So I suppose you wonder what the title to this year’s
Christmas blog means? How many of you
immediately thought of the movie “Rudolph” and it’s “land of misfit toys?” (Insert quote “nobody wants a Charlie in the
box!”). Anyway, regardless, that’s what I always used to think of when I heard the word
“misfit.” However, this year brought a
whole new meaning of the word to myself and our little family and as such, I
will dare to explain here.
The year began normally. I had a (routine for me) surgical bladder
procedure and subsequent bladder “treatments” that caused an alarmingly wicked
chemical smell to emit pungently from each and every pore of my skin. (yea, I'm gonna go there) I’ve been through this procedure before and
aside from the unsettling smell (ask my colleagues who were lucky
enough to sit next to me in our weekly faculty meetings) I consider it to be no
big deal. (Can you believe we're not to
the "misfit" part yet?!). That was January and February. Alex later had his own medical procedure which has
nothing to do with being a misfit, I just like his expression. It’s a look I get a lot. I call it his “pre-wisdom teeth removal I hate-you-for-taking-my-picture”
look. (And no, he’s not giving me the finger with his pulse-ox hand. He would still be grounded.)
Later in February James and I went to our church’s annual
“sweetheart dinner.” Here I am with my
friends Amy and Ilene at our table that night.
I of course am looking like a total misfit sitting in between them with
braces on my teeth!!!
In March we travelled to Florida to spend time with my
parents (all 4 of them). Here are my three men feeling like misfits because I
forced them to take this picture at the airport. Alex’s expression says it all.
The boys (now
teenagers in EVERY sense of the word) had fun playing in the pool and hanging
out looking “cool” in the hot tub but may have felt slightly like misfits when they went with
grandma Sue to an art studio to make fish out of coconuts. Nothing like arts and crafts hour for teenage boys
with the retired crowd.
Here’s a picture taken before I drug mom out to the bingo
parlor. (Yea, I just typed that and you just read it)
Not only do we
LOOK like complete societal and perhaps slightly demonic misfits, but we were
REALLY in the misfit crowd at the bingo parlor if you can believe that. Seriously, I want to go back to birthday
party bingo because playing bingo at the actual bingo parlor gets a little
dicey. Those people get REALLY into it
and actually, it’s a little frightening.
(Can’t wait to go back this year?
LOL).
The only thing bigger than bingo with the Floridian retirement crowd is the flea market. Here’s a picture of James looking like a
misfit standing next to a polar bear at the flea market. And why? Well, why not really…..
Later that week we celebrated all of the people who had March birthdays
that were together in Florida (Mom, Bob, James, Alex).
Check out this band of four misfits.
While in Florida we travelled to another part of the state
to spend the night with my dad and his wife there. They own a motor coach and had just invested
in a concrete slab of their very own (Yea, turns out people sell those and other people actually buy them) and a “cottage.” James and I got to be the first “house
guests” in the cottage and we felt like quite the misfits as once the love seat
sofa bed was opened we could conveniently remove items from the mini fridge
with our feet. It was kind of like
spending the night in a very tastefully decorated doll house. Only we clearly aren’t doll size LOL.
I’m sure the boys felt like misfits playing shuffle board in
the retirement community.
They were very good sports though and actually had a good
time, only quitting once we lost the light. Misfit or not we were fortunate to be able to spend another week in Florida this
year. The skies were a beautiful blue
and my band of misfits always enjoys the trip.
In March Alex officially turned 17. Hers a pic of him and his misfit cake celebrating
the big 1-7 with candles that don't match.
In later March and April we took a couple of short trips to
Omaha where we were complete misfits at both the “spin stops here” tour and the
Neil Diamond concert. I’m pretty sure we
were the youngest in both crowds but we still had a great time at both.
Adam had a good time at the Mary Immaculate athletic banquet
though I’m sure he felt like a slight misfit because aside from the coach he
was the tallest kid there. (Privacy note: I'm electing to blur his friends faces as some of them I do not know. Feel free to draw them in)
For you animal lovers out there I'd like to pause here and take note of our misfit furry family members. We have three misfit dogs who were all
adopted from a variety of misfit circumstances.
They are all different breeds and have three completely different
personalities yet they fit in very well in each of their own misfit ways. Here they are waiting for us to come home from one of our adventures.
But here's what they usually look like.............
I had fun at the MSHA convention once again this year at
Tan-Tar-A. I always enjoy seeing my
friends Gina and Cindy. We were behaving
like misfits because I am fairly certain we were supposed to be paying
attention here.
Here I am with my merry band of CMDS misfits!
Alex and his misfit-looking tennis team took home the
Camdenton team tennis title in their invitational while Adam bagged a
turkey.
Talk about the ultimate misfit?! Here is Adam portraying Jesus during the live
stations of the cross this year.
WOW.
And here he is as Jesus with all of the other bible cast member
misfits. I'm not blurring their faces hoping that his class mates’ families
won’t mind. I mean really, who doesn’t
love a good grade school bible picture? I'm choosing to show you the picture of him smiling versus, well, dead Jesus. Besides, smiling while on the cross makes him look like an even bigger misfit!
LOVE THESE
KIDS!!!
Adam decided to try track this year. Here he is running the hurdles. He looks like a misfit because of his rather
untraditional hurdle form. Check it
out……
Alex and his girlfriend Abby went to the junior prom last
Spring. There is nothing misfit about
this photo because they both look so darn cute.
Love them!
Here he is with his band of tennis team misfits. They clean up pretty well.
I came home one night to find my misfit family in true
misfit form………….
Alex and his doubles partner Bennet took second place in
district doubles. They felt like huge
misfits compared to the size of their medals.
In May I celebrated 25 years at Truman. I continually feel like a misfit because I
spend all my days with college students.
(Seriously, why aren't they aging at the same rate I am?!)
Also in May, Adam turned the big 1-3 and officially entered
his teen-age years. Here he is with his
misfit cake and non-matching misfit candles………..
Speaking of misfit cakes, here's a picture of a combination
cake celebrating Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and my sister and my birthdays. Hey, we were all together at one time so why
not just hit all of those occasions as once?!
Later in June, my friend Amy’s daughter threw her a surprise
party for her 50th birthday.
Here are my misfit collections of friends on that occasion.
Later in June, I had the surprise of my life when my husband
and girlfriends surprised me with a 50th birthday bash at my friend
Andrea’s winery. There was amazing food,
a band, a photographer, a Raggedy Ann cake and a CAR!!! I felt slightly like a misfit because as a 50 year old woman I had a Raggedy Ann Cake that said "Happy Birthday Missy tu-tu" which is what my grandmother used to call me when I was little. Here are some misfit pics from that amazing
day!
I had the BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!
Later in June I attended two meetings, one in D.C. with my
ethics and certification friends and one in Princeton NJ with my ETS SLP NAC
friends. I always feel like a misfit when
standing among these super smart and talented people.
However, it was during one of these meetings that I lost my
hearing completely in my left ear. I'm talking DEAF. I WOKE UP DEAF PEOPLE!!!! My
SLP peeps will appreciate this audio gram of my hearing?! OMG!!!!!!
Seriously, it was terrifying, isolating and eye-opening. I have a whole new appreciation and respect
for “sudden sensorineural hearing loss.”
Ultimately, with high dose steroids administered at just the right time
(THANK GOD I was flying into St. Louis) my hearing did eventually come back.
(Mostly). I still don’t hear quite right
but compared to what it was I am LOADS better so I am happy. Just excuse me if I say "huh?" more than usual!
In late July we took our annual family trip to my dad’s
place in Arkansas and we thought we’d try our hand at a selfie on the boat. I don’t need to explain why we look like
misfits in this photo as we attempted our first Arkansas “selfie.”
In early August I had a fabulous cutting edge procedure on
my leg to alleviate severe plantar fasciitis.
I wound up in a walking boot for a month and felt like a misfit every
time I ventured outdoors wearing my new apparatus.
In late August I had one child begin his senior year in high
school and one begin his 8th grade and final year at Mary Immaculate Grade School. I felt like a misfit for having children who
were growing up way too fast!!! Below you'll find a side by side of Alex from Kindergarten to senior year and then a pic of their first day this year. How did they get so tall? (I ask as I break out into a chorus of Sunrise Sunset from "Fiddler")
Alex and Adam both played foot ball again this year. Here is Alex feeling like a misfit as his
mother makes him pose with his picture at the stadium. He really does love me he just hasn't realized it yet. ;-)
Here are some other random misfit football pics from this year.
Alex’s girlfriend Abby plays varsity tennis as well. Here is a picture of them on her senior
night. He is posing with her because she
felt like a misfit standing in a picture alone holding a picture of herself.
LOL
September and October came and went.
Alex and Abby had a good time at Homecoming.
Here's the photo proof of Alex’s school senior pics. I feel like he’s a misfit because he is
wearing a St. Louis Blues tie with that suit! On another note, I feel like a misfit for not getting his senior pics taken this fall. They will now be senior pics taken in the spring. Pray for early blooms.
We attended a family wedding in St. Louis in October and felt like
misfits taking these pictures because seriously, we are not this cool.
Among the misfit photos at that wedding there were a few "keepers"
In October James and I celebrated 20 years of marital bliss
(it’s okay, you can laugh and shake your head here…I am). We had a very nice few days in New Orleans
where we felt like complete misfits most of the time. We were typically in bed by 10 or 11 and we
ate in a few super fancy-shmancy restaurants and tried hard to “look like we belonged”
there. Can you tell we have serious
issues trying to take selfies?! That is SO NOT us.
But just for you all, we tried.
Later in the year Alex was inducted into the National Honor
Society. He felt like a misfit sitting
in the front row.
Adam and James each got a deer this year so they did NOT
feel like misfits among their hunting friends.
Alex and his friends got confirmed in the Catholic Church
this year in late fall. He felt like a
misfit because our diocese completes this sacrament at such an “old”
age. Many of us went through this in
middle school. But, nevertheless here
they are…….
(Is it me or does it look like Mary has her hand on Alex's shoulder?!)
We attended a Halloween party at the Kuttenkuler Home where
we went as Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham, Richie and Potsie from Happy Days. The boys felt like misfits because they had
no idea who we were portraying.
We had fun celebrating my Aunt Polly’s (yes, I actually do
have an aunt Polly) 60th birthday in November.
If you check out some of our faces you will see why we are photo
misfits. Honestly, I often wonder why we
try and take photos…….
In early November my friends and I attended the ASHA
convention and took in "Hamilton" while in L.A.
One of these photos is a selfie. Let's see if you can spot which one. What can I say. We’re old but we tried………
Here is a pic of Alex and Adam at my mom’s for
Thanksgiving. Can you tell why they are
misfits?
In contrast, my sister Molly and I decided to stay upright for our
photo——-You’re welcome!
Here is our annual “misfit” bottom of the steps pic taken
Thanksgiving evening.
Here is Adam looking like a misfit as he is so much taller than the
tree he decorated for grandma Sue.
Adam was lucky to be chosen to be a "student of the month"
recently. He felt like a misfit in this
photo because he looks like a giant compared to the others. (Monsignor actually stood on a step above Adam to look
taller!) Faces are blurred to protect the innocent.....LOL
And finally, most recently, while not a misfit picture, Alex and Abby enjoyed
attending their winter formal. I say again---Love these two.
So, that about wraps up the year for me and my misfit cast
of real-life characters. Why the misfit
theme? Well it's like this………
In late August I was driving back to the ‘ville from
St. Louis. I was exhausted. I was deaf in one ear, had a post-surgical
boot on one foot, had pores in my skin that smelled of nasty chemicals and was wearing
retainers on my teeth. I pulled off in
this bustling metropolis for gas.
I missed the exit to get back onto the highway and found
myself driving the wrong way down several
tiny one way streets................ and I just lost it. I was driving around lost and crying. Sobbing actually. I was driving around lost and sobbing.
I was feeling pretty pitiful and honestly quite broken. Blurry-eyed I turned down a side street and quite by accident ended up
in the parking lot of this place………………
And there my friends, sitting in my van looking out the window I was made whole again. I laughed until I couldn’t breathe. In fact, I had to go back to the gas station
to pee because I was that hysterical. I had
indeed truly found my people.
So, there you have it.
As we all celebrate the birth of our Lord this Christmas season, please
know that we "misfits for Jesus" will be celebrating in big ways too. MISFITS FOR JESUS BABY———WE UNITE!
Merry Christmas from me and my band of misfits!
(Is it me or does it look like Mary has her hand on Alex's shoulder?!)
