WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS... Ok, maybe not THE champions but it sure does feel like we have won some kind of title or should get a trophy or SOMETHING. I also use the term "we" as if I had anything at all to do with the outcome, but even if just a smidgen of all my encouragement and motherly support had an effect - I'll take that credit. I could be referring to a major game with some sort of very important results because of our glorious win - but I'm not. I'm referring to a Little League Baseball Game (age 7 no less), a tournament game that in all actuality we will have to play (the team we beat) again tomorrow night. Why then am I so excited, excited enough to blog about it? This dadgum team that we BEAT THE PANTS OFF OF beat, hasn't lost one single game in 2 years. The coaches are also hard-nosed sticklers to the core and will make a mountain out of a molehill over ANY discrepancy. They are our ARCH RIVALS, our NEMESIS and have been a thorn in our side for 2 YEARS! I learned something about myself when the Ump said the magic phrase "BALL GAME" and we were squeaking past them. - I'm not a graceful or gracious winner at times. This was one of those times. My good friend and I jumped out of our seats and literally screamed, jumped up and down and hugged each other several times. I lost my cool completely and also ignored the other kids that just lost for the 1st time in 2 years. Do I feel bad? - Hell no. Those little suckers can get over it just like our kids had to do EVERY TIME WE PLAYED. How do ya like us now? Suck it up! There's no crying in baseball! Ok, sorry I got lost in our victory again. TEE HEE! Told ya I wasn't graceful. It's pretty terrible that I'm gloating, but I don't care. Our kids Us parents have wanted this so bad and they we deserved this win. Our boys We just can't hold it in when it's been so long coming and have looked forward to this day since the 1st time we got our tails handed to us by them. (Not to mention every team in our league who has had the pleasure of losing to them as well.) We are ROCKSTARS in our little baseball community, even if for just a day and that means so much to our boys us parents. I know that everyone is supposed to be politically correct and I should be a gracious winner and think of the other boys and how bad they must feel because they lost. I do feel sorry for the kids whose parents will unfortunately take the loss out on them and I truly hope that isn't the case. Sports in our community is taken pretty seriously and I've always been of the mindset that at this age I just want my kids to have fun and that is what matters most. But damn y'all, it feel good to WIN.

I have the blues. The "Facebook Blues". I can't seem to shake them either. When I first learned of Facebook, it changed my life, I LOVED it! I could get in touch with people I haven't seen or talked to in YEARS. It was so much fun! Being the social butterfly that I am - it was the perfect solution. I could see old friends faces and their families. I kept up with family that I don't see often and see pictures of their kids and visa-versa. It really was a good thing... but every good thing must come to an end or at least a stalemate. I started noticing a trend happening. I was trying to keep up with everyone's lives online most of the day when my own was being put on hold and eventually nothing was getting done. I also noticed that I would feel jealous of others and their seemingly perfect lives. I would read a post that would say something like, "Made cupcakes with all 3 kids today for our church's bake-sale. It was such a fun time to spend with my children." (Complete this with a picture on "Instagram" of 3 bright-eyed happy kids with cupcake batter on their smiling faces.) Then I look around at my messy house with 4 piles of laundry and 2 fighting boys, and I still haven't even thought about what to do for dinner much less a perfect little church bake-sale. I took some time off to try and perfect my own life. HA! After realizing this was never going to happen I just started posting my own crazy little realities. What really happens in my house on a daily basis. I started having fun again and my family and friends liked my nutty stories. Then I noticed that I felt bad if someone "liked" my story or commented on it and I didn't keep up or do the same for them. So, I tried then to keep up with everyone's posts and comment or at least "like" them. EXHAUSTION! I can't do it! I love everyone and I couldn't keep up without once again wasting my life on Facebook. Another thing, it is so awkward when you actually see someone you're friends with on Facebook and they expect you to know what they're talking about because they had already posted it on their status. Well, what if you really do want to know what they're up to but because you have a friend who posts pictures and random quotes they find online all day and you missed it. What then? Does this make me a bad Facebook friend? There are several things on Facebook I won't pretend to understand and while I'm not the picture of perfect facebooking myself, I still have my opinions on a few of what have become my social media pet peeves. For instance, if you're going to post pictures of food at least include a recipe. This is only fair. Yes it looks good and you didn't invite me over to have any, you're just rubbing my nose in it that I'm not getting to eat it. Same thing goes with restaurant food photos, name of the restaurant please and the item you ordered should also be included. And, what is it with married couples or any couples for that matter literally having conversations via Facebook? Professing your love for each other in a follow up comment on a post: how romantic. We get it, you love each other so get a room or how about get off the computer/phone and opt for some actual physical contact via the privacy of your own bedroom. Also, why is it when people are sick they post about how bad they feel? Here's a novel idea: get off Facebook, take some medicine and go to bed. Furthermore, this "checking in" stuff. What is up with everyone wanting everyone to know where they are? Not at home? Now I can rob your house. Nice. So many things to question and there are so many things I've done that get on my own nerves. Playing games and wasting so much of my time for NOTHING. Seriously, how is Family Feud on Facebook going to help me clean my house? I haven't done this one in a long time (probably because I did them all) but I would take these quizzes that told me something about myself. Such as a "What Your Favorite Color Says About You." What the hell was wrong with me? I would literally feel down if the answer came back with a negative depiction of my character... because of my favorite color? I obviously have issues, which is why I'm not on Facebook as much anymore. People like me (with issues) should use social media outlets with care. I have a flimsy self-image, (which I'm working on) and a need to make people happy. (Which, I've almost mastered the notion that I can't please everyone but making people smile still makes my day.) The combination of those two things can sometimes riddle me with anxiety. In wrapping up my Facebook soap box rant, I'll just say that there are many good things about Facebook and I miss certain things about it. For the most part, however, I've kept my house up better, done more laundry, spent more time with my kids and husband and worried less that my sarcasm didn't translate well on a follow up comment I made on someone's status update. I doubt anyone cares about my "Blues" but just in case I can make someone smile with my observations, I may just have to hit the "share" button and post this to Facebook. Ha, the irony!