When They Come Back...Look Out!

Having Birdie home is fantastic. I mean, just knowing that one of the lovelies will be here every day makes my heart sing! But, with Birdie, there are extra benefits!

Like when she gives her dog, Strider a bath. Strider is not fond of baths. When Birdie gets him all soaped and stops to reach for the hose, Strider takes off and runs circles around the backyard like he's a participant in a dog race. The more Birdie calls him back, the faster Strider runs his circles. Birdie doesn't laugh nearly as much or hard as I do. But hey, it's FUNNY!

Then there are the mornings that we decide to go and have breakfast at Bagel Nation. Sometimes we eat there, other times we bring breakfast home. But it's just nice to have her here and do things like that with her.

And then, there are those precious talks we engage in about when she was little or what her philosophy is or her opinions on life/politics/everything...it's priceless getting these insights into a grown daughter.

Of course, she does get her laughs in when she tries to teach me how to play a game on her XBox 360. Turn about IS fair play. Or when I've forgotten someone else is in the house and I'm walking towards the family room door and she comes walking out and I jump while clutching my heart and screaming. Or when I've forgotten (again) that someone else is in the house and start singing aloud to the tunes playing on my iPod and suddenly I think I hear laughing and remember that she's here. And she IS laughing.

Unfortunately, all of this does come with a down side. Birdie is an Athletic Trainer. And with this profession comes occupational hazzards. Like not being able to stop yourself from noticing how people walk and run and telling your mother that she overpronates when she runs so, "You need to get some inserts." "What does that mean?" "It means that during the mid-strike you over pronate or land too much on the inside of your foot." "HUH?" "You don't have a normal walking pattern." Oh...

Or, "Come on, Mom. I'm gonna work you out. You'll be ready for the 5k by Thanksgiving." "I don't like to run when it's this humid." "You'll get used to it, let's go." I'm gonna be running alright. For the hills! This kid is S.E.R.I.O.U.S.

This is what happens when your daughter who LOVES her profession and LOVES to work but can't because the job hasn't started yet gets bored and you are the only one there for her to pick on use for torture train. God forbid I suffer an injury and become subjected to her treatment procedures.

I am quite glad that I was nice to her while she was growing up. Otherwise, this could get ugly.

Anyone got a good hiding place?