My Life as a Superhero

Some people know me as Mom or Corrina or Mrs. Terry-the-Teacher or Sis. Terry (at church). Little do they know, I'm also a superhero.

I may be married to Mr. Incredible (Steven J. Terry), have two fantastic kids (J & D), but my super powers have been unknown to the world . . . until now.

Super Power #1:
1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Baker
Chocolate chip cookies are one thing I am really good at creating.  I pack them in the boys' lunches every day at school. My cookies are like cigarettes in prison. They trade them for store bought treats we don't buy. (They have kids begging to trade daily!) My boys tell people that my recipe is top secret. Little do they know it's just the Toll House recipe with lots and lots of love.

2. Uber Crier
My tear ducts are famous. Those who know me know I cry or "tear up" several times a day. All it takes is a sad song, a Folger's coffee commercial (the one with the son who comes home for Christmas break is a real tear jerker), or feeling spiritual. It's hard to explain to someone that you're crying because you feel GOOD, not just sad.  ;o)

3. Multi-Tasker
Most women have this superpower. Mine didn't manifest itself until I became a mother. I found I could juggle laundry, feed my son, write, talk, cook, and clean all at once! I can get more done before 8:29 A.M. than the President of the United States. 

4. Faster than a Speeding Bullet
Another "incredible" power I have to catch things that are falling. This may be due to the stretching ability of my limbs, but it is as if time slows down and I see the object falling clearly. My hands move at lightning speed to catch whatever is falling. This power also extends to my legs when running short distances.

5. Talker
My last, but not least, super power is talking. This power was passed onto me from both my Super Dad and my Super Gran. They could talk to anyone. I have this same curse, I mean gift. I find myself talking to strangers at the store, making life-long friends at the airport (Kylie rocks!) and even volunteering to talk in church. This power has come in handy during awkward situations, but when I'm nervous it's on auto pilot. Embarrassing!


Photo credit: Disney capturing me in my cool costume
Corrina L. Terry 2010

Brunch

The hubby and I had brunch with my ex and his fiancee the other day. My son, J, had been visiting my ex for a week for Christmas. It was "the exchange" where we meet up to drop off or pick up J.

I was a nervous wreck. I ordered the wrong croissant, couldn't vocalize what I wanted to order and looked to my hubby for help. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind, but when I explained to him I was kinda freaking out, he graciously stepped in, ordered for me, and took care of things. He is amazing.

I'd met the fiancee before, but only briefly. Now that they were planning on marrying and she would be a permanent fixture in J's life, I had to do the face-to-face. They were the ones who asked us to meet for lunch, so they felt the same way. (I've been told by a therapist it's a good thing to do this for the kids if you and the ex get along well enough and won't end up in a screaming match.)

His fiancee is darling---fun, happy, smart, well-spoken, educated. He got lucky (again) to find such an incredible woman. She loves J and spoke highly of him. J (sitting there beaming) loved it. I was happy too. Nothing warms a mother's heart more than someone praising her child.

As my hubby and I sat across from them talking and (trying) to eat, I looked at my ex. He's happy---happier than I've seen him in years. That's a good thing for him and for J.

Every once in a while I have an epiphany that manifests itself in an auditory way. It's hard to explain, but looking at my ex I heard a really large door clang shut. It was over, really over, for me. I had no further feelings for him (other than hoping he'll be a good dad when J sees him) and our 12 1/2 year marriage together felt light years away, on another planet even. He was a stranger to me sitting there. I would barely recognize or notice him in a crowd and I was relieved.

I looked at my hubby sitting next to me and felt a warmth in my heart for our marriage and love. The feeling you get when someone you care about hugs you is the feeling I get being married to my hubby. He's good. He's strong. He's happy (most of the time). He's smart. He's brave. He's funny. He's sexy. We have an equal partnership in our marriage that I never had before.

My heart was lighter after hearing that door shut. And it all started with brunch.

Corrina Terry 2010
Photo credit: www.rkhooks.net

The Ins & Outs

The ins and outs of life with you

are reminiscent of a roller coaster.

It's a good thing I love roller coasters.

--Corrina Terry

   Copyright 2010

Happy Anniversary Steven J!

(I can't believe it's been 3 years.

It feels like we tied the knot yesterday.)

Once More

Mag #44

After dragging the old sled out of the attic and hauling it down two flights of stairs, Naomi was out of breath. She knew it was all for a good cause though.

"Naomi?" she heard him call weakly.

"Coming Gramps!" Naomi yelled with a happy smile. It was the first real smile she'd had in weeks. This had to work. She prayed it would help him feel better.

Her Gramps had been diagnosed with colon cancer several weeks before. Turns out he'd had symptoms for over a year, but by the time he finally went in, it had spread to his liver and other organs. The doctors gave him weeks to live. And now it was Christmas. Her last Christmas with him. His spirits had been low and he blamed himself for not going into the doctor sooner.

She couldn't imagine life without her Gramps. He and Grandma had babysit her and her older brothers when they were little. He'd taught her to fish, tie her shoes, swim, and ride a bike. He'd never treated her different from her brothers, even if she had been the only girl in the bunch. He'd been the best grandfather a girl could ask for.

Naomi dragged the old sled through the big house, setting it up next to the window in his bedroom. Gramps looked at her like she'd lost her mind. She just smiled at him and sat on the bed next to him.

"This is my present to you Gramps. Merry Christmas!"

She hopped up and opened the curtains to reveal the first heavy snowfall of the December. Big, white flakes of snow fell so thickly through the morning air and across the back lawn that finding the sledding hill was nearly impossible.

"What are you doin' Naomi?" Gramps asked with a puzzled looked between Naomi and the sled.

She looked at the window and pointed towards the sledding hill. "Do you remember the first time you ever went sledding?"

Gramps shifted in the hospital bed, weathered hands loosely gripping the blankets at his chest. He smiled at his grand daughter with pride. "Sure I do. I've told you that story a million times. I nearly busted my neck! My older brothers put me on that sled when I was only four."

Naomi sat back down on the bed. "Tell me again Gramps." Her eyes misted and she smiled as she waited to hear the story once more.

Corrina Terry Copyright 2010

Photo courtesy of Willow @ http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2010/12/mag-44.html

This story is dedicated to my Gramps---the one and only Grampa Dan. I can't wait to see you again!

A Christmas Carol for You

Anytime I need to get into the holiday spirit I just read or watch a version of  "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens. I love the idea of someone changing for the better, even a crusty old grump like Scrooge.

Thank you, Charles Dickens, for this story of redemption. I love that you remind us there is hope in humanity and for everyone.

Here are some good versions . . .

One of the old school movies. Love it!

Fell in-love with the book in high school.

 My mom bought a second-hand copy and handed it to me.

I will always be grateful!

My favorite "captain" and the sexiest Scrooge I've ever seen!

Love the old fashioned pictures here.

This one looked like a photograph, not a painting.

My favorite version of all.

Nobody does sarcastically mean like Bill Murray.

Watched this as a kid.

Loved it.

May you have a very Merry Christmas!

I hope you get a chance to read or watch a version of "A Christmas Carol" this year.

"God bless us, every one!"

Photo credits: Various movie studios and artists. Thank you!!!!

Winter's Blanket

Winter's blanket wraps the land

  in icy white.

    Glazing God's creations.

She settles in,

  temporarily.

    She can't remain forever.

----Corrina Terry

Photo credit: http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo118/Eto28/Winter15-1152x864.jpg

Laughing Daily

When I started this blog I planned on a bunch of funny posts. As I look back through my blog postings, I realize that a majority of my posts are serious. Yikes. Not what I had planned. I wanted to keep things light, fun, and easy-breezy.

Maybe it's my job. (I'm a 7th grade English & reading teacher at an inner-city school in Vegas.) I have heard more sad stories than I could ever possibly write about. (Or WANT to write about.) I won't go into them here. Let's just say that I call my mom and cry to her several times a week. My husband hears it daily. (Poor guy.)

Maybe it's my life. I'm in my second marriage. Not what I had planned at all. My first husband decided several years ago he wasn't Mormon anymore. That broke my heart more than I can possibly relate here. I was lucky though. My hubby now was in my ward growing up. He is also divorced (another sad story) and we decided to marry and build a life together in the gospel. We're happy, healthy, and working on becoming financially stable. (Divorces will do that to ya.)

Maybe it's me. I've been accused of being too serious. I don't think of myself that way, but I imagine that I probably come off like that. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to laugh though. I don't think I laugh enough. Sure, there are comedians and sitcoms, but I'd like to find more laughter in everyday things. (And not the making-fun-of-someone-laughter. That's done too often.)

My hubby makes me laugh. He says funny things all of the time. (I think he gets most of them from his dad, a Southern Utah boy. Also a funny guy.)

My boys make me laugh. They are 11 and 10 and still silly. Not a day goes by that I don't shake my head and laugh with them over something they say or do. I love it.

My family makes me laugh. Nothing cheers me up more than going to my parents' house and talking with my sisters, brothers, and my parents while the kids run around. We all know how to make each other laugh---whether it's a funny memory we share or something that happened to us recently.

So today, December 1, 2010, I solemnly vow to laugh at least once a day. I will look for funny, silly, things in life, instead of focusing on the sad or negative. I will watch funny movies, tell funny jokes (have you heard the one about the seeing eye dog and the blind man ?) and think of funny things that I've see or experienced. Like my dogs wearing reindeer antlers that light up or the time my son threw a tempter tantrum at the mall when he was two. He flopped down on the mall floor screaming and kicking his feet. I couldn't pick him up so I walked a short distance away angry and embarrassed while people walked by him and stopped and laughed. That made me laugh and the rest is history. Plus I'll use it to embarrass him someday.

So go ahead and laugh. You've got my permission.  :o))))))))))))))

Joke websites:
http://www.cleanjoke.com/  (The seeing eye dog joke is at this website.)
http://www.jokesclean.com/

Funny movies:
Monty Python - The Quest for the Holy Grail
The Emperor's New Groove
Raising Arizona
Tommy Boy
Elf
Morning Glory
A Christmas Story
Scrooged
Date Night

Add funny websites or movies to the lists!

Photos courtesy of Snoopy & Oscar, the dogs of our house.