{"id":136,"date":"2010-05-12T10:40:29","date_gmt":"2010-05-12T18:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.wordpress.com\/?p=136"},"modified":"2010-05-12T10:40:29","modified_gmt":"2010-05-12T18:40:29","slug":"one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others\/","title":{"rendered":"One of These Things is Not Like the Others"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/cribs.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-140\" title=\"Cribs\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/cribs.jpg?w=150&#038;resize=150%2C112\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"112\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Let\u2019s play a children\u2019s game shall we? Please sing along:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>One of these things is not like the others,<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/glider.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-142\" title=\"Glider\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/glider.jpg?w=150&#038;resize=150%2C150\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>One of these things just doesn&#8217;t belong,<br \/>\nCan you tell which thing is not like the others<br \/>\nBy the time I finish my song?<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/car-seats.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-138\" title=\"Car Seats\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/car-seats.jpg?w=150&#038;resize=150%2C150\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Cribs<\/li>\n<li>Glider Rocking Chair<\/li>\n<li>Infant Car Seats<\/li>\n<li>Double Stroller (the size of a small SUV)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/stroller.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-144\" title=\"Stroller\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/stroller.jpg?w=150&#038;resize=150%2C150\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Coffee Maker<\/li>\n<li>High Chairs<\/li>\n<li>Sweet Children\u2019s Book<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/high-chairs.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-143\" title=\"High Chairs\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/high-chairs.jpg?w=150&#038;resize=150%2C150\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Did you guess which thing was not like the others?<br \/>\nDid you guess which thing just doesn&#8217;t belong?<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/book.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-137\" title=\"Book\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/book.jpg?w=122&#038;resize=122%2C150\" alt=\"\" width=\"122\" height=\"150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>If you guessed this one is not like the others,<br \/>\nThen you&#8217;re absolutely&#8230;right!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Good job! You noticed that a coffee maker is not like the other items. It is not baby gear to help make the twins arrival more comfortable. Babies don\u2019t drink coffee! And in this case, neither do their pregnant mommy or their daddy. Yet, the above lists items we have received as gifts for the boys.<\/p>\n<p>Several days ago, a very insistent UPS man arrived at the door. He rang the doorbell, and waited. He knocked, and waited. The dogs continued to go ballistic (A friend! A friend! I must meet this very exciting person who obviously wants to say hello to me!!!) I finally decided it might be important and waddled over to open the door. \u201cI need a signature\u201d the UPS man greeted me.<\/p>\n<p>I wasn\u2019t expecting anything, so I assumed it must be something for the boys. We\u2019ve been receiving packages for them recently since there were baby showers planned for me (now canceled). It was in a CuisinArt CoffeeMaker box. But hey \u2013 who doesn\u2019t reuse boxes for shipping? (My brother received his Christmas gift bundled in a sewing machine box last year because that is the box I had lying around.)<\/p>\n<p>Inside the box was a &lt;drum roll please . . .&gt; CuisinArt CoffeeMaker! It is a black classic 12-cup machine for the java aficionados out there. Now, we have a small espresso machine we received as a wedding gift that is used for the occasional tasty latte or mocha. And I\u2019ve been known to indulge in a variety of tea colors (black, green, white). Then I saw the programmable caffeinator was from Grandma Janet (or Meemaw if no preferred name is settled upon).<\/p>\n<p>I used my impressive deductive reasoning skills, honed from reading every single \u201cEncyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective\u201d book in my youth (let\u2019s admit it \u2013 this one isn\u2019t really a Sherlock Holmes caliber mystery). Grandma Janet had not sent the boys (or their parents) a coffee maker. Grandma Janet had sent <strong>herself<\/strong> a coffee maker.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/coffeemaker.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-139\" title=\"CoffeeMaker\" src=\"http:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/coffeemaker.jpg?w=122&#038;resize=122%2C150\" alt=\"\" width=\"122\" height=\"150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>My mother has been making more trips up to visit lately \u2013 from shopping for baby furniture to futility trying to comfort me in the hospital \u2013 and plans to spend more time once the boys arrive. Given that these are her first grandchildren, I assume we will be seeing a lot of her in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, my parents would visit for a weekend perhaps once or twice a year. Despite our lovely home, complete with a very nice guest suite (if I do say so myself), each visit saw a replay of a typical morning routine:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh geez, you guys don\u2019t have a coffee maker!\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cNo, we don\u2019t drink coffee every morning.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cStarbucks. Where is the nearest Starbucks?\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cAround the corner, we\u2019re (and by this I mean Jon) is happy to go get you something.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cPhew. I would like a latte.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cWe do have an espresso machine. I can make you a latte.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cNo, I don\u2019t like espresso.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After a Starbucks run, my caffeinated parents would drink and discuss the tragedy of our lack of coffee awaiting them the moment they wake up. I did not previously realize their coffee addiction was so intense that my mother would need a 12-cup machine, but I\u2019m happy to enable all future coffee junkies since I imagine having two needy infants will only intensify the need for the habitual morning coffee(s).<\/p>\n<p>I for one, will stick with my tea. But if you come by \u2013 expect to be offered a cup of joe. Or 12.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s play a children\u2019s game shall we? Please sing along: One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn&#8217;t belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others By the time I &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Sbzi-2c","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4268,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/surviving-mental-illness-through-humor\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":0},"title":"Surviving Mental Illness Through Humor","date":"March 11, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"About a year ago, I saw the call for submissions to a book on mental illness. I laughed. Because sometimes they only way to survive is to find the humor of the situation. Or, at the very least, make inappropriate jokes that diffuse the situation in your mind (your mentally\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Books&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"moo-cow","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/moo-cow.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2185,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/what-i-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":1},"title":"What I Do&#8230;","date":"February 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"You may have seen the \"What I Do\" meme floating around. I saw Professors, Stay-at-Home Moms, Stage Managers, IT peoples. But no PR. And if ever there was a profession where people give you blank stares, it's mine. So I made one.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Work&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.streamdoubletrouble.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/PUBLIC-RELATIONS-1024x627.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":742,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/guardian-angels\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":2},"title":"Guardian Angels","date":"October 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. This is a day to take a moment to reflect on the little ones watching down over us \u2013 the dedicated guardian angels tasked with keeping our muppets safe. Losing a child is not fair. And it\u2019s not easy, no matter when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Angels&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/10\/2725970221_daec27aa71_b.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2781,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/imaginative-lives-of-others\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":3},"title":"Imaginative Lives of Others","date":"September 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The muppets had energy oozing out of their pores. So we decided to go for a family hike. Two hours. Two miles. But fear not future park patrons! Nary a rock remains on any part of the dirt trail we canvassed this afternoon. (Back at our homestead, our washing machine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Family Stories&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1654,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/like-a-real-writer\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":4},"title":"Like a *REAL* Writer","date":"August 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Mommyhood is the mother of a manic toddler. She\u2019s an anxious, depressed giant book nerd. And her little hummingbird on crack (man, that nickname even beats the muppets) even did a stint in the NICU. You can see why I was drawn to her blog. Today, I am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Guest Post&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2740,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/depression-is-a-lying-bastard\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":5},"title":"Depression is a Lying Bastard","date":"April 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Bloggess said it best. Depression is a lying bastard. I\u2019ve found myself struggling with another \u201cepisode\u201d lately. It started a couple weeks ago \u2013 sneaking up on me when I wasn\u2019t paying attention. I don\u2019t think you\u2019d really notice by looking at me. I\u2019m still fully functional. But those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Depression-is-a-lying-bastard-231x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}