Oh, it’s been a long time. Let’s see, what has happened?…
– Easter came and went. I was struggling to find a way to explain Easter to Noah. He knows a lot, but what does Noah know about death? My mother-in-law taught him: “Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus will come again.” That’s why Easter is special. And the candy is festive, to celebrate. :) Speaking of candy: today Noah came and asked me if he could have a chocolate (from his Easter stash). I said, “You may have one piece.” A few minutes later, I heard him telling Braeden, “H-E-R-S-H-E-Y-S. That spells ‘chocolate!'” Ha-ha-ha!
– Jared’s parents visited us Easter weekend. It was lovely to see them! Far too short a time, though.
– Jared has a committee meeting tomorrow, to present his progress. His boss thinks this isn’t quite the right time to ask for permission to write, that he should do that next month. I’m fighting the temptation to say Grrr! All this supportive wife stuff is true. I do, and will, care for our children with cheerfulness, and I do, and will, spend nights and some weekends at home by myself. But I find myself getting a little resentful that I ain’t got no huuusband. He gets it, though, and is understanding, and gives me a break when he can.
– Braeden was baptized on Easter! A few photos below, which my dad took, and I edited a little. Noah took his first communion on Easter, too. We had talked about it, and it was his decision. Yea! From Ben, who liked the argyle, which Noah himself had selected to wear on Easter.
– Something funny #1: I received a message on my cell phone from a Natalie, inviting me, Emily, to a surprise party. I couldn’t think of any Natalies, and supposed it could have been a resident we had met through CARES. I called her back, trying to be tactful, and requested more information about the party. She said, “We’re throwing a party for [some acronym].”
Realizing it was stupid question, but refusing to feel stupid, I asked, “What’s [acronym]?”
“It’s [some company]. Is this Emily with AIG?”
“No, I do not work with AIG.”
“Oh, my gosh!”
… it was pretty funny. I was relieved to escape being a girl who could not remember her friends’ names. She was a little embarrassed, and invited me to the party anyway! I declined, but upon reflection, think it may have been fun to dress up in professional attire, drink a few cocktails, and “network.” Maybe land a job or two. Ya know.
My cell is registered in Jared’s name, since it’s a family plan. Who knows where she got the number!
– Something funny #2: I was driving by myself (I know!!), and came to a red light. An elderly man crossed the street in front of me. I declined to look at him, because pedestrians in our big city are often a spectacle, and I didn’t want him to feel stared at. I only looked at him when we was close approaching; he made eye contact, and came to my window. He asked if he could have a lift to Kirby. He seemed quite aged, and was carrying bags, so I said yes. Turns out he is 73. The first thing he said is that I would get a gold star in my bible. I wasn’t sure I liked that or not. Anyway, Mr. Andrew talked my ear off about two doctors he had complete faith in, saying they were revolutionaries in their field, well expanding the life spans of their patients. By the end of our conversation, he was trying to sell me $1,500 of stock representing an invention for a heart pump that sits on your nightstand and clips onto your skin. I was thoroughly unable to tell whether he was just a little silly, or truly trying to scam me.
– Something funny #3: I was in Borders today. A man began talking with me. A bit into the conversation, he asked if I am bookish. I said “very much,” loving the word. He asked if I’m a teacher. I hesitated, then said, “I have two little boys at home; but I’m not a teacher professionally.” I am so proud of myself for saying that! Yes, I am a teacher, to my special little fellows, and darn proud of it. It gets me wondering what kind of activity, and maybe profession, I’ll pursue down the road. He started to back-track, I suppose not wanting me to feel insulted. I stopped him though, because it’s a compliment! A high school English teacher of mine once did the same, saying she thought I’d be a good English teacher, but worrying I wouldn’t like her saying so. What’s not to like? I think I’d love it! English or History, and probably high school.
– I’m reading Infidel, a best-seller memoir by a woman who grew up in Islamic cultures across several African nations, including Somalia. Jared thinks my library habit is dangerous: because I can pre-select books, I choose carefully, and end up wanting to buy them. It’s a good filtering technique, but he’s right. This is such a heroic book. Girl grows up, experiencing life, remembering so much (I tend to forget the things I don’t like), authentically reaching into her religious teaching. Discovers what she perceives to be contradictions, but continues to search. Rejects the teaching that women are to be subservient to men. Risks more than I can imagine by escaping to freedom and pursuing learning. I have not finished it, but it’s amazing. The author is so brave, and the story is so genuinely told. It makes me want to read more about those parts of the world.
That’s it for my quickie update. If I’m ever to even entertain being a teacher of English, you’d think I’d learn how to write in paragraphs. Here are my dad’s photos:
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