Life in a Small Town

What have the Dickerson girls been up to?  Well, they have been keeping me laughing (between fits of frustration)!

Friday, September 2, on the way home from school, Taylor asked if she could call Mimi.  Here's the conversation.

Taylor: Mimi, did you know tomorrow is my mom's birthday?
Mimi:  Yes, I did.
Taylor: Oh! (As she tried to cover her disappointment)
Mimi: Taylor, did you know tomorrow is mine and Popsi's anniversary?
Taylor:  Really?
Mimi:   Yes, your mom was born on mine and Popsi's anniversary.
Taylor:  You mean that you had to go to the hospital on your anniversary?  That is NOT good!

Determined to be the one to share the big news with someone, Taylor asked to call Memaw.  I'm sure everyone remembers our last few posts about Memaw.  If you need a refresher, you can click here and here.  

Back to the phone call to Memaw...

Taylor: Memaw, did you know that tomorrow is my mom's birthday?  Do you want to come to our house to spend the night for my mom's birthday?

Me (yelling to the back of the car): Do NOT invite Memaw to our house to spend the night for my birthday.

Taylor: I know you can't drive, but Nanny will bring you.

Me (still yelling): Taylor, do NOT invite Memaw to spend the night at our house.  We are not having a birthday party tomorrow.

Taylor:  Memaw, I know Nanny will bring you to our house if you just call her and ask her.

Me (considering parking the car on the side of the road to physically intervene): TAY-LOR!  Do NOT invite Memaw to our house!  We ARE NOT having a party!  Tell Memaw bye!

Taylor (to me after ending the call): Mom, Memaw said that she can't come to our house tomorrow for your birthday.  I told her that if she will just call Nanny that Nanny will bring her to our house to spend the night for your birthday.  Don't you think Nanny will bring her?

On a different note...
Kennedy is at a new school this year.  She is going to school where we live rather than where I teach.  Henderson is a typical "small town" where everyone knows everyone and everyone's family.  The teachers at Kennedy's new school are beginning to figure out who she is and "where she comes from".  She apparently doesn't listen well and just puts pieces of conversations together.

One day she came home and said, "Mom, I learned something about you today."  Curiously I asked, "what?".  She said, "I learned that YOU taught Mrs.Bishop's husband!"  As I giggled, I explained to her that Mrs.Bishop is close to Mimi and Popsi's age, and that they have children about my age. I think she finally understood when I told her Mrs.Bishop's husband taught while I was in school, and I later taught in the same district with him.  Surely she doesn't really think I'm old enough to have taught Mr.Bishop...I hope.

Today Kennedy was telling me about some teachers at her school who know my parents.  She was going on about Mrs.Trimble and Mrs.Griffith.  She said, "They told me that they knew my Popsi when he was in school or something."  I asked if they told her that Popsi was a bad kid.  She said, "No.  They just said they knew all the Akin people."  She said proudly, "I told them that Popsi is in Pennsylvania and he works for the C. I. and A."  As I tried to not laugh out loud, I explained to Kennedy that Popsi is in Pennsylvania, but he works for C.B.&I."  She said, "Oops!"

They are so funny.  I think it's my reward from God for surviving another day of Motherhood.

 

You should write a book!

I can't even begin to count the number of times someone has said to me, "You should write a book!" regarding the funnies from the mouths of my children. I am happy to say that I have actually started two books. I am not even beginning to suggest that you'll see my name on a shelf at one of those large book stores some day. My two (soon to be three) books will be tucked away in a drawer at each of my daughters' houses.

Each of the girls has a book where I record funny things they say and do. I also make it a point each year to have their teachers write a little note to them regarding their year at school. It's pretty sappy, but I hope they will treasure it as much as I do. Well, now that I actually type these words I'm thinking that they may not get their books until I'm dead and gone. My original plan was to give each book to the main character at her college graduation, marriage, etc. Some big event. But, as those events begin to seem more near and less far, I'm not sure I can part with the books that soon.

With all of that out of the way, here are some great moments from the last two weeks!

Monday evening, I went walking with some friends while Chad got the girls ready for bed. When I returned home, all three girls were sleeping. Tuesday morning, I met a friend of mine to workout (yes, she's the trainer and I'm the one about to pass out). When I came in the door at 6:15 AM, Taylor was eating breakfast. She looked up at me and said, "You walked all night long?".

Thursday of last week, I asked Kennedy about her lunch at school. She's the picky kid who prefers to pack a lunch every day. She said, "My sandwich was a lot better than what those other kids were eating." I asked what the cafeteria served. She answered, "Those kids were eating chicken bladders!" I obviously grinned a little and asked more questions. She finally said that a student asked the principal what the food was and he (jokingly) said it was chicken liver. The other kids argued and said theirs was chicken bladder. I'm reasonably sure that all of the kids were joking. My silly girl is at a new school and believes e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. right now!

Continuing with the food theme...

One day last week Taylor came into my office after school. I asked how her day was. She began the usual run down about first grade happenings. Then she got all excited and said, "I ate all that greenish-yellowish stuff on my apple." I said, "You mean the skin?" She looked at me with wrinkled brows and said, "That greenish-yellowish stuff!" I explained that it is the skin of the apple. Then I asked, "Well, did you eat the apple?" She said, "Mom, I told you I ate all that greenish-yellowish stuff off and that was all!" I'm willing to bet that I am the parent of one of only a handful of six year olds in America who eat the skin off the apple and throw the rest away!