Two nights ago L and I were walking home from the park.* I had noticed an older couple walking on the other side of the street, and I purposely had stayed on the opposite side so as not to crowd them. But, as we got closer to our house, we ended up crossing and coming up behind them when they were just 3 meters from our front door. So, we come up pretty close.
The woman is right behind the man and rushing to keep up with him and they're having some conversation. She asks him a question and he answers without really looking back. At the same time he lets out a looooooooong fa-aa-aa-a-rrrt. My first thought is that the man is deaf and doesn't realize he's doing this, but then I remember that the couple has been having a normal conversation, while walking and with one person behind the other --not the sort of conversation one engages in if one is hard of hearing. My second thought, maybe this is self-defense? Like the skunk. "Back off, dudes." After all, L. is getting pretty big now.
So L and I stopped abruptly (as a self-defense strategy, it did have an effect) turned out backs to the couple and looked at each other for about ten seconds. Then we ran in the house stifling our laughter.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
*back to why we were walking home from the park at night (nice day to remember later).
We went to the park to play tennis - it was a gorgeous late afternoon. PatL (code name, shhhh) was over playing monopoly, chess and magic (he's in a monopoly crazed phase right now). But it was a shame to miss that weather. We convinced PatL to put the game away and go to the park.
When L couldn't round up a friend to join him for tennis except for a very unenthusiastic PatL "I don't like tennis", I tagged along. PatL rode his bike to find his father to play a game of basketball first so L. and I got to hit the ball back and forth for awhile. But, first we had had to stop by D's house to borrow a racket. Anyway, it was dusk, but we finally got to the tennis courts!
Yea! It seems I hardly ever get to play because there's always one extra player and I'm always the old person and "host" of the group in a way (this often happens when older son comes to visit and he'll often bring a friend, i.e. girlfriend). So, I'll volunteer to sit out the games.
L wants to join the tennis team next year (school's team is excellent). This is a big change in L. because, for years, ever since he once felt foolish and humiliated in a community tennis class, he vehemently professed his hatred of the game. He began to lighten up a bit about a year ago and this spring he went to the other side completely. It's lovely to see. He has no form, but I guess he can do enough to pose at least some threat to opponents in his group of friends. (He was even holding his own against good friend A. who has taken lessons for years - until A. got new glasses and could see the ball again....)
L is really interested in getting in shape for soccer season. He has been begging for a 30 pound weight and his dad and I have been saying, "No. Find other things to lift - the 30 lb. weight is just going to sit around the house, and it costs money when there is no reason really to spend it. Plus, it could damage something blah blah blah"
So L. borrowed two weights from A. and was lifting them as he did other activities. Last night one fell off as he was watching SNL with us and lifting... I shudder when I think that he'd been lying on the floor with that weight over his head about 10 minutes before that moment.
Must go, have to wake up L to take him to swim practice.
27 June 2011
13 June 2011
List ... for future reference
This was the list I typed up in desperation when my daughter was headed for her first ever trip to Europe and didn't know where her passport was... Before a vacation to the Bahamas a few years ago, I had been forced to tear the house apart when I realized that I couldn't find her passport. So, this time, when she asked me if I had her passport, I started looking for it in the obvious places. I pretty quickly concluded that, no, I didn't have her passport but, given my history with it, I wasn't willing to swear that I didn't.
Well, SHE wasn't looking for it and my search could only end definitively when the damn thing turned up.
The days went by...her trip was only a week away and the passport still hadn't appeared. Since it didn't seem to me (or to H) that she was seriously working on this, I printed out the check list below so that she would understand that the ball really was in her court. (The list was also part of my effort to make sure I had left no stone unturned - I had been frantically tearing things apart, pulling things out, sorting and shredding for days).
Finally, a friend's mother found V's passport in a safe.
I didn't have to say anything; V. decided that she would, from then on and forever more, put her passport in the care of an organized person (her mama I think).
When she landed in Berlin, her sister confiscated her passport. We were all laughing about it, and V is a good sport.
So, I won't need this list for V's passport, but who knows what document I might need to turn up in the future?
bank deposit box (2 times)
drawer with misc. papers in kitchen
m. bedside table (empty)
h. bedside table (empty)
files in computer desk (completely empty out drawer)
top drawer computer desk (completely empty out)
all shelves in computer desk (completely empty out)
h. top “drawer” in closet
other drawers in closet
white shelves in closet (empty out)
m. plastic drawers in closet
m. desk in closet
sweater box in closet
y colorin colorado, este cuento se ha acabado
Well, SHE wasn't looking for it and my search could only end definitively when the damn thing turned up.
The days went by...her trip was only a week away and the passport still hadn't appeared. Since it didn't seem to me (or to H) that she was seriously working on this, I printed out the check list below so that she would understand that the ball really was in her court. (The list was also part of my effort to make sure I had left no stone unturned - I had been frantically tearing things apart, pulling things out, sorting and shredding for days).
Finally, a friend's mother found V's passport in a safe.
I didn't have to say anything; V. decided that she would, from then on and forever more, put her passport in the care of an organized person (her mama I think).
When she landed in Berlin, her sister confiscated her passport. We were all laughing about it, and V is a good sport.
So, I won't need this list for V's passport, but who knows what document I might need to turn up in the future?
bank deposit box (2 times)
drawer with misc. papers in kitchen
m. bedside table (empty)
h. bedside table (empty)
files in computer desk (completely empty out drawer)
top drawer computer desk (completely empty out)
all shelves in computer desk (completely empty out)
h. top “drawer” in closet
other drawers in closet
white shelves in closet (empty out)
m. plastic drawers in closet
m. desk in closet
sweater box in closet
y colorin colorado, este cuento se ha acabado
01 June 2011
Fa la la la la
Son didn't go to a soccer game tonight because he had an activity with one of his choir/singing groups. I felt bad because the soccer team was massacred and they had no goalie there.
L looks at me and says, "I knew I wasn't going to be able to go. I'm prioritizing. I mean I'm not going to be getting a scholarship for soccer, but I might get one for singing."
ha ha ha! When I pointed out that there really aren't scholarships for singing... he smiled and joked, "WHAT? No scholarships for singers?"
I guess it wasn't actually a surprise.
Here I am, trying NOT to put everything in those terms - - - NOT putting everything in the light of "What will help me more for college?" Nevertheless, L has picked it up.
P.S. The fact that he felt the need to say that he "knew" he couldn't make the game makes me wonder whether he even remembered he had a game. If he didn't know, it wouldn't be completely his fault because the coaches of his team have been struggling a bit in the communication department. But... we'll just give L the benefit of the doubt. Sigh...
L looks at me and says, "I knew I wasn't going to be able to go. I'm prioritizing. I mean I'm not going to be getting a scholarship for soccer, but I might get one for singing."
ha ha ha! When I pointed out that there really aren't scholarships for singing... he smiled and joked, "WHAT? No scholarships for singers?"
I guess it wasn't actually a surprise.
Here I am, trying NOT to put everything in those terms - - - NOT putting everything in the light of "What will help me more for college?" Nevertheless, L has picked it up.
P.S. The fact that he felt the need to say that he "knew" he couldn't make the game makes me wonder whether he even remembered he had a game. If he didn't know, it wouldn't be completely his fault because the coaches of his team have been struggling a bit in the communication department. But... we'll just give L the benefit of the doubt. Sigh...
overheard...
in our house at 6 a.m. this Memorial Day morning.
We're still asleep when a thunderstorm started very suddenly. My husband said to me, "Oh no! The kitchen windows are open!"
I figured, "What the heck, I might as well get up to get the windows since the cats will likely make me get up soon anyway..."
I got up and closed the kitchen windows. My husband followed me downstairs. He's in his underwear standing slightly off kilter, his regular posture. I don't know why I felt the need to share that - it's more that I have this silly image of him in my mind that I'd like to recapture later when I read this.
As I head toward the stairs which lead to our bedroom, H. says, "The newspaper already got here. It's on the lawn." (Ya llego' el periodico - etc.)
Well, he's in his tighty whities (whiteys???) and I at least have on an attractive pajama ... So, without a word, I walked out into the rain to retrieve the newspaper.
I came in and handed him the newspaper and, as I started back up the stairs, H said to me, "Are the car windows closed?"
That put me past my willing to be nice and take a hint quota for the day --"YES!"
Later I laughed my head off as I replayed that conversation for my husband. The way he never actually asked me to do anything... He was able to laugh about it also (a leetle bit), but, in his defense, he said he'd gone out himself to check on the car windows. He can't help it - There's that little obsessive-compulsive part of him.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A little later that same day, my son and I had an interesting conversation.
L had to go to a band event at the memorial Day celebration in our town. He had three sheets of music and, as he was preparing to leave the house, he asked for a folder.
I asked him if he wanted me to somehow attach the sheet music to the folder to make it more secure for playing outside.
"No," he said.
I insisted a bit... "It'll be easy to do... If I don't, it could blow away."
"NO," he insisted. "It WON’T blow away."
He was so adamant that I can't resist the temptation of an advance-told-you-so, “OK, remember, I’ll be there to witness it if your music blows away.”
“It WON’T blow away!”
GUESS WHAT I SAW AT THE EVENT? Lucas’s music blew away and he had to chase it down (he denies "chasing it"– According to him he just took a step or two) – Seriously, a step or two which took him through the row of players in front of him... whether or not that counts as "chasing" is academic. No?
He played that song with some of his music between his knees and then he clipped it into his folder. Turns out that they had clothes pins there for the players, but Lucas hadn’t put his on his music... Say, what?? My son the optimist, who'd've thought?
Within 60 seconds of him walking into our house afterward, I admit - his dad and I had our little gloat. I'm only human. I was begging him to just say, “YOU WERE RIGHT, MOM,” but he refused.
We're still asleep when a thunderstorm started very suddenly. My husband said to me, "Oh no! The kitchen windows are open!"
I figured, "What the heck, I might as well get up to get the windows since the cats will likely make me get up soon anyway..."
I got up and closed the kitchen windows. My husband followed me downstairs. He's in his underwear standing slightly off kilter, his regular posture. I don't know why I felt the need to share that - it's more that I have this silly image of him in my mind that I'd like to recapture later when I read this.
As I head toward the stairs which lead to our bedroom, H. says, "The newspaper already got here. It's on the lawn." (Ya llego' el periodico - etc.)
Well, he's in his tighty whities (whiteys???) and I at least have on an attractive pajama ... So, without a word, I walked out into the rain to retrieve the newspaper.
I came in and handed him the newspaper and, as I started back up the stairs, H said to me, "Are the car windows closed?"
That put me past my willing to be nice and take a hint quota for the day --"YES!"
Later I laughed my head off as I replayed that conversation for my husband. The way he never actually asked me to do anything... He was able to laugh about it also (a leetle bit), but, in his defense, he said he'd gone out himself to check on the car windows. He can't help it - There's that little obsessive-compulsive part of him.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A little later that same day, my son and I had an interesting conversation.
L had to go to a band event at the memorial Day celebration in our town. He had three sheets of music and, as he was preparing to leave the house, he asked for a folder.
I asked him if he wanted me to somehow attach the sheet music to the folder to make it more secure for playing outside.
"No," he said.
I insisted a bit... "It'll be easy to do... If I don't, it could blow away."
"NO," he insisted. "It WON’T blow away."
He was so adamant that I can't resist the temptation of an advance-told-you-so, “OK, remember, I’ll be there to witness it if your music blows away.”
“It WON’T blow away!”
GUESS WHAT I SAW AT THE EVENT? Lucas’s music blew away and he had to chase it down (he denies "chasing it"– According to him he just took a step or two) – Seriously, a step or two which took him through the row of players in front of him... whether or not that counts as "chasing" is academic. No?
He played that song with some of his music between his knees and then he clipped it into his folder. Turns out that they had clothes pins there for the players, but Lucas hadn’t put his on his music... Say, what?? My son the optimist, who'd've thought?
Within 60 seconds of him walking into our house afterward, I admit - his dad and I had our little gloat. I'm only human. I was begging him to just say, “YOU WERE RIGHT, MOM,” but he refused.
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