Twenty

 My Eldest turned twenty yesterday. It's hard to believe that I haven't aged, yet she has! :P 

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Dear Eldest,

Here is a list of twenty things I absolutely love about you, in no particular order.....(which is an already long & growing list without limits):

1. Your smile!

2. Your laugh.

3. Your love of the elderly.

4. The way you miss your grandparents who've moved on to the next plane.

5. How you simp anime boys.

6. Harry Styles stan.

7. Your diverse taste & knowledge of music.

8. Those brown eyes....

9. How you can build the crap out of IKEA furniture.

10. Your handwriting.

11. How you desire to erase the negative stigma attached to mental illness.

12. Your passion for equality for all.

13. Your fierce defending of your Little Sister.

14. Your willingness to apologize (and mean it).

15. The way you hold me accountable to the standards I expect of you when we communicate during disagreements.

16. That crazy attachment to your truck (lol).

17. When you feel emotionally safe with me and share about your struggles & experimentation.

18. How you adore Gabe & Finn (@gabeandfinny IG).

19. How you've mindfully channeled your angry tendencies to a more calm and rational path. 

20. Your eloquent writing skills (keep it up!).

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Happy birthday, and enjoy your twenties! xo

~momma

Flashback Friday: Galveston

Remember that time I went to Galveston during the Great Pandemic of 2020? 

Microwaves

 I bought a house!

YaY!

There's no microwave.

hahahahah!

I'm laughing because My Girls don't know life without one. 

I've been in the new house about a month or so, but have had a fridge for about 2+ weeks. We ate out almost all our meals, which was expensive, bloating and convenient.

Now that we have a fridge, I make food (or order it, sometimes, still - sadly). Leftovers! Leftovers get stored in the fridge. Yet, for some reason, leftovers can't get warmed up because we have no microwave. 

"Should I just throw the rest of this (entire meal) away since we can't re-heat it?"

Ummmmmm...... NnnNnnnNNNNNNNnnoooOOOoOoOooooooo.

YA RE-heat it!

So, guess who is getting lessons on how to warm up food? MY GIRLS.

The delayed gratification is so uncomfortable. "When are we getting a microwave???" and "Are we even going to get a microwave????" and "What kind of microwave are we getting? When's it get here?".

*SMH*

I think I'll keep the microwave purchase on hold a little while longer, so when the end-times come, My Girls will know how to cook for themselves. :P

 

Freedom | Happiness | Courage

Five.

Wordless Wednesday: Paper Flower

Learning Quarterbacks

Remember these? If you're a football fan, you likely had a set of these or know someone who owned a set. My brother had a set. The Dallas Cowboys was the coveted pencil, of course. The Houston Oilers might've been a distant second.

These pencils played a different role in my life.

I was able to use these pencils to learn the names of all - what were then - 28 teams of the National Football League.

The National Football League was the entertainment my dad most enjoyed, it seemed. I'm sure his life was more exciting that watching dudes scrap around some field over a pigskin, and his interests more varied than that, but to his young daughter, the Sunday event of watching football as much as possible from any area in the word to which he was stationed, these were a key to a connection that sparked a life-long interest well into MY adulthood. Watching a Cowboys game in Germany was no easy feat back in the 70s! So you can see why this made such an impact on me.

I remember looking at the team names on each pencil and memorizing them. I'd look up where the cities were located. I then began learning the names of every starting NFL quarterback based on the team names I extrapolated from those two-toned, team-colors-reppin' sticks of wood and lead. I'd memorize a few (Staubach, Pastorini, Griese, Bradshaw....)  then go ask my dad for a few more (Morton, Whitehurst, Theisman, Stabler....). I don't know if he enjoyed the challenge or was annoyed by my inquisition, but I managed to get the names of each quarterback out of him. In retrospect, this was the first "memory" I have of "bonding" with Dad. 

Dad and I remained loyal Dallas Cowboys fans. Dad parted ways with them when Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry, but I manage to hang on, sometimes by a thread. I've grown into an avid football fan (I can do without college, though); I've played in and won a couple fantasy leagues, and I run the work One Pick. I'm no expert but I know enough to hold a more-than-casual conversation with a fellow sports nut.

Furthermore, a little giggle on my part: I noticed these pencils were made by Faber Castell. This is the same brand that My Little One buys for some of her sketches, anime drawings and other art work. A bit of a thread to bind us all together, wouldn't you say?

GO COWBOYS

Friday Funday: If My Daughters Were Alpacas 🦙

Wordless Wednesday:

Tickle Me Tuesday

She's not wrong......

Happy Tuesday, people! 

Happy Birthday, America! 🇺🇸

Snapchat is fun! Kids're keepin' me young & hip (or relevant?)!