Bonnie & Clyve: Christmas Is Better With Littles

It’s Finals week and somehow I still managed to get sick even though I’m not in school anymore. Nyquil and Dayquil are my best friends at the moment. Whoever invented them was divinely inspired by God.

My life has been so booooring lately. I’m basically a widow thanks to finals, and I’m constantly cold. When I get home from work, I always know I’ve got a hot date with my fireplace, PJ’s, and Kindle. Once Billy finishes his finals, I’m not even sure what we will do with all that free time. I might have to concoct a “Get to Know You” quiz to make sure we are still compatible since we have been practically strangers this whole semester: Does Tori like olives? No. Does Tori ever consider Panda Express as an option for dinner? No. Ya know, important info like that.

I had a blast in Virginia visiting my sisters and their darling children, and so now everything after that trip seems rather anticlimactic. So I'll just tell you about my trip.

My dad’s former law clerk now works in the White House and he kindly invited us to lunch in the White House Mess while I was out there. Apparently only senior level White House staff (and their lowly guests) are allowed to eat there. It was pretty swanky. I stuck out like a sore thumb with my bright colors and all my jewelry. It’s the only time in my life when I felt that I should have gone with a black or gray pantsuit. Normally, we would have been able to duck our heads into the Oval Office, but the president was in there so that was apparently a big no-no. I don’t see what the big deal was—I mean I’m sure Barack would have loved to see me. After all, I did campaign for him *his FIRST term.

Bathroom in the White House

But bumping elbows with DC big shots was definitely not as enjoyable as hanging out with my nieces and nephews. It sure does suck living so far away from them. I got to be there for Hadley’s first time in the snow and Emery’s 2^nd birthday party and it was so much fun. But it made me so sad for all the things I’m missing out on. I worry that they don’t even know me— especially after Caroline told me, “When we peeked at our Christmas presents, I thought you got Mary Grace a gun”. However, my sisters do an excellent job at brainwashing them with my name and pictures of me. Hadley knows me as Tor-tor, and it’s the best. It makes me sad that they probably won’t know their Strong cousins very well. Thank goodness for Facebook, Instagram, and Facetime. And buddy passes, of course.

Here are some of my favorite things and conversations that happened on the trip:

Me: Mary Grace, you are going to be such a good mom someday!

MG: No, I don’t want to be a mom.

Me: Why not?

MG: Well, my mom—I mean Megan—told me that sometimes they have to cut open your stomach to get the baby out and then put the skin back on.

Me: Yeah, but they put you to sleep, so it’s not that scary.

Chelsea: Um, they actually don’t put you to sleep for that.

So, now I’m terrified of having a C-section.

Watching Sesame Street with Hadley as she plays with her belly button—her version of thumb-sucking. Her cuteness kills me.

After exploring my parent’s new house with the kiddos, I was jokingly telling Megan that the house was most likely haunted. Sawyer chimed in “Is it because of the boy who died upstairs?” I’m tellin’ ya—kids always know first.

Emery calls my Dad, Bubba. It’s probably my favorite nickname ever, especially since he persistently asks me to call him “The Honorable”. And she dances to Elmo by making herself sick with dizziness and it’s fabulous.

Henry started yelling in the car, “Dikky dat! Dikky dat! Dikky dat!” [Translation: look at that] over and over and over again. Apparently the Virginia countryside is never hard-up for objects to look at.

Mary Grace was yelling things at me through the megaphone that I bought her (definitely not a gun). Out of nowhere, she said “You have great eyebrows!” Let me just tell you—there is no nicer compliment you can give someone who is growing her eyebrows out.

I got to visit with my grandfather for a long time before racing off to beat rush hour. I just love that guy.

Trying to distract the older kids while they were watching Teen Beach Movie only to be met with this reaction:

Seeing my sisters and having late night chats about who-knows-what was definitely a highlight. They are such wonderful women and I am in awe of what great mothers and wives they are.

And I especially loved coming home to Billy. Even though I had to help him on his final presentation on OCD. Bleh. I'll try not to be offended that he needed my help because I most likely have OCD. Or what I like to call TBG.