Finding a Connection

When Darling Daughter Darby was nine years old, she was my little buddy always down for whatever crazy activity I was throwing out. Now that she's 14, hmmm...not so much. Of recent, making the connection has been like trying to fasten a size 8 belt around a size 16 waist. It ain't gonna happen.

However, either she was throwing her old Jaimee a bone last night, or I did something right! With Hubby Dearest in Vermont on a business trip, I offered up our favorite daddy-is-out-of-town meal...meatball subs. Darby helped me prepare our meal as we discussed next year's reading list, which I had received via e-mail yesterday. I had made some notes on the list about how Papa James and Memaw love Lonesome Dove and how Taming of the Shrew has been remade into all kinds of movies.

I suggested to Darling girl if she picked a few books, we could load them on our Kindles and read together this summer. Of course she picks Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! Not sweating it, not at all. In fact because the original is one of my favs and I have the movie, I suggested we watch the movie while we eat and then possibly read afterwards.

The night was a success! Score one for the un-cool Jaimee!! Having watched the movie first and jumped right into reading, Darby seemed to really get into the book. We took turns reading a chapter a piece and made it to chapter six. To add whipped cream to fudge sundae, when it was nearing bedtime, there was no struggle to persuade girly to head upstairs, put away laundry and get a shower. NO WIGGLY DANCE OF FRUSTRATION!!!! YAY!!!! I wonder how tonight will go...

SPECIAL NOTE: Wiggly Dance of Frustration is a slumping of a teens shoulders as he/she slightly bends at the knees and waist like an accordian as if the request of him/her is so weighty and horrible that it threatens to knock him/her down. The accompaning air pushed out by said action makes a whiny "huh" sound. The dance's finale is a stomping off stage to complete the requested task half-assedly.

RANDOM PITTY PARTY: Coping is so much more difficult when Hubby Dearest is traveling for work. After Darling Darby went to bed last night, I just laid there and cried till well after midnight.