The time has come to share the names of my children. After a year of blogging, though I still feel much like a protective mother tiger, I have become comfortable enough with this world to let you readers in on the names we’ve chosen for the five little people who’ve knocked our world upside down over the past 14 years (I’m counting the first pregnancy in that year count, since it really began then). I’m choosing today to start the name revelation, since the post I wanted to share cannot happen while at least a couple of those names remain hushed. With that, I introduce to you (in order of appearance in our lives): Christian (13), Olivia (11), Elizabeth (8), Adam (6) and Nicholas (3). Here we all are on the 40th birthday celebration of their father and my husband of 17 years, Troy, owner of Red Star Guitar in Fargo:
If any of you know Troy, you’ll have to give him a call and ask him who he’s having dinner with later this month. I’ll give you a hint: the dinner will be in L.A., and the guest of honor was featured in the movie, “Back to the Future” (the first one).
Now, then, I can continue with the latest kid quote.
We were in the van (again) the other day when Adam started in:
“Mom, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to become a saint.”
Hmm, I’m thinking this is going to be followed by the revelation that he did something naughty at school.
“Why’s that, hon?”
“Well, St. Adam, now that just doesn’t sound very good. St. Adam? Come on! But my brother, St. Nicholas, he’s already a saint.”
Ah, if only it were that easy!
I also have a few “Nickisms” to share — words uttered frequently by our youngest that always make us smile.
“Mom, can we get a movie at Blackbuster’s?” (his version of a national movie rental chain)
“But I don’t like Slappy Joe’s!” (his version of a round sandwich some people call barbecues…probably a mixup with regional pizza chain Happy Joe’s)
“Can you log me on to Cartook Neckwork?” (his version of a kids’ television website where he can play Ben 10)
Honestly, I don’t have the heart to correct him at this point. These little “Nickisms” are too precious. I love the workings of a young mind and how it “sees” words pre-reading.
While I’m on a quote and word roll, I thought I’d share one that a friend sent in an email that brought another smile to my face recently:
“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” — Anton Chekhov
I love that. Although…I don’t know if the yard crane I mentioned yesterday would agree.
Speaking of that yard crane, I received a couple early-morning e-mails from readers concerned that the crane might be real. It made me pause and realize all over again how we sometimes miss sharing the most obvious details in our communication. Oops! (I guess I’d assumed using the word “yard” would have been the decisive hint.)
One of the readers in particular just wanted to make sure because she’d recently read something about how birds are struggling to survive this harsh winter, though some of them have special coping mechanisms, as she pointed out:
“Sharptail grouse…have ways to survive. One is that they will sometimes bury themselves in the snow, making themselves a cozy little shelter, while they wait out a storm. So, that’s why I’m confused. Is there a crane that remains in ND in the winter and buries himself in the snow to keep warm….or is this a lawn ornament that is slowly being covered?”
You never know what you’re going to learn on any given morning. I definitely learned something new today, thanks to this observant (and very compassionate) reader; someone who, I’ll admit, is very dear to my heart. The other concerned reader hinted that if the crane is real, she would make immediate plans to come over and rescue it.
I got a kick out of all of this, and hope you did, too. I promise, I will never post anything here that shows a suffering animal without mentioning a call to those who might be equipped to care for it!
Finally, I made a special point to look for the crane again this morning, because we had a bit of a ground blizzard today and some snow accumulation last night, but said crane is still peeking out from the snow mound, and all seems to be well in the neighborhood. Whew! We can all rest easier tonight.
What a fun post! Your family is beatiful! I love the names you have picked for your children. I didn’t realize how important a name would be until we had Murray.
As for the yard crane, that was hilarious. It does look real, but I know that you would not post suffering animals. To be honest, at first I thought that there was such a thing as a “yard crane”, similar to a “whooping crane”, but after my brain kicked in, I figured it out.
Anyway, I see that we can link again. I hope it stays that way!
My favorite Nickism is easy. I had him on his own which isn’t usually the case if I’m watching them as I ran to pick up Hannah at piano he sat quietly in the back seat of the car with the little talking Yoda I had given to occupy him. He had really taken a liking to this talking creature. I knew he was too young to actually know who this character was which made my favorite Nickism even more obvious and precious. This little Yoda answers Yes or No questions when you squeeze it’s right hand. So I got Nick started by seeing what foods he likes and Nick loved that right away chiming in his own questions “Do you like Soup?” and then exclaiming “He likes soup!” Upon hearing the answer. and yelling in disbelief “He doesn’t like Mac and cheese?!?!” So it surprised me when all by himself he completely veered off the food track line of questioning after a prolonged pause and period of thought and asked quietly upon peering at this rather odd, long eared green creature “Do you like yourself?” I smiled all day at that one! How deep and profound. Luckily, despite his looks or perhaps in spite of them, Yoda fortunately did like himself. You almost dont want them to grow up the mind is so precious and filled with wonder. I credit the parents and I could hang with these kids alllllll day long and I am always smiling when I am with them.
Jill, you told me that one before but I loved “hearing” it again. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall that day! Thanks so much for helping it live on through the sharing. It’s a precious and hilarious story.