INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (11955,1,'2013-01-01 15:08:25','2013-01-01 22:08:25','One year ago today I kicked off The Year of Play with a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/12/playdate-1-just-dancing-fools/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>dance off </strong></a>with World\'s Most Precious Niece.  In December 2012, I ended the year by Zumba-ing my tushie off with my Nana.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nTechnically, this was a parallel playdate because Nana lives in Florida.  On a fine and crisp Saturday morning, Nana checked into her weekly Zumba class in Florida while I tried one out for the first time in Arizona.  Nana had been raving about Zumba for ages, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYes, that\'s right.  I am a newbie, but Nana Zumbas regularly.  She\'s 91.  (You may have met her a few months ago over <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/09/26/playdate-34-the-beach-house-is-where-the-heart-is/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>here.</strong></a>)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy seemingly Most Popular Facebook Post Ever happened on a whim (I\'m terrible at posting regularly to fb) and featured Nana.  This will give you a little glimpse into Nana\'s life and how she inspires others through her joie de vivre :\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3-36-19-pm/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11927\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11927\" alt=\"http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3.36.19-PM.png\" width=\"407\" height=\"815\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThat\'s my Nana!  It took her TWO WEEKS to get back to me after that phone call!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWas I annoyed?  Hardly.  Instead, I was OVERJOYED that she is having so many adventures that she forgets to call her first-born grandchild.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>You see, Nana nearly died a year ago last November.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nShe suffered a bad fall, hit her head, and developed a clot on her brain.  The doctor explained to my family that her injury was cause to operate on a younger person, but brain surgery was out of the question for a then 90 year-old.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe doctor changed his mind days later when Nana\'s condition worsened.  She wasn\'t eating (this is about as normal for a Portuguese woman as it is for an Italian!), her speech was slurred, and she was confused.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhen I talked to her on the phone the night before the surgery, I thought that was the last time I would hear my grandmother\'s voice.  How many 90 year-olds survive brain surgery?  Even the doctor advised against it until there was no other option.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>13 months later . . . . </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nNana is living the life with her sister at the Senior Dorm.  In addition to the activities listed above, she is also a regular at Sit and Be Fit, Bible Study, Choir Practice and receives dancing invitations from gentleman callers at Happy Hour.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, and I should probably also mention that at age 76, Nana was in a horrific car accident and was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center.  After making it through days in ICU, she was finally released to a hospital room.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLater that night, we were called to the hospital at 1 a.m. to say our goodbyes.  Nana was hemorrhaging uncontrollably through her nose. She was back in ICU, and she was on her last blood transfusion.  Miraculously, an ER doctor came to the rescue and saved her life by inserting a urinary catheter (of all things!) up her nose.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Not only is Nana the poster child for Late Blooming, but she is also the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!  :-)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy apologies for the long backstory, but I think Nana\'s story is absolutely remarkable and serves as an inspirational lesson to us all.  (And I didn\'t even delve into the 6 month depression post-brain surgery accompanied by Nana\'s refusal to leave the beautiful home my late grandfather built for her in order to move into the Senior Dorm!)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Just when Nana thought her life was doomed, she bloomed.  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich brings us full circle to Zumba.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIf you are unfamiliar with Zumba, here\'s the lowdown taken directly from their website:<em> \"Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba<sup>®</sup> program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.\"</em>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Listen, I\'m not one of those dancy-dancy types.  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDid I ever take dance as a child?  No.  Was I on drill team in high school?  No.  Have I ever in my entire life felt cool or comfortable dancing in a group setting such as Homecoming, Prom, or at a dive bar or club?  Hell no!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDid I dance in the chorus in theatrical productions in high school and college?  Technically, \"yes\", but . . . . that\'s chorus dancing.  That\'s not the same thing as \"shake your foxy groove thing\" dancing.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn other words, I never tried Zumba because I was <em>intimidated</em> by Zumba.  This white girl can\'t dance.  Which is puzzling because I\'m 50% Portuguese.  Somehow we didn\'t receive the innate hip shaking gene that other women of Latin origin share.  Think about Spanish and Brazilian women.  They shake their bon bons effortlessly.  Portuguese women?  Not so much.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>But it\'s never too late to learn!  Can bon bon shaking be taught?  I showed up to Zumba class to find out.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was greeted by Erika, a sexy spitfire of an instructor decked out in hottie Zumba dance wear.  Yes, apparently there is a Zumba clothing line.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nErika welcomed me to class (I was the only newbie in a room of about 40) and advised me to follow along the best that I could while remembering to have fun.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe electric music started pulsing, and we were off!  I followed along the best I could while dodging dancing women coming at me from all angles.  I laughed it off in the spirit of fun and fitness.  This is one of the gifts of being 40-something.  In my 20s, I would have felt self-conscious.  At 43, I found it amusing.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_11940\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/img00331-20121208-1017/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11940\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11940 \" alt=\"Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless.  It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D \" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG00331-20121208-1017-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless. It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this blog post is somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was surprised at how quickly I adapted to the class.  My favorite moves were -- you guessed it! -- the bon bon shaking and the chest shimmies.  Even though I still felt a bit clunky.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could go on and on about the class, but let me just say that I was hooked on Zumba in about . . . . oh . . . . 5 minutes.  Zumba is addictive! The music and routines change about every 3 minutes, and it\'s easier to follow than I thought.  Of course, there were challenging bits, but challenges help us grow.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy only regret was that I made the brilliant breakfast choice of a green smoothie, waffles and coffee about an hour before class.  :-p  DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!  Zumba is a real workout!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI met up with Erika after class and asked thoughtful questions relating to Zumba and bon bon shaking.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Erika, an innate bon bon shaker of Latin origin, assured me shaking your bon bon like nobody\'s business is a skill that can be learned and honed through regular Zumba practice!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThat\'s all I need to hear.  I am now a member of the Y and will be Zumba-ing my bootie off every Saturday morning along with Nana.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHow was Nana\'s Zumba class?  I hoped to obtain a photo for you.  Nana may be an active 91 year-old, but she is clueless about technology.  Apparently, so are all of her cronies.  NO ONE knew how to take a photo with their phone and text it to me.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nNana raved about the Zumba music and her instructor who \"has the most beautiful figure\".  She then veered off into a tangent regarding another recently discovered passion that she previously mentioned in a letter:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/olympus-digital-camera-810/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11947\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-11947\" alt=\"Letter from Nana\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1010001-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"614\" height=\"461\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI don\'t think Helmark\'s wife needs to worry.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI can only hope that in my later years, this apple continues to stick close to the tree.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n**********\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Have you ever Zumba\'d?  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Is there anything you are burning to try in 2013?  Please share in the comments section below.</strong>  </span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n**********\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd this, Ladies and 3 Token Gents, concludes The Year of Play.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat\'s next? Ch-ch-ch-changes!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nStay tuned . . . .','Playdate #52:  Zumba with Nana','','inherit','open','open','','11926-autosave','','','2013-01-01 15:08:25','2013-01-01 22:08:25','',11926,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/11926-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(11956,1,'2013-01-01 15:02:48','2013-01-01 22:02:48','One year ago today I kicked off The Year of Play with a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/12/playdate-1-just-dancing-fools/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>dance off </strong></a>with World\'s Most Precious Niece.  In December 2012, I ended the year by Zumba-ing my tushie off with my Nana.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTechnically, this was a parallel playdate because Nana lives in Florida.  On a fine and crisp Saturday morning, Nana checked into her weekly Zumba class in Florida while I tried one out for the first time in Arizona.  Nana had been raving about Zumba for ages, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes, that\'s right.  I am a newbie, but Nana Zumbas regularly.  She\'s 91.  (You may have met her a few months ago over <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/09/26/playdate-34-the-beach-house-is-where-the-heart-is/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>here.</strong></a>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy seemingly Most Popular Facebook Post Ever happened on a whim (I\'m terrible at posting regularly to fb) and featured Nana.  This will give you a little glimpse into Nana\'s life and how she inspires others through her joie de vivre :\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3-36-19-pm/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11927\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11927\" alt=\"http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3.36.19-PM.png\" width=\"407\" height=\"815\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s my Nana!  It took her TWO WEEKS to get back to me after that phone call!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWas I annoyed?  Hardly.  Instead, I was OVERJOYED that she is having so many adventures that she forgets to call her first-born grandchild.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>You see, Nana nearly died a year ago last November.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nShe suffered a bad fall, hit her head, and developed a clot on her brain.  The doctor explained to my family that her injury was cause to operate on a younger person, but brain surgery was out of the question for a then 90 year-old.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe doctor changed his mind days later when Nana\'s condition worsened.  She wasn\'t eating (this is about as normal for a Portuguese woman as it is for an Italian!), her speech was slurred, and she was confused.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen I talked to her on the phone the night before the surgery, I thought that was the last time I would hear my grandmother\'s voice.  How many 90 year-olds survive brain surgery?  Even the doctor advised against it until there was no other option.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>13 months later . . . . </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNana is living the life with her sister at the Senior Dorm.  In addition to the activities listed above, she is also a regular at Sit and Be Fit, Bible Study, Choir Practice and receives dancing invitations from gentleman callers at Happy Hour.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, and I should probably also mention that at age 76, Nana was in a horrific car accident and was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center.  After making it through days in ICU, she was finally released to a hospital room.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLater that night, we were called to the hospital at 1 a.m. to say our goodbyes.  Nana was hemorrhaging uncontrollably through her nose. She was back in ICU, and she was on her last blood transfusion.  Miraculously, an ER doctor came to the rescue and saved her life by inserting a urinary catheter (of all things!) up her nose.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Not only is Nana the poster child for Late Blooming, but she is also the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!  :-)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy apologies for the long backstory, but I think Nana\'s story is absolutely remarkable and serves as an inspirational lesson to us all.  (And I didn\'t even delve into the 6 month depression post-brain surgery accompanied by Nana\'s refusal to leave the beautiful home my late grandfather built for her in order to move into the Senior Dorm!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Just when Nana thought her life was doomed, she bloomed.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich brings us full circle to Zumba.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are unfamiliar with Zumba, here\'s the lowdown taken directly from their website:<em> \"Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba<sup>®</sup> program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.\"</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Listen, I\'m not one of those dancy-dancy types.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I ever take dance as a child?  No.  Was I on drill team in high school?  No.  Have I ever in my entire life felt cool or comfortable dancing in a group setting such as Homecoming, Prom, or at a dive bar or club?  Hell no!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I dance in the chorus in theatrical productions in high school and college?  Technically, \"yes\", but . . . . that\'s chorus dancing.  That\'s not the same thing as \"shake your foxy groove thing\" dancing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn other words, I never tried Zumba because I was <em>intimidated</em> by Zumba.  This white girl can\'t dance.  Which is puzzling because I\'m 50% Portuguese.  Somehow we didn\'t receive the innate hip shaking gene that other women of Latin origin share.  Think about Spanish and Brazilian women.  They shake their bon bons effortlessly.  Portuguese women?  Not so much.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>But it\'s never too late to learn!  Can bon bon shaking be taught?  I showed up to Zumba class to find out.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was greeted by Erika, a sexy spitfire of an instructor decked out in hottie Zumba dance wear.  Yes, apparently there is a Zumba clothing line.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nErika welcomed me to class (I was the only newbie in a room of about 40) and advised me to follow along the best that I could while remembering to have fun.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe electric music started pulsing, and we were off!  I followed along the best I could while dodging dancing women coming at me from all angles.  I laughed it off in the spirit of fun and fitness.  This is one of the gifts of being 40-something.  In my 20s, I would have felt self-conscious.  At 43, I found it amusing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_11940\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/img00331-20121208-1017/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11940\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11940 \" alt=\"Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless.  It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D \" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG00331-20121208-1017-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless. It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this blog post is somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was surprised at how quickly I adapted to the class.  My favorite moves were -- you guessed it! -- the bon bon shaking and the chest shimmies.  Even though I still felt a bit clunky.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could go on and on about the class, but let me just say that I was hooked on Zumba in about . . . . oh . . . . 5 minutes.  Zumba is addictive! The music and routines change about every 3 minutes, and it\'s easier to follow than I thought.  Of course, there were challenging bits, but challenges help us grow.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy only regret was that I made the brilliant breakfast choice of a green smoothie, waffles and coffee about an hour before class.  :-p  DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!  Zumba is a real workout!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI met up with Erika after class and asked thoughtful questions relating to Zumba and bon bon shaking.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Erika, an innate bon bon shaker of Latin origin, assured me shaking your bon bon like nobody\'s business is a skill that can be learned and honed through regular Zumba practice!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s all I need to hear.  I am now a member of the Y and will be Zumba-ing my bootie off every Saturday morning along with Nana.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHow was Nana\'s Zumba class?  I hoped to obtain a photo for you.  Nana may be an active 91 year-old, but she is clueless about technology.  Apparently, so are all of her cronies.  NO ONE knew how to take a photo with their phone and text it to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNana raved about the Zumba music and her instructor who \"has the most beautiful figure\".  She then veered off into a tangent regarding another recently discovered passion that she previously mentioned in a letter:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/olympus-digital-camera-810/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11947\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-11947\" alt=\"Letter from Nana\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1010001-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"614\" height=\"461\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI don\'t think Helmark\'s wife needs to worry.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI can only hope that in my later years, this apple continues to stick close to the tree.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Have you ever Zumba\'d?  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Is there anything you are burning to try in 2013?  Please share in the comments section below.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n','Playdate #52:  Zumba with Nana','','inherit','open','open','','11926-revision-26','','','2013-01-01 15:02:48','2013-01-01 22:02:48','',11926,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/11926-revision-26/',0,'revision','',0),(11957,1,'2013-01-01 15:08:31','2013-01-01 22:08:31','One year ago today I kicked off The Year of Play with a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/12/playdate-1-just-dancing-fools/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>dance off </strong></a>with World\'s Most Precious Niece.  In December 2012, I ended the year by Zumba-ing my tushie off with my Nana.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTechnically, this was a parallel playdate because Nana lives in Florida.  On a fine and crisp Saturday morning, Nana checked into her weekly Zumba class in Florida while I tried one out for the first time in Arizona.  Nana had been raving about Zumba for ages, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes, that\'s right.  I am a newbie, but Nana Zumbas regularly.  She\'s 91.  (You may have met her a few months ago over <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/09/26/playdate-34-the-beach-house-is-where-the-heart-is/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>here.</strong></a>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy seemingly Most Popular Facebook Post Ever happened on a whim (I\'m terrible at posting regularly to fb) and featured Nana.  This will give you a little glimpse into Nana\'s life and how she inspires others through her joie de vivre :\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3-36-19-pm/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11927\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11927\" alt=\"http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3.36.19-PM.png\" width=\"407\" height=\"815\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s my Nana!  It took her TWO WEEKS to get back to me after that phone call!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWas I annoyed?  Hardly.  Instead, I was OVERJOYED that she is having so many adventures that she forgets to call her first-born grandchild.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>You see, Nana nearly died a year ago last November.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nShe suffered a bad fall, hit her head, and developed a clot on her brain.  The doctor explained to my family that her injury was cause to operate on a younger person, but brain surgery was out of the question for a then 90 year-old.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe doctor changed his mind days later when Nana\'s condition worsened.  She wasn\'t eating (this is about as normal for a Portuguese woman as it is for an Italian!), her speech was slurred, and she was confused.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen I talked to her on the phone the night before the surgery, I thought that was the last time I would hear my grandmother\'s voice.  How many 90 year-olds survive brain surgery?  Even the doctor advised against it until there was no other option.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>13 months later . . . . </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNana is living the life with her sister at the Senior Dorm.  In addition to the activities listed above, she is also a regular at Sit and Be Fit, Bible Study, Choir Practice and receives dancing invitations from gentleman callers at Happy Hour.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, and I should probably also mention that at age 76, Nana was in a horrific car accident and was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center.  After making it through days in ICU, she was finally released to a hospital room.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLater that night, we were called to the hospital at 1 a.m. to say our goodbyes.  Nana was hemorrhaging uncontrollably through her nose. She was back in ICU, and she was on her last blood transfusion.  Miraculously, an ER doctor came to the rescue and saved her life by inserting a urinary catheter (of all things!) up her nose.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Not only is Nana the poster child for Late Blooming, but she is also the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!  :-)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy apologies for the long backstory, but I think Nana\'s story is absolutely remarkable and serves as an inspirational lesson to us all.  (And I didn\'t even delve into the 6 month depression post-brain surgery accompanied by Nana\'s refusal to leave the beautiful home my late grandfather built for her in order to move into the Senior Dorm!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Just when Nana thought her life was doomed, she bloomed.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich brings us full circle to Zumba.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are unfamiliar with Zumba, here\'s the lowdown taken directly from their website:<em> \"Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba<sup>®</sup> program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.\"</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Listen, I\'m not one of those dancy-dancy types.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I ever take dance as a child?  No.  Was I on drill team in high school?  No.  Have I ever in my entire life felt cool or comfortable dancing in a group setting such as Homecoming, Prom, or at a dive bar or club?  Hell no!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I dance in the chorus in theatrical productions in high school and college?  Technically, \"yes\", but . . . . that\'s chorus dancing.  That\'s not the same thing as \"shake your foxy groove thing\" dancing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn other words, I never tried Zumba because I was <em>intimidated</em> by Zumba.  This white girl can\'t dance.  Which is puzzling because I\'m 50% Portuguese.  Somehow we didn\'t receive the innate hip shaking gene that other women of Latin origin share.  Think about Spanish and Brazilian women.  They shake their bon bons effortlessly.  Portuguese women?  Not so much.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>But it\'s never too late to learn!  Can bon bon shaking be taught?  I showed up to Zumba class to find out.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was greeted by Erika, a sexy spitfire of an instructor decked out in hottie Zumba dance wear.  Yes, apparently there is a Zumba clothing line.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nErika welcomed me to class (I was the only newbie in a room of about 40) and advised me to follow along the best that I could while remembering to have fun.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe electric music started pulsing, and we were off!  I followed along the best I could while dodging dancing women coming at me from all angles.  I laughed it off in the spirit of fun and fitness.  This is one of the gifts of being 40-something.  In my 20s, I would have felt self-conscious.  At 43, I found it amusing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_11940\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/img00331-20121208-1017/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11940\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11940 \" alt=\"Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless.  It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D \" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG00331-20121208-1017-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless. It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this blog post is somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was surprised at how quickly I adapted to the class.  My favorite moves were -- you guessed it! -- the bon bon shaking and the chest shimmies.  Even though I still felt a bit clunky.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could go on and on about the class, but let me just say that I was hooked on Zumba in about . . . . oh . . . . 5 minutes.  Zumba is addictive! The music and routines change about every 3 minutes, and it\'s easier to follow than I thought.  Of course, there were challenging bits, but challenges help us grow.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy only regret was that I made the brilliant breakfast choice of a green smoothie, waffles and coffee about an hour before class.  :-p  DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!  Zumba is a real workout!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI met up with Erika after class and asked thoughtful questions relating to Zumba and bon bon shaking.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Erika, an innate bon bon shaker of Latin origin, assured me shaking your bon bon like nobody\'s business is a skill that can be learned and honed through regular Zumba practice!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s all I need to hear.  I am now a member of the Y and will be Zumba-ing my bootie off every Saturday morning along with Nana.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHow was Nana\'s Zumba class?  I hoped to obtain a photo for you.  Nana may be an active 91 year-old, but she is clueless about technology.  Apparently, so are all of her cronies.  NO ONE knew how to take a photo with their phone and text it to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNana raved about the Zumba music and her instructor who \"has the most beautiful figure\".  She then veered off into a tangent regarding another recently discovered passion that she previously mentioned in a letter:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/olympus-digital-camera-810/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11947\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-11947\" alt=\"Letter from Nana\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1010001-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"614\" height=\"461\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI don\'t think Helmark\'s wife needs to worry.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI can only hope that in my later years, this apple continues to stick close to the tree.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Have you ever Zumba\'d?  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Is there anything you are burning to try in 2013?  Please share in the comments section below.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd this, Ladies and 3 Token Gents, concludes The Year of Play.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat\'s next? Ch-ch-ch-changes!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStay tuned . . . .','Playdate #52:  Zumba with Nana','','inherit','open','open','','11926-revision-27','','','2013-01-01 15:08:31','2013-01-01 22:08:31','',11926,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/11926-revision-27/',0,'revision','',0),(11958,1,'2013-01-01 15:09:03','2013-01-01 22:09:03','One year ago today I kicked off The Year of Play with a <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/01/12/playdate-1-just-dancing-fools/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>dance off </strong></a>with World\'s Most Precious Niece.  In December 2012, I ended the year by Zumba-ing my tushie off with my Nana.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTechnically, this was a parallel playdate because Nana lives in Florida.  On a fine and crisp Saturday morning, Nana checked into her weekly Zumba class in Florida while I tried one out for the first time in Arizona.  Nana had been raving about Zumba for ages, and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYes, that\'s right.  I am a newbie, but Nana Zumbas regularly.  She\'s 91.  (You may have met her a few months ago over <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2012/09/26/playdate-34-the-beach-house-is-where-the-heart-is/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>here.</strong></a>)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy seemingly Most Popular Facebook Post Ever happened on a whim (I\'m terrible at posting regularly to fb) and featured Nana.  This will give you a little glimpse into Nana\'s life and how she inspires others through her joie de vivre :\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3-36-19-pm/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11927\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11927\" alt=\"http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-31-at-3.36.19-PM.png\" width=\"407\" height=\"815\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s my Nana!  It took her TWO WEEKS to get back to me after that phone call!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWas I annoyed?  Hardly.  Instead, I was OVERJOYED that she is having so many adventures that she forgets to call her first-born grandchild.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>You see, Nana nearly died a year ago last November.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nShe suffered a bad fall, hit her head, and developed a clot on her brain.  The doctor explained to my family that her injury was cause to operate on a younger person, but brain surgery was out of the question for a then 90 year-old.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe doctor changed his mind days later when Nana\'s condition worsened.  She wasn\'t eating (this is about as normal for a Portuguese woman as it is for an Italian!), her speech was slurred, and she was confused.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhen I talked to her on the phone the night before the surgery, I thought that was the last time I would hear my grandmother\'s voice.  How many 90 year-olds survive brain surgery?  Even the doctor advised against it until there was no other option.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>13 months later . . . . </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNana is living the life with her sister at the Senior Dorm.  In addition to the activities listed above, she is also a regular at Sit and Be Fit, Bible Study, Choir Practice and receives dancing invitations from gentleman callers at Happy Hour.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, and I should probably also mention that at age 76, Nana was in a horrific car accident and was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center.  After making it through days in ICU, she was finally released to a hospital room.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLater that night, we were called to the hospital at 1 a.m. to say our goodbyes.  Nana was hemorrhaging uncontrollably through her nose. She was back in ICU, and she was on her last blood transfusion.  Miraculously, an ER doctor came to the rescue and saved her life by inserting a urinary catheter (of all things!) up her nose.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Not only is Nana the poster child for Late Blooming, but she is also the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!  :-)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy apologies for the long backstory, but I think Nana\'s story is absolutely remarkable and serves as an inspirational lesson to us all.  (And I didn\'t even delve into the 6 month depression post-brain surgery accompanied by Nana\'s refusal to leave the beautiful home my late grandfather built for her in order to move into the Senior Dorm!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Just when Nana thought her life was doomed, she bloomed.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich brings us full circle to Zumba.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you are unfamiliar with Zumba, here\'s the lowdown taken directly from their website:<em> \"Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba<sup>®</sup> program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.\"</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Listen, I\'m not one of those dancy-dancy types.  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I ever take dance as a child?  No.  Was I on drill team in high school?  No.  Have I ever in my entire life felt cool or comfortable dancing in a group setting such as Homecoming, Prom, or at a dive bar or club?  Hell no!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDid I dance in the chorus in theatrical productions in high school and college?  Technically, \"yes\", but . . . . that\'s chorus dancing.  That\'s not the same thing as \"shake your foxy groove thing\" dancing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn other words, I never tried Zumba because I was <em>intimidated</em> by Zumba.  This white girl can\'t dance.  Which is puzzling because I\'m 50% Portuguese.  Somehow we didn\'t receive the innate hip shaking gene that other women of Latin origin share.  Think about Spanish and Brazilian women.  They shake their bon bons effortlessly.  Portuguese women?  Not so much.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>But it\'s never too late to learn!  Can bon bon shaking be taught?  I showed up to Zumba class to find out.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was greeted by Erika, a sexy spitfire of an instructor decked out in hottie Zumba dance wear.  Yes, apparently there is a Zumba clothing line.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nErika welcomed me to class (I was the only newbie in a room of about 40) and advised me to follow along the best that I could while remembering to have fun.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe electric music started pulsing, and we were off!  I followed along the best I could while dodging dancing women coming at me from all angles.  I laughed it off in the spirit of fun and fitness.  This is one of the gifts of being 40-something.  In my 20s, I would have felt self-conscious.  At 43, I found it amusing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_11940\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/img00331-20121208-1017/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11940\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11940 \" alt=\"Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless.  It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D \" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG00331-20121208-1017-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> Zumba is fast-paced, so trying to capture a photo with a Crackberry proved useless. It\'s sort of fitting, however, because my Nana has always taken blurry photos, and since this blog post is somewhat of a tribute to her . . . . :-D[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was surprised at how quickly I adapted to the class.  My favorite moves were -- you guessed it! -- the bon bon shaking and the chest shimmies.  Even though I still felt a bit clunky.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could go on and on about the class, but let me just say that I was hooked on Zumba in about . . . . oh . . . . 5 minutes.  Zumba is addictive! The music and routines change about every 3 minutes, and it\'s easier to follow than I thought.  Of course, there were challenging bits, but challenges help us grow.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMy only regret was that I made the brilliant breakfast choice of a green smoothie, waffles and coffee about an hour before class.  :-p  DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!  Zumba is a real workout!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI met up with Erika after class and asked thoughtful questions relating to Zumba and bon bon shaking.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Erika, an innate bon bon shaker of Latin origin, assured me shaking your bon bon like nobody\'s business is a skill that can be learned and honed through regular Zumba practice!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s all I need to hear.  I am now a member of the Y and will be Zumba-ing my bootie off every Saturday morning along with Nana.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHow was Nana\'s Zumba class?  I hoped to obtain a photo for you.  Nana may be an active 91 year-old, but she is clueless about technology.  Apparently, so are all of her cronies.  NO ONE knew how to take a photo with their phone and text it to me.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNana raved about the Zumba music and her instructor who \"has the most beautiful figure\".  She then veered off into a tangent regarding another recently discovered passion that she previously mentioned in a letter:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/playdate-52-zumba-with-nana/olympus-digital-camera-810/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11947\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-11947\" alt=\"Letter from Nana\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1010001-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"614\" height=\"461\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI don\'t think Helmark\'s wife needs to worry.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI can only hope that in my later years, this apple continues to stick close to the tree.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Have you ever Zumba\'d?  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #339966;\"><strong>Is there anything you are burning to try in 2013?  Please share in the comments section below.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd this, Ladies and 3 Token Gents, concludes The Year of Play.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat\'s next? Ch-ch-ch-changes!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStay tuned . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Playdate #52:  Zumba with Nana','','inherit','open','open','','11926-revision-28','','','2013-01-01 15:09:03','2013-01-01 22:09:03','',11926,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/01/11926-revision-28/',0,'revision','',0),(12270,1,'2013-03-15 01:11:41','2013-03-15 08:11:41','<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mindy_g/4446720414/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12284\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-12284 alignleft\" alt=\"4446720414_034bfed4e2\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/4446720414_034bfed4e2.jpg\" width=\"334\" height=\"500\" /></a>I have an announcement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYou may have noticed that this blog has hovered around The Year of Play looooonnnnng past 365 days. I\'ve mentioned before that changes are a-brewin\' behind the scenes of Diary of a Late Bloomer.  It\'s all terribly exciting.  To me, at least.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd now for the announcement.  May I have a drumroll, please?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff6600;\"><strong>I am creating my first E-Course. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Woot x 2!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe topic of the E-Course is still very hush-hush, but what I <em>can</em> tell you is that it has FINALLY moved out of dreamer stage and into action stage.  Eternal dreamer that I am, this is a big step.  Woot x 3!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAction Step #1:  The Outline.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs a former educator of 16 years, I flip over outlines.  You should have seen my lesson plans back in the day.  Outlined to the hilt.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDuring the outline process for my E-Course, I combed through the archives of <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/365-or-bust/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>The Year of Living Curiously.</strong></a>  Reminiscing over <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/01/16/day-109-i-composed-my-six-word-memoir-whats-yours/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>this post</strong> </a>stopped me dead in my tracks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12271\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12271\"><img class=\"alignnone  wp-image-12271\" alt=\"Screen shot 2013-03-13 at 8.53.09 PM\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Screen-shot-2013-03-13-at-8.53.09-PM-1024x648.png\" width=\"663\" height=\"419\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo what does all of this have to do with Plenty of Time and my Half Birthday?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nStay with me, please.  I am Queen of the Tangents.  I know this about myself.  Thank you for your support.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn an attempt to redeem myself from Half Birthday Dorkdom, I will say that I <em>don\'t</em> go big or go home with cake, presents and balloons on my Half Birthday.  I <em>do</em> feel a twinge of Half Birthday giddiness and make a mental note of where I am at in my year, and what I would like to celebrate throughout the next 6 months.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUpon Happy Half Birthday to Me reflection, I am requesting a do-over of my Six-Word Memoir!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have decided to change/edit/obliterate my halfway depressing and self-limiting Six-Word Memoir from two years ago.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #33cccc;\"><strong>That was the old me.  That was the me with dozens upon dozens of halfway completed projects and ideas that would manifest \"Someday\".</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nFrom March 15th 2013 and onward, my NEW and IMPROVED Six-Word Memoir is . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnother drumroll, please . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: x-large; color: #ff6600;\"><strong>So many passions.  PLENTY of time.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, yes.  Happy Half Birthday to Me indeed!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to write my E-Course!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to contact literary agents about the three children\'s books and the one inspirational book on dating (yes, I did use \"inspirational\" and \"dating\" in the same phrase -- shocking, I know!) that I\'ve previously written but have not consistently submitted to people who can actually....well....<em>publish them</em>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to dust off the first draft of my screenplay and write a gazillion subsequent drafts.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to haul out my guitar out and take my playing to the next level.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to sing my heart and soul out at Open Mic Nights again.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to travel the world, including a visit to The Motherland whilst I still have relatives there who walk amongst the living.  Viva Portugal!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to find my dream cottage.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time for HIM to find me.  (Although I wish he\'d hurry up and get here already!)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time to embrace and dive into the passions that I haven\'t even unearthed yet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI have PLENTY of time.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #ff6600;\"><strong>What have you placed on your \"Someday\" shelf?  What one thing are you ready to take off that shelf today?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nJust pick one.  Once that one thing is nice and shiny, you can go back to the shelf for the next thing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis is our new life experiment.  Join me.  It\'s time.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #ff6600; font-size: large;\"><strong>someday is Today. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I Have Plenty of Time.  (Oh.  And It\'s My Half Birthday.  Woot.)  ','','publish','open','open','','i-have-plenty-of-time-oh-and-its-my-half-birthday-woot','','','2013-03-14 21:34:11','2013-03-15 04:34:11','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=12270',0,'post','',13),(11962,1,'2013-01-20 10:31:32','2013-01-20 17:31:32','Hello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s the scoop:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>As we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  I\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-2','','','2013-01-20 10:31:32','2013-01-20 17:31:32','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(11963,1,'2013-01-20 11:09:35','2013-01-20 18:09:35','Hello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s the scoop:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, the glories of iTunes.  Da-doo-run-run-run, da-doo-run-run.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBopping and singing along to Da-doo-run-run will take you 2 minutes and 54 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.mother reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-3','','','2013-01-20 11:09:35','2013-01-20 18:09:35','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(11964,1,'2013-01-20 11:09:56','2013-01-20 18:09:56','Hello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of iTunes.  Da-doo-run-run-run, da-doo-run-run.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da-doo-run-run will take you 2 minutes and 54 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-4','','','2013-01-20 11:09:56','2013-01-20 18:09:56','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(11965,1,'2013-01-20 11:10:11','2013-01-20 18:10:11','Hello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of iTunes.  Da-doo-run-run-run, da-doo-run-run.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da-doo-run-run will take you 2 minutes and 54 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-5','','','2013-01-20 11:10:11','2013-01-20 18:10:11','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(11966,1,'2013-01-20 11:10:16','2013-01-20 18:10:16','Hello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of iTunes.  Da-doo-run-run-run, da-doo-run-run.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da-doo-run-run will take you 2 minutes and 54 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-6','','','2013-01-20 11:10:16','2013-01-20 18:10:16','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(11967,1,'2013-01-20 11:19:48','2013-01-20 18:19:48','maybe this one is Do You Want to Play?\n\nBriefly describe Blogcation\n\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s the scoop:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, the glories of YouTube.  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-7','','','2013-01-20 11:19:48','2013-01-20 18:19:48','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(11968,1,'2013-01-20 11:20:30','2013-01-20 18:20:30','maybe this one is Do You Want to Play?\r\n\r\nBriefly describe Blogcation\r\n\r\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of YouTube!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-8','','','2013-01-20 11:20:30','2013-01-20 18:20:30','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(11969,1,'2013-01-20 11:24:14','2013-01-20 18:24:14','maybe this one is Do You Want to Play?\r\n\r\nBriefly describe Blogcation\r\n\r\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.  Also, Bella in February.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of YouTube!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-9','','','2013-01-20 11:24:14','2013-01-20 18:24:14','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(11973,1,'2013-01-30 01:11:43','2013-01-30 08:11:43','&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>In my last post,</strong></a> I mentioned that I was on a blogcation.  It\'s been swell.  Really.  You wouldn\'t believe what\'s happened.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI will give you a hint:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-large; color: #ff0000;\">♥</span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSigh . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s all I can say.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBecause it\'s taken him 25 years to get here (if we think back to . . . say . . . when I was legal at 18), and I wouldn\'t want to scare him off with my meanderings in a blog.  There are some things in life that are sacred, you know.  Thank you for your understanding.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800000;\"><strong>Now let\'s all hold hands, jump up and down and scream like schoolgirls because this recent ♥ development is SO EXCITING!!!!  ☺</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn other news, ch-ch-changes are still brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.  In the midst of my blog remodeling, I\'ve decided to send you postcards from my blogcation.  Because who doesn\'t love receiving postcards?  And you\'re going to melt at this first postcard.  Tell me if this isn\'t the cutest thing you\'ve ever seen???\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/30/greetings-from-my-blogcation/photos-from-sep-3-2012-2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12068\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12068\" alt=\"Massage.  It\'s not just for humans.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Photos-from-Sep-3-20121.jpg\" width=\"715\" height=\"615\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThat\'s right.  Bella uses the couch as a springboard to leap up onto the massage table when Melody aka World\'s Greatest Massage Therapist^ isn\'t looking.  What can I say?  The canine apple doesn\'t fall far from the tree.  Who can blame her?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMore postcards to come in future days. . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800000;\"><strong>In yet other news, I\'m still accepting Guest Blogger applications.</strong>  </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIf you\'ve always wondered what this blogging stuff is all about and would like to give it a shot, then take a lookie-loo <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>over here</strong> </a>and sign up!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #800000;\"><strong>In the final news of the day, something even more adorable than the above postcard is coming your way on Friday.  I can\'t reveal the details to you, but I promise you that it\'s precious AND it will tug-tug-tug at your heartstrings.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSee you on Friday!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n**********\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n^If you live in The Valley of the Sun and would like to schedule an in-home massage with World\'s Greatest Massage Therapist, please contact me for Melody\'s number.  I can be reached <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/talk-to-me/\" target=\"_blank\">here </a></strong>or on the <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/diaryofalatebloomer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>facebook page.</strong></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','publish','open','open','','greetings-from-my-blogcation','','http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/\nhttp://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/','2013-01-30 18:50:41','2013-01-31 01:50:41','',0,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?p=11973',0,'post','',4),(11970,1,'2013-01-20 11:24:46','2013-01-20 18:24:46','maybe this one is Do You Want to Play?\r\n\r\nBriefly describe Blogcation\r\n\r\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.  Also, Bella in February.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of YouTube!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-10','','','2013-01-20 11:24:46','2013-01-20 18:24:46','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(11971,1,'2013-01-20 11:25:21','2013-01-20 18:25:21','maybe this one is Do You Want to Play?\r\n\r\nBriefly describe Blogcation\r\n\r\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.  Also, Bella in February.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of YouTube!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a>  insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?  insert statistic chart?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-11','','','2013-01-20 11:25:21','2013-01-20 18:25:21','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(11972,1,'2013-01-20 11:26:08','2013-01-20 18:26:08','top left photo is me jumping on sofa maybe this one is Do You Want to Play?\r\n\r\nBriefly describe Blogcation\r\n\r\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.  Also, Bella in February.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s the scoop:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOh, the glories of YouTube!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a>  insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?  insert statistic chart?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Greetings from My Blogcation','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-12','','','2013-01-20 11:26:08','2013-01-20 18:26:08','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(11974,1,'2013-01-20 12:30:07','2013-01-20 19:30:07','top left photo is favorite playdate of 2012 me and melanie\n\nBriefly describe Blogcation\n\nThen in a few days, greetings from my blogcation, explain postcards, and remind of guest blog playdates.  Also, Bella in February.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s the scoop:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Zumbalicious post,</strong> </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHave you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWell then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy.  You can do it!  And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHere\'s your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to get out your journal, your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOh, the glories of YouTube!  <strong><a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8\" target=\"_blank\">Da doo ron ron ron, da do ron ron!  </a>  insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBopping and singing along to Da Do Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?  insert statistic chart?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCome on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-13','','','2013-01-20 12:30:07','2013-01-20 19:30:07','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(11975,1,'2013-01-20 12:54:31','2013-01-20 19:54:31','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-811','','','2013-01-20 12:54:31','2013-01-20 19:54:31','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(11976,1,'2013-01-20 12:55:40','2013-01-20 19:55:40','<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11975\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>Hello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Zumbalicious post, </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-14','','','2013-01-20 12:55:40','2013-01-20 19:55:40','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(11977,1,'2013-01-20 12:57:40','2013-01-20 19:57:40','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Zumbalicious post, </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-15','','','2013-01-20 12:57:40','2013-01-20 19:57:40','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(11978,1,'2013-01-20 12:58:01','2013-01-20 19:58:01','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: medium;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800080; font-size: medium;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-16','','','2013-01-20 12:58:01','2013-01-20 19:58:01','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(11979,1,'2013-01-20 12:59:46','2013-01-20 19:59:46','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-17','','','2013-01-20 12:59:46','2013-01-20 19:59:46','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-17/',0,'revision','',0),(11980,1,'2013-01-20 13:01:40','2013-01-20 20:01:40','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-18','','','2013-01-20 13:01:40','2013-01-20 20:01:40','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-18/',0,'revision','',0),(11981,1,'2013-01-20 13:02:16','2013-01-20 20:02:16','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-19','','','2013-01-20 13:02:16','2013-01-20 20:02:16','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-19/',0,'revision','',0),(11982,1,'2013-01-20 13:03:36','2013-01-20 20:03:36','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-20','','','2013-01-20 13:03:36','2013-01-20 20:03:36','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-20/',0,'revision','',0),(11983,1,'2013-01-20 13:10:27','2013-01-20 20:10:27','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1024\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\"size-large wp-image-11975\" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-21','','','2013-01-20 13:10:27','2013-01-20 20:10:27','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(11986,1,'2013-01-20 13:14:35','2013-01-20 20:14:35','','3609957389_405f7e818f','','inherit','open','open','','3609957389_405f7e818f','','','2013-01-20 13:14:35','2013-01-20 20:14:35','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(11984,1,'2013-01-20 13:10:40','2013-01-20 20:10:40','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"717\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975 \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"717\" height=\"538\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-22','','','2013-01-20 13:10:40','2013-01-20 20:10:40','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(11985,1,'2013-01-20 13:11:07','2013-01-20 20:11:07','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!  (I was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-23','','','2013-01-20 13:11:07','2013-01-20 20:11:07','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-23/',0,'revision','',0),(11987,1,'2013-01-20 13:15:43','2013-01-20 20:15:43','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  (I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>...evolve through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-24','','','2013-01-20 13:15:43','2013-01-20 20:15:43','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-24/',0,'revision','',0),(11988,1,'2013-01-20 13:16:43','2013-01-20 20:16:43','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-25','','','2013-01-20 13:16:43','2013-01-20 20:16:43','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-25/',0,'revision','',0),(11989,1,'2013-01-20 13:20:43','2013-01-20 20:20:43','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Zumbalicious post, </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> <em>evolved</em> myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Say say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please say, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Hurray!\"  in the comments section below.   </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-26','','','2013-01-20 13:20:43','2013-01-20 20:20:43','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-26/',0,'revision','',0),(11990,1,'2013-01-20 13:20:59','2013-01-20 20:20:59','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Zumbalicious post, </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> <em>evolved</em> myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Say say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please say, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.   </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-27','','','2013-01-20 13:20:59','2013-01-20 20:20:59','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-27/',0,'revision','',0),(11991,1,'2013-01-20 13:22:38','2013-01-20 20:22:38','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Zumbalicious post, </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> <em>evolved</em> myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.   </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-28','','','2013-01-20 13:22:38','2013-01-20 20:22:38','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-28/',0,'revision','',0),(11992,1,'2013-01-20 13:24:35','2013-01-20 20:24:35','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Zumbalicious post, </a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Year of Play.</a>  </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> <em>evolved</em> myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Say say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please say, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.   </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-29','','','2013-01-20 13:24:35','2013-01-20 20:24:35','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-29/',0,'revision','',0),(11993,1,'2013-01-20 13:25:20','2013-01-20 20:25:20','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-30','','','2013-01-20 13:25:20','2013-01-20 20:25:20','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-30/',0,'revision','',0),(11994,1,'2013-01-20 13:26:16','2013-01-20 20:26:16','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-31','','','2013-01-20 13:26:16','2013-01-20 20:26:16','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-31/',0,'revision','',0),(11995,1,'2013-01-20 13:26:38','2013-01-20 20:26:38','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-32','','','2013-01-20 13:26:38','2013-01-20 20:26:38','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-32/',0,'revision','',0),(11996,1,'2013-01-20 13:36:39','2013-01-20 20:36:39','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-33','','','2013-01-20 13:36:39','2013-01-20 20:36:39','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-33/',0,'revision','',0),(11997,1,'2013-01-20 13:36:47','2013-01-20 20:36:47','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Listening and heart pitter-pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-34','','','2013-01-20 13:36:47','2013-01-20 20:36:47','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-34/',0,'revision','',0),(11998,1,'2013-01-20 13:39:44','2013-01-20 20:39:44','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-35','','','2013-01-20 13:39:44','2013-01-20 20:39:44','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-35/',0,'revision','',0),(11999,1,'2013-01-20 13:41:18','2013-01-20 20:41:18','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong>  Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Easy Peasy Solution:  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-36','','','2013-01-20 13:41:18','2013-01-20 20:41:18','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-36/',0,'revision','',0),(12000,1,'2013-01-20 13:41:44','2013-01-20 20:41:44','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection A:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection B:</strong>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection C:</strong>  But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Objection D:  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-37','','','2013-01-20 13:41:44','2013-01-20 20:41:44','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-37/',0,'revision','',0),(12001,1,'2013-01-20 13:42:31','2013-01-20 20:42:31','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I will GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-38','','','2013-01-20 13:42:31','2013-01-20 20:42:31','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-38/',0,'revision','',0),(12003,1,'2013-01-20 15:23:20','2013-01-20 22:23:20','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a father from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-39','','','2013-01-20 15:23:20','2013-01-20 22:23:20','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-39/',0,'revision','',0),(12004,1,'2013-01-20 17:22:56','2013-01-21 00:22:56','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness.  Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-40','','','2013-01-20 17:22:56','2013-01-21 00:22:56','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-40/',0,'revision','',0),(12005,1,'2013-01-20 17:25:03','2013-01-21 00:25:03','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I will have a gold star and smiley face waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-41','','','2013-01-20 17:25:03','2013-01-21 00:25:03','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-41/',0,'revision','',0),(12006,1,'2013-01-20 17:26:27','2013-01-21 00:26:27','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Heart Pitter-Pattering to Shawn Cassidy while jumping on the sofa?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-42','','','2013-01-20 17:26:27','2013-01-21 00:26:27','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-42/',0,'revision','',0),(12008,1,'2013-01-20 17:28:43','2013-01-21 00:28:43','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-44','','','2013-01-20 17:28:43','2013-01-21 00:28:43','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-44/',0,'revision','',0),(12007,1,'2013-01-20 17:27:01','2013-01-21 00:27:01','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy?  (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  That\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>  Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n5.  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to Da Doo Ron Ron will take you 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-43','','','2013-01-20 17:27:01','2013-01-21 00:27:01','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-43/',0,'revision','',0),(12012,1,'2013-01-20 17:35:49','2013-01-21 00:35:49','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-813','','','2013-01-20 17:35:49','2013-01-21 00:35:49','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(12009,1,'2013-01-20 17:31:19','2013-01-21 00:31:19','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and several endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-45','','','2013-01-20 17:31:19','2013-01-21 00:31:19','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-45/',0,'revision','',0),(12011,1,'2013-01-20 17:35:03','2013-01-21 00:35:03','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-812','','','2013-01-20 17:35:03','2013-01-21 00:35:03','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(12010,1,'2013-01-20 17:31:30','2013-01-21 00:31:30','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\npic of me with hoola hoop.  credit melody and pinterest.  two ponies -- buns\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day.  How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-46','','','2013-01-20 17:31:30','2013-01-21 00:31:30','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-46/',0,'revision','',0),(12013,1,'2013-01-20 17:36:24','2013-01-21 00:36:24','','OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA','','inherit','open','open','','olympus-digital-camera-814','','','2013-01-20 17:36:24','2013-01-21 00:36:24','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(12014,1,'2013-01-20 17:36:13','2013-01-21 00:36:13','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>insert vid instead</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 43 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-47','','','2013-01-20 17:36:13','2013-01-21 00:36:13','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-47/',0,'revision','',0),(12015,1,'2013-01-20 17:39:48','2013-01-21 00:39:48','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-48','','','2013-01-20 17:39:48','2013-01-21 00:39:48','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-48/',0,'revision','',0),(12017,1,'2013-01-20 17:44:57','2013-01-21 00:44:57','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  Who has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1983.  \n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-50','','','2013-01-20 17:44:57','2013-01-21 00:44:57','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-50/',0,'revision','',0),(12016,1,'2013-01-20 17:40:02','2013-01-21 00:40:02','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  I don\'t have one anymore!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-49','','','2013-01-20 17:40:02','2013-01-21 00:40:02','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-49/',0,'revision','',0),(12018,1,'2013-01-20 17:48:48','2013-01-21 00:48:48','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-51','','','2013-01-20 17:48:48','2013-01-21 00:48:48','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-51/',0,'revision','',0),(12019,1,'2013-01-20 17:50:20','2013-01-21 00:50:20','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  But, Michelle.  Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> But, Michelle.  I work 2,654 hours per week.  Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>But, Michelle.  My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-52','','','2013-01-20 17:50:20','2013-01-21 00:50:20','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-52/',0,'revision','',0),(12020,1,'2013-01-20 17:53:02','2013-01-21 00:53:02','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\n\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> Yes, but . . . . I work 2,654 hours per week. Who has time for play?!?!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>Yes, but . . . . My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-53','','','2013-01-20 17:53:02','2013-01-21 00:53:02','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-53/',0,'revision','',0),(12021,1,'2013-01-20 17:53:19','2013-01-21 00:53:19','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shawn Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Shawn Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> Yes, but . . . . I work 2,654 hours per week. Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>Yes, but . . . . My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-54','','','2013-01-20 17:53:19','2013-01-21 00:53:19','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-54/',0,'revision','',0),(12022,1,'2013-01-20 17:55:18','2013-01-21 00:55:18','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shaun Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Shaun Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> Yes, but . . . . I work 2,654 hours per week. Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>Yes, but . . . . My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-55','','','2013-01-20 17:55:18','2013-01-21 00:55:18','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-55/',0,'revision','',0),(12023,1,'2013-01-21 08:52:34','2013-01-21 15:52:34','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/olympus-digital-camera-811/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>Here are the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shaun Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> <em>evolved</em> myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/olympus-digital-camera-812/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/olympus-digital-camera-813/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/21/can-you-come-out-and-play/olympus-digital-camera-814/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Shaun Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> Yes, but . . . . I work 2,654 hours per week. Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>Yes, but . . . . My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;color: #008000\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-autosave','','','2013-01-21 08:52:34','2013-01-21 15:52:34','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(12024,1,'2013-01-20 17:55:53','2013-01-21 00:55:53','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shaun Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Shaun Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> Yes, but . . . . I work 2,654 hours per week. Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>Yes, but . . . . My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-56','','','2013-01-20 17:55:53','2013-01-21 00:55:53','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-56/',0,'revision','',0),(12025,1,'2013-01-20 18:07:52','2013-01-21 01:07:52','[caption id=\"attachment_11975\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"574\"]<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=11975\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11975\"><img class=\" wp-image-11975  \" alt=\"My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/PA210003-1024x768.jpg\" width=\"574\" height=\"430\" /></a> My Favorite Playdate of 2012. Which was as simple as singing with Melanie at her house. When I was a child, I sang my heart out every chance I could get. When time vacuums rob me of those chances as an adult, I get cranky and want to throw temper tantrums. Play: It does a soul and psyche good.[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHello, friend.  How have you been?  How is the New Year treating you so far?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs you may or may not have noticed, I haven\'t posted since January 1st.  Oopsie!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI decided to take a Blogcation.  And then promptly forgot to tell you about it.  I am so sorry!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here\'s the scoop:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>As I mentioned in the last <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Zumbalicious post, </span></a>there are ch-ch-changes brewing behind the scenes at Diary of a Late Bloomer.</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhat are these changes, you ask?  I would tell you, except that I am a big fan of surprises.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAll I can reveal to you now is, \"Coming Soon To a Blogosphere Near You\".  I realize that this is a bit corny, but I\'m also a fan of corniness.  I was raised by a man from Kansas.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo I have a date for The Big Reveal?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Uh....no.  I\'m as behind in my New Year\'s Resolutions as you are.  ☺\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut I <em>promise</em> that you will be the first to know.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>In the meantime, let\'s continue celebrating <a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/52-playdates/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">The Year of Play.</span></a>  </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs we <del>grow older.</del>...<del>age.</del>... <em>evolve</em> through the years, we often lose touch of our sense of playfulness. Play brings us back to our innate sense of wonder that we delighted in as children.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Have you felt less playful lately?  Is life getting in the way?  Have you wondered where your \"spark\" has gone?</strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong> </strong></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Well then it\'s time to light your inner sparkler, sister!  To get you started, I am assigning you one mini-adventure that\'s easy peasy. </strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nYOU CAN DO IT! And I have gold stars waiting for you to prove it!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pewari/3609957389/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11986\" alt=\"3609957389_405f7e818f\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/3609957389_405f7e818f-300x236.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"236\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI was a teacher for 16 years.  I can\'t help myself.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Here are the instructions for your sparkly, easy peasy lemon squeezy mini-adventure:</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI could set this up with a warm and fuzzy ritual such as asking you to unearth your journal, choose your favorite pen, light a candle, brew a spot of tea in a special mug, play a relaxing instrumental tune in the background, blah, blah, blah . . . .\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhich is all fine and dandy, but this is all you really need to do:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>1.  Close your eyes.  Breathe.  Think about your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>What comes to mind?  Riding your bike?  Jumping rope?  Hoola hooping?  Walking barefoot through the grass?  Dancing with your friends?  Singing your little lungs out along with Olivia Newton John?  Jumping on the sofa while listening to Shaun Cassidy? (I just <del>aged</del> evolved myself, but it\'s all good.)</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>2.  Once you are reminded of your FAVORITE childhood pastime, get thee to a calendar.</strong>  I don\'t care if it\'s old school papery or techy-gadgety.  Just get thee to it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>3.  SCHEDULE a playdate with yourself.</strong>  That\'s right, girlfriends.  Set it in ink or cyber-ink.  It\'s a date.  And dates can\'t be broken.  Why, that\'s just rude!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>4.  On this date, you will someway somehow blissfuly dive into your FAVORITE childhood pastime.</strong> Invite a friend to join you if you are so inclined.  Playdates are double!!....triple!!!....quadruple!!!!....the fun with friends!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>5.</strong>  After your playdate -- when your heart is still sparkly from the play endorphins -- share your experience in the comments section below.  <strong>OR . . . . EVEN BETTER . . . . Write a guest blog post about your playdate.</strong>  I would be happy to post it right here on Diary of a Late Bloomer.  Feel free to include fabulous photos or videos of your playdate.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\"><strong>Common Inner Critic Objections That Need to GO AWAY AND NEVER COME BACK ON ANY DAY!</strong></span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection A:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Hoola hooping?  Who still has a hoola hoop? Mine was thrown out circa 1981.  \r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong></span>  Oh, the glories of the Interwebs!  <a href=\"http://www.midlandhardware.com/Wham-O-Marketing-Inc--Original-Hula-Hoop-81553-0106_p_197371.html?gdftrk=gdfV25189_a_7c1552_a_7c6274_a_7c496968\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Here\'s one for $3.76.</strong> </a> Skip that Starbucks tomorrow and treat yourself to a hula hoop.  Your waist will thank you.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12011\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12011\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12011\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200005-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12012\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12012\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12012\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200006-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/?attachment_id=12013\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-12013\"><img class=\"alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-12013\" alt=\"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA\" src=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/P1200004-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection B:</strong></span>  Yes, but . . . . Shaun Cassidy?  I no longer have an 8-track player/cassette player/phonograph.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Easy Peasy Solution:</strong> </span> Oh, the glories of YouTube!  Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"360\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/l1nTfgUbW48\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Objection C:</strong> </span> Yes, but . . . . I work 2,654 hours per week. Who has time for play?!?!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Bopping and singing along to \"Da Doo Ron Ron\" will take you exactly 2 minutes and 42 seconds, and I GUARANTEE that it will add an extra smile and numerous endorphins to your day. How much time did you spend watching TV, catching up on the news, surfing the Internet, and/or posting on facebook today?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Objection D:</span>  </strong>Yes, but . . . . My mother always reprimanded me about jumping on the sofa!!!\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Peasy Solution:</span>  </strong>Come on!  Jumping on the sofa is the FUNNEST!  If you\'re as neurotic about your furniture as your mother, you can always pop in on a friend who has young children and corrupt them in the name of play and good memories.  You can see me ruining my dear friend\'s sofa <strong><a href=\"http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/03/27/day-180-i-crashed-a-slumber-party/\" target=\"_blank\">here.  </a></strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong><span style=\"font-size: medium; color: #008000;\">Say, say my playmate.  Come out and play with me?  If so, please answer, \"Yes!\" or \"Yipppeeee!!!\" or \"Yay!\"  in the comments section below.  </span> </strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Can You Come Out and Play?','','inherit','open','open','','11960-revision-57','','','2013-01-20 18:07:52','2013-01-21 01:07:52','',11960,'http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2013/01/20/11960-revision-57/',0,'revision','',0),