Motherhood and Food Stamps

Motherhood
Yesterday I found myself having a conversation with a friend in the preschool parking lot that went a little like this:

Laurel: "I just wish I was the type of mom that didn't yell."
Friend: "You had that type of morning too. I'm glad I'm not the only one."
(Then we planned a lunch date.)

This conversation was the result of at least three events orchestrated by "Sweet Caroline" that truly put me over the edge:

1. Caroline putting deodorant all over the leather couch.
2. Caroline coloring with permanent marker all over my new sheets. (It was fun to watch Adam throw the marker off the balcony with disgust when he discovered the "sheet incident.")
And last, but not least,
3. Caroline moving a chair to the mantle in order to get down two angel figurines only to break them.

Food Stamps

While driving home from the preschool that morning I was thinking about what a horrible week I was having when I got a phone call from my good friend Rebecca. Her call made me realize that things could always be worse.
Rebecca just recently moved to another city close by. This city is known for being-what is the word- "posh." For example, the moms do all their make-up and put on high heels just to drop the kids off at school. When driving through the area I've seen many a women in a Mercedes convertible with a toy dog on her lap. (I'm sure I'm just describing the extreme here and I realize there are some normal folk there too.) Paris Hilton owns land there too -JK-. Regardless, there seems to be a little more pressure in this community to be looking your best.
Anyhow, Rebecca had been having a very stressful week. Having just moved into their new home everything that could go wrong did. No gas for hot water, the moving company messing up their furniture, the phone company messing up their computer and phone lines, etc.... Needless to say Rebecca looked stressed out, hadn't had been able to take more than a two second shower, and was probably wearing her workout clothes. Her big mistake was walking into the grocery store like this.
As she was checking out she read the screen on the debit/credit card reader. It said, "select food type." (Something had to be pushed by someone for this to come up.)

"Select food type? What does that mean?" Rebecca stated.

"That is for your food stamps." Replied the clerk.

"Food stamps. I'm not using food stamps. I'm using a credit card." Rebecca responded rather annoyed.

"Oh," said the apologetic clerk, "I just assumed, I'm sorry."

Granted Rebecca's daughter Lauren was probably wearing a swim suit with cowboy boots or something and her hair was probably all messed up, but come on, the clerk was assuming Rebecca was going to use food stamps. I doubt there are many people in her new city that use food stamps. Interesting, it's hard to believe this clerk could be so rude, but come on. (Maybe she accidentally pushed the food stamp button with out knowing.)
Needless to say that was the highlight of Rebecca's horrible week. It was almost as bad as the time I was checking out at Target and I was two weeks away from giving birth to Samantha. The clerk (some foreign women who spoke in an accent) told me that I must be having a baby girl because the baby was draining all the beauty from my face.
I've included a picture of Rebecca and her family, just so you know she cleans up well, and truly could not have looked that awful.

Caroline's First Day

Caroline started preschool this week. I am proud to report there were no tears from the daughter or the mother! We would like you to notice Caroline's sporty new pink back pack (thanks to her dad who went to seven stores to find the perfect color.)

After I got Caroline ready for her second day she announced, "It's time to take a picture."

She had a great day at school and the teachers reported that she loves to hug and cuddle.

A Flower Girl Gone Wild!

Here's to my sister, Megan, who made a beautiful bride!


Here's to my daughter, Caroline, a flower girl gone wild! (Yes, she's the one bent over dumping out flower petals during the wedding. And there she is with a basket on her head during the "flower girl" after party.)


Here's to my son, Henry, a Ring Bearer with great style! (Henry asked if he could be a ring bearer again. Adam suggested we rent him out.)


And here's to my sweet little family that makes everyday worthwhile!

Congratulations Megan & Craig, thank you for letting us be part of your special day!
Megan & Craig Johnson - September 1, 2007

Random Airplane Conversations with Adam

Our discussion while flying over the Great Salt Lake just before landing in Utah.

Laurel: So you saw a frog on the front porch this morning?

Adam: Yeah, it was small though.

Laurel: So it wasn't the same one I saw last night?


Adam: No.

Laurel: Wow, that's an unusual amount of frogs. I think I saw a dead one in front of the Flake's house.

Adam: I believe the frogs are migrating to Mexico for the winter. They're just hopping through town.

Julie Young Came In Handy Today

I have this friend named Julie Young. She and her husband Scott are some of the most happy and organized people I know. They are also fierce consumers. They always know how to get a deal and get the most out of any situation.

Anyhow, my 4 favs (that being my husband and three children) and I were off to the airport to fly to Utah for my sister's wedding. Dallas was having weather issues and our flight was canceled. This was after three hours of what I will call "airport fun" with Caroline. Just as Caroline did her fourth lap around our table in the airport food court, I got on the phone with the American Airlines agent. The best she could do was get us on a flight late tomorrow afternoon. I wasn't too happy with this. Adam and the kids headed back to curb to await our ride- thanks Bethany- and I went to the baggage claim to figure out where our luggage was.

Then it dawned on me, Julie Young told me about a time where she was able to talk the airline into putting her on another carrier because her flight was delayed. Well, I might as well try that. So I marched up to the ticket counter and was able to get myself and my 4 favs on a Delta flight first thing in the morning.

Thanks Julie Young, you came in handy today.

I don't know if Julie reads my blog, but everyone, lets give a shout out for Julie.

Random Dinner Conversations with Adam

The other night, Adam looked up from his plate and asked me if I ever had a summer, when I was a kid, that I watched the "Karate Kid" everyday. Hmmm. No I hadn't, but I wanted to see where this was going so I didn't say anything just yet.

He went on to talk about how he watched it everyday one summer and how he would practice the signature karate kid move (you know arms out to the side like large hooks and one leg up) in the ocean when they were at Myrtle Beach. It makes me laugh picturing him doing this. Then Adam started talking about parts of the movie,
like the part when it was Halloween and the mean Karate boys put Daniel's bike in the dumpster and they were dressed like skeletons.

Then he started singing the theme song by Joe Espisito:

"You're the best around, nothings gonna ever keep you down."

Then he started quoting the final fight scene when the boys from Cobra Kai, in the black karate suits, were cheering on the blonde guy with the featherd hair (Johnny):

"Put him in a body bag! YEahhhhh! Tehehehehe!"

Adam quoted this three times and couldn't stop laughing. Then I started laughing because I was so amused he could remember these direct quotes from the movie. All I really remembered was "Wax on wax off," that I didn't like the blonde guy's feathered hair, and that the car Mr. Miagi gave Danielson wasn't really that cool, it was like a big yellow banana. Then I remembered Elizabeth Shue was in that movie and I wished she had been in more stuff. Then we cleared the table.

First Day of School

I'm a bit emotional right now. I didn't think this day would phase me a bit, but my little boy just walked out of my house on what is the first of many days he will be away from me. Yes, I am a bit sad. It was only yesterday he was my one and only, my little two year-old, my best buddy. Here he is on the front steps of historic St. John's Church in Richmond. And here he is four years later on our front porch ready to go to school.

Adam insisted on taking him this morning. He even got up early and went to Chic-fil-a to buy Henry his favorite breakfast. When they pulled up to the school Adam said that Henry was in the zone. He didn't even want to hold his dad's hand. No hug goodbye, just straight to the legos at his table, past the grandparents trying to take pictures of their grandkids with their over stressed teacher. Henry will do very well. (Double click on my photomerge below to see it better.)