While I was busy predicting the outcomes of hockey games, teasing my younger brother and worrying about the competence of my mom’s obstetrician, Dan had weightier matters on his mind, like food, kick soccer and how glue works.
Dan shared this with me after we were married and I found it so hilarious that I had him read it to me in the hospital when I was giving birth to Laylee. Here is a small sampling from his elementary school journal:
September 14, 1988
Today I had a pretty good day today. At recess I played kick soccer. My team won. Yesterday i[n] the lunchroom some girls partly unscrewed it so if someone used it, it would spill. Then a kid from another lunch table came and took the ketchup to use it. He came back with ketchup all over his hand!
September 15, 1988
Today, I had a pretty good day. We played kick soccer again and Tony argued with everything…We had spaghetti for lunch today.
September 23, 1988
Today we changed the day around. Math was first… Today at lunch we had coco milk rolls, fruit and some kind of pasta thing with lettuce. We played kick soccer again today. Last night we made bread and peach pie filling. It was good!
September 27, 1988
Today everything went pretty normal. Today we had burritos for lunch.
October 4, 1988
Today we had chicken nuggets for lunch… Kickball was boring at lunch.
November 8, 1988
Last night I figured out why things stick (I think). First of all why does wood fibers or anything for that matter? Of course we all know that it’s all the atomic energy acting upon themselves and others. They (atoms) also work with magnetic forces. Now, I think glue works because it is neutral or else it’s energy can adapt so that it sticks to other particles. So that’s all about particles and whatnot. By the way, we moved our desks into twos. I think Bush will win.
“Today was a pretty good day today” is now a common phrase around our house. I think we should also end all conversations with the phrase, “So that’s all about particles and whatnot.” Yes, I would have married him just for the journals. Do you know how much it hurts to laugh when you’re having a major contraction? Yeah, me too.
First! Pretty funny, DYD and DYM. Food is always important to a grade school boy, as I recall. 🙂 And atoms. 🙂
Oh…. at first (skimming) I thought it was YOUR journal, and thought, wow, was that girl obsessed with food and kick soccer! A more careful re-reading cleared up my confusion….
Mary, mom to many
PS– This morning I spent 10 minutes waiitng for your Sunday School hamster-petting story to load– on DIAL-UP no less–just becaquse I love you. My 7 year old read a whole book to me in the time it took to load. If only I didn’t live out in the sticks and could get DSL…
Ahh, the workings of an adolescent boys mind. I remeber it well. Okay, so I used to remember it well. Came over to congratulate you on your overwhelming victory over at Queen Beths. Then it occured to me that you might have used your “Parking Spot Superpowers” to sort of sneak past me. Hmmmmm…. Just kidding. Keep up the awesome job on your blog. God bless you, ken
Oh man, funny stuff. Your family is awesome!
Well……that was cute! I can totally see a boy saying that. I tend to forget my husband was a little boy at one time in his life….LOL
And on another note…usually I can relate to you, but today I will have to say I have no idea what it is like to laugh and have contractions….never felt a contraction before. My grandmother says something just ain’t right about that and it is totally unfair…LOL
“All about atoms and whatnot.” ROFL.
How funny! I wish I still had my journals. During a cleansing from my turbulant childhood, in a ritualistic ceremony, I burned them in 1988. Looking back now, I think it was all a bit dramatic of me.
This one time, at the lunch room…..
That was great!
that was great! especially about the ketchup
That was so funny. I always wondered what went on in little boys’ minds. Now I know. Food and kick soccer. And glue.
I don’t think I have any journals from when I was little, but I love reading notes my friends and I wrote in junior high (yeah, I have a shoebox full). It’s hilarious. Like we were so cool.
I went and read your journals too. Typical girl. All about the babies and the piano. Loved it!
“Today everything went pretty normal.”
*chuckling*
My hubby still pretty much talks like that! Food is a big thing for hubby because his mother practically starved herself when she was pregnant with him- poor thing.
Boys are just so cute!
How funny! That boy mentioned food in ever entry except for the one he got all Atomic Scientist and Politician-y!
If there was any question before, it’s completely cleared up now….You two were definitely made for each other!!!
This was really funny! I like “So that’s all about particles and whatnot.”
But now I feel old! In 1988 I was getting ready to graduate from college.
My favorite part was the ketchup. Mostly because I had no clue what he was talking about until the end. DYD is very, um, special…in that “I grew up to be a great nerd with my particles” way! PURE GENIUS.
Oh, that is too funny!! Awesome. I wish I could get ahold of my hubby’s old journal. Elementary age kids just have so much to say, huh? 😉
Laughing through a contraction. I can’t imagine.
I love that you can track your husband’s childhood by the foods he ate…
…some pasta thing with lettuce…
I love it! And I totally understand laughing through contractions. I laughed throug part of one delivery, but now I couldn’t tell you what was so durn funny…hmmm…maybe it was atoms and what not.
What happened between October 4 and November 8, 1988? Was he abducted by aliens?
Those journal entries are priceless!! And what a nice husband to let you share. I don’t think mine would be as willing.
So I checked out your diary also, annd I’m guesiing you grew up in Alberta because only a kid from Alberta would be arguing about whether the Oilers or the Flames are going to win.
Yes, I was there too.
Hah! This entry reminds me of one I wrote a couple weeks ago about the notes my daughter brings home from daycare. Seems your husband loved kick ball just about as much as my daughter loves to dance! Silly, crazy, nonsensical notes. Gotta love ’em!
Okay, since I was in GRADUATE SCHOOL in the Fall of 1988, I’ll just ease my walker over to the computer here to type this comment with my gnarled arthritis-laden fingers…
I loved the journal! My 4th grade journal was all about whether I got to be the lunchroom helper that day and how unfair it was that Stephanie always got to be it. 🙂
Oh, what a good idea to have him read those entries to give you something else to think about! They were hilarious. We read through my brother’s second grade journals a few years ago, and they had the entire family laughing so hard we were crying and our sides hurt. And, yes, now several of the phrases he used have made it into our conversation.