A Charming Smile

One week ago, my son adorned his charming smile with braces.  Within hours he could barely eat.

I am familiar with this routine since it is the third time we have 'embraced' it.  I had gathered soft foods and cold drinks in a feeble attempt to keep him nourished.  I also had bought extra-strength tylenol to attempt to keep the pain at bay.  Nonetheless, he was up in the night when the pain was too great.

48 hours into the adventure, we were walking out of his scout meeting when he softly groaned and brought his hand to his mouth.  I immediately responded, and he softly said, "I think ice-cream would help."

As I digested his words, I realized the situation was not dire, as his eyes twinkled impishly.  Luckily for him, I realized that worst was over...and we did stop for ice-cream on the way home.

What is wrong here?

Pink cheeks.

Twinkling eyes.

Long eye lashes.

Cute smile.

Wait.

Kade stopped dead in his conversation and leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed and asked,  "What happened to your eyebrows?"

All eyes studied the pretty little face.

Silence.

Then suppressed giggles started bubbling to the top.

"I shaved them."

Thus she created a permanent cartoon expression with jagged lines above her eyes, the day before school pictures.

Yes, I am serious.

In Indiana...

A curly-haired little girl stole my heart last weekend.

At two, she is fiercely independent (as she should be).

She loves to cook, so we made carmel rolls and finger jello (pretty sure her mother won't let her make it again anytime soon.)

"No" is her favorite word.  "Mine" is a close second.    

She calls me Auntie Wewe.  Lori is tough to say.  I remember when her mother called me wo-we.  I love being Auntie Wewe.

We sat in the back of the car together and watched for stoplights.  We played in our very own kitchen band.  We took good care of her babies.   We hopped.  We ate cara-cara oranges together.

Obviously, she stole my heart...but she also stole her baby brother's blue elephant named Andy.  I had him carefully tucked in the bottom of my bag.  Andy stole my heart a few weeks earlier, so I brought him for the little boy whose arrival I am anticipating in a few more weeks.  His sister is taking very good care of him, though!

Did I mention she loves Qdoba and Dairy Queen too?  We even topped off our last day with ice-cream!

"No bye bye!  No bye bye!" she proclaimed at the airport.  I waved until I disappeared into the door as the tears ran down my face, and she watched me, refusing to wave, as if it would keep the inevitable at bay.

I wish I just lived down the road so "bye bye" would mean until the next time we share ice-cream in a day or two...

Dilemma of an Auntie

Miles and miles and miles away my nieces and nephews are growing up without me, leaving me with the dilemma of how to let them know how close to my heart each one of them is.

So modern technology brought me Facetime.  Face to face we can chat.  It isn't quite the same as picking them up and hugging them or tickling them, but at least they know my face and my quirky sense of humor.

When I call, my youngest niece buzzes around the house sharing her life with me, and I talk to her.  I remember the day that technology failed us and my voice disappeared into cyberspace.   She stopped and looked at me, then she looked at her mama, and proclaimed, "Oh no!"

Awww...at least somebody likes to hear my voice.  My teenagers are not near as enthused.

Hockey Fever

I remember watching my littlest girl play street hockey in the cul de sac at our Pennsylvania home.  Those rough and tumble boys had nothing on her even though she was only five.  

My littlest girl started hockey this week.  She has learned to ice-skate with her brother this year, but stopping is tricky!  The hockey instructor made more progress in 30 minutes than any of us did all year!

At farmer's market this morning, she tried her hand at the goal at the San Francisco Bull's tent.

The mascot was definitely a bit bullish--showing his best side!

Nonetheless everyone was all smiles!