So go to the dentist!

I am going to tell this story despite the fact that I've told it twice and it did little or nothing for those audiences. It's because it made me crack up with laughter in the middle of class!
First of all, it's not the one about the tooth fairy. That was last week, when one of my 7 year olds lost her tooth in the middle of class. Just for fun, when I found out she'd put the tooth under the pillow, I asked her what her tooth fairy looked like.
She thought a second, then said, "I don't know." Another pause, then added, "But she's rich!"
That was funny for sure.
But this- this is family humor. So I have to give family history. My mom's side gets the kind of hard of hearing where they think they hear, or partially hear, and fill in the blanks. Well, my Mom does. The funny thing to us is how badly off these guesses can be. Some make sense, like, "Mom, my feet are killing me." To which she replied, "Go to the dentist!"
Others, not so much. Like, "Guess who I saw last week? Ryan Stanley!"
"What, King Henry the Eighth?"
True stories.
So, today, when a little girl, who was crammed between her seat and the table told me that "My bum is stuck in the _____," I had every right to think that the last word was chair.
"Your bum is stuck in the chair? Well, move it!" seemed like the logical response.
But, after a puzzled look and a suppressed grin, she replied,
"NO, Mrs. Paulson, my BALL IS STUCK IN THE TREE."
I've officially become my mom!

Great End to Summer!

Summer is ending! The air outside is delightful still at 10:00 pm, cooling off the house. Boxes are still scattered here and there, but mostly the house is set up. Backyard is gorgeous, with pictures coming (as soon as I find where the camera cord was put.) And school is starting.
As great a summer as it was, it was my busiest ever, and for most of it I couldn't find my camera battery, so I'm just the opposite of my daughter Sarah's! (see potenttates@blogspot.com for views of some of our adventures)
It ended on a very high note, with a weekend- fully packed 3 days of the Catholic Charismatic Convention (now called Southern California Catholic Renewal)
I am blessed with a Mom with amazing simple faith and a huge, generous heart. A mom so unassuming that she blesses people all the time and speaks words of wisdom so naturally that she feels she's just stating the obvious. (Course, sometimes she does that, too.) She's like a goldmine; you just have to look around through the ordinary earth, and you'll see these sparkling precious treasures. Being in that Spirit-filled atmosphere with such a loving and open lady is, well, probably like being in heaven.
Thanks, Mom! I love you!