She is not like Grant. She plays quietly with dolls, cuddles easily, and hates being dirty. She has transitioned out of diapers and pees easily on the potty. The man walks through the kitchen into the hall. A noise from the half bathroom at the end causes him to turn. She is sitting on theContinue reading “A Comprehensive Guide to Potty Training”
Tag Archives: Family
The No-Headed Lady
In the 1980s, the legends of both Ted Bundy and Gary Gilmore are alive and fresh in Utah and Salt Lake Counties, so it doesn’t help the boy that his grandmother’s house is insecure, creepy, and haunted. Insecure? The kids all sleep in an unfinished basement where wood scaffolding stands unfinished; the floor is coldContinue reading “The No-Headed Lady”
Get Out of My Room, You Jerks
Their parents are out for their Friday night date. Ruthanne is on the couch knitting, and Stephen and the young man are settling in for the long-awaited confrontation. They have been playing a full season of Super Tecmo Bowl. They each have a team from the NFC and the AFC. Stephen has the Los AngelesContinue reading “Get Out of My Room, You Jerks”
That’s What They Expect You to Do in the Church
The young man has been fasting today. He wants to confirm that he should marry Lauren Elliott of Massachusetts, a sister he knew from his mission and has been dating since coming home. The day has not gone as he expected. He and Lauren got in an argument at church. He has had a splittingContinue reading “That’s What They Expect You to Do in the Church”
I Hope He Doesn’t Die
The boy lies in bed with his hands behind his head, while his father sits at the foot of the bed near his feet. The disappointment of pitching and losing the first of two possible clinching games has mostly passed. They will just have to clinch the championship Friday night instead, and while he can’tContinue reading “I Hope He Doesn’t Die”
A Mind That’s Weak, A Back That’s Strong
He has finished the ham and funeral potatoes, and he wanders over to Uncle Ned standing next to Uncle Max. “Dad wasn’t such a bad guy. If he got angry and you were near him, he might kick you down the stairs. But if you survived that explosion, it was over quick and he wasContinue reading “A Mind That’s Weak, A Back That’s Strong”
Get Off the Idiot Box
Lucille Hill, his grandmother, is stooped over with arthritis, probably not even 5’3″. Her fingers are crooked, and her back hurts constantly. She frequently has him, his mother, or his brother use a vibrating massager to rub it out at night. She is a direct descendant of many different Mormon pioneers, Clara Mellor of MartinContinue reading “Get Off the Idiot Box”
You’ll Thank Me Later
They are here because of preeclampsia. Lauren is a type 1 diabetic, and at 37 weeks, her blood pressure has gone up, and protein has been found in her urine. She called Gordon away from work that afternoon, Lauren’s mother, Marti, met them at the hospital, and they have been preparing for a C-section allContinue reading “You’ll Thank Me Later”
Christmas Dinner
It is their first Christmas as a married couple. They are spending it in Corpus Christi with the man’s parents. Stephen and Lydia are planning to stop by in another hour or so. The presents are all unwrapped, and everyone is now exhausted from the excitement wearing off. Around 3 pm, Lauren says, “I’m supposedContinue reading “Christmas Dinner”
An Elegy for Christmas Past
It is 5:42 am Christmas morning when the young man’s bedroom door creaks open and he hears his brother’s voice. “You awake?” “Yeah, bro. Come on in.” “Think I should wake up Ruthanne?” “It’s tradition, right?” Stephen disappears, then reappears a minute later with Ruthanne. “I was up already,” she says. “Just didn’t know ifContinue reading “An Elegy for Christmas Past”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 