Understandabilityness

There is a list of words that need to be in the dictionary. For starters let's just say "funner". I like that word and the fact that it is not a word is annoying. "More fun" isn't near as fun as "funner".

"It was funner bringing the dog on the sled."
"Oh, my gosh, that was so much funner!"

Charlee Beth invented a word when she was about three. I would say something like, "Charlee please don't pull on that." She would reply with, "I amn't". You may need to say this one over a couple of times. The contraction is formed with "am not." Kinda like"is not", or "isn't." A little like "are not," or "aren't." You get the picture. Amn't. It's a good word. I am putting it in my school dictionary of new words.

Who has the power to make words? We do. But who are the dudes who are writing them and making them into real words? Is there a government branch in charge of this? Hmmm. Webster would flip in his grave to see the dictionary now.

My husband is grand for creating wordal novelties. (Hey, "wordal"....that's a pretty good one, too!) But, Travis came up with "rotisserate". This is a verb and you do it while standing around a very hot campfire. It is a combination of the word "rotate" and "rotisserie". This makes complete and total sense and from now on you will not be able to spin around the fire without thinking, "I am rotisserating!"

Aside from being funner, another great thing about inventing words is that you can also invent their spelling. I cannot spell "rotisserate" incorrectly. When I push the spell check icon, do you know how many words are already highlighted in yellow?? A lot. But, guess what....I don't care. I am president of the word bureau right now and I do not have listen to spell check because it obviously hasn't gotten the new updated memo including these fine words.

How about words that babies can't pronounce correctly and we all start saying them because they are cute?:

picey=spicy
bess=dress
peez=please
na noo=thank you
shoshun=lotion
noonees=noodles
wuv ooo=love you
tiss=kiss
queer=clear!
etc., etc.,

In life we cling to these sweet familiar mispronounced words because it stops these babies from aging. The way they see the world also slows us down. Why explain that "arm pat" is really "arm pit" until their friends laugh at them? We love these things that make us all unique. They are our trademark, our tattoo of love from the innocent eyes that look up and say, "Mom, do you have enough engury to make me some smoothie?"

"That's energy, honey, and yes I do!"

The trivia game that I bought the girls for Christmas was purely educational.....I thought. I didn't have a clue that my $7 would bring so much laughter to our home.

Question: Correct this sentence, "She ain't my friend anymore."
Hannah's answer: She is my friend again!

Wow! That's exactly the way to "correct" that sentence. Make up and get over it. You can still be friends even when you don't agree. Who wrote this stuff?

Question: If a man has a wife, a woman has a.....?
Charlee's answer: A baby!

Well, there's no reason to take that one further. I mean that's common sense right there. We did it three times! We have photo albums. There's mom and dad when they were "SO young!" There's mom and dad with their new puppy. There's mom and dad's wedding. OH!!, there's baby pictures, and lots of them! Yes, when and man has a wife, a woman has a baby. That's scientific brilliance, at it's finest.

These times of precious innocence, I cherish. These little glimpses into simple pure thought, unstained by a busy world of, "No, this is how it really is!" I enjoy watching them. I enjoy seeing what they will deduce from a situation; how they will solve the problem. There is wonderment and curiosity in everything. This is how we are meant to be. I want to pick up that flower and look at it for too long. I want to play a make believe game and never leave the beach until it's so dark that Daddy carries me to the car! (But, somebody, has to make dinner and clean the house!) There are things that I KNOW because I'm 34 yrs old, and there are things that I have forgotten because I'm 34 yrs old.

We come into this life as little scientists, ready to learn and experiment and prove, and prove again. "Is the fire really hot? OWWW....yeah, you weren't a kiddin', Mom!" And, that right there is why we are given big, tall, strong, smart parents to keep us ALIVE while we are experimenting with the world. When the experiments fail and the "wings" we built to "fly" off the porch roof didn't work, it's our brilliant parents who are standing there, hands on their hips, first aid kit at the ready to tell us, "WHAT were you thinking you crazy kid?? I told you to keep your feet on the ground!" (Good thing, the Wright brothers didn't listen too closely...thanks for speedy travel, boys!)

















Too many no's upset our growth and balance, as do, too many yes's. We need contraction and expansion. We need chaos and order. We need quiet and noise. We need movies and hikes. We need bacon and grapefruits. We need sleep and wake, up and down to make us learn and grow. What a beautiful thing this life is!! I have a deep compassion for thought that goes off of the mainstream; minds that work on double artistic time. My love goes out to the frustrated hands thrown in the air chirping, "WHY?!"
"Really, kid, I don't know why, a lot of the time! No body does. But, this way works, and if you can show me another way that fits into my slot of safe, intelligent, and timely...then we can work this out!"

For years I would get distracted with my homework. I would be inventing a story next to the history lesson, just to make it even MORE interesting. I still got the work done and I got good grades, but it was boring just following the curriculum. There had to be more to that Columbus story....stuff they didn't know because they didn't have a camera crew. We took the word of some dudes that kept journals and no pictures! So pretty soon I took to doing my homework with my walkman on and Pearl Jam playing guitar riffs in my ears. It took that creative part of my mind and occupied it so I could be freed up to learn about lipids and white blood cells. It allowed my thought to travel and complete itself. It kept me interested. Now, my mother, who is a VERY understanding and excepting woman, questioned this...repeatedly. But, as it proved to work for me, she allowed me to do it. Just because it's not standard doesn't mean it's not right.

We are all unique and beautifully built. And, if I spend my time trying to change the way that my kids think and believe, so much, that I miss what they are trying to show me....then I'm the one being unteachable. It's a creative dance that we do, keeping our families together. We can't read each other's minds. We must communicate. And, to communicate, we must LISTEN. As a good friend once told me...."That's why God gave us two ears and one mouth, because we are supposed to listen twice as much as we talk." That is dang good advice for all of us. Our way is not the only way. The minute I think I'M right....I am missing a golden nugget somewhere. Love passes ALL understanding! Love drives away ALL fear.

So, as the dictionary in my life expands and the collective books of my family are filled I will turn my mouth off and my ears on. I will correct only the mean behavior that stems from some overlooked burden in her little soul. I will hug, and love, and explain, and swat, and hug again. I will listen and try my best to understand. I will not give up when the dark clouds roll in and the wind doesn't cease, because there is a calm after the storm. There is relief and understanding to be had. It's much FUNNER, and I AMN'T gonna miss it!