poetry and coffee

I can't really say I know much about poetry but when I saw this little poem I knew it was a keeper. And of course the advertisement for Zach's new coffee shop sounds like just the right spot for me.

happy earth day!

There is a challenge at work today for everyone to wear green and since we are remote we have to prove this greenness with a photo. So here is the rare Meghan photo with my favorite accessories.

Easter

Easter was a very low key event over here. We all enjoyed having a three day weekend. We finally had some nice Texas spring weather allowing us to spend some time outdoors especially getting the yard cleaned up.

I am excited that I busted out my camera rather than relying on my phone to get our Easter highlights especially since this is really the first Easter the girls got to participate.

Cascarones - we introduced the girls to their first boxes of cascarones and they enjoyed smashing them on the boys.

(Lulu is polka dots and Kit Kat is stripes)

Egg Dying - we went to ye ol' pinterest for some ideas and opted to try the Sharpie method. Basically you draw on your egg and then you douse it with rubbing alcohol. This definitely wasn't our favorite egg dying technique although we all enjoyed the drawing part the dousing part was anti-climatic and didn't really create a spectacular egg. My good housekeeping tip: if you happen to get Sharpie on your wood table, rubbing alcohol will remove it.

Chocolate bunnies - this may have been the girls favorite part. They tackled their own and when those were put up they took on their brothers. I have to admit that at some point we lost two chocolate bunnies and only one resurfaced as a bit of a surprise when it was time for me to crawl into bed. The non-chocolate photo is the boys pouring over the Marvel Superhero Encyclopedia that I got for Zach. It may be my best gift given to date.

(Lulu - is in lady bug pjs and Kit Kate is in breakfast pjs)

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter weekend.

What is Trending at the Lucas House

I was going to spend the morning getting my Easter post up but the chickens are demanding their current morning routine so I'd thought I'd share what is trending. I promise some Easter photos later today.

The chickens and I used to enjoy a morning of Sesame Street while the boys went to school but someone (a.k.a Zach) introduced the girls to YouTube videos on the Xbox so our current routine involves watching the  Katy Perry Dark Horse and Roar videos. I wish I could accurately capture how they request these videos; it involves panting like a dog and singing.






After we get through those two videos then we have to watch a few Muppets' videos and eventually we leave YouTube for Bubble Guppies or Monsters Inc.




Don't worry - this doesn't happen all in one morning but I am fairly certain that these 4 items (Katy Perry, Muppets, Bubble Guppies, and Monsters Inc) are watched in some manner during the chickens' day.

Currently trending for Zach is card tricks. Even the chickens have been asked "Want to see me do a card trick?" Some are good and some need a bit a work but falling prey to the request definitely starts to wear on you after about the 8th card trick. Makes you wonder if Bess Houdini got tired of being asked to come watch "this new trick!"

I have also been inundated with Marvel Super Heroes talk. I am more than happy to chat about any confusions you have between DC and Marvel heroes as I have received multiple lectures on the who's who in the super hero world.



Happy Monday everyone!

playlist

Funny but I get more personal emails when I post about running than most of my posts. I think it is because whatever our form of exercise is: running, walking, biking, swimming - we can all identify with the struggle to get out do it whether it is because of motivation or lack of time, the great feeling of accomplishment when you do get out or complete a race, and trying to keep up the habit (I just keep telling myself it takes 21 days to form a habit - it has worked so far with my giving up facebook).

I have to admit, I am not getting on with my running plan as much as I had hoped. Life gets in the way. I've be pondering a tri for my 40th but I am a long way from that right now. Barely getting out to walk or run will make it almost impossible to find time to train for a tri.

So to help us all with getting motivated as the  Texas weather finally improves and the rest of the country starts warming up I am providing my list of Top 10 songs for getting out and getting a move on. I've tried running without music and for a while I ran and listened to NPR. I've found that both stress me out while I run because I either spend too much time in my head or I was getting upset with the horrible events in the world. So I have to music and because of that I have an official rule about running playlist: You can't judge a person by the running/exercise playlist as the intent  is to add the music that makes you get up go. To that end, I think I might have some pent up anger as the music that really gets me going are the break-up, getting over your sad self songs. I mean Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" is well loved because it gets us all energized. I have a few slow ones on here and I know there is a whole RPM and your song list strategy but I am not coordinated enough to get my running and music and my pace together. I just need music that gets me going.

Meghan's Top 10 15  20 23 Running/Get Up and Move Songs

I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
Girlfriend - Avril Lavinge
Titanium - David Guetta (featuring Sia)
Dark Horse - Katie Perry
Voodoo Child - Rogue Trader
Love You Like a Love Song - Selena Gomez
Sydney (I'll Come Running) - Brett Dennen
Ways to Go - Grouplove
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Mama's Broken Heart - Miranda Lambert
Starship - Nicki Manaj
Wishlist - Pearl Jam
Never Will Be Mine - Rye, Rye Robyn
Wind it Up - Gwen Stefani
I Would Do Anything - Foster the People
Dancing on My Own - Robyn
Trojans - Atlas Genius
Swimming in Your Sea - Bob Scheinder
Run The World (Girls) - Beyonce
Take a Chance on Me - ABBA
Only Wanna Dance with You - Kesha
Fall Down - will.i.am
Night Jogger - Those Darlins

Year in Review - Mixbook

FINALLY! Life at the Lucas House 2013 Year in Review photo book.  I made this one on Mixbook, which I have to say I like more than others I've used especially since it lets me pull photos from Instagram, which is where we all know I live. I couldn't get the book to embed but you can view using the link below. I am not 100% pleased with some of it but that is more just me wanting to get this done as I've had it in process since January.  Enjoy the wild ride of our lives in 2013.

http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/interests/life-at-the-lucas-house-2013-10357727?vk=mK4wXkUjgU

PS: I just realize that the link isn't hot. You need to copy and paste it in to your browser to see it.