Random Musings

Soon I will post something more reflective about the start of the new year and the changes we're making and our goals for the boys (and us), but not today. No, today is more of a buffet post, a samper platter, if you will, of several, somewhat unrelated bits of stuff that don't comprise enough for a full post. But, they're still worth writing about.

• On how technology is changing childhood: I suspect I never picked up a pocket calculator and proceeded to talk on it and then used it to snap a quick picture, declaring "Cheese!". Or, if I did, I'm sure my parents thought my behavior bizarre. When Kyler does this, I think, "He's a genius! He can use a cell phone!"


• On the constitution of syle: I have a large 3-ring binder I use as a household organizer. It's covered in a beige fabric with a chocolate damask print. It's pretty. Beckett looked at it the other day and said, "Wow, Mama, that's beautiful!" I said, "You have style, my man." His response, "BURP!".


• On bathroom privacy: Every parent will tell you bathroom privacy ends once you have kids. Before they're mobile, you bring them into the bathroom with you because you're scared they'll feel abandoned or, at your the most desperate, you just don't to hear them scream. Once they're crawling, you bring them with you so they don't crawl somewhere they shouldn't, like over to that potted plant that's been waiting all day to have its dirt scooped onto the floor. One would expect this practice to end at some point in adolescence, yet I distinctly remember my mom demanding my sister, brother, and I PLEASE leave the bathroom so she could pee in private. We were each much too old for this to be an acceptable practice, but, yet, so accustomed to being there it didn't seem weird. To this day, my mom still leaves the bathroom door open. Now it's a little weird. Old habits die hard. Well, a few days ago, Kyler was pointing out my body parts as I was going to the bathroom - knee, leg, flower (my tatoo on my upper right thigh), hair. Then, he brought me the hair dryer and said, "On." I guess I'm glad he didn't bring a comb. Too many inappropriate puns to mention!


• On Christmas Trees: When I first moved to Wisconsin, I referred to all evergreens as Christmas trees. It struck me as odd that people had Christmas trees planted in their front yards. Now, I understood that such trees where first used as, well, plants, long before people started bringing them indoors, stringing them with lights, and hanging shining baubles on them. But, to a girl from Texas where evergreens don't really grow, every pine or fir tree said "Christmas" to me. I have, apparently, passed on this belief to Kyler. As we were taking a walk through our neighborhood, we happened upon an evergreen in someone's front yard (they do exist as landscaping here, they're just rare). He tugged at a branch and asked, "On?" Because all evergreen trees are Christmas trees, and thus, must have glowing lights on them.