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February 5, 2003
2.5.03
No room in the inn . . .
Jerry and I had a nice getaway weekend while my parents were here. We left town and headed to the Grand Casino Coushatta in Kinder, LA. We tried to book a room in advance, but were told that all of the hotels in the area were booked solid, entirely sold out. We kept checking at the desk, and I guess it was true, there seriously was no room in the inn. Jerry played black jack and I went back and forth between my favorite slot machines. There is only so much secondhand smoke one can handle at a time. After I reached that point, we had a great meal. Then. we decided to head out to find a room closer to the other casinos in Lake Charles. We had no trouble getting a nice quiet room in a new hotel, we are keeping this one a secret and plan to visit again soon. Sunday, we went to Harrah’s in Lake Charles and I enjoyed good luck again on day 2 of our jaunt. Jerry was not as lucky, at least in the gambling department. It was great to get away and have fun, just the two of us. Especially because the kids were with their grandparents.
Of all places to get carded . . .
I got carded in bio/chem class last night. We had just finished our first in-class exam, and as I gathered my test papers and reached for my coat, I noticed a long line forming at the front science table. Usually, I just hand in my scantron and test, putting them in separate piles, before leaving. I noticed most students were reaching for their wallets or pulling out I.D. cards. I didn’t have mine with me, so I got my driver’s license out. One of the students said, “in my 5 years at U of H, I’ve never ever been carded at a test.” Someone else said it was a sign of the times. Many students need the grades and just can’t handle the material. They hire professional students to sit through the exams for them or trade classes by attending a class for someone else on a subject in which they excel. Last week a university busted a group of students cheating on an exam using their cell phones. The professor’s TA posted the test results on the web site shortly after the test began, so the students could look up the answers after the test. Apparently, while the test was in progress, their friends looked up the answers and used their cell phones to “text-message” the answers into the class. They were caught when a fake answer key was posted on the web and the fake answers were relayed to the students. I guess I was surprised to see such serious measures taken during a bio/chem course. It’s not exactly a walk in the park, but if I can do it, anyone can.
Mitch . . .
Mitch was very upset when my parents left. He cried when they put him down, but he waved bye-bye through his tears. One of my favorite things about Mitch is his total lack of inhibition to express his happiness or joy. When I return home from a long day at work, he is the first to come running with arms open wide with a squeal and a smile for his mom. He loves to be hugged, kissed, smooched on the ears, and he loves to give kisses. He still loves his baths and will start to peel off his clothes as soon as he realizes I am filling up the tub. He will put his mouth underneath the faucet and fill up his mouth, sometimes falling over and sometimes just laughing about it all. Mitch loves balls. He is tossing the balls back and forth with Jerry now. He loves to play outside. We take walks every day and he loves to play in his sand box, the playhouse, the wagon, and the sliding board. All thanks to Little Tikes. Jenn once said her house looks like Fisher Price came and threw up in it. Well, our back yard looks like Little Tikes took a huge sneeze back there. It’s true. He got a Little Tikes basketball hoop set for Christmas and he loves to throw the ball into the net. We praise him, and he will say “yay!” and then do it again and again. He loves to be read to and will sit patiently pointing at things and saying the words. He likes his “lift the flap” books and knows exactly where to lift the flap or pull out the flap. He also knows what “no, no” means and often, we will hear him saying, “no, no, no” while in the midst of doing something that he shouldn’t, like climbing up on the kitchen table and dancing with happy feet while shouting “no, no, no!” It’s hard to be mad at him for even a second. It’s hard to keep a straight face with a child who is so happy, energetic, and smiling. We had a vacuuming party on Saturday. All 3 of us. I only wish that Mitch and Rachel’s toy vacuums really worked, that would be a great invention, wouldn’t it? All that energy focused on serious vacuuming? Now why hasn’t someone thought of that?
Holding hands, day-of-the-week panty collection . . .
I came tripping down the stairs this morning, and Rachel quickly helped me up. She said, “here mommy, let me hold your hand so you won’t get hurt.” If I could bottle this child and her sweet phrases, her hugs, her voice. I’d love to replay these small gestures in my golden years. Holding hands with either of my children is just the sweetest feeling. The feeling of their small hands inside mine is another thing I’d like to bottle. I’d never sell it, I’d just like to uncap it and replay it a time or two. Speaking of Rachel’s voice, where did it go? She’s lost it again with another sore throat. She sounds like a mini Demi Moore. Very cute indeed! She is busy planning Jerry’s birthday party on Saturday and already working on her valentines. Rachel loves to dress up. She received a chest of princess costumes for Christmas from her cousins. She loves to dress up with the shoes, jewelry, tiara, boa, all the things that 3- and 4-year olds love. She will dress in layers and I noticed that she has been getting up in the middle of the night (!) to change her clothes or put on different clothes on top of the ones she is wearing. In the morning, I will peel off two layers of princess dresses and then eventually get to the PJs I dressed her in the night before. I never thought I’d see the day, but I have a daughter who wears “day of the week” panties. Mind you, they are princess panties, a different one each day, but just the same. DAY OF THE WEEK PANTIES for cryin’ out loud! It’s Wednesday, that means Princess Ariel!
Secret passion . . .
Morbid though it seems, I love to read the obituaries. Combing through the obituaries may sound morbid, but it’s something I’ve done on a daily basis for the past 15 years or so. I read each and every one of them too. I am more interested in those with pictures. I often wonder how a family member chooses a picture of their loved one. Will it be a recent photo or a beloved old time picture? Yesterday’s paper had a picture of an older gentleman smiling away and it was hard to not notice that many of his bottom teeth were missing. I wondered if that was part of his character (sort of like Madonna with the space between her teeth which she refuses to fix because it’s a part of her) or if he was not able to afford good dental care, or if he just didn’t take good care of his teeth. I like to read the family names, the nicknames, and see how different family names were joined together in marriage. I like to read about the lives behind the faces, when they were born, where they were raised, where they went to school, what type of work they did, how many family members have gone before them and how many are left behind. I especially want to know what they died of (nosy me!). You would think that most of the people were well into their golden years, but that just isn’t so. There are far too many children, teenagers and young people dying. I am most drawn to the very few children’s faces who just don’t belong on the pages of the obituary section. I imagine the child is in a better place and no longer suffering, but cannot read without imagining the heartache and grief of the parents. There is something just wrong about a parent burying his/her child. One thing I’ve noticed is that far too many young women seem to be dying of breast cancer these days. Age 32, age 47, age 35. Just last week, one of our clients died at age 58 of breast cancer. Even though she was older, she was still too young to die. After the funeral, my boss (of all people!) reminded me to, “get your mammogram done, just do it,” he said. I scheduled one for March.
And, now here comes the longest run-on sentence in my life . . .
Well, I need to cut this short. I am trying to track down one certain floor tile installer who shall remain nameless, but who installed a brand new ceramic tile kitchen floor in my house, which is ever so slightly beginning to move, and who (&*%$#@!) I have just learned skipped town leaving two months of unpaid rent and a gutted store with a line of customers who foolishly left deposits. . . Just my luck!
Warmly,
Megan
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/millimaki/
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We are getting tired of listening to the same-old, same-old music. If anyone has a favorite children’s music CD they’d like to recommend, please post on my TTM board. I’d really appreciate it.
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