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My husband baked brownies last evening for the potluck they’re having at work today. Yesterday I got up much earlier than I needed to be awake in order to drive him to the office since his car’s air conditioning is pitiful and mine cranks. I later picked up eggs at the store so he wouldn’t have to get them after work. I worked on stuff all day, running all over the place, didn’t eat dinner until close to 10pm, and the man has the nerve to tell me I can’t even have a piece of the brownies he made—not even a chewy little corner—which are my favorites. I informed my dearly beloved that for choco-aholics (I could almost qualify as one), that’s probably grounds for annulment. I’m joking…mostly. He said he’d make me a batch over the weekend. I’ll believe it when I smell chocolate and am not prohibited from partaking.-2-
Word to my mother: I was thinking it might be a nice idea for me to ride up to The Ohio State University to pick up my youngest sister from college after her freshmen year, but I didn’t think I would have been much fun to be around packing her up and moving her stuff into storage when it was 99 Wednesday, and she has no air conditioning in her room. I ended up not offering to go up there as I have had too much going on this week to leave town. I felt even better about my decision when I was sitting in a mildly warm room visiting my grandma while talking to my mom via cell phone about the afternoon she had ahead of her. I’m almost certain my mom also prefers a geriatric AC setting to a don’t-even-have-a-unit-in-my-dorm-room kind of sweltering hot. Mom, this is just another way we know your love for us is unconditional! -3-
Can you take the Heat? Apparently some can. My favorite sport to watch is basketball, probably, because I have played it some, understand it well, used to cheer for our school’s undefeated team in 5th and 6th grades, at which time I started watching NBA games more often when the kid I had a crush on way back then absolutely loved the Bulls. I’ve been so busy lately that I have only been catching the last 30 minutes or so of The NBA Finals, but they have been some of the most intense moments in play-off history as far as I’m concerned. My husband was laughing at how worked up and vocal I get watching a game. -4-
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I adore children! I’ve been babysitting ever since I was eleven. I’ve taken care of, taught, and worked with children of all ages over the years as a mother’s helper, babysitter, tutor, teacher, nanny, camp assistant, volunteer, religious ed. instructor…and I must say God has schooled me in many things through my time with little people. I have some fun talents that don’t really translate into an office setting but have served me quite well in the classroom and family homes. Yesterday I had the sheer pleasure of reading aloud and as fast as possible one of the most fun tongue-twisting Dr. Seuss books, Fox in Sox, while watching one of my favorite little ones. (Basically any children I’ve spent lots of time with get a special place in my heart, and this cutie’s certainly no exception to that trend). People always ask if my husband and I have children. My answer is no, we don’t have any of our own, yet, but we have loved the many children God has put in our lives as if they were our own. I’ll never forget the day one of father of one of the families I nannied for said he could tell I loved their children almost as much as they did. That’s when I knew he understood how precious my two little guys are to me. Best performance review possible for nanny as far as I'm concerned. -6-
I’ve been preparing for the first French Camp I’m teaching this summer by listening to French music that isn’t exactly for children. I have one mix with a lot of jazz, coffeehouse and lounge sort of songs, and then three CDs that are from the French Music course I took my senior year with my favorite French professor. The CDs from the course have everything from super-colossal lounge singers from back in the day, namely Edith Piaf (whose song “Non, je ne regrette rien” you may recognize from the movie Inception) to some pretty hard rocking alternative and in-your-face rap. It did give me some ideas about things I can do to make next week extra fun—such as bring in a suitcase and have the puppets we’re going to use that day and other props in it. I can play the song about an old suitcase, but I’ll teach them the lyrics of the French versions of some English classics such as: “Old MacDonald,” “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” and “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” -7-
Picture this: the Baabs have become family to Kevin and me, and, by default, I’ve become the family photographer. I’ve loved taking pictures ever since I was in high school and served as Photo Editor for our school newspaper. My friends were so used to seeing me with my camera all of the time that they’d ask where it was if I, by some fluke, left it at home some evening when we were going out. The families I nannied for a while back really appreciated that I was snap-happy. I gave them several CDs of pics of their boys over the two years I cared for them. Lately, I’ve been taking tons of pictures of the Baab family gatherings, to which my husband and I have been invited. I definitely still have a passion for picture-taking, editing, cropping, arranging...which works out well. It might have something to do with the fact that my parents and husband are all from Kodak country, Rochester, New York. The instant gratification of digital cameras and photo shop programs have only facilitated “my habit.”
Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic for good reason blog Conversion Diary.
