What is your favorite part of your body and why?
Guess what? I'm going to cheat on this one too. I have two favorite body parts and I'm going to share them both.
First would be my eyes. I love my eyes. They are a beautiful brown and can be very expressive. I like the shape and size as well. They have always been one of my favorite features of my face. They definitely aren't perfect. My left eye is slightly lazy and when I'm tired or look at something too hard, it will cross in and that annoys me. As I get older, they are a little weaker and I have to hide them behind glasses, but I still love the way they look.
The second part of my body is my smile. I know that my smile technically isn't a body part; my mouth is, but I don't love my mouth. I do love my smile. Again it isn't perfect and I did have to have some work to make my smile as pretty as it is. Thanks Mom and Dad for the years of orthodontic work so I could have such a nice smile. My teeth still aren't perfect and I have some cavities and a crown, but perfection isn't what makes a smile great. My smile makes my face light up and makes me look beautiful even when I'm looking my worst. I think I have a beautiful smile and it makes me very happy when things make me smile. Thinking about you, Gabi, makes me smile so much that my cheeks almost hurt.
So those are my two favorite body parts. I like a lot of other parts of my body as well, but those are definitely the favorites.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 26
What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
Honestly I don't know if this is a popular notion or not, but it's the first thing that came to mind when I read this one and so I'm going with it.
I think that too many people feel that if someone doesn't agree with you, they must be wrong and you have an obligation to convince them of why you are right. This belief frustrates me because it just leads to conflict and problems. Very few people are going to change their minds because someone else tells them they are wrong.
What brought this to mind recently is the number of arguments I have seen happening online. People who have very strong views on issues are likely to talk about them, which is something they have the right to do. But I've noticed that a lot (not all) people with strong views don't want anyone to disagree with them when they are talking about their issue. They would prefer to hear from a bunch of people who agree with them so they can have their beliefs reinforced instead of challenged. I think people have the right to their own opinion and while I may not agree with them, it isn't my job to convince them that my way of thinking is the right way, even if I know I'm right. :)
I've spent a lot of time thinking about my beliefs and have changed my mind on many things as I've gotten older. Sometimes because I learned more about them or have had experiences that color my view. Sometimes because who I am has changed since I developed that view. However, my views haven't changed because someone told me that I was wrong in my beliefs and then explained to me, often in great detail, why they are right. I try to respect other people, their beliefs, and their right to have those beliefs, even if they are in conflict with mine. I expect the same from the people in my life.
Honestly I don't know if this is a popular notion or not, but it's the first thing that came to mind when I read this one and so I'm going with it.
I think that too many people feel that if someone doesn't agree with you, they must be wrong and you have an obligation to convince them of why you are right. This belief frustrates me because it just leads to conflict and problems. Very few people are going to change their minds because someone else tells them they are wrong.
What brought this to mind recently is the number of arguments I have seen happening online. People who have very strong views on issues are likely to talk about them, which is something they have the right to do. But I've noticed that a lot (not all) people with strong views don't want anyone to disagree with them when they are talking about their issue. They would prefer to hear from a bunch of people who agree with them so they can have their beliefs reinforced instead of challenged. I think people have the right to their own opinion and while I may not agree with them, it isn't my job to convince them that my way of thinking is the right way, even if I know I'm right. :)
I've spent a lot of time thinking about my beliefs and have changed my mind on many things as I've gotten older. Sometimes because I learned more about them or have had experiences that color my view. Sometimes because who I am has changed since I developed that view. However, my views haven't changed because someone told me that I was wrong in my beliefs and then explained to me, often in great detail, why they are right. I try to respect other people, their beliefs, and their right to have those beliefs, even if they are in conflict with mine. I expect the same from the people in my life.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 25
(Skipping 24 for now because it asks about my favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood and I don't know yet)
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
I'm really, really horrible at these types of questions. I don't have many "favorite" people in history, so I don't think about who I would like to meet. I like history, but I like it more for the stories than the individuals. So I'm going to take a little different direction on this one...and I know you are shocked because I don't always follow the rules. :)
I would choose to have dinner with Madeleine L'Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, along with many others. I have read a little bit about her life and think that she is fascinating. For those of you who are unfamiliar with her work, A Wrinkle in Time is one of the first science fiction books with a female main character. Prior to that book, all of the main characters in science fiction were male because science fiction was written for males. There was not a common belief that women were interested in science fiction. L'Engle wrote this amazing book and had a very hard time getting it published because it was such a different book that was hard to categorize. It has elements of science fiction, but is about people with families and real emotions and love. Even after all of her challenges in getting published, she stuck with it and continued to write.
I met her very briefly during a book signing when I was living in Connecticut, but I didn't have a chance to say much to her other than that I love her writing and thank you for the autograph.
She would be great to have dinner with because she is so well spoken and has strong opinions. We wouldn't run out of things to talk about. We share many of the same opinions, but aren't exactly alike so we could have some debate as well. I, at many different times in my life, have wanted to be a writer and would love to hear her advice and suggestions. I just think it would be one of the best evenings of my life.
Now, what would we eat? I have absolutely no idea. That is something that I haven't read about her. I don't know her favorite foods. Probably something that wouldn't be too messy or too fancy because we would be talking as we eat. I would be tempted to have a lot of courses because then the dinner wouldn't be over too soon. I wouldn't want anything too spicy or heavy because I would hate to be gassy with someone that I admire that much. So maybe a tasting menu kind of meal with lots of small dishes. That's the best I've got for the meal.
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
I'm really, really horrible at these types of questions. I don't have many "favorite" people in history, so I don't think about who I would like to meet. I like history, but I like it more for the stories than the individuals. So I'm going to take a little different direction on this one...and I know you are shocked because I don't always follow the rules. :)
I would choose to have dinner with Madeleine L'Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet, along with many others. I have read a little bit about her life and think that she is fascinating. For those of you who are unfamiliar with her work, A Wrinkle in Time is one of the first science fiction books with a female main character. Prior to that book, all of the main characters in science fiction were male because science fiction was written for males. There was not a common belief that women were interested in science fiction. L'Engle wrote this amazing book and had a very hard time getting it published because it was such a different book that was hard to categorize. It has elements of science fiction, but is about people with families and real emotions and love. Even after all of her challenges in getting published, she stuck with it and continued to write.
I met her very briefly during a book signing when I was living in Connecticut, but I didn't have a chance to say much to her other than that I love her writing and thank you for the autograph.
She would be great to have dinner with because she is so well spoken and has strong opinions. We wouldn't run out of things to talk about. We share many of the same opinions, but aren't exactly alike so we could have some debate as well. I, at many different times in my life, have wanted to be a writer and would love to hear her advice and suggestions. I just think it would be one of the best evenings of my life.
Now, what would we eat? I have absolutely no idea. That is something that I haven't read about her. I don't know her favorite foods. Probably something that wouldn't be too messy or too fancy because we would be talking as we eat. I would be tempted to have a lot of courses because then the dinner wouldn't be over too soon. I wouldn't want anything too spicy or heavy because I would hate to be gassy with someone that I admire that much. So maybe a tasting menu kind of meal with lots of small dishes. That's the best I've got for the meal.
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 23
What’s your favorite holiday and why?
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love Christmas movies, music, and decorations. Christmas has always been a big deal in our family. My mom loves Christmas and has for as long as I can remember. As I mentioned in another post, we used to travel to Illinois every other Christmas so we could spend Christmas with my mom's family and would spend the Christmas time here in Kansas with small family celebrations in the morning and, frequently on Christmas day, with the extended family in the afternoon. When we got older, my mom's parents would come to Kansas to spend Christmas with us on their way to Florida for the winter. Sometimes my Aunt Sally would come too. We always had a Christmas tree when we were home for Christmas and I loved the smell of a live tree. I really rebelled when we moved to an artificial tree, but have come to see the value in having one. We decorated the tree with garlands, lights, popcorn and cranberries, and ornaments that had some meaning tied to them. As the years have passed, we have more garlands and ornaments, though we have done away with the popcorn and cranberries. Our tree is so full of holiday goodness and I love the way it looks. You will get to be a part of decorating Nana and Grandpa's tree and will see what I'm talking about. We started the tradition of having Christmas breakfast together every year with waffles and bacon as a family. As my brother and I got older, we would eat before presents. Presents have always been a part of our celebration too. Presents which were always opened on Christmas. Most of the time we would open in the morning, but when I was in elementary school and a little into junior high, if I remember correctly, my mom would have to work every other Christmas day and we would only open one gift in the morning and would open the others when she got home. Those were some tough years! Christmas has been so important to me that when I was in Connecticut working as a nanny, I still made sure that I was going to be able to be home for Christmas with the family. It was also one of the first things your dad and I talked about when we talked about traditions for our family: how were we going to split Christmases. As you know, we do one Christmas here in Kansas and the next one is in California, though we do always celebrate with my parents even if we aren't here on Christmas day. I love the time in California as well. Just as it is here, Christmas is about family. We get together with family and enjoy spending time together. It's different, but wonderful! We have also started celebrating with my best friend and godchildren every Christmas. We get together on either Christmas eve or New Year's Eve to celebrate with them, which is another part of the holiday season that I love.
Christmas has always been important to me because it has always been about family and tradition. Having Christmas without having family has never seemed right. I love the feelings of happiness that Christmas brings to me. The music and the bright colors and lights make me happy. There are things we always do for Christmas that bring a smile to my face and make me feel so joyous. Family has always been at the heart of Christmas for me and family is the most important thing for me. It's been interesting talking to your dad about what traditions we are going to start with you for Christmas. Neither of us is a fan of giving up the holidays with our parents, so that will probably be how your Christmas traditions start, but as my parents did with me, we will probably start having some celebration in our house too. Just not right away.
Now here is my one disclaimer: Christmas does not start until after Thanksgiving. We don't decorate the tree or house before then. We don't listen to Christmas music before then. I am very serious about this one. It drives me nuts that Christmas stuff starts after Halloween. I think that kills some of the specialness of Christmas. December is for Christmas and that is enough if you do it right. So now I'm off my soap box. :)
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love Christmas movies, music, and decorations. Christmas has always been a big deal in our family. My mom loves Christmas and has for as long as I can remember. As I mentioned in another post, we used to travel to Illinois every other Christmas so we could spend Christmas with my mom's family and would spend the Christmas time here in Kansas with small family celebrations in the morning and, frequently on Christmas day, with the extended family in the afternoon. When we got older, my mom's parents would come to Kansas to spend Christmas with us on their way to Florida for the winter. Sometimes my Aunt Sally would come too. We always had a Christmas tree when we were home for Christmas and I loved the smell of a live tree. I really rebelled when we moved to an artificial tree, but have come to see the value in having one. We decorated the tree with garlands, lights, popcorn and cranberries, and ornaments that had some meaning tied to them. As the years have passed, we have more garlands and ornaments, though we have done away with the popcorn and cranberries. Our tree is so full of holiday goodness and I love the way it looks. You will get to be a part of decorating Nana and Grandpa's tree and will see what I'm talking about. We started the tradition of having Christmas breakfast together every year with waffles and bacon as a family. As my brother and I got older, we would eat before presents. Presents have always been a part of our celebration too. Presents which were always opened on Christmas. Most of the time we would open in the morning, but when I was in elementary school and a little into junior high, if I remember correctly, my mom would have to work every other Christmas day and we would only open one gift in the morning and would open the others when she got home. Those were some tough years! Christmas has been so important to me that when I was in Connecticut working as a nanny, I still made sure that I was going to be able to be home for Christmas with the family. It was also one of the first things your dad and I talked about when we talked about traditions for our family: how were we going to split Christmases. As you know, we do one Christmas here in Kansas and the next one is in California, though we do always celebrate with my parents even if we aren't here on Christmas day. I love the time in California as well. Just as it is here, Christmas is about family. We get together with family and enjoy spending time together. It's different, but wonderful! We have also started celebrating with my best friend and godchildren every Christmas. We get together on either Christmas eve or New Year's Eve to celebrate with them, which is another part of the holiday season that I love.
Christmas has always been important to me because it has always been about family and tradition. Having Christmas without having family has never seemed right. I love the feelings of happiness that Christmas brings to me. The music and the bright colors and lights make me happy. There are things we always do for Christmas that bring a smile to my face and make me feel so joyous. Family has always been at the heart of Christmas for me and family is the most important thing for me. It's been interesting talking to your dad about what traditions we are going to start with you for Christmas. Neither of us is a fan of giving up the holidays with our parents, so that will probably be how your Christmas traditions start, but as my parents did with me, we will probably start having some celebration in our house too. Just not right away.
Now here is my one disclaimer: Christmas does not start until after Thanksgiving. We don't decorate the tree or house before then. We don't listen to Christmas music before then. I am very serious about this one. It drives me nuts that Christmas stuff starts after Halloween. I think that kills some of the specialness of Christmas. December is for Christmas and that is enough if you do it right. So now I'm off my soap box. :)
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 22
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
I never was good at setting long term goals or envisioning where I was going to be in certain time periods, but I'll give it a shot.
In five years, I'm going to be the mother of a little girl who will be close five years old. I think according to the rules and such, you won't be able to start kindergarten until you are five, close to six, because of your December birthday. That's okay. There are worse things than being one of the older kids in your class. I don't imagine that we'll be living anywhere else. We really like this house and really hate moving, so we'll probably still be in the same house. I can't imagine doing anything else besides education as my job, so I'll most likely still be doing that, but I hope that by then I will be able to be in a librarian position. I'm going to keep looking into it and moving that direction. I'll be 48 years old and should be back to running and competing in races. I think I should be ready for a 10 K by then if not half marathons, but we'll see because I have to get back into shape again. Your dad and I will still be together and will have celebrated our 13th anniversary over the summer.
In ten years, you will be in elementary school, 4th grade. I don't really have a good idea of what you will be like because I haven't gotten to meet you yet. I really want to be a librarian by then. I will be 53 years old by then and depending on what the district offers at that point in time, I might be close to taking early retirement. That would be a little weird to be retiring while you are in elementary school, but it could happen. A lot depends on where I am and what I am doing. If I am happy where I am, I wouldn't mind working longer than when I could retire with early retirement, but I know that leaving money on the table isn't smart either. I want to still be running at that point in time, though I may have slowed down some, I don't know for sure because I do have some arthritis in my right knee that might have an effect on me. Your dad and I will still be together and will have celebrated our 18th anniversary over the summer.
In 15 years, you will be in high school, which makes me feel a little nauseous. I was a little rebellious during high school and I'm hoping you will be more like your father than like me at this age. I will know so much about you at this time after this many years together. At this point, we will know some of your strengths and interests and I'm sure that I'll be involved in at least some of the activities, either supporting you or helping with supervision, or whatever is needed. I'll be 58 years old and don't have a good sense of whether I'll be working or be retired at that point. If early retirement is offered then it might be silly at that point not to take it, though I do have to think about paying for college for you or at the very least helping with your college. If I am retired, I plan on substituting a far amount. I think that would be a good way to keep busy and make some extra money because your dad won't be retired yet and I don't think sitting around the house all the time would be good for me. I promise you now that I won't substitute in your class when I am subbing. I know how hard it can be to have your parent as a teacher in your building and it might be even harder if your mom is the substitute. I want to still be running at this point in time, but like I said at ten years, a lot depends on my joints. If nothing else, I will still be walking. Your dad and I will still be together and will have celebrated our 23rd anniversary over the summer.
As you might have noticed, there are a few things that I see as constant. You will be a major focus in my life as you get older and I want to be able to help out with things that you are involved in. The other constant is that I don't see a future where your dad and I aren't together. He is such an amazing part of my life that I don't think about life without him.
I never was good at setting long term goals or envisioning where I was going to be in certain time periods, but I'll give it a shot.
In five years, I'm going to be the mother of a little girl who will be close five years old. I think according to the rules and such, you won't be able to start kindergarten until you are five, close to six, because of your December birthday. That's okay. There are worse things than being one of the older kids in your class. I don't imagine that we'll be living anywhere else. We really like this house and really hate moving, so we'll probably still be in the same house. I can't imagine doing anything else besides education as my job, so I'll most likely still be doing that, but I hope that by then I will be able to be in a librarian position. I'm going to keep looking into it and moving that direction. I'll be 48 years old and should be back to running and competing in races. I think I should be ready for a 10 K by then if not half marathons, but we'll see because I have to get back into shape again. Your dad and I will still be together and will have celebrated our 13th anniversary over the summer.
In ten years, you will be in elementary school, 4th grade. I don't really have a good idea of what you will be like because I haven't gotten to meet you yet. I really want to be a librarian by then. I will be 53 years old by then and depending on what the district offers at that point in time, I might be close to taking early retirement. That would be a little weird to be retiring while you are in elementary school, but it could happen. A lot depends on where I am and what I am doing. If I am happy where I am, I wouldn't mind working longer than when I could retire with early retirement, but I know that leaving money on the table isn't smart either. I want to still be running at that point in time, though I may have slowed down some, I don't know for sure because I do have some arthritis in my right knee that might have an effect on me. Your dad and I will still be together and will have celebrated our 18th anniversary over the summer.
In 15 years, you will be in high school, which makes me feel a little nauseous. I was a little rebellious during high school and I'm hoping you will be more like your father than like me at this age. I will know so much about you at this time after this many years together. At this point, we will know some of your strengths and interests and I'm sure that I'll be involved in at least some of the activities, either supporting you or helping with supervision, or whatever is needed. I'll be 58 years old and don't have a good sense of whether I'll be working or be retired at that point. If early retirement is offered then it might be silly at that point not to take it, though I do have to think about paying for college for you or at the very least helping with your college. If I am retired, I plan on substituting a far amount. I think that would be a good way to keep busy and make some extra money because your dad won't be retired yet and I don't think sitting around the house all the time would be good for me. I promise you now that I won't substitute in your class when I am subbing. I know how hard it can be to have your parent as a teacher in your building and it might be even harder if your mom is the substitute. I want to still be running at this point in time, but like I said at ten years, a lot depends on my joints. If nothing else, I will still be walking. Your dad and I will still be together and will have celebrated our 23rd anniversary over the summer.
As you might have noticed, there are a few things that I see as constant. You will be a major focus in my life as you get older and I want to be able to help out with things that you are involved in. The other constant is that I don't see a future where your dad and I aren't together. He is such an amazing part of my life that I don't think about life without him.
Monday, November 25, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 21
Describe your relationship with your parents.
My relationship with my parents has evolved over time. It has been many different things at different times.
When I was young, I was quite the talker. I would talk to my parents and anyone else around me. Some people would say that hasn't changed, but others might be surprised by that. I got along with my parents well. Of course, I didn't like them when they disciplined me, but that's not abnormal for a kid. I did try to play them against each other once that I can remember and it didn't work for me at all in the long run. I had decided one day that I didn't like what Mom was fixing dinner so I met Daddy at the door and asked him to make me a fried egg for dinner. He told me yes without talking to Mom first. She was not happy with him and thus ended my chances of ever playing against each other again.
As a teenager, I stopped talking to my parents and withdrew from them. I knew there was no way that they could possibly understand me and the unique things that I was going through. I was dying to be an angst filled teenager and wanted to be misunderstood and living a rough life. Little did I realize how lucky I really was and still am. I started rebelling against my parents hard core. I resisted anything that they wanted for me and started being truly an obnoxious teenager. I hurt my parents by things that I did and wish that I had a chance to take that back. I have very few regrets in my life, but that is definitely one of them.
When I went off to college, I was feeling all kinds of grown up and wanted to be in charge of my own life. That worked well when I was at college but made for a rough time when I was living at home. The fact of the matter is that my parents were paying for my college and letting me live with them during the summers and holidays without having to pay for anything so they had every right to continue to be the ones who made the decisions, but you couldn't have convinced me of that then. Moving through my years in college, I think I reconnected with my parents and started to establish the relationship that I have with them now.
As an adult, I adore my parents. They are wonderful, supportive, and loving. There isn't anything they wouldn't do for your dad and me and we feel the same way. My parents have really set the example for me of what a loving, long term relationship is. I love seeing how they interact with each other and how they are a team in the things they do. They have always been here for your dad and me. Since we have had our house, my dad has been there for every question we have. He's been teaching your dad how to do things around the house and they work so well together. My mom helps me with any questions I have, though I will admit that I go to her most with questions having to do with all things medical. She has always been the person that I want to talk to when I don't feel good, whether I'm sick or hurting, I always want my mom. Your dad does a great job of taking care of me now, but my mom was always the one who would take care of me before your dad was here to do it. They are such amazing and wonderful people and I absolutely love and respect them for everything that makes them who they are.
With you starting to be a part of our lives, we have gotten even closer, if that is possible. Everyone I know has been excited about me being pregnant with you, but no one has felt this more strongly than your grandparents. You are a gift for us and for them. As you know now, you are their first grandchild and they are so excited about getting to do things with you. Any time that I want to talk about things having to do with you, I know I can call my mom because, other than your dad, she is the person who is most willing to talk about you nonstop. Since I've been pregnant, I have talked to my mom almost every week and I give her all of the updates first. I can't wait to see them with you, because they are so excited and I know how much you will mean to them. I am definitely looking forward to seeing your relationship with them develop.
My relationship with my parents has evolved over time. It has been many different things at different times.
When I was young, I was quite the talker. I would talk to my parents and anyone else around me. Some people would say that hasn't changed, but others might be surprised by that. I got along with my parents well. Of course, I didn't like them when they disciplined me, but that's not abnormal for a kid. I did try to play them against each other once that I can remember and it didn't work for me at all in the long run. I had decided one day that I didn't like what Mom was fixing dinner so I met Daddy at the door and asked him to make me a fried egg for dinner. He told me yes without talking to Mom first. She was not happy with him and thus ended my chances of ever playing against each other again.
As a teenager, I stopped talking to my parents and withdrew from them. I knew there was no way that they could possibly understand me and the unique things that I was going through. I was dying to be an angst filled teenager and wanted to be misunderstood and living a rough life. Little did I realize how lucky I really was and still am. I started rebelling against my parents hard core. I resisted anything that they wanted for me and started being truly an obnoxious teenager. I hurt my parents by things that I did and wish that I had a chance to take that back. I have very few regrets in my life, but that is definitely one of them.
When I went off to college, I was feeling all kinds of grown up and wanted to be in charge of my own life. That worked well when I was at college but made for a rough time when I was living at home. The fact of the matter is that my parents were paying for my college and letting me live with them during the summers and holidays without having to pay for anything so they had every right to continue to be the ones who made the decisions, but you couldn't have convinced me of that then. Moving through my years in college, I think I reconnected with my parents and started to establish the relationship that I have with them now.
As an adult, I adore my parents. They are wonderful, supportive, and loving. There isn't anything they wouldn't do for your dad and me and we feel the same way. My parents have really set the example for me of what a loving, long term relationship is. I love seeing how they interact with each other and how they are a team in the things they do. They have always been here for your dad and me. Since we have had our house, my dad has been there for every question we have. He's been teaching your dad how to do things around the house and they work so well together. My mom helps me with any questions I have, though I will admit that I go to her most with questions having to do with all things medical. She has always been the person that I want to talk to when I don't feel good, whether I'm sick or hurting, I always want my mom. Your dad does a great job of taking care of me now, but my mom was always the one who would take care of me before your dad was here to do it. They are such amazing and wonderful people and I absolutely love and respect them for everything that makes them who they are.
With you starting to be a part of our lives, we have gotten even closer, if that is possible. Everyone I know has been excited about me being pregnant with you, but no one has felt this more strongly than your grandparents. You are a gift for us and for them. As you know now, you are their first grandchild and they are so excited about getting to do things with you. Any time that I want to talk about things having to do with you, I know I can call my mom because, other than your dad, she is the person who is most willing to talk about you nonstop. Since I've been pregnant, I have talked to my mom almost every week and I give her all of the updates first. I can't wait to see them with you, because they are so excited and I know how much you will mean to them. I am definitely looking forward to seeing your relationship with them develop.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 20
Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
(For those of you as OCD as me: yes, I did skip post number 19 because it asks how you felt the moment you became a parent and I'm going to save that one until after Gabi is actually here because I've already talked a lot about how I felt when I found out I was pregnant)
I have a lot of significant memories from my childhood. I have been trying to figure out what three memories I was going to include in this and I came to a decision: I'm going to do three different groups of memories. So they may have happened more than once, but they fit into the same groups. I know...I have a tendency to bend the rules, but it's my blog so I get to.
1. Family vacations: For as long as I can remember, and before, we took family vacations. When I was young, we went to Illinois to visit my mom's parents. We would go at Christmas every other year and lots of summers. I remember that we used to stay in hotels when we went and I would always want to stay at a hotel with a pool and whether we did or not, we never actually used the pool. We used the hotels as a place to stay overnight and then we would be on the road again in the morning. As I got a little older, we would add more things to the trip to Illinois. We would stop on the way there and visit different places. There is a picture of my brother and me posing in front of a bull (I think) where we are both looking very cranky because it was hot, humid and there were a ton of flies, but we still experienced Springfield, Ill. as part of that vacation. We also started including trips to places other than Illinois. We went to Florida to visit our family who lived/lives there. We started using a pop up camper and taking a little more time as part of the trip instead of just driving long hours to get there. The nice part of that was that when the campground had a swimming pool we did get to swim, something I have always loved. We traveled through Canada and to New York to visit my aunt who lives there. The common theme of each vacation was that we were visiting family at some point along the way, but we saw a lot more things along the way. Because of these vacations, I have been in almost every state south and east of Kansas. We didn't travel west much because we didn't have family in that direction. I generally didn't get to see a lot of the scenery as we traveled because Steve and I would sit in the back seat and read almost everywhere that we traveled. We did see a lot of places with historical significance, which was really cool. I enjoyed traveling with my family up until I became a cranky, moody 16 year old, who really wanted to stay home instead of going places with my family. I look back at our vacations as some of my favorite times with my family because we got to do so many things that a lot of other people didn't get to do and saw so many great things. There are far too many memories to share without this blog post becoming way too long. However, Gabi, ask Nana about the time she wanted to make sure that your Uncle Steve and I saw the horse on top of the silo. It's a funny story! :)
2. Summers in Hoisington, KS when I was in 1st through 3rd grade: From the time that I started 1st grade, I was what used to be called a latchkey kid, which meant I went home after school and my parents were at work when I got home. It wasn't always that way, but my dad coached football, basketball, and track so he had practice after school almost all school year. During the summer, my mom would still work, because her schedule wasn't based on a school year schedule. Dad would work on different things during the summer and honestly, at that age, I don't know that I ever knew exactly what it was that he did. I knew he wasn't teaching during the summer, but it didn't really affect me to know what he was doing. What I knew was that my brother and I spent a lot of time on our own during the summer. We had chores that we had to do, like pick the beans, wash the kitchen floor, and our regular chores like cleaning our rooms and things like you will have to do. We had to get those things done before we could go and play or go to the swimming pool (yes, swimming played a large part in my summers from a very young age). My brother and I weren't always the best at doing what we were supposed to be doing and tried to find ways to get out of doing some of the work we were supposed to do. Well...not really get out of them so much as find shortcuts or ways to make it easier or more fun. For example, we had to wash the kitchen floor and thought it would be more fun if we could slide around on the kitchen floor to clean it, so we put shampoo, lotion, and conditioner on the floor so it would be more fun to slide on. Then to rinse it, my brilliant idea was to throw buckets of water on the floor to get all the soap off of it. Needless to say, that didn't work and we had standing water on the floor. So we got towels from the cabinet and mopped it all up, put the towels in the dryer, and put them back in the cabinet when they were dry. Gross, I know. We didn't always use all the brains we had been given. Another strong memory, we how we couldn't go swimming until it was at least 100 degrees outside. The thermometer that was outside was in the shade and we thought that it wasn't showing what the real temperature was, so we took it and put it on the dark red picnic table that had been in the sun all morning. Imagine that, it suddenly was over 100 degrees and we could go swimming. We had water gun fights in the basement and then tried to hide it by saying we were pretending it was raining on the toys we were playing with. Again, so many memories that it would take forever to share them all. Please don't take any hints on how to behave during the summer from your Uncle Steve and me. We weren't good role models...but we did have fun.
3. Trips to my dad's parents' farm: My dad's parents lived in Moundridge, KS, which you will probably visit even before you are old enough to realize you are there because my Uncle Ken and Aunt Barbara live there now and we will go there for some family get-togethers. For a lot of holidays and weekends during my childhood, we would go to my grandparents' farm either for family get- togethers or because my dad was doing some work on the farm. It was a fun place to spend time when we were young. We got to roam all over the place. There was a pond behind the farm with frogs and tadpoles. There was a creek near the farm that we would play around near or in. We could play in the red barn or the milk barn and there were almost always kittens to play with if we could find them. We wandered around in the fields and played on the junk that my grandpa would have in some of the fields. He had some old cars out near the combines and tractors - we never got to play with the combines or tractors...ever. But the old cars were available for play. We actually broke out a couple of the windows and discovered what safety glass was and how cool all the little pieces of glass looked. At one point, my grandpa had what looked like an igloo in the yard and that was a fun playhouse...until we discovered the spiders inside. The boat out behind the house was fun to play on until the hornets decided it was a nice place to build hives. As you can tell, things weren't always perfect, but we had a lot of fun, most of the time. I remember when I was wearing a sling on my arm and was running to catch up with my cousins, tripped on a dried cow patty, and fell hurt arm first into a fresh cow patty. Not a fun day for me. One day during the summer, my cousin Angie and I walked along the creek behind the house and followed it to my Uncle Ed and Aunt Doris's farm and they gave each of us an egg to take with us when we went home. Angie put hers on a pillow and sat on it to keep it warm until the adults figured out what she was doing. We played softball in the front yard and set off tons of firecrackers on the 4th of July while my grandpa would set off quite a fireworks show at night. We played with my grandma's jewelry and tried to see how much we could put on at one time. We played cards or board games. That's where I learned to shuffle cards the way I do now. Sometimes I would play the piano as long as no one was watching sports on the TV. We always had wonderful meals when we were there. So many memories from spending time at the farm. I never really did anything with caring for the animals or actually working on the farm, which probably made it even more fun for me.
Those are the three groups of memories that were most significant from my childhood. I really had a great childhood and got to have a lot of fun. I'm going to have to work on making your childhood as much fun as mine.
(For those of you as OCD as me: yes, I did skip post number 19 because it asks how you felt the moment you became a parent and I'm going to save that one until after Gabi is actually here because I've already talked a lot about how I felt when I found out I was pregnant)
I have a lot of significant memories from my childhood. I have been trying to figure out what three memories I was going to include in this and I came to a decision: I'm going to do three different groups of memories. So they may have happened more than once, but they fit into the same groups. I know...I have a tendency to bend the rules, but it's my blog so I get to.
1. Family vacations: For as long as I can remember, and before, we took family vacations. When I was young, we went to Illinois to visit my mom's parents. We would go at Christmas every other year and lots of summers. I remember that we used to stay in hotels when we went and I would always want to stay at a hotel with a pool and whether we did or not, we never actually used the pool. We used the hotels as a place to stay overnight and then we would be on the road again in the morning. As I got a little older, we would add more things to the trip to Illinois. We would stop on the way there and visit different places. There is a picture of my brother and me posing in front of a bull (I think) where we are both looking very cranky because it was hot, humid and there were a ton of flies, but we still experienced Springfield, Ill. as part of that vacation. We also started including trips to places other than Illinois. We went to Florida to visit our family who lived/lives there. We started using a pop up camper and taking a little more time as part of the trip instead of just driving long hours to get there. The nice part of that was that when the campground had a swimming pool we did get to swim, something I have always loved. We traveled through Canada and to New York to visit my aunt who lives there. The common theme of each vacation was that we were visiting family at some point along the way, but we saw a lot more things along the way. Because of these vacations, I have been in almost every state south and east of Kansas. We didn't travel west much because we didn't have family in that direction. I generally didn't get to see a lot of the scenery as we traveled because Steve and I would sit in the back seat and read almost everywhere that we traveled. We did see a lot of places with historical significance, which was really cool. I enjoyed traveling with my family up until I became a cranky, moody 16 year old, who really wanted to stay home instead of going places with my family. I look back at our vacations as some of my favorite times with my family because we got to do so many things that a lot of other people didn't get to do and saw so many great things. There are far too many memories to share without this blog post becoming way too long. However, Gabi, ask Nana about the time she wanted to make sure that your Uncle Steve and I saw the horse on top of the silo. It's a funny story! :)
2. Summers in Hoisington, KS when I was in 1st through 3rd grade: From the time that I started 1st grade, I was what used to be called a latchkey kid, which meant I went home after school and my parents were at work when I got home. It wasn't always that way, but my dad coached football, basketball, and track so he had practice after school almost all school year. During the summer, my mom would still work, because her schedule wasn't based on a school year schedule. Dad would work on different things during the summer and honestly, at that age, I don't know that I ever knew exactly what it was that he did. I knew he wasn't teaching during the summer, but it didn't really affect me to know what he was doing. What I knew was that my brother and I spent a lot of time on our own during the summer. We had chores that we had to do, like pick the beans, wash the kitchen floor, and our regular chores like cleaning our rooms and things like you will have to do. We had to get those things done before we could go and play or go to the swimming pool (yes, swimming played a large part in my summers from a very young age). My brother and I weren't always the best at doing what we were supposed to be doing and tried to find ways to get out of doing some of the work we were supposed to do. Well...not really get out of them so much as find shortcuts or ways to make it easier or more fun. For example, we had to wash the kitchen floor and thought it would be more fun if we could slide around on the kitchen floor to clean it, so we put shampoo, lotion, and conditioner on the floor so it would be more fun to slide on. Then to rinse it, my brilliant idea was to throw buckets of water on the floor to get all the soap off of it. Needless to say, that didn't work and we had standing water on the floor. So we got towels from the cabinet and mopped it all up, put the towels in the dryer, and put them back in the cabinet when they were dry. Gross, I know. We didn't always use all the brains we had been given. Another strong memory, we how we couldn't go swimming until it was at least 100 degrees outside. The thermometer that was outside was in the shade and we thought that it wasn't showing what the real temperature was, so we took it and put it on the dark red picnic table that had been in the sun all morning. Imagine that, it suddenly was over 100 degrees and we could go swimming. We had water gun fights in the basement and then tried to hide it by saying we were pretending it was raining on the toys we were playing with. Again, so many memories that it would take forever to share them all. Please don't take any hints on how to behave during the summer from your Uncle Steve and me. We weren't good role models...but we did have fun.
3. Trips to my dad's parents' farm: My dad's parents lived in Moundridge, KS, which you will probably visit even before you are old enough to realize you are there because my Uncle Ken and Aunt Barbara live there now and we will go there for some family get-togethers. For a lot of holidays and weekends during my childhood, we would go to my grandparents' farm either for family get- togethers or because my dad was doing some work on the farm. It was a fun place to spend time when we were young. We got to roam all over the place. There was a pond behind the farm with frogs and tadpoles. There was a creek near the farm that we would play around near or in. We could play in the red barn or the milk barn and there were almost always kittens to play with if we could find them. We wandered around in the fields and played on the junk that my grandpa would have in some of the fields. He had some old cars out near the combines and tractors - we never got to play with the combines or tractors...ever. But the old cars were available for play. We actually broke out a couple of the windows and discovered what safety glass was and how cool all the little pieces of glass looked. At one point, my grandpa had what looked like an igloo in the yard and that was a fun playhouse...until we discovered the spiders inside. The boat out behind the house was fun to play on until the hornets decided it was a nice place to build hives. As you can tell, things weren't always perfect, but we had a lot of fun, most of the time. I remember when I was wearing a sling on my arm and was running to catch up with my cousins, tripped on a dried cow patty, and fell hurt arm first into a fresh cow patty. Not a fun day for me. One day during the summer, my cousin Angie and I walked along the creek behind the house and followed it to my Uncle Ed and Aunt Doris's farm and they gave each of us an egg to take with us when we went home. Angie put hers on a pillow and sat on it to keep it warm until the adults figured out what she was doing. We played softball in the front yard and set off tons of firecrackers on the 4th of July while my grandpa would set off quite a fireworks show at night. We played with my grandma's jewelry and tried to see how much we could put on at one time. We played cards or board games. That's where I learned to shuffle cards the way I do now. Sometimes I would play the piano as long as no one was watching sports on the TV. We always had wonderful meals when we were there. So many memories from spending time at the farm. I never really did anything with caring for the animals or actually working on the farm, which probably made it even more fun for me.
Those are the three groups of memories that were most significant from my childhood. I really had a great childhood and got to have a lot of fun. I'm going to have to work on making your childhood as much fun as mine.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 18
What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
It's interesting to think about the one thing that your dad loves most about me. I know that he loves lots of things about me, even though there are some things about me that drive him crazy. This would be easier to say what I love most about him but I suppose the point isn't to be easy but to make me think.
I would say that the thing your dad loves most about me is that I am always here to support him and make him know that he is accepted and loved for exactly who he is. Okay, so it's two things, but I'm sticking by it. Your dad and I have always had the type of relationship where we support each other and work together as a team in just about everything we do. We are always there for each other and have each other's backs. Your dad does so much for me and for you, since you have been a part of our lives and I always appreciate what he does, even though he would say that it isn't a big deal.
For the second part, your dad and I both went through periods of time where we didn't think that we were going to find someone that would love us for who we are. As I've shared in previous blog posts, your dad has always been accepting of me, my quirks, my weird "things," and who I am and who I might become. I feel the same way about your dad. I would never say that he is perfect, but as I say all the time, he is absolutely perfect for me, just the way he is. I make sure that he knows that and how much I love him for who he is and how wonderfully we work together.
Now I'm going to cheat even more. I would say another thing that your dad loves about me is that I make him laugh. Whether I'm making a joke or just being silly, I know that your dad laughs more with me than with anyone else. We laugh at a lot of the same things and like to be able to make each other laugh. Other people might not get what makes us laugh in different situations, but that hasn't ever really mattered to me. I love that we share that with each other.
So there are the top three things that I think your dad loves best about me. As I've said before, I'd love to see his response to this same topic.
It's interesting to think about the one thing that your dad loves most about me. I know that he loves lots of things about me, even though there are some things about me that drive him crazy. This would be easier to say what I love most about him but I suppose the point isn't to be easy but to make me think.
I would say that the thing your dad loves most about me is that I am always here to support him and make him know that he is accepted and loved for exactly who he is. Okay, so it's two things, but I'm sticking by it. Your dad and I have always had the type of relationship where we support each other and work together as a team in just about everything we do. We are always there for each other and have each other's backs. Your dad does so much for me and for you, since you have been a part of our lives and I always appreciate what he does, even though he would say that it isn't a big deal.
For the second part, your dad and I both went through periods of time where we didn't think that we were going to find someone that would love us for who we are. As I've shared in previous blog posts, your dad has always been accepting of me, my quirks, my weird "things," and who I am and who I might become. I feel the same way about your dad. I would never say that he is perfect, but as I say all the time, he is absolutely perfect for me, just the way he is. I make sure that he knows that and how much I love him for who he is and how wonderfully we work together.
Now I'm going to cheat even more. I would say another thing that your dad loves about me is that I make him laugh. Whether I'm making a joke or just being silly, I know that your dad laughs more with me than with anyone else. We laugh at a lot of the same things and like to be able to make each other laugh. Other people might not get what makes us laugh in different situations, but that hasn't ever really mattered to me. I love that we share that with each other.
So there are the top three things that I think your dad loves best about me. As I've said before, I'd love to see his response to this same topic.
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 17
What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
There are a lot of things that I wish I could do better: dancing, drawing, singing...just to name three off the top of my head. However, I wouldn't put any of those as the thing I most wish I was great at.
The things I most wish I was great at doing would be making things with my hands. Your grandpa, (my dad) is great at making things. He sees something, plans it out, and makes it out of wood or metal. He has made their dining room table, our TV stand, my CD rack, your cradle and dresser, the headboard in the guest room, just to name a few things. I admire that talent and just don't have it. I can see things and see how they would go together, but I just can't make things.
My good friend Tennele makes all sorts of creative things. She makes all sorts of cards that are absolutely gorgeous. She made your baby shower invitations, the thank you cards for that shower, the letters of your name which are on your bedroom wall. She sees something, plans it out, and then can make it and it looks gorgeous. Once again, I admire her talent and just don't have that skill. I want to be creative and make cool looking things like she does, but I don't have the skill or patience.
Another good friend of mine, Wendi, does the same thing. She makes amazing baked goods. Her cupcakes are incredible and in some many different flavors and styles. She does the cool looking frosting too. And her skills extend beyond that. She made all the little turtles that line the top of your dresser. She made the incredibly cute diaper cake for your shower too. She gets ideas and can make them into amazing creations. She isn't afraid to try something to see how it will work or to try new things and they are all amazing! I can bake and cook, but I don't have the skill to make the beautiful creations that Wendi can make.
So with those three examples of creative people in my life (and they aren't the only ones), it definitely makes me wish that I was great at those types of things. I do have many skills and talents, but that is one area that I am lacking and if I were given the opportunity to be great at something, it would definitely be the ability to make wonderful things with my hands. Maybe you will have those creative skills that I don't have.
There are a lot of things that I wish I could do better: dancing, drawing, singing...just to name three off the top of my head. However, I wouldn't put any of those as the thing I most wish I was great at.
The things I most wish I was great at doing would be making things with my hands. Your grandpa, (my dad) is great at making things. He sees something, plans it out, and makes it out of wood or metal. He has made their dining room table, our TV stand, my CD rack, your cradle and dresser, the headboard in the guest room, just to name a few things. I admire that talent and just don't have it. I can see things and see how they would go together, but I just can't make things.
My good friend Tennele makes all sorts of creative things. She makes all sorts of cards that are absolutely gorgeous. She made your baby shower invitations, the thank you cards for that shower, the letters of your name which are on your bedroom wall. She sees something, plans it out, and then can make it and it looks gorgeous. Once again, I admire her talent and just don't have that skill. I want to be creative and make cool looking things like she does, but I don't have the skill or patience.
Another good friend of mine, Wendi, does the same thing. She makes amazing baked goods. Her cupcakes are incredible and in some many different flavors and styles. She does the cool looking frosting too. And her skills extend beyond that. She made all the little turtles that line the top of your dresser. She made the incredibly cute diaper cake for your shower too. She gets ideas and can make them into amazing creations. She isn't afraid to try something to see how it will work or to try new things and they are all amazing! I can bake and cook, but I don't have the skill to make the beautiful creations that Wendi can make.
So with those three examples of creative people in my life (and they aren't the only ones), it definitely makes me wish that I was great at those types of things. I do have many skills and talents, but that is one area that I am lacking and if I were given the opportunity to be great at something, it would definitely be the ability to make wonderful things with my hands. Maybe you will have those creative skills that I don't have.
Friday, November 22, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 16
What are your five greatest accomplishments?
1. Being patient and open-minded enough to find the right man to spend the rest of my life with. I know this one sounds strange, but honestly, I was close to giving up on finding the right person to spend my life with when I met your dad. I had been frustrated and disappointed by a lot of guys that I thought were going to be the right ones. However, I never gave up on finding someone I could love with all the love that I had and someone who would love me as much as I loved him. I also made sure that I didn't miss out on things because I was so focused on finding the right guy. I went and did things and enjoyed myself. I kept believing that I was worth it and I should keep my faith while living a full and happy life. That's when I met your dad and the rest is history.
2. Getting my bachelor's and master's degrees with high honors. I am have always done well in school, but it never really came easy to me. I always had to work hard for my grades and put in a lot of time to be as successful as I was. Now I will say that your grandparents made it easier for me to get my grades on my bachelor's degree because they paid for my college and I only had to work for a little extra money. My master's degree, on the other hand, was earned while I was teaching, so it was a busy time for me, but I still kept my grades up. I'm very proud of how successful I was in getting my education.
3. Staying at a challenging school doing a challenging job for as many years as I have. As you will likely know by the time you read this, I teach at a Title I school with over 90% of the students receiving free or reduced lunches. This makes my job very challenging. Some of the students don't really care about their education and will fight teachers who want to help them learn. Turnover at a school like mine is very high. In fact, there are only two other teachers who have been at Curtis as long or longer than I have. Sometimes I wonder if I'm there out of habit, but I am there and am still giving everything I can to my students.
4. Setting the goal of living a healthier life and sticking to it for over a year. In April 2012, I decided it was time to make a change in my life and so I did it. I started eating healthier and working out. I started small with walking a half mile and moved up to running 5Ks. So many great things happened because of that changes I made, not the least of which was getting pregnant with you. I look forward to getting back to some of the healthier activities I started and sharing those with you.
5. Quitting smoking. Like too many stupid teenagers, I started a bad habit to be cool with my friends who smoked. Now I do want to make it clear that they never pressured me to smoke and in fact asked me a bunch of times when I first started if I really wanted to do this. However, I was stubborn and headstrong and started one of the worst habits I have ever had. I started with a few cigarettes every couple of days and ended up, 16 years later, with a pack a day habit a full blown ridiculous addiction. I spent a lot of time saying that I could quit anytime that I wanted to and tried to quit more times than I can remember. However I finally made up my mind that it was the right time for me to quit and I was going to do it. When I did that, I was done. It wasn't easy. I took a prescription to ease the cravings and nicotine patches to make the transition easier. It took several months before I could even be around smokers without wanting a cigarette. Now, almost 10 years later, I can't stand the smell of cigarettes, especially since being pregnant. The day before you will be born will mark the 10 year anniversary of my quitting. It's something I'm very proud of.
1. Being patient and open-minded enough to find the right man to spend the rest of my life with. I know this one sounds strange, but honestly, I was close to giving up on finding the right person to spend my life with when I met your dad. I had been frustrated and disappointed by a lot of guys that I thought were going to be the right ones. However, I never gave up on finding someone I could love with all the love that I had and someone who would love me as much as I loved him. I also made sure that I didn't miss out on things because I was so focused on finding the right guy. I went and did things and enjoyed myself. I kept believing that I was worth it and I should keep my faith while living a full and happy life. That's when I met your dad and the rest is history.
2. Getting my bachelor's and master's degrees with high honors. I am have always done well in school, but it never really came easy to me. I always had to work hard for my grades and put in a lot of time to be as successful as I was. Now I will say that your grandparents made it easier for me to get my grades on my bachelor's degree because they paid for my college and I only had to work for a little extra money. My master's degree, on the other hand, was earned while I was teaching, so it was a busy time for me, but I still kept my grades up. I'm very proud of how successful I was in getting my education.
3. Staying at a challenging school doing a challenging job for as many years as I have. As you will likely know by the time you read this, I teach at a Title I school with over 90% of the students receiving free or reduced lunches. This makes my job very challenging. Some of the students don't really care about their education and will fight teachers who want to help them learn. Turnover at a school like mine is very high. In fact, there are only two other teachers who have been at Curtis as long or longer than I have. Sometimes I wonder if I'm there out of habit, but I am there and am still giving everything I can to my students.
4. Setting the goal of living a healthier life and sticking to it for over a year. In April 2012, I decided it was time to make a change in my life and so I did it. I started eating healthier and working out. I started small with walking a half mile and moved up to running 5Ks. So many great things happened because of that changes I made, not the least of which was getting pregnant with you. I look forward to getting back to some of the healthier activities I started and sharing those with you.
5. Quitting smoking. Like too many stupid teenagers, I started a bad habit to be cool with my friends who smoked. Now I do want to make it clear that they never pressured me to smoke and in fact asked me a bunch of times when I first started if I really wanted to do this. However, I was stubborn and headstrong and started one of the worst habits I have ever had. I started with a few cigarettes every couple of days and ended up, 16 years later, with a pack a day habit a full blown ridiculous addiction. I spent a lot of time saying that I could quit anytime that I wanted to and tried to quit more times than I can remember. However I finally made up my mind that it was the right time for me to quit and I was going to do it. When I did that, I was done. It wasn't easy. I took a prescription to ease the cravings and nicotine patches to make the transition easier. It took several months before I could even be around smokers without wanting a cigarette. Now, almost 10 years later, I can't stand the smell of cigarettes, especially since being pregnant. The day before you will be born will mark the 10 year anniversary of my quitting. It's something I'm very proud of.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 15
Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how you fell in love.
Your dad and I have been together so long that it's hard to think of a time when I didn't know that he was the one or that he was the man that I loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with. However, I will do my best to remember.
Your dad and I met online when I was a nanny in Connecticut and he was living in California. We were introduced through a mutual friend. We started talking a little online now and then, but nothing very serious or deep. Then it started to change and we started talking more and more and we started sharing more information about ourselves. Your dad was more reserved than I was, but we both started to come out of our shells. We started talking every night for hours. I knew that I always looked forward to our time talking, but I didn't really let myself think of him as anything other than a good friend.
As strange as it might sound, what made me start thinking about him in a different light was when he was talking to me about a girl who he had also been talking to who had lied to him about what she looked like, sending him a picture of someone else and claiming it was her. I had the weirdest feeling when we talked about her and I realized that I was a little jealous of this other woman because she was getting his attention. Now this wasn't an automatic transition from friendship to something more, but it got me thinking.
We started talking on the phone as well as talking on the computer and we talked about everything. Hours upon hours of time were spent talking. Your dad became more and more important to me, even though we had never met in person. I knew that I had feelings for him and thought that he had feelings for me as well, but he wasn't ever going to bring it up. So I asked him if when he thought about his future whether he saw me as a part of it. He said that he did and our relationship got even closer. I'm pretty sure that I was falling in love with him at that point and that he was falling in love with me as well.
The moment I knew was when I flew out to California to meet him and take a test to get a teaching certificate in California. It wasn't just about meeting your dad, but that was a large part of it for me. When I got off the plane and walked into the airport, I saw your dad standing there waiting for me and I knew that I loved him. When he hugged me and gave me a kiss, I just knew that he was the guy for me. Our relationship grew and developed from there and I know now that my feelings then weren't anything like what they are now, but that was when I knew that I loved him.
Sometime we'll need to get your dad to tell when he knew that he loved me. I'm curious if his story would be like mine. :)
Your dad and I have been together so long that it's hard to think of a time when I didn't know that he was the one or that he was the man that I loved and wanted to spend the rest of my life with. However, I will do my best to remember.
Your dad and I met online when I was a nanny in Connecticut and he was living in California. We were introduced through a mutual friend. We started talking a little online now and then, but nothing very serious or deep. Then it started to change and we started talking more and more and we started sharing more information about ourselves. Your dad was more reserved than I was, but we both started to come out of our shells. We started talking every night for hours. I knew that I always looked forward to our time talking, but I didn't really let myself think of him as anything other than a good friend.
As strange as it might sound, what made me start thinking about him in a different light was when he was talking to me about a girl who he had also been talking to who had lied to him about what she looked like, sending him a picture of someone else and claiming it was her. I had the weirdest feeling when we talked about her and I realized that I was a little jealous of this other woman because she was getting his attention. Now this wasn't an automatic transition from friendship to something more, but it got me thinking.
We started talking on the phone as well as talking on the computer and we talked about everything. Hours upon hours of time were spent talking. Your dad became more and more important to me, even though we had never met in person. I knew that I had feelings for him and thought that he had feelings for me as well, but he wasn't ever going to bring it up. So I asked him if when he thought about his future whether he saw me as a part of it. He said that he did and our relationship got even closer. I'm pretty sure that I was falling in love with him at that point and that he was falling in love with me as well.
The moment I knew was when I flew out to California to meet him and take a test to get a teaching certificate in California. It wasn't just about meeting your dad, but that was a large part of it for me. When I got off the plane and walked into the airport, I saw your dad standing there waiting for me and I knew that I loved him. When he hugged me and gave me a kiss, I just knew that he was the guy for me. Our relationship grew and developed from there and I know now that my feelings then weren't anything like what they are now, but that was when I knew that I loved him.
Sometime we'll need to get your dad to tell when he knew that he loved me. I'm curious if his story would be like mine. :)
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 14
Describe 5 strengths and weaknesses you have.
Strengths:
1. I am a loyal and caring friend. I don't have a ton of friends, but I am always there for the friends I do have and I treasure them so very much. When I was younger, I wasn't always the best friend and didn't always value my friends as much as I should. However, several things happened after college that really made me realize who my friends were and how important they are.
2. I am dependable. When I say that I'm going to do something, I am going to do it. Being someone that people can count on is important to me. Honestly, it's been one of the challenging things about being pregnant: my memory is horrible these days and I forget things, but I try my best still to be someone that other people can count on.
3. I am open minded. I am willing to try and accept new things without too much resistance. Sometimes I know that it might not seem like it, but I am open to new ideas...I'm just not a fan of change for the sake of change. I am willing to try new foods, new recipes, new places, new styles...however, I worry with new styles that I don't know what looks good or not. I'm always willing to get people a chance, though I'm not as generous with second chances.
4. I am friendly. While I talked in my last blog post about how I don't have a lot of friends, I am a friendly person. I try and greet people with a smile and a friendly greeting. I'm not an outgoing person, so I might not strike up a conversation with someone randomly, but if we are in a situation where we are near each other or cross paths, I will be friendly. I am also a hugger with people when I know them well. For my friends, I always have a warm hug, if they are huggy people.
5. I am an organized person. Now, as you will soon find out, I'm not always organized with all the stuff around me, but I am still an organized person. I make to do lists and mark off things as they are finished. When I am packing for a trip (be it a trip to California or a trip to the hospital to deliver my beloved baby girl), I make lists of things that need to packed. I focus on the details and make sure that all the little things are taken care of. I keep my things pretty well organized, but I know that I don't always do a good job with stuff as I do with my brain.
Weaknesses:
1. I am impatient. I don't like waiting for things. When a box comes in the mail, I want to open it right away, which isn't always a good thing, especially around holidays. I don't like waiting to do things. If I want to do something, I want to do it right then. When I understand something and know what I need to do, I don't like waiting. When I am learning something new, I want to know and understand it right away. I hate it when I can't master something as quickly as I would like.
2. I am a perfectionist. Yes, I know, some people would view this as a strength and sometimes I do, but I see the weakness it in as being stronger. I want to be perfect in everything I do, but when I can't be perfect or struggle with being perfect or understanding what is necessary to be perfect, I get frustrated and sometimes give up or feel like I'll never be able to do it perfectly so why bother. It will sometimes stop me from trying things that are difficult for me.
3. I am a procrastinator. I have a really bad tendency to put things off until the last minute. I wait until the last minute to grade my papers, usually Sunday night. I will find others things to keep me occupied rather than do the things that I know need to be done. I still get things done, but I end up doing a lot of things frantically at the last minute instead of in the hours or days of time that I had before the due date.
4. I am a stress eater. This has been a problem that I've had for as long as I can remember. It has lead to many of my weight issues. When a situation is high stress, I crave all sorts of junk food and too often indulge those cravings.
5. I am a worrier. I worry about all sorts of things. Your dad laughs at me because I worry about a lot of things that show up in my dreams. I worry about things happening to the house: the basement flooding, insect infestations, leaks in the roof, etc. and then I have dreams about those things happening. I worry about you and whether you will be healthy and happy. I worry about medical issues with the whole family. I worry about not being good enough at my job. I worry about money and whether we will have enough of it to retire and be able to do the things we want to do. As you can tell, I worry about just about everything.
So those are five of my strengths and weaknesses. It is sad to admit that I was able to come up with my weaknesses so much easier than my strengths, which would probably lead to a 6th weakness, which is that I'm really hard on myself. I'm working on that one.
Strengths:
1. I am a loyal and caring friend. I don't have a ton of friends, but I am always there for the friends I do have and I treasure them so very much. When I was younger, I wasn't always the best friend and didn't always value my friends as much as I should. However, several things happened after college that really made me realize who my friends were and how important they are.
2. I am dependable. When I say that I'm going to do something, I am going to do it. Being someone that people can count on is important to me. Honestly, it's been one of the challenging things about being pregnant: my memory is horrible these days and I forget things, but I try my best still to be someone that other people can count on.
3. I am open minded. I am willing to try and accept new things without too much resistance. Sometimes I know that it might not seem like it, but I am open to new ideas...I'm just not a fan of change for the sake of change. I am willing to try new foods, new recipes, new places, new styles...however, I worry with new styles that I don't know what looks good or not. I'm always willing to get people a chance, though I'm not as generous with second chances.
4. I am friendly. While I talked in my last blog post about how I don't have a lot of friends, I am a friendly person. I try and greet people with a smile and a friendly greeting. I'm not an outgoing person, so I might not strike up a conversation with someone randomly, but if we are in a situation where we are near each other or cross paths, I will be friendly. I am also a hugger with people when I know them well. For my friends, I always have a warm hug, if they are huggy people.
5. I am an organized person. Now, as you will soon find out, I'm not always organized with all the stuff around me, but I am still an organized person. I make to do lists and mark off things as they are finished. When I am packing for a trip (be it a trip to California or a trip to the hospital to deliver my beloved baby girl), I make lists of things that need to packed. I focus on the details and make sure that all the little things are taken care of. I keep my things pretty well organized, but I know that I don't always do a good job with stuff as I do with my brain.
Weaknesses:
1. I am impatient. I don't like waiting for things. When a box comes in the mail, I want to open it right away, which isn't always a good thing, especially around holidays. I don't like waiting to do things. If I want to do something, I want to do it right then. When I understand something and know what I need to do, I don't like waiting. When I am learning something new, I want to know and understand it right away. I hate it when I can't master something as quickly as I would like.
2. I am a perfectionist. Yes, I know, some people would view this as a strength and sometimes I do, but I see the weakness it in as being stronger. I want to be perfect in everything I do, but when I can't be perfect or struggle with being perfect or understanding what is necessary to be perfect, I get frustrated and sometimes give up or feel like I'll never be able to do it perfectly so why bother. It will sometimes stop me from trying things that are difficult for me.
3. I am a procrastinator. I have a really bad tendency to put things off until the last minute. I wait until the last minute to grade my papers, usually Sunday night. I will find others things to keep me occupied rather than do the things that I know need to be done. I still get things done, but I end up doing a lot of things frantically at the last minute instead of in the hours or days of time that I had before the due date.
4. I am a stress eater. This has been a problem that I've had for as long as I can remember. It has lead to many of my weight issues. When a situation is high stress, I crave all sorts of junk food and too often indulge those cravings.
5. I am a worrier. I worry about all sorts of things. Your dad laughs at me because I worry about a lot of things that show up in my dreams. I worry about things happening to the house: the basement flooding, insect infestations, leaks in the roof, etc. and then I have dreams about those things happening. I worry about you and whether you will be healthy and happy. I worry about medical issues with the whole family. I worry about not being good enough at my job. I worry about money and whether we will have enough of it to retire and be able to do the things we want to do. As you can tell, I worry about just about everything.
So those are five of my strengths and weaknesses. It is sad to admit that I was able to come up with my weaknesses so much easier than my strengths, which would probably lead to a 6th weakness, which is that I'm really hard on myself. I'm working on that one.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 13b
What’s the best part of growing up?
Okay, so this isn't really one of the 30 things on my blog list, but my aunt suggested a follow up post with this topic and I think it's a really good idea. I struggled a little with the last blog because while everything I posted was honest and truly what I feel, it seemed to have a more negative bent than most of my blogs. I really like the idea of doing this blog as a follow up. Once again, I'll probably have a hard time narrowing it down to just one.
One of the best parts of growing up is that you come to realize who your real friends are. When you are younger, you might have 20 friends at any given time. As you grow up, you start to see that it isn't about having a million friends; it's really about having friends who are worth a million. You start to know who is going to be there for you no matter what and who you will be there for no matter what. You learn that friendship doesn't have to be about seeing each other each day, but knowing that when you do see each other, it's going to be wonderful. It's about the person you call when you are at your happiest and the person you call when you are at your saddest. You realize that it truly isn't about quantity when it comes to friends; it's really about quality of the friendships. In addition to knowing who your friends are, you will also learn to value your friends and understand how important they are. Now this doesn't mean that all grownups have just a few friends because some adults are lucky in having a lot of really good, important friends, while others will have just a few. Your mom and dad are the ones who don't have a ton of friends, but the friends we have are amazing and we are blessed that they are a part of our lives and will be a part of yours as well.
Another really good part of growing up is figuring out who you are. You start to develop this as a younger person, figuring out what you like to do, what you are good at, and so on, but as you grow up you really get to figure this out as you get to make more decisions for yourself and figure out what to do if you don't like the outcome of your decisions. The journey itself isn't always a lot of fun, but it is a great journey. The best part is that if you don't like where you are going on the path you chose, you can always change it. It isn't easy to make that change and sometimes it seems easier to stay where you are, but those choices are always there for you. Sometimes life will throw obstacles in your way, but you get to decide how to deal with that as well and while you can ask others for advice or suggestions, the decisions and the results of those decisions are all yours. It's crazy and often overwhelming, but wonderful and great as well.
So those are two of the best things about growing up. Growing up isn't always fun and I hope I didn't end up sounding like it is. I know a lot of people who would give up being a grown up for at least a day because there is a lot of responsibility with being a grown up. As much as your dad tries to rein me in, I think about what life will be like for you as you grow up and what choices you will make and where your life will lead you. It's one of the overwhelming things about being a parent: I want to make sure you know everything you need to know to be successful in your life whatever path you choose, but I know that there are going to be stumbling blocks in your way and I can't take those away from you and even if I could, I shouldn't because you learn so much from the stumbles of life. So I'll do what I can to make you ready to be an adult and hope that you know that your dad and I will always be there for you.
Okay, so this isn't really one of the 30 things on my blog list, but my aunt suggested a follow up post with this topic and I think it's a really good idea. I struggled a little with the last blog because while everything I posted was honest and truly what I feel, it seemed to have a more negative bent than most of my blogs. I really like the idea of doing this blog as a follow up. Once again, I'll probably have a hard time narrowing it down to just one.
One of the best parts of growing up is that you come to realize who your real friends are. When you are younger, you might have 20 friends at any given time. As you grow up, you start to see that it isn't about having a million friends; it's really about having friends who are worth a million. You start to know who is going to be there for you no matter what and who you will be there for no matter what. You learn that friendship doesn't have to be about seeing each other each day, but knowing that when you do see each other, it's going to be wonderful. It's about the person you call when you are at your happiest and the person you call when you are at your saddest. You realize that it truly isn't about quantity when it comes to friends; it's really about quality of the friendships. In addition to knowing who your friends are, you will also learn to value your friends and understand how important they are. Now this doesn't mean that all grownups have just a few friends because some adults are lucky in having a lot of really good, important friends, while others will have just a few. Your mom and dad are the ones who don't have a ton of friends, but the friends we have are amazing and we are blessed that they are a part of our lives and will be a part of yours as well.
Another really good part of growing up is figuring out who you are. You start to develop this as a younger person, figuring out what you like to do, what you are good at, and so on, but as you grow up you really get to figure this out as you get to make more decisions for yourself and figure out what to do if you don't like the outcome of your decisions. The journey itself isn't always a lot of fun, but it is a great journey. The best part is that if you don't like where you are going on the path you chose, you can always change it. It isn't easy to make that change and sometimes it seems easier to stay where you are, but those choices are always there for you. Sometimes life will throw obstacles in your way, but you get to decide how to deal with that as well and while you can ask others for advice or suggestions, the decisions and the results of those decisions are all yours. It's crazy and often overwhelming, but wonderful and great as well.
So those are two of the best things about growing up. Growing up isn't always fun and I hope I didn't end up sounding like it is. I know a lot of people who would give up being a grown up for at least a day because there is a lot of responsibility with being a grown up. As much as your dad tries to rein me in, I think about what life will be like for you as you grow up and what choices you will make and where your life will lead you. It's one of the overwhelming things about being a parent: I want to make sure you know everything you need to know to be successful in your life whatever path you choose, but I know that there are going to be stumbling blocks in your way and I can't take those away from you and even if I could, I shouldn't because you learn so much from the stumbles of life. So I'll do what I can to make you ready to be an adult and hope that you know that your dad and I will always be there for you.
Monday, November 18, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 13
What’s the hardest part of growing up?
It's been a really long time since I've thought about growing up or what makes it difficult. At 43, being grown up is just a part of my life. There are a couple of things that come to mind though. I know hardest means just one, but I have a couple so I'm going to share them.
I think the hardest thing about growing up is that it's harder to make friends the older you get. When you are young, friends are everywhere. You interact with people your own age all the time and are put in situations where you meet people with similar interests: sports teams, band, orchestra, church groups, etc. It's easier to just say hi and start talking to someone, either boy or girl. The older you get, the less you spend time with people in social situations. I work with a lot of amazing people, but do we do anything socially outside of work? Not with very many people. Everyone has responsibilities, families, and established friends and routines. If you move somewhere else, it becomes even harder to meet people. Of course, this is the voice of an introvert, which adds another level of difficulty to making new friends.
A close second for me is the loss of time to try new things. When you are young, the whole world is there for you and people encourage you to try new things and find out what you enjoy doing or what you are really good at. So take advantage of that time and don't be afraid to try something that sounds interesting. I hope as your parents that we will do all that we can to encourage you to try things, take chances, and to not be afraid to fail. As you get older, there starts being more pressure on doing what you do well and not branching out as much. As an adult, I find that I am more afraid of failing than I used to be and have to really push myself to try new things that I might not do well. I know not all adults are that way, but I certainly am.
Finally, and this one might actually be the most difficult thing, as you grow up, you start to realize that trusting people and opening up to them opens you up to being hurt. When you are younger, you make friends easily and trust that people are good and worth knowing and befriending. As you grow up, you start getting hurt by people you trust and start to be more cautious about trusting and opening up to people. The innocence of youth is ruined when someone you trust and believe in betrays or hurts you. The more it happens, the more cautious and reserved you can become. It is important, however, to not shut yourself off completely. There are a lot of really good, trustworthy people out there who won't hurt you and will care about you as much as you care about them. I want to be there for you to help you know this and continue to be willing to open up to others even though you might get hurt.
No matter how hard it might be to grow up, you have to do it and I hope that as you are growing up, you know that your parents love you so very much and will always be here for you when you need us. There are so many things I am excited about when it comes to you and one of those things is watching you grow up, seeing how you move through your life, and being support for you through all of those changes.
It's been a really long time since I've thought about growing up or what makes it difficult. At 43, being grown up is just a part of my life. There are a couple of things that come to mind though. I know hardest means just one, but I have a couple so I'm going to share them.
I think the hardest thing about growing up is that it's harder to make friends the older you get. When you are young, friends are everywhere. You interact with people your own age all the time and are put in situations where you meet people with similar interests: sports teams, band, orchestra, church groups, etc. It's easier to just say hi and start talking to someone, either boy or girl. The older you get, the less you spend time with people in social situations. I work with a lot of amazing people, but do we do anything socially outside of work? Not with very many people. Everyone has responsibilities, families, and established friends and routines. If you move somewhere else, it becomes even harder to meet people. Of course, this is the voice of an introvert, which adds another level of difficulty to making new friends.
A close second for me is the loss of time to try new things. When you are young, the whole world is there for you and people encourage you to try new things and find out what you enjoy doing or what you are really good at. So take advantage of that time and don't be afraid to try something that sounds interesting. I hope as your parents that we will do all that we can to encourage you to try things, take chances, and to not be afraid to fail. As you get older, there starts being more pressure on doing what you do well and not branching out as much. As an adult, I find that I am more afraid of failing than I used to be and have to really push myself to try new things that I might not do well. I know not all adults are that way, but I certainly am.
Finally, and this one might actually be the most difficult thing, as you grow up, you start to realize that trusting people and opening up to them opens you up to being hurt. When you are younger, you make friends easily and trust that people are good and worth knowing and befriending. As you grow up, you start getting hurt by people you trust and start to be more cautious about trusting and opening up to people. The innocence of youth is ruined when someone you trust and believe in betrays or hurts you. The more it happens, the more cautious and reserved you can become. It is important, however, to not shut yourself off completely. There are a lot of really good, trustworthy people out there who won't hurt you and will care about you as much as you care about them. I want to be there for you to help you know this and continue to be willing to open up to others even though you might get hurt.
No matter how hard it might be to grow up, you have to do it and I hope that as you are growing up, you know that your parents love you so very much and will always be here for you when you need us. There are so many things I am excited about when it comes to you and one of those things is watching you grow up, seeing how you move through your life, and being support for you through all of those changes.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 12
Describe a typical day in your current life.
There are two distinctly different type of days in my current life: summer days and school year days, so I will describe them both.
School year days:
The alarm goes off at 5:06 am. I get up, grumpily, go to the bathroom, and then to the living room to get breakfast and watch some Mike and Mike. Breakfast is either peanut butter toast and grapes or cereal with almond milk. Once in a great while, we will have muffins or donuts that I couldn't resist getting the day before. I eat and watch Mike and Mike while your dad showers and comes out to the living room to have breakfast too. No later than 5:40 (or your dad gets on my case), I head back to the bedroom to get in the shower. After I shower, I lazily take my time getting ready to go to work. I don't like having to rush in the mornings. At about 6:55, your dad hugs and kisses me goodbye and heads off to work. He likes to get to work early. Between 7:00 and 7:10, I leave for work.
Once I get to work, I turn on the computer and get everything ready for my first class of the day. After my first class, which is really easy because I monitor them reading for 25 minutes and do some conferencing with students, I head off to a meeting, every day except Thursday. Once the meeting is finished, I go back to my classroom and continue with my day. I have one class before lunch, which is at 11:04. I eat at my desk and usually work on something for my afternoon classes or forms that I need to fill out.
After lunch, I teach my afternoon classes. Some times those classes are challenging for me and make me want to rip out my hair, but I always resist. :) When the school day ends, I help supervise the hallways until all of the students are gone. I got hallway duty because of you and the fact that no one wanted me to have to walk up and down all of those steps carrying you. Once you are here, I'll probably start going outside after school to help supervise.
After supervision is over, it really depends on the day. Some days I'll stay after work and grade papers and make sure everything is ready for the next day. Other days, I'm just ready to go home and so I load up a few things and head home. Before I got pregnant with you, I used to go to the Y after school and work out. Once you are here, I won't stay too long after school because I'm going to pick you up so we can hang out. When I get home, I usually check my Facebook and look around online while watching TV until your dad gets home.
When your dad gets home, we talk about our days and hang out watching TV and being on our computers until it's time for me to start dinner. I like cooking so I don't mind doing it on my own. Your dad will help out whenever I ask him to and never complains about it, but I really do enjoy it so I do it alone a lot. We eat dinner in the living room while watching TV...usually sports, which you will have to get used to watching. After dinner, we hang out some more, talking and watching TV until bedtime. Some times I'll do the school work I brought home, but most often not. Then we go to bed until the alarm goes off and it starts all over again.
Friday nights are a little different. We go out to eat on Friday nights, though that might change once you are here. After we come home from eating out, I usually go to bed early. After a long week and a big meal, I don't usually make it later than 9:00.
Weekends are very laid back especially during the school year. We are all about recovering from our week and relaxing on the weekend. During football and basketball seasons, we watch a lot of sports. During other seasons during the school year, we will go see a movie or do something together. Now on the weekends, we do a lot of shopping for you. :) But it's always about relaxing and spending time together.
Summer days:
Since I don't work in the summer, I relax a lot. Most days I try and be up and around by no later than 8:00. I like to do workouts at the Y or outside before it gets too hot. There are a lot of exercise classes that I like to take at the Y so I do that a lot of days. I stopped doing most of that when I found out I was pregnant with you because of concerns with my blood pressure. I still did some walking, but not much else.
I also watch a lot of movies, play some video games, and mess around on my computer. I do the shopping, laundry, and some cleaning while I'm home during the day. I almost always cook dinner during the summer because I have the opportunity to try new recipes.
Nothing else changes much from the school year except your dad and I do more things on the weekends because there aren't as many things that we like to watch on TV. We rent movies, go to the movies, go to museums, play miniature golf, and things like that.
It's good to think about what my life is like now, because I know it's going to be changing a lot when you are here. One thing I know won't change is that spending time together as a family will still be the goal of our down time. Your dad and I love to spend time together and having you as a part of that will just make it even better. :)
There are two distinctly different type of days in my current life: summer days and school year days, so I will describe them both.
School year days:
The alarm goes off at 5:06 am. I get up, grumpily, go to the bathroom, and then to the living room to get breakfast and watch some Mike and Mike. Breakfast is either peanut butter toast and grapes or cereal with almond milk. Once in a great while, we will have muffins or donuts that I couldn't resist getting the day before. I eat and watch Mike and Mike while your dad showers and comes out to the living room to have breakfast too. No later than 5:40 (or your dad gets on my case), I head back to the bedroom to get in the shower. After I shower, I lazily take my time getting ready to go to work. I don't like having to rush in the mornings. At about 6:55, your dad hugs and kisses me goodbye and heads off to work. He likes to get to work early. Between 7:00 and 7:10, I leave for work.
Once I get to work, I turn on the computer and get everything ready for my first class of the day. After my first class, which is really easy because I monitor them reading for 25 minutes and do some conferencing with students, I head off to a meeting, every day except Thursday. Once the meeting is finished, I go back to my classroom and continue with my day. I have one class before lunch, which is at 11:04. I eat at my desk and usually work on something for my afternoon classes or forms that I need to fill out.
After lunch, I teach my afternoon classes. Some times those classes are challenging for me and make me want to rip out my hair, but I always resist. :) When the school day ends, I help supervise the hallways until all of the students are gone. I got hallway duty because of you and the fact that no one wanted me to have to walk up and down all of those steps carrying you. Once you are here, I'll probably start going outside after school to help supervise.
After supervision is over, it really depends on the day. Some days I'll stay after work and grade papers and make sure everything is ready for the next day. Other days, I'm just ready to go home and so I load up a few things and head home. Before I got pregnant with you, I used to go to the Y after school and work out. Once you are here, I won't stay too long after school because I'm going to pick you up so we can hang out. When I get home, I usually check my Facebook and look around online while watching TV until your dad gets home.
When your dad gets home, we talk about our days and hang out watching TV and being on our computers until it's time for me to start dinner. I like cooking so I don't mind doing it on my own. Your dad will help out whenever I ask him to and never complains about it, but I really do enjoy it so I do it alone a lot. We eat dinner in the living room while watching TV...usually sports, which you will have to get used to watching. After dinner, we hang out some more, talking and watching TV until bedtime. Some times I'll do the school work I brought home, but most often not. Then we go to bed until the alarm goes off and it starts all over again.
Friday nights are a little different. We go out to eat on Friday nights, though that might change once you are here. After we come home from eating out, I usually go to bed early. After a long week and a big meal, I don't usually make it later than 9:00.
Weekends are very laid back especially during the school year. We are all about recovering from our week and relaxing on the weekend. During football and basketball seasons, we watch a lot of sports. During other seasons during the school year, we will go see a movie or do something together. Now on the weekends, we do a lot of shopping for you. :) But it's always about relaxing and spending time together.
Summer days:
Since I don't work in the summer, I relax a lot. Most days I try and be up and around by no later than 8:00. I like to do workouts at the Y or outside before it gets too hot. There are a lot of exercise classes that I like to take at the Y so I do that a lot of days. I stopped doing most of that when I found out I was pregnant with you because of concerns with my blood pressure. I still did some walking, but not much else.
I also watch a lot of movies, play some video games, and mess around on my computer. I do the shopping, laundry, and some cleaning while I'm home during the day. I almost always cook dinner during the summer because I have the opportunity to try new recipes.
Nothing else changes much from the school year except your dad and I do more things on the weekends because there aren't as many things that we like to watch on TV. We rent movies, go to the movies, go to museums, play miniature golf, and things like that.
It's good to think about what my life is like now, because I know it's going to be changing a lot when you are here. One thing I know won't change is that spending time together as a family will still be the goal of our down time. Your dad and I love to spend time together and having you as a part of that will just make it even better. :)
Saturday, November 9, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 11
Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
Pet peeves...I definitely have plenty of them. The challenge with this one might be narrowing it down to 10. So here we go:
1. People who pick on weaker people: Nothing gets on my nerves more than bullying. Especially because the people who tend to bully wouldn't think about acting that way with someone who isn't weaker than they are. I've been the victim of bullying and there is no more lonely feeling. I was able to stand up for myself, but I know a lot of people don't feel like they can.
2. Poor customer service: Your dad and I are good customers. We don't ask for unreasonable things and we are polite and pretty easy going. However, if I don't feel like we are being treated well, we will leave and go somewhere else. If the service is bad enough, we will never go back to that location. This applies to anywhere that has customer service: restaurants, stores, online services, etc. If I am respectful, I expect the same in return.
3. Rude people: It's not that hard to be polite and nothing is made better by being rude. This one really hits home because we are getting close to the holidays and I have noticed that during this time, perhaps more than any time, people seem to think it's okay to be rude. It's not the airline representative's fault that your flight was delayed so don't be rude to them. It's not the person at the cash register's fault that you chose to shop on the busiest day of the year, so don't be rude to them. And that just covers rudeness in a consumer situation. I can't stand rudeness in any situation. There's no need for it. It will only make things worse and ruin someone else's day.
4. People who talk in situations where they shouldn't: I know this could go with rude people, but I'm giving it it's own category. During the national anthem, be quiet. I don't care if you stand or sit, put your hand on your heart or not, sing or not, but just standing there talking is disrespectful and rude. Same deal with the Pledge of Allegiance. During a movie, anything above a whisper is not okay. Everyone around you paid to hear the movie, not your random conversation or criticism of what is on the screen. During a choir, orchestra, or band concert, it isn't about you. It's about the performers on the stage or in front of the crowd. Be quiet and make sure that you aren't trying to get all of the attention. During a graduation ceremony, especially during the speeches, again, it isn't about you. It's about the students or speakers. Be respectful.
5. Smacking your gum when you chew gum: Okay, so it isn't as big of a deal as some of the others, but it drives me crazy. If you can't chew gum without smacking, don't chew it around other people.
6. People who ignore race etiquette: This one is a relatively new one. About 14 months ago, I started doing 5K races and found that I really like them. However, I like the races best when people actually understand how to etiquette works. I started off as a walker, so I understood that just like on the road, I needed to stay to the right so that those runners in the race would have a clear path to do their running. Then I started running and walking so when I ran I moved to the left to pass and when I walked I stayed to the right, making sure not to transition right in front of someone else. When I was on a narrow path, I stayed as far right as I could. Then when I started running, I again stayed to the right except to pass someone. This seems pretty simple, however a lot of people don't get it. On a narrow path, don't walk three people across. If you are running, pass to the left...don't yell at people that you are passing on the right. Don't stop running directly in front of someone else. It's not that hard.
7. Profanity around young children: I'm not going to claim to be perfect. I do use profanity, though my plan is to cut back a lot around you. I don't want you to think it's okay, because honestly it isn't okay to curse all of the time. I know you will probably curse at different points in your life, but I don't want you to learn that it's okay to curse all of the time. So when I have you out in public, I don't expect that you are going to have to hear everyone else curse. Be aware of who is around you when you are using inappropriate language. For example, your uncle Steve and I used to go to a lot of Kansas State football games and we are very vocal fans, who don't always agree with the calls or lack of calls of the officials. Sometimes we express ourselves through profanity. But, if there were young children near us, we would make sure and censor ourselves. We didn't use inappropriate language around young children. We did our best to watch what we said and I think others can do the same. It's not too much to ask. I'm not asking people to never curse, just look and see who is around you.
8. "Dark clouds:" Everyone knows someone like this. They are the people who can't see the positive in anything. When someone is excited about something, they are the ones who only see the negative side of it. They rain on every one's parade and never seem to be happy about anything. I have a tendency to be a pessimist more than an optimist, but I do try and find the bright side of things, especially when I am around others. It drives me nuts when people always have to be negative.
9. "Chirpy" people: I know this seems like a bit of a contradiction from the one before this, but it really isn't. When I say chirpy people, I'm talking about those people who are always over the top happy, for whom everything is wonderful all of the time. People who act like everything is great and exciting and wonderful even if it isn't. You don't have to be up all the time any more than you don't have to be down all the time. Life has ups and downs and it's okay to feel those and respond to those. I'm not saying that no one should be chirpy...just don't do it near me. :)
10. Discrimination: Discrimination can be little, like how some men assume that I don't know anything about sports because I'm a woman, or big, like treating people differently based on race, religion, sexual preference, ethnicity, disability, or any other difference. It drives me nuts no matter whether it is big or little. One thing your dad and I have discussed in depth is that you are going to be a person who respects the differences in people...heck, that respects people. This is a hot button with both of us and you will learn that probably before you can read this.
Pet peeves...I definitely have plenty of them. The challenge with this one might be narrowing it down to 10. So here we go:
1. People who pick on weaker people: Nothing gets on my nerves more than bullying. Especially because the people who tend to bully wouldn't think about acting that way with someone who isn't weaker than they are. I've been the victim of bullying and there is no more lonely feeling. I was able to stand up for myself, but I know a lot of people don't feel like they can.
2. Poor customer service: Your dad and I are good customers. We don't ask for unreasonable things and we are polite and pretty easy going. However, if I don't feel like we are being treated well, we will leave and go somewhere else. If the service is bad enough, we will never go back to that location. This applies to anywhere that has customer service: restaurants, stores, online services, etc. If I am respectful, I expect the same in return.
3. Rude people: It's not that hard to be polite and nothing is made better by being rude. This one really hits home because we are getting close to the holidays and I have noticed that during this time, perhaps more than any time, people seem to think it's okay to be rude. It's not the airline representative's fault that your flight was delayed so don't be rude to them. It's not the person at the cash register's fault that you chose to shop on the busiest day of the year, so don't be rude to them. And that just covers rudeness in a consumer situation. I can't stand rudeness in any situation. There's no need for it. It will only make things worse and ruin someone else's day.
4. People who talk in situations where they shouldn't: I know this could go with rude people, but I'm giving it it's own category. During the national anthem, be quiet. I don't care if you stand or sit, put your hand on your heart or not, sing or not, but just standing there talking is disrespectful and rude. Same deal with the Pledge of Allegiance. During a movie, anything above a whisper is not okay. Everyone around you paid to hear the movie, not your random conversation or criticism of what is on the screen. During a choir, orchestra, or band concert, it isn't about you. It's about the performers on the stage or in front of the crowd. Be quiet and make sure that you aren't trying to get all of the attention. During a graduation ceremony, especially during the speeches, again, it isn't about you. It's about the students or speakers. Be respectful.
5. Smacking your gum when you chew gum: Okay, so it isn't as big of a deal as some of the others, but it drives me crazy. If you can't chew gum without smacking, don't chew it around other people.
6. People who ignore race etiquette: This one is a relatively new one. About 14 months ago, I started doing 5K races and found that I really like them. However, I like the races best when people actually understand how to etiquette works. I started off as a walker, so I understood that just like on the road, I needed to stay to the right so that those runners in the race would have a clear path to do their running. Then I started running and walking so when I ran I moved to the left to pass and when I walked I stayed to the right, making sure not to transition right in front of someone else. When I was on a narrow path, I stayed as far right as I could. Then when I started running, I again stayed to the right except to pass someone. This seems pretty simple, however a lot of people don't get it. On a narrow path, don't walk three people across. If you are running, pass to the left...don't yell at people that you are passing on the right. Don't stop running directly in front of someone else. It's not that hard.
7. Profanity around young children: I'm not going to claim to be perfect. I do use profanity, though my plan is to cut back a lot around you. I don't want you to think it's okay, because honestly it isn't okay to curse all of the time. I know you will probably curse at different points in your life, but I don't want you to learn that it's okay to curse all of the time. So when I have you out in public, I don't expect that you are going to have to hear everyone else curse. Be aware of who is around you when you are using inappropriate language. For example, your uncle Steve and I used to go to a lot of Kansas State football games and we are very vocal fans, who don't always agree with the calls or lack of calls of the officials. Sometimes we express ourselves through profanity. But, if there were young children near us, we would make sure and censor ourselves. We didn't use inappropriate language around young children. We did our best to watch what we said and I think others can do the same. It's not too much to ask. I'm not asking people to never curse, just look and see who is around you.
8. "Dark clouds:" Everyone knows someone like this. They are the people who can't see the positive in anything. When someone is excited about something, they are the ones who only see the negative side of it. They rain on every one's parade and never seem to be happy about anything. I have a tendency to be a pessimist more than an optimist, but I do try and find the bright side of things, especially when I am around others. It drives me nuts when people always have to be negative.
9. "Chirpy" people: I know this seems like a bit of a contradiction from the one before this, but it really isn't. When I say chirpy people, I'm talking about those people who are always over the top happy, for whom everything is wonderful all of the time. People who act like everything is great and exciting and wonderful even if it isn't. You don't have to be up all the time any more than you don't have to be down all the time. Life has ups and downs and it's okay to feel those and respond to those. I'm not saying that no one should be chirpy...just don't do it near me. :)
10. Discrimination: Discrimination can be little, like how some men assume that I don't know anything about sports because I'm a woman, or big, like treating people differently based on race, religion, sexual preference, ethnicity, disability, or any other difference. It drives me nuts no matter whether it is big or little. One thing your dad and I have discussed in depth is that you are going to be a person who respects the differences in people...heck, that respects people. This is a hot button with both of us and you will learn that probably before you can read this.
Friday, November 8, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 10
Describe your most embarrassing moment
It is ridiculous how hard I have had to think about this one. I've had embarrassing moments, but I am hard pressed to pick the one that is the most embarrassing. There is nothing that really stands out as one that makes me cringe to think about it. I think I'm really lucky that there isn't anything that is that embarrassing. So I guess I'm just going to mention some that I think of and maybe I'll figure out the most embarrassing.
One that I think of when I think of embarrassing moments happened in junior high (the old school name for middle school), but I didn't realize it had happened until after the fact. Your nana made me a cute wrap-around denim skirt that I liked wearing to school. In my math class, I was sitting at my desk and didn't realize that one flap of the skirt had caught on the back of the chair and so I was flashing the students behind me. Thankfully my math teacher saw what had happened and called me up to his desk without letting me know what was going on. When I sat back down, my skirt didn't catch on the chair and everything was back to normal. He told me about it later, but since I didn't realize it had happened and no one else said anything about it, it wasn't as embarrassing as it would have been if I had known about it.
Another embarrassing moment would have happened in college. My sophomore year I tried out for the musical Grease and got the part of Jan, which is a much cooler part in the musical than it is in the movie. It was my first play and so I worked really hard and made sure that I was completely ready for opening night. I was getting ready to walk on stage for the first scene where I had lines, carrying a basket with a burger and potato chips. Right as I walked on stage, I tripped and dropped the basket on the ground. I was definitely embarrassed, but the director and all of my fellow actors and actresses had stressed that the show had to go on, no matter what, so I just kept going with the scene. Thankfully I didn't have time to fret about it, so it didn't embarrass me as much as it could have.
Probably one that ranks pretty high happened as a teacher, and it definitely shouldn't have happened. I don't think I was a team leader for the whole year, but it might have been the year that all of us were team leaders so it was likely my turn. Another teacher and I were in a meeting with all of the exploratory teachers to figure out some schedule issues. I had been pulled from my class and was not happy about having to miss time with my students, especially when I hadn't known about it in advance so I wasn't prepared to have some one else teach. We were all sitting there waiting for one teacher to show up. I offered to go and get him so that I would be able to get back to my class as soon as possible. My principal at the time yelled at me and said that I shouldn't act like my class was any more important than anyone else's class. He kept going for a little while after that, though I can't remember exactly what he said because I was so angry that I couldn't focus. It was embarrassing to be called out like that in front of my co-workers, but I think the way he did it made me more angry than embarrassed.
Well...there are three examples of embarrassing moments. I hope you are lucky enough to be like your mom and not have an embarrassing moment that stays that strongly in your mind.
It is ridiculous how hard I have had to think about this one. I've had embarrassing moments, but I am hard pressed to pick the one that is the most embarrassing. There is nothing that really stands out as one that makes me cringe to think about it. I think I'm really lucky that there isn't anything that is that embarrassing. So I guess I'm just going to mention some that I think of and maybe I'll figure out the most embarrassing.
One that I think of when I think of embarrassing moments happened in junior high (the old school name for middle school), but I didn't realize it had happened until after the fact. Your nana made me a cute wrap-around denim skirt that I liked wearing to school. In my math class, I was sitting at my desk and didn't realize that one flap of the skirt had caught on the back of the chair and so I was flashing the students behind me. Thankfully my math teacher saw what had happened and called me up to his desk without letting me know what was going on. When I sat back down, my skirt didn't catch on the chair and everything was back to normal. He told me about it later, but since I didn't realize it had happened and no one else said anything about it, it wasn't as embarrassing as it would have been if I had known about it.
Another embarrassing moment would have happened in college. My sophomore year I tried out for the musical Grease and got the part of Jan, which is a much cooler part in the musical than it is in the movie. It was my first play and so I worked really hard and made sure that I was completely ready for opening night. I was getting ready to walk on stage for the first scene where I had lines, carrying a basket with a burger and potato chips. Right as I walked on stage, I tripped and dropped the basket on the ground. I was definitely embarrassed, but the director and all of my fellow actors and actresses had stressed that the show had to go on, no matter what, so I just kept going with the scene. Thankfully I didn't have time to fret about it, so it didn't embarrass me as much as it could have.
Probably one that ranks pretty high happened as a teacher, and it definitely shouldn't have happened. I don't think I was a team leader for the whole year, but it might have been the year that all of us were team leaders so it was likely my turn. Another teacher and I were in a meeting with all of the exploratory teachers to figure out some schedule issues. I had been pulled from my class and was not happy about having to miss time with my students, especially when I hadn't known about it in advance so I wasn't prepared to have some one else teach. We were all sitting there waiting for one teacher to show up. I offered to go and get him so that I would be able to get back to my class as soon as possible. My principal at the time yelled at me and said that I shouldn't act like my class was any more important than anyone else's class. He kept going for a little while after that, though I can't remember exactly what he said because I was so angry that I couldn't focus. It was embarrassing to be called out like that in front of my co-workers, but I think the way he did it made me more angry than embarrassed.
Well...there are three examples of embarrassing moments. I hope you are lucky enough to be like your mom and not have an embarrassing moment that stays that strongly in your mind.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 9
List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
When I first started thinking about this one, I realized that there were two different ways that I could take this one. There are some people who have influenced me in a positive way and others who have influenced me in a negative way. I think I'm going to take this in a positive direction because those are the people who I appreciate the most and I like to believe that the positive influence of people is much more valuable. So here we go:
1 and 2. My mom and dad: I was going to try and separate the two of them and I realized that I would say a lot of things that were exactly the same. My parents have always shown me the importance of family and how you do anything that you can for your family even if they drive you crazy sometimes. They have shown me what I wanted in a marriage. They have been together for over 50 years and are still going strong and are very much in love with each other. They have always been here for me in everything that I have done.
3. My brother: When I was younger, I looked up to my brother, even if he drove me nuts. I liked the same things he liked. I took the same classes that he took in high school, up until physics, which I just wasn't willing to try. As we have gotten older, he has been one of my close friends. He and I both feel the same way about family and how important they are to us. We may be a long way away from each other now, but there is no doubt that he still has my back and I still have his.
4. Your dad: Your dad has been one of the strongest influences on me in my adult life. He always supports me in what I do and believes that I can do anything I set my mind to. He helped me learn to be patient with myself and accept that setbacks happen but don't mean that I'm a failure. He helped me understand that I am stronger than I realize. With him, I feel like I have found my perfect partner, someone who understands me more than anyone else ever has.
5. Kelly Trego: Kelly has been my best friend since high school. We found each other and developed an incredible friendship that has lasted for over 25 years. Kelly has influenced me by showing me what true friendship is and how it doesn't matter whether you talk every day or once in awhile, whether you live 10 minutes away, 10 miles away, or 1000 miles away, real friendship lasts through everything. During those years, I've had many fair weather friends float in and out of my life, but only one friendship has lasted that whole time.
6. Erin Nichols: Erin and I have been good friends for several years. Aside from how that friendship has made my life better, Erin has been an inspiration for me. She took on the challenge of changing her life by being healthier and accomplished so many amazing goals. When I decided that I was ready to make a change in my life, it had so much to do with seeing all that she had accomplished. She was my workout buddy, which helped me do all the things I wanted to do but might not have tried myself. She is a constant cheerleader for me, being supportive of every goal that I reach. Her support has kept me going when I have struggled.
7. Sandy Feinstein: Sandy was a college professor of mine while I was at Southwestern College. She was an English teacher and really helped develop my love of English and literature. She took sort of an nontraditional approach to work for her class and assessments of what we had learned. She held me (and all other students) to a high standard and wouldn't let me slack off and get away with it. However, she didn't always make us show what we had learned through essays or tests. The most important thing was being able to show that we had an understanding of what was taught in class. I need to remember more of what I learned from her when I am doing things in my classroom and not fall into the standard way of assessing.
8 and 9. My in-laws - Jeff and Sonia: Yes, I am putting these two together. I have mentioned before that I have amazing in-laws. They have been so incredibly accepting of me and my relationship with their son, even though the relationship would have to work hard to be less traditional. I always feel welcome when I am with them and they love me as a member of the family. I don't envy people who have struggles with their in-laws, but I completely can't relate because mine are so wonderful, caring, loving, and accepting.
10. Christina Murray, Jenny Chaney, Merideth Fisher, and Sadie Clark: These four young ladies were former students or players (when I was coaching). The four of them were a part of my teaching experience at different times, but have all allowed me to continue to be a part of their lives. They help me see how I can touch the lives of the students that I teach, whether through coaching or teaching in my classroom. They keep me going when I get frustrated and want to give up. Though I would never take credit for their successes, it makes me feel good to know that I was a part of their lives for a short period of time and somehow made enough of an impact that they want me to continue as a person in their lives.
When I first started thinking about this one, I realized that there were two different ways that I could take this one. There are some people who have influenced me in a positive way and others who have influenced me in a negative way. I think I'm going to take this in a positive direction because those are the people who I appreciate the most and I like to believe that the positive influence of people is much more valuable. So here we go:
1 and 2. My mom and dad: I was going to try and separate the two of them and I realized that I would say a lot of things that were exactly the same. My parents have always shown me the importance of family and how you do anything that you can for your family even if they drive you crazy sometimes. They have shown me what I wanted in a marriage. They have been together for over 50 years and are still going strong and are very much in love with each other. They have always been here for me in everything that I have done.
3. My brother: When I was younger, I looked up to my brother, even if he drove me nuts. I liked the same things he liked. I took the same classes that he took in high school, up until physics, which I just wasn't willing to try. As we have gotten older, he has been one of my close friends. He and I both feel the same way about family and how important they are to us. We may be a long way away from each other now, but there is no doubt that he still has my back and I still have his.
4. Your dad: Your dad has been one of the strongest influences on me in my adult life. He always supports me in what I do and believes that I can do anything I set my mind to. He helped me learn to be patient with myself and accept that setbacks happen but don't mean that I'm a failure. He helped me understand that I am stronger than I realize. With him, I feel like I have found my perfect partner, someone who understands me more than anyone else ever has.
5. Kelly Trego: Kelly has been my best friend since high school. We found each other and developed an incredible friendship that has lasted for over 25 years. Kelly has influenced me by showing me what true friendship is and how it doesn't matter whether you talk every day or once in awhile, whether you live 10 minutes away, 10 miles away, or 1000 miles away, real friendship lasts through everything. During those years, I've had many fair weather friends float in and out of my life, but only one friendship has lasted that whole time.
6. Erin Nichols: Erin and I have been good friends for several years. Aside from how that friendship has made my life better, Erin has been an inspiration for me. She took on the challenge of changing her life by being healthier and accomplished so many amazing goals. When I decided that I was ready to make a change in my life, it had so much to do with seeing all that she had accomplished. She was my workout buddy, which helped me do all the things I wanted to do but might not have tried myself. She is a constant cheerleader for me, being supportive of every goal that I reach. Her support has kept me going when I have struggled.
7. Sandy Feinstein: Sandy was a college professor of mine while I was at Southwestern College. She was an English teacher and really helped develop my love of English and literature. She took sort of an nontraditional approach to work for her class and assessments of what we had learned. She held me (and all other students) to a high standard and wouldn't let me slack off and get away with it. However, she didn't always make us show what we had learned through essays or tests. The most important thing was being able to show that we had an understanding of what was taught in class. I need to remember more of what I learned from her when I am doing things in my classroom and not fall into the standard way of assessing.
8 and 9. My in-laws - Jeff and Sonia: Yes, I am putting these two together. I have mentioned before that I have amazing in-laws. They have been so incredibly accepting of me and my relationship with their son, even though the relationship would have to work hard to be less traditional. I always feel welcome when I am with them and they love me as a member of the family. I don't envy people who have struggles with their in-laws, but I completely can't relate because mine are so wonderful, caring, loving, and accepting.
10. Christina Murray, Jenny Chaney, Merideth Fisher, and Sadie Clark: These four young ladies were former students or players (when I was coaching). The four of them were a part of my teaching experience at different times, but have all allowed me to continue to be a part of their lives. They help me see how I can touch the lives of the students that I teach, whether through coaching or teaching in my classroom. They keep me going when I get frustrated and want to give up. Though I would never take credit for their successes, it makes me feel good to know that I was a part of their lives for a short period of time and somehow made enough of an impact that they want me to continue as a person in their lives.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 8
What are 5 passions you have?
It's sad that I have spent a couple of hours figuring out how to start this blog entry and it really doesn't need an explanation. So here goes, in no particular order.
1. One of my passions is your dad...and I don't mean that in a gross-your-kid-out kind of way, though that's true too. Hehehe! I love your dad so very much. We have such a great and powerful relationship. I want to always be the perfect partner for him and to appreciate how he is the perfect partner for me. I don't want to ever take him for granted or let him take me for granted. I am grateful every day for him being a part of my life. As I've gone through my journey with your pregnancy and plan for being your mom, your dad has been there for me through every step and I can't wait to parent you with him.
2. I am passionate about reading. I have love reading since I was little. I remember your nana reading to me when I was very young and how much I couldn't wait until I could read. I used to spend my allowance on books from the scholastic order forms. One of my favorite gifts every Christmas was the book that I knew I would get. I still love reading and finding new books that will interest me and some that will get my students to find a love of reading. I look forward to introducing you to books. Your dad and I already have some books to read to you and that doesn't begin to include all the books I still want to buy. I want to help you find a love of reading and see how wonderful reading can be.
3. I suppose it probably doesn't need to be said, but it is one of my passions: I am passionate about being a good mom and raising you to be a responsible, caring, respectful adult. I haven't done this parenting thing before so I'm concerned about doing it right. I read all that I can so I can know more about how to raise you so you have every benefit I can give. Your dad and I talk about choices that we are going to make in raising you so we'll be on the same page and be together in the way we raise you. I know we'll make mistakes and that you probably won't appreciate everything we want to do for you at the time we're doing it. However, that isn't going to stop us from doing our best for you. So many milestones to experience as you grow up. I can't wait!
4. I am passionate about sports, most specifically K-State sports, but about sports in general. I participated in sports from the time I was in elementary school through high school. I think sports teach you a lot and can help you grow as a person. I will never push you to be involved in sports if you don't want to, but I will encourage you if you are interested. I coached sports for a while and felt very strongly about the importance of sportsmanship in student athletes. I wasn't ever a coach who believed that everyone had to play, but if you were willing to give it your all, I was willing to give you a chance. I really enjoy watching sports, though I don't always think that the things I value most about sports are shown in the sports I watch. I don't think you stand a chance of not having sports be a part of your life. In fact, your dad looks forward to watching sports with you and explaining them to you. :)
5. I am passionate about my friends and family. My family is incredibly important to me and I would do anything for them. Your grandparents have been my strongest examples of the importance of family. They raised me to know that you do everything you can for your family and never let being upset with someone in your family stop you from loving them. Your dad also values his family, especially growing up with his family as such a huge part of his life. I am also a strong believer that family doesn't stop with those who share your blood. As you will discover, my godchildren and their parents are most definitely a part of our family. I am lucky enough to have some of the best friends ever. They have been such an incredible part of my life, supporting me when I needed it, laughing with me through the good times, sharing the joys, comforting through the sorrows. They have always been there for me and I will always be here for them.
It's sad that I have spent a couple of hours figuring out how to start this blog entry and it really doesn't need an explanation. So here goes, in no particular order.
1. One of my passions is your dad...and I don't mean that in a gross-your-kid-out kind of way, though that's true too. Hehehe! I love your dad so very much. We have such a great and powerful relationship. I want to always be the perfect partner for him and to appreciate how he is the perfect partner for me. I don't want to ever take him for granted or let him take me for granted. I am grateful every day for him being a part of my life. As I've gone through my journey with your pregnancy and plan for being your mom, your dad has been there for me through every step and I can't wait to parent you with him.
2. I am passionate about reading. I have love reading since I was little. I remember your nana reading to me when I was very young and how much I couldn't wait until I could read. I used to spend my allowance on books from the scholastic order forms. One of my favorite gifts every Christmas was the book that I knew I would get. I still love reading and finding new books that will interest me and some that will get my students to find a love of reading. I look forward to introducing you to books. Your dad and I already have some books to read to you and that doesn't begin to include all the books I still want to buy. I want to help you find a love of reading and see how wonderful reading can be.
3. I suppose it probably doesn't need to be said, but it is one of my passions: I am passionate about being a good mom and raising you to be a responsible, caring, respectful adult. I haven't done this parenting thing before so I'm concerned about doing it right. I read all that I can so I can know more about how to raise you so you have every benefit I can give. Your dad and I talk about choices that we are going to make in raising you so we'll be on the same page and be together in the way we raise you. I know we'll make mistakes and that you probably won't appreciate everything we want to do for you at the time we're doing it. However, that isn't going to stop us from doing our best for you. So many milestones to experience as you grow up. I can't wait!
4. I am passionate about sports, most specifically K-State sports, but about sports in general. I participated in sports from the time I was in elementary school through high school. I think sports teach you a lot and can help you grow as a person. I will never push you to be involved in sports if you don't want to, but I will encourage you if you are interested. I coached sports for a while and felt very strongly about the importance of sportsmanship in student athletes. I wasn't ever a coach who believed that everyone had to play, but if you were willing to give it your all, I was willing to give you a chance. I really enjoy watching sports, though I don't always think that the things I value most about sports are shown in the sports I watch. I don't think you stand a chance of not having sports be a part of your life. In fact, your dad looks forward to watching sports with you and explaining them to you. :)
5. I am passionate about my friends and family. My family is incredibly important to me and I would do anything for them. Your grandparents have been my strongest examples of the importance of family. They raised me to know that you do everything you can for your family and never let being upset with someone in your family stop you from loving them. Your dad also values his family, especially growing up with his family as such a huge part of his life. I am also a strong believer that family doesn't stop with those who share your blood. As you will discover, my godchildren and their parents are most definitely a part of our family. I am lucky enough to have some of the best friends ever. They have been such an incredible part of my life, supporting me when I needed it, laughing with me through the good times, sharing the joys, comforting through the sorrows. They have always been there for me and I will always be here for them.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 7
What is your dream job, and why?
This one is pretty easy for me, though it doesn't seem like I'm being "dreamy" enough when I answer the question. My dream job is to be a school (preferably middle school/high school) librarian. I have wanted to have this job for years! Finally a couple of years ago, I made the decision to take an active step towards making this dream a reality. I started working on my master's degree in educational technology with an emphasis in library media. In two years, I completed my degree with a pretty high GPA, though I can't remember anymore exactly what it was. Then once again, I have stalled out again. Sadly the Wichita Public Schools are trying to make it exceptionally hard to be a librarian at any level. High schools don't have librarians anymore due to budget cuts. They decided instead of having one or more trained, qualified librarians, they could make due with paraprofessionals. Middle schools still have librarians, but a couple of schools have gone to paras there as well, which sadly could lead to more cuts. Elementary schools still have librarians, but very few have full time librarians so the librarians have to travel from building to building. I have enough time in with the district that I'm not yet ready to look outside of the district for employment, though that day might come.
The reason why I want to be a school librarian is that it unites two of my loves. First, I love books and all things reading. Second, despite having a couple of rough years, I really do love working with middle school/high school age students. So finding something that allows me to do both would be amazing! I want to be able to help students find books that they would enjoy reading. I love the idea of being able to help teachers find resources to help in their classrooms. Researching and choosing books for the library each year would be awesome! There is so much that I would love about this job that it frustrates me to think that I might not be able to do what I would love to do.
So there is my dream job, though the reality is a little more depressing than I would like.
This one is pretty easy for me, though it doesn't seem like I'm being "dreamy" enough when I answer the question. My dream job is to be a school (preferably middle school/high school) librarian. I have wanted to have this job for years! Finally a couple of years ago, I made the decision to take an active step towards making this dream a reality. I started working on my master's degree in educational technology with an emphasis in library media. In two years, I completed my degree with a pretty high GPA, though I can't remember anymore exactly what it was. Then once again, I have stalled out again. Sadly the Wichita Public Schools are trying to make it exceptionally hard to be a librarian at any level. High schools don't have librarians anymore due to budget cuts. They decided instead of having one or more trained, qualified librarians, they could make due with paraprofessionals. Middle schools still have librarians, but a couple of schools have gone to paras there as well, which sadly could lead to more cuts. Elementary schools still have librarians, but very few have full time librarians so the librarians have to travel from building to building. I have enough time in with the district that I'm not yet ready to look outside of the district for employment, though that day might come.
The reason why I want to be a school librarian is that it unites two of my loves. First, I love books and all things reading. Second, despite having a couple of rough years, I really do love working with middle school/high school age students. So finding something that allows me to do both would be amazing! I want to be able to help students find books that they would enjoy reading. I love the idea of being able to help teachers find resources to help in their classrooms. Researching and choosing books for the library each year would be awesome! There is so much that I would love about this job that it frustrates me to think that I might not be able to do what I would love to do.
So there is my dream job, though the reality is a little more depressing than I would like.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 6
If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
1. The first thing that I would wish for is for you to be a healthy baby. There are so many things that I worry about when it comes to you, but the biggest worries concern your health. Please know that if you have health issues, your father and I will make sure that we do everything we can to take care of you and make everything better, but I know that life is much easier without some of those challenges.
2. My second wish is a little more selfish. I would wish for enough money that we never had to worry about finances again. I don't need to be ridiculously wealthy, but I would love to be able to have no debt and enough money to know that we could get anything that we needed without any concerns. I think about money a lot, especially when it comes to you. I don't think there is anything wrong with you not getting everything you want as long as you have everything you need. However, we want to make parts of your life easier: paying for college, helping you get a car, allowing you to participate in school activities without having to worry about working, and things like that. My parents were able to do those things for me and it gave me some advantages that I really appreciate.
3. My third wish would be for me to find a middle school library position in the Wichita Public Schools. I love being a teacher, but I really want to be able to fulfill this dream of mine. Sadly I see the opportunities for this to happen slipping away. This district seems to be making decisions about library media services that will make it less and less likely for me to be able to find a position. I want this so much, but fear without my wish coming true, that it won't be reality for me.
My first thoughts when I read this topic was that I already had everything that I could wish for, but honestly, there are always things to wish for and dreams that we hope will come true. However, I don't want you to ever think that this means I'm unhappy with things as they are now. I have a husband who loves me, a daughter on the way who I wasn't sure that I was ever going to be able to have, family and friends who support and love me, and everything that I need in my day to day life. So while I will always have wishes and dreams that might be just beyond my reach, I have learned to treasure all the gifts that I have been blessed with and be grateful for all that I have.
1. The first thing that I would wish for is for you to be a healthy baby. There are so many things that I worry about when it comes to you, but the biggest worries concern your health. Please know that if you have health issues, your father and I will make sure that we do everything we can to take care of you and make everything better, but I know that life is much easier without some of those challenges.
2. My second wish is a little more selfish. I would wish for enough money that we never had to worry about finances again. I don't need to be ridiculously wealthy, but I would love to be able to have no debt and enough money to know that we could get anything that we needed without any concerns. I think about money a lot, especially when it comes to you. I don't think there is anything wrong with you not getting everything you want as long as you have everything you need. However, we want to make parts of your life easier: paying for college, helping you get a car, allowing you to participate in school activities without having to worry about working, and things like that. My parents were able to do those things for me and it gave me some advantages that I really appreciate.
3. My third wish would be for me to find a middle school library position in the Wichita Public Schools. I love being a teacher, but I really want to be able to fulfill this dream of mine. Sadly I see the opportunities for this to happen slipping away. This district seems to be making decisions about library media services that will make it less and less likely for me to be able to find a position. I want this so much, but fear without my wish coming true, that it won't be reality for me.
My first thoughts when I read this topic was that I already had everything that I could wish for, but honestly, there are always things to wish for and dreams that we hope will come true. However, I don't want you to ever think that this means I'm unhappy with things as they are now. I have a husband who loves me, a daughter on the way who I wasn't sure that I was ever going to be able to have, family and friends who support and love me, and everything that I need in my day to day life. So while I will always have wishes and dreams that might be just beyond my reach, I have learned to treasure all the gifts that I have been blessed with and be grateful for all that I have.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 5
What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
1. The first one is so incredibly easy! You, my baby girl, make me incredibly happy! Everything about you makes me happy. I love feeling you move, even if it happens at weird times. Your dad keeps telling me that I'm not going to feel so strongly about that when you wake me up in the middle of the night when you are kicking. I'm really looking forward to feeling you kick or punch me, as weird as that might sound. With every milestone, we get closer and closer to you being here with us so I can hold you and get to know you!
2. Speaking of your father, he makes me incredibly happy. Going through the experience of being pregnant with your father is the most amazing thing ever. He's so understanding and patient with me when I worry about things that I don't need to worry about. He lets me go on and on about whatever is on my mind and listens to everything. I wish for you, Gabriella, that you find a partner as perfect for you as your father is for me.
3. My friends and family make me happy! I have some of the best friends and family ever! One of the hardest things that I had to do as a part of this pregnancy was keep you a secret from my friends and family until we got the all clear from the doctor. I share so much with them that not being able to share such exciting news was really hard! Ever since they found out about you, they have been so incredibly excited to meet you and get to know you as you grow up. You will get to meet all of these people who love you already and can't wait to meet you and be a part of your life as you grow.
4. Yeah, I am incredibly focused on you right now so this one is also about you. Getting the house ready for you makes me happy. I love getting your room ready and adding new things as we get them makes me smile. I can't walk by your room without smiling. I like getting new clothes for you too! I'm trying to restrain myself, but it's really hard to do. I've cleaned up the whole house and made space for all of your things. You have such a big place in our hearts and now you have room in the house too! :)
5. Now on a slightly less serious note, espinaca makes me happy! I think sometimes that I pick Jose Peppers as the restaurant of choice just because I know I can have that yummy delicious queso! :) Your mom has a little bit of a cheese obsession. I love cheese and my feelings are even stronger when it is melted and served with tortilla chips! To think, I almost passed on trying it because the spinach made me question how good it would be. Thankfully I took a chance and now I can't get enough!
1. The first one is so incredibly easy! You, my baby girl, make me incredibly happy! Everything about you makes me happy. I love feeling you move, even if it happens at weird times. Your dad keeps telling me that I'm not going to feel so strongly about that when you wake me up in the middle of the night when you are kicking. I'm really looking forward to feeling you kick or punch me, as weird as that might sound. With every milestone, we get closer and closer to you being here with us so I can hold you and get to know you!
2. Speaking of your father, he makes me incredibly happy. Going through the experience of being pregnant with your father is the most amazing thing ever. He's so understanding and patient with me when I worry about things that I don't need to worry about. He lets me go on and on about whatever is on my mind and listens to everything. I wish for you, Gabriella, that you find a partner as perfect for you as your father is for me.
3. My friends and family make me happy! I have some of the best friends and family ever! One of the hardest things that I had to do as a part of this pregnancy was keep you a secret from my friends and family until we got the all clear from the doctor. I share so much with them that not being able to share such exciting news was really hard! Ever since they found out about you, they have been so incredibly excited to meet you and get to know you as you grow up. You will get to meet all of these people who love you already and can't wait to meet you and be a part of your life as you grow.
4. Yeah, I am incredibly focused on you right now so this one is also about you. Getting the house ready for you makes me happy. I love getting your room ready and adding new things as we get them makes me smile. I can't walk by your room without smiling. I like getting new clothes for you too! I'm trying to restrain myself, but it's really hard to do. I've cleaned up the whole house and made space for all of your things. You have such a big place in our hearts and now you have room in the house too! :)
5. Now on a slightly less serious note, espinaca makes me happy! I think sometimes that I pick Jose Peppers as the restaurant of choice just because I know I can have that yummy delicious queso! :) Your mom has a little bit of a cheese obsession. I love cheese and my feelings are even stronger when it is melted and served with tortilla chips! To think, I almost passed on trying it because the spinach made me question how good it would be. Thankfully I took a chance and now I can't get enough!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 4
List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
I suppose I should start off by saying that my 16 year old self wouldn't have listened to much of anything that I would have to offer as advice. I was very stubborn at that point in time and was convinced, way too often, that I knew better than anyone else. I got smarter and realized that I didn't know a whole lot, but it took time. You, my darling daughter, will likely come by your stubbornness honestly from both me and your dad. I'd like to believe that you will be smarter than me and realize that people older than you might actually have something worth value to offer, but won't be horribly surprised if you are like I was.
So now I'll offer up my advice:
1. DON'T START SMOKING!! This would be the biggest and most important piece of advice I would offer. Yes, I started smoking before it was legal, because I thought it was cool. I caved to peer influence - I don't say peer pressure because they didn't really try and get me to smoke, but many of the people I was friends with then smoked and I wanted to be like them. It was the dumbest decision I made and it was one of the hardest habits I had to break.
2. Don't let bullies make you feel bad about yourself. I didn't do a good job of standing up for myself against bullies and it gave my self-esteem a hard knock.
3. Be smart about who gets your affection. Having a boyfriend seemed like such a huge part of high school and establishing myself at a new school, but in hindsight, I spent way too much time thinking about that.
4. Spend less time wishing that your life was more filled with angst. I spent a lot of time writing really bad poetry about how rough my life was and how no one really knew who I was. I look back on them now and cringe. I was so caught up in wanting to be misunderstood that I didn't appreciate how good I had it.
5. Take home economics classes instead of so many computer classes. It would have been so much more beneficial to take classes where I learned meal planning, household budgets, and basic cooking and sewing skills then it was to take so many classes working on Apple IIe computers. I had no way to predict how useless those skills were going to be.
6. Take Spanish class. While high school Spanish is not going to make you fluent if I had taken 2 - 3 years of Spanish, you might be better able to understand Spanish, which would be beneficial in my current job. Besides, Mr. San Martin is an amazing guy and it would have been really cool to take a class from him.
7. Don't be afraid to try new things. I was involved in several things (band, choir, and athletics), but there were things that I might have enjoyed even more and was afraid to try. In college I tried debate and theatre and I really enjoyed them. I would have had a better chance getting scholarships for those activities than for athletics.
8. Drive carefully! The summer after I turned 16, I completely demolished your grandfather's truck. It was a fun little truck. I was driving too fast on a dirt road, hit a washboard section of the road and slid it sideways into a guardrail and put almost the whole thing through the truck. It was dangerous and I'm pretty lucky that I was able to walk away from it.
9. Eat breakfast...and I don't mean a bag of gummy bears. It was about this time that I developed the bad habit of not eating breakfast, which started a pattern of bad eating habits. It took me years to start eating breakfast again and realize how important it really was. I suppose this one could just be to eat healthy because high school was about the time I went off the rails on pretty much all eating habits. It didn't really hit me then because I was involved in athletics, but it caught up with me soon after I stopped being an athlete.
10. Be patient. Life gets better. Enjoy your time in high school, but know that the best is really yet to come. Some things about this time in your life are going to suck, but it's okay. The majority of your life is still ahead of you and the best years are still to come. There is some really good stuff coming!
I suppose I should start off by saying that my 16 year old self wouldn't have listened to much of anything that I would have to offer as advice. I was very stubborn at that point in time and was convinced, way too often, that I knew better than anyone else. I got smarter and realized that I didn't know a whole lot, but it took time. You, my darling daughter, will likely come by your stubbornness honestly from both me and your dad. I'd like to believe that you will be smarter than me and realize that people older than you might actually have something worth value to offer, but won't be horribly surprised if you are like I was.
So now I'll offer up my advice:
1. DON'T START SMOKING!! This would be the biggest and most important piece of advice I would offer. Yes, I started smoking before it was legal, because I thought it was cool. I caved to peer influence - I don't say peer pressure because they didn't really try and get me to smoke, but many of the people I was friends with then smoked and I wanted to be like them. It was the dumbest decision I made and it was one of the hardest habits I had to break.
2. Don't let bullies make you feel bad about yourself. I didn't do a good job of standing up for myself against bullies and it gave my self-esteem a hard knock.
3. Be smart about who gets your affection. Having a boyfriend seemed like such a huge part of high school and establishing myself at a new school, but in hindsight, I spent way too much time thinking about that.
4. Spend less time wishing that your life was more filled with angst. I spent a lot of time writing really bad poetry about how rough my life was and how no one really knew who I was. I look back on them now and cringe. I was so caught up in wanting to be misunderstood that I didn't appreciate how good I had it.
5. Take home economics classes instead of so many computer classes. It would have been so much more beneficial to take classes where I learned meal planning, household budgets, and basic cooking and sewing skills then it was to take so many classes working on Apple IIe computers. I had no way to predict how useless those skills were going to be.
6. Take Spanish class. While high school Spanish is not going to make you fluent if I had taken 2 - 3 years of Spanish, you might be better able to understand Spanish, which would be beneficial in my current job. Besides, Mr. San Martin is an amazing guy and it would have been really cool to take a class from him.
7. Don't be afraid to try new things. I was involved in several things (band, choir, and athletics), but there were things that I might have enjoyed even more and was afraid to try. In college I tried debate and theatre and I really enjoyed them. I would have had a better chance getting scholarships for those activities than for athletics.
8. Drive carefully! The summer after I turned 16, I completely demolished your grandfather's truck. It was a fun little truck. I was driving too fast on a dirt road, hit a washboard section of the road and slid it sideways into a guardrail and put almost the whole thing through the truck. It was dangerous and I'm pretty lucky that I was able to walk away from it.
9. Eat breakfast...and I don't mean a bag of gummy bears. It was about this time that I developed the bad habit of not eating breakfast, which started a pattern of bad eating habits. It took me years to start eating breakfast again and realize how important it really was. I suppose this one could just be to eat healthy because high school was about the time I went off the rails on pretty much all eating habits. It didn't really hit me then because I was involved in athletics, but it caught up with me soon after I stopped being an athlete.
10. Be patient. Life gets better. Enjoy your time in high school, but know that the best is really yet to come. Some things about this time in your life are going to suck, but it's okay. The majority of your life is still ahead of you and the best years are still to come. There is some really good stuff coming!
Sunday, July 28, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 3
Describe your relationship with your spouse.
I thought I remembered that this one was going to be easier than the last one and I was so right. Describing my relationship with your father is one of the easiest posts that I will ever make.
To give a little background, your dad and I met when he was living in California and going to college and I was a nanny in Connecticut. It would have been difficult for us to live any further apart and live in the same country. We met online back when it wasn't the norm to meet that way. We started off talking once in a while and it grew into talking every night online and then talking on the phone for hours and hours. I learned so much about your dad during that time because we talked about everything. We could talk about everything from the smallest insignificant thing to important issues, from the past to the future and everything in between.
When we met face to face, it was perfect. Your dad's smile warmed my heart and the way he treated me made me certain that I loved him and that he loved me. We spent almost the whole weekend together and I knew that I wanted to be with him forever.
We were together for six years before he moved to Wichita and we started living together. My parents weren't too happy about that idea until they realized that we weren't planning on stopping there and they realized that your dad was the perfect guy for me and fit perfectly in our family. Living with your dad is so easy. He loves to eat whatever I cook because his mother didn't cook for him much when he lived at home. He is very relaxed and laid back, but will do whatever needs to be done. We can do things or just hang out and do nothing and I still love spending time with him. We like watching the same movies and TV shows. We like doing the same things when we go out. Being together feels so natural and right for both of us.
We aren't very exciting people. We choose to hang out at home together a lot. That doesn't mean we don't ever go out or spend time with friends, but our first inclination is to just hang out together. There is no one else that I love spending time with more than your dad and he feels the same way about me.
Your dad has always been in my corner, no matter what I am doing. He has supported me through everything: the years we were first trying to get pregnant, the time when I decided to make huge changes in my life, the day to day stresses of being a middle school teacher, the years when I was working on my master's degree, and the day to day decisions and choices that I make. He is my comfort when I am sad. He is my joy when I'm silly and happy. He takes care of me when I don't feel good or am hurt. He keeps me from being too serious, but understands why I am serious about some things. He is silly with me when that side of him rarely appears to others. He has broken me of some of my worst OCD habits, but doesn't fight me on too many of the remaining ones. He keeps me from worrying too much about everything and yet worries about me whenever I'm not feeling well or am hurting. We rarely argue about anything of importance because we agree on most things. We have silly arguments about things we don't really care about - like whether we were going to name you Kal-El or not (yes, that was your dad's idea!). We love watching sports together, though your dad is into more obscure sports than I am. I like football, basketball, track, swimming, and gymnastics. Your dad has gotten me to where I don't mind watching baseball, but he doesn't stop there. We are addicted to superhero movies - your dad, as you probably already know, is a Superman fanatic.
We certainly aren't perfect, but we are perfect for each other. After years of not really believing that we were going to find true love, we found each other and through years together have developed a love greater than we ever thought possible.
I thought I remembered that this one was going to be easier than the last one and I was so right. Describing my relationship with your father is one of the easiest posts that I will ever make.
To give a little background, your dad and I met when he was living in California and going to college and I was a nanny in Connecticut. It would have been difficult for us to live any further apart and live in the same country. We met online back when it wasn't the norm to meet that way. We started off talking once in a while and it grew into talking every night online and then talking on the phone for hours and hours. I learned so much about your dad during that time because we talked about everything. We could talk about everything from the smallest insignificant thing to important issues, from the past to the future and everything in between.
When we met face to face, it was perfect. Your dad's smile warmed my heart and the way he treated me made me certain that I loved him and that he loved me. We spent almost the whole weekend together and I knew that I wanted to be with him forever.
We were together for six years before he moved to Wichita and we started living together. My parents weren't too happy about that idea until they realized that we weren't planning on stopping there and they realized that your dad was the perfect guy for me and fit perfectly in our family. Living with your dad is so easy. He loves to eat whatever I cook because his mother didn't cook for him much when he lived at home. He is very relaxed and laid back, but will do whatever needs to be done. We can do things or just hang out and do nothing and I still love spending time with him. We like watching the same movies and TV shows. We like doing the same things when we go out. Being together feels so natural and right for both of us.
We aren't very exciting people. We choose to hang out at home together a lot. That doesn't mean we don't ever go out or spend time with friends, but our first inclination is to just hang out together. There is no one else that I love spending time with more than your dad and he feels the same way about me.
Your dad has always been in my corner, no matter what I am doing. He has supported me through everything: the years we were first trying to get pregnant, the time when I decided to make huge changes in my life, the day to day stresses of being a middle school teacher, the years when I was working on my master's degree, and the day to day decisions and choices that I make. He is my comfort when I am sad. He is my joy when I'm silly and happy. He takes care of me when I don't feel good or am hurt. He keeps me from being too serious, but understands why I am serious about some things. He is silly with me when that side of him rarely appears to others. He has broken me of some of my worst OCD habits, but doesn't fight me on too many of the remaining ones. He keeps me from worrying too much about everything and yet worries about me whenever I'm not feeling well or am hurting. We rarely argue about anything of importance because we agree on most things. We have silly arguments about things we don't really care about - like whether we were going to name you Kal-El or not (yes, that was your dad's idea!). We love watching sports together, though your dad is into more obscure sports than I am. I like football, basketball, track, swimming, and gymnastics. Your dad has gotten me to where I don't mind watching baseball, but he doesn't stop there. We are addicted to superhero movies - your dad, as you probably already know, is a Superman fanatic.
We certainly aren't perfect, but we are perfect for each other. After years of not really believing that we were going to find true love, we found each other and through years together have developed a love greater than we ever thought possible.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 2
Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears
I think I've been avoiding this one because I knew it would be challenging. Of course, I think I said that about the last one and, while it took me a while, it wasn't that hard. This one is really going to require me to think and put a lot out there. I try not to spend a lot of time thinking about my fears. I'm a compulsive worrier and your father would tell you that I'm paranoid, so thinking about my fears is very counter-productive. But, I need to be able to talk to you about being afraid and how it's okay, so I need to be able to talk about my fears. So here I go.
1. I am afraid of losing those that I love. It doesn't matter what family members, I am afraid of losing them. I think this one came from having gone through so much of my life without losing anyone who was close to me. I knew people who had died, but there wasn't anyone that I was really close to who had passed away. When I was in high school, my mom had a breast cancer scare and it really freaked me out. I had nightmares about losing my mom. That's when I realized how much it scared me to even think about losing someone I love. To this day, it is still the source of my most disturbing nightmares. Fear of losing you has been in my head ever since I first found out I was pregnant with you. I pray everyday for those I love to be safe and more than once I day, I pray for you to be safe and healthy.
2. I have a fear of falling. Not like tripping or falling down the stairs or even slipping on the ice and snow and falling. My fear of falling is probably more accurately a fear of falling off the edge of high places. Your dad always tries to tell me that it's a fear of heights, but I disagree because I can be up really high without any problems. I've been at the top of the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers and was totally fine, even when I stood on a glass ledge and looked down on NYC. Those didn't scare me because there was no way I could fall. I don't want to stand near the edge of anything that I could fall from. I don't know exactly when this fear started, but I think I know why it's a fear. I am a klutz, as I shared with you in my last post, so I think I'm afraid that I will do something klutzy and fall off of something tall. I know it's not very logical, but often that is this case with fears.
3. I've really been struggling with the third one. Not because I don't have more than two fears, but because I want to pick the "right" one. Yeah, I know, it doesn't really make sense to me either. After taking a lot of time to figure it out, I would say that I am afraid of failing. I want so much to be successful and do well at the things that I do. I wouldn't say that my fear stops me from trying things, but it doesn't make me take longer to decide to try something new. I don't know where this fear comes from, but it is definitely a part of my life. Your dad helps me with this a lot. For example, for a long time I was afraid to try running because I didn't think I would be able to do it physically. Then when I tried it, I phased it in slowly so I would be more likely to be successful. In April 2013 (when I was unaware that I was most likely pregnant with you), I decided to run my first 5K and was nervous and scared the morning of the race because I wanted to succeed so much. Your dad calmed me down and made it okay for me to succeed or fail, as long as I did my best and didn't hurt myself. He's really good at that. Whenever I start getting nervous about being a mom and all the things I don't know, he really helps me stay calm.
So those are three of my fears and probably the ones that affect me the most.
I think I've been avoiding this one because I knew it would be challenging. Of course, I think I said that about the last one and, while it took me a while, it wasn't that hard. This one is really going to require me to think and put a lot out there. I try not to spend a lot of time thinking about my fears. I'm a compulsive worrier and your father would tell you that I'm paranoid, so thinking about my fears is very counter-productive. But, I need to be able to talk to you about being afraid and how it's okay, so I need to be able to talk about my fears. So here I go.
1. I am afraid of losing those that I love. It doesn't matter what family members, I am afraid of losing them. I think this one came from having gone through so much of my life without losing anyone who was close to me. I knew people who had died, but there wasn't anyone that I was really close to who had passed away. When I was in high school, my mom had a breast cancer scare and it really freaked me out. I had nightmares about losing my mom. That's when I realized how much it scared me to even think about losing someone I love. To this day, it is still the source of my most disturbing nightmares. Fear of losing you has been in my head ever since I first found out I was pregnant with you. I pray everyday for those I love to be safe and more than once I day, I pray for you to be safe and healthy.
2. I have a fear of falling. Not like tripping or falling down the stairs or even slipping on the ice and snow and falling. My fear of falling is probably more accurately a fear of falling off the edge of high places. Your dad always tries to tell me that it's a fear of heights, but I disagree because I can be up really high without any problems. I've been at the top of the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers and was totally fine, even when I stood on a glass ledge and looked down on NYC. Those didn't scare me because there was no way I could fall. I don't want to stand near the edge of anything that I could fall from. I don't know exactly when this fear started, but I think I know why it's a fear. I am a klutz, as I shared with you in my last post, so I think I'm afraid that I will do something klutzy and fall off of something tall. I know it's not very logical, but often that is this case with fears.
3. I've really been struggling with the third one. Not because I don't have more than two fears, but because I want to pick the "right" one. Yeah, I know, it doesn't really make sense to me either. After taking a lot of time to figure it out, I would say that I am afraid of failing. I want so much to be successful and do well at the things that I do. I wouldn't say that my fear stops me from trying things, but it doesn't make me take longer to decide to try something new. I don't know where this fear comes from, but it is definitely a part of my life. Your dad helps me with this a lot. For example, for a long time I was afraid to try running because I didn't think I would be able to do it physically. Then when I tried it, I phased it in slowly so I would be more likely to be successful. In April 2013 (when I was unaware that I was most likely pregnant with you), I decided to run my first 5K and was nervous and scared the morning of the race because I wanted to succeed so much. Your dad calmed me down and made it okay for me to succeed or fail, as long as I did my best and didn't hurt myself. He's really good at that. Whenever I start getting nervous about being a mom and all the things I don't know, he really helps me stay calm.
So those are three of my fears and probably the ones that affect me the most.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: Number 1
List 20 random facts about yourself.
I have to be honest. I almost didn't take on this challenge because I knew this one would be really tough for me. I really struggle with saying things about myself. You always hear that if you want someone to start talking, ask them about themselves. However, that isn't true for me. Ask me about myself and I'll usually stammer and stutter and sound like I don't know myself.
But, I'm willing to do just about anything for my baby turtle, so here we go. :)
1. I love to read and have for as long as I can remember. My mom read to me from before I can remember and encouraged that love of reading that I still have today.
2. I really like cooking, even though my skills are pretty basic. I didn't have much interest in cooking for a lot of years, but I enjoy it now and like trying out new recipes or making old favorites.
3. I have lived in Kansas for all but two years of my life. I was convinced a few years after college that I really wanted to live anywhere else, so I tried it, but I am glad that I came back. Now I appreciate Kansas for the things it has to offer and know that I can visit elsewhere if I want to see other things.
4. For about seven years, I held the 2 mile track record at my high school. It wasn't that great of a time, but the record was mine and that made me very proud!
5. I am a pack rat. I save things that I will never ever look at again, because at one point in time they were important to me. Your father hates this trait! :)
6. For as long as I can remember, I have loved spending time in the water. I like to swim, but have just as much fun playing around or standing around talking. I just like being in the water.
7. Animated Disney movies are my weakness. I will stop whatever I am doing to watch most Disney movies and don't care if I just watched it yesterday. Dumbo is the only animated Disney movie that I don't watch.
8. I have never eaten liver, Brussels sprouts, cooked cabbage, or sauerkraut.
9. I have never finished a tube of lip balm, but almost always have two or three in the house.
10. I love office supply stores! I like checking out/buying different pens and mechanical pencils. I have more Post-It notes than any one person should have.
11. I have always been a klutz. I will trip over next to nothing. I've gotten better as I've gotten older, but it was pretty bad when I was younger. I had stitches on my head more than once and twisted my ankle falling off an elevated planter when I was in college.
12. I like dancing, but don't think I'm very good at it.
13. I strongly resisted having a cell phone, but now can't imagine not having one, though I'm still resisting the smart phone.
14. I love listening to 80s music. There are so many different songs that I like from that decade!
15. I almost never listen to the radio when I'm driving in the car by myself. I listen to books on CD.
16. I love to drive. Given the opportunity, I will always choose to be the driver. Thankfully your father doesn't really enjoy driving like I do, so it works perfectly! I'm such a bad passenger!
17. I like the look of wood with stain instead of paint. I think painted wood is much less attractive than wood that has just been stained. I think I got this trait from your Grandpa Don.
18. When I was born, I was allergic to milk, which was kind of a big deal because that's what I was given. It made me have colic and that made me very cranky. Still to this day, I don't really like milk as it upsets my stomach. I have found that almond milk is a good alternative.
19. I write faster in cursive than I do in print. It's not always easy for others to read, but I can always read it.
20. I have dreamed about being your mother for such a long time and can't wait until I get to meet you and find out all about both of us in our roles together for life. :)
So there are 20 random facts about me. By the time you read this, you will probably already know several of these, but there might be some of them that are still a surprise.
I have to be honest. I almost didn't take on this challenge because I knew this one would be really tough for me. I really struggle with saying things about myself. You always hear that if you want someone to start talking, ask them about themselves. However, that isn't true for me. Ask me about myself and I'll usually stammer and stutter and sound like I don't know myself.
But, I'm willing to do just about anything for my baby turtle, so here we go. :)
1. I love to read and have for as long as I can remember. My mom read to me from before I can remember and encouraged that love of reading that I still have today.
2. I really like cooking, even though my skills are pretty basic. I didn't have much interest in cooking for a lot of years, but I enjoy it now and like trying out new recipes or making old favorites.
3. I have lived in Kansas for all but two years of my life. I was convinced a few years after college that I really wanted to live anywhere else, so I tried it, but I am glad that I came back. Now I appreciate Kansas for the things it has to offer and know that I can visit elsewhere if I want to see other things.
4. For about seven years, I held the 2 mile track record at my high school. It wasn't that great of a time, but the record was mine and that made me very proud!
5. I am a pack rat. I save things that I will never ever look at again, because at one point in time they were important to me. Your father hates this trait! :)
6. For as long as I can remember, I have loved spending time in the water. I like to swim, but have just as much fun playing around or standing around talking. I just like being in the water.
7. Animated Disney movies are my weakness. I will stop whatever I am doing to watch most Disney movies and don't care if I just watched it yesterday. Dumbo is the only animated Disney movie that I don't watch.
8. I have never eaten liver, Brussels sprouts, cooked cabbage, or sauerkraut.
9. I have never finished a tube of lip balm, but almost always have two or three in the house.
10. I love office supply stores! I like checking out/buying different pens and mechanical pencils. I have more Post-It notes than any one person should have.
11. I have always been a klutz. I will trip over next to nothing. I've gotten better as I've gotten older, but it was pretty bad when I was younger. I had stitches on my head more than once and twisted my ankle falling off an elevated planter when I was in college.
12. I like dancing, but don't think I'm very good at it.
13. I strongly resisted having a cell phone, but now can't imagine not having one, though I'm still resisting the smart phone.
14. I love listening to 80s music. There are so many different songs that I like from that decade!
15. I almost never listen to the radio when I'm driving in the car by myself. I listen to books on CD.
16. I love to drive. Given the opportunity, I will always choose to be the driver. Thankfully your father doesn't really enjoy driving like I do, so it works perfectly! I'm such a bad passenger!
17. I like the look of wood with stain instead of paint. I think painted wood is much less attractive than wood that has just been stained. I think I got this trait from your Grandpa Don.
18. When I was born, I was allergic to milk, which was kind of a big deal because that's what I was given. It made me have colic and that made me very cranky. Still to this day, I don't really like milk as it upsets my stomach. I have found that almond milk is a good alternative.
19. I write faster in cursive than I do in print. It's not always easy for others to read, but I can always read it.
20. I have dreamed about being your mother for such a long time and can't wait until I get to meet you and find out all about both of us in our roles together for life. :)
So there are 20 random facts about me. By the time you read this, you will probably already know several of these, but there might be some of them that are still a surprise.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
30 Things My Kid Should Know About Me: The Opening Challenge
I seem to get these wild hairs to try new blogging ideas. This one came from Pintrest, where oh so many ideas come from. Once I found out I was pregnant, I started looking at all things kids and drooled over things I couldn't repost without letting anyone know I was pregnant. After everyone knew about the baby, I started posted all sorts of different things having to do with babies, children, being pregnant, childbirth, and on and on and on. I started this blog to document things that I'm thinking during pregnancy and hope to continue it even after I give birth, though I know I will have less free time then. So one of the things that I found that seemed interesting was called 30 Things My Kids Should Know About Me. I decided this would be interesting and give me new things to think about. I think this was designed to be a 30 day challenge, but I discovered that I'm not any good at time lines like that, so my goal is to be finished with this before my baby turtle makes his/her way into the world. That give me several months and should be enough time for me.
Here is the list of the 30 Things:
1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears
3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?
14. Describe 5 strengths and weaknesses you have.
15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
29. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.
Some of them will be easier than others and some will be very challenging and require me to do a lot of self-reflection. I look forward to this and seeing where it takes me.
Here is the list of the 30 Things:
1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears
3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?
14. Describe 5 strengths and weaknesses you have.
15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
29. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.
Some of them will be easier than others and some will be very challenging and require me to do a lot of self-reflection. I look forward to this and seeing where it takes me.
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