Anything and Nothing

Juliette doesn't know the word "nothing" or "no one" - she thinks it's "anything" / "anybody." I can't bring myself to tell her the difference.

Leslie: What did you do at school today?
JTJ: Anything.
Leslie: Who did you play with?
JTJ: Anybody. 

(Do I have a sullen teenager in my house already, or a 3-year-old? Are they secretly the same thing?)

Leslie: What would you like to eat for a snack?
JTJ: Anything. I'm not hungry. 

Leslie: What did you just do to Molly? (Following lots of ruckus and or a little wrestling/gnashing of teeth)
JTJ: Anything. She did it to herself.

You get the picture.

The thing is, this logic sort of makes sense to me sometimes. Anything and nothing, somehow the same thing. That's what I feel like I've been doing lately--anything and nothing. Raising kids, going to work, holding down the fort, spending time with loved ones, going places, doing things...so much of it is the same week after week. But yet every week is different, every week brings a new challenge or developmental milestone for the kiddos, the seasons change, budgets may ebb and flow, and there's always more - "anything" - to learn. I don't guess any of that made sense.

My bachelors degree is in English--a degree I used to call the "anything and nothing" degree. Devoid of a teacher education-focused track, I graduated qualified to do anything and also nothing. Obviously, I found my way (being able to craft a sensible, appropriate business email can go a long way).


My dear husband had the day off yesterday (the first in a while), and we spent the afternoon as we like to do, pretending it's Saturday. We took the gals to this old old drug store here in Memphis, for milkshakes. They sat at the counter, feeling like big girls, enjoying every bit of the sweet sugary nectar.

Anything and nothing... I like it.