Was it in the Sound of Music that Julie Andrews sang "A Few of My Favorite Things"? Or was that Mary Poppins? Either way, it popped into my head yesterday like a lightning bolt out of NOWHERE, but, with different words. I give you Julie ANNdrews rendition:

Milk on her cereal, and jam on his bagel.

"Get yourselves dressed, as I know you are able"

Brush your teeth well, ensure your faces are clean.

These are a few of my daily routines.

Make three different lunches, cut crusts off first two,

Glance at my schedule to know what to do,

Get backpacks all loaded, to school; 8:15.

These are a few of my daily routines.

When the dog barks, when the phone rings, I see a mess in the den.

I simply remember my daily routines,

and know tomorrow, I'll get to do them again!!!!

Bleach

"What is it with you and bleach?" my husband inquired just yesterday.

"The counter smells like bleach," stated my daughter.

"Why does the laundry room smell like bleach?", noticed my son.

Hello, my name is Julie Ann. I have a love/hate relationship with bleach.

The reasons I love bleach are obvious. It kills the bad stuff. It brightens my sinks and surfaces. It makes my whites, well, whiter. I used to actually streak it through my hair to make it lighter. This was WAY back then, before I knew about the existence of professional hair salons let alone could afford them. Bleach. What is not to love about something that can do all that?!

Well, for one, I've ruined a lot of t-shirts and sweatpants with the stuff. It can splash, and just like that you have permanent snowflakes on your blue Charger shirt. Crap. My hands hate bleach. Bleach eats them, nom, nom, nom. Yes, I could wear gloves. But, I don't. I would rather slather my disintegrated skin with olive oil than suffer through the awful smell that's left on my skin from those yellow, rubber, sweaty palm inducers. Bleach can clean your sinuses, but, not in a pleasant way. Mix the stuff with ammonia by mistake, and you have a toxic situation on your hands. Thank you, HazMat team for your timely response to my call. You guys were great.

My husband didn't understand "Why are there Clorox wipes in the kids' bathroom!?" as he tossed the cylinder down the hall. I suppose to respond to the obvious would be a waste of my breath. Perhaps I need to lighten up on the bleach, pun intended.

Weeds

According to my daughter, unicorns eat rainbows and poop out butterflies. I can't remember when she reached that epiphany in her storybook world, but, I'd sure like to visit when that's going down.

They grow too fast. Sometimes I think they do it right before your eyes, either that or they grow at night like my garden does. One day there are no blooms, or leaves for that matter; and then POP! Leaves. Or in this case, a need for bigger cleats. Therein lies the dilemma...the season is only so many more games. Can the toes make it? I think the answer is thinner socks.

Sports, dentist appointments, homework, and dirt bikes have replaced afternoon naps, bath time, diapers, and the search party for the missing pacifier.

However, on the other side...they both get in and out of the car on their own. They get themselves dressed (sometimes much to my dismay) shower, can get their own juice. They play with (gasp) each other!

They also fight with each other. They share, they care, they hit and spit. They hug, and they pinch and they punch. They comfort. And in that, I take great pride in what God has given them, and what He has given me. They have compassion. Well, my son at least. When I asked my daughter "Where's your brother?" her reply was very matter of fact. "I don't know, maybe something ate him."

Curiosities

I know why people do it. I know why people peek into medicine cabinets. Admit it, I'm sure you've done it once at least. I, of course, have only read about it.

You meet a prespective "other" and the curiosity just can't be quelched. What cologne is that? Electric or straight edge? Does he have more hair products than I do? That, is a warning sign by the way.

You can learn a lot about someone via their medicine cabinets. I mean, it's not like you are going through their clothing pockets or desk drawers or Blackberry. For instance, I will devulge what is in mine so you can get to know me a little better.

Perfumes. Lots of them. These vary from Eaus to body sprays to full on 2oz of Caroline Herrera bliss. Old toothbrushes. These are great for cleaning anything from jewelry to grout. Goopy hair products with names like BedHead and Manipulator. Sounds kind of kinky, but, we are talking hair products here. Vitamins that I never take and Vicodin that I wish I could multiply.

Pretty "normal" stuff so far. My toothpaste, deoderant, make up and lotions, bathing stuff and the like are all in designated drawers. Tricked you, didn't I?

Recently on vacation, I opened my family's medicine cabinets. I can only guess I was trying to learn more about them, which is sad, really, if you think about it, therefore, I won't.

My father doesn't have a cabinet, since he lacks running water, so he uses a table in his mineral bath house. Swedish shampoo and conditioner, a razor and cream. Shea butter lotion, a hairbrush, a toothbrush and paste. His clothes closet on the other hand (which I didn't go through because it's a chain going from one wall to the other with the clothes hainging on it is something to behold. The man is a clothes horse.

My sister has some really good lotions. They have cool names too, like Zen and Back or Coconut Sunrise. They have little tags on them with affirmations like "Be the shine for your skin" or something along those lines. Lemongrass and rosemary for her mornings, lavender for evenings. Something called Patchoulli which smelled to me like Junior High. All natural this and animal cruelty free that. Organics everywhere. Oh, and rock salt deoderant that her dog loves to lick off.

My Mom has some stuff in hers, but, she is in the process of moving. Divorcing for the second time she is "in between" a lot of things. She had travel sized stuff mostly. I don't think mentally she is ready to move on with this new life. Funny she chose to use travel size if you think about it.

I have learned through opening doors, a little more about the family I used to live with and was raised around.