Domain Change

I hope I am not royally messing everything up... but I changed my domain for my blog.

I have toyed around the idea of completely changing the name of my blog, but at the end of the day... I can't think of anything I like better. I definitely wasn't a fan of my blonde sister's advice to change it to "Magical Mind of Mollie." While my mind is definitely magical... and I would love to be Pocahontas and paint with the colors of the wind... I don't care for it as a blogging title. So here's what I finally decided: I didn't find the "Many" in "Many Musings of Mollie" to be necessary anymore. Clearly I have many musings... that's why I blog. So I can fill your head with pointless musings from my head! So I have simply dropped the many from my title and my domain. I am sincerely sorry if this forces you to re-bookmark me (red headed sister), but there you have it. I am now:

www.musingsofmollie.blogspot.com

I also plan to give my blog a little facelift. As I continue to see numbers rise, the more embarrased I get about my little boring, green layout. So I'm going big time and am going to instill the help of one of my favorite bloggers. More to come on that!

Hump Day!

Because I've been on a roll with videos this week, I thought I'd keep them coming.

I started out my summer school class with this video this morning and they just looked at me like I was crazy. Which led me to try and tell them why this video is funny. I explained to them that Wednesday is also known as "hump day" because it's half way through the week and you just have to get over that hump and then you're almost to Friday! And after I gave them this glorious explanation....they still just stared at me. So.... hopefully you all get it.

(yes, explaining that story was my backwards way of making sure you get it)

Happy Hump Day! This is genius:

Preacher's Date Round 2

So when I left off yesterday, we were driving to Gladewater.

When we made it, I got to meet so many people that I’ve been hearing about for so long! Every single one of them was so welcoming and hugged my neck like they had known me for all my life! We headed off to the rehearsal, we talkin ‘bout practice. Then finally got to the fun part! The rehearsal dinner. The best man gave the longest, pointless, but most hilarious speech I’ve ever heard. “And in college we lived in the azalea district…. And we had a basketball goal.” Just straight awesomeness. We sat at a huge table and talked to people all around us! I found one person from Huntsville and told him I had a family ranch there… after describing to him where it was he said, “the one with the new colt out front?” and I about died!! I said yes!!! That’s my new baby!! We left the rehearsal and went back to Shirley and Garlands house…. I proceeded to ask them both the pancake question.. seriously, it’s a good question!

My Favorite People!

The groom and his

The next morning we woke up and went to one of the few restaurants in town. The Fork. It’s an adorable little restaurant and I think my biscuits and gravy that I didn’t even finish cost $2.95. Duck Dude and I felt really cool when his parents walked in… it was like we were basically locals. I honestly don’t think there’s anything better than a small town coffee shop. It was so relaxing.

Then Duck Dude took me to the spillway. It’s a place where the lake spills over and Duck Dude grew up going stone stepping. I didn’t take my phone with me so I have zero pictures, but it was very pretty and I loved the serenity of being back in the woods.

Duck Dude had to be at the church early, since he was the preacher and all and so we went back and he got ready. Once he left I took my time getting ready and then went with his parents to the wedding. We had the most glorious time. Duck Dude got a ridiculous amount of compliments on the ceremony and I might be biased but I think he did an excellent job. He related their marriage to the rules of scuba diving, because the bride and groom love to scuba dive. The best compliment I heard all night was from a couple who sat with us at dinner: “We were on the back row in the balcony and felt like we were right up front because it was so personable.” Pretty cool, huh? I was proud, to say the least.

We left for the reception and Duck Dude’s mom said, “I’m gonna party down tonight!” And we did. We literally danced the night away to a fantastic band! I am an honest believer in the face that the song “Shout” is the climax of the night! Man, I love that song! One of the best surprises of the night was when the groom and a friend got up and sang a song/rap! Everyone loved it (the video is down below!). It was one of the best weddings/nights I have had in a while!

The whole group!

Sunday we drove home and decided to take the back roads. We knew we wanted lunch and wanted to choose a random restaurant like we did when we went fishing! We chose Richie’s in Big Sandy, Texas. It was a restaurant that served Mexican and American food! Ha Once again, I love small town restaurants. We got home and grabbed Koal and headed to the pool at his parents. It was a phenomenal weekend.

Definitely, weekend conquered.

Banana + Minions

This weekend, Duck Dude and his family headed to the large town of Gladewater, Tx for preacher's date round 2 (that post will come tomorrow)! This weekend was much more normal and much how I expected last weekend would slash should have gone.

We began the 2 hour drive with a run to Sonic and I got a large drink and hoped I would not have to take a bathroom break because I just couldn't resist the diet coke. I proceeded to put ketchup and mustard on Duck Dude's corn dogs by spelling out words... aka playing with food.... because I'm actually nine years old. This entertained us for a while. Then Duck Dude brought up Despicable Me 2... which we are both pretty excited about. He asked me if I'd seen the "banana" video... I hadn't. So we busted out the IPad in the car and pulled it up on YouTube.

It. Is. Sheer. Greatness.

Mostly, it reminds me of me.... and the little blonde sister... and putting on performances... and getting super annoyed when she, or anyone really, wouldn't do my performance correctly. I mean, how could they ruin my 30 minutes (an entire Barney show) of hard work!!! It's just amazing and we probably watched it about 20 times over the entire weekend. We even went as far as to plug my phone into Duck Dude's usb in the truck so we could listen to it over the truck speakers.

If you think I'm super weird and have no life... I'm ok with that. But if you think it's awesome and laugh every single time.... we're probably best friends. (So many personality tests lately!.. I'm gonna start judging my friends strictly on pancakes and banana minions). That is all.

Pancake Stack

I would like to start off this post with a quick clarification. I was not just listing random inappropriate things to do at a wedding. Everything I listed actually happened. At the wedding. We were at on Friday. In real life.

Now onto the regular scheduled program! The other day I was filling out a survey. This was a question:
If you were a pancake in a stack of 3 pancakes, which one would you be and why?

My answer? The top one, obviously. First off, I am the oldest of 3 girls... so I'm used to being first. I am also a perfectionist (a typical characteristic of the oldest child), so I like to be on top or the best at everything I do! I also like to climb things.. like mountains... or trees.. anything to get up higher than where I am. The top pancake is the highest pancake from the ground. That would be me.

Since I was texting Duck Dude at the time, I decided to ask him the same question. He replied with an answer and he also said you would be the top one! This sparked an idea. I thought to myself... I bet I could predict what most of my friends/family will say based upon their personality! And so that led me to text my family a random question about pancakes. Here are my results!

Mom
Prediction: Middle, cause I just know.
Answer: Middle for me! Always the middle. I see you as the top.

Two points for mom and me!

Red Head Sister
Prediction: Middle as well, cause she's the middle child in every way! (And happy birthday sister!!!!!!)
Answer: Lol... middle! Then you have support from the top and bottom pancake and you don't get all soggy!

The Blonde Sister
Prediction: The bottom... and she'll have some crazy reason
Answer: The bottom one because then I will probably be warm and maybe I won't get eaten!

Duck Dude
Prediction: I knew he wouldn't pick the top.. I was stuck on if he'd pick the middle or the bottom... so I guessed middle. 
Answer: I would be the bottom pancake. I have always taken the weight off of others by bearing their struggles. And I like to snuggle. You would be the top so you wouldn't be trapped and have the easiest escape route.

Dang it. A wrong one. Sorry boyfriend... I'll work on knowing you better.

My Best, Julie
Prediction: Julie was the other difficult one. I was struggling between the top and the middle. She's the middle child, but is super ocd and a perfectionist like me! I ultimately thought she'd pick the top.
Answer: Don't laugh!! The bottom's too mushy! The middle gets butter on both sides!

Oh man.. another wrong one. But I did say she was difficult! ha

Man BFF
Prediction: Easy, top. He's too much like me.
Answer: The top one cause that one gets covered in syrup and I like syrup.

My Duet Partner, Kristen
Prediction: Middle, cause she wouldn't be the top or bottom.. just the middle.
Answer: I would be the middle pancake.... because I love to cuddle, and in the middle you get the most cuddles!! Also, the perfect amount of syrup oozes to the middle layer without overwhelming it!!

Bro in Law
Prediction: Top. He's a go-getter.
Answer: If the other two pancakes were female, I'd be in the middle, obviously. If the other two pancakes were male, I'd be on top, again obviously (always the alpha pancake). If there was a male and a female, I'd force the other male to the bottom and still be on top (still alpha pancake).

I didn't know we were assigning genders to the pancakes, but I'm gonna say Bro in Law answered top two out of three scenarios... so I was right!

Daddy-o
Prediction: Top... I'm not sure why... but top.
Answer: Easy. On top. I like to be first and I want the view.

Woah... it's like we're related or something. I like the view too dad.

So there ya have it! I got 5 out of 7 correct and I really loved reading all of their responses!
What pancake would you be? Do you think you could correctly predict your friends' answers?

Preacher's Date

This past weekend I got to experience something I've never done. This weekend I was a PD, a preacher's date. I've grown up being a preacher's kid. I've heard every stereotype there is... and only 47% apply to me. I'm used to, "Oh, you're a PK?" Yes, I am... now judge away, but never have I ever been a preacher's date!! That sounds so adult-y.
Duck dude is an ordained minister. No he didn't study seminary, he just grew up in the church. He just does weddings for close friends/family and I think it's fantastic. He is an excellent public speaker, tells the best stories, and did a phenomenal job with the ceremony. He cannot help if the groom is a very extremely interesting character!

While Duck Dude was doing his thing in front of everybody, I made a friend named Keely. She was awesome, and she and I soon decided to create a list we liked to call our "Inappropriate Things to Do at a Wedding" List. That's right, there were many firsts this night. Just in case you are not aware of what is appropriate I will pair each item with what we expected to happen.

Appropriate: Accidently putting the ring on the wrong finger in the ceremony
Inappropriate: Licking your new bride's finger so you can get the ring on because her finger is swollen because you picked an outdoor venue in June.. in Texas!!

Appropriate: Giving a fist pump or thumbs up after you kiss your wife for the first time
Inappropriate: Making out with her entire face

Appropriate: Having a super cool groom's cake regarding your favorite pastime or hobby
Inappropriate: Literally punching the cake instead of cutting it to grab a piece to feed to your new wife

Appropriate: Having the cupid shuffle, wobble, and shout on your reception playlist
Inappropriate: Making everyone stand up, place their hands over their hearts, and sing the national anthem in order to begin the reception

Appropriate: Absolutely killing it on the dance floor with your bride
Inappropriate: Ending up shirtless on the dance floor which then entices your 2 brothers to also end up shirtless and have a one big half-naked party

Overall it was a great night and I can definitely say I was entertained the entire time.... and I had a pretty cute date!



The matching was not intended, but it made for a good picture!



Our attempt to recreate a picture.... close-ish?

Why that doesn't look like us at all.. Boo.

My Fake Relationship

It all started in the hallway of my middle school.

The new teacher next door is relatively good looking and I like to think I'm not hideous all the time. Between our rooms lies one of the worst places on campus: the bathrooms. Why middle-schoolers like to hang out in there is way beyond my means of comprehension. So my passing period duties (ha I said duty) include making sure there are no raging parties going on in there or making sure the water fountain spout isn't turned the wrong way so it sprays the next person in line. (Have I mentioned how exciting my life is?)

So there's where it began. We stood by each other in the hallway, which obviously meant that we were in a relationship. Our relationship blossomed when they gave us a "couple" name and especially when we both had a whataburger cup on our desk. Nothing says relationship like whataburger, lesson learned. All the signs pointed to love. Ok fine, the main sign was when I egged it on by putting hearts by his name in my phone and "accidentally" letting the girls see it. This led to one of my favorite quotes all year, "we know soooo much about your personal life!" Before we knew it we were "engaged" and somehow I had July 2nd written all over my whiteboard. That's our wedding date. Every time they ask if I'm getting married my response is always the same:
 "Do I have a ring on my finger?"
"You're hiding it!!! You don't want us to see it!" 
"Trust me, if I had a diamond, I would be wearing it!"
Nope, doesn't sway them at all! I'm getting married and I'm pretty sure most of them expect me to come back next school year with a new last name. They even made a scrapbook of our relationship... like spent good money making a book about our "life" together. If you're ever at my apartment you're more than welcome to see it. It's sweet... and creepy all at the same time.

I even had a parent email me with "congratulations and blessings on your marriage." That was an awkward email back! Ha

It's led to interesting conversations with coworkers.
"Hey, your boyfriend is really cute!"
"Uhhh, which one?"
And to answer any questions about Duck Dude, yes he knows about my school fiancé. They are friends and we even took a picture all together. They are both the greatest and they are both crazy for putting up with me.

And that, my dear friends, is my fake relationship. And you're all invited to the non-existent wedding!!

Tofu

My workout schedule of life goes like this..... summer hits and I have all this free time so it's work out, work out, work out!!!!! Then school starts, aka volleyball season, and I drop off a little bit, but I work out with my girls so I'm doing ok. Volleyball season is over and I feel like I have a life again so I start to work out about up til Christmas. Then January hits and it's a slow decline all the way until June, when summer hits again.

So, true to myself, I hit the gym hard within the past week. Plus football practice, plus tennis competitions, and sweating from laying out! I also eat better in the summer. I have time to fix real meals, and time to eat healthier snacks. Now we are finally to the point of this post. Tofu. The point of the this post is tofu. The wonderfully protein rich, taste like absolutely nothing, tofu! (I figured if I said it enough times you might believe me)

I never knew I liked tofu until I had it in Pei Wei's Pad Thai. I also never knew how good it was for you until I took the time to look up it's nutritional value. It has so much protein in just a little block of it! I figured I needed to start cooking with it. The cool thing is it tastes like nothing, but it adapts to whatever you cook with it. It will absorb spices and flavors and become like them. That means that you can really add it to anything! I will definitely be experimenting (literally) with it. The one thing I can already tell you I will not add it to is salad. Salad is already bland and I don't imagine adding a spongey texture will increase my love of them anymore.




The one recipe I have tried so far is pasta with spinach, crab, and alfredo sauce. You honestly couldn't even tell a difference! If you have any great tofu recipes, feel free to send them my way! :)

BvB 2013

In case you need more proof that I'm really a guy at heart... I play football all summer. Really, Mollie? Yes, really and I love it and it is definitely part of my favorite time of the year.... Summer!!! 

It is time to participate in  Blondes vsBrunettes!! It is the coolest charity ever. It allows me to play football all summer, talk about how awesome it is to be a brunette, oh and raise over a million dollars in 5 years for the Alzheimer's Association of Dallas!

 The best part is we, as an organization, get 100% say in how we want to use the money we raise. One of the most meaningful ways I think we utilize it is by giving support to caregivers. In 2012, it was estimated that family members put in over 17.5 billion hours of unpaid care. As someone who has lived with a family member who had Alzheimer's, I know exactly the hours that the statistic is referencing. My afternoons were full of helping my grandfather, remember how to change the channel on the tv or reminding him that mom and D-mommy wouldn't be home for another 30 minutes when he would ask where they were. I am proud to be able to help support family members of those who are currently being affected by Alzheimer's. 

I play for my D-daddy, my grandfather, but I also play for the future. I'm raising money because I believe one day we will find a cure. Research is one of the key components of curing Alzheimer's and that’s why a large portion of what we raise goes towards the Alzheimer’s Association National Research Program.

Last summer we exceeded our goal by 50,000 dollars. This summer we have set our goal higher. We want to raise $350,000 dollars in 2 months. I have committed to raise $1200 this summer! I am excited to get started and want to invite you to join me! A $25 donation to BvB gets you a “ticket” to the game and I promise it will be well worth it!

I am so thankful for the constant care I receive from all of you, and I thank you in advance for your continued prayer or monetary support in this wonderful adventure! I am honored to be a part of this organization. If you know someone who has been affected by Alzheimer’s or you just want to pass this info along, please feel free to do so!

And, of course… Go Bru Crew!!! J

To donate, go here:

http://www.active.com/donate/bvbdallas/mlindstrom2013

The results are in...

Every year I give a survey at the end of the year. It's a time where my students can give me feedback. Some of the feedback is hilarious and some of it is a reminder of why I teach. Enjoy.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to a student who is going to be in my class?

-            Actually yell during the songs (She likes it!)

-           Mind your ps and qs and keep a low profile

-           Do what she says the first time… or she will repeat herself… a lot

-         Behave. Work hard. Be nice. Trust me, if you do all of these, Ms. Lindstrom will make math the most fun class ever.

-         Keep an open mind about math. I’ve always hated the subject, but this year it was fun and I grew to like it more.

-         Take good notes. They will help in the future.

-        Don’t worry about a thing, you’re fine. Ms. Lindstrom is the bomb.

-        Get ready to sing in front of everyone!

-        Do not talk. She will go kung-fooey on your hiney!

-        Don’t get on your non-existent bad side.

-        Don’t take advantage of your privileges.

What is one thing your learned the most?

-        I’m pretty good at the PT now! J

-        You don’t really like the word shut up and you have REALLY good hearing!

On a scale of 1-10, how helpful was I as a teacher (10 very helpful, 1 not helpful at all)

-          27

On a scale of 1-10, how much fun was my class?

-          13,759

-          10!  (Sidenote: I just taught them about factorials!)

One helpful suggestion to make me a better teacher:

-          Don’t play piano music

-         Try not to do odd stuff. Ex: Friday Tradition

-         We had a laid back environment and everyone knew limits and didn’t push them, not a d-hall was given out.

-          You are like a pro. No need to change. Seriously.

-          Class punishment for s word should be sit in the hallway with a dunce cap.

-          None. You are the perfect image of a teacher. (these are anonymous, but I couldn’t agree more!)

-          You are amazing, just the way you are (apparently Bruno Mars is in my class)

One thing you will remember about my class:

-           Group work. Like actually getting to work together.

-         You get to watch her make a fool of herself when she shows you music videos

-         That the teacher tried her best to make it less boring.

That's all kiddos. See ya next year.