What Kylie needs...

Saw this on a friend's blog. Put your name and "needs" into Google and post what comes up:

1. Kylie needs year off. (abso-freakin-lutely)
2. Kylie needs ewe. (ok, so I may have tweaked the spelling a bit, but it works!)
3. Kylie needs privacy. (8-year-old son, need I say more?)
4. Kylie needs to know about turning 40. (not yet, thank goodness, but 31 is a mere month away)
5. Kylie needs luck and love, not whale music. (Agree completely about first part, but....WTF?)
6. Kylie needs her rest. (there is just not enough time in the day...maybe after graduation?)
7. All Kylie needs is a kettle. (I have a big huge pot that is good for making soups. Does that work?)
8. Kylie needs to tell William Baker that loose lips sink ships. (I would, but have no idea who he is.)
9. Kylie needs time limits and reminders. (yep, and that time is about up)

Bubble Boy.

I know that I shelter Teddy from a lot of things, but a conversation with him this week made me realize just how much.
Our best friends, Donna and David, took Teddy to a U of I basketball game with them this past weekend. Donna is a huge sports supporter and tends to get very loud and excited when cheering for her teams. While, she doesn't normally use curse words, she is extra careful about censoring her language when she has our boys with her. I trust her completely and know that she takes excellent care of my son and loves him as if he were her own. That is why I was a little shocked by the beginning of the following conversation.




Teddy: "Mom, Donna said a really bad word at the basketball game last night."

Me: "Really?"

Teddy: "It was really bad. I can't tell you what it was. It started with "F"."

Me: Thinking the worst. What did Donna say?! "Well, you know not to say bad words. Right?"

Teddy: "Yes. It was a whole bunch of words together. Can I spell it out to you?"

Me: I should have ended the conversation there, but curiosity got the best of me. "Okay."

Teddy: "F-O-R-T-H-E-L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D"

Me: Ha! Not quite what I was expecting. Trying to swallow my laughter, I said, "You're right, Teddy, she shouldn't have said that and I don't want you to say that, either."

A few minutes later, it was obvious that he still had something on his mind.

Teddy: "Mom, Donna said something else, too."

Me: "Yes?"

Teddy: "The refs called a bad play or something and Donna yelled out 'Hail Mary!' And she's not even Catholic!"

HA!

Pay it Forward.

I stole this idea from my lovely neighbor, Miya. I love the "pay it forward" movement and who wouldn't love a little somethin' somethin' just because? The first three people that post on my blog will receive a surprise from me sometime in the near-ish future. I don't know what it will be, but you will love it. Or at least not hate it. In return, you need to do the same thing on your blog and pay it forward to three of your lucky readers.

**Edited to say: I am sitting here feeling sorry for myself because only one person has read this and commented. Although Miya was only commenting to say that she would add me to her list even though I was the 4th person to comment on her blog. (Of course she will still be poster #1 and will be getting a surprise from me.)
After beating myself up because I don't have many loyal blog readers, I had to realize that it is my own danged fault. Hellooo, Kylie! First of all, you have only told a select few people about this blog, so your audience is very small. Secondly, since you are a slacker and post very sporadically, those readers probably don't check here often and don't know about your little "contest." Finally, it has only been a day and a half since you posted this. Quit your whining. If you offer it, they will come... or else I might just have to randomly give some folks stuff, comments or not.

ridiculous Russian doll situation...

Flight of the Conchords - "Issues, Think About It" - watch more funny videos

These guys make make my sides hurt.

Today's random thought...

Ever noticed how if you run into someone you know at the doctor's office, the "hi! How are you?" routine is the same as if you had met them at the supermarket? How do you respond to that? Obviously, you aren't great. Helloooo. You are at the doctor's office.

Do you say "fine. How are you?"

Do you say, "actually, not so great. I've got this horrible pain in my side/I've been coughing up huge phlegm chunks for four days/I have puss coming out of my belly button/my toenail fell off...?"*

Maybe you should just say "hi" and leave it at that.

*all of these symptoms were made up. I do not have puss coming out of my bellybutton, I don't have a cough, and my toenails are just fine. I actually had to take Teddy in because of a sore throat and cough. :(

How many times a day do YOU cry?

*Edited to note that this post has been on the "back burner" for a while and did not actually occur THIS Tuesday. I am slow.

I don't think that I was the only American bawling their eyes out on Tuesday when they watched President Obama take his oath. The feeling of pride swelled in my heart and leaked through my eyes. However, I was still crying the next day. I thought that I would try to keep track of how many times a day my tear ducts overflowed and for what reasons.

Wednesday's tear activity:

1. Watching oath footage on tv while drinking my morning coffee. (6:30 am)

2. Watching footage of President Obama and the First Lady dance at the balls while checking my email after my shower. (7:30 am)

3. Reading the Argonaut and learning that friends may be affected by coming department cutbacks. (10:30 am)

4. Watching a video in my American Studies class about the horrible treatment of Native Americans by "the white man." (11:30 am)

5. Reading a friend's blog about her sweet beautiful baby being poked by needles. (5:00 pm)

6. When my friend told me how proud she was of me for getting on the graduation track for this spring. (6:00 pm)

SIX times in one day! This number is probably a little high for me, but very close to a typical day. Most of these times were "quick! Look up at the ceiling and blink my eyes really fast to make the pools of tears on my eyelids drain away before anyone sees me" cries, but one or two were "tears streaming down my cheeks" cries.

Is this normal? Do any of you find yourselves tearing up at every little thing? Or am I just a big sentimental pile of goo?

Picture Day

I don't have fond memories of picture days back in grade school. The braces, funny haircuts, goofy clothes. The nervous anticipation on the days leading up to it and then waiting to see how they would turn out. Would my eyes be closed? Would I have spinach in my teeth? Would I look like a dweeb? Would the disgust I was feeling for the creepy photographer guy show on my face? Dude. You really aren't funny. Find some new, less creepy lines. Ok?

If you have been following my blog, I'm sure that you have noticed a theme of self-consciousness and a lack of self-love. Needless to say, I absolutely hate to have my picture taken. I have one hanging in my living room, but it was taken when I was two...and cute. I realized recently that I should probably have one of Teddy and I together. Ugh.

I decided to bite the bullet. Pull the band-aid off in one swift motion. Face the music.

I was going to have my picture taken.

Thankfully, my lovely downstairs neighbor, Miya, is a photographer. She takes gorgeous photos. I had been eyeing her website for a while trying to get up the nerve to ask her to take some pictures of us. I shot her an email last week, and she graciously agreed to help us out. I was so nervous that I actually thought about bailing out several times. Miya and her husband, Roy, took us to the Arboretum at the University of Idaho on Saturday for a photo session. The rain held off long enough for her to take quite a few shots. It was a fairly painless experience and actually quite pleasant. Miya made us both feel comfortable and didn't use any of the creepy photographer lines that I remember from my childhood. The gallant Roy even used his shirt sleeve to wipe the rain off the bench so that we wouldn't get our bums wet. :)

I waited nervously for the next day and a half even though she told me it would be two days before I got the pictures. "Why hasn't she sent them to me, yet? I look hideous, don't I? She's afraid to show them to me. Oh no! Why did I think I could do this? Eek!"

Then yesterday, I found a CD on my door. The moment of truth had arrived. I stuck the disk into my computer and waited for them to come up. Oh...my...holy...Hannah. They were beautiful! Miya had perfectly captured our little family. I cried. (I know, I know. Surprise, surprise.) I couldn't have asked for anything better. Thank you, Miya!

If you liked these, and I know you did, check out Miya's website. http://www.miyaphotography.net/Welcome.html

I would definitely recommend her work. Aren't you about due for a family portrait? Hmm?

She also has a little Etsy shop where she sells these amazing smelling soaps that she makes and some pretty crocheted hats and scarves. Stop in for a look. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5570309