My Son is Going Places...

So, the other night, as Ty and I were sitting in our recliners and winding down for the day, he tells me that as he was putting CT to bed, the boy started asking him questions. I was both amused and rather dumbfounded. Not so much by the number of questions my son was asking, but the KIND of questions he was asking. I keep forgetting how thorough he can be. I now present to you (and all the rest of the internet) a transcript of the conversation, as relayed to me by Ty:

CT: Dad? Do weddings cost money?

Ty: Yes.

CT: How much was Mommy?

Ty: I didn't pay for Mom, you don’t pay for your wife, you pay for the cake, the dress, the music, the dance hall…but you don’t pay for your wife.

CT: Was your wedding a lot of money?

Ty: Well, Mommy’s parents paid for our wedding.

CT: Oh really, why?

Ty: ‘Cause that’s the way it works. The wife’s parents pay for the wedding. So we’ll pay for AJ’s wedding, and whoever you marry, her parents will pay for your wedding.

CT: Oh really, why?

Ty: ‘Cause that’s just the way it works. The wife’s parents pay for the wedding. It’s tradition.

CT: Well, what if they don’t have that tradition?

Ty: It’s pretty much an all American thing.

CT: But what if I marry someone from Africa?

Ty: Then we’ll have to figure it out. Go to sleep.

Am I the only one that finds CT's ability to cover as many bases as possible in his questioning of a topic to be rather mind-boggling? He wants to make sure that every possible angle has been addressed before he moves on. This conversation could easily have gone on for at least another hour. Who knows how many other scenarios he could have come up with? 

Welcome to 2014, Everybody!...

Well, I didn't manage to write my 150th post before the end of the year, but I guess that's not such a big freaking deal. Christmas is over, New Year's is over, and I start a whole new semester tomorrow morning. Geez! This one really sneaked up on me. I didn't even get my usual Christmas Break Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Marathon. Not cool. But I'm looking forward to a new challenge. Keep moving forward, as they say.

For Christmas, I got one of the greatest gifts ever. A WHOLE TRUCKLOAD OF GIFT CARDS!!! A good sized chunk of them were for Macy's (I spent it on shoes, in case you were wondering), and even more of them were for Barnes and Noble. BARNES. AND. NOBLE!!! Needless to say, Ty and I took the chiddlers with us, let them play in the kiddie section, and I just went totally NUTS!!! Within 20 minutes I was walking around that store with my arms overflowing with books. I got a few sidelong glances from some of the pansies who didn't have over $300 in gift cards to spend as they dang well pleased, but I just adjusted my grip and continued my search. Eventually my arms started cramping up and I had to cave in and get one of the shopping baskets. Totally worth it. AND I still have $130 to spend on a future visit of epic binge book buying! WIN!

Oh, even better (I know, *Gasp!*) Ty got me something REALLY amazing. I can't even describe it in words. I can only tell you the story behind it, and then post a picture.

Okay, here's the story. I don't wear a lot of jewelry. I don't own a lot of jewelry. I own about 6 necklaces, approximately 3 of which I really wear on a regular basis. Two of those three are the Claddaugh. I love what the three elements involved in that symbol mean: Love, Loyalty, and Friendship. I've worn it for years, and about a year and a half ago, I added a Scottish symbol to the repertoire--the Luckenbooth. I came across it by chance, and it's just beautiful.

Having recently learned that I have ancestry from all four parts of the United Kingdom, I decided that I wanted to have pendants/symbols from each one. Claddaugh for Ireland, Luckenbooth for Scotland, the Dragon for Wales, and the Tudor Rose for England. The Tudor Rose has double meaning for me, because my own husband is a History Major (having just officially earned his degree in the subject), with a strong emphasis in British royal history. His fascination with this particular topic started with his own personal studies on Henry VIII. His father was Henry Tudor, who--after ending the War of the Roses and combining the rival houses of York (whose symbol was a white rose) and Lancaster (whose symbol was a red rose)--combined the two symbols to create the Tudor Rose.

Apparently, when I told Ty about my wish to complete my pendant collection, he searched high and low for a Tudor Rose pendant. All over the internet. Finally, he found an artist in London who makes BEAUTIFUL pieces. His name is Simon Harrison and his stuff is just incredible. Anyway, this is what Ty found for me, and I just about fell over when I opened the box.


Yep. He spoils me, doesn't he? Oh, he got a BIG hug and kiss from me. Oh, and a really nice computerized telescope. (He's wanted a nice telescope pretty much since the day I met him. I was SO excited to give it to him, and I was NOT disappointed in his reaction.) :)

New Year's was pretty tame, as usual. We took the chiddlers over to my parents' house, where I helped my mom and dad figure out how to set the ringtones on their new smartphones, and then we played games until midnight, drank sparkling apple cider, and took the kids home to bed. Yep. Livin' on the edge, Baby.

Anyway, I guess I've rambled enough for now. Have a great week, everybody! :)