All-nighters and Traditions

  First in the lineup tonight is the (in)famous all-nighter. So. What in the world is wrong with children and teenagers? I mean, I remember back in the day when I WANTED to pull all-nighters and now when my kid stays awake yelling till 5am it doesn't rank too high on the list of wonderful things to do... The only thing that was great about Friday night was that Glenda was awake chatting to me and keeping me company so I didn't wake the whole house with my wailing if I would happen to join the small one. Small One finally went to sleep when Reece got up the second time and gave her her plug. I finally used a suppository on Saturday afternoon, 'cause that was her problem. She needed to poop but she wouldn't just push it out! *sigh* Since then I have also found out something else. Small One likes to go to sleep with a Large Blanket wadded up under her knees. I think it helps her with her gas. Maybe. Who knows, she is after all my kid! One should never try to underestimate or figure out my children. It don't work. Thanks.

Next are the Traditions: As you may know, I'm an only child. Meaning that I am probably more friendly with my mom than people think I should be allowed to be. Especially since she's my MOM of all things. Well, let me tell you a few things. We lived in South Dakota. Our closest neighbor was a mile away. Our closest friends from church lived about 15 miles away. My mom was my friend and if you object you may now go fly a kite. I shall provide you with one if you desire. My mom still IS my friend and if you still need a kite I can still go find you one to fly. That might explain a few thing to those of you who think I'm too familiar with that mother of mine...

  Due to the familiarity of only girls and their mom's, they come up with some rather strange traditions. One of those traditions is this clothes pin with a bell on it that has traveled around the US a time or two... I have no idea how it got started, but we took it upon ourselves to start hiding this clothes pin in random spots for the other person to find. The first clothes pin we used apparently got hidden really well by one of us, 'cause I haven't seen the one that said "THIS IS THE CLOTHES PIN" on it, written with black magic marker for many years. In lieu of that one, we adopted the one with the bell on it. It lived in one of my boxes of junk for about 4 years before getting unpacked again, but as soon as it was unearthed mom found it in her shoe. I then found it holding one of my skirts on the hanger.  Next it was in mom's tea cooler bag thingy. Last time I found it, it was in my boot one day when I was racing out the door late to an appointment somewhere. I chucked it somewhere and forgot about hiding it, but I'm gonna have to go find it and stick it in her checkbook or something.

  Another of our family traditions is to say "Good Night, God's Peace, Sleep Good, I Love You" every night before going to bed. As long as I was home, we said it every night. After a while it kinda sounded like "GuhNighGahSpeeSleepGooDieLoView". It always got especially garbled if there was company around and I felt a little bit weird saying the whole speech out so they could understand every word I was saying. After I got married we'd say it to each other on the phone before I went to bed. That graduated to texting it when I finally taught my mother how to text. After a while it got stuck on to the Quick Text list. As time passed, we both got new phones, the quick text got even quicker with an abbreviation. Now every night before we go to bed mom and I text each other. gnGpsgily says the message... usually preceded by one of us texting the other; "Why aren't you sleeping yet?!" Sometimes, (like tonight) the reply makes you laugh. "I took my shower. Writing my diary now. You made me scribble !" Poor lady... didn't mean to make her jump! *snicker* gnGpsgily mom!

 One other tradition that moved to texting has never failed to cause my mother to question my wisdom and brain wattage. It all started one day when I asked mom if she'd ever pooped so hard it made her smile. She declared me ludicrous and implied things to the effect that my village had called because their idiot was missing. Nevertheless, I have pressed onward with my inquiries. To this day the woman has never managed a response beyond "You're so dumb!!" To get the full effect of the look on her face I would usually bellow loudly for her to come, and when she came running thinking something terrible had happened, like I had awakened to find my toes glued to the ceiling or some such earth shattering event, I would pop the question. Most of the time her answer was filled with great wrath and vexation of spirit which has always cause me great jollity and mirth. As with the good nighting and the clothes pin, I did not let this tradition die with marriage. Oh no... My mother now gets random text messages asking this important question, the only difference in the scenario is that some of them begin with: "Rosie, Rachel or Resa wants to know..." and in keeping with tradition, I have never yet failed to get a reply.

"You are SO dumb!!"