Young Us Now Us

Happy birthday Grannie Annie!

As a tribute to your (insert age here) years on this planet, we wanted to thank you for your love, support and guidance in making us who we are today . . .






Hard to believe how much we've changed.

With love, your little kiddies.

Note: Idea clearly stolen from YoungMe-NowMe.

Forbidden and Hidden

Yesterday's New York Times Magazine featured an article entitled "Forbidden Nonfruit," in which Joshua Yaffa describes his childhood filled with health food and abstinence from burgers leading to sugar overdoses at friends' homes followed by pizza with ranch dressing, beer and late-night cheese steaks in college. I couldn't help but see more than a bit of myself in his story -- especially as I also described last August the 1X/year sugar cereal treat that we were allowed on our birthdays as well as how our dad hid junk food from our mom. Uncanny? Or do thousands of us have similar stories of well intentioned parents?

Where the similarities end is that this author is now filling bags with spinach at the local supermarket yet I'm still a hardcore cheeseburger, chocolate cake, Smarties girl.

Which explains why I'm back on Weight Watchers for the 100th time this decade. Welcome to 2009 -- the year of cutting back. Again.

Ugly Betty

My brother Kevin and I were speaking in Spanish with each other for about one minute this afternoon until our entire repertoire was depleted.

K: Hola!

Me: Hola! Como estas?

K: Asi asi, y tu?

Me: Muy bien, gracias.

K: Estas una cabrona.

Me: Que?

He primarily remembers the expletives from high school. I remember the following.

My brother Mark agreed to paint my unfinished bedside table/bookshelf for me. He chose a crisp shade of white. What a kind and caring gesture! It wasn't until I moved it to go to college that I noticed he hadn't painted the entire backside; instead, he painted one word (all caps): FEO.

Brotherly love at its finest. And, if you know his personality, you'll know that it was really funny to discover the hidden gem years later. Can't be all sweetness all the time with your little sister, huh?

Knock Yourself Out

When Son #1 turned six, he was really excited. “Only 10 more years until I get my license!”

Recently he asked me, “When I go to college, can I really do anything I want?”

“Depends. What do you want to do that you can’t do now?”

“I want to go fishing whenever I feel like it.”