7 Quick Takes about Babies Who Look Like Founding Fathers, Not Knowing What's Going On, and Joking about Milkshakes

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?

—1—

My 17-year-old needed to find a baby picture for something, so we were looking through ones from that time period. 

I thought she was a beautiful baby, but as we scrolled through the photo library my 17-year-old commented "I look like Benjamin Franklin!" so I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

After a little while, the 11-year-old wandered over to see the pictures too and said "Wow, Mommy, you look different!" There was a pause before she added thoughtfully, "I guess you had a lot more time to put on makeup then."

—2—

Sometimes I check in with my neighborhood Facebook group, which is about 30% useful information and 70% people getting their feathers ruffled over nothing. It's a weird place but I'm told that's pretty standard for neighborhood Facebook groups.

Recently, one mom asked what she should pay her older child for babysitting her youngest child for an evening. It was a pretty long post and it was clear that she'd spend a lot of time thinking about this.

It made my day that most of the replies just said "Room and board."

—3—

I'd arranged to start carpooling with another family to soccer practice, but there were a miscommunication and I didn't realize we were starting this week. So when the other mom showed up in the driveway on Wednesday to pick up my daughter, it was a total surprise and she wasn't ready at all. Apparently some people don't like breaking the speed limit to make it there 5 minutes after practice starts like we do and just, you know, leave earlier.

I started flinging her soccer gear out of the hall closet like a dog digging up a bone, yelled to my daughter to get ready as fast as humanly possible, and somehow got her out the door.

The car drove away and I sat down at the table, feeling flustered, and just put my head down on it. My 7-year-old looked up from his drawing and asked me what was wrong.

"I just don't feel like I know what's going on," I moaned.

"That's okay," he said, "Neither do I."

Then he went back to drawing and actually, it did make me feel a little better.

—4—

The kids had no school on Monday for Columbus Day, so we took a hike. We stopped here by the lake for the kids to throw in rocks and sticks, and dare each other to climb out the farthest on the fallen tree over the water.

At one point, my 9-year-old son said, "I'm gonna go add to the lake!" and excused himself to go pee in it.

My two daughters exchanged glances and one said to the other, "Boys are gross."

They forgot their 7-year-old brother was behind them, until he piped in with "Yeah."

—5—

A few weeks ago, a friend agreed to come teach the church youth group I lead how to cross stitch. There were enough extra supplies that I joined in, and it was a tough night for me. 

The lighting was bad and apparently my close-up vision is too, because I could barely see all the little squares in the Aida cloth where I was supposed to be sticking my needle and all my stitches were uneven.

I recently brought my pathetic-looking cross stitch over to my friend's house, and she lent me a hands-free magnifier that she wears when she does really small and intricate needlework. I tried using that and there was a night-and-day difference.

This is the top of a strawberry.

I might actually enjoy finishing this cross stitch now that I can, you know, see.

—6—

Phillip and I went to the temple with our three oldest kids to do proxy baptisms (click here if you want to know more about what that means). The older two had given up other activities for the trip and we'd had such a nice time that on the way home I said, "Do you guys want to stop and get milkshakes?"

There was dead silence in the car for a few minutes, and then the 11-year-old asked Phillip, "Dad... is Mom joking?"

"No," he laughed, "why would she be joking?"

"Well, it's just really unusual..."

"What would be more unusual, though: Mom offering you guys shakes or making a mean joke?"

It's true though, we never buy impulse food like that. If we're out on a day trip and dying of thirst I won't even stop at a concession stand for a bottled water. Not when we can drink water at home for free.

—7—

The other day, Phillip was working from home and I heard him making small talk with a coworker on a call, telling him that next week he'd be taking some vacation time to finish the basement. Even his coworker was like "Still? How is it possible that you haven't finished your basement yet?"

Phillip laughed and agreed "I know, I've lived here for 12 years!"

It took everything I had not to scream "THIRTEEN!!" from the other room. 

Of course, before he can start installing the floor next week, I've got to paint the walls and I've been procrastinating that for a while because I hate taping along the ceiling, so I guess I shouldn't talk.

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