Carol tagged me for this short little meme….

What is your favorite word? Based on this blog, it’s apparently either “just” or “really.” I seem to like those two words more than the rest. :-)

What is your least favorite word? “Religious.” Not a fan.
And for what it’s worth, I also really dislike the word “spore.”

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Creatively – writing for my blog. I’ve written more in the last six months than I have since college, and this time I actually, you know, enjoy the writing. I wonder if David regrets encouraging me to write again, because let’s face it: I’ve gone waaay past “hobby” with this blog thing. I believe a more appropriate word would be “obsession.”

Spiritually – I love me a sermon series or a Bible study presented by a wise teacher – learning really gets me going. Music does, too…on Sunday mornings, the music definitely prepares my heart for the teaching that follows.

Emotionally – Unexpected sweetness pretty much melts my heart.

What turns you off? Arrogance – in any shape or form.

What is your favorite curse word? OH this is a very different answer than it would have been 10 years ago (I came away from graduate school with a big ole case of potty mouth). So it is a great victory for me to be able to tell you that my favorite curse word is “dadgumit.” The South, you know. I also say, “oh have mercy” about 45 times a day.

What sound or noise do you love? I love hearing Alex talk to himself before he falls asleep. And I also love to hear what he says when he first walks downstairs in the mornings…every single day, he seems surprised that his daddy and I are still there: “OH! HEY MAMA! HEY DADDY! DID YA SLEEP GOOD? CAN I HAVE WAFFLE WITH SYRUP? PLEEEEEEEASE?”

And I typed that in all caps because the child talks in all caps. All caps, all the time.

What sound or noise do you hate? The sound a knife and fork make when they rub against each other. Also, the imagined sound of someone chewing on tinfoil makes me shudder.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Christian counselor.

What profession would you not like to do? Anything involving the analysis of numbers would drive. me. slowly. insane.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “Hey, sweet girl* – I’ve been waiting on you all your life. And you can find the TiVo room down the hall on your right, right past the chocolate fountain and the bottomless diet Coke spigot. Enjoy!”

I’m tagging anyone who needs a meme because they’re fresh out of stuff to write about. ;-)

* – and it’s not that I’m so sweet. AT ALL. It’s that He’s God. And I just think He would say “sweet girl,” because He’s personal like that. :-)

You’ll all be happy to know that David is taking this opportunity to fine-tune our TiVo settings, not that I’m, you know, ANXIOUS or anything about tonight’s Idol, not that I haven’t been looking forward to this all day, not that I didn’t FLY down the stairs when I finally got Alex to bed so that I could WATCH MY SHOW. :-)

Ah, all done now…and it looks like it’s going to be three songs per contestant tonight: one chosen by Clive Davis (Whitney Houston’s producer before she had the meltdown), one chosen by the judges, and one chosen by the contestants.

Elliott Yamin –
“Open Arms” – A Journey song? Really? Yes, really. And while this song does remind me of every awkward social experience I had in junior high, it was pretty good. Could’ve been really cheesy – and it’s certainly nothing I would want to buy – but Elliott did pretty well with it.

“What You Don’t Do For Love” – I do love this song that Paula chose for him. It seemed like he was dragging, though – and screaming, too. But I love to hear Elliott sing some of the older R & B songs – they really suit his style and his voice.

“I Believe To My Soul” – Funky and fun and everything good right here. If I could download his version of this song right now (legally, of course), I would listen to it over and over and over. Great arrangement, great vocal. Loved it.

Katharine McPhee –
“I Believe I Can Fly” – I cannot STAND this song. But somehow she made it sound like the big finale for a Disney heroine. And y’all, the more I hear Katharine, the more I wonder if she’s going to be a great leading lady on Broadway instead of a best-selling recording artist. David says that she pushes too hard – and I think he’s right. It seems like she’s trying to do all kinds of fancy stuff – but she sounds better when she’s understated and subtle.

“Somewhere Over The Rainbow” – Perfect. Perfect song. Perfect arrangement. Perfect performance. Perfectly beautiful. And did she remind anyone else of Sarah MacLachan? So subtle and elegant and perfect. LOVED IT.

“I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But The Blues” – I love this song choice. It was FUN FUN FUN. I think Miss McPhee may have secured her ticket to the finals.

Taylor Hicks –
“Dancing In The Dark” – I am SO not a Springsteen fan (I know, it’s un-American). And this song is, well, okay. When you consider that the song bored me to tears when it was a hit, it’s probably not much of a shock to discover I didn’t love it tonight. Would’ve been better if he had pulled Courteney Cox on the stage to dance with him. ;-)

“You Are So Beautiful” – I thought this was a really romantic and sweet version of this song. I didn’t expect to like it, but it came across as so sincere, so genuine, that it actually brought a little tear to mine eye.

“Try A Little Tenderness” – Hallelujah and Amen. I will be listening to this performance LOUDLY in mere minutes – and dancing spastically throughout my house. David actually didn’t like it at all, but he’s not a Taylor fan like I am. I, on the other hand, ADORED IT.

By the way, the judges were out of control tonight and totally on my nerves. And Paula? Paula, Paula, Paula.

Should go: Elliott
Will go: Elliott
Best of the night: Katharine’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” – but Taylor’s last song was mighty fun indeed.

All this talk of Mamaw’s chocolate pudding and apple tarts has really made me think about 1) food (but what else is new?) and 2) how childhood memories – at least in the South, though I assume it’s universal – have a way of getting tied up with food. I have tons of memories of being outside and riding bikes and exploring the chicken coops in Papaw’s barn – but those memories are linked to walking back inside, wandering into Mamaw’s kitchen, and finding a snack of fresh lemonade and leftover toast with a little homemade plum jelly on it.

When I was a little girl, being at Mamaw and Papaw Davis’ house meant chocolate pudding, homemade apple tarts, fried chicken, fresh vegetables, and a loaf of white bread on the table at every meal. Mamaw Davis died when I was 12, so I haven’t had her food in over 20 years, but I can taste her fried corn right now, not to mention her sweet tea that had so much sugar it actually made you pucker a little bit when you swallowed it.

Being at Mamaw and Papaw Sims’ house meant sixteen kinds of ice cream in the deep freeze, boiled peanuts, and basically all the treats Mama and Daddy would never let us have. Mamaw Sims died when I was five, so I don’t remember her cooking, but I do remember that Papaw Sims would LOAD US UP on candy and popcorn and peanuts and ice cream when we visited. To this very day, if Sister and I are together and have to stop at a convenience store, one of us will buy diet Mountain Dews (it would’ve been Sundrop back in the day), peanuts, bubble gum, Red Hots, etc. – and then imitate Papaw Sims when we distribute the goodies.

Even at three, Alex knows that going to my mama and daddy’s house means donuts, Coke, and Cheetos, and going to David’s mother’s means biscuits, Goldfish, and chocolate. It makes me smile.

Now I know I’m from the South, where we talk about what’s for lunch while we’re eating breakfast, where we bemoan how stuffed we are while we ask somebody to pass us that coconut cake, but my guess is that just about everybody has two or three (or nine or eleven) foods that remind them of childhood, and comfort, and family.

Mine are fried okra, mashed potatoes, chocolate pie and sweet tea.

What are yours?

I reserve the right to ask for recipes.

1. I’m not as up-to-date with celebrity news as I used to be, what with giving up my InTouch / Us / People habit this year (yes, I fell off the wagon when I had a night alone…every once in awhile you just need some big colorful pictures with mindless captions).

But I have decided that I have a distinct pet peeve in the land of celebrity reportage.

(Is “reportage” even a word? Well, it should be.)

Why do magazines, newspapers, etc. always distinguish between biological children and adopted children? Why is everyone in a big hip-hip-hoo about this Brangelina baby, yet when reporters mention their other two children, they refer to them as “adopted”? Why are Tom Cruise’s kids with Nicole Kidman always referred to as “adopted,” while his newest child is just “Tom and Katie’s [excuse me. Kate. Tom’s very insistent that we call her Kate.] kid”? Aren’t the other two children “just his kids,” too?

Because I’ll tell you this (she says, as she creeps up to the stairs that lead to her soapbox): my love for my child is in no way, shape, form or fashion based on the fact that I gave birth to him. I love him because he IS, not because of where he came from. And I don’t see why the media relegate children who are LOVINGLY CHOSEN to some sort of second-tier status.

Should I start a letter writing campaign? How do you even do that?

Dear Us Magazine,

I’ve noticed that you distinguish between adopted and non-adopted children.

Stop it.

Fondly,
BooMama

It really does make me crazy – doesn’t make sense at ALL.

2. I don’t know if you’ve seen Sarah’s good news or not – but it’s cause for praise. Click on over to see a mighty sweet baby girl.

3. Here is the Slap Yo Mama Chocolate Pudding recipe that I mentioned earlier today (though that’s not the pudding’s official name – I can’t really hear my grandmother saying that, and I think that the official name is, surprisingly, “Chocolate Pudding”).

You need to know that my Mamaw Davis was the best cook in six counties – three hot meals a day, everything homemade or homegrown – and this is one of the few recipes anyone bothered to write down. So I’m sharing a little of my cooking heritage with you…it’s one of the strongest sensory memories of my childhood. It is SO. DADGUM. GOOD.

3/4 cup sugar
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks (that is not a typo – that would be 4 egg yolks total, or two days’ worth of your recommended cholesterol intake) :-)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

In a medium-sized saucepan (no heat yet), stir together first three ingredients until there are no lumps. I actually run mine through a sifter, but hey, I’m OCD.

In a separate bowl, beat your eggs.

Fold eggs into dry mixture.

Once eggs are fully incorporated, add milk, stir until combined, and then turn on stove to a medium-high heat. You do not want to boil this custard…so be careful you don’t have too much heat going or the pudding will curdle.

Stir or whisk mixture constantly until it starts to thicken – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Makes 4-6 servings, which I pour immediately into individual dessert bowls (cools quicker that way).

And please, whatever you do, no matter how delicious it may be, please, during the making or eating of this pudding, do not, under any circumstances, slap your mama.

Even though you’ll want to. :-)

Saturday night David and I were talking about our plans for Sunday. We’re not usually ones to make a big deal over the greeting card companies’ holidays, so Sunday promised to be a pretty low-key event: church, lunch, rest, play. The usual. But as we ran through all the possible options, David, in a fit of inspiration, looked at me and said, “Hey – do you want for me to take Alex to church tomorrow and you can stay here?”

And I promise you that before he even finished his sentence, I screamed, “OKAY!”

Y’all know that I love my church. I love GOING to church with my family. But getting to stay home by myself? Unexpectedly?

That’s a SERIOUS reason to praise the Lord. :-)

So my day started with some coffee, and some sweet presents, and then the little man and David headed out for breakfast and church.

Then I had church right here in my own house. I cranked up my music, started making my way through my to-do list, and I thanked Him and praised Him all morning long. I really did, y’all. You may not have known that laundry could be an act of worship, but I’m telling you that yesterday, in my house, it was. This is a crazy time of year for me, and it blessed my soul to be able to do a little “freestyle” worship in solitude. Totally energizing.

And if that weren’t enough joy for one day, yesterday afternoon something happened to me that has never happened before.

When I was a little girl and would watch Miss America, I would wonder why the winner always cried. I didn’t understand that. I mean, if you’re happy, IF SOMEONE PUTS A LARGE CROWN ON YOUR HEAD, why in the world would you cry? And how could the emotions come on that fast? I wondered if they secretly practiced their “pageant cry” in the mirror – if they worked for hours to get the whole crying-laughing-streaming tears routine just like they liked it.

I did experience “the joyful cry” when we had the ultrasound that showed us we were having a boy, but the crying wasn’t unexpected because I was an emotional wreck heading into my doctor’s appointment that day. So it didn’t come at me from out of nowhere…I sort of expected to bawl my eyes out, truth be told.

Well, yesterday afternoon the phone rang, and my aunt was on the other end. She said, “Guess what I got for Mother’s Day?”

And I’m thinking, well, it’s a pretty wide open field – I honestly have no idea.

So I played along and said, “I don’t know. What?”

She said, “I got a yellow fleece snuggly, and a yellow bib that says, ‘I love my grandma.’”

Which means.

My cousin Paige.

Is.

Pregnant.

Her first baby.

14 weeks along.

Y’all, I don’t know what emotional reservoir that news tapped into, but I have never cried tears of pure joy so spontaneously in my life. To know how badly Paige has wanted this baby, to know that she is the most tenderhearted person in the free world and will be the BEST. MAMA. EVIR., to know that Alex will have another cousin, but more than anything to know the joy that is in front of her and how it will absolutely knock her socks off…well, I had a moment.

All I needed to complete said moment was a crown, a scepter, and a large bouquet of roses, because I am telling you, I had that whole Miss America cry DOWN. I perfected it in mere minutes.

So for the rest of the day, no matter what Alex did, I would think about Paige, and everything she has to look forward to. I guess I was talking about the big news a lot, because Alex kept saying, “What’s tomorrow, Mama? PAIGE’S! BABY!”

After supper I made homemade chocolate pudding – it’s my Mamaw Davis’ recipe, and it is slap-yo-mama good (appropriate, isn’t it, for Mother’s Day?) – and apparently the pudding made such an impression on Alex that he thanked God for it twice last night when he said his prayers.

And as I listened to Alex say his prayers – as he thanked God for the chocolate pudding, and the chocolate pudding that got on his shirt, and for outside, and for colors, and for Paige, and Paige’s baby, and for carseat (yeah, I know – but he thanked Him for it), and for family, and for playing trains, and for tub, and bed, and pajamas, and Cheetos, and about 20 other things – I had church, in my own house, for the second time on Mother’s Day.

Sweet, sweet Paige. And that sweet little baby. The two of them have absolutely no idea what they’re going to mean to each other. So many blessings, so much joy – just right around the corner for their family.

It was a really, really good day.

I know it’s Mother’s Day, but it is ALL DADDY, ALL THE TIME around our house these days.

I believe this phase is what the childrearing experts refer to as “modeling.”

I personally refer to it as “Oh blessed sweet relief.”

The little man does still like to snuggle with his mama. But he wants to do EVERYTHING his daddy does, whether it’s checking the phone lines, or reading a magazine, or going to Best Buy (what is it with guys and Best Buy?), or mowing the grass.

We’ve tried to be cautious about Alex getting near equipment with, you know, SHARP SPINNING BLADES, but now he’s getting old enough to understand that he has to keep a respectful distance from the machines that make loud noises. And when David got out the mower, Alex was more than happy to follow behind with a somewhat less sophisticated model.

First Alex made his way to the end of the driveway to show his daddy his cool new equipment.

Note the careful attention to detail as he worked his way around the mailbox shrubbery.

Unfortunately, Alex inherited my ability to fall down for no discernible reason. So the yardwork was interrupted for just a minute while he sought comfort from Mama. I love the fact that David is smiling in the background. Almost as much as I love the fact that I made time to take a picture when my child was crying. PARENTS OF THE YEAR!

And they were both back to the task at hand in no time at all.

Aren’t they the sweetest, y’all?

Happy Mother’s Day.