Have you ever played that game where you choose 2 people, like yourself and someone famous, and you try to think of random connections that eventually link the two of you together? Ya know, like you ate at a sandwich shop, and the owner is the cousin of the taxi driver of that famous person? BAM. Instant connection. Haha.

My new Monday posts are going to be something like that game– each paragraph somehow related to the next– in a very random type of way. Or maybe they won’t be related at all, haha. Sometimes I just feel like I have so many thoughts in my head that it could burst, (some frivilous, and some that actually matter), and I’m excited to have a place to get it all out. I’m calling these Monday posts, Once Upon a Weekend (formerly my link party). So please feel free to join me on my adventures in rambling, talking about what we did over the week/weekend, WIPS (works in progress), sharing music videos, maybe a little talk about fashion, vacations pictures… anyway I’m excited to see where these Mondays might lead!

One of my favorite bloggers writes letters to her blog, and I find it so entertaining. So I’m going to take a stab at it today. Let’s begin.

Dear Last Weekend,

I found myself in Texas. My parents flew me there as an early birthday present. 

My sister and I were planning a fun sisters weekend in San Antonio. 

We were also there to attend a surprise party for Dr. Hardaway, the choir director from the Texas Children’s Choir
and Broadway Troupe, that we were members of when we lived in Ft. Hood, TX as kids from 1989-1992.
(The choir is still going strong, after 33 years, and is still led by Dr. Hardaway).

The surprise party was a huge hit, there were around 250 people there… many former “alumni” and current choir members. It was fun to reunite with so many people from our childhood days. The best and most unforgettable part was Dr. Hardaway’s reaction. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone in shock like he was. All I can say, is that he is a man worth honoring and celebrating. He touched our lives in so many ways, and I’ve always loved music because of him.

Here is a video clip of the surprise. His current choir surprised him first, then the curtain opened, and the alumni surprised him again. Many of us had flown in from all over the U.S. It was truly special to be ‘in’ on such a cool occasion! And it was SUCH a treat to be with my sister, rehearsing and singing the songs that meant so much to us. It was like we were reliving our childhood. So special.

 

Dear Childhood,

You were good, so good. 

One of my favorite parts of my childhood was when my sis and I traveled all over central TX with our performing group. We sang and danced at Sea World, colleges, churches, it was awesome. 

These were during the days of Desert Storm, when our dad was deployed in the middle east. 

It was not an easy time, which is why I am so grateful to have had such sweet experiences and opportunities to help pass the time. 
It was a huge part of our lives, for 3 years.
My sister and I were the first tappers/cloggers in the group. 
Jazz hands! (;

Dear Mom, 

Thank you for making all of this possible, then and now. 

We love you.

Dear Kidney Stones,

You ruined our fun sister’s weekend. Thankfully you held off until the surprise party was over, but you got the best of my poor sister, and sent her to the hospital for 3 days, with complications. She is doing ok now, but it was pretty devastating!
I have had kidney stones before, twice. They are awful!!! I guess they run in the family…

At least that gave us more time to visit with Dr. Hardaway, who came to see her in the hospital. That was very special.

Dear Flaneur-ing,

When I was 19, I studied abroad in Paris. One of our assignments was to be a flaneur for a day. We were to walk the streets of Paris, alone, and record our observations/thoughts/feelings/adventures. 

It sounded fun, and um…. scary!

American tourist, alone, young and vulnerable, no cell phone back then.

Yeah, no thanks.

I’m so glad I had the good sense to refuse to do this assignment.

My BFF Allison and I decided to do the assignment together, so we flaneured about Paris together, thankyouverymuch.

(PS- have you ever seen Taken)?
Anyway…

whilst in San Antonio,

while my sister was having surgery,

in a place that speaks my language + I had a cell phone,

I decided to embrace my ‘inner flaneur.’

I wandered all over San Antonio on foot.

I stuck mostly on the Riverwalk (on a mad search for the stage where my sis and I clogged as kids).

I walked miles and miles, ate Mexican food, 2 scoops of ice cream, attended mass in San Fernando’s Cathedral, and visited the Alamo.

All of it without my sister.

I COULD STILL CRY!

Dear Mou Chuk,

Never have I ever imagined myself wearing a white belt and karate outfit (what is the real name)? 

My sister, and her husband, and her kids do mou chuk together. They rock.

I had so much fun pretending that I could beat my big sister up.

Dear Texas,

Country music sounds ten times better when listened to while driving down one of your highways. 

Your Mexican food and BBQ never tasted better. 

(Seriously, if you’re ever in Texas, go eat at Rudy’s).

I could have stayed another week. I love Texas!

Dear Real Life,

Oh yeah, I have 3 kids back at home! Who was taking care of them while I was in Texas?

This sister!

I can never thank her enough!

And I still can’t stop laughing that we were wearing the same sweater when I picked her up at the airport.

Dear My Kids,

When I came home, I embraced your happy bubbly faces and listened to your stories and laughter.

But…

 all I could really hear were your lisps!

Really, all 3 of my kids have lisps.

I’ve always known that, but I think I’ve just been “waiting” for them to grow out of lisping.

But it was all I could hear when I got back. Isn’t that strange?

So, dear readers,

Do any of your kids have a lisp? And if so, have you done anything to help?

I really feel like I need to consult a speech pathologist and get some help!

Dear Monday-Friday,

I will not eat sugar.

I will not eat sugar.

Except Monday night.

And Friday night. 

Oh dear.

Dear SNAP,

After looking at the cost of air travel and stressing about child care,

I’ve decided not to go this year. SAD!

I now have a ticket for sale.

I’m selling it for $225 (purchased at $250).

If YOU 

or anyone you know

is looking for a ticket to SNAP, please let me know!

familyeverafter at gmail dot com

And that’s a wrap.

Have a Happy Week!