Saturday, November 28, 2009

A Fun Day at Target with Llama

On Wednesday, Llama and I went to Target for a few last minute purchases (we hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 17 people). It was mostly successful, until I realized that I'd forgotten the very important Wii accessories that were actually the real (and secret) reason for the trip. I mean, how would I entertain people if I only had one wheel for MarioKart and one motion thingy for the Sports Resort game? So I took the stuff that I remembered to the car and we went back in. I got distracted when I noticed Yankee Candles. (Sidenote: I'm often distracted, in case that's news to you.)

So I stopped to investigate these candles and sniff them to see if I wanted anything new, because I'm ridiculous in the candle-buying department. I dropped a lid, and Llama said... FUCK. And my first response was to laugh, but I managed to keep a straight face as I came up from the ground, and I looked at her and said, "That is not a nice word. I'd like you to use a better one." Yeah, yeah, she's 19 months old and she doesn't understand logic. Well, whatever, she'll never understand if I don't work with her.

So she again says, "Fuck." And I repeat that it's not a nice word. She starts pulling at the buckle on the strap keeping her in the seat, and yelling, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" I hustled out of Target with no candles. I got the Wii accessories later.

And do you know what Bucket pointed out to me yesterday? She was saying "STUCK." She does not like to be strapped in anywhere, and she proclaims that she is "stuck" all over the place. In the car, when she's being held against her will in places like church or time out... and in Target.

Good thing he translates for me.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Contemplating mortality

My brothers lost a really, really good friend last night. He was only my friend by extension - I didn't talk to him regularly, his number was not in my cell phone, and we didn't email. We weren't Facebook friends. But he was family to my brothers, and so I grieve for him, his mother, and my brothers.

He was the first guy to talk to my youngest brother when we moved to a tiny little town. He was the kind of guy who literally would do anything for you. As I've mentioned a couple times, we didn't have the best childhood, and we cobbled together our own families as we could. This guy was part of theirs.

I'm comforted by believing that there is a Heaven and that he is there. I'm comforted by believing that God will bring his mother and my brothers and all of his other friends and family strength and peace. I believe that there are people who are too good for this world and they get called home too early, and that he is one of them.

Vaya con Dios.