"You said the loud part soft...

...and the soft part loud." That is a quote from Simpson's that used to crack my sister, Rachel and I up. What cracks me up now is how aptly it applies to having a four-year old whose social skills are all but absent. The odd timing and volume choice for many of Alli’s comments made in very public places gives me discreet hysteria for prolonged periods of time. Good golly, I can’t let her know how funny it is to laugh at something inappropriate like gas, burps, silly names…oh it all goes back to bodily functions! I guess I’m exposing myself as somewhat immature in confessing my mantra for coping in all situations I’ve been in, “Gas is ALWAYS funny”. I was a teacher of both first and sixth graders—gas had to be funny or I would have gagged all day long. I was a sister missionary surrounded by 180+ Elders—after sitting in Zone Conference all day after a starchy Mormon lunch, gas had to be funny. I’m married to a healthy male—need I say more?

I digress in overly focusing on flatulence.

Back to Alli’s awesome comments… She has this thing with Asia. We have a world map that we use occasionally when we try to pop our Happy Valley Bubble and think outside the box. Asia is the biggest and brightest on our map. For a while she thought our neighborhood was inside Asia. Now she wants to live in Asia after she’s married. So, when we went to the Storytelling Festival and she was delighted to listen to a talented Japanese woman (who btw was a guest on Mr. Rogers, may he RIP…he’s dead, right?). The next woman who got up was a vivacious Southern African-American woman. Right after the applause died down, she turned to me, and in a not-so-soft voice said, “She’s from Asia too, huh Mom?!” Wow, stifle those snickers, because it’s not funny! ;D


She was all too delighted to visit the Hogle Zoo and their new Asia interactive community!

This is an awesome first day of Preschool shot, aye? She's a doll!