Five for Friday - I Forgot...

I was listening to a morning radio show the other morning and the topic dealt with forgetfulness. A recent study found that an average adult forgets at least four different things in a day. I began to wonder if that statistic applied to me. After a few days, I realized it did. Here are some of the things I routinely forget...

1. The Mail. One of the things I miss about living in Georgia is having my own mailbox at the end of the driveway. In Arizona, we have little boxes, much like the ones found in apartment complexes. The problem is that we cannot mail packages from our box, we must take our mail to the post office or UPS. As of right now, I have a birthday card lying on the island that I completed on Tuesday. I'm hoping to send it by tomorrow or it will be late.

2. My Age. Honestly, when someone asks my age, I really do pause to think about it. It happened just the other day. After 30, I just stopped keeping track. And, as long as people continue to tell me I look 27, I'm sticking with it.

3. Emptying the Dryer. It's funny, because I actually just forget to empty the white loads. I think subconsciously it is my brain's way of avoiding matching all those pairs of white socks. I seriously cannot stand to sit and match 20 pairs of socks that each have different decals or vary slightly in ankle height.

4. The Page Where I Stopped Reading. I realize that there are these simple little things called "bookmarks" that are used for this purpose, but I don't use them because I like to create little mnemonic devices to remember my page. Apparently, I need to come up with a new method.

5. My Canvas Shopping Bags. Yes, it defeats the purpose of having them if I am always forgetting them at home. In my defense, I am getting better. I actually remembered and used them today.


The report ended by comparing everyday memory loss to early onset Alzheimer's symptoms. I'm happy to report that at this time, I am simply like all the other moms my age...too busy to remember all that I need to be remembering.

Unusual Bonds

As I sank into my comfy, leather seat on my return flight from Georgia this weekend, I was hoping for some silence. I wanted to put my ear buds in my ears, listen to some music, watch a movie and possibly take a short nap. The older lady sitting to my right had other plans. She had attended her granddaughter's wedding and was pleased to hear that I had also travelled for a wedding. But, when I told her that I had taught the bride in high school, she looked at me somewhat strangely. It looked as if she was wondering what kind of person would travel across the country to watch a previous student get married. Well, my kind.


Simply put, the bonds I formed throughout those years are unusually strong. It is somewhat hard to explain to someone how much those years of teaching and those students became a huge part of who I am today. The majority of the students I taught, are now as old as I was when I was teaching them, or older. So, in a way,I grew up with them. I learned right along side them, topics ranging from the Punic Wars to being responsible for and to others. I wiped away tears, laughed at ridiculously silly inside jokes and rejoiced their successes. In turn, they confided in me, loved me in a way only teenagers know how, threw me surprise birthday parties and came to see Anna Cate as a newborn.


Through those years, we became close. We became friends bound by shared experiences. Of those friendships, the one I shared with Leah has remained strong. I remember her call when she was still a little unsure about dating Aaron, the one when ALL she could talk about was Aaron and the one I missed when she called to describe his proposal. So, yes, to a stranger the idea of me flying across the country to attend a student's wedding may seem strange, but to me, it seemed right and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Finally! A Home for Dogs

While Matthew and I were away, relaxing, there was some serious work going on in our home. It's not easy leaving a headstrong child and an adoring grandmother alone for several days. Receiving texts dealing with construction, decorating and wallpaper make the absence even scarier. Thankfully, these terms concerned a model "Home for Dogs" and my home was only a backdrop for their creation.

But, in no way am I trying to downplay the creativity and excitement regarding this cooperative project. Anna Cate was so excited that she sent us a video of the construction so that we could see all of their "hard work" and everyday sent us updates regarding their progress. She often sent these while her Gigi was on the phone, not paying any attention to her, so she reported (wink, wink). But, I think that Gigi was pretty excited about it too considering we called one night after AC had gone to bed and she was working on it alone.

So, here are some pictures of their masterpiece....


Note the bedrooms upstairs, the actual wooden cabinets and the dogs watching the big screen television (definitely her father's daughter).


The front view of the "home". Gigi commented that Anna Cate is much like me in that everything needed to be in it's specific place.

Five for Friday (on Saturday) - Musical References I Lived This Week

Matthew and I spent a much-needed, adults-only, week in Vegas. While on our drive there, we were chatting and Matthew casually pointed out a Joshua tree. As the trip progressed, this week's "Five for Friday" was inspired. So, here goes, the five musical references I actually lived this week...



1. Joshua Tree by U2. Okay, I already gave this one away, but I was really excited to see an actual "Joshua" tree. I am always happy when I come across something that I have heard referenced so many times, but am not sure if it is real.



2. Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp. You know the line that goes, "Sucking on a chili dog, outside the Tastee Freeze...", well, we passed a Tastee Freeze while in Wickenburg, AZ. Who knew there were actually Tastee Freeze restaurants? Well, maybe a lot of people knew that, but I didn't until this trip.

3. Hoover Dam by Sugar. Not a well known song, or band for that matter, but one Matthew and I enjoyed immensely while in college. I did stand on the edge of the Hoover Dam, but while the song makes this seem a little risky, the actual Hoover Dam is so thick that it is possible some of the interior concrete has yet to dry. (And in case you weren't sure, it was built during the Hoover administration).



4. The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. Well, we were in Vegas, and although I don't gamble, I really enjoy watching others who do. I saw some who knew "when to hold 'em", some who knew "when to fold 'em", only a few knew "when to walk away", but sadly, none who knew when "to run".

5. The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The last night of vacation, we saw the Phantom of the Opera Los Vegas Spectacular and it was "spectacular". The only downside of it being performed in the theater in our hotel was that those were the only songs playing in the hallways and elevators. The phantom was truly "in my mind" the entire trip.



I have heard so many people say that Vegas is just one of those places that everyone should see before they die. I don't know that it rivals some of the other wonderful places I have been, but I am glad I had the chance to experience it.

Five for Friday - "That F Word" and Four Others I Am Fond Of

Anna Cate goes through stages in which she really expands her vocabulary. I think the reading she has been doing this summer has helped bring on this most recent stage. The words themselves are nothing special, but hearing them come out of her little mouth is. Here are my top five favorite words she has started using lately...

1. Famished. She sometimes forgets exactly how to say this one and says, "farmished" or calls it "that f word"

2. Parched. It's no longer enough to explain that she is thirsty, she now wants us to understand exactly how thirsty she is.

3. Sweet! Her newest exclamation that is meant to convey how much she likes something.

4. Cha-Ching. If she gets to a new level on a DS game or is happy about something that is happening, this is her new favorite word to use.

5. Apparently. Apparently, this is a word I use often because I have heard her use it quite a bit lately while telling a story.

I can look at Anna Cate and see how she is growing, but it never really hits me until we start a conversation and I see into her amazing little brain. Her vocabulary reminds me that she is still a little sponge, taking in everything around her.

Anna Cate's First Job

A couple weeks ago a good friend pulled me aside and said he had something important to ask me. I'm not going to lie,it really looked like bad news to me, but as it turned out, he wanted to know if Anna Cate could "cat sit" for them over the long holiday weekend. He just wanted to make sure it was okay with me before he asked her.

Of course she said, "yes". After he walked away, she looked at me and said it was like "Pet Rescue" and "Hotel for Dogs" coming together "for real". So, last Wednesday we went to their house so that she could receive her instructions and be given a key to their home. She was responsible for giving the cat new food and water and feeding the fish. They would also appreciate if she spent a little time playing with the cat.



So, for four days, I took her to their home so that she could take care of little Banjo. She loved it. She took the responsibilities pretty seriously and acted somewhat surprised when they came by to give her $10 for her hard work. They asked if she would be interested in taking care of Banjo the next time they went out of town...looks like my 6-year-old is gainfully employed!

Well, Not Exactly...

I have found that empathy works wonders with Anna Cate. When she is very upset, I try to listen first and even if I don't understand her side, she feels "heard". Eighty percent of the time, this approach works and I am then able to explain what she might could do differently next time in order to get a different outcome. But, the one factor I sometimes overlook is the fact that she is six and therefore, her logic does not always follow the same line as mine. One such instance occurred this morning.

While getting dressed this morning, I hear a shriek, followed by a "You're a big meanie" and then some soft murmuring. About five minutes later, Anna Cate walks in the bathroom and begins to tell me how her Daddy had been mistreating "Simba", a rather large stuffed lion cub. Okay, time for the empathy to kick in. The conversation went something like this...

"Really? I bet that really made you upset."
"Yeah, and he didn't even feel bad about it."
"Well, do you want to hear what happened when I was a little girl?"
"Yeah."
"When I was little, Pop would take my stuffed animals away and pretend to hit them and I would cry and cry."
"Why did he do that?"
"I don't know. Maybe he thought it was funny...or maybe he just didn't understand how very special they were to me or that I really kind of felt like they were real."

A pause in the conversation. I can tell she is thinking. Now is when I make my big move, my wise observation that will entirely change the way she views this situation.

"Do you know what I think?"
"Yeah...that we both have mean Daddies."

Well, no, not exactly.

Five for Friday - My Five Favorite Things About Summer

Summer evokes a special feeling in everyone I know. Maybe it's that feeling of freedom that sticks with us even after school days are behind us or the promise of the ocean breeze on our face. We each treasure something uniquely special about summer and here are the trinkets I favor in my personal summer treasure chest.

1. Sundresses. I love sundresses. I love that I can wear them straight out of the dryer, without even thinking of an iron. I love that they are appropriate for almost everywhere I go. And, I love that I used to wear them while hanging upside down on the gym set, when I was much younger, of course.

2.Sitting by the pool watching my child and friends play. The splashing and the giggling are really two of my favorite sounds in the world.

3. Monsoon storms. It is truly amazing to watch the storm clouds move over the yard in mere moments and bring with them a torrential rain. But, I most love the lightening show that accompanies them. It is a wonderful representation of God's beauty and power.

4. Lack of a schedule. This may seem out of character, but I enjoy the carefree days of summer. Anna Cate can go to bed a little later and I don't have to worry about her being too tired the next day. I have time to exercise, make a big breakfast, pop popcorn and snuggle while watching a movie and just play.

5. Taking a vacation with Matthew. I love my child and realize how blessed I am to be able to stay home with her, but I truly treasure the few days Matthew and I take during the summer to unwind. We have fun, we laugh and we both come back rejuvenated and relaxed.

So here's to summertime and all the joys that come along with it.