"Can I Tell You What?"

A famous question that is used quite often is, "Guess what?"  This question is really more of a rhetorical question, used when you have something you want to tell someone but really don't expect the person to actually make a GUESS as to what you want to say.  The usual reply to this question is, "What?" 

Well, Katie (my niece) has put a new twist on this question, and every time she says it, it makes me smile.  Her question is, "Can I tell you What?"  She then waits for my reply (which is always, "Yes, honey, tell me what,")  before she proceeds to share her latest thoughts, trials and tribulations, and overall funny things that happen in her life.  Isn't this really a better question to ask than, "Guess what?" 


Me and Katie at Disney


So, given the fact that I haven't written a post in almost a month, I thought I'd borrow Katie's question, "Can I tell you What?" and tell you a few of my WHATS.

• CT and I just returned from a really great trip to Disney World (with Leanne & Co.)   Ok, so we went to Disney last September.  But we REALLY REALLY REALLY needed this get-away, and given the fact that there was a "STAR WARS" weekend at Hollywood Studios, well heck, there was no way CT was going to miss that event.
• I've been slightly encouraged about my job prospectives over the last couple of months.  More responses to my resume AND actual interviews.  I haven't landed anything yet, but I still have interviews in the works.  I MUST REMAIN POSITIVE that something will happen.  Now, if I only didn't watch the news last night, and watch the markets tank this week as a result of some poor reports that were way below analysts' expectations.  Oh yeah, and the job market is going in the wrong direction (again).  Depressing.  BUT I MUST REMAIN POSITIVE. 
• I've been praying for two of my BFFs who have been battling some very serious health challenges (hey PK - do you like how I used the word "challenge" not "problem"?)  While they are both on the road to recovery from their most recent "challenge", prayers are still needed.  Prayers will always be needed...) 
• Summer seems to be in full swing here in Chicago.  Humid and muggy today.  I have no idea what happened to spring, but I was happy to return from Disney to the wonderful scent of my Lilac bushes in full-bloom.  Did you ever stop and just REALLY smell the flowers?  Lilacs are the best.  Truly.
• CT is on another backyard mission.  Apparently, bunny rabbits have been spotted frolicking to-and-fro in our backyard, and CT is afraid they are going to eat our flowers and landscaping.  This morning, I found one such bunny sitting beneath the patio table.  As I looked outside from our patio door, I yelled out to CT, "Hey, there's a bunny on the patio."  CT immediately ran out the patio door, in an attempt to chase the bunny away.  (Really.)  Both CT and the bunny ran to the left (and out of my view).  30 seconds later, along comes said Bunny, now running in the opposite direction.  10 seconds later, CT follows said Bunny.  It was priceless and I wish I had a video camera on hand.

Of course, I have a gazillion more WHATS, but I thought I'd share just a few.  Feel free to share any of your WHATS.  

  

 

 

 

 

"Auntie's Day?"

When I picked up Ella from school last Thursday, she came out holding a wrapped Mother's Day gift for Mommy (aka, Leanne).  Ella was most excited about the gift and said, "Oh Auntie, we have to open it!"  While Ella understood that the gift was for Mommy, for the life of her she couldn't remember the exact gift.

Ella then said, "Ok, here is the plan -- we can just open it to see, and then you can wrap it up again."  So, when we got home, we proceeded to very carefully open the gift, take a quick peak, to which Ella exclaimed, "Oh yeah!  I made that!"  (It was a small baby-food glass jar hand-painted by Ella, with small candle inside.)  As we sat at my kitchen table re-wrapping the gift, Ella and I had the most interesting conversation.  It went like this:

Ella:   So Auntie, this is for Mommy for Mother's Day.

Me:  Yes, honey.  Mommy will love it.

Ella:  And you know, there is a Father's Day too.

Me:  Yes, there is.

Ella:  So, when is Auntie's Day?

Me:  What?

Ella:  When is Auntie's Day?  There is Mother's Day and Father's Day.  When is Auntie's Day?

Me:  (Not quite sure how to answer this one, because I don't think there is a Hallmark Holiday for Auntie's.  So, I had to think quick.)  Well, Auntie's Day is on my birthday.  That is when we celebrate Auntie's Day.

Ella gave me a doubtful look that said she wasn't quite sure she was buying the answer I just gave her, but she then replied, "Ok."

 I was so touched that Ella, at age 4, would be thinking about an "Auntie's Day" for me.  I tell Leanne time and time again that both Ella and Katie have such good hearts, and that they ALWAYS think of others first.

Fast-forward to yesterday.  While at Leanne's celebrating Katie's First Holy Communion, we also had a mini-Mother's Day party.  I received a gift below, from Katie and Ella, with the greatest little note:

A Mother's Day Note from Katie & Ella: 
"Thank you for being our Mommy when Mommy can't be there!  We love you!"

It appears that Ella was right to doubt that "Auntie's Day" is celebrated on my birthday.  You see, in our family, "Auntie's Day" is also celebrated on Mother's Day.


Katie, Me, and Ella


So, to all the Mommies, Grandmas, AND Aunties everywhere -- HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

A Katie Tradition

The holidays are full of family traditions and Katie and I have our very own tradition.  Every year, we go Christmas shopping for presents for Mommy (aka, Leanne), Daddy (aka, Phil Guy) and Sissy (aka, Ella).  Here's how it works:  we go to our local Target or Walmart and Katie makes ALL shopping decisions (of course with some financial boundaries.)  Then, we come back to my house while Katie wraps her gifts before returning to Katie's home to carefully place the wrapped presents under the Christmas Tree.

Katie and I started this tradition when she was three years old.  That first year, we walked around Target for more than an hour before Katie selected the PERFECT white ornament with long white feathers for Daddy (because, according to Katie, "It is SOOOOOO pretty and Daddy will love it!!").  For Mommy that year, Katie selected a really, really, really long pair of earrings that hung down past Leanne's shoulders.  Again, Katie thought they were the most beautiful pair of earrings that would be absolutely perfect for Mommy.  No gift for Ella that year because Ella had not yet joined us in this world.

This year, we upgraded our store to Kohl's and headed out for three perfect gifts.  As Katie gets older, she is more confident in her decisions and, within an hour, we were out of the store with six gifts in hand (two gifts per person), and back at my house wrapping. 

 
I love this tradition with Katie and the time that just the two of us spend together.  And I hope that we keep this tradition for years and year to come - even when she is older, has money of her own, and is driving ME to the store instead!     

Our Protector

Yesterday we had another great Halloween, spent with family and friends at Leanne's house.  Here are just a few family photos (CT, Katie, Ella, me, and Leanne).  Unfortunately, I did not take very many pictures yesterday, but here goes:

Since we were gone from our house during trick-or-treating hours, we left a big bowl of candy on a table by the front door, with a note inviting the visitors to take some candy.   We've done this the last several years, and I must say that the trick-or-treaters that come to our house are very polite - we've never had a problem with pumpkins being smashed outside, or the candy bowl being taken, etc.  In fact, there are always a few pieces of candy remaining in the bowl when we return (not many pieces, but still a few).  This year was no exception, but for some reason, CT thought we needed a "protector" to watch over our house while we were gone yesterday.  Here is a photo of our protector for the evening:

Yes, this is a picture of the outside of our living room window, and yes, that would be Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the television series "Star Trek".  CT inherited Jean-Luc from Leanne's father-in-law, RW.  Over the summer, RW had a big garage sale and when we stopped by his house, CT stumbled upon Jean-Luc.  RW was all too happy to give Jean-Luc a good home, and said to CT, "Take it - it's yours!"  CT thought he just won the lottery.

So, not only did Jean-Luc come to a good home, he was put to good use as our protector.  And all was well at our house on Halloween. 



Cabinets & Closets

At least once a week, I have the good fortune to spend time with (aka, babysit) my nieces, Katie (age 7) & Ella (age 3).  Usually, I babysit the girls at my house, and what makes me really happy is that the girls seem to LOVE coming to my house.  They feel very comfortable here, and they know exactly where everything is at - from the TV remote controls, to their toys, to which cabinet I keep the snacks (including their own secret stash of chocolate), to The Scrapbook Cellar (aka, the basement), where we complete our own craft projects to give Mommy after she works.  The girls have never turned down an offer to come to my house.

Because the girls spend time here on a regular basis, I decided to designate a space where they could keep a few of their toys, etc.  It began with a drawer in the kitchen.  Mental note - I've got to clean this drawer out.

Well, that drawer did not last very long, as their supply of items began to grow and overflow the drawer.  So we moved on to a closet (yes, I am lucky enough to have an extra closet that was not being used!).  This closet now keeps all their prized possessions (along with a few of my office supplies).

Then we had a predicament:  what to do with the pictures and notes the girls draw and give to me.  So, instead of hanging these things on the refrigerator (magnets don't work on my stainless steel refrigerator anyway), we decided to start hanging things inside kitchen cabinets.  It all began with Katie's things, and this cabinet is now referred to as "Katie's Cabinet".

When Katie comes over, she always looks to see what we've got hanging in the cabinet.  (This also happens to be where I keep their secret stash of chocolate!)

Then Ella said, "I want a cabinet too!"  So, I've started a separate cabinet for Ella.  Here it is:

There isn't much hanging in Ella's cabinet yet, but I know it will fill up fast, and then we will move on to another cabinet.  Katie's even told me that by the time she is 10 years old, she hopes to have filled up ALL the cabinets in my kitchen.  We shall see.

I hope that Katie and Ella always feel comfortable here, and I hope that they never stop wanting to come here.  But who am I kidding - they will eventually turn in to teenagers, and I'm sure someday they will say, "We don't want to go to Auntie's."  But for now, they love coming to my house, and I'm just going to enjoy it for as long as I can.