Getting to Know Me

Part of being a mom is sacrifice; specifically putting your needs last. I have become so good at this that I have forgotten things about myself. In an effort to rediscover myself I have compiled a list of unique tidbits. In no particular order-
1. I weighed 5 lbs 5 oz at birth. Now I m 5 ft 5 inches tall (or short, I guess).
2. My dad nicknamed me "Tiny Tina" which was lengthened to Katrina. Most of my immediate family still calls me Tina.
3. I do not like to be called Kat.
4. I started playing flute when I was 11.
5. I love tomatoes, but I do not like tomato soup.
6. I grew up in Utah, but have only made jello twice, both times while I was living in Colorado.
7. I have never been stung by a bee.
8. I have never had a ticket.
9. My junior year of high school I spent lots of weekends swing dancing.
10. In 2002 I rolled my car and walked away with bruises.
11. Never been downhill skiing in Utah only in Colorado.
12. Went scuba diving in a crater.
13. My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast (love Belle!). I got to see it on Broadway when I was in high school.
14. I am a licensed HAM radio operator.
15. I was the piccolo section leader at the University of Utah marching band my senior year.
16. Didn't take a math or history class in college and it still took me five years to graduate.
17. My favorite looking flower is the daisy and favorite smelling is the lilac.
18. I have donated my hair three times to Locks of Love.
19. I was director of a day care for about two years.
20. I paid for my own private flute lessons in high school.
21. My favorite group to play in is full orchestra.
22. I am terrible at saying goodbye.
23. Calling people I don't know makes me nervous; I avoid it at all costs.
24. I cry when I am happy, sad, stressed, angry, overwhelmed . . . . you get the idea.
25. Although I don't look it I am not too shabby at Guitar Hero.
26. Had a pet rabbit named Smokey.
27. I won a best of show award in 4H for flower arranging.
28. A couple of things on my bucket list are to take some painting classes and learn to play guitar.
29. Merry go rounds make me sick to my stomach.
30. I'm the only one of my siblings that didn't go to preschool.
31. I took a semester of Chinese in college.
32. I don't like soda because of the bubbles.
33. I have trouble shopping for myself.
34. I like to play board games.
35. I am a homebody by nature. I love to have my home full of people that I love.
36. A rule I use when I go out to eat is I don't order anything I would make for myself at home.

There you have it. Was there anyone out there who knew everything on my list?

18 months

Baby love is 18 months! She is still in size 2 diapers and weighs 17 lbs. Last week I was thinking I would start to make a list of all the things she says, but the list is pretty long. She has stopped using sign language because she is using so many words. Her brother did this same thing, but at 24 months.

She is a spunky girl; full of personality. She is definitely a girl in that she changes her mind and has highs and lows. Teeth are difficult for us. She is the life of the party. She is very smart and quick. She reacts to people and likes to get reactions out of them. She is just learning to give kisses and it's pretty much adorable.

Daddy snuck in and got some photos of her in her first day as a big girl in nursery.

I love my crazy girl with her crazy hair and sunshine. She is definitely worth all the work it takes to keep her happy.

Love my boy

I wanted to do a special post about my little boy. A few miscellaneous things-
We drove past a Toyota dealership and he said "Mom, I bet you could fit a lot of toys in all those!"
He asked my sister if she knew what his favorite kind of corn was. The answer-candy corn :)
Such a cute big brother! He likes to read to the Little Miss and we have to make sure they give kisses and hugs at bedtime.

I was debating about posting this, but I have decided to. I was feeling very down a couple of days ago. Everything was making me angry. I stepped out of the apartment twice to get a shock of cold air, hoping it would help clear my head. The second time I stepped out I was praying again, wanting to ask for help, but not knowing what to ask for. I did ask to just feel emptiness, that it would be better than all the anger I felt. I went back in and was standing at the kitchen sink when he came and wrapped his arms around my legs. I knelt down to hug him and my anger started to go away. I told him I loved him so much and that mommy was sick, that he hadn't done anything wrong. He decided that he was going to give me more hugs every day to help me get better. I needed to have some kind of force to pull me out of the hole that I was in and didn't know how to get out. The answer to my prayer came through my precious boy reaching into the hole and pulling me up.
He is turning into such a kind and thoughtful boy. At his soccer game a girl on his team fell and was reluctant to go back into the game. He came over to the side and was talking to her with the coach. She went back in for a little while. He makes us so proud!

Halloween

Carving the punkins.

We went to Boo at the Zoo and saw the elephants.

On the train. I wasn't really prepared for them so this shot isn't the best.

Hee hee :) They're just so cute!