Mean big brothers

In addition to not liking to do our chores, Mimi and I also had mean older brothers in common. But like a lot of other things, mean brothers just aren't what they used to be. My brother used to try out wrestling moves on me and freak me out by hooking cicada skins on my clothes. Mimi's were a lot more cruel. One of Mimi's brothers threw her in a lake or something when she was little and she was scared of water the rest of her life.

The other wrapped a dead one of these around her leg:

I guess I'll take a cicada skin over a king snake any day.

Image from donjd2 on flickr.

Mimi's stories

When I was cleaning out my room last week I found some notes from a school project that I don't really remember. For whatever this project was, I had interviewed my grandparents, Mimi and Daddy Joe, about their lives. So I thought I'd share some of their stories from when they were young in a few blog posts!

Mimi's human name was Margaret Elizabeth but she went by Libby. She passed away about 4 years ago so I'm glad I still have these stories written down about her. Slobby habits come through for me again!

Libby grew up on a strawberry and cotton farm in Arkansas. Her dad was a widower with 2 boys who married a woman named Minnie Mae and they had my grandma.

When she was young, everyone had to help out in the fields, even sweet little girls like her. But one day she didn't want to work (she was supposed to weed the cotton), so she just pulled up as many cotton plants as she did weeds and her dad sent her home. Now, I don't know how long this strategy worked before she got in trouble, but that sounds like my kind of girl.

Graduation

The week before last was a big week for me. I became an aunt and got my Master's within a few days of each other. I don't have much to say about graduation because I spent most of the time playing on my phone and taking photos of my friend Henry sleeping through the ceremony, so here are a couple photos.

The hood that means you have to call me Master now.

Will and my fatface.

Me and my parents. They're only happy because they think they can stop paying my bills soon.

I'm a hoarder

I've known it for a while, but going through the mountains of junk in my room at my parents' house (I've barely made a dent), I'm only reminded that I really am a hoarder. I'm willing to defend the stacks of magazines that I use for art projects, but I don't know why I still have all of my music (flute parts only, mind you) from All-Region concerts or spirals filled with notes with my friends and physics problems. Don't worry; I'm throwing them out.

But I always find some interesting, nostalgic things.

I found this in the back of one of the spiral notebooks. I think it's how I imagined myself during my senior year of high school (in a heavy-handed, idealistic sort of way).
"She's simple. Short hair, dyed perhaps, for flavor. No make-up save some chapstick and occasionally a stroke of mascara. She has a smile filled with secrets that could never be spoken and you can hear her laughter in her eyes before it escapes her mouth. She is a subtle beauty. A snowflake to a doily, she does not grab attention. But upon examination, it can be seen that her beauty is not unlike that of the doily, perhaps even more lovely because it is alone in its design, not purchased in plastic wrappers or mass produced for romantic effects. She is a rare occurrence, often missed by those too busy to look, those too consumed by their search for the wrong thing, the obvious thing."

Now I'm hoping I can find something more useful and less embarrassing, like money.

He's here!

Introducing (or re-introducing since I posted a photo on Facebook) Jonas Theodore Dick. He's the first baby in our family, so forgive me if I'm a little too excited.

Born May 11, 2011 

9 lbs, 1 oz

21 inches

(and really cute!)

Beautiful new baby and mom. I don't even look that good after a shower, so I don't know how Amy looks like this after giving birth.

I'm in love!

Jonas and Opa. I'm still campaigning for "Grumpa," but for some reason, my dad doesn't want to be called that. 

My mom's a grandma now. So crazy. More crazy: she told me she's even excited about changing diapers.

Uncle Chris. And no, Jonas' head isn't abnormally small. Chris' is just that big.

Baby feet!

And the new family, Tyler, Amy and Jonas. Congratulations!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms. 

Especially my favorite mom and mom-to-be (in only a few days probably!).

This photo is from a couple years ago when I was taking engagement photos of my sister and her now-husband. And my sweet mom was apparently lugging everything around the botanical gardens for us (and probably not even complaining about it). That's what moms are made of!