Person of Interest

I never really ever gave much thought to this sign before. Aren't we always being watched by 'Big Brother'? I just figured the city was gathering data on how many people actually disregard red lights. But now we have a greater appreciation for this seemingly benign sign. Turns out Chuck's a wanted man. These creepy red light photo cameras prove it.

What I love most about the photo is how nonchalant Chuck is about the whole thing. He even dares to smile in the face of danger. He's all like, "La-di-da, I'm just enjoying taking a little drive" while unbeknownst to him, his mug shot is being taken as he maliciously drives 12 miles an hour over the posted speed limit. And the city will have none of that. They will catch him in the act and dare him to prove them wrong.

We only know this because he received a citation in the mail the other day with these pictures in it proving his violation. They are asking him to either pay up or appear in court. He has now become a Person of Interest to the city. We only thought it was a tv show. Seeing yourself in a picture you never knew existed is eerily similar to the show's opening monologue: "You are being watched. The government has a secret system, a machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it. I designed the machine to detect acts of terror but it sees everything."  

The funny thing is that Chuck is the one who got the ticket. I'm the more competitive driver of the two of us. I challenge the speed limits all the time. Granted, I know my limits and I rarely go 10 mph over. I also am very observant and read road signs (one key difference between the two of us and our driving styles). 

Ever since we moved here, I've been in a huff about the horrible, overly-cautious drivers here. They go exactly the speed limit and it drives me absolutely bonkers!!! No one wants to be caught going even 1 mile over the limit. Now we know why. 

We were foolishly living in ignorant bliss. We had no idea we were being watched. No longer. We will now join the rank and file of obedient drivers dutifully going exactly the speed limit everywhere we go. How boring.

On Being Short

Once upon a time, in the not so distant past, I used to be taller than my kids. I looked like a bonafide big person. Now I just look short.

Now and Then

I kinda knew the boys would out pace me in the height department sooner than later. But I knew I'd always have Chloe, my little girl.

And then she decided to grow. In this picture, I had to stand on my tippy-toes so as appear taller in stature than I am. 

A few things I've discovered that happens upon your children outgrowing you:

1. They think they suddenly become smarter and you suddenly become not as smart. The reality is somewhere in between. They are certainly growing intellectually by leaps and bounds. But they are also seeing you as human. You're no longer on a pedestal. You don't hold all the information and knowledge anymore....say like in Algebra 2 homework for example. You start answering with a lot more "I don't knows" to their questions. They may even have outpaced you in a particular area of interest and actually know more than you. This gives them the confidence they need to step into that vast, scary world and make a go of it all on their own.

2.  Your flaws and idiosyncrasies become much more noticeable to them. Their growing maturing helps them see you as not always mature. At least I'm not. Sometimes I get tired of being the 'mature one' and just want to goof off like a kid. Those moments are glaringly obvious to them now. They actually like it. I think it makes you more relatable and not like this person that always has things altogether.

3. They love flaunting their new found height over you. They love looking down on you, physically -not in a negative sense. If this growing one happens to be a girl, she will LOVE wearing all your clothes, shoes and jewelry. She will also look half your size since her metabolism still works in spades and yours has started taking on a slower pace. 

4. They will start putting their arms around you in a protective gesture of love. At least my people do. They all come up to me a random times of the day and stand there with their arm around me looking down on me. I love it. I soak it up. What they say with their actions is more than words could ever say. 

Happy Girl

This is genuine happiness! Chloe could live on this farm. It's so amazing watching her with these huge beasts. She's not the least bit intimidated by them. You can tell she's in her sweet spot when she's out in the corral with the horses, tacking them up, and especially while riding. She's got a great sense of the horses and what they need or want or when they're in a bad or ornery mood. I love that Chloe has found her passion. Aunt Lou would be proud! And I especially love that the stables are so close to our house. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she ended up working here a few years from now. This is definitely Chloe's sweet spot.

Learning New Things About Your Kids

Recently we were talking about how sometimes we continue to say certain words wrong for years because that is the way we hear them. For instance...I said "bollyball" for volleyball until I was in COLLEGE!! Ridiculous, I know, but I must embrace it because it's who I am. (And to think I now teach others how to speak English - kind of ironic.)

I recently found out who got the "wrong sounding word" gene - Bennett. See that nice little blue shirt he's wearing in the picture below? I just found out that he has been calling that a "tink top" until just last year. I could not control my laughter. I had the giggles for hours afterwards each time I said that word. 

Then I learn something new about Gavin. Just this summer he told us that he missed the "Pope mobile". We were like, WHA?! (He gave it away before we moved since it would have died en route to CO.) He was like, "Ya, my friends named my car the Pope mobile ever since I starting driving it." We were like, "WHY?" And he was like, "Cuz it was white and I was driving it." I guess it was a compliment for Gavin. (Minnesotan's are very Catholic and Lutheran and place high regards on the Pope.) But why are we just now learning of this hilarious name 2 years late? I totally could have run with that this whole time had I known about it. I hope he gets another white car in the future.

Bennett in Geometry