Two Things...

...I miss from my childhood.

This post could actually be entitled, "One Hundred and Two things..."  I think as adults we miss most things about our childhoods.  I miss not being responsible for the food on the table or the roof over my head.  I miss not knowing what bills were due.  I miss being footloose and fancy free!

But the two things I was thinking of I just had a dream about.  Weird, I know!!

The first thing I miss is my Tinker Toys!  Man, could I build with those things!  I came up with many different creations.  Things that would swing wide and hang low.  I would make things that were so stationary even the dog could not knock them over!  I would make things to crawl through or specifically not to crawl through!  I made Barbie some wonderful houses and Ken a great condo!  I would make things that would stay up for days and others that would come down right away.  I remember sometimes never having enough to finish the things I would imagine.  I also remember a distinct smell -- probably the lead paint!

The second thing I miss is my Spirograph!  Man, could I draw with that thing!  I, of course, had the "Deluxe" set with different shapes, so not all of my wonderful art on the fridge was just in a circle.  I would use two different size rings and make like the best drawing ever created!  Sometimes I would try to make the same thing twice...I don't think I ever did, I don't think I ever could.  I remember there were some really hard ones, the gears just wouldn't line up perfectly and it was a struggle to get around the frame!  Or...that dreadful -- slip! Yikes, nothing looked worse than that ugly pen mark going all willy nilly through what could have been the next Mona Lisa...if only.

Don't get me wrong...I also loved my Lite Brite and my Barbies and my electric football game and my Easy Bake Oven -- but for today, the two things on my mind are Tinker Toys and Spirograph.

I could have been an amazing architect or a famous artist had I only not given it all up for boys!

XOXO

Two Things...

I love about being a mama to my fur babies!

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They are ALWAYS happy to see me.  It doesn't matter if I left for 5 minutes to get the mail or if I was gone all day -- they have missed me and they are soooo glad mama is home!  I am greeted with warm, wet kisses and happy barks of joy and paws up on my legs.  They maybe weren't sure if I was returning, but I did and man, oh, man that gives them complete joy.  I can't think of anything making me happier when I enter the house to see my babies jumping up and down and excited and grateful that I am back.

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They will protect me.  A few weeks back, someone broke into our house.  Before the house alarm went off, Moose gave one bark, an alarm bark.  Being it was 2:30 in the morning and I was sleeping, I told Moosie that it was okay  and to go back to sleep.  He ignored my request and gave yet another one bark alarm.  Two seconds later, the house alarm went off.

Trent grabbed the gun and immediately headed for downstairs.  Normally Moosie and Maggie would be following Daddy downstairs -- I mean, he might be getting something to eat!  But this time, they absolutely did not leave my side.  In fact, when the police came, my babies were still upstairs protecting their mama.  Nothing was going to happen to me -- Trent was downstairs with the gun and my babies were upstairs just waiting.

A few weeks have passed, Moosie is still in full on protect mode.  He has always been a bit clingy and a little anxious when left alone (I hate to think what his life was like before he moved in with his forever family), but lately, he rarely leaves my side.  He is always in my sight -- unless Daddy goes down for food in the middle of the night - I mean Moosie does have priorities!

I have no doubt that Maggie and Moosie would have torn someone up had they came into my house unwelcomed and unannounced.

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BONUS -- third thing.

They cannot lie to me!  When I come home and they have gone through the trash, I know, immediately who is the culprit.  Or at least, who started it.  I will point to the trash on the floor and ask who did this.  Moosie will instantly look at Maggie who will instantly drop her gaze.  She wont even look at me.  I will ask a few times if Maggie did this, and she will refuse to make eye contact.  Then, I will go to Moosie and ask him if he helped her, he immediately will drop his gaze.

I love those two knuckle heads!

XOXO

Velvet

Two Things...

I miss about my dad -- Everything and ....Everything.

Up until six years ago, August 3rd meant nothing to me.  I can't recall ever giving this date a second thought.  Now, I think about this date all of the time.  I have feelings of dread when it is coming close, I have deep sadness when it arrives, and as it passes, I know that in 365 days it will be here again.  I think about this date in May as my birthday approaches, in November as Thanksgiving approaches, in December as Christmas approaches, and in January as a new year starts and a birthday, not forgotten, is here.   I think about this date when good things happen to me and I think about this date when not so good things happen.  I think about this date randomly for no reason.  I think about my life six years ago and my life now and all the wonderful things that have been missed.  I think about my life six years from now and think about all the wonderful things that will be missed.

As I sit here and write this, I am letting myself cry and I am letting myself laugh.  I am thinking about the phone calls asking if we have had an earthquake in Cali.  I am thinking about the times while I was working on the computer and my daddy would send an instant message and I would ignore it because I was too busy.  I am trying to remember how many times I was asked if I had fallen on my head.  I am thinking about missed moments to say I love you.  I am thinking about all the times I did say it.  I am thinking about being tricked because "I can't pinch you without a thumb."  I am remembering explaining to my daddy that sideburns were out and we needed to file them down a bit - hello 1980!  I am remembering our "curfew" banter -- I am remembering my dates looking at me like I was a weirdo with a curfew of 10:23pm.  I am remembering late night pizza runs and root beer floats.  I am remembering Halley's Comet  and all the star gazing in between.  I am remembering the carton of empty "leche" flying across the room.  I am remembering taking off your boots.

Six years is 72 months, 312 weeks, 2190 days, 52560 hours.  I just know, anyway you look at it, it is a long time for a daddy's girl to be without her daddy. Even one day is a long time.

I wish you were here, Daddy.  I wish I had one more day with you.  I love you, Daddy and I miss you with every beat of my heart.  You are loved and thought of often.

XOXO

Daddy's Girl