Category Archives: overheard under the Big Top

if it’s love

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Ear worm in my head right now…

While everybody else is getting out of bed
I’m usually getting in it
I’m not in it to win it
And there’s a thousand ways you can skin it…

I confess you are the best thing in my life…

If it’s love
And we decide that it’s forever
No one else could do it better…

Then suddenly I hear something else…

Chirp…chirp…chirp…

I walk through the Big Top listening carefully…

Chirp…chirp…chirp…

Damn these smoke detectors!

Chirp…chirp…chirp…

Found it!

It’s in one of the kids’ bedrooms. No problem. I grab the step ladder and a 9 volt battery and (BOOM!) I replace it.

Chirp…chirp…chirp…

Seriously?!

Honey, can you please check the smoke detector in Daniel’s room. It’s chirping.

Now?! (it’s 9:45 at night, bedtime for someone who has to get up at 4AM)

Yes, now.

I replaced that battery two weeks ago.

Well I just now replaced the battery and it is still chirping. Maybe I put it in wrong or something else. Can you please check it?

:::grumble:::

Seriously, honey. I know you’ll have no problem sleeping through that chirping all night but I know that I won’t and neither will Daniel. Can you please just check?

So he checks…with a little bit more grumbling…but he does check and it chirps no more.

Thank you.

Yeah…

Where was I? Oh yeah…

If it’s love
And we’re two birds of a feather
Then the rest is just whatever
And if I’m addicted to loving you…

Getting ready for bed, my little ear worm is interrupted yet again. There’s a damp bath mat on the floor in front of the shower.

UGH!

Really, how hard can it be to pick it up and hang it over the shower door, I grumble to myself as I pick it up. I want to shout it and wake up my darling husband but…

And you’re addicted to my love too
We can be them two birds of a feather
That flock together
Love, love
Got to have something to keep us together
Love, Love
That’s enough for me…

For thirty years now we have been loving and annoying the hell out of each other. That’s a very long time…a lifetime…our lifetime.

If it’s love
And we’re two birds of a feather
Then the rest is just whatever

If it’s love
And we decide that it’s forever
No one else could do it better
And if I’m addicted to loving you
And you’re addicted to my love too
We can be them two birds of a feather
That flock together
Love, love
Got to have something to keep us together
Love, love
Got to have something to keep us together
Love, love
That’s enough for me

Happy anniversary my darling husband. It’s been quite the adventure the last thirty years what with raising five clowns, including the one who decided to be born on our anniversary 17 years ago…Happy birthday Jodie!...and driving each other crazy with honey-do lists and leaving wet towels on the floor. But we are definitely in it to win it together.

Now if only we had the money to celebrate it properly.

Oh well.

Happy anniversary my love!

overheard under the Big Top #419

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Daniel: I think I will FaceTime with Zoë.

And so he did. As you can see, she is looking (and feeling) so much better after her I’m-going-to-stress-and-worry-the-shit-out-of-my-mom-and-try-to-kill-my-guardian-angel-in-the-process mishap. She is so lucky she lives down in LA where I can’t my hands on her. Just saying.

But it was good to see her smiling face and hear both Daniel and her laugh. Happy, happy music that makes my heart smile, especially after the messed up, exhausting week of nothing but crazy messed up-ness we all have endured. It was good to listen to the laughter of your children.

“Want me to show you my butt?”

Wait!

What?

No!

“You may NOT show your sister your butt on FaceTime!“

Add that to the things-my-mother-never-told-me-I-would-have-to-say-as-a-mother-someday. Then again, she never really told me much of anything about being a mother.

Oh well.

Thankfully, no butts were exposed on FaceTime. But there was more laughter and secrets shared and the discovery that it is the same time in Los Angeles as it is in Manteca.

Who knew?

“You press ‘End’.”

No, you press ‘End’.”

“No! You!”

More laughter and finally they said goodbye and ended their FaceTime.

I’m not sure who pressed “End” first.

overheard under the Big Top #322

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At a 7-11 near you:

Is that your son?

Um, no. This is my brother.

Now I realize that among a certain ethnic population here in the Central Valley it is not uncommon at all for a girl like my 16 year old daughter to very likely be a mother of one, perhaps even two children…very young children. I know this because I am in the business of catching and caring for babies here in the Central Valley. But come on…let’s think about this real hard.

Silly, silly people!

Jodie and Daniel, May 2002

overheard under the Big Top #217

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Jodie:Aw Dad! You’re so cute buying mom flowers and her favorite candy just because she is sick. You should do that for me when I am sick.

Dad: You always get sick during the week when I’m busy at work.

It’s true.

I am sick. Have been since Thursday. The good news is I have caught up on Downton Abbey…when I haven’t been sleeping and I have slept a lot.

It’s also true that my darling husband brought home a bouquet of flowers and red vines. He claims the licorice has medicinal properties.

Of course it is very true that he is cute.

And it is true that Jodie usually gets sick during the week when her Mommy Dearest is here to look after her, take her to the doctor, give her the medicine she needs and to pretty much wait on her and her Daddy is commuting 2 hours to work 10 hour work days.

It’s all true…so very true.

I’ll let you know if the licorice works.

overheard under the Big Top #111

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Daniel: Look Mom! Our backyard is full of wishes.

Mom: ???

All I see are weeds and spots of dead grass and dog poop…seriously, those dogs poop a lot! Then I look a little closer and I realize that yes, yes indeed our back yard is full of wishes. How thankful I am for this boy of mine and his vision and wisdom.

So go ahead. Pick one and make a wish. Just watch out for the dog poop.