Take time to stop and smell the roses....

Growing Up

Julia asked me today, "What are you gonna be when you grow up, Mom?" I couldn't help but laugh, so I guess she thought I needed prompting. "Maybe you could be a policeman."

"Well, a policeman is certainly a good profession, but I think I'm going to be a lawyer." She seemed a bit disappointed by this answer and asked (her voice laden with skepticism that "lawyer" was actually a real answer to that question). I tried to explain in 4-year-old terms about how Congress makes the laws, but lawyers and judges help to interpret them.

**LONG PAUSE.**

"Maybe you could be a policeman."

So I turned the tables and asked her what she wanted to be. "A doctor." Good answer, Julia...then maybe mommy won't have to be anything and you can support me ;-)

Then I asked Liam....

With absolutely no hesitation he responded, "A witch." And proceeded to turn Julia into a frog with the big stick he was holding.

Ah, the fair...

Where "child sized" actually means it's the size of a small child:

and they actually serve delicacies like this beauty...YUCK!
(Matt & I actually watched a British documentary a year ago about the "donut burger" and other revolting American cuisine that are promoting obesity. At the time, I actually defending my culture, saying "Someone may have invented that, but no one actually eats it." The seller assured me, however, that many do. I stand corrected.)

Ride 'em cowboy

The view's always better from the top

The caterpillar rollercoaster was my first rollercoaster too (although this one is definitely an improved model from the rickety wooden one of my childhood!)

The children had a blast with their first trip to the State Fair, and I enjoyed re-living my many childhood trips there too. Thank you, Nana & G-da!

By the way, I am still enjoying my box of Malone's taffy, but the gigantic cinnamon roll I thought might last a few days was gone by breakfast the next morning...just doing my part to foster the stereotype of American gluttony.

The Nomad Comes Home

I've been laughing with friends and family, that of all the people in our high school class I could probably have been voted "Least Likely to Settle in Mississippi." But here I am, proudly admitting that I was wrong about this town (or at least wrong about the great joy of living close to family and the familiar territory of the place where you grew up).

I've been a bit of a nomad in the past 10+ years, venturing further and further from Mississippi -- Boston to Berkeley to Boulder to Brisbane (guess I always had a thing for cities starting with a "B" too). At any rate, after nearly five years of living in Australia -- about as far away as you can go without falling off the edge of the Earth -- I'm finally getting back to where I started.

So join me via the blogging world, as this wanderer comes home.