life is like a stack of pancakes

Sometimes I tell people I "dabble in stand-up comedy." This is an alternative fact. 

I dabble in life.

Life is a tricky thing to dabble in. Life is messy. There's no avoiding it. You, and I, and the mom who is always early for school pick up with fresh highlights and a mason jar of cookies for the teacher, are all carrying around the burden of life. Don't be fooled.

I see life as one giant stack of pancakes- the ones from IHOP with all the strawberry drizzle and whipped cream on top. (They're $5.99 and basically carb-less.) If you just dive right in and enjoy it, you don't really notice how messy it is.

Once, someone said "You should do stand-up comedy." And I said, "You're crazy." But long story short, I dove in. For me, stand up comedy gives the mess of life a whole new flavor. It's like licking your fingers at the end of a good meal. 

For the past few months I've been working with this wild tribe (and a few others) to produce a stand up comedy benefit for Camp Encourage. The first night we were mostly strangers and now this troupe knows all my dirty laundry (and there's a lot of it). 

Each one of them, like me (and you, and that perfect mom in the school pick up line), has a messy life. But each one of them, like me, knows the liberating joy of discovering the finger licking good humor in life. 

I've so enjoyed watching these brave souls grow from suckers who were conned into this, into stand-up comedians. You're going to love them, too!

Join us this Friday night, March 10, for An Evening With The 'Rents at the Gem Theater in KCMO. If our show sucks (it won't) and the beer sells out (it could- my family will be there), you can rest assured that thanks to our wonderful sponsors, 100% of ticket sales go straight to Camp Encourage.

And, bonus: I'm playing a ukulele. 😱

Paleoanthropology and laughter (yes for real)

Hi friends. 

While working the hospital one fine day, one of the cutest old men you've ever seen wanted me to read a story in January's National Geographic. It was about Ella Al-Shamahi- a paleoanthropologist who also does stand-up comedy. Her paleoanthropology gig is nothing to laugh about- she digs fossils in the Middle East to research Neanderthal evolution. Whoa.

She said:

"Some places where I research are quite dark. It's incredible therapy to find the funny in it. The stage is an escape. There's an entertainment component, but it's also very selfish. You're escaping from the formalities of life and data. You can be ridiculous. People let you be ridiculous because the places you take them can be very fun."

Did you read that? Wow. I hadn't previously realized the similarities between paleoanthropology and my life. (Although Waylon is *kind of* a Neanderthal... He prefers to be naked, dirty, and he only eats red meat.)

I think I'd like comedy to be the next stage in the evolution of how we present special needs parenting. I've said it once, and I'll say it again- if you are facing a mountain in life, if you can find a way to laugh, you can surpass it.

For the 3rd year, I am proud to participate in an amazingly hilarious and therapeutic comedy show/fundraiser called Evening with the Rents. It supports a very special summer camp for kids with special needs- Camp Encourage. And, um, well, it's tomorrow. 

I've been rehearsing for months, my lines are (mostly) memorized, my outfit is picked out, and dress rehearsal is tonight. It's go time. I promise you we've put together three hours of hilariously therapeutic comedy- all I need is for you to join me. Also a good BM would be nice so I can feel skinny on stage. 

Are you struggling? (Who isn't, really?) Join me. We'll laugh through it.

rents.brownpapertickets.com

The day I took 5,429 selfies

Things that happened on Friday, February 27th, 2015 (a day for the record books).

1. I took a shower alone with no one else in my house, for 20 minutes (and *gasp* I shaved my legs).

2. IT WAS A GOOD HAIR DAY.

3. I put on eyeliner and mascara for the first time in YEARS. (I shuddered when I thought about all of the bacteria that has been living on the eyeliner pen that I dug out of the drawer... But I put it on anyways. No pink eye yet.)

4. As a direct result of 1,2, and 3- I took approximately 5,429 selfies.

5. Oh, and I also co-hosted a standup comedy benefit in front of over 300 people.

Friday, February 27th, 2015 was incredible. 

Inspirational. 

Therapeutic. 

I am so so proud of the 11 very brave parents of children with autism who took the stage to tell their stories. I think what the dashing young co-host with the incredibly good hair and clean shaven legs actually said was, "These parents are setting aside society's notion of 'having it all together', in order to give us a glimpse of the highs and the lows, and the frankly hilarious moments of their lives."

And that they did.

And while I am very proud that we raised $7000 for Camp Encourage, I am also overwhelmingly proud of the awareness and acceptance and laughter that we created for the autism community.

Friday, February 27th, 2015 was a day that I celebrated a very special boy, who has autism, and has stolen my heart-- and sanity.

come hell or high water

We've needed a date night lately like we've needed air and water. We've been putting it off way. too. long. Finally last week TK said, "We're going on a date Saturday night COME HELL OR HIGH WATER". So I said, "Yes, please".

And wouldn't you know it- as we were walking out the door Saturday, we noticed our laundry room had flooded and soaked the 7,249 loads of unfolded laundry within and the basement below. (HELL OR HIGH WATER)

So we sat in Texas Roadhouse and ate marginal steak and ordered extra hot rolls and honey butter and laughed {and cussed some} about the small flood in our home.

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Every other Wednesday night since November, I've been sneaking to KC to meet with 10 other autism parents and a few other super funny people to plan the 2015 Evening with the 'Rents

(a fundraiser for Camp Encourage). We talk about the hilariously funny things our {adorable} kids with autism have done, the tears they have brought us, and the joy. And we laugh so. freaking. hard.

So while working to plan a comedy show with parents of children with autism, I realized something very important. And I want to share it with you, too.

These are trying times for many. The burdens are heavy. The struggle is real. But when crap is hitting the fan (sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally), if you can laugh with someone, you can get through it. Find the joy in everything. (It's there, trust me!) Crap is so much easier to clean off the fan when you are laughing about it with someone.

If you are currently climbing uphill in your journey, you will get through these trying times, (COME HELL OR HIGH WATER). Trust me!

This Friday, February 27th, I am proud to be a co-host for the 2015 Evening with the 'Rents. Like last year's event, it promises to be a night of laughter and joy, and a celebration of those with autism that we know and love, who have stolen our hearts {and sanity}. 

Really- it's cheap therapy (and the only therapy program in the area with a full bar in the lobby).

Tickets are still available, and if it sells out you can bet that yours truly will be crapping herself (instead of cleaning up someone else's crap, for once).

Get your tickets here!

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Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.

--Kurt Vonnegut

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I call BS on the "less cleaning up to do" part.

 --Lindy Katzer

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