Handwriting 101

So, on the spur of a moment thought while driving north on I-17, I swerved across a lane of traffic to exit for Walmart.  Wally’s World… it solves so many of life’s daily issues…. and has the ambiance of the state fair for your viewing pleasure.  My main thought was “cabbage”…. because there are currently two heads of cabbage in the fridge which I keep purchasing because our family eats CCS  (Chinese Chicken Salad) at least once a week.  The dilemma:  no chicken has materialized at the Crosby home for at least three weeks.  Hence, the swerve and the W-Mart run. 

Larisa was with me as we bee-bopped into the friendly world of helpful souls clad in navy shirts and tan pants.  At the Crosby home, there is a magnetic list on the side of the fridge where needed and even wanted grocery items are listed for such a time as this.  Unfortunately, because this was not a premeditated trip, the magnets were still holding the list on said refrigerator. 

So, with my hot pink cell phone, I called home to have one of my sons (whom I taught to read) relay the list to me while I stood in the produce section of WM.  Keeve answered the phone.  He was my easiest non-reading pupil.  Somehow, he just naturally READ….. and I helped a bit.  There were only four items on the list… he slowly read, “lard, …. um… I can’t read that one…. um…. A-C-E-T-A-M-I….”  “Acetaminophen,” I interrupted his spelling bee recitation.  “OK, yeah…. top ramen…. Mom, I really can’t read the other one.”  Yes, I had written it myself.  I remember writing it… but I couldn’t remember what it was.  So I asked him to spell it.  “Um….. g…v…  your writing is really messy on this word.”  “Yeah, yeah, keep spelling, please.”   “OK, Um… g… v.. i…h..t…e..m.  That’s what it looks like, mom.”  

“Is Austin right there?  Can you please have him read it?” While he was locating his brother, I found a scratch piece of paper in my purse and wrote down GVIHTEM to try and figure out what it was that I had written so messily.  Larisa suggested, “Write it fast and then squint to read it.”  hahahaha  I did, but it didn’t help.  Aus came to save the day… well, sort of.  “Mom, I can’t read what you wrote.”  “Then please spell it, son.”   “OK, GVLTEM.”   “Thank you, see you later,” I replied.    I gave up at that point and went to find lard, pills and noodles.

I couldn’t wait to get home to read my messy handwriting.  Ok, I laughed… the word they spelled over and over was the FIRST word of a double word item on the list…. even if they couldn’t read the first word, the second word was CRACKERS!  And the first word started with a G…. graham crackers, of course!  And my writing wasn’t THAT bad.  I could read it.  Sheesh.

The RR Camping Saga

 

Photo by T. Robertson

Yes, the men and boys arrived home safely yesterday from two nights in the woods.  This was a highly frustrating trip for those who like comfort and order.  It was a highly amusing time for those who like to laugh in the face of confusion.  And it was a highly entertaining time for ALL the boys.  They’ll remember this trip for the rest of their lives.

The Royal Rangers (fondly known as Ritalin Rangers) from the Arizona District had their Grand Fall Pow Wow with several churches participating from around the state.  Poo Bah Poo Bah.  My dear husband is one of many commanders at our church and arranged for our RR boys to go. The plan was to leave on Friday around noon and head to a Boy Scout’s camp near the Grand Canyon, 3.5 hours northwest of us.  Then Tuesday they get an email that states that the camp in closed for construction and the Pow Wow had been moved to Payson, 1.5 hours east-north-east of us.  OK.  No problem.  Then THURSDAY they got an email that said it was indeed back at the Grand Canyon camp.  FINE.  Off they went on Friday.

 

Photo by T. Robertson

Can I just add here that on Thursday night close to midnight, my dear husband handed me the grocery list for the 26 campers and asked me to put quantities beside the items…. AND put the list in the order of the Walmart aisles.  Well, one look at the list and I started crossing off stuff.  Saturday morning breakfast included eggs, bacon, pancakes, syrup, bagels, cream cheese, coffee, hot chocolate, milk and orange juice.  No names mentioned, but the list was made by two of the cushy-hotel-campers.  I chiseled it down to pancakes, syrup, bacon, coffee and milk.  There.  (And there were no fruits or vegetables on the entire list for five meals…….)  I digress.  And yes, I put it in Walmart order and saved my dear husband at least two ours of wandering time.

SO, they get up to the Grand Canyon camp to find the gates locked… and an Under Construction sign.  Sigh.  They couldn’t just turn around and head to Payson because there was another truck load of boys and dads on their way.  For the next three hours they drove around and around and around looking for a camp ground.  By 9:30 p.m. they pulled off a lonely road into the trees and set up camp.  No bathrooms.  No running water.  My husband was in his Native Canadian Indian element… this is how he spent his summers growing up.  No big deal.  But for the clean-fingernail-crowd, it cramped their camping style.

They returned with smiles on their dirty, unshaven faces with every sleeping bag, foamy mattress and pillow WET!  Lovely.  I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad it was a father-son trip.  :o)