Miller Musings: More visits from relatives

Sunday, August 31, 2008

More visits from relatives

Last Sunday Brad's brother Dan and his family were visiting from New Zealand. I didn't get many pictures but we are always very excited when we get to see them. Abby just had a baby four months ago. I was playing the role of the doting aunt. Dan and Abby have two girls, Lucy and Kate. Brad came up with the name "Dabbyluka" when we refer to their family. It's too bad that our names don't mash together to some melodic sounding amalgam. Brannieraemca just sounds like some sort of prescription medication.

Our little Kiwi, Lucy.

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What Did You Say?

2/12 Emma. The night before getting her braces off, we were talking about how great she was going to look. Brad said she would look like one of the Osmonds. When Caleb asked what that meant, I told him that back in the day, the Osmonds were known for their teeth - which were white, straight and perfect. Without skipping a beat, Emma said, "Just like the Osmonds."
8/11 Rachel. After coming home from a long day babysitting five kids ages 2-9, she was complaining when I asked her to unload the dishwasher. "Mom...I'm so tired!! You have no idea what it's like to watch 5 kids for six hours!" But I do know how to watch and care for three kids 24 hours a day and 7 days a week...
8/11 Emma. She was walking alongside Rachel and me and she turned, looked at us and said, " This is so cool! I can turn and see how I will look in a year and a half and then see how I will look in a hundred." Thanks Em. Really.
6/11 Brad. I was complaining how Caleb doesn't want to wear anything that isn't a tee shirt or basketball shorts. (He has so many nice clothes that are just sitting there!) "Well, at least he doesn't have a mullet and a beard."
5/11 Emma. Emma was telling me some about some of the silly things her classmates talk about in school. Then in a tone that is much older than her 14 years says, "(sigh) Kids are so funny these days."
1/11 Rachel and Emma. "Mom, you really need to record the things we say in your blog more because we say A LOT of funny things. A lot."
6/10 Caleb. He has a hard time waking up on Sundays for early church. On a particular Sunday, church was starting in fifteen minutes and we barely had enough time to get him dressed and his hair combed. I just ran some gel through his hair to give him the "intentionally" messy look. The girls and I thought he looked pretty good. When Brad saw him at church, he made a comment about Caleb's hair. Caleb was already feeling edgy and grumpy started mumbling, "I didn't even get a chance to look at my hair. How would you like it, Mom, if I fixed your hair and I wouldn't let you look at what I did to it?" I had the giggles for the rest of the meeting.
6/10 Rachel. After a moving testimony meeting at girls' camp, Rachel and I found each other and hugged tightly. We were both really emotional as we expressed our love for each other. Rachel then said through her tears, "I used to never cry and now I cry so easily. Oh my gosh!! I'm turning into you!"
5/10 Caleb. He came home from school and was excited to see a Netflix envelope on the table to open. When he saw that it was Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights", he was confused. When I told him that it was a great silent movie, he looked slightly disgusted and then said, "Silent movie? Why don't we just watch all movies wearing ear muffs then? Lame."
8/09 Caleb. We were discussing the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication and Brad asked if anyone knew what Hosannah meant. Caleb said, "It's about the guy on the white donkey." Yup, waiting for the lightning strike any minute...
6/09 Emma. After hearing the story about Rachel and the sugar cookie said, "So Rachel brought you cookies by being cute? What did I bring you? I know, JOY AND HAPPINESS!" Why yes, yes she does.
*Flashback* 7/98 Rachel. We were in an upscale deli in Georgetown, D.C. when the pastry chef (dressed as a pastry chef would, wearing a white jacket and a chef's toque) noticed then 3 year old Rachel. He gave her a sugar cookie frosted beautifully to look like a flower. She took the cookie, curtsied, looked at him and said, "Thank you, your majesty."
6/09 Caleb. We were watching a commercial that featured the band, The Black Eyed Peas when he asked me who they were. When I told him, he paused, looked confused and then slightly disgusted, "Someone named a band 'The Black Guy Pees'?"
5/09 Caleb. He was talking with his friend and they were discussing whether they would want an older brother or a younger one. (They're both the only boys in their families.) "I think I would want a younger brother because an older one would just beat me up." To pound or be pounded?
5/09 Rachel. I asked Rachel to guess who was going to guest star on Hannah Montana. Her guess? "Obama?" I guess she thinks he shows up everywhere.
5/09 Emma. She has a very strong dislike for all things Miley Cyrus; at the same time, she really likes David Archuletta. We saw an announcement that he was going to make a guest appearance on "Hannah Montana." When we told Rachel, (who has the same opinion) she said, "Rachel, I seriously had tears in my eyes. It's so upsetting!"
4/09 Caleb. He was having a meaningful conversation with Rachel. Rachel asked him if any girls like him. She mentioned a particular girl and he said; yes she did like him. Then she asked if there were any other girls. He paused for a few seconds and answered in a slightly exasperated tone, "Yeah, A LOT." Caleb Miller, popular with the ladies...
1/09 Rachel. She was trying to decide what to wear the next day for her cast pictures for her school play. When she decided on the clothes, she wanted mine and Em's opinions on whether or not to curl her hair. We both said to keep it straight. "But this sweater doesn't look good with straight hair." Why don't they have signs like that at Old Navy so we know what to buy?
12/08 Emma. We were watching Caleb walk across the snow from the car to the front door. (Em likes her snow pristine.) "Great. Now Caleb is TWO of my pet peeves."
11/08 Emma. She came out of her room to tell us she was ready to be tucked in. "Good night people of earth." This explains so much.
11/08 Emma. Note found crumpled up in her garbage can. "The #1 public enemy is Scott Foresmen & Addison Wesley. Join us in our pursuit of fairness!!!!" Foresmen and Wesley are the publishers of her math text book.
9/08 Caleb. I was sitting with him while practicing piano and I corrected him when he played a wrong note. "Why didn't you tell me before I played it? It would have been a lot easier!" Apparently the young man thinks I'm omniscient.
7/08 Rachel. We were listening to a Beach Boys song where they say, ". . . and they think their old man is a square." I asked Rachel if she thought her old man was square and she replied, "No, I think he's more of a tube."
7/08 Emma. "When I grow up, I want to be an old lady." Aim high, sweetie.
6/08 Caleb after Brad told him that he is really good at karate, piano and swimming. (He said this without any conceit, just wonder) "Is there anything that I can't do?" I wish I had that kind of innocent confidence.
6/08 Rachel after I told her that her hair looked cute even though she had just taken it out of a pony tail. (She said it with conceit and tongue firmly planted in cheek.) "Yeah, my hair always looks good. ALWAYS."
6/08 Caleb out of the blue while we were sitting on the porch of the Roosevelt Lodge. "Mom, is my head round?" I'm trying to figure out what prompted that question.
6\08 Emma watching a movie and commenting on a character. "My heart hurts because she bugs me so much." Wow, talk about feeling things deeply.
5/08 Brad after I told him that my mind was full of complexities and deep thoughts. "Well, it's full of something." (Yes, the whole exchange was done tongue in cheek. No one was harmed during the actual event.)
5/08 Caleb's classmate Jenessa to her little sister. They were sitting by us at Wendy's. "That's Caleb. He's a lot funnier in class though."
5/08 Caleb after looking through a box of clothes he just received from his cousin Jake (who has a lot of tank tops). "Cool! Jake gave me some long sleeve shirts, some short sleeve shirts, and some non-sleeve shirts."
5/08-Rachel saying she was going to miss not going to school after it's done for the year. "There are people that are there for my entertainment."She stopped herself and said, "I mean THAT entertain me."
4/08 My mom made the comment to Rachel that the Advil I suggested she take for her sore feet was working. Rachel says, "You should listen to my mom, she knows a lot of things." Can I get that in writing somehow?
4/08-Emma after I made the comment they all looked so much alike when they were babies; "Yeah, we looked the same except my face was shinier." What does that mean?
4/08-Caleb after I told him we were going into Grand Central Station to eat lunch. "What?!" he said as he dropped my hand,"We're going to eat in a TRAIN STATION?" Yes, it's true.
4/08-Be nice to Emma. She was making a coupon book for Caleb because, "When people do nice things for me, I do nice things for people." Good words to live by.
4/08-Caleb out of the blue at bedtime; "Mom, how come your so old and still short?" Huh.

Simple Pleasures

The gloaming--black silhouettes of mountains and trees against a purple sky deepening into velvety blue.
Red rock, blue sky, and green cottonwoods.
Being home alone on a Sunday when everyone else has gone for a walk. Peace and quiet at last!
Brad stroking my hair when we are watching T.V.
Watching how exasperated the kids get when Brad says intentionally weird things to get a response.
Hearing the door slam accompanied by a loud, "Hi Mom! We're home!"
Taking a long, hot shower after a good day of hiking
Getting a letter from a good friend
Getting a call from a good friend
Watching Rachel, Emma, and Caleb reenact Will Farrell's cheerleading skit on SNL "Bobby Fisher. Where is he? I don't know, I don't know. . ."
Watching Rachel eat sushi-she loves it so!
Caleb snuggling with me-just because!
Quoting Spongebob Squarepants lines with the kids
Listening to Emma singing one of her silly songs
plugging in a new air freshner into the outlet
Walking barefoot on a freshly scrubbed floor