What's Your Name Again?

During the summer I always miss the funny things that kids say....but this year I'm covered because I am spending my summer working at a child care center. This is a conversation I had with a little girl on my first day.

Little Girl: "Um.....what's your name again?"
Me: "My name is Dawn. The friends here call me 'Dawn' or 'Teacher Dawn' so you can choose what you would like to call me."
Little Girl: "OK."
(Long Pause)
Little Girl: "So how about I call you 'Teacher Sparkle'?"
Me: "Well....sure. Why not."

I thought it was cute and funny but I never thought she would remember it the next day. I was wrong. We are now 3 weeks in and I regularly hear things like;
"Teacher Sparkle, can I have more juice?"
"Teacher Sparkle, will you put piggy tails in my hair?"
"Teacher Sparkle I want to color."

The name is really starting to grow on me....maybe I should make a T-shirt....I'll use glittery iron-on letters.

The Phone Call

Setting: my comfy bed

Me (in my head): 'What is that noise? It should stop.'
Other Me (in my head): 'It is the PHONE! Answer it!!!'
Me (out loud but very groggy): "Hello?"
A Brother: "Did I wake you up?"
Me (in my head): 'You seriously need to ask that question...isn't it obvious?'
Me (out loud): "mmmm"
A Brother: "It is 11:00 am." sounding equal parts judgemental and incredulous
Me (in my head): 'Is that supposed to mean something to me?'
Me (out loud): "OK"
A Brother: "I need your professional opinion."
Me (in my head): 'I guess this isn't one of those conversations that I can be partially awake for and then quickly go back to sleep when it is finished. Ugh.'
Me (out loud): "OK"

Note to my readers: I have no spouse or children to interrupt my beloved weekend sleeping routine (which consists of sleeping as long as I possibly can) and I make the most of that situation. Please do not judge me simply because you are jealous.

Boston!!

Things I learned on my recent trip to Boston:

Day 1:
*I am easily bored when forced to sit in one seat for 5 hours.

*Veggie Burgers from UBurger are quite yummy...and their fries and onion rings are even yummier.

*Red Sox fans are serious, and I mean serious, about their team. Here's a note to the girl sitting in front of me...your date was WAY more into Ortiz than he was into you.

Day 2:

*Utah is lame...because we don't have Dunkin Donuts.

*Duck Tours are actually a cool tourist thing to do in Boston (truthfully I was a little worried that it would be completely uncool.)

*I am a descendant of 2 men that came to America on the actual Mayflower...how cool is that?! (This is relevant to my Washburn relations)

*If you are at all interested in dressing up in period clothing and speaking in a British accent for several hours a day...you should definitely move to Boston (and surrounding areas) because there are lots of jobs available.

*If you are interested in that kind of job, you should hope that I don't visit your place of work because I will mock you mercilessly and refuse to speak to you.

*Pad Thai is actually really delicious. (well that one kind of pad Thai that I ordered at that one Thai restaurant I ate at in Harvard Square was really delicious)

*Eric seems strangely invested in making me try new foods. (This happens every time we travel)

*If being super excited to see the place where Car Talk is located makes me a nerd...then you can call me a nerd!

Day 3:

*The glass flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are so incredible..and no I am definitely not overstating that...they are incredible!

*Harvard is a really beautiful place that made me want to be smarter (don't worry the feeling only lasted for a few hours.)

*There are a group of people in Boston who apparently believe tourists are the dumbest species on the planet and have therefore made a line out of red bricks and paint that guides the stupid people all over the city to famous historical sites.

*The red line made of bricks and paint is quite useful.

*There is a Holocaust Memorial in Boston that is intensely powerful and emotional.

*I LOVE pasta...and the homemade pasta with marinara and 4 cheeses that I ate in Boston's North End was quite possibly my favorite thing that I ate on this trip.

*The line at "Mike's Pastry" will be long...but the cakes, cookies and cannolis that you get after waiting 45 minutes will definitely be worth it.
Day 4:

*I am officially in love and want nothing more than to marry the object of my affections...who is this man? The talented, brilliant, visionary, and all around perfect man who invented toffee chip pancakes. (PS...if that man is reading this, please call me!)

*It is possible to visit the home where Louisa May Alcott lived. Her classic book Little Women is one of my all time favorites and I was fascinated being there. I didn't even know about it, so thanks to Eric for taking me (although I'm sure it wasn't on the top of his must do list!)

*It is difficult to enjoy the beauty of Walden Pond and the surrounding area when you are hiking in sandals and are trying not to trip over roots and rocks. But the times I dared look up it was beautiful, and I can completely understand why Thoreau lived and wrote there.

*If you place a stone on the pile of stones that marks Thoreau's home site at Walden Pond, you can make a wish that will come true on the 4th day. (I'm not telling but my wish may have had something to do with the inventor of toffee chip pancakes...)

*I saw lots of beautiful Coach Handbags in the swanky shopping area of the Back Bay. They wanted me to take them home with me, which of course I couldn't, but I can barely sleep at night because I am still haunted by their cries...truly heartbreaking.

*It is possible to partially satisfy ones craving for a Coach Handbag by buying a super cool Johnny Cupcakes bag instead. (which was significantly cheaper and more unique)

Day 5:

*I think it would be so fun to live in a charming little house in Marblehead Massachusetts, it was the most adorable town I have ever seen.

*The fact that there is a town called Salem Massachusetts does not mean that that is the location of the famous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century. (which seems rather deceptive if you ask me)

*There was a woman named Susannah North Martin who was hanged for being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials...and she might be my ancestor! How cool is that?! (this is relevant to my Taylor relations...and I'm still investigating the definite-ness of this claim...fingers crossed!)

*Apparently the red line making people took their cause to Salem.

*I still don't know where that line was supposed to take me...

General Info:

*$50 shoes that are made specifically for comfort during walking and that have been broken in for several weeks by the owner are apparently worse than the $8 "sandals" (really a piece of plywood with a 1/2 inch leather strap wrapping around one's ankle) when it comes to getting blisters...and I have the 1000 blisters to prove it.

*Being a vegetarian in Boston is significantly easier than being a vegetarian in Lehi.

*Humidity is not my friend.

*People on airplanes are weirdly friendly...we are complete strangers!!!

*Eric is a great driver/tour guide/travel agent/and provider of lodgings! Thanks Eric!!