Boo!

Growing Up

When I lapse from the blog for a while, I usually ask myself, "What have we been doing?"  I'm sure everyone has a pretty good idea, they're doing it too.  But in reading this story to the kids the other night I really connected to this paragraph about a little girl who decides very early on what she wants to do in life.

I think of this every night now as I pick up their dirty clothes off the floor while they are in the tub, make sure the homework is in the right folder, make lunches for the next day and get ready to read to them.

"In the meantime Alice got up and washed her face and ate porridge for breakfast.  She went to school and came home and did her homework.  And pretty soon she was grown up."

I hope to God it doesn't come as fast as this with our kids, but somehow I already see it happening.  I'm going to kiss the young, round, fatty parts on their face in the morning.

Grandma Freeman

Bidding adieu to my Grandma Freeman this weekend.  She was a very lovely lady.  She taught me much:

• How to iron and then to sew (the first must be done 'just so' in order for the latter to be done well).
• A 'tummy button' is a much more lady-like body part than a belly button.
• One must always watch soap operas when home sick from school.
• Cigarettes are good (I know I know, but they are! Disclaimer: no, I am not a smoker).
• How to make jam (and of course, blackberry was the best).
• Children are the ultimate gift (she had 7, although sometimes I got the impression she loved her Grandchildren even more).
• Sometimes what's for dinner, is wonder bread with butter and a hamburger patty with pepper, and that's ok.
• Ladybugs are good luck.
• Painted nails are lovely.
• Christmas time is magic.

I will miss talking with her, learning from her and feeling the way I did when she was near.  Special.  She was special too.