"Paralyzed With Awesomeness"

A favorite saying at our house, originated by James, of course, but usually used by Chase, goes something like this..."Hey, Grammy come'ere quick, you GOT to see this, you'll be "Paralyzed With Awesomeness." So I started thinking shouldn't everyone in their life have many many moments when they are totally "Paralyzed With Awesomeness?"
Sadly at that particular moment I couldn't think of anything. Pretty ungrateful for a 50ish woman. But then....Haloween happened and Weston came down from Utah with his parents, and the three kids got ready for tricks or treats, and I saw them there sitting on the couch. Ninja Warrior, Cuddly Bear, and (my favorite costume ever) Pollen Jock. And indeed, I was Paralyzed With Awesomeness.

My First Uluru Moment

For Christmas Roy got a giant book with different wonders of the world. As he was flipping throught the pages he uttered, "Ayers Rock, (pronunciation with a long A). James as he was pausing in his passing of presents looked over Bompa's shoulder and amazed me for now and for all times with, "I believe Bompa, it is pronounced "Iyers Rock also known as.....", he then lowers his voice when he notices people have stopped in their unwrapping and are looking at him quizzically. Ben encourages him, "What, James, also known as what?"

AND I KID YOU NOT!!!!
He then opens his mouth and utters..."Uluru."

Then he's off to the next present. Meanwhile we all look around a little bewildered, until somebody, I can't remember who, gets up and goes to research on their own. A few minutes later we quietly, without embarassing James, pass around our new found knowledge. (Apparently not so new to James)
Uluru,(pronounced oo-la-roo), is in fact a giant rock, 5 miles around and who knows how high somewhere in the middle of Australia. It is called "Ayers Rock", (yes, the "a" pronounced as a long "i") and the Aborigines call it Uluru.

Whenever anything happens in the rest of my life, where I learn something absolutely unheard of yet amazing....I will call it an, "Uluru Moment."
Thank you James, you never fail to amaze and entertain me. I love you, you little Uluru, you.

Do You Have It In You?

We recently watched "The Wizard of Oz" with the grandboys, and Chase has really taken a fascination to the whole thing. Last night he went into my room put on some red sandals, Roy's cowboy hat and came out with,"I'm the Wicked Witch, now I need a broom." But when Angela found a facsimile of a broom, Chase looked resigned and shook his head, "No, mom...I can't be the Wicked Witch, I just don't have that laugh in my body."

Perhaps it says something freudian about my character, but I DO have a wicked witch laugh in my body. It has been coming out since I was a little girl, scaring my animals and friends, then later when I had children....some were mesmerized but shaken and would ask for it again and again; and some flat out, would shut any book with a witch in it, afraid I might let loose. Angie told Chase to ask Grammy if she had a wicked witch laugh...the result...his eyes widened as he shrunk in size and has not asked me again.