"Do you drive a mini-van?!?'", the voice of an old college friend on the other end of cell phone exclaimed. "Mmmmm. Its hard for me to imagine you driving a mini-van!"
I've tried to take this comment as a sort of misguided compliment. Of course, I am the epitome of cool and edgy why would I be driving such a.... let's face it, Mom-mobile. However, a couple of weeks later I ran into a friend on the street whom I hadn't seen him in a while and we're comfortably pulled up driver's side window to driver's side window, when he blurted out, "Wow! I didn't know you went to the darkside." Immediately mind started flashing back to images of things I'd done that no-one could possibly know. Could they? I might of yelled at Keith for eating all of the eggs this morning. So what? What?!? Is he perfect? After the paranoid flashback I came back to the conversation and realized he was a little offended by my mini-van. WHAT THE F@#!? is everyone's problem with my new ride?
What did I do that was so hipsterly incorrect? Didn't we all give up on being cool? That's what I thought we did. I thought we made decisions based on having money for soccer crap, room for it and the new "best friend" of the week. Aren't we supposed to be making those kind of decisions?
Apparently not. This summer was the love affair with my mini-van the symbol of my love for my children, the giving up of the person I used to be, the ego removed, to reveal unconditional love, man....
This was the summer the mini-van rocked all the way to MAINE, man. This was the Christmas there was room for presents, the dogs, the luggage, the cameras, the-just-in-case clothes, the cooler filled with beer, MAN! But noooooooo! Now, this is the winter of noticing the scratch marks, the cracked headlight, the stained carpet, and the faint musty sent of smoke from the previous owner. This is the winter when I pull up at school and the mall with my eyes downwardly shifted, careful not to make eye contact with the Lexus owner next to me. This, is the winter of shame.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Storytime with an Engineer
Keith as surprising as this is for me is THE storyteller in our house. I really thought that with my background in stage and performance that I would be the natural choice. But no it is Keith's methodical attention to detail that keeps the boys coming back for more. I work 2 nights a week so I miss a lot of "The Adventures of Hudson and Jet" but last night I was getting cracked up listening to them in bed.
The First thing that cracks me up is that Hudson likes to tell Keith how to tell the story while Keith is making it up off the top of his head. So, listening to the interruptions, "No daddy, he was wearing a green power ranger outfit with 600 swords attached but no axes and no daggers because daggers are not good in a sword fight because swords are long and daggers are short.... etc". Keith handles the interruptions for awhile and then his desire to get the words out and the kid to sleep takeover. "This is my story. Let me tell it. "
So once the interruptions stop and Keith's magic begins its like getting sucked into an adventure in building, engineering, and the basics of jet engine propulsion. FASCINATING! Truly. I learn so much stuff I never thought of before.
Here's a little snippet of what puts our little angel boys to sleep at night and excited for bed the next time...
"... So, Hudson and Jet had to go down to the river and build a bridge by collecting trees limbs that had fallen down and sliding them across the river to get away from the alligators that our trying to bite there feet. Once they get across the river the boys have to find the large pieces of aluminum in order to build their jet... "Once the jet is built the boys are on the runway. Jet pushed a button. The button started a series of fans, the air generated by the fans is then compressed so that when the air gets to the engine it tiny explosion can get the engine to start. "
I don't remember that verbatim and I'm sure I'm not describing jet engine propulsion correctly. Excuse me. However, you get the gist of bedtime with Keith. I think he needs to write his own children's book series.
The First thing that cracks me up is that Hudson likes to tell Keith how to tell the story while Keith is making it up off the top of his head. So, listening to the interruptions, "No daddy, he was wearing a green power ranger outfit with 600 swords attached but no axes and no daggers because daggers are not good in a sword fight because swords are long and daggers are short.... etc". Keith handles the interruptions for awhile and then his desire to get the words out and the kid to sleep takeover. "This is my story. Let me tell it. "
So once the interruptions stop and Keith's magic begins its like getting sucked into an adventure in building, engineering, and the basics of jet engine propulsion. FASCINATING! Truly. I learn so much stuff I never thought of before.
Here's a little snippet of what puts our little angel boys to sleep at night and excited for bed the next time...
"... So, Hudson and Jet had to go down to the river and build a bridge by collecting trees limbs that had fallen down and sliding them across the river to get away from the alligators that our trying to bite there feet. Once they get across the river the boys have to find the large pieces of aluminum in order to build their jet... "Once the jet is built the boys are on the runway. Jet pushed a button. The button started a series of fans, the air generated by the fans is then compressed so that when the air gets to the engine it tiny explosion can get the engine to start. "
I don't remember that verbatim and I'm sure I'm not describing jet engine propulsion correctly. Excuse me. However, you get the gist of bedtime with Keith. I think he needs to write his own children's book series.
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