Christmas Challenge: Day 16

Day 16: Your favorite Christmas tradition.

Anything family related.
I adore decorating the tree with my family. I love the silly gifts we get in our stockings. I love that it's always chaotic when the whole family is together.
I love it all.

Today...

... is my LAST DAY of undergraduate classes!!

Woohoo!!

Lessons from the ST.

I've decided to start a new ... "series."

Lessons from S & T. It's a play on words ... S&T ... ST. ... St. .... Saint ... get it? lol

Every single time I watch them I learn something new. It may be huge or it may just be a little something.
Some of the lessons I've learned:

Babies stop crying eventually. While T is a marvelous baby there was one time she was very cranky (hey happens to every baby! & me too). She wouldn't stop crying. I was so sad I couldn't fix her problems for her. But then? She just stopped. I guess she just needed to let it all out! But I realized ... even when it's bad all babies stop crying eventually. She really didn't cry for long, but it was enough for me to learn the lesson.

Also here's a good lesson: When the older brother is way too quiet in the living room while you are rocking younger sister to sleep in the bedroom he may or may not have gotten into the Easter chocolate candy. Then he will come into the bedroom... grin at you with chocolate ALL over his mouth ... it will be the most innocent grin & you can't help but laugh! & that will wake up baby sister. Sigh. ... She will go back to sleep though.
---- & while I was rocking her again I told S "You sit down right there right now." His reply? The most sheepish look & quiet little "I'm in trouble huh?" Oh my heart sank. & I wanted to roll on the floor laughing at the same time. It is one of my favorite memories with him! ♥

So today's lesson - Babies make everything better. Even when you are having an all around good day - it will get better when you rock her to sleep, feed her, watch her discover new things, and spend quality time talking. T is so much fun & I adore her. & she and her brother make my days better. Even the great ones get better when I see them!! & of course they cure my bad days too.

Next Thursday I'm due to sit again... more lessons then!


Bisous, Kiki

Today is the Day to Celebrate Mothers & I have just the Lady

My mother is my role model, best friend, confidant, & biggest fan. She's the one who is always there for me and loves me no matter what. She dries my tears and comforts me when I need her. She celebrates in my happiest moments. She's my rock. She always makes time for me and always listens to me when I need her to. She is who I want to be when I grow up. She is not a perfect mother because no one is, but she is as close as you can get. She provides unconditional love and support. She is the epitome of grace, elegance, and class. She was everything I needed as I grew up... and she still is.

She held me after bad dreams, kissed scraped knees, fixed me breakfast every day, took me to library story hour and instilled my great love of reading, made sure I never needed anything. She gave me an idyllic childhood. She led me along the right paths, and she helped to make me who I am today. She knows me so well and always says the right thing.

I can receive no greater compliment than when people tell me I'm like my Mom.
I couldn't be prouder to call her Mom.
I love you.


Now that I've cried through that part of the post (you knew I would be mom!) here are some of my favorite pictures:

My Mother is beautiful inside and out

I like to think we look alike

We have so much fun together - Mom you will look great in orange!! ;)

 Mom has a signature pose

Chace and I love to do it too  ... a little over exaggerated of course!

She's adorable

She makes AWESOME cakes :)

My Mom & Her Mom

My Mother and My Father

I love you, Mom!

 Happy Mother's Day from All of Us!

Since this post is already as long as that horrid poem we had to read in English class: Beowulf (ugh!), why don't I just continue with a few other Mothers that I think are wonderful:

Happy Mother's Day to M2! You did an amazing job raising your children and they have all turned out wonderful. Thank you for teaching Josh all you did and for loving him.

M2 with all her Kids

She's gorgeous ... inside and out!

Josh & his Mom

We told Josh to "Smile" .... M2 looks gorgeous!

The lighting is bad ... but I still love it!

Josh & his Mom is Vegas!

Mom and Me in Vegas!

Mom2 & her daughter Dr. A ... who is having her first!!

Happy Mother's Day Dr. A!!
I can't wait to meet my niece!! 

Also a Very Happy Mother's Day to Nenah, Heidi, & G!!

You are all wonderful Moms who have done an amazing job raising your children!

Bisous, Kiki

It's almost over. Just to start again.

Today I was advised for my last semester of college.

I know this is cliche, but wow has time flown by.
I can't believe I'm already at this point. I can't believe I'm going to be a COLLEGE GRADUATE in just about 9 months. 9 more hours. That's all that is left until I have a college degree. A Bachelor of Science in Education. That means I know something about something. Maybe.

I still have a lot to do before I get where I want to be in life. This summer I have to study for the dreaded LSAT. Then I start applying to law schools. I hope I get in somewhere. This also means I am that much closer to achieving #4 on my Life List.

But the thing is ... I am within reach of a college degree. I can't stop saying that. College Degree.
I'm proud of myself. & I think I have a right to be.

My life is amazing

Birthday Week is off to a great start.
Sometimes the best things in life are not material...

except these are kind of material, but you get what I mean!

Happy Birthday card from S (thank you! I love you!). .... you can see he wrote his initials "S.T." at the bottom ... right, G? or! maybe he was signing for T too??
(I'm convinced that's what it is... & now every time I look at it I see "S.T.")

and this from Josh. He's amazing. I love my "card!"

 Isn't he sweet??? He had this up as a surprise for me when I came home from staying with S.

It's a great Birthday Week!

My Cliché "What I want to do before I die" List

Recently I watched this episode of Momversation. Yes, I'm that weird childless person who watches and reads things about babies. Point, Laugh, Whatever. That past time of mine helped me land the BEST.JOB.EVER.
It got me to thinking, obviously, about my "bucket list."
What do I really want to do before I die? Is it that important to me to hurl myself off a tall building with only a rubber band to stop me?? Maybe. But what do I really want to do?
Here's my constantly changing list (in no particular order):
I'm not going to limit myself to a certain amount of items or a certain kind of item. I'm just looking to make my life a little more adventurous and a little more spontaneous. If I get the chance to do one of these things I am going to take it.

1. Become a parent (yes, I AM going to put this first). 
2. Live in another country for a year
3. Marry my best friend
4. Attend & graduate from law school
5. Have a successful law career
6. Be fluent in French
7. Do something of an activist nature -- participate in a protest or rally. 
8. Take a self-defense class
9. Procrastinate less
10. Swim with the bioluminescent plankton
11. See a Broadway Play
12. Travel with my sister
13. Marathon?
14. Raise awareness about People First Language
15. Learn ASL
16. Sleep in a hammock on a tropical island with the sound of waves lapping in the background
17. See the Northern Lights
18. Do something awesome to repay my parents for the wonderful life they have given me
19. Stay friends with J, G, S, & T for the rest of my life
20. Get another tattoo
21. Donate bone marrow
22. Swim with dolphins
23. Own a home ...
24. ...with a fully stocked library
25. ...with a window seat ... preferably the same house as the library
26. Do something drastic with my hair
27. Find a signature cocktail
28. Use a parasol
29. Learn how to properly use & wear makeup
30. Learn how to not be so emotional when I argue
31. Keep a list of every book I read from now on
32. Learn to only save/keep the things that really do have meaning
33. Visit France including Bordeaux, Paris, Clermont-Ferrand etc (to be updated)
34. Visit England - London, etc
35. Visit Greece - Athens!, Parthenon
36. Visit Italy - eat gelato at the fountains in Rome
37. Have professional pictures done
38. Sky dive
39. Pay for the person behind me (i.e. toll booth, coffee shop, restaurant, etc)
40. Write one handwritten card or letter per week for a year
41. Go skiing again
42. Learn how to water ski
43. Be able to do more push-ups than my dad
44. Show up at the airport with my bag and passport- take the first available flight
45. Get my passport
46. Achieve & maintain a healthy weight
47. Do 5 unassisted pull-ups
48. Scuba dive off the Great Barrier Reef

Here's where I get all preachy and motivating: I challenge you to make your own list. Take charge of your life! Do what you want. /endcheesiness

Also, here are a few things I've already had the pleasure of doing that would be on my list:

1. Visit DC
2. Get a tattoo
3. VEGAS!
4. Pilot an airplane ... as in I actually took over and flew the plane!!!

****some of these things have been "stolen" from others' life lists....

Also, I've added a link to the sidebar, so that you have the pleasure of reviewing this anytime you want. You know, if you want to fund one of my pursuits ... ::hint-hint::

Also, Also, when I accomplish one of my pursuits I will make sure to update it on here :)

Call me Krickle ... or Kricka (if you are yelling for me!)

I got to see my favorite 2 people today: S & T.

G needed to finish up some grading and runs some errands so I stayed with Mr. S today. :) Oh my... he is perfection rolled up into a loveable package that is always running around in a whirlwind.

He doesn't stop until he falls asleep ... and today was no exception.

He's 2 now and loves imaginative play. Today we were lions chasing each other. We played with Rex and Pokey (his dinos) and with the pig and bear (odd friendship, but hey it works!). I chased him back and forth through the house. We played with his train set, and finally, we read books :)

S had chicken and carrots for lunch, and he fell asleep while eating them. It was adorable. I took pictures (of course!) and he just looks so sweet.

He was exhausted! He didn't even wake up when I changed his diaper and his pants.

It really was the best way to start off my Christmas Break. S always makes me happy... it never fails. I always leave there completely happy.

Oh I got to see T ... she is perfection, too. So beautiful.


I love those little ones. So incredibly much.

Oh! I almost forgot ... the title. S has finally decided to call me by name. I now go by Krickle ... or Kricka if you are yelling at me as S so often does. "Kricka sit down!!" "Kricka come mere!!" ... and of course, I oblige him.

She's Here ... the newest love of my life

T has arrived!! 

I'm so excited and can't wait to meet her!!! I'm sure she's adorable just like her older brother!!

I can't wait to hold her and play with her! & kiss her little cheeks!

YAY!

Oh and she arrived on her Daddy's birthday... what a present!

Also, I went overboard on the "!s" ... but this deserves it!

My "Job" is Awesome

Urza (whom I am thinking of renaming) has always argued with me that my job of taking care of S is not a "job" ... because apparently if you love what you do then you are not working.

Now, I love that little guy so very much, but sometimes taking care of a kid IS WORK!

(Ir)Regardless(haha) of if you love them or not.
Anyone who says taking care of kids isn't work,... well they haven't actually taken care of kids before.

So yesterday I stayed with S and we had an amazing time eating apples & bunny crackers, dancing to music, building with blocks, playing with trains, and drawing.

I asked S to draw me a particular picture and this is what he drew me:


Now that drawing is of a particular animal and I want to give you a chance to guess what it is before I tell you.
What do you think it is??




It is ....
A horse :)



All that to say that my "job" is awesome.
Purely and fantastically awesome.

Project 52 - Week 4

So yeah this wasn't posted last Sunday and I'm back-dating it. So sue me. Seriously. Five years from now I'll need the practice.


This last week - ..... we got a puppy!!
Isn't she freaking adorable?!
Probably the cutest I've ever seen. (besides Kristy)

Name suggestions??
please.


UPDATE (11-03-09) after about 1 1/2 weeks she has a name ... Aria :)

One of my favorite things in the world are...

BOOKS!

and now I get to work around them ALL THE TIME!

That's right ... I'm now employed at the library ... :sigh: I'm so happy.

I'm super excited and it's going to be so much fun.

I lead a charmed life!

The "Players" in My Life

Here you go!

The "Players" in My Life - A Reference Page

**to be complete at a later time** (specifically my nephews - I need to ask them what they want to be called)

• Kiki = me - also known as Aunt Kiki, Caterpillar, Sis, and Kiki Dawn
• Urza Josh = My fiance', my best friend, and the love of my life - he makes my life fun, exciting, and full of never ending craziness (he was once referred to as Urza, but I can't do it. He's only Josh to me)
• Mom = well you guess who this is - she is one of my best friends and my role model - I'm pretty much her clone -- she's the original (also known as Nini - pronounced knee-knee ... heheh)
• Dad = again... you guess who this is - he is a wonderful person who I have so much respect and love for (also known as Grumpy)
• Chace = one of my best friends and my sister - she's quite crazy like I am. And believe me I will probably not inform all of you of all our escapades (but she does look quite good in orange! hehe)
• Jakob = Josh's best friend - a fun guy who I now consider one of my good friends. He currently lives about 2 hours away, but comes to stay with us pretty often
• Comrade Lenin/Dad 2 = Josh's Dad - an awesome, supportive and caring man who is there to help - oh and he pretty much set up Josh and me ... thank you Comrade Lenin, you are a great dad!
• M2 (Mom Two) = Josh's Mom - a lovely, caring lady who I am happy is my second mom
• Master = my older brother - you know the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none" - he's pretty much the master of all & the coolest guy I know
• BB = Master's wife - while we aren't thisclose I do think she's a wonderful person and know that she and I would be good friends given our lives weren't in the way and we could hang out more
• IT Geek = my oldest brother - a geeky guy who is fun to hang around with
  
• ? = my nephew - IT Geek's son - the sweetest, cutest little redhead you will ever meet - he's quite a geek like his father (knew how to turn on and play on the computer by 3) and a lot of fun to play with
• ? = my nephew - IT Geek's son - a complete doll ... no other way to put it - he's super smart, fun to play with, and loves to go armadillo hunting with Grumpy
• Dr. A = Josh's sister - an awesome woman who I'm glad is going to be my sister too - I just wish we had more chances to hang out
  
• Boomer = Dr. A's husband - nice, cool, funny, smart ... oh and the best quality? A HUGE OU fan... enough said (probably bigger than Urza and I ... nah not quite) Boomer Sooner
• Michael = Josh's brother - a super funny, kind, and generous guy who is willing to do anything for you - made me feel right at home when I first met Josh's family - oh and he collects money - coins, dollars, etc. - he has a nice collection - including a 1920 $2 bill
• K = Josh's stepdad
• S = the little boy I babysit a.k.a. the little love of my life
• G = S's mom
• J = S's dad
• T = S's new little sister - to be born around Thanksgiving She's Arrived!!
• Nenah = my grandma
  
• Papa = my grandpa

Animals - they play a big part in my life

• Aria = mine and Josh's new puppy who is freaking adorable - the most playful little thing you will ever see - she's a doll when she isn't peeing everywhere
  
• Kristy = my parents' dog (really she's mine!) - the best dog you could EVER ask for
• Reese/Reeser/Reese Piece/Reeser Piecer = my sister's crazy dog - a Yorkie who is hyper beyond all reason for about 8 minutes and then crashes for the next 23 hours & 52 minutes
• Mercy Maurice = the cat that has adopted my parents, much to my mom's dismay "I don't need ANOTHER animal to take care of!" UPDATE: and now we have found out that it is a boy not a girl. My sister will no longer be naming animals
• Summer = my sister's 3rd horse - she's a super sweet and loving horse - much nicer than the asses my sister had before (no she didn't have donkeys)
• Bell = BB's HUMONGOUS Great Dane - she likes me or so Master says - she tries to give me hugs ... and looks me in the eye ... you know no small feat I am 5 ft tall afterall
• Cooper = S's dog - he is so much fun to play with - he surprisingly puts up with all S's crazy antics

There you have it! Those are the people I converse with, see, and talk about on a fairly often basis.

Enjoy reading about them... and yourself!