puppies and sandwiches.

When I was at home over break, my family went to the Annual Ward Christmas party.

A few things about that:

There were mashed potatoes and I ate them and unlike most mashed potatoes, they did not make me want to locate the nearest puppy to feed them to.  There must have been a secret ingredient because seriously, homegirl has been locating mashed potato-eating puppies since the beginning of time.

As I watched my little brother and his friends, I was eerily reminded of myself when I was his age.  At that age, priorities included locating my friends as soon as I walked in the room, scoping out the food items in order to judge how edible they were (which usually resulted in me eating rolls and a piece of pie), and trying to make a way for the family to conveniently sit next to all of my friends who were not being forced to sit with their families.  Man, what was I thinking back then?

Oh, and that Christmas program.  It's always good, I'll give you that.  But it's always a little funny because it reminds me of every pageant and play and performance I was ever in as a child (some of which seem to live on--Granny, anyone?).  It also gives my family an opportunity to talk about the time Dad was asked to be a wiseman/shepherd along with a man whose wife apparently owned the largest costume shop on the planet...somehow the towel on his head just didn't seem up to par.

Most importantly though, what would a ward function be if Sis. Wiseman wasn't there to take your picture?  There must have been a time when she was not around taking pictures, but I swear, that must have been before my long-term memory fully developed because I'm confident she is responsible for documenting the majority of my life's milestones (for which I will be forever grateful!).

If you think Jalyn is taller than me in this picture, you're wrong.  I'm standing farther back or she's standing on one of those mashed potato-eating puppies or I had an extra-flat hairday or something because she is not taller than me.  I will not admit defeat!

Dad tells me that this last break was probably the last time I will see Jake before he is TALLER THAN ME.  How on earth is my baby brother almost 14?  I can still remember when he was a baby and I was holding him up in the air and cooing to him when he decided to throw up...directly into my mouth.  I was traumatized.  Anyway, what is this world coming to?  Time flies.

Oh, also. Have I told you?  Tom is a giant.  Also, it kills me that a few years ago, I used to tease him mercilessly by giving him hugs or kisses on the cheek in public or talking to his friends about all the girls that were in love with him, etc. Oh how it embarrassed him!  But get this, folks.  The tables have turned because homeboy's favorite game is, "Let's pretend you're my girlfriend"  IN PUBLIC. I swear, if he tells me to make him a sandwich or if I see those puckered lips "beckoning" me toward him one more time, I'll knock him out.

I'm just sayin'.