A Touch of Whimsy

So last week I had a pleasant surprise: Nate and Kari Ward, two of my all-time favorite people, stopped in Albuquerque to a) eat dinner on their way from Mesa to Santa Rosa, and b) to see their old pal from the good old days in the BYU 151st Ward. I loved it! I hadn't seen them since Sean McKissick's Bachelor Party at the Golden Corral, nearly 3 years ago. Kari delivered Addie just a couple days later, and now look at that little charmer (she's the cute one with the impressive tongue)! She was really sweet, and obviously a smart little girl. That's the way I like children-- cute and precocious. We shared some Salt and Vinegar chips, and I was impressed she liked them all right.
Additionally, I met the adorable 7-month-old Molly Gug:

That picture totally cracks me up! Now, anyone who knows me understands I have a general fear of babies, and basically only want to have some so I can give them names like Jemima and Elaine Fairchild. My friend Jacob Hatch emailed me today (he's on the last stretch of his mission in South Africa-- I know, I know, I'm Mary Kay LaTourneau) and insists that we at least have a son named Joseph. I felt like this was always part of the plan, with him naming our sons after the 12 tribes of Israel. But, I digress.

Anyway, Molly won me over right away. She was really cool with me just holding her and talking to her about world events, the history of Quiznos Subs, and any other nonsense that just popped into my head. I like speaking to infants like they are little adults. It helps their vocabulary eventually, I am sure. And I liked the way she kept throwing napkins off the table. I think a little defiance is good. She's going to have to get tough to keep up with her older sister.

It was so good to see my adopted "nieces!" I love them, and don't even have to feel left out because I read about them all the time. Kari is a super blogger. It makes me feel like I'm there. And just in case the Chipman Girls and May Hall Men of yore don't believe we actually all got together (ie., that I just stole these pictures from Kari's blog), here is the proof:

Notice how I really have that, "It's the end of a very long day" look, while Kari and Nate still look amazing, despite a long car trip. I'm telling you-- they belong in a Gap ad. Or a Disneyland commercial. They're superhero parents!

Uh-oh. I just nearly became a gushing Mormon mom. I'm such a poser.

OK, anyway, my life remains luxurious in spite of the oppressive recession and the fact that I keep feeling the poverty crunch. I know. That sounds stupid, considering the fact that I'll be on a cruise in a couple weeks, but still. I'm poor, and I'm feeling it. But so is everyone else, and I'm still happy. Why?

Well, aside from the little spot of Ward sunshine last Thursday, life remains fun and funny. I like it when things turn out unexpectedly. I met up with Lou in town the other night and we had gelatto (this was not fiscally irresponsible... Amy gave me a give card months ago for my birthday; calorically speaking, it was very irresponsible) and I made up scenarios in my head about a couple at the table next to us. Over the weekend, I took some time to breathe and make Valentines for hours upon hours. When will I have another completely free Saturday? Honestly, I think it's gonna be April. This morning, I was working on some stressful profit-sharing and 401k administrative stuff when my mom came into my office and announced we were having Afternoon Tea (Herbal, of course) at 2 p.m. She just decided. She's in the kitchen now making fancy sandwiches and thawing out some scones. I love that we just do these things out of the blue.

Moreover, I feel pretty great about making an entirely Polish meal for friends last night (even though the nalesniki z serem turned out kinda nasty and the golabki were overcooked). I also like when the friends come over and we lounge around watching stupid movies and making up code names for people. I like that our FBI-agent friend showed us his gun last night. My favorite memory of summer boyfriend involved making a fort out of blankets, just because we both used to like that as children. I hate that it's going to get windy again, but that will be a good excuse to go fly my Sesame Street kite. I start every day reading the newspaper, end every day reading my scriptures, and enjoy a healthy dose of teen lit in between. I think every occasion calls for a party. I like dressing up in costume jewelry to stay home and write. I'm not afraid to wear galoshes with fancy skirts, and even though I AM afraid of water (I can't swim), I still join up with the white-water rafting contingencies. I don't have money but I'm going to enjoy my time in a little inside-passage room on the Mediterranean, hoping to meet a nice Norwegian boy to show off my most-excellent kissing skills. I know that I'm a little scary, but isn't it liberating? I'm not the crazy cat lady, and I'm not inappropriate (well, most of the time). I just think if you're going to feed someone cold cereal for breakfast, you might as well float a rubber ducky in the milk because life's too short to not play with your food.