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. :)
Saturday, November 30, 2013
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)