A Few Short Thoughts

I'll go in order of how I remember them, because there were a few things I wanted to say but didn't think each one individually warranted its own separate post.

1. When parents say "I wish my kid would stop getting so big!" it bugs me. Not because I don't feel the same way. I do. Time goes so fast and I barely remember my big 5-yr old when she was a tiny infant. I barely remember cradling her in my arms, and now she is independent, she wants to go outside and play with her friends before she gives me a welcome hug and kiss when she comes home from her dad's, she's in school for christ's sake!.. What bothers me about this "I wish my kid would stop growing" sentiment is one small passing comment my mom made to me when I said that to her about Caelyn. She said, "There's only one way for them to stop growing." And of course she was referring to my sister Katie, who died of a cancerous, inoperable brain tumor when she was only 6 years old. She will ALWAYS be 6. And that kind of "stop growing" is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. So when someone says, "My kid is getting so big I wish he would stop!" I hold my tongue.

2. Does taste in coffee mature with age? Or does it somehow reflect our current mood and emotions? I've been pondering this recently because I've found my taste in coffee choice radically changing. I used to be the Breakfast Blend or French Vanilla extra light extra sweet kind of coffee drinker. Now I find that a light brew almost tastes like water. I find myself putting less sugar and less creamer in my coffee, and prefer to drink a darker brew, a French Roast or some other such "dark" type. Is this my maturing of coffee taste? Or maybe it's me being stressed out and so needing a deeper, richer jolt in the morning? My other thought about this was a little more disturbing: The coffee I'm drinking right now almost tastes like DFAC coffee... and I like it. *shudder* Don't get me wrong, though, I still crave a light and sweet iced coffee every once in a while, but for the most part, dark and bitter have been suiting me just fine.

3. I bought a class ring. Not the wisest decision given my current financial status. But I did it. I'm graduating this semester, barring any failing of classes, and I really feel like after a 10-year journey to this damn degree, I want something, for myself, to show for it. Besides the requisite diploma, of course. The only other thing I want is the tassel. I totally missed booking a sitting for yearbook pictures. Not that I'm going to buy a yearbook, I don't know anyone else in my graduating class and I wasn't active in anything on campus to make me want to fondly remember my college years. Which I've spent half of being a part-time commuter just wishing for it to be over already.

4. I'm sure there was one more thing I wanted to put down here, but I've forgotten. My memory is very bad, so that is all!

Getting Dirty

No, I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about my daughter, Caelyn. She is 5 (if you didn't already know this fact already). She is a Princess (with a capital "P"). And she likes to play hard. In the dirt. This may be a fact of life for most kids, but I have never seen a child get as filthy as she manages to get. She's outside for 10 minutes and she comes back with dirt smeared across her face, leaves in her hair, cuts on her hands, and holes in the knees of her jeans. I really can't imagine how she manages.

Actually, I do have a slight idea. I once caught her pouring flower-pot-fulls of dirt onto the top of her head. I also caught her sticking tree branches and flowers (with the roots still attached and dropping dirt everywhere) under her headband so she could be the Forest Princess. Yeah.

The other thing, aside from her, that gets dirty is her clothes. A good amount of her clothing has dirt, grass, and food stains on it. I know the importance of cleanliness, and not looking like a slob when she goes out, but seriously, she's 5. She's going to get dirty, and then she's going to out-grow these clothes in about 4-6 months. At which time she is going to have all brand new clothes to mess up. Yeah, when she gets a little older it will be farther between needing new clothes, but for now, I say, "Sure go ahead and play. Get dirty. Have fun!"