especially b/c my instructor is a genius.  I'm determined to not have a weak bod anymore.  I am going for a tighter core and a healthier heart.  I feel good.

I have also started learning how to swim (the correct way), so I've been doing laps and sitting in the spa a lot.  

I just ordered this swimming cap (the hair is suffering).

The boyfriend and I continue to be obsessed with LOST.   However, it's going to be a glorious day when it's over.

It's time to begin a new obsession.  The boyfriend and I have started the first season of 24.  His idea.  I was highly skeptical.  However, we've watched 2 epi's thus far, and I dig.

We also saw Leonardo DiCaprio's Shutter Island and think it's one of the most brilliant movies ever made.  

My little darling girls are learning their recital routines which will be performed in June.  As much as I love them, it can't come soon enough.

I'm preparing to move to Florida for the summer.  This may or may not turn into a permanent thing.

I'm looking at grad schools for nutritional biochemistry programs and companies to begin getting more lab experience.

I still love to shop at Trader Joe's and make delicious recipes that I find on your blogs.

My favorite color is purple.

I am spending the rest of the day reading the third installment of Fablehaven. (Clint is in VA beach doing a aesthetic dental workshop, so I'm flying solo this sunshiny Saturday)

getting my creative juices on

I know all you ladies out there are super creative, into crafts, and making cute things...cuz I know you.  I've seen your work.  Well listen up.  I can be creative too ya know.  Just b/c I am a science geek, doesn't mean I can't make...sparkly masks out of Styrofoam plates and glitter.  I can. And I did.

I opted to sacrifice my Friday with the boyfriend, so my married-with-kids friends could go off and have a romantic night of their own via Texzas De Brazil, sans rugrats.

This is how my night went.

We start out playing Mario Wii.  I promptly have my bootay handed to me by a five year old as she shrieks, "Why would you do that!? Why would you DO THAT?"...

And to that I respond..."um. I don't know...."

I'm not really a video game enthusiast, plus it was my first attempt. Ever... I proved to be less than desirable as a gaming partner so we tried the Nickelodeon route.

OK.  Have you all watched Nickelodeon lately? iCarly?  I'm sorry.  LAME. What has happened to my beloved network from days of yore?... I miss Clarissa Explains it all...and The Adventures of Pete and Pete...  Salute Your Shorts?  Are you Afraid of the Dark?  MAN those shows ruled my world.  All That??? ROUnd HOUSE?!- (I still totally have that theme song memorized: Whenever my life gets me so down, I wanna go way down, to where the people and the fun never ends...)  The Secret Life of Alex Mac was prolly my most fave.  

Ugh.  Dude.  Hannah Montana is seriously ridic. 


I couldn't take it anymore.  I insisted we put our creative juices to play and bedazzle some disposable flatware.


Behold.


Total success.

At one point the same five year old who was horrified at my incompetence at Mario said to me, "You smell good, I was wondering if I could kiss you."

Score.

My Valentine

This year, Clint and I agreed to do nothing out of the ordinary this year for Valentine's Day.   I was supposed to be out of town for the weekend, plus he's supposedly not big on the holiday.  (Really? Cause I thought we had a smashing time at the ballet last year!?...oh yeah, that was just me.)

I ended up, last minute, flaking on my volunteer work, for reasons that are my own, which may or may not include my simple desire to lounge indefinitely with my cutey cute bf...

Amidst acknowledgment that we planned zero activities/gifts for the blessed holiday, my girlish nature got the best of me.  I had the following conversation in my head Saturday morning:

"Does Clint hate me and that's why he suggested we forgo the celebration of love?...

Or...
Could Clint's insistence that we do nothing actually be a ploy to get me to expect nothing, so when he actually DOES get me something I'll be surprised...even overjoyed?...

He knows I love surprises...

Could he...possibly....be planning to get me something super great and awesome....even...something that I've been wanting for months by now???...

...

Wait.  What if he really meant it though, and gets me nothing, like he said, and I'm getting my hopes up that he's going to surprise me, and I cry when he doesn't, and he's incredulous to why I'm disappointed, when we already established that we weren't going to do anything???

Why am I allowing myself to get worked up like this!?....

Tears...

What the freaking crap. I am crying?"

......

No.  It gets better....

So, Saturday, I began the day by confessing to Clint that I was having all these crazy thoughts, and he had to tell me right then if he planned to surprise me or not b/c I was going to cry from the stress of not knowing how to feel... (Let's just say Valentine's Day also happens to fall during a special time of the month for me)...

He was going to surprise me.

AWE. REALLY?

WEEEEEAK!!!!! Man, that boy has got to learn not to give in to evil PMS Jessica!  You cannot give in to her!  She is not real!  Because, at that moment, was I then happy to discover that Clint did, in fact, love me and want to celebrate it?  NOOOO. Oh no.  That was far from my mind.  I was furious at myself for ruining my surprise.

Loser!

OK so, somehow, we made it out of that moment and the rest of the weekend was filled with delicious food, beautiful flowers, movies, my fave chocolate fantasy truffles and these lil babies:

 

In case you're wondering, yes, this is the little surprise that I've been waiting for for months...yyyyyay!

most delicious chicken sandwhich ever. My creation.

 

Fried Chicken Sandwich.  Not low fat=literally most delicious sandwich EV.Errrr

chicken breast marinated in buttermilk for a day or two

covered in breadcrumbs, cumin, and curry and salt.

Fried in Olive Oil.

Extra extra sharp cheddar cheese 

spread=raspberry jelly + mayo

Lettuce

Hamburger Bun from Trader Joes....

Sounds kind of sick...but it ruled. Trust me. Try it.