Memories are funny things

Sometimes memories are like the evening tide. While standing still, the memories slowly lap at your toes and before you know it, you are in knee-deep. Other times, they crash over you like the unexpected surf driven by an unseen storm.

This week, I was straightening the lobby at the clinic where I work. I was restacking the magazines and sorting the children's books when I was broadsided by memories from 40 years ago.

Hundreds of hours of my early childhood was spent in waiting rooms and lobbies while my younger brother was treated by speech pathologists, physical rehab specialists, chiropractors and pediatricians. While the professionals helped my brother overcome the challenges presented by a high fever as an infant, I read books.


The Children's Book of Bible Stories, Little Golden Books, and Highlights for Children.



Some might think it wasn't fair that he was sick and I had to sit for hours waiting for him. I think it was wonderful.

Guys Camp In

The "camped in" in my living room last night — my Hero and Beau. The tent filled the room almost from wall to wall and just barely cleared the ceiling. They made smores over the gas stove. They slept in sleeping bags and told stories and kept the flashlight on all night.

This morning while they were striking camp, I listened to my Hero teach Beau how to take proper care of the equipment. I watched Beau shine with pride when he unlatched the tent stakes and helped fold them up. I smiled when my hero sat down on the trunk for a break, and Beau scrambled up to sit beside him.

Beau is growing up and my Hero is right there to enjoy every moment.

Friends are Nice

I went with Beau and his mommy to Kindergarten Roundup at the school where he will go this Fall. He loved it. Now he can't wait until August.

The kids went off in one direction and saw the classroom. A teacher read them a book. They watched a video about school bus safety and then they got to ride a bus. That was the highlight of Beau's day.

He also met new friends.

During the presentation for the parents, one of the staff played his guitar and sang a song. He asked one of the little boys to help him write new words to the tune "If You're Happy and You Know It." They were writing words about friends. So the staff member asked the little boy to tell him something about friends. The little boy said, "Friends are nice."

So we all sang, "A friend is someone who is nice" (clap, clap).

He then asked the little boy to tell him something else about friends. The child shrugged his shoulder and said, "They are just nice."

At this point, the staff member paused and said, "In all my years of working with kids, I've learned this truth. Friends are just nice."

I smiled and thought of this verse in Proverbs:

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

Just be nice.

Anticipation

Have you ever noticed how brown and dull the first few weeks of March are in the Midwest?

The spring has it's bright daffodils and tulips. Summer brings the lush green and the roses. Summer fields are dressed in wildflowers. In Autumn, the landscape drapes itself in the red, orange, and gold of the changing leaves. Winter brings the sparkling white snow.

Not March. No flowers. No green grass. Even the evergreens have dulled. They wait.

The days are getting longer. The sunbeams are warm even when the air is cold.

It's coming.

Really, it is.

I wait. I anticipate.

Warning: A discussion of body parts

Last night, I swatted my little Beau in jest. I said, "Hey, boy! I swatted your bootie!"

To which he indignantly responded, "Nana, don't say that word."

"What word? Bootie?"

"Yes, Nana. We don't say that word."

"Okay, then, I swatted your hiney."

"Don't say that word either."

"Alright, then I swatted your bottom."

"Nana!"

Finally, I said, "Then what do you call this?" And I pointed at the body part in question.

He laughed and said, "That's my bootie."

Do you have funny family names for various body parts?

I will tell you a terrible story about that. It really was traumatic. My mom always referred to my private parts as my "business." This led to statements such as "my business itches."

Okay, innocent enough, I guess. But when I was five, I was playing outside and said something to one of the older children who then said a most horrifying thing. She told me to keep my nose in my own business.

I still shudder.

No Daybook Today

I barely had a day!!! My co-worker was sick today so I covered both shifts and worked from 8 am to 7:30 pm. I was wore plum out!!

I took my Beau to preschool this morning. They are having spirit week at school and today was silly tie day. He was not amused. He announced that he didn't like silly ties and none of his friends did either. I stopped myself before tightening Sponge Bob too tight around his neck and told him he would see when we got there and be glad I made him wear it! Sure enough, he walked into the classroom and was thrilled that all his little friends had silly ties on, too.

As I was leaving, a mother was bringing her daughter into the classroom and the first words out of the mom's mouth were, "I told you all your friends would have on silly ties, too!"

I laughed all the way out to the car.