Why I blog

Sometimes I don't have much to say (you noticed?).  I still try to blog anyway.  I want to keep up the habit.  I want to be an observer and recorder of my life.  I want to write.

But then sometimes, I'm reminded of something because of my blog that I never would have remembered otherwise and I realize THAT is why I blog.

The other night Emma stopped by for dinner (Red. Letter. Day.) and Adam was telling us some things he had read on my blog.  We laughed and Emma and Mark looked at each other knowingly and smiled because this is our history.  This is us.



August 25, 2008

Emma wanted to feed the ducks. I told her we didn't have anything to give them and she said she had some wheat in her purse. She carries a purse with reading and writing material and apparently...wheat in a small box. What will never be clear is why? Why?

***

March 2, 2009

Mark was telling Emma all about what he'd seen and Emma with all the patience of a self centered 10 year old sighed deeply and told him that she doesn't LIKE Star Wars. It is all about fighting and there is no point.

Mark said, "Emma, you know the best thing to do when Star Wars is bugging you?"

She said, "What?"

"Deal. With. It."

***

October 6, 2009

I had Braeden call Emma.

I carefully, carefully, explained to her (because she, like Amelia Bedelia, has to have things spelled out) how to start the oven, how to get it to the right temperature. I had her put the potatoes in right away, even while the oven was preheating. I wanted to make it easier for her, to remove a step.

The plan was when Adam got home, he would grill the pork chops and we'd have a lovely meal.

Adam called me when swim practice was about over.

There was a problem with dinner.

When the oven had beeped (after three and a half minutes) to indicate it was preheated, Emma had turned it off. She didn't want to overcook those potatoes.

So our sweet potatoes had cooked for exactly three and a half minutes.

***

May 22, 2014

When we picked up Mark we were all munching on a bag of crisp snap peas, the weird fried cracker type.  I don't really like them but they are sort of addicting at the same time.

Adam offered Mark some and a few minutes later Mark handed up the empty bag.  I must have looked somewhat alarmed and by way of explanation, Mark recited a maxim of scouting, "Leave no trace."

I'm just not sure it's supposed to be applied to food.

***

May 23, 2014

Later, Braeden and Mark were talking about it and Braeden said, "Mark, I think we bonded over that.  Shared idiocy really brings people together."

***

October 24, 2014

His friend, Nathan, a certifiably Really Nice Guy, found Braeden at lunch.  He said, "Come with me."

Braeden did because he's up for anything.  It turns out Braeden was picked for the mission based on his size.  There was a girl and boy in some sort of altercation.  Like it was a movie, Nathan said, with Big Braeden standing behind him, "Is there a problem here?  Is he bothering you?"

The boy and girl both said everything was fine.  Nathan said to the girl, "Well if you need us, just yell and we'll come and help you."

Braeden is big but he's the most gentle teddy bear I know.  I can't imagine him getting into an actual fight.  He has never even really fought with his siblings.  I said, "I can't picture you and Nathan doing that.  I don't think either of you are all that tough."

Adam said, "That's OK, they are actors, they just had to act tough."