Ice Breaker Time

So here's a little audience participation exercise:
My all-time favorite ice breaker question (I can feel your excitement):

If your life were a movie what kind of movie would it be?
What genre? (i.e. comedy, action, drama, film noir...)

And who would play each important character? (you decide which characters are most important)

**Important note** if for some reason this question makes you feel hostile toward me, do not feel obligated to answer. I don't know why this question would make you hostile, but people have gotten angry about it in the past. If you have any insight into why that would be, please feel free to share.:) Thanks.

For all the rest of you, please play along, because it's fun!

So here's the movie of my life:

The genre of my movie would have to be a musical. I would love to live in a world where people spontaneously break out into song and dance, inexplicably knowing every word and move, though it was clearly spur of the moment and unrehearsed. I just think that song and dance are the most appropriate responses to joy, and nothing beats a really sad song with lots of violins during the low times.

My cast of characters:

Hubby - some sort of Brad Pitt/John Cusack hybrid (Brad Pitt's pre-Angelina boyish sexiness, combined with an early Cusack quirky, goofy earnestness)

Me - Elizabeth Shue (I don't look anything like her, but I think she has a natural beauty and warm intelligence that I like)

My 9 year old - Jesse McCartney (they have the same hair and love of performing)

My 7 year old - Jayden Smith (Will Smith's son, he doesn't have the freckles, but he's got all the attitude of my boy)

5 year old - the kid from Jerry Maguire (how many pounds is the human brain?) sweet and at times off-the-wall.

3 year old - the little girl from The Game Plan (we have a very racially diverse family). She's tough, but girly and sensitive.

Mom - Sally Field for her fierce mom qualities

Dad - a young Sean Connery/Harrison Ford hybrid (it's my movie, I can do what I want) for their classy intelligence and ruggedness.

My Big Bro - Tom Cruise on stilts (from his pre-scientology Top Gun days - cool and crazy)

Sister-in-law - Jenna Elfman (the girl from Dharma and Greg) for her bubbly effervescent personality.

Little Sis - Julia Stiles, different hair color, but same intelligence and grace

Littler Sis - Anne Hathaway - same big brown eyes and fun goofiness

Stepmom (now ex, but none the less) - Sigorney Weaver - they have the same awesome bone structure and beautiful brown eyes.

My friend, Crystal, would be played by an earthy Reese Witherspoon (beautiful and always capable), I can't figure out who would play Stephanie (if you have any suggestions for an athletic, fun and straightforward friend, let me know), and Andrea would be played by Rosie O'Donnell from A League of Their Own (tough, but with a big heart).

So, that's my movie. It would be a musical dramedy - you'd laugh, you'd cry and you might even spontaneously break into dance.

Your turn...

My Own Little Division of Hallmark

This time of year, the time when cards sing the praises of perfect mothers and ever present fathers, inspires the inner greeting card writer in me. If I were to create my own division of Hallmark it would be called:  Reality - Sentiments for the Dysfunctional Family:). 

My selection of cards would read something like this:

Mom

You worked two jobs for as long as I can remember,

raised us on your own with no help from family or friends. 

I honestly don't know how you did it.

And though I cried many a morning when you had to leave before dawn,

I will be forever grateful that you came home after long days, made us dinner and then tickled us, and tucked us in every night.

Life has been harder on you than most, it seems, and though it knocked you down and out a few too many times, I know you loved me and I'm grateful for that.

Thanks for letting me lick the beater and climb into bed when the nightmares seemed too real, for giving me freedom to roam and play, and for sending me to church camp when I was twelve.

I love you, Mom, Happy Mother's Day.

Dad

I wish that I remembered living with you.

I wish you had kissed my cheek every night before bed

and scared away the boogie man while I slept.

I wish you had been there to scare away bad boyfriends

and to set a curfew for me,

but I know now that every other weekend is a lot for many dads to commit to,

and you were faithful to the end.

Thanks for ski trips and diamond earrings, princess dresses and great hugs. And thanks for dreaming big.

I love you, Dad, thanks for loving me.

StepMom (now ex)

While we may not have met under the best circumstances,

I'm glad you came into my life.

You were so young, too young for a 3 and 5 year old,

but you taught me about beauty and enjoying life in the moment, from you I learned to enjoy photography and gourmet cooking, I watched you put on make-up and delighted in the birth of my sisters.

I'm sorry for how things ended up, it was so painful to have my family split again,

but I don't know what title to call you now. So you're still, and always, stepmom - thanks for filling in the gaps.

I love you, Lori, thanks for loving me.

(ex)StepDad 

I used to call you Anti-Christ (not to your face of course). You were always kind to me,

but I hated you for how you treated my brother and my mom and for what you did to my home. 

I want you to know that I don't hate you anymore. 

I forgive you.

Wherever you are in the world, Happy Father's Day.

Thanks for the kindnesses you showed to me.

And to the Father of all fathers and mothers I say Happy Mother's and Father's Day!

You were there when my parents couldn't be, when they didn't know to be. You walked with me through my darkest days and comforted me through many tears, you brought joy and peace and blessing when I didn't believe they would come.

And thank you for the grace I need as I live out my own dysfunctional life as a mom. Though my kids may need a few years of therapy one day, I cling to your words that "love covers over a multitude of sins," and that "love never fails." Thank you for the truth of those words that I've felt in my own life and thank you that I can have faith that they will be enough for my children as well.

I love you, thank you so much for loving me.

Perspectives

A few days ago my three-year-old daughter woke up, looked out the window and said:

"The sun gave me a hot kiss!"

"It gave you a kiss?"

"Yes, and then it blew bubbles!"

I wish I could live inside that little mind sometimes.