Attention Attention

Week 15 EP 365

A little late, I know...but here it is!! Last weeks observations.....

Day 98 January 8, 2010
Eyes




Day 99 January 9, 2010
Woman's Work




Day 100 January 10, 2010
Ordinary Chaos




Day 101 January 11, 2010
"Ummm...I think there's something wrong here, guys...."




Day 102 January 12, 2010
Winter Creek




Day 103 January 13, 2010
"Are you serious??? Mine???"




Day 104 January 14, 2010
Tap Rehearsal

Oh, We Got Her GOOD!!!

Last week was Girl's birthday.

Over the past year, she has been letting us know, in subtle--and UNsubtle ways- exactly the kind of car she would like to drive after she reached 16. (In her mind, there wasn't even a question of "if" she would get a car....if Boy got a vehicle, so would she...)

Well, unbeknownst to her, in November we had arranged to buy a used Volvo from some friends who were moving to Florida. We had it hidden in a local body shop, and Alan picked it up after dark the day before her birthday.

He left early on Birthday Morning, just after Alix opened her birthday gifts. We arranged for all three of us to meet up at the local Casa des Waffles (Waffle House) for breakfast. It was early, and Alix didn't notice which cars were still at home or why her father's truck was still there.......

So we have breakfast...and Alix is realizing that no car is being produced...we said something along the lines of "when Daddy's business is on better financial footing, we'll figure it out, blah, blah, blah".... and she gets a little down looking...

We finish breakfast, and walk outside. Alan notices a silver Volvo, sort of like one she mentioned that she liked once. She says "yes, that's exactly like the one I liked." And Alan tosses her the keys and says "It's yours."

To say she levitated would not be an overstatement. She screamed. She squealed. She bounced around like Tigger on crack.

Pictures speak better than words-- so, here's the sequence.....



Still kinda down...



What?---it's dawning on her what her father is saying...


Look at that face!!





Can you see the tears?? She still doesn't quite believe it.



I think this was after landing the 17 or 18th jump up and down....


Is that a face, or what?





Later that night, boyfriend Troy accompanied the three of us to Little Tokyo, where our usual chef Songchi (aka "Peter"--but I like calling him by his real Thai name!) serenaded Alix with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday"



I love Songchi's trout hat...



It was a good day....a really good day.

Observations on Growing Older

~Your kids are becoming you...and you don't like them ...but your grandchildren are perfect!

~Going out is good. Coming home is better!

~When people say you look "Great"...they add "for your age!"

~When you needed the discount you paid full price. Now you get discounts on everything ...movies, hotels, flights, but you're too tired to use them.

~You forget names ... but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!

~The 5 pounds you wanted to lose is now 15 and you have a better chance of losing your keys than the 15 pounds.

~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything .... especially golf.

~Your husband is counting on you to remember things you don't remember.

~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.

~Your husband sleeps better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than he does in bed. It's called his "pre-sleep".

~Remember when your mother said "Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"? Now you bring clean underwear in case you HAVE an accident!

~You used to say, "I hope my kids GET married ... Now, "I hope they STAY married!"

~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..

~When GOOGLE, ipod, email, modem ... were unheard of, and a mouse was something that made you climb on a table.

~You used to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?" ???

~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.

~Your husband has a night out with the guys but he's home by 9:00 P.M. ...next week it will be 8:30 P.M.

~You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it.

~Notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!

~What used to be freckles are now liver spots also known as old age spots.

~Everybody whispers.

~Now that your husband has retired ... you'd give anything if he'd find a job!

~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet .... 2 of which you will never wear..

But old is good in some things:
old songs
old movies
And best of all OLD FRIENDS!!

Mothers