For reasons mostly relating to finding the right balance in my schedule as a working mom, I left my retail gig as of last week and I’m now planning to focus my energies on being a substitute teacher / teachers aide and a rockstar mother. This week I focused my energies on American Idol and cleaning my kitchen. I needed an emotional cleanse – a moment to just be – and now I’m ready to take the world by storm. Next week. While I linger in these last moments of unadulterated laziness….

US Presidents when they were young and hunky? Oh my. Leslie Knope and I need to have a long conversation about this over waffles.

I’m on a soup kick! I made this P Dubs recipe a couple days ago. And this tasty Greek soup last week. (My children are not on a soup kick and despite their efforts at politeness, I think they will breath a sigh of relief when I serve them leftover pancakes for dinner tonight.)

Thanks to Facebook’s On This Day… algorithm , I’ve been finding all sorts of throwback goodness. I’m pretty sure my daughter needs this Horse Catalog in her life immediately.

I think this should go without saying, but in case you weren’t sure: dads are not babysitters. I’m not surprised or delighted that my husband carries equal weight around the house or that he’s capable of handling the kids on his own. He’s their father and an equal partner in our relationship. Not a very tall child that must be managed.

Lastly… I’m clearly in a fowl mood¹:

Get it?

¹ I’m actually in a great mood, I’m just feeling punny. hahahahaha