HABITS

Everyone has habits. Good, bad and indifferent. I watch the girls and their "habits" and have to chuckle. Scott and I have habits, but this is not the forum for those. This is all about the blondes who have lived here over the years and call us Mom and Dad.

We shall start with the eldest child who is now 24 years old and her "habit" is still intact. Kelsey loves to have her hand in her pocket. She moves it the entire time it is in her pocket. She tears up paper, no shreds up paper in her pocket. Laundry is always fun with Kelsey around. Bits of paper are everywhere. Fortunately the drier's lint trap saves me.

Addison, now 21, loves her nails. So much so she bites them. Now I have to admit she has gotten much better over the years. We laugh at her on the soccer field, especially when the game is tight, because she is out there chewing away. She now tries to keep them manicured, she doesn't enjoy gnawing off expensive polish.

Shae, 18 years old, is a scratcher. She has eczema and itches a lot. When she is hot, anxious or angry, the itching begins. When she was playing soccer, she too, would itch all over the field. She does keep her itching under control with medication. When anxiety is high, let the scratching begin.

Hope, 15 years old and the baby girl, is a slob. Her room is always a mess and she simply does not want to clean it, ever. She shoves things under her desk, in her closet, puts clean clothes in the laundry. It is a feeble attempt to avoid cleaning. She must practice a new habit of picking up and cleaning. I will aid her in creating this new habit.

A few Roderick habits. Clearly, there are so many more.