Contemplative Angler

We went fishin'. Just me and my dad.

Have you seen those "Little Critter" books by Mercer Mayer? They're all about this little independent critter thing, who camps, fishes, and generally does things ALL BY HIMSELF or, alternately, with his dad.

Here's our little critter ... pictures taken by The Dad on their recent fishin' hole adventure.

Besides fishing, we're into chocolate chip cookies and closed-eye pictures ...

"I needa check my email." ...

and playing the "I Miss John Again Mahdahdah" game.

This game involves a certain 2.5 year old saying, "I miss John again, Mahdahdah!" (NOTE: "Mahdahdah" is a combined pet name for both your Ma and your Da-Da). After the prompt, you're supposed to say, "Where's John? Has anybody seen John? I just cannot seem to find John!" The reply is usually something like, "No find me in the bathtub!" or "No look behind the door!" In the picture above it was, "Am I in the tent?"

Surprisingly, it's usually pretty easy to find him. But Lord have mercy on you if you try to help him do anything. Last Tuesday night he came down an entire flight of stairs holding my hand and then, at the bottom, said, "NO! Let ME do it!" Walked all the way back up and did it again solo.

Today his to-do list looked like this: Help Dad rewire the spark plugs, lift weights, have a protein shake, nap for 3.5 hours, watch the new favorite (Dora Explorer & the Superbabies), and plant basil, anemones, and dwarf French marigolds (calendula) all around the tomato plants (to keep the aphids away).

Yesterday we found a tick in his ear and one on my stomach, and my dentist found two more cavities in my head full of half-rotten teeth. Will the Dental Gods please send me a little good fortune in 2007?!?!?!?!?!? I floss every. single. night. And yet.

In other news ...

My semester is almost over and I cannot wait for a few weeks off in May ... we have some fun trips planned, so get excited about the upcoming posts from Mississippi and Texas.

I'll be teaching two classes (that's considered full time) in the summer and was so excited to have Fridays off to plan lessons, grade, and paint my toenails. Then I found out that again this year, JEB's school will be closed on Friday. So I guess I will be forced to take him to the swimming pool whenever the weather's good. I have never gotten over my childhood addiction to spending summers near a swimming pool. My life is drudgery I tell you.

Hmmm ... what else?

Oh yes. There was the matter of my going 66 in a 55 zone earlier this week. The worst part was that I had to pull over in the Lutheran church parking lot -- the church that houses the preschool for which we are awaiting acceptance results. Luckily, I wasn't alone. My sidekick was in the back oohing and ahhing over the "blue lights flashy" and saying, "Hey man. You got a radio? 10-4. Radnor 9. What you writing?" Luckily, the policeman has a 3-year old and was very nice and did not cite me for failing to have my updated registration information in the car with me. (Husband seems to think that this it is not necessary to keep one's registration in one's car if one has an insurance card, but take it from me: they still ask for it.) Despite his pleasant personality and our potty training discussion, I did get a ticket. I didn't have time to apply my special get-out-of-speeding-tickets red lipstick.

BUT, LO! There is good news: Since I have not had a ticket in the last year, I get to do this nifty thing where I watch a video online and then take a test. It costs nearly $100 and takes several hours, but the other option is going to court to plead not guilty, and considering my court record, that is not a even close to being a good idea.

Yes, my father and husband are law enforcement officers. I consistently bring shame to the family name. But not as bad as my friend Emily, who once ran from the Newton City Police in her white V-8 Cougar. Was it a Cougar? I can't remember, but I'm sure some well-meaning reader will correct me. Joanna.

So that's about all the news from these parts. Next week Macy is retiring after spending 45+ years attending to the banking needs of the residents of Newton County, Mississippi. The local newspaper is doing a write up which I will be sure to post as soon as I get my hands on it.

Onward and upward.