I saw an amazing thing while I was at work today. I arrived at a meeting 30 minutes ahead of time because my brain kept telling me I needed to be there at 3 even thought my calendar clearly stated the meeting started at 3:30. My brain does this to me quite often - I keep trying to get it to straighten up but it just won't listen. Does this happen to anyone else? Am I the only one out there with a renegade brain?
So what did I do with my new found 30 minutes? First I panicked (which is sadly - all too often my first instinct). 30 minutes? I arrived 30 minutes early? I have proposals I could be finishing, important calls to be making! My next thought was, maybe I have time to go & grab a diet coke. You know, the delicious soda fountain kind. I even had a cup in the car so I would just have to pay for a refill instead of FULL PRICE. Because Heaven forbid that I actually stay put for 30 minutes, especially when there is diet coke out there calling to me. However, I suppressed the urge to leave. Actually, it was laziness. Once I considered all the walking, driving and finding a new parking space once I returned, that diet coke was history. I love diet coke tremendously - but I was just too darn tired to put forth the effort. It was as I was reaching the no diet coke decision that I actually saw something amazing.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a young man "Jive Walking" toward the building. He wore bright purple pants, a bright orange hat, and a striped shirt that was (you guessed it) bright purple and orange. He reached the door just as a lady about my age (frumpy & fortyish) had made it halfway across the lobby. He stood there holding the door until she had exited the building all the while whistling a darn happy tune. This young man then proceeded to "Jive Walk" all the way across the lobby, finagled his way through security and over to the elevator. He didn't miss a beat - combining the walk & whistle in fascinating fashion. I was sad when the elevator doors closed and I couldn't see or hear him anymore. But wouldn't you know it, when he exited the elevator several floors up I could hear his whistle and envision his smile and his walk for several more minutes. In that instant, I knew I was a different woman.
How on earth, you might ask, did I find this to be amazing? Life changing even? I mean, the world is full of quirky, happy people and I just had the good fortune to run in to one of them. Well, let me tell you. This young man was amazing and had a life changing impact on me because he did all of this while on crutches and with only one leg. Yep - you read that right - only one leg. How, you might ask, does a young man with only one leg "Jive Walk" while using crutches? My answer - I have absolutely no idea, but he sure as hell did.
So - the next time my renegade brain schedules two appointments at the same time, gets to me to where I'm supposed to be at the wrong time, forgets to tell me to pick up my kid on time, or simply refuses to work - I'm going to remember the man in purple & "Jive Walk" my way outta there.
"I've come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint our greatest hopes - imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it's not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude - it's the chance to paint."
Richard Paul Evans
About Me
- Kristen
- Things that I love: making my kids belly laugh, sleeping, reading, my faith, talking politics, not wearing shoes, snuggling my sweetheart, t-shirts and jeans, talking with girlfriends about everything, nothing, and all that is inbetween, classic rock, diet coke, loyalty, and oh yeah, did I mention sleeping? Things that I can't stand: nylons, uncomfortable shoes, people who are catty or mean, whining, and insomnia, especially since it interferes with my love of sleep.
The Rockin Ricks
Blogs I read!
Cute things my kids say & do
Kaitlyn and her best friend had an "Olympics Day" at gymnastics. They all received cute medals on ribbons at the end of class. While we were driving home Kaitlyn's friend looked at the back of the medal and asked in a frustrated voice, "Why is EVERYTHING made in China?". Kaitlyn quickly replied, "We weren't. We were made by Jesus!"
I put gel in Caleb's hair before school to make it all spikey. When I was all done I told him, "You look nice dude." Kaitlyn was sitting right next to him, so she looked over at him and exclaimed, "Yeah! You look freakin nice!". It was the first time I'd ever heard my 5 year old use the word "freakin".
We had just finished reading together and were getting ready to have family prayer on Sunday night. Caleb was stretched out on the ground when Mike asked him to say the prayer. Caleb sat right up and said, "I didn't see that one comin'!" but immediately began to pray. Mike and I couldn't stop laughing, I mean how many 7 year old's actually say that?
Forgive me, but this one is about the mom not the kids. It was my turn to drive carpool tonight to acting class. I planned to hit the grocery store while the girls were acting their little hearts out. I got out of the car to go into Albertson's and just happened to look down at my feet. I was wearing my slippers! Not even cute little ones either, but my BIG, HUGE, FUZZY, BRIGHT BLUE slippers. Needless to say, I got lots of stares.
Today in church our whole family was sitting quietly (imagine that!) while they passed the sacrament. Caleb leaned over to Mike and asked, "What if I get called to Beijing?" meaning called on a mission. (It totally cracks me up when my kids spit out words like Beijing & Mesopotamia). Mike replied, "That would be cool son." Then Caleb leaned over to ask Mike another question. "In the Princess Bride, why do they call them Rodents of Unusual Size?" is what he asked. I looked at Mike at almost burst out laughing. From a mission in Beijing to ROUSes in 2 seconds flat. The kid cracks me up.
Kassidy came in from working in the garage with her dad to grab a pair of scissors. I asked her what they were for. She explained that all of their kites had really tangled strings so they were going to cut out the tangled part, and then reattach them to the kites. She headed back to the garage but then turned around to face me, put her hands out to emphasize the importance of her next comment, and said, "but don't tell the kids okay mom." The kids? Isn't she one of the kids? What in the world made her think she could grow up so darn fast without asking for my permission?
I was driving Kaitlyn home from dance today and we were listening to the radio. A commercial came on that ended with the song, "It takes two baby". Kaitlyn listened and then didn't miss a beat as she said with TOTAL Kaitlyn attitude, "no it doesn't, it just takes one". She's my real go-getter - so true to form she thinks she can do everything on her own.
The other day, Kassidy was eating a scone with honey butter on it. Caleb asked her "What is honey butter". Kassidy explained that it is honey mixed into butter. Caleb then fell down and exclaimed, "I think I'm in heaven! Honey & Butter at the same time!"
We have sayings in our house about the things that "Rickses do", such as, "Rickses keep their word" and "Rickses watch out for each other". The other day Kaitlyn didn't want to carry her laundry basket upstairs and put her clothes away in her drawers because she thought it was too hard. I looked at her and said, "Kaitlyn, Rickses can do hard things." She immediately yelled back at me, "NO THEY CAN'T!!!"
We were practicing the primary songs and the kids speaking parts for their primary program this coming Sunday. We were singing along to a CD with all of the songs on it. When the song "Called to Serve" came on I said "Ok, everyone stand up because this is one of mommy's favorites!" We were all standing and singing when I turned to look at Kassidy to see how she was doing with the words. She was singing the words perfectly as she did the "Macarana" dance to the "Called to Serve" music. It was quite hilarious!
I unlocked our bathroom door while Mike was showering, to get stuff to do Kaitlyn's hair. I told her to wait outside the bathroom in our room and give her daddy some privacy, 'cause little girls shouldn't see their daddies naked. After I had shut the bathroom door, she hollered at me from the other side in her cute squeaky voice, "But why do you get to see daddy naked mommy?"
I opened the door to welcome home the kids from school. I was wearing a t-shirt that I got from a Journey concert a few years ago with the words "Don't stop believing" written acrossed it. Kassidy read my shirt aloud and then looked at me with a sly grin and said, "That's just wonderful mom - don't you stop believing".
While watching the opening ceremonies to the 2008 Olympics
Caleb: Grandma, why are those men wearing dresses?
Grandma: 'cause it's the culture & custom of the country.
Caleb: Do you think they feel ridiculous?
Kaitlyn: Is there a bug on my back? (said to anyone around, about 20 times a day.)
Grandma: Caleb do you want a hamburger or chicken nuggets?
Caleb: Hamburger, 'cause some people call their private parts nuggets.
I put gel in Caleb's hair before school to make it all spikey. When I was all done I told him, "You look nice dude." Kaitlyn was sitting right next to him, so she looked over at him and exclaimed, "Yeah! You look freakin nice!". It was the first time I'd ever heard my 5 year old use the word "freakin".
We had just finished reading together and were getting ready to have family prayer on Sunday night. Caleb was stretched out on the ground when Mike asked him to say the prayer. Caleb sat right up and said, "I didn't see that one comin'!" but immediately began to pray. Mike and I couldn't stop laughing, I mean how many 7 year old's actually say that?
Forgive me, but this one is about the mom not the kids. It was my turn to drive carpool tonight to acting class. I planned to hit the grocery store while the girls were acting their little hearts out. I got out of the car to go into Albertson's and just happened to look down at my feet. I was wearing my slippers! Not even cute little ones either, but my BIG, HUGE, FUZZY, BRIGHT BLUE slippers. Needless to say, I got lots of stares.
Today in church our whole family was sitting quietly (imagine that!) while they passed the sacrament. Caleb leaned over to Mike and asked, "What if I get called to Beijing?" meaning called on a mission. (It totally cracks me up when my kids spit out words like Beijing & Mesopotamia). Mike replied, "That would be cool son." Then Caleb leaned over to ask Mike another question. "In the Princess Bride, why do they call them Rodents of Unusual Size?" is what he asked. I looked at Mike at almost burst out laughing. From a mission in Beijing to ROUSes in 2 seconds flat. The kid cracks me up.
Kassidy came in from working in the garage with her dad to grab a pair of scissors. I asked her what they were for. She explained that all of their kites had really tangled strings so they were going to cut out the tangled part, and then reattach them to the kites. She headed back to the garage but then turned around to face me, put her hands out to emphasize the importance of her next comment, and said, "but don't tell the kids okay mom." The kids? Isn't she one of the kids? What in the world made her think she could grow up so darn fast without asking for my permission?
I was driving Kaitlyn home from dance today and we were listening to the radio. A commercial came on that ended with the song, "It takes two baby". Kaitlyn listened and then didn't miss a beat as she said with TOTAL Kaitlyn attitude, "no it doesn't, it just takes one". She's my real go-getter - so true to form she thinks she can do everything on her own.
The other day, Kassidy was eating a scone with honey butter on it. Caleb asked her "What is honey butter". Kassidy explained that it is honey mixed into butter. Caleb then fell down and exclaimed, "I think I'm in heaven! Honey & Butter at the same time!"
We have sayings in our house about the things that "Rickses do", such as, "Rickses keep their word" and "Rickses watch out for each other". The other day Kaitlyn didn't want to carry her laundry basket upstairs and put her clothes away in her drawers because she thought it was too hard. I looked at her and said, "Kaitlyn, Rickses can do hard things." She immediately yelled back at me, "NO THEY CAN'T!!!"
We were practicing the primary songs and the kids speaking parts for their primary program this coming Sunday. We were singing along to a CD with all of the songs on it. When the song "Called to Serve" came on I said "Ok, everyone stand up because this is one of mommy's favorites!" We were all standing and singing when I turned to look at Kassidy to see how she was doing with the words. She was singing the words perfectly as she did the "Macarana" dance to the "Called to Serve" music. It was quite hilarious!
I unlocked our bathroom door while Mike was showering, to get stuff to do Kaitlyn's hair. I told her to wait outside the bathroom in our room and give her daddy some privacy, 'cause little girls shouldn't see their daddies naked. After I had shut the bathroom door, she hollered at me from the other side in her cute squeaky voice, "But why do you get to see daddy naked mommy?"
I opened the door to welcome home the kids from school. I was wearing a t-shirt that I got from a Journey concert a few years ago with the words "Don't stop believing" written acrossed it. Kassidy read my shirt aloud and then looked at me with a sly grin and said, "That's just wonderful mom - don't you stop believing".
While watching the opening ceremonies to the 2008 Olympics
Caleb: Grandma, why are those men wearing dresses?
Grandma: 'cause it's the culture & custom of the country.
Caleb: Do you think they feel ridiculous?
Kaitlyn: Is there a bug on my back? (said to anyone around, about 20 times a day.)
Grandma: Caleb do you want a hamburger or chicken nuggets?
Caleb: Hamburger, 'cause some people call their private parts nuggets.
2 comments:
Just found your blog T. Thought it was great!
Thanks! :)
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