I’d long since given up on interacting with other store patrons while shopping with all of my children (apologizing for bumpings or cuttings-off doesn’t count).

I don’t know if you have children or not, so I hadn’t a clue about your frame of reference when you approached me at the check-out.

We were stopping by on our way home from dance class, I’m sure you knew that, kind of hard to miss the lovely still-in-uniform ballerinas accompanying me. It was a calculated risk, late afternoon shopping on an already long day, but everyone (old enough to care) loves TJ’s here so there was no resistance in leaving the van to go in the store.

I’ve shopped for years with the whole crew in tow, and the stares & glares & comments directed my way are pretty old hat by now. (“Are those all yours? With the same man?” “Don’t you know what causes that?” “Get cable already!”) Oblivion to my larger surroundings is one way of coping, I guess. I was also feeling rundown at that point, so when you walked up to our cart, I was genuinely startled. What you said and did–I cannot recall any store experience like it.

You said you were watching me and the children, that it was obvious what kind of a mother I am, and that you thought I looked like I could use these:

“Keep up the good work,” you said, and headed for the door. I hope you understood my stammered thanks. I hope that my eyes conveyed my immense gratitude, despite my being tongue-tied. I didn’t start crying until we made it out to the van, still in a state of disbelief as I unloaded the cart. Tears of joy & relief cascaded down my cheeks.

Thank you again, kind stranger, for the boost I didn’t know how I much I needed at the time. Thank you for giving me a moment and a token to cherish, especially when I’m in need of something tangible from someone unbiased regarding my abilities. Thank you for letting me do just that today, dusting the memory off and reminding myself I’m not infinitely inept.

I still think that they were better than I deserve. Thank you for thinking otherwise.

Or we can use the original title as I snagged it from Zadyball, Memory Tag. 

Here are the rules as I’ve altered them:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

If you want to implement this in its entirety on your blog, I just might leave a comment there too. Then again, if I could guarantee a future comment on my visit your blog, I wouldn’t have altered the rules in the first place…

I must warn my family of ancient curses that will befall anyone who tells a story that involves any of the following: me being naked, inebriated, toileting, or any other situation in which I would invoke my fifth ammendment rights. You have been warned…  

My first attempt at creating, er, modifying a wp theme didn’t go so well. I was able to reconstruct the old one you see here, so I can give myself a pat on the back with my slighty aching hand. Inserting kazoo images will be a windmill for a later day.

I’ve been playing around with the font variations, currently the sidebar smallcaps option is turned off. I’m not sure if I like it better just yet. Thoughts?

I figure that I owe y’all and this is something that should leave you pink and tickled. A tip o’ the hat to BiV [Bracketed italics indicate me]

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1. What is something Mom always says to you?

Duncan: “Uh…Most often? Probably comments on how much work we need to do.”

Cheanna: “I love you.”

Emma Catharine: “Hmmm…probably just my name.”

Elena: “Clean up the living room?”

2. What makes Mom happy?

Duncan: “Her children being nice to their younger siblings, and older but that doesn’t apply to me.”

Cheanna: “A clean room and when we do something nice for her.”

Emma Catharine: “I think that when I put away my stuff.”

Elena: “Having the whole house clean.”

3. What makes Mom sad?

Duncan: “Ephraim making messes.”

Cheanna: “When you paint on the couch.”

Emma Catharine: “When Daddy gets very angry and shouts at you.”

Elena: “When we tease her.”

4. How does your Mom make you laugh?

Duncan: “You say some funny stuff sometimes, also you can be pretty fun.”

Cheanna: “I love her laugh. Sometimes we have more in common than we realize.”

Emma Catharine: “Probably by kidding about something or tickling me.”

Elena “By telling jokes”

5. What was your Mom like as a child?

Duncan: “Um… (laughs) Are you kidding me? (giggles some more) I would say that although I didn’t know you I can probably guess at it. I’m going to guess that you were probably a fairly basic kid, pretty mild, pretty nice. I’m also guessing that it felt good to be around you, you didn’t have that aura like ‘I need to get out of here!’”

Cheanna: “I’m going to take a guess here. Playing with her younger sister?”

Emma Catharine: “Well, she loved to run around in the backyard with her family, which is my grandma and grandpa and Aunt Heather.”

Elena “Hmm, well, I don’t know.”

6. How old is your Mom?

(more…)

Shooting for the stars, they say, is worthwhile because you might hit the moon.

A sister in Relief Society today had a better quip for me:

    “Shoot for the moon and hit the trees.”

Progress is progress, n’est-ce pas?

Even my Outlast isn’t meant to withstand that much kissing, I guess. (I like #661 Cinnamon Stick)

Richard was only gone 4 nights this time, but it was fresh on the heels of 26 nights away and I’d had one of those weeks. He was a sight for sore eyes standing there at the Sky Harbor arrivals curb this afternoon. Every red light on the way home was just another opportunity to embrace. No, really, the freeways are crazy that time of day–the surface street smooching was a handy ingenious wonderful side-benefit.

It looks like I’ll get to keep him for at least 10 days this time  =)