Seventh Grade Ephemera

I found many more interesting things in the basement this weekend.  The good news is:  I found my glass salad bowls in a very small box stored with old financial documents.  Go figure.

Then,  I found this in another box.

This is a drawing of me in the seventh grade.  I was 12 years old and had just gotten glasses.  A word of advice to current/future parents out there:  get your kid in glasses BEFORE junior high hits, puberty hits, and self-conscious anxiety take over a girl's life.  In the seventh grade, I had never felt lower and more down on myself than ever.  Entering junior high was tough for me.

But...there was one boy that liked me, and I did not know about it.  He drew this picture of me from memory and I managed to find out about it from his cousin, who was a friend.  Was I ever kind to this boy?  I don't really recall.  He was curious about me being a Christian because he did not believe in religion or God or anything so spiritually-based.  I was such a good girl - no bad language or bad behavior.  Nothing bad at all.  I did not know what to do about getting this picture and processing the feelings that came with it.  My mom salvaged this picture from me, afraid that I would destroy it.  My mom was a smart cookie, because a 12 year old that hates her glasses could wreck this piece of homemade ephemera.

Finding this picture made me empathize with my oldest child, Darby.  She is in the seventh grade now.  Does she feel as down about herself as I did that year?  Is there some boy drawing her picture from memory that she does not know about?  Will she regret her hairstyle, like I regret my very 80s hair in this drawing?  I hope my daughter feels more confident at 12 than I did.  I hope she can recognize the honor of having a boy like her, because I do not think I recognized it very well.  Maybe it was because he did not believe in God - that was a definite turn-off in my books back then as well as now.

My husband has been teasing me about this picture for a couple of days now.  I would like to point out:  no one drew him when he was 12.

My Personal Unholiday

If I lived in the central timezone, or at least a state in the general vicinity of Oklahoma, I would be enjoying my family, my extended family, and my extended family once removed.  But, alas, there is no family reunion for me (again) this year and I am attempting to cope.

Ho Hum.

I rented a movie.  That was okay.

I went to the Square and saw lots and lots of art on a spectacular day.  Weather was great, art was fun, then it was over.

I ate Colombian food.  I liked most of it and I liked all of the sauces.  That was okay.

I proceeded to clean the basement.  The Pit of Despair has been trying the patience of my husband these days.  I must return to the basement (again), but some progress has been made.  That is okay.

I caved in and broke a diet rule and had ice cream.  I never have ice cream anymore, but the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle-sized hole in my stomach needed to be filled.

I looked at Roxy's baby photos and cried.

I am now on a path of self-sabotage.  Ice cream and baby photos are making me weak.  What else can I do to fill the family reunion hole in my weekend?

Roxy's solution:  The American Girl Store.  Yep.  When all else fails, spend money in egregious ways so the guilt of overspending consumes the guilt of missing the fam.

Now, I'm off to work out twice as hard so as to counter balance the ice cream and baby pictures I might encounter again today...

Diss'd in the Malibu

I have been seeing my old car in numerous places these days.  The Malibu Chevelle is making a comeback!

I have seen it featured in all the advertising of the show, Memphis Beat,  That show has been on cable this summer so often, and his car is also the original color of my old car.  It is also in the movie, The Other Guys.  I've even seen it on the streets of the Atlanta area.

Every time I see it, I have to smile.  It was the car on which I learned to drive. No power steering, practically no air, regular gasoline, it could easily seat six ( which would happen once I was in college.)  I never wanted to drive it to school because these guys would look at it, and they were not the guys I felt comfortable looking at, much less joining in their conversation.  But once I went to college, it became a thing of character for me.

It built my character on a regular basis.  I broke down in the car all over the place.  It once stopped running due to extreme cold, leaving me stranded out in rural Oklahoma where the block froze on it and it ruined all the houseplants I was "babysitting" over Christmas break.  It was never a thing of beauty until we had it painted I-ROC blue, which is my favorite cobalt-type color, and then the guys remembered the girl in that old car.  I would get phone numbers left on the car, from guys that noticed me in it and wanted me to call them.  I would get notes about how they loved my car.  They probably wanted to buy it, but it made me feel appreciated anyway.

So now, I find myself sentimental about my old car and my 20 year old self and all the friends I drove around in the car.  Those were the days...

And a 1, and a 2

So, my girl is a big 1-2.  Twelve years ago, after great anticipation, we brought the little thing home today and reality set in - what on God's green earth were we going to do with her?  She had already had a showdown with her daddy on day one, where she gave him the stink eye at 2 a.m. and wailed her lungs off (and I lay passed out from birth exhaustion and heard not a word.)  And, she had a massive amount of unmanageable curls and she was a night owl who slept significantly less than every infant mentioned in every doctor's publication, birthing book, and parenting magazine.

We soon discovered that yes, some things you learn about your child on day one will last a lifetime, or at least through year 12 and beyond.  Scott and I soon learned that this girl would amaze us, leave us baffled and speechless, and think far, far deeper thoughts and have far, far greater understanding of numerous subjects than we could even imagine.  And she is so photogenic, she rules every photo she is in.

But as for the curly hair, it is still unmanageable, but with massive amounts of money, even straight hair is possible...for a day...Happy birthday to my amazing daughter.

The Perks of Dog Ownership

Roxy was emotionally ready to take the dog back, but when we refused to keep the kennel for her to play in, I was worried about her losing it.  On the other hand, I was not emotionally ready to continually find my daughter camped out in the dog's kennel.  So glad to have moved on.  Now, if only she would not act like a dog...

Say Hello/Goodbye to the Dog

Introducing our newly departed family pet - Biscuits Johanson, a rescue Shih Tzu that was fully potty trained, not a picky eater, took little naps at your feet, loved to walk, practically never barked, loved to play ball, never shed a hair, and fulfilled Roxy's dreams of owning a dog.

For about a week, I should say.

The dog was a good dog, would stay in his kennel when needed, and absolutely loved our Alpha Male, Scott.  Scott would have preferred a less prissy-type dog, but oh well.  Roxy chose Biscuits, the entire family approved, but after three days Roxy just could not cope with having a dog in the house.  This dog is a true companion and loved having people around, but suddenly the role of owner because a little difficult for the Rock Star.  It was her dog, her responsibility, but her fears and sensory issues won out in the battle of Child versus Dog.  Roxy did not like the dog rubbing against her legs, she didn't know how to react when the dog got excited, and she never got comfortable picking up the dog and grooming the dog.  Too much fear.

Scott and I kept our commitment to her and we got her a dog.  We were good dutiful parents.  And now, Biscuits is happily back a resident of the "Hotel for Dogs" in Atlanta.  And we got a refund.  Whew!

The Cousin Photo

It was almost like a mirage - all the cousins, together, for approximately 10 seconds.  Too bad we can't figure out how to get them looking all the same direction.  We did not have any bribes/currency with us, which explains the lack of focus issue.  Sigh.