Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, an homage to AKR on her birthday

Back in 2011, after reading Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, I was astounded by the similarities in how my mind and AKR's mind worked.  It was eerie and life-affirming and hilarious and it inspired me to keep a journal of similar entries about my own life.  If you've read my previous blog, then you know that AKR meant a great deal to me and that she died earlier this year.  Today is her birthday and I thought I'd share a few of my own Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life entries.  And so here they are, alphabetized and curated à la AKR:

Bunkbeds

Changing the sheets on my daughters’ bunkbeds always leaves me feeling like an aging pro wrestler.  Too old for those strength-required moves, wrestling and grappling with my mattress-opponent, and then withdrawing from the cage-enclosed stage exhausted, sweaty, and with a new crick in my neck.

Compliment

When you see your hair stylist out in public and she compliments you on your hair, is she complimenting you or herself?

Exhaustion, Complete

The most exhausting day in my profession is the second day of school.  All the nervous energy that propels me through Day One is completely spent by Day Two.

Game, License Plate

It always takes me several days after returning home from a trip to stop scanning license plates for the ones we haven’t yet seen.

Gouda

I have a small, gold, plastic Buddha on my desk.  Arden keeps referring to it as my ‘gouda.’  I really don’t want to correct her.

Horn, Saddle

Arden believes the horn on a western-style horse saddle can be used to honk.

Housecleaning

It is a great idea to invite someone to come to your house mid-day Saturday to force you to do a ‘good enough’ quick housecleaning.

Language, Foreign

In Montréal, Madeleine remarks that she is amazed to hear young kids speaking foreign languages, especially French.  She wonders:  How can a kid younger than me know something I don’t?