Would you like to relive parts of your childhood?

My knee jerk response to this is always a hearty hell no. Years of feeling unrooted and out of place gave me a healthy respect for having left childhood behind. That being said, the idea of making Christmas cookies again with my mom is pretty appealing.

Did you believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy?

I did.

This question reminds me of the first year I taught third grade here. It’s a tricky time — the children are around eight or nine years old and maturing at different rates. We were heading into the fall when I realized I had three kids who still believed in Santa. I can’t remember what sort of errand I sent those three on but I gathered up the other students to talk about supporting each other and not ruining someone else’s Christmas. Then I basically held my breath for three months. I saw the best in my students that year. Some just minded their business while others would kindly talk about Santa with their classmates as we got closer to the Christmas break. Making it to late December with that potential pipebomb un-detonated was a major success that year.

Was there a childhood habit you never grew out of?

Squatting. Elegant, right? Apparently I’d squat in the yards while I was playing — maybe I was searching the grass for something, maybe I was playing with someone else, I dunno. But as a kid I developed the habit of squatting down with my heels firmly planted on the ground. Still do it sometimes.

Were you part of a large family or an only child?

I was part of a large(ish) family. Two parents, three kids, and a cat. We were Catholic, though, so three kids was considered middle of the road, not large.

Gratitude:

A reading light that clips to the book, iced coffee, almond creamer, Clarks Cloudsteppers, a small break in the summer heat, and our tiny little hummingbird.

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