Nurse to sweet, elderly lady: "Have you had your hearing test yet?"
Lady doesn't look up or respond.
A little louder this time: "EXCUSE me, have you had your hearing test yet?"
"My what?!" while cupping her ear.
"YOUR HEARING TEST! HAVE YOU HAD IT?!?"
I'm no medical professional, but if you have to scream at someone about their hearing test...they probably haven't had one.
Say what?
Next up, we're going to ask Humpty Dumpty if we can borrow his comb.
The past few weeks have been JAM PACKED. Let's be kind and rewind for a moment (some of you will get that VHS joke; some will not) as we go back to Halloween 2015.
That morning my parents and I took Emerson on her first trip to the pumpkin patch at McLeod Farms, and she absolutely LOVED IT! It was such a hit. From the general store with fresh vegetables and fruits to the wonderful hayride and lavish array of pumpkins it was an absolutely wonderful trip.
And who knew that she would love Muscadine cider so much!??
We rushed back that afternoon for the FBC Trunk or Treat, and I transformed my parents' van into Cookie Monster. That's really me incognito.
I had a few costume ideas but wasn't quite sure what Emerson would be. That was until I found this adorable rag doll costume, complete with a hat and knitted pigtails.
And here is our absolutely precious rag doll.
But wait, where is the hat? Oh, that's right. Mommy was nominated to wear it, because Emerson would not- I repeat would NOT let me put it on.
Putting a clip, bow, or any foreign item in my daughter's hair would be like trying to pierce the ear of a bucking bronco.
But I wasn't going to let the cute hat go to waste, so I was willing to look ridiculous for this occasion.
We visited with many other characters that night. From Minions and Avengers to real baby pigs and hunters, it was a lot of fun!
The following weekend I had a great time catching up with Jamie and Karen. We hadn't seen each other in a while, so Jamie and I left that Friday afternoon for what should have been a 1.5 hour half trip.
THREE hours, 36 packs of Smarties, and a trip to JAPAN later (really, we stopped at a Hibachi restaurant in Clinton called "Japan") we finally made it to Karen's.
We did a lot of catching up, played some cards, and visited Reedy River Falls the next day.
This place is particularly special to me, because during my summer in Governor's school my dorm was right beside it. I visited those falls almost every day, and it was so great to be back.
2002 flashback
The next week Joy came by for a visit. She is just wonderful. We love Joy!
And we celebrated Aria's 2nd Birthday a few days later.
Walls are for drawing.
My life has been grand central station here recently...sickness going on and being passed around, STILL cleaning up from the Birthday extravaganzas, and all kinds of appointments, meetings, and commitments.
That's not the milky way, sir. That's Katharine's calendar.
I finally took a week or so to unwind and clean out some closets and areas that I had used as a catch-all for far too long. Literally. I was eating nuggets in the car on the way to a meeting last week and dropped one. I still haven't found it. Maybe one day...
Through it all there have been many positives: like when your refrigerator breaks, sending us on the hunt for a new one.
Any time you deal with customer service, things can get awkward quickly...like that time I was on hold for at least 25 minutes with the insurance company and had JUST shoveled a fist full of Nerds in my mouth when a representative finally answered.
"My name is Keaaattharrineeee. Crunch crunch crunch."
This weekend was another whirlwind. Friday night included a wedding rehearsal and dinner, and we began our Saturday with a visit to Santa!
Emerson was a little skeptical of him, but at least she didn't scream or cry her eyes out.
Right after that we jet-setted to Chuck E. Cheese's for Christina's 4th Birthday party. She is a sweetheart!
This was Emerson's first experience at an arcade, and we did find a game that she loved. This one.
Of course I threw the balls for her and earned a whopping ten tickets. For 45,000 more I could have gotten an inflatable flute.
But her favorite thing to do -besides consume cake and fruit punch - was insert the tokens in the machines.
Emerson, you do realize you have to actually PLAY the game, right?!?
I'm going into Saks Fifth Avenue and -just for fun- will run around paying the sales associates for nothing in return.
No, really. I insist.
The big guest of honor- Mr. Chuck E. Cheese himself- scared Emerson. I think she thought he was impersonating Mickey Mouse.
Coming in 2016...No one is safe.
"Get that mouse out of the way, Jason. What is this- some kind of joke? No, Freddy, I thought he was yours. He's kind of cute, actually. Let's forgive each other and take him out for ice cream." ...If Katharine wrote scripts for horror films...
Saturday evening I played piano for Michael and Morgan's wedding, and it was great to visit with so many people! I love the Hayes family. They're awesome.
It was an opportunity for people all over the community from various churches to partake in a service with scripture readings, music, and an incredible message.
The message focused on why Thanksgiving is a bridge to peace. Think about it: life as we know it is a sea. A sea of work and/or school, commitments, health (whether it's good or bad), and many other aspects. We can't walk on water like Jesus did, BUT as believers we can create a bridge to the other side. And that bridge is built with thankfulness.
If your arm or foot hurts, be thankful that you even have an arm or a foot TO hurt. Does that make sense? Your car won't start, but someone doesn't have a car and has to walk to work. Truly- in each and every situation- there is SOMETHING to be thankful for. And if you struggle with finding the blessing in each situation - and let's be honest; most of us do- know that you can pray to have a different outlook. You won't find me rejoicing if I get caught in traffic or if the person in front of me at the register is getting a price check...
But perhaps this Thanksgiving what you should pray for is a thankful heart. Be extra thankful. If you're shopping on Black Friday, that employee is sacrificing time with their family. Be kind. Be grateful, even if they're not. Because we need a world where people aren't looking for what can be done for them. We need a world where we ask what we can do for others.
This Thanksgiving, let's go out of our way to hold a door for someone, help them if they've dropped something, be extra patient (this goes for me, too), and have a cheerful heart. Let's be slow to anger and look at the big picture.
And focus on the more important questions of life...
like why new hair dryers come with space ship accessories?
ET Phone Home Comb
Really. I have, like, five of these in my bathroom cabinet that I don't know what to do with.
My prayer is that each of you will have a safe, happy, and wonderful Thanksgiving with your families as you realize that your blessings really can't be measured. Let's look past the little things that bother us about each other and pray that we will see each other as Jesus sees us.
And although on a perfect day my family room would look like this photo from Better Homes and Gardens...
I will settle for this:
Shoes on the floor? That means my daughter can walk.
Blocks everywhere? She is exploring new things.
Cups everywhere? She can drink, and her body is functioning properly.
Blessings are everywhere. I promise!
