before I forget

As of 30 months, Susanna Ruby says some really funny stuff.  I keep forgetting to write them in her book, so I’ll add them here as I remember (God help me).

Oklahoma = “Homahoma”

“What are you duning? Where are you goning?”

“Mama, I wanna tell you sumfin. When I wake up we’ll eat sugar and candy, go swimming poo, ribber. Ok?” She said this practically every time I put her to bed this summer.

“I butter go get Bama.”

Marshmallow = “Farphnewwo”

“Twinkle twinkle little star … like a flashlight in the car”

Cupcake = “Pupcake”

in case i forget to tell you someday, annie…

Every time I pick you up at “school” your teachers tell me how sweet you are and easy and fun, too.  They also say you are very well adjusted.  So here is proof that you really are a good kid … as if anyone had to prove it.  But please stay this way.

jim beam

Since we have to have Jim Beam in the house I’ve made it a requirement to save the bottles for pocket change for Annie’s college fund.  This is now a family tradition since I got the idea from my dad who had many full JB bottles lining the wall of his closet … behind his enormous shoes.  So tonight, after many attempts at making Annie take her afternoon nap, I decided to lock her in our room with me so I could get some work done.  I laid out several of her favorite toys … the phone, the out-of-season bag that looks like a giant pillow with zinnias all over it, the iron, a clock, pictures of grandma/doodad/gigi/mema, screwdrivers, tampons, etc.  She was thrilled to have avoided another boring nap so she let me get about 30 minutes of work done … then I heard the clinkity clank clink, and, tripping over my laptop cord, made it to her mouth before she swallowed the funds for her first Art History textbook.  Ok, so that part was scary/funny enough, but then as I was trying to get all the dimes out of her reach, she grabs another bottle of frat-house scented coins and “takes a swig.”

I think Ben and I weren’t as ready for parenting as we thunk.

s(h)it

Our sweet baby says “shit.”  It started when she realized I always make Lugnut sit before he comes inside to show him who’s in charge (haha).  But now she says it when she drops something or when she’s going through her repertoire of eastern European words or when she needs to boss someone around or when she’s climbing the stairs or when we’re in the car or at church or at Wal-Mart or when we’re just sitting around breathing.  It doesn’t help that she’s encouraged by the uncontrollable laughter from her mommy or that DooDad actually tries to get her to say it, and when she does, congratulates her with clapping and “Good girl, Annie!”  Thanks, Dad.

No matter what comes out of her sweet little rosebud mouth, she is so much fun and I can’t help but laugh at anything new she does.  I do need to practice some self-control for future use, though, because I know it’s only going to get worse … her cussing I mean.

happy birthday gigi

We have four generations at Gigi’s house today, as we have had a lot lately. Annie and I stay here about four nights a week and Mom comes over for meals since my idea of a good meal is rotel and cereal, then a pint of haagen-dazs about an hour after that to really seal the deal.

Today is different because it’s Gigi’s 85th birthday and Mom is baking Gigi’s famous, top secret chocolate cake for the first time. This has been almost painful to witness because it’s obvious that Gigi doesn’t want to share the recipe with even her own flesh and blood, and also because her way of cooking is so foreign to me and Mom. So there have been many spills and mistakes. Who knows how the cake will taste since it didn’t come strictly from the hands of the master of all delicious food in our family.

We really miss Dado. There’s not a second that passes that he is not thought of. He was always here so he is still always here I guess. He would have so much fun watching Annie make her weird faces, Mom attempt to bake and Gigi attempt to teach. And we would have so much fun listening to him laugh and watching his eyes twinkle.

crap.

I didn’t realize how much different it would be when the crawling began. I know it’s cute and all, but it sucks that I don’t have complete control over where she is anymore. Yeah, I hear ya, just wait till I catch her riding around in some horndog’s pickup smoking cigarettes after telling us some lie about who she’s spending the night with. I guess there’s a chance she’ll be one of those good kids. I hung out with some pretty crazy people, but most of the time I’d rather have been home playing double solitaire and watching a Cary Grant movie with my mommy. Please be like me, Annie.

i just…

can’t believe how fast this is all going. Even my hair seems to be growing faster. Or maybe I need to change razors?

I guess part of the reason time is flying is that Jess, Franny & Henry arrived last night and (get a bedpan) they are so incredibly beautiful and sweet. I have to stop myself from staring at them and taking bites out of their cheeks … Jessica not included. Although Jess is looking gorgeous even on her third day of a migraine. I’m so glad she’s grown her hair out … now if we can just get her to wash it.

the dirt

So I’m quitting the cutesy web site, but I’m starting a blog so everyone can stay informed of Susanna’s life. I’ll try to keep it clean … although that kid is rarely clean.