Happy Birthday Cameron!

I still vividly remember the day my sister found out she was pregnant. My mom only had to tell me three times to walk down and see my sister before I finally complied. Apparently she had gotten tired of waiting for me, because as I was walking down the driveway she was running up it, pregnancy test in hand. She had tears in her eyes and looked happier than I had ever seen her. She didn't have to say a word - I knew. I was overjoyed. I was happy and excited. I had no idea what was in store.

Nine months later I found myself sitting in the delivery room where we were to meet Cameron for the first time. My sister was a champ through the whole ordeal. Me? Not so much. The only labor and delivery I had ever seen was in the movies. This was nothing like that. At one point I think her doctor was worried he might have to revive me. I probably should have been in Biology the day they showed the "Miracle of Life" video. But I wasn't. I was sick. I had the same thing I had come down with the day we disected the pig. Go figure. Anyway, this should be some clue as to how well I handled Cameron's entrance into the world. But we all survived it - Krissy probably better than any of us. 36 hours later Krissy was in recovery and Cameron was being passed from one loving set of arms to the next. When he finally made it to my arms, the world stopped for a brief moment. He was the most precious thing I had ever laid eyes on. At that point, I knew next to nothing about babies. I also had no idea how much I would learn over the course of a year.



In the last 365 days I have learned that few things are grosser than a bad diaper, and few things are harder than changing a squirmy baby. Few things hurt worse than the pinch of a baby who needs his nails trimmed, and nothing is more impossible than the act of trimming them. "No" does not have to be in a child's vocabulary in order for him to express that he is not hungry. There is no such thing as too much Baby Einstein, and Sesame Street and Teletubbies are actually not bad shows. Whoever invented the baby swing should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. There is no need for an alarm clock when the baby shows up at 7:15. Bath-time takes on a whole new meaning when it involves a newborn.



Most importantly, I learned that there is truly nothing better than being an auntie. There is truly something wonderful about the lighted-up grin you receive when your nephew sees you. The first time you can make him laugh is unforgettable. I feel so blessed that I have been around this year to form a relationship with this little man. He knows me, he recognizes me, and he wants to crawl over and say hello when he sees me. There is nothing better than that. I never knew how much I could love until this little boy became a part of my life.



People say that having a baby changes everything. who knew how much this baby would change my life. Thank you, Krissy, for all that you do, and for making me the happiest auntie in the world.

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen Things About Summer I Could Really Do Without

All of the accounts below are absolutely, positively true. (And I am only 3 weeks into my summer vacation.)

1. Spiders on the shower wall when you really need to bathe.

2. Spiders in the garage when you really need to get something out of your finace's truck.

3. Spiders that fall down when you open the front door to your apartment.

4. Spiders that hide in your bath towel when you really need to dry off.

5. Spiders that fall down when you open the door to your classroom.

6. Spiders that drown in the hot tub when you really need to just relax.

7. Spiders on your review mirrow when you really need to watch the road.

8. Spiders that play in the sink when you really need to brush your teeth.

9. Spiders that swim in your wine when the rest of the wine in the house is gone.

10. Spiders that live in the bathroom corner when you really gotta pee.

11. Spiders that reside in the corner of your kitchen when you really need to get the toaster.

12. Spiders that live in your mom's tulips when you really need to get close enough to water them.

13. Bees.

A Piece of (wedding) Cake!

In a previous post, my mom mentioned a wonderful little book she found: 101 Best Wedding Tips. After the fabulous advice she found (I now know to shave my legs that day), I just had to check it out. These are some of the lifesaving tips I found:

1. If you feel your nails are too short, consider nail extensions...
2. If your arms feel rough and look blotchy, try a daily skin-care routine that includes showering or bathing...
3. Using a medicated shampoo daily is the best way to control flakes...
4. For the best skin protection, apply a sunscreen 20 minutes before going into the sun...
5. To ensure your headpiece stays in place, anchor it with bobby pins...
6. Put on your accessories after you are fully dressed...
7. Make sure your fiance and his groomsmen try on their tuxedos before leaving the rental shop...
8. Regarding the honeymoon: the more you can afford, the more upscale the hotel...

What great wedding-saving advice! I mean, really, who would have ever thought to bathe, get their nails done, or put their jewelry on after they're dressed? It never even occured to me that the kind of honeymoon we would have would depend upon our budget! I am so thankful for these wonderful tips. And I'll be sure to let Aaron know that it's a really good idea to try on his tux before he rents it!

While I obviously couldn't possibly need any other preparation tips for the big day, I still decided to flip through some bridal magazines. Believe it or not, I came across more great ideas! Now these are some I fully plan to utilize. In excess!

1. Laugh if Off: "researchers...recently found that laughing heartily for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn up to 50 calories...so go ahead - laugh yourself into a smaller dress size."

With Aaron for my fiance, this should be no sweat! (pun intended).

2. Pucker Up: "Grab your fiance for a smooch! Kissing may strengthen the immune system and make us more resilient to stress simply because it makes us feel good."

Who knew healthy living could be so much fun? Being in the psychology field and all, Aaron is pretty big into research. He's gonna love this study!

So basically, a week into my wedding planning, here is what I've learned: in order to have a fairy tale, perfectly pulled off, clockwork-like wedding, I need to shave my legs, bathe, get my nails done, apply moisturizing sunscreen, make sure my veil is securely fastened to my head, kiss my fiance a lot, and just laugh it off. I can handle that!

Pulling off my dream wedding is going to be a piece of cake!

Road Rage

I am a careful driver. I am a safe driver. Careful and safe - that's me. I wear my seatbelt religiously and make my passengers do the same. I drive the speed limit. Unless I am being tailgaited, and then I drive r-e-a-l-l-y ... s-l-o-w. I have never been pulled over. Okay, except for the time I was pulled over on my 17th birthday, but that's because I lived in Frederick, population:50. All the cops knew me and this particular one knew it was my bithday and wanted to wish me a happy one, and let me know my tail light was out. I've never really been pulled over. I've also never been in an accident. Okay, except for the time that blind girl pulled off the curb right into my passenger side door. But she was blind and had forgotten her cane that day, and clearly didn't see me. That car had so many dents and scrathes that I figured Dad would never notice anyway, so I excused it and drove on. I've never really been in an accident. I am a safe, careful driver.

So the other day I had errands to run. As you all know, we have a wedding to plan, and we need supplies. A stack of bridal magazines, a binder, dividers with pockets, sheet protectors - you know, the basics. So I got in my little jeep, and off I went. After gathering the needed materials, I headed to Barnes & Noble for the third book in the Left Behind series. You know- for my sanity during the planning. It was a beautiful day. Strong winds that rock the entire vehicle, 102 degree temperature, not a cloud or shady spot in sight. It was fabulous!

So here's the deal. When you are driving along at 45 mph, and some woman pulls out in front of you to make a left turn - and stops - careful kind of goes out the window and mere survival becomes key. I had three choices: run into her, slam on my breaks and get rear-ended by the bozo on my bumper, or move. I chose move. I very calmly moved into the right lane. Okay, so I should have checked my blind spot more carefully, but my eyes were kind of fixated on certain death five feet in front of me. Unfortunately, there was a black SUV in said right lane. Fortunately, I did not hit her. Less fortunately, I cut her off pretty close. Oops! It was a close call. That's were we could have left it, a close call. But no, we just could not leave it there.

After a few seconds, my heart started beating again. However, before I had a chance to breathe a much needed sigh of relief, all Hell broke loose. Ms. SUV started laying on her horn behind me. When I looked up, she was making a most inappropriate gesture with her middle finger. At Me! As if that wasn't bad enough, she cut off the bozo who had been on my bumper, still laying on the horn (just in case she hadn't gotten my attention yet) and pulled up beside me. She was yelling something, but we both had our windows up so who knows what profanities she was screaming (At Me!) . To top it off, the person three inches in front of her stopped, and because she was more interested in me than the road, she almost rear-ended them. Thank God the light in front of us was green, and that we were turning separate ways, or she probably would have tried to drag me from my car!

As I drove away, I was surprised at how rattled I wasn't. I actually wasn't even embarassed about my blunder, because I was too embarassed for her. In her explosion of rage (At Me!) she almost got us all killed. I also remember thinking "boy, this would make great blog material!".

Road Rage is a terrible thing. It causes people to make complete idiots of themselves, puts lives (and cars) in danger, strains your middle finger and voice, and enables blog-addicts to feed their habit. It just basically puts everyone in a really bad mood.

Needless to say, I have come to the conclusion that there are two types of people who should not be allowed to drive. Those who are too blonde to check their blind spot, and those that are too mean to just let it go.

A Man of Many Hats

Many of you who follow the dynasty know who my dad is. To some he is an uncle or a brother-in-law. He is also a husband and a son-in-law. He is a grandpa (or Papa) and a father-in-law. For many, he is simply known as Curmudgeon Central. For my sister and me, he is Dad.

Growing up my father's daughter, I have had more that just a dad. He is my dad, and a great one at that, but there is so much more to him. Over the last 25 years, he has played many roles in my life. Here are some of the hats he wears.

My Father the Teacher
Growing up, my dad was always teaching me things. He taught me how to brush my teeth, and braid my doll's hair. He taught me how to make macaroni and scrambled egg sandwiches the good way. I learned from him how to play both solitaire and pool. He even taught me how to play chess, although I have never beat him. He showed me exactly where to stand in order to bowl a strike every time (it doesn't work). As I got a little older he taught me how to drive a car, clean a fish, and swing a golf club (and actually make contact). The list of things my dad has taught me over the years is endless.

My Father the Coach
When I was real little, I played pee-wee softball, even though I was terrible at it. One day before a game, my dad spent about an hour doing batting practice with me. The first time I went up to bat that day, I remembered what he taught me, and actually managed to hit the ball. God must have been looking out for me that day, because as I ran around the bases the other team over-threw the ball at every single one. As I rounded third and headed home, my dad was standing there waiting to congratulate me. Even though it was my first (and last) home run, and it was due entirely to the other team's lack of throwing and catching abilities, my dad was proud of me, and that was all that mattered.

My Father the exterminator
I am 25 years old, and as most of you know, I am terrified of spiders. Well, I did not have to kill my own spider until I was 19 and living in my first apartment. (I did call him, but he refused to drive from Denver to Grand Junction to kill it for me). Growing up, all I had to do was yell "Daddy, it's huge!" and he would come running with a tissue. A few years ago I found out that he isn't real fond of 8-legged critters, either. Now that's love!

My Father the Camp Counselor
At my elementary school it was tradition for the sixth graders to go to Eco-Week. This was a four day field trip during which we all stayed in cabins and learned about the outdoors. My dad went on this field trip when my sister's class went. I was heartbroken when it was my turn to go and Dad didn't have enough vacation time at work to go with my class. I begged and pleaded, but there was just no way around it. At some point I finally accepted it. However, a couple days before the big trip, my dad pulled me aside and let me know that everything had worked out, and he could go after all. I was ecstatic! It wasn't until a few weeks later that I found out that he had given up having Christmas day off in order to go. That Christmas when we all got up at 3am to open presents before Dad left for work, I was reminded of how big a sacrafice he had made for me.

My Father the Security Dude
When I was in the eighth grade, my dad's company hosted "Take Your Daughter to Work Day." My sister and I were both so excited. Not only did we get to skip an entire day of school and hang out with dad, we got to see what this Rocky Flats Dispatcher thing was all about. All we needed was a picture ID and we were set. Naturally, being 13 and even less organized than I am now, I could not find my school ID anywhere. I looked everywhere, but to no avail. I had to accept the fact that Krissy would get to go to work with Dad, and I would have to go to school. I was totally heartbroken and cried and cried. When the day of the event rolled around, and Krissy got up to go with dad and I got up to go to school, my dad surprised me with the best news ever. Somehow he had managed to work things out so that I could go with him without the picture ID, as long as I stayed with him. It seemed there was no limit to what he could do.

My Father the Hero
For most of my childhood and teenage years my dad was a firefighter. I thought this was a pretty cool job and I loved to brag about him. (I still love to brag about it - firefighters rock!) I guess I never really understood the extent of what he did. That is, until one day in the park with my sister and cousin. I will never forget the day the Farmer&Miner building caught on fire, one of the very worst the small town of Frederick has ever seen. The world seemed to move in slow motion as we stood on the top of the tallest slide and watched my dad run in to a burning building. I was terrified for him that day, but also really proud. It was that day that I realized that my dad was not just a hero to my sister and me. He was a hero to a lot of people.

I could go on and on about the many other roles my dad has played in my life, but there is simply not enough time. I just wanted to let the world know on this special day what a wonderful man and father he is. I am truly blessed to be his daughter.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

a Past...a Present...and a Future

As everyone already knows, Aaron proposed to me this week, and of course I said yes. Most of you have seen the ring, have seen a great picture of him, and now know lots of reasons why I love him so much. All of you are here in the present moment with us as we share our exciting news and get ready to embark on the adventures of wedding planning. Today I have chosen to take you all on a little journey into the past. Not the extreme past, just a few years, back to where our story begins...

I met Aaron in college. It was my last year of college, to be exact. We were both Psychology majors, and had most of our classes together. While we saw each other almost every day, I spent most of the year eyeing him from a distance. We would have brief conversations in passing, and occasionally sit together in class, but not much else. All of this changed Graduation Sunday. The day of the rehearsal, I walked into the stadium and was completely overwhelmed. There were hundreds of future graduates there, and not a single familiar face among them. I felt so completely alone. Until I turned around to leave and saw Aaron, who had also just walked into the chaos. Apparantly he was relieved to see a familiar face too, because he walked over to me. Throughout the course of the rehearsal we talked, and we both agreed that we did not want to walk alone on Sunday. We decided that he would pick me up that morning, and we would walk together.



Graduation day rolled around, and he picked me up at the Adam's Mark where my parents were staying. After suffering through pictures being taken by a bunch of people he didn't know, away we went. I don't remember much about the ceremony, but I remember every detail of that day. I spent the entire time lost in conversation with him. I remember thinking to myself that this guy was really funny, very nice, and super smart. And he looked so good that day. (I still melt when he wears a black shirt, backwards cap, and sunglasses.) Needless to say, I did not have to think twice about accepting an invitation to his graduation party that afternoon.

The graduation party was a blast! I didn't know anybody there, but he stayed by my side the entire time. After all his guests had left, he took me on a short hike on the river behind his mom's house. In an effort to impress him, I climbed over rocks and slid down dirty hills - in a skirt and dainty sandals. It must have worked, because as the sun was going down he walked me to my car and ended the day with a kiss. That sealed the deal - he had me. I went home with scratches and bruises all over my legs and arms, and mud all over my skirt, but I was on cloud nine.

Since then, Aaron and I have been up, down, and all over the relationship charts. There were times when we were hot and heavy, going strong. There were times when it all seemed a little too fast a little too soon. The first time my mom met Aaron she told me, "I know you don't believe me now, but this guy's the one." I think in my heart I always knew my mom was right, but I needed to figure it all out for myself. There was always a part of me that always felt like I wasn't quite a women yet - I still kind of felt like a little girl trying to make sense of it all. I needed to explore the world, try to figure out where I fit in. I needed some time to grow up. I expressed these feelings to Aaron, and told him maybe we should go our separate ways. He accepted this and let me go, even though I know it broke his heart. Up to that point, he had always told me that he loved me. It was at this moment that I realized that he truly did.

The thing is, we never really did go our separate ways. He remained by my side as I moved 60 miles away and survived (barely) my first year of teaching. He shared with me his experience of the GRE and graduate school applications. We both unknowingly shared the same fear that he would get in and go away. We ran up phone bills and gas mileage. We hung out as friends, both of us blushing when we would accidentally slip and arm around a waist, or address the other with "Babe". We never really did let go, we just loosened our grip a bit.

Today is June 16th. In exactly one year I will marry this man. People ask me, "Doesn't this all feel kind of sudden?" My only response to that is, "No, actually, it feels like perfect timing." I truly believe that God knew what He was doing when He planted in my heart the desire to change my major from English to Psychology. He knew what He was doing that crazy day He placed Aaron and I at the gates to Stoker Stadium - both of us late for reasons out of our control. He knew what He was doing when He decided that Aaron needed to wait one more year for graduate school.

So here I sit, in love, happy, with a gorgeous ring on my left hand, and a wonderful man who still wants to marry me despite it all. The ring is a three-stone engagement ring, the stones representing a past, a present, and a future. This couldn't be more appropriate for us. We have no idea where the wedding will be, what colors we want, how many bridesmaids or groomsmen we will have, or really anything for that matter. But that's okay - we have 365 days to figure it all out. For now, my heart is full, and I am completely content knowing that I am going to marry the person that God made just for me.

The Best Day of My Life...So Far

Okay, I know everyone has been waiting for my new post, so here it is. Today I have chosen my own Thursday Thirteen to let the world know.

Thirteen Things I Love About Aaron, My Fiance...

1. He is passionate about everything. Whether he is working, playing, or having an in-depth conversation, he does it with passion. Most importantly, he loves me with a passion. I can feel this every time I am with him, no matter what we are doing.

2. He is loyal. He has remained true to me since the day I met him. Even when I moved 60 miles away, after catapulting us into a "friends" status, his heart has never changed. He has always been there for me even though I didn't always deserve it.

3. He loves my family almost as much as he loves me. He has been a part of every single family gathering we have had, regardless of our current status. This may just be because he gets fed (two) steaks just about every time he is here, but I'm pretty sure it's more than the meat. He loves my mother to pieces, talks to my sister on the phone and all but ignores me to go do "boy stuff" with my dad in his garage. He can't wait to be "Uncle Aaron" to little Cameron.

4. He values education. He was the star of the psychology program we both graduated from at Mesa State. He graduated Cum Laude and worked his tail off to earn every single cord and medal he wore as he walked the stage to receive his diploma. He has quickly become one of the top employees at the mental health facility he works in, even being awarded "Employee of the Year." He is determined to go to graduate school, and excel. He will not settle for less than he is capable of and he won't accept anything less than the degree and program he strives for.

5. My dreams are just as important to him as they are to me. He knows that my passion and calling is to teach school and he has made it very clear that my dreams will not sit on the back burner while he pursues his own. He supported me through the teaching program, accepted my putting miles between us to take my first job and was there for me as I took my first terrifying steps into my own classroom. He's aware that I, too, would like to continue my education and he encourages me to do so. His philosophy is that we will follow both dreams and we will follow them together.

6. He is funny! Really funny! He has a quick wit and a fabulous sense of humor. He does voices (a trait he receieved from his father) and is constantly clowning around. If he cares for you at all, he gives you a hard time. Considering how big his heart is, he gives a lot of people a hard time. I cannot remember one time that I hung out with him and didn't laugh out loud at least once.

7. He can laugh at himself. Through the course of our history, he has done many things that are laughable. We had a few incidents with the lawn mower that no doubt left him feeling sheepish. We also had some issues with the grill that threatened his manliness. He has almost given himself a concussion while digging around in the fridge and strategically placed one of his golf clubs dead center in a lake once. While many of these things left him a little pink in the cheeks, he never lost the ability to laugh about them.

8. He humors me. If I am into something, even if he thinks it is the cheesiest thing in creation, he will go for it. He once sat there for almost an hour and endured the voice of Hilary Duff because I insisted he just had to hear "one more really good song- I promise, just one more." He also sat through the first three seasons of Dawson's Creek when I received them for Christmas. He also earned brownie points for staying awake during Annie and My Fair Lady because he knows I love them. He only mumbled "kill me" twice when he took me to see "The Full Monty" at our local dinner theatre.

9. He is just as avid about reading as I am. Not only does he value literature, but when he finishes a great book, he will give me a copy and insist I read it. He has read every book I have passed his way as well. He even read "The Five Love Languages" when I asked him to and he admitted to liking it. I am so hungry for reading and it means a lot to me to have someone to share that hunger with, especially someone who will get in to deep conversations about what is written.

10. He is a Christian. I could not marry a man that did not see a relationship with Jesus as important. I truly believe that having a Christian foundation on which to base our relationship will make all the difference. We are both baby Christians and I can't wait to grow together in our faith.

11. He has strong family morals and values. His mother is truly one of the most important people in his life. He shows her so much support, love and respect and truly loves spending time with her. He also refused to go anywhere near taking this next step in our relationship until he talked to my father and obtained his blessing. Although we have decided to wait a few years, I cannot wait to see him step into the role of father himself.

12. He is my best friend. Aaron and I have entertained every title we possibly could in the past few years. Aaron has been my friend, the guy I'm kind of dating, my boyfriend, my ex and now my finace. In another year, he will be my husband. His title in my life has changed many times but his presence never has. The one thing he has always been to me, and always will, is my best friend.

13. He has gorgeous red hair. Okay, while I do find him to be utterly gorgeous, I threw this one in for Mom. Maybe she will get those red haired freckle faced grandbabies yet...

So now you know. Aaron proposed to me yesterday and we are getting married next spring. For many of you, this probably seems very sudden. Trust me, it is not. We have a history that spans over two years and apparantly everyone in our lives has seen this coming. I wanted to introduce everyone to Aaron and make our announcement. I promise to follow up with more later about how this man came into my life and how we ended up where we are today. But for now, everyone, meet Aaron.

One Moment Please

Okay, so everybody is probably wondering where the heck I have gone to. I am still alive and breathing, just so you know. This is the first time in 3 days that I have even sat in front of the computer. There are many reasons for this...

First, as I mentioned before, A Chelsea Morning, Curmudgeon Central, and Flight Song are all strong competitors for the computer. I choose my battles, and this is not one I choose to fight.

Second, I am pretty preoccupied outside of the house. I am helping my Grandma (Flight Song) find a place to live and a job so she can finally be settled and at home here with us. I am truly loving the time I get to spend with her, so I do not mind the absence of computer time. I am also preoccupied spending time with Aaron. He is one of my favorite people, so I also do not mind this reason for the absence.

Third, I just started reading "The Five Love Languages," and am totally involved in it. I have a hard time putting it down, but it is a good thing. Just so you know, I have three more unopened books sitting on the table, so this is probably not the first extended absence from the computer I may have.

Just so we are clear, I do have a post in the works, and will post it shortly. It is a very good one, so I promise it will be worth the wait. (I hope it is worth the wait - it was for me).

So, with that said, I love you all and I promise I am not ignoring you. Be patient with me, I will return, in a moment.... (or a few)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #2

Thirteen Things I Love About Myself


So I was tagged yesterday. I knew I was tagged, because my mom told me I was tagged, but I actually did not touch the computer yesterday. A couple of reasons. First, I am living in a house with A Chelsea Morning, Flight Song, and Curmudgeon Central, with frequent visits from Missing Marbles. No further explanation needed. Second, I was two thirds away from finishing The Davinci Code, and could not even fathom putting it down until the last page had been read. Third, well, read the blog title - in a moment. This is just how I do things sometimes.

So, here I am, doing the Thursday Thirteen. Yes, I am aware it is Friday, but I cannot do a Friday Fourteen, because my mom did not give me an icon for Friday Fourteen. She gave me the icon for Thursday Thirteen, so that is what I am going to do. Actually, I did think it was Wednesday yesterday until about 4:00, but I do have my days straight now.

Well, here goes nothin'...

1. I love that I am somewhere between girly and gross. I do have girlish qualities. I love pink, baths are one of my favorite things, and I really do like to get dolled up every now and again. I can't stand spiders, and an insect that was born with wings, in my opinion, was a big joke on God's part. They are bad enough when they can't fly at you. I truly believe he chuckles ever time I squeal and do a tuck and dive when I hear a buzzing. However, I wear make-up sporatically, I shave my legs when I want to, my least favorite thing in the world is "getting ready", and I have no problem getting really dirty and staying that way for a while.

2. I love that I love to learn, and I love to teach myself. One of my favorite books is my Student Bible, so I can devour it on my own terms and at my own pace. My bookshelf is filled with self-help books, and I keep a copy of all of my third grade textbooks on my desk at home. I figure if I can get excited learning all this stuff, surely I can get my kids excited about learning it. I also love to learn new things from mom - every craft I do was learned from her.

3. I love that I am a born cheerleader, and will die a cheerleader. This was one of my more girly qualities. Many people are annoyed by it, especially when I accidentally do something "cheerleaderish." I love it. I am so unathletic, very clumsy, and somewhat of an intellectual. When someone finds out that I was a cheerleader for most of my life, and still coach it from time to time, they don't know how to take it.

4. I love that I am sentimental. This sets me far apart from my mom, the minimalist, and tends to make clutter a problem. This is not to say that my mom is not sentimental, because she very much is, but in a more organized fashion (scrapbooks). I cannot throw anything away. But I love that I can easily take a trip down memory lane by merely opening a box - cards, pictures, trinkets... Anything that ever meant anything to me is saved, and when I find it years later, it tends to mean even more to me.

5. I love that I am able to have a wonderful repoire with my students. One of my students wrote in my yearbook: "You have a very small brain." I love that I have taught them to be honest and tell me exactly what they think.

6. I love that I can't take things seriously. Sometimes this annoys people, but I just can't. I would rather laugh at a situation than take it seriously. I think it irritated my teaching team a little, especially regarding an all-important trip to the recycling center, but oh well.

7. I love that I can seriously stress. I know, this sounds like an oxymoron according to the one above it, but they kind of go together. After an extended period of time having not taken things seriously, I look up and realize "Oh boy, this is serious." Immediately I go into hyper-stress mode, and miraculously get a lot done. It has to be really piled up and a huge mess before I jump on it, but when I do, the mess doesn't stand a chance. After a few days of cranky, stressed-out, on the verge of tears me, it is all done, and I sit back, chuckle, and say "I just can't take this serioulsy."

8. I love that I am a fast learner. I tend to catch on to things quickly - the computer, crafts, third grade curriculum... I love figuring things out, especially new things. If I can't figure them out, I will keep at them endlessly until I do. There is nothing better than the satisfaction of finally conquering something that originally had you so stumped. I guess I am not really a fast learner, as much as a persistent one.

9. I love that I cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Seriously, I can't. It falls right out of my mouth, and then I step in it. I like this, because it makes me truly special. Okay, so the term is thrown around a lot, but how many people can REALLY claim it literally. I can. I am one of a kind.

10. I love that I am a chatterbox. One day I grabbed the white board marker, and went up to the board to answer a student's question, and one of my girls actually said "are you going to talk again?" Ouch! But seriously, I love it. Know why? When I want quiet time to myself, and I grab a book or a pen, everybody is so thankful that I finally shut up, that they leave me alone. No interruptions! This has been a strategy I have used for years. "Hmm, I really want to finish that book, with no interruptions, so I am going to go in the kitchen and talk everybody's ear off for a while, so they will be afraid to interrupt me and get me going again..."

11. I love that I have small boobs. I can wear anything I want: it is easy to make them look bigger for a certain shirt, but making them smaller is nearly impossible. I can run around in my pajamas without worrying, I can run period. No pain in the bra strap for me! (Sorry, girls, I had to cheer for the other team).

12. I love that I am addicted to books. I spent an hour in Old Navy yesterday with my mom and grandma, and resisted spending a penny. I was in Pier One, and Michael's as well. I resisted. Then we went to Borders, and that was the end of me. I went in for one book that my principal recommended, and came out with 5. It is like going grocery shopping - never go hungry. When I walk into a bookstore, I am always hungry.

13. I love my ability to play. I know that there are times when I have to be serious and responsible and an adult, and I try really hard. But life is just more fun if you can play as hard as you work. When I do recess duty, I play. Field day was my favorite day of school this year. I love to color, play with my mom's puppy, and an amusement park is the best date you could ever take me on.

So, there you have it. Thirteen things about me. I already mentioned in a previous post just how uncool I am, so I am sure many of these will be no surprise. For those of you who may be embarrased for me, read my previous post.