Lily sent this picture to the group text a little while ago and I cannot tell you how much I love it. Owen was helping Maggie blend her eyeshadow because she had it too clumped up. Now if that's not the sweetest big brother in the world, I don't know what is. I'll never forget how incredibly excited Owen was when he heard that his mama was going to have a little girl baby. Or, a woman baby as the ultra-sound tech said. He had wanted a little sister with all of his heart. I know I've told this story many times before but when Maggie was born and I brought Owen and Gibson over here to play to give Lily and Jason and their new baby a little time alone together, Owen was not that happy about the idea.
"I've been waiting for this my entire life!" he said.
I was the oldest child in my family and had three younger brothers and always wished I'd had an older brother. My mother had two older brothers and she adored and worshipped them. It looked like a good situation to me but that's not how it worked in situation and I adored my little brothers and was second mama to the two youngest for many years.
Ah, y'all have heard all of that.
Guess what I did today?
Yep. I went to Publix and Costco with Jessie, August, and Levon. I had a great time. We went to lunch too. I thought the boys were pretty well-behaved. They did run a few races down the wide aisles of the Costco but were polite about staying out of people's way. August wanted to go eat lunch at the restaurant where you "serve yourself." He meant Chow Time.
Didn't have to ask me twice.
So that's where we went. Jessie only let them get one dessert today and they both picked sherbet which cracked me up. Neither one of them realized that's what we make their purple cows with.
There was a woman who was seated in the same dining area we were in, who stopped to talk to us. She talked. And talked. And talked. I think her husband had already eaten at least one plate of food before she even got her own plate. And although she wasn't completely inappropriate or whacky, she sort of was. And the boys just sat there and listened. At one point she asked August if she could sit by him.
"Maybe," he said which I thought was pretty diplomatic.
God. I'm probably going to be that lady when I get a few more years on me. I already interact with cashiers and strangers more than I think most people do.
I've been thinking that I should air fry Mr. Moon some chicken wings soon because he does love them so and the kind of chicken I like to buy only had "wing-ettes" and I had no idea what in hell that was so I asked a guy who was also examining the meat if he knew anything about chicken wings.
"Not really," he said. And I still proceeded to say a few more things to him and he didn't want to hear me. He had earbuds in, for heaven't sake. I need to watch this behavior of mine and not let it get out of hand. I don't mind being viewed as eccentric but I really don't want to be a freaking pest.
August shopped with me for awhile, holding on to the cart as I pushed it. He was my boy today. He asked me if I had bread at home and I said that I did. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Because you know Levon likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches and you need bread for that."
"Planning on coming over to my house?" I asked him.
"Yes," he said.
And in fact I think they will on Thursday when Jessie and Vergil will both be working.
When we went into Publix, Lily was just getting off and we stood and chatted for a moment. She was off to pick up her babies. Levon and August wanted to know when Maggie was going to come to visit them again.
"What?" I asked.
"Never mind," he said again.
"You know you can talk about anything to me, right?" Even as I said this I thought oh shit, what have I done?
"Well sure, as long as you have something interesting to say about it or want to know about it but not if you just want to talk about poop for a long time for no reason."
"Even the middle finger?"
Aha!
"Sure," I said. And we did have a little discussion about it and I told them that the middle finger was only to be raised in very, very extreme circumstances like if you were driving and someone was speeding and almost hit your car.
They contemplated this and began a discussion on car crashes, the middle finger forgotten for that moment at least.
that pic of Owen *fixing* Magnolia's eyeshadow is wonderful! What sweet grands ALL of your grands are. Good parenting..... always....and forever. It is refreshing to know that all the grands are free to discuss topics that puzzle or interest them....and that they will be met with honest heartfelt and tried and trued answers. I was never allowed as a child to bring up topics that puzzled me....(told you once that my mouth was washed out with soap for asking what the word *F*** meant)........ but...... I marvel at how your grands are all blossoming under loving family. Another lovely *Mary* thoughts from the brain post today! LOL!
ReplyDeleteSusan M
You know- some things are just absolutely difficult to talk about with children but they need to be able to get the information they need and sometimes just to normalize things. Like the middle finger issue! When I was a kid, my mother never talked about anything with me and I sure did not feel that I could talk about things with her.
DeleteI love the questions children ask and I love how grandmothers (especially) are safe people to ask.
ReplyDeleteSome grandmothers are safe people to ask. I imagine that not all are.
DeleteSo good to have August and Levon back. And Jessie and Vergil.
ReplyDeleteI really wondered where and how that middle finger would be fitting in. I suppose their parents have already had a middle finger chat with them, and they are testing you for consistency.
I do not know if Jessie and Vergil have discussed the bird with the boys or not. I have a feeling a cousin passed this information on to them. Heh-heh.
DeleteI have no idea who Paul Reubens is/was.
ReplyDeleteI love Owen helping Maggie with her makeup, but in a moving car? I also love how all the kids can talk to you about anything at all.
I have an ex who is a talker, stand with him for five minutes and you have half his entire life story. He tells everybody everything, even unnecessary details.
Not sure if that car is moving or not. But no one's eye was put out so all is well.
DeleteI'm afraid that I'm sort of one of those people who will tell you my entire life story in five minutes, warts and all. But only if you feel like a safe person.
Oh no! PeeWee was a genius. I would get up and watch his Saturday morning show with the kids because he was SO WEIRD and funny.
ReplyDeleteAnd Sinead O'Connor. Oh no. Too young, too young.
Owen being a makeup artist for Maggie, perfect. You MUST SEE the new Barbie movie. I've gone twice and laughed my ass off both times. Ryan Gosling is a comic miracle as is Greta Gerwig.
Love you, darling.
I guess I'm going to have to go see the Barbie movie. I told Glen today, after reading your post, that people I know, smart people, wise people, are going to see it more than once. He said, "Well, let's go see it."
DeleteI'm a little afraid he might feel threatened over it but I really know nothing about it except that there's a lot of talk about the patriarchy which can be sensitive to a fella.
Yes. Pee Wee was like no other. I loved his show too. I have to admit that my favorite character was Cowboy Curtis.
I once gave a ride home to a colleague who had broken her middle finger and had it in a splint. Temptation was mighty that day!
ReplyDeleteOoh boy. Not the greatest finger to break, right?
DeleteMeka leka high. Meka highney ho. I know you're sad, but what am I?
ReplyDeleteNo words for how much joy Pee Wee Herman brought to me. Endless Saturday morning laughter. Watched Pee Wee's Big Adventure countless times. Paul Rubens. A true original.
He really was a true original. And that show was just a blast of joy and fun, wasn't it?
DeleteSuch a loving group! I love how you're watching your tendency to talk to everyone whether or not they join in!
ReplyDeleteI have to keep tabs on my crazy behavior. This seems important.
DeleteYes, there is something wacky about people who won't stop talking to people they don't know. SOunds like you handled it well.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I think when it starts making people uncomfortable, it's time to SHUT UP!
DeleteYour family is always going to be a 'safe place', where kids can always ask their questions. I love that.
ReplyDeleteI hope so but I'm afraid that's not always going to be true. I know what being a teenager was like. It's so hard.
DeleteYou have the busiest days packed with family fun! Even grocery shopping sounds like a great adventure. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteGrocery shopping IS a grand adventure with kids. Some kids. Some times. Ha!
DeleteI do love some Pee Wee Herman. That IS a great picture of Owen and Maggie, and Levon and August are looking so grown up! Not babies anymore.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I react with suspicion to any stranger who talks to me. It's the city dweller in me!
No. None of them are babies anymore! Levon is about to go to kindergarten! Where he will be the Prom King, I suppose.
DeleteGod. Is it mostly just people in the south who go on and on to strangers?
Owen is definitely special, one of a kind and I know we all are basically one of a kind but Owen is something else. I loved Pee Wee Herman and his playhouse and I hope that's how Reubens is remembered.
ReplyDeletea passing remark from a stranger is fine when people are busy or engaged in something but it's also nice to have a short visit with a stranger when you're just standing around not doing anything.
Owen is precious. I agree with you.
DeleteI think most people will remember Paul Reubens as Pee Wee. I hope so. He certainly gave a lot of joy in his life.
I agree with the short visit thing when you're just standing around or maybe sitting in a waiting room. I've actually had some hysterical waiting room experiences.
Seems that the elderly are lonely for chat- Maybe liking to hear their own voices so that they know they are still among the living? I dunno- I am not a chatter, what do I know about compulsive chatters? Although I did pass some youngin's playing large tic-tac-toe on a big board, I loaded up the "O"s as bracelets- not entirely sure of the X's but it then came to me- Charles Manson, in the middle of my forehead, the youngin's said "you win"... did I hear them whisper as I left? something about nutter? As for big brothers I would say Owen is exceptional!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure you're right about the elderly lonely for chat. But this woman- she seemed to be one of those people who just never stops. At one point she said, "I better go find my husband. He may have left me," and I thought, "I wouldn't blame him."
DeleteThat's a great story about you collecting the o's for bracelets and putting the x on your forehead. There's just something about making children think you're crazy that is so delightful.
Erik and I were some of the very first FANS of pee wee back in the early 90's, we got newsletters and photos signed by Pee, we got badges and tips from Miss Yvonne product application. always lipstick! Pee Wee was our boyfriend! Sadness in our hearts losing him...
ReplyDeletePee Wee was a good boyfriend but I think his boyfriend was Cowboy Curtis. Who I would not have minded having as my own boyfriend. Remember Pee Wee's joke about Cowboy Curtis?
Delete"What big boots you have Cowboy Curtis! And you know what they say about big boots? Big boots, big...FEET!"
I'm still laughing.
I am the right age, but the wrong continent for Pee Wee. And those two words to me, as a transplanted Englishwoman, sound…wrong! “Urinate Urinate”!!
ReplyDeleteSome people do have “the talkies” indeed. There’s not a pause unfilled, an intake of breath, that can’t be completely smothered by the continuous sound of someone with The Talkies. Mostly it’s completely innocuous stuff, but, BUT, IT NEVER STOPS. A waterfall of noise, a tidal wave of chatter, and I cannot, just canNOT bear it. My buddies know they need to extract me from the situation in 30 seconds or less. I just can’t.
MrsF
37paddington: how is it that I’m thrilled that the weatherfords are home? And Owen, what a precious big brother.
ReplyDelete