Show and Tell

Brittany called the house phone the other day and since I had been talking to her on my cell phone just a few minutes earlier I asked if she was trying to reach her dad.

She said, “No, I was just playing Parental Lottery!” As usual she was walking between classes. And also as usual she was holding multiple conversations and getting me in the middle of them. I think half the kids at Western have said “Hi Mom” to me!

Brittany has always been using me for show and tell. Maybe that’s why I like writing about her – pay back!

I remember one time when she was 10 we were in Jamaica and toward the end of our week’s vacation I badly sunburned my lips. I actually didn’t know I had done it until I woke up the next morning and they looked like Goldie Hawn’s lips in the movie ‘The First Wives Club’!

And this was before women started paying big bucks for that look!

I was sitting out by the pool reading later that morning with a big hat on, keeping my face down and out of the sun, when I saw four little pairs of feet stop by my lounge chair. I heard Brittany’s unmistakable voice say, “She just woke up that way this morning!”

Then Brittany’s face appeared under the brim of my hat. “Mom, can my friends see your lips?”

Some of her friends text John and I now. I find this rather painful because it takes me forever to type out a simple reply. I would much rather email and am always grateful when our text conversation comes to an end. One day Brittany called John to scold him for not answering several texts from one of her friends. She informed him that proper etiquette for text messaging is to never ignore, but always answer them.

Who knew?

I guess, when I really think about it, I like that she wants to share us with her friends. It must mean she’s not ashamed of us at least. But, I asked her once, what did I ever do to deserve such a pedestal.

She had to think a minute, but then replied, “Well, you married really well and you birthed really well!

Can’t argue with that. When she’s right, she’s right!