This past Sunday, on Father's Day, I was picking up some of my employees that are visiting the United States from India. They were going to celebrate Father's Day at my house. My youngest daughter, who we'll call "Rachel" since that's her name, was with me. My wife and older daughter, Rebecca, were building a set for this week's VBS program and were not in the car.
Rachel LOVES it when people come to the United States from Asia. Loves it. So she is in rare form, showing off, singing, and generally making a loud nuisance of herself. The Asians love it. They love it because on first glance it is adorable. Too much, though - like the dose you get if you live with her - and it becomes increasingly less adorable.
Since pleading with her to "turn the volume down" and other similar supplications failed to control the mayhem, I turned to texting to blow off some steam. Yeah, I said texting. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING OF IT!?
So I sent a message to my older daughter, Rebecca, as I knew she would see it in about 12 nanoseconds.
Gregg: (texting) I'd like to trade Rachel in for another kitten.
See, we already have two geriatric cats and a dog that wants to eat them, and that is about all our house can contain. You see, they don't get along and are frequently very annoying. My oldest cat doesn't remember that she's been fed and CONSTANTLY wants food - even if she is currently eating. She indicates this want by following you around and HOWLING AT THE TOP OF HER LITTLE CAT LUNGS. The youngest attacks the oldest for sport. Fortunately for us, the cats are aging and arthritis is starting to slow them down, a bit. Yep, with my cats, I'm spinning arthritis as a positive. The point is, me indicating I'd want to add an additional cat to the circus that is our house is an indication that the annoyance meter is registering pretty high!
Being sisters, and knowing how sisters love each other through thick and thin, famine and feast, and Beavis and Butthead, I knew that Rebecca would text something appropriately endearing and supportive back to me. Something like, "she'll only be seven once, enjoy her while she's like that and not a sullen teen like me!" Well, I did get a message from Rebecca rather promptly. The message was simple, yet thoroughly conveyed the emotion that I knew my oldest daughter was feeling at that moment towards her precious, cute little sister:
Rebecca:(texting back) Awwww, kittens!
Aren't kids great! How is the Terry Brooks Series, I noticed the picture in your sidebar. I want to read that.
Posted by: kaye | June 25, 2009 at 10:56 AM