Monday, July 6, 2009

Remembering

I was going through some old photographs and things the other day and I found a journal I started keeping for my first son when he was about 1 month old. I was pretty good about keeping up with it for a couple of years, too. The thing is, I told the things he was doing, saying, learning every day and it's PRICELESS. I have two more boxes of things to go through and there is tons of stuff to throw out, but the keepers are real treasures.
For example....I put Jack in his chair at supper one night when he was 3 and he looked at his plate of food and said, "This is ridiculous".
Or, when he stood on the table in his Episcopal school pre-K and hollered, "We're in America! I won't speak Spanish!" He got spanked for this. His teacher was the sweetest lady in the world and she was attempting to enrich their little lives and teach them to count in spanish. Jack was having none of it. Everyday when I picked him up, I'd stand in the hallway with the other moms and I'd be holding Tyler who was still a baby. I'd sort of try to stand behind someone to hide. I'm short, so it's not difficult. I admit it, I was a coward. Why? Because almost everyday, Jack's sweet teacher would say, "Could I please have a word with you?" and I would spit out through my teeth, "What did you do NOW??????" And she would tell me some heinous act he had committed.
Other finds in my trip down memory lane were really bittersweet. I found a letter my Grandpa sent me from Vietnam. Talk about a prized possession. I found my misplaced rubbing of my uncle's name form the Vietnam wall. I found my own baby book that my Mother kept sporadically through my toddler years. She claims I sang "Jesus Loves Me this I Know" when I was 18 months old. I so highly doubt that. In case there were any future doubters, she wrote in an insane looking scrawl "VERBATIM" next to it. So, I sang it verbatim at 18 months. No prompting. I was just a happy little 18 month old kid who Jesus loved. And she knew it because the Bible told her so.
What? Me? I think she had another daughter or something.
I found pictures of the boys when Tyler was a newborn and Jack was holding him. It's hysterical because Tyler is almost as big as Jack and Jack was almost 4. Tyler could have held him.
I found pictures of my cousin Boo and I when we were in high school together. I'll treasure those forever.
I found other crap I'd rather not have found, too. Such as my marriage license to the 2nd husband. Legal papers from divorce(s) and the like. Stuff you have to keep, but you don't really want to think about them or see them. I need a fireproof safe or something. OH! That reminds me!
I am designing a new house. Sanford is not happy and claims he won't let me, but I will do it. I am still working on my closet. But it reminded me because we're going to have a built in safe. I think everyone should have one. You need somewhere handy to put your wills, passports, ill gotten goods, etc. Safety deposit boxes at the bank are a pain in the butt. Plus, you never know when someone who works there will rob you blind! Like in the movies! It could happen. You never know.
I got my Botox booster a couple of weeks ago. Next time I go in, it will be time for the "Liquid Facelift". I will be needing my Juvederm redone with the Botox then. I wish I could have my own needles of Botox. I would inject like every other week. That's probably a bad thing, huh?
Anyhow, I'm on vacation, and I don't feel like looking at words anymore. So, with that, as one of my students always closed his papers last year, "I bid you a doo". Yes, he was awesome.