Lacy Jaye Hansen

List item #10 says: “Buy something over and over in a disguise.” On Sunday, we crossed this item off. I could write all about it, but I think the video speaks for itself.

Our repeat purchases- Tattoos and expandable washrags.

This was the hardest list item for me, by far. I’d jump off a bridge before I’d do this again. However, I’m glad we did it. Surely this story will be retold for the rest of our lives.

Said Disguises

One unexpected consequence of our YLOO list is the stories. Not just the stories we create but the ones we learn from sharing our experiences. While Judah was explaining to his Great Aunt Nancy what he had done, she had to remind Kenton that he had done something similar once too. Granted, no costumes were involved but Kenton was reminded of the time he and his Aunt had gone into the grocery store to buy Little Debbie Cakes repeatedly. Since there was a coupon on the box, the two bought a box, went the the car, cut out the coupon, and then returned for another box. Nancy and Kenton laughed as they recalled how many boxes of snack cakes they ended up with before it was over. Without our list, Kenton may have never remembered that day with his Aunt and we may have missed out on another opportunity to share laughs with our family.

Mission Accomplished, whew!

We spent a total of $6.45 on this list item, money well spent, don’t you think?

Despite the scratches and aches from #7 “Roll Down a Hill”, we weren’t deterred from continuing our list. Sunday allowed us to cross off #11 and #5.

#11 “Eat A Pomegranate”

Judah had tried pomegranates at school this year and Kenton had gotten one once in his Christmas stocking. I had never had one. They are messy but delicious. Our white kitchen table was splattered with deep red pomegranate juice after we were done. It look like a crime scene more than a snack.

#5 “Make A Suicide” 

We clarified that it was a sugar-free suicide as we figured the caffeine was bad enough, why add insult to injury.

Kenton recalled making these at his Dad’s restaurant, Gringo Charlie’s, back in the 80′s. I remembered making them at Godfather’s Pizza with my big sister. Not sure what the appeal was, but it sure was cool back then. Judah loved it, Kenton and I felt like we were drinking generic brand soda.

In both cases, we laughed and enjoyed the experiences. Whether they were first-times or old memories revisited, sharing them together as a family was unforgettable.

This is the first in a series of stories documenting our attempt to live every day. See them all here.

No time like the present to start marking items off our “YLOO List.”  This morning’s challenge was to knock out number 7, “Roll Down A Hill.” As you might have guessed this was one of Judah’s additions to the list. He’d never  done this and we felt it was high time he get that experience. I hadn’t rolled down a hill since I was a middle schooler. I remember doing so at the West Bank Stage during a RiverFest concert. I returned home itchy and covered in chigger bites, but with no regrets.

We decided there was no better place than to return to the site of my last hill roll. The West Bank Stage has seen better days and the hill has become a breeding ground for sticker patches. Never the less, we threw on long sleeve shirts (our protection) and let gravity take it’s course.

Summer 2012 YLOO List item #7 COMPLETE!

If you haven’t rolled down a hill in over 15 years, do it. I dare you to try and contain your laughter. Even if you’re rolling through painful stickers and rough, rocky dirt, pure joy will still beat out any discomfort. As you’ll see in the video raw emotions were captured. All frustations from the day disappeared as we acted like children and made sure our son got to accomplish one of his goals. I will remember this day, always.

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