Mrs. Murray - the teacher side of me.

I think that I could have been a great teacher. I really enjoy teaching people. For instance, there was the time I taught my friend how to turn her eyelids inside out. Or how about the time I showed my niece how NOT to melt butter for cookies (in a metal bowl in the microwave). And let's try not to remember the time I showed (the actor) Powers Booth's daughter, Parise, how to give the finger to her swim teacher when she was 4 (I was like 6 years old). Thanks to my brother, Matt, for teaching me that one.

As I've gotten older, the things I enjoy teaching have somewhat matured, thank goodness. I do enjoy teaching friends how to cook my few key recipes that wow guests. I love showing people how to use a computer including all those shortcuts on Word and Excel. They are impressed, and as a sidenote, I look really smart. :)

But the best thing is teaching my sons. What an amazing opportunity. I took Cash with me to the library today to pick up my books on hold. I decided on the way in that today would be the day he could actually check some out for the first time instead of just going to read. So we talked all about how you borrow them, and you have to be gentle, and take good care of them (we have several books with headless dogs or no 'peek-a-boo flaps). Then how we will bring them back and can check more out. He was very excited and as he perused down the aisles and aisles of books he said in a breathless gasp, "There's so many books!"  I'm so proud of him, and I love that he loves to read. Thanks to my dad teaching me about books, I still have an endless passion for books and the stories and characters that lie within. Such a small thing to teach: the literal process of checking out books, how to respect the books, and the responsibility of having a library card. But wow. I did that.

Just to be fair, I get to teach him some of the not-so-great stuff, too. I taught him how to jump out at Daddy and say, "BOO!" every time he walks in. I taught him how to play with his food. And I (woops!) inadvertently taught him how to say "dammit!" and "shit!" (which by the way, he does use correctly). I'm always amazed at how quickly he learns, especially the inappropriate things.