Cousins

A Chicken Strip

Jonah received a dollar in the mail yesterday from his Pop and Grammy. I asked him on the way home from the library last night if he wanted to get something special with his dollar.

"I'm hungry. I want chicken," he replied.

So we turned into the nearest KFC as Jonah giggled excitedly in the seat, anxious for the chicken treat he could buy with his very own dollar.

Mike asked for one chicken strip. The total came to $1.32 with tax.

Mike and I had no money; Jonah had his dollar.

We had a credit card, which I certainly would have felt free to use, but Mike, ignorant of the car behind us in line, decided that he would rather find $.32 in our car.

We look around our seats...a penny, another penny, a dime, a nickel. I dig through the glove compartment, through the center console...

I can't find any more money but Mike refuses to give up. This is a game for him. I'm getting embarrassed. I'm giggling. I start to shrink in my seat. Mike turns on the dome lights in the car (HELLO WORLD, LOOK AT US!). He was determined. He finds more pennies.

I'm convulsing now from trying to hold in my nervous laughter. I delicately mention to Mike that he COULD use the credit card.

A few "minutes" later, we have $1.29. We need three cents. Mike looks the employee right in the eyes, "Is that good enough?"

DID HE JUST SAY THAT????????

The employee motions for us to move forward.

They give us the chicken strip.

It's a lonely chicken strip in a large KFC box.

I'm so embarrassed.

Square Dance Partner and Seymour Viewers:

Make yourselves known.

A Conversation

A recent conversation with a local teenager:

Teenager: Are you guys from [that college I live near]?

My Friend: No, we're 31. [I decided not to tell my age!]

Teenager: OMG, you're as old as my mom. You look so much younger than her though. I mean, really I thought you were from [that college]. Gee, you guys just look younger. What is it about you?

My Friend: Well, we're in our sweats with no makeup.

Teenager: Yeah, I don't know. I mean, my mom just looks older, you know. She doesn't do drugs or anything. She just looks older. OMG, I can't believe you're, like, my mom's age!

*****

So was I supposed to be flattered? Hmmm, I'm not sure.

Today

Someone wants to be just like her big brother...

Our Visit with Santa

Cooking

I have "fond" memories of stopping at Kroger on our way home from school about every day of the week when I was younger. My dad was/is a believer in the "cooking what sounds good tonight" concept, making it rather hard for my mom to plan menus or make large trips to the grocery store. So we made our daily trips to Kroger and bought the needed ingredients for the evening meal.

But I tried something new this weekend in an effort to save both time and money at the grocery store. I tried the "once a month cooking" concept. I'd always been curious. I took a huge trip to the store on Friday night (quite different from our express lane trips I remember as a kid) and cooked most of the day on Saturday.

By Saturday evening, I could barely stand, I had the beginnings of a migraine, and I was tired of looking at food.

This afternoon I felt differently. I loved serving my family a nice meal that required no effort from me today.

I think I'm going to like it.

One miserable day leads to 29 good days. I can handle that.

I Know, I Know

I've heard from far too many of you. You're obviously sick of seeing my post about a ticket and wondering if I'm okay. I'm fine. I have many stories to tell; I just haven't sat at my computer long enough to write anything.

In the meantime, check out what my little girl wants to wear around the house these days:

Ticket

I had a perfect driving record until yesterday. I was driving the mini-van, Mike was reading in the front seat, and the kids were quiet in their car seats. We were travelling to eat dinner with many of Mike's parents' friends.

The policeman asked me if there was a reason I was speeding. I told him I was "zoning." I really was. He asked me how fast I thought I was travelling. I had no idea.

I have more of a lead foot since living in Michigan. Seventy-five miles an hour just feels normal! Yeah, that's not too good when the speed limit is 55.

Oops.

I have to pay $110 this holiday season.

Ouch.

You won't hear me bragging about my perfect driving record anymore.

A Wedding Shower

We celebrated my friend, Jana, today. She's getting married on December 30. Congratulations, Jana!

Even Helio Can't Change His Mind

Mike and I took ballroom dance classes when I was pregnant with Jonah. I loved the class; Mike hated the class. I was in my element. Mike was far removed from his--

I was reminiscing about our class on Monday while watching Dancing with the Stars. I love the show. Mike hates the show.

Do you see a pattern?

I have a favorite couple this season: Helio and Julianne.

I thought Helio could lure Mike into the show. Mike has a family history of attending the Indianapolis 500. He loves the race, he loves the traditions associated with the race, and we were at the brickyard when Helio won both of his Indy 500 championships.

"That doesn't matter," he says.

Bummer.

Our Harmonica Band

Animal Sounds

Lydia is learning her animal sounds so, naturally, we spend a lot of time saying the sounds out loud.

But what sound does a rabbit make?

I say "ribbit" almost every time.

Ra-bit
Ri-bit

It makes sense to me.

Why?

It has begun.

"Jonah, we need to wash your blanket."

"Why?"

"Because it's dirty"

"Why?"

"Because you sleep with it every night."

"Why?"

"Because it brings you great comfort and helps you relax."

"Why?

"According to my research, the growth and change you're experiencing can give you a sense of mental chaos and uneasiness, and your blanket can be comforting...."

*********

What did he want me to say?

All in a Day's Work

I worked yesterday. I enjoyed myself.

I was overwhelmed while interviewing a 17 year old boy with a brain tumor. It's benign, but he's had two brain surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy and sat in the office telling me all about it.

He's partially paralyzed on his right side as a result.

So much of what I normally discuss in an interview seemed trivial. What's his potential for leadership, academic success, etc.? While his peers have been involving themselves in activities to fatten their college applications, he's been in physical/occupational therapy sessions, learning to walk again.

We had a good conversation about the ways he's been able to see God at work, but he was slow at answering my questions due to his brain's inability to process information quickly, and I wanted to be sensitive to the effort it took him to have a conversation.

Interviews like this remind me of why I love working in admissions. I felt challenged to live life with a positive attitude, I felt intense love for my own children, and I felt so thankful that I have a healthy family...all in a day's work.

Farmer Steve

A man named Steve farms the land surrounding our new subdivision. Mike asked Farmer Steve if Jonah could have a ride in his combine. They took about a 45 minute trip. What a great experience in our front yard!

Nightmare

I'm a little late in telling this story...

It was Halloween night. Jonah was having a nightmare. I rushed to his side, cuddled with him for a bit, and returned to my bed. I lied in bed thinking, "Did they talk about something in reference to Halloween at school?...should we rethink our family's decision to participate in trick or treat?...I hate that I can't shelter him more." The next morning I asked him about it.

Traci: You had a nightmare last night, Buddy. Do you remember what it was about?

Jonah: Little People


Oh, what trauma!

This May Not Look Like Much to You...

...but it's a big deal to me!

Jonah has been playing outside with our new neighbors. They have three boys, and he gets so excited to spend time outdoors with them. He's constantly asking if he can go outside and play with Dawson, their four year old.

I've been waiting for the day when he would want to explore our "backyard."

They were marching with weeds in their hands and "fishing" in a small puddle.

I'm not accustomed to him playing apart from me. It's a wonderful thing.

Old Navy Disaster

Jonah's head got pinned under a cart at Old Navy this morning. I saw it happen. While I waited in the check-out line, he walked over to a cart and tried to stand on its side. The cart was empty and fell over, knocking him down with his head stuck under it.

His nose bled, and he cried hard for about.... 10 seconds.

The manager wanted to fill out an accident report. I said it wasn't necessary.

I asked if he wanted to stay at the mall or go home. He wanted to stay at the mall.

He's a tough kid.

A Game of Tag

I've been tagged by my friend, Amy, so I must tell you seven unusual/interesting things about myself. This may be the first time I've admitted some of these things publicly.

1. My husband tells me I have a peculiar way of brushing my teeth. I apparently need to rinse my right hand in the water throughout the tooth-brushing process, giving it a swift rotating movement with a palsy-like hand.

2. I can't eat around dogs or cats. I can't eat if my napkin, cup, or plate has dogs or cats on it. I lose my appetite around household pets.

3. I got a tattoo of a flower on my first date weekend with Mike.

4. I moan unconsciously while eating cereal. My dad said I did this during high school when I would eat breakfast across the table from him every morning. Mike will imitate me with a faint, short moan when I eat cereal next to him now. I don't know I'm doing it. I think they're making the whole thing up--

5. I tap dance and just quit lessons when I moved here.

6. I don't eat eggs. When I was little I wondered what the difference was between the eggs that hatch chicks and the eggs we eat. I heard the eggs we eat were unfertilized eggs; therefore, in my warped mind, I believe we eat chickens' periods. That disgusts me.

7. The "monster" in my bedroom when I was young was E.T. That weird creature was on the floor next to my bed every night when I was little. I slept with the door open in case I needed to make a quick exit and get away from him.


Tag-- you're it: (I don't have an easy way to hyperlink on my Mac computer)

Tiberi's Villa
Smith Family Wobinson
Thoughts from the Sidelines
In the Middle of Nowhere
The Souzis Bunch


Smith Files, I'm sparing you.