Psychic Hotline

Now that she's a sophomore in high school, Middle Sister's been getting a bunch of college mail.  Most of it is postcards directing her to visit college websites, but yesterday she got a big envelope with a folder full of papers inside.

That impressed her.  She actually opened it instead of just tossing it aside like she does with the postcards.  She asked me if I knew where this university was, and I told her that it's near where TheDad works and that one of Big Brother's friends had gone there, as had the friend's older brother.

She asked what the friend had studied at this university.

"Psychology, I think," I replied.

"What IS psychology?" asked Little Brother.

"The study of the mind," I answered in a fake-mysterious tone.

"He's gonna be a PSYCHIC?"

If It's From the Fightin' Irish, It Can't Be Junk Mail

Little Brother noticed the pile of junk mail I'd tossed on the table (with the intention of ignoring it for a while before tossing it into the recycling bin.)  "Notre Dame!  You got mail from Notre Dame!"

"They're just asking for money.  You can throw it out," I told him.

He misunderstood.  "They're sending you MONEY?"

"No, they're asking me for money.  You can go ahead and open it if you want."

"Why don't you send them some?" he asked while tearing into the envelope.

"Because right now I send money to your school, Middle Sister's high school and Big Brother's college.  I don't have extra to give to Notre Dame right now."

Inside, he found a letter and a reply envelope.  He peeked in.  It was empty.

"Awww--a trick envelope!  I hate those!"