Hit the Gas!

 Sundee always has the best one-liners.  We've already heard the monkeys buggin' me story and there were so many more.  That's why I think she is the Comedianne.  She has a way of saying something and it makes you laugh.  Anyone else says it, not so funny.  So, she got away with saying a few things that none of us would dare to say.  One time either in the big yellow suburban or the green urban snickee, I don't remember which one.  Dad was driving.  He was especially taking his time through some place where we all knew that the speed limit was higher than he was going.  All of the girls in the back looked at each other and silently rolled our eyes, annoyed with how slow this trip was going.  But you don't tell Dad  how to drive.  It's just one of those unwritten rules of survival.  But Sundee couldn't stand it any longer, and she voiced what we all were thinking.  She sat in the back seat that was too small for her long legs, one leg propped up on the seat in front (where I was sitting, swatting the leg was useless,) her elbow on the arm rest on the side, put her head back in a smirky sort of way, and said with a bit of humor in her voice: "Hit the gas!"  We couldn't help it, we all burst out laughing.  I don't remember, did Dad hit the gas?

Right over left, don't fall down

In Nauvoo, Tiffany had to learn a few dance moves for the shows she was performing in.  Now, Tiffany has a way of putting things in  a such a manner as to keep the directions clear and simple, said in kind, clever ways, but not fluffy. And she is wise without meaning to be.  And I don't know about now, but at the time, dancing for Tiffany was as Sundee described it.  (If you haven't read that post, scroll down, it's a good read.) Anyway, this time as she was learning the dance moves for the show, she was instructing herself in her simple, clear way:  "Right over left, don't fall down, right over left, don't fall down!!"  And it worked really well!!  She stayed up! A plain and precious truth found in unassuming words of self-encouragement.  Just keep telling that to yourself, Tiffy.  And to all of us.  It's actually good advice for more than dancing! 

And when you get a minute, I'd like to read your version of the story, TC.  I'm sure there's more than I can remember there.  

Peeling paint off the wall

Tiffany didn't know the strength of her voice.  One time all the sisters were singing "Hercules" and we were doing it in style, full voice and all.  We were singing it for some reunion, I think. At the end of the song, there's a wail that we gave to Tiffany because she could do it, and do it well.  A little later, a man came up to mom and said, "Man, you've got a voice in there that can peel the paint off the wall!"  He meant it about the voice at the end of the song that did that wail-thing, and he meant it in a good, strong way.

Tiff-a-saurus Rex

In high school, Tiffany had a group of friends that were pretty clever.  Tiff was always a pretty clever, but low-key kind of person, too.  So, it was quite funny to hear the nick names they would give her, considering how calm she was.  One time I remember hearing a boy in her group, I don't remember his name, but he was greeting her like this:  "It's the Tiffster! It's the Tiff-a-nator!  It's the Tiff-a-saurus Rex!"  So fitting, don't you think?

Beautiful Blonde!

When we lived on Decatur, we had a repair man in the front yard fixing the wiring that went to the street light. I was out there with Sundee and Jannie and the worker asked Jannie where she got that red hair. The next day, another repair man was at the house fixing the washer. And the two little girls were watching him. As he was working along, this man also asked Jannie where she got her red hair. This was just too much for little Sundee and she said, "My hair is this color." At this point I knew I needed to let her know something. I told her she was our "Beautiful Blonde!" And to this day, she is still our "Beautiful Blonde!"

And just who was babysitting???

One day I came home from shopping or something and I found my little girl (Tiffy) hiding under the counter... kind of in the corner... CUTTING off her long red locks !!! This was my sweet little peacemaker. The gentle child about which I always declared "Everyone needs a Tiffany right in the middle." I was shocked! And where did she get those scissors? (And who was watching her???)
When I found her there was only one beautiful curl left. Needless to say, I was appalled! So in order to make a lasting impression, I pretended to cry. Then I fixed the hair cut and gave her Shirley Temple curls. And of course she was still an absolutely beautiful child. So I don't think she was permantly scarred for cutting her own hair and making her mother "cry."

Where did you get those scissors Tiffany?

Singing Contests

On the same vein as singing arguments, singing contests were another forte of Tiffany's. I think it all started with cleaning the kitchen and someone was singing. Let's say it was me singing. Then someone would burst into the middle of my song with another song all together. Let's say it was Tiffany who did the bursting. Perhaps she didn't like the tune I had picked out. In defense I came through with yet a different song! And so it ensued! Back and forth with no particular rhyme or reason to the song choices. Then somehow rules developed. You had to come up with a song before the other person finished their tune or else you lost. You also couldn't repeat any song. Occasionally one or the other of us would get stuck singing "This is the song that never ends..." and with that the other party would exit the room, leaving the one singing to enjoy their infinite musical reverie.

The Tiffy Dance

Have you ever seen Tiffy dance? She's amazing! Such grace! Such poise! She can bring the whole room to attention in one motion! To reproduce such fine movement one must stand with feet together. Now alternate your knees coming forward to the rhythm of desired music, keeping your toes touching the ground. Next extend your fingers to their fullest extent. Now in swift deliberate motions, extend your right hand straight down in front of your right leg while your left knee is cocked. Repeat on the left side while right knee is cocked. Repeat alternating motions over and over. With routine and vigilant practice, you too can become quite the diva of dance!

Summer in Madrigals

When Summer was in high school, I always loved going to see her perform with her singing group, Madrigals. They would dance and sing and entertain to the heart's content. One time they were singing "Country Corn" where they tell the most absurd, cheesy, and corniest jokes there ever were between choruses. Well it came to Summer's turn to tell a real winner of a joke, and it went something like this: "You know that Sundee Murdock?! Well she wanted to take one of them Egyptian milk baths like Chleopatra. So She called up the Milk Man and he asked her if she wanted it pasturized and she said 'No, just up to my chin!' " And then loud, fake laughter ensued enticing the entire audience to laugh as well. To a little 12 yr old, who thought her older sisters walked on water, this was a big deal. Not only did she noticed me, but she brought everyone else's attention to the fact the I was alive!

So... Thirty

I wasn't there, but the story I heard goes like this: Charity and Tara were shopping or something and the subject of birthdays came up. Tara mentioned that she would be thirty years old on her next birthday. Charity in shock, unable to stop herself blurted out, "YOUR SO (pause... ) thirty." Apparently she was able to stop herself from being too tactless.

Your Monkeys are Buggin' Me!

Sundee, Brian, Charity (or was it Summer?) and I were playing Phase 10 on the floor at the house on Minton. I was wearing these really great gorilla slippers - but I have this problem with my shifty feet. They're always looking for a warm place or for something to do. In this case, I had my legs stretched out, ankles crossed, and feet wiggling aimlessly but swiftly back and forth. The way we were sitting, the gorilla heads on the slippers were bumping Sundee and I didn't notice that until she asked me to move my feet. No prob. I moved, but being as busy as they are, my feet ended up back where they were wiggling back and forth as before. She again asked me to move them and I obliged. I did make a conscious effort to not move them back there until my turn came around. After I made my play, I'd entirely forgotten again and moved my restless feet right next to her. I guess she was out of patience and done asking kindly at this point because she blurted out, "Ya know...your monkeys are buggin' me!"

And we all laughed and laughed and laughed!

Tibbly! - my memories

TC growing up was kind of shy and often singing to herself. She's always up for a good chat or a game of cards, but I guess that's all the Murdock kids. :) Her lilting voice is as peaceful as a warm breeze - I always admired how she could touch every high note so effortlessly! And she has a personality to match. Growing up, Mom always said "every family needs a Tiffany right in the middle" because she was the peacemaker. As a kid, I remember trying to have all the good qualities of the older siblings that Mom praised. So when it came to being kind, I looked to her. One Sunday she got up to bear her "simple testimony," and later I caught myself using her exact words in a Young Women's testimony meeting. I also immitated her artistic talents. She wrote poems, so I wrote poems. She told me hands and eyes were the hardest things to draw, so guess what I worked on? Yep, hands and eyes. When I got the part of Annie in the church play, she tried to teach me tapping so I could dance during my duet with Daddy Warbucks. I say she "tried" because I got discouraged that I couldn't get it right the first or second time, so she ended up teaching me a super-simplified version that I used on stage.

It was also really nice when we shared a room living on Minton. She slept on the top bunk and I was on the bottom. After we turned off the lights to go to bed, we spent hours just talking about whatever was going on in our lives. That's when I really got close to Tiffy. Another nice thing about rooming with her was that she was a heavy sleeper. I got this new alarm clock, and the night before I had turned up the volume pretty loud to make sure I got up. In the morning when it rang, I thought it was the fire alarm! I gathered up all my stuff - backpack, shoes, scriptures, blanket, and went to wake Tiffany on the top bunk. That's when I realized that the noise was coming from my dresser and not the house, but she slept clear through it! Not even a movement!! And that thing was LOUD.

Anyway, I really respect Tiffany. She's a wonderful example to me of how a person should be - and I think that started way back when she played the older sister in one of those silly songs we mouthed and performed for Mom and Dad - "She's about this high, she's smaller than I, sometimes I help her tie her shoe. She's my sister...."

Movie Quoting Queen

Tiff took tops on movie quoting. The rest of us quote movies about every other sentence, whereas Tiffany - at least for a while - every other word out of her mouth was a movie quote! There was a time when she quoted the french maid on "Kiss Me, Kate" where she does this crazy-fast thing with her toungue - "La-lalalalalalalalalalalala!" The great part is when Sundee tried to immitate it too, but her toungue seemed to get stuck on the roof of her mouth. And the harder she tried to do it, the longer her "L"s got - "La-lullll-lulllllllll-lullllllllll-lullllllllllllllll...."

Don't Squeak Me!

Remember when Tiff was really little? I don't, but I remember the story. The vacuum would squeak when it was on and apparently little Tiffany was afraid of it. I'm not sure if Jayson was chasing her around the house or if it was just anybody using the vacuum - but whenever that thing was on, she would run away from it yelling "Don't squeak me! Don't squeak me!"

Singing Arguments

Charity made a comment and I think the story should be posted. :)

Back at our house in Taylorsville UT, our parents were desperately trying to get us to stop quarrelling. So one happy Family Home Evening was centered on no contention - and the article in the Ensign suggested that people try singing their arguments. Anytime they got mad, they HAD to sing, and by the end of the argument everyone was laughing instead. Singing your arguments was instantly included in house rules.

Chance was in the living room while Summer and Tiffany were in the kitchen, and an argument started. He didn't even know what they were arguing about, but they were definitely singing it instead of saying it. I guess the squabble got somewhat passionate because - as Chance describes it - he heard them getting louder and louder. Finally, when he thought nobody could get any louder, Summer comes sailing above. Then Tiffany topped her volume and he swears the house rattled and now for sure, no one could beat that. But NOOOOOO, Summer sang yet louder!!! I think she was the last one in the battle of volume, but it was a tough match!