I love you so much!
Also, I like your new chaps.
Oct 19, 2009
Oct 7, 2009
Pink Week
Pink Week is an event put on by the leadership classes at the Kennewick high schools to raise awareness of cancer and money for cancer research. This is a bittersweet week for me. It's really hard, because cancer has touched my life in numerous ways, and at this time of year I always think more about what I have lost. It's hard to be bombarded with pink, always thinking about Mom. I spend a lot of the week feeling like a raw nerve ending, angry that this disease has taken so much from me and people I love and sad because it makes me feel very lonely.
But then I look around, at all these teens wearing pink, and it makes me so happy to be able to be involved with such awesome kids. They are pouring their hearts and souls into raising money, raising awareness. They were at school at 4:30 this morning, kicking off the city-wide events. They were at the park this evening, decked out in their Value Village pink best and their glo sticks, linking the Cable Bridge to the Blue Bridge. They brought their parents, their brothers and sisters, their youth groups. They were proud to be a part of something bigger than themselves. And they were doing it, most of them, for someone else. For a mother, for a father, a grandparent, their best friend's mom, a neighbor. And, though most of them will never know it, they were doing it for a teacher. A teacher who is so hopeful that these kids are helping find a cure.
I have hope.
But then I look around, at all these teens wearing pink, and it makes me so happy to be able to be involved with such awesome kids. They are pouring their hearts and souls into raising money, raising awareness. They were at school at 4:30 this morning, kicking off the city-wide events. They were at the park this evening, decked out in their Value Village pink best and their glo sticks, linking the Cable Bridge to the Blue Bridge. They brought their parents, their brothers and sisters, their youth groups. They were proud to be a part of something bigger than themselves. And they were doing it, most of them, for someone else. For a mother, for a father, a grandparent, their best friend's mom, a neighbor. And, though most of them will never know it, they were doing it for a teacher. A teacher who is so hopeful that these kids are helping find a cure.
I have hope.
Sep 28, 2009
My Dearest Girl
I've mentioned before that my girl doesn't really say "Mama." Every once in a while she will, but she doesn't seem to associate it with me. She doesn't really call me much of anything. She knock on the computer room door and shout for "Daddee!" and she'll greet the dog at the door with "Oh, hi, Tiny!"
Saturday afternoon, the girl and I were getting in some serious snuggle time with Daddy gone. She was sitting on my lap, watching Bugs Bunny, and I was playing with her hair, admiring her eyelashes, and talking to her. "Where's Mama? Where's Katie's mama?" I asked. All of a sudden, she gives me this look, like "You silly ninny! What is wrong with you?" before she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big sloppy kiss. Then, she turned her attention back to Bugs.
In the next heart melting instant, she lay back against my chest, took a deep breath, and let out a big, contented sigh, saying "Mama." It was all I needed.
Saturday afternoon, the girl and I were getting in some serious snuggle time with Daddy gone. She was sitting on my lap, watching Bugs Bunny, and I was playing with her hair, admiring her eyelashes, and talking to her. "Where's Mama? Where's Katie's mama?" I asked. All of a sudden, she gives me this look, like "You silly ninny! What is wrong with you?" before she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big sloppy kiss. Then, she turned her attention back to Bugs.
In the next heart melting instant, she lay back against my chest, took a deep breath, and let out a big, contented sigh, saying "Mama." It was all I needed.
Sep 25, 2009
I Really Love My...
... bamboo needles. For knitting, obviously. They have a perfect amount of give so my hands don't get sore.
... Method Tub and Tile Cleaner. It's the only thing that pulls up those durned hard water marks. And it smells nice. Makes me feel all clean and stuff.
... Olay Regenerist Serum. Fer reals. It made turning 30 go a whole lot smoother.
... Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation. Thank you, Allison. My world will never be the same. Hopefully, it'll be a lot less shiny.
... Adam Baldwin. He's not really mine, though. I just like to look. Jared's ok with it.
... daughter. Duh. But seriously, she is so much fun, and I love hanging out with her.
... newish knitting bag, that also doubles as a diaper bag, school bad, lunch bag and purse. I have the one with the red and the flowers. And it was less than $20.
... Target. Seriously, it's the happiest place on Earth. Costco is running a close second, though. I'm a fan of any store that feeds you while you shop.
Just some stuff that's making my life a little easier, prettier, happier.
... Method Tub and Tile Cleaner. It's the only thing that pulls up those durned hard water marks. And it smells nice. Makes me feel all clean and stuff.
... Olay Regenerist Serum. Fer reals. It made turning 30 go a whole lot smoother.
... Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation. Thank you, Allison. My world will never be the same. Hopefully, it'll be a lot less shiny.
... Adam Baldwin. He's not really mine, though. I just like to look. Jared's ok with it.
... daughter. Duh. But seriously, she is so much fun, and I love hanging out with her.
... newish knitting bag, that also doubles as a diaper bag, school bad, lunch bag and purse. I have the one with the red and the flowers. And it was less than $20.
... Target. Seriously, it's the happiest place on Earth. Costco is running a close second, though. I'm a fan of any store that feeds you while you shop.
Just some stuff that's making my life a little easier, prettier, happier.
Sep 24, 2009
We Have the Sick
Ugh. What a start of a school year. I haven't taken two sick days in a row since the baby was born (and I so don't count that as being sick) but we are just gross over here. And in the midst of a swine flu scare, I have felt like a walking, putrid soup of germs. Nice, huh?
Katie was watching a Caillou episode where Caillou is sick, and everytime he coughed, she coughed. I felt bad, later, for accusing her of faking, as she lay in her bed, coughing and crying.
One of my students, yesterday, asked, "Mrs. Whit, are you gonna be gone tomorrow? 'Cause you look like crap." And I did. So I am home. After a quick trip to Kania Clinic, it has been determined that I had a virus that aggravated my asthma, and I've been having an asthma attack for the past two days. I'm now on a nice cocktail of decongestants, steroids, and cough medicine, and feel like an actual, bipedal human being again. Ready to chase an actual, bipedal, snot-nosed toddler who has more energy than humanly necessary.
And we sent Jared away from the germ swamp to visit his buddy in Chicago. Here's hoping he outruns it!
Katie was watching a Caillou episode where Caillou is sick, and everytime he coughed, she coughed. I felt bad, later, for accusing her of faking, as she lay in her bed, coughing and crying.
One of my students, yesterday, asked, "Mrs. Whit, are you gonna be gone tomorrow? 'Cause you look like crap." And I did. So I am home. After a quick trip to Kania Clinic, it has been determined that I had a virus that aggravated my asthma, and I've been having an asthma attack for the past two days. I'm now on a nice cocktail of decongestants, steroids, and cough medicine, and feel like an actual, bipedal human being again. Ready to chase an actual, bipedal, snot-nosed toddler who has more energy than humanly necessary.
And we sent Jared away from the germ swamp to visit his buddy in Chicago. Here's hoping he outruns it!
Sep 8, 2009
Miss Chatty
I remember when I worried that Katie wasn't very verbal. She had been saying words like "uh-oh" and "dog" and then one day she seemed to lose them. It was silly of me to worry. She's smart and happy and healthy. And knowing what I know about the theory of Multiple Intelligences, it's obvious that Katie has Bodily-Kinesthetic smarts through the roof. (She's loving gymnastics, by the way!) And when I stopped to count, she really did have quite a few words, including signs, and was usually able to communicate her needs and wants clearly and effectively.
But lately she has just started chatting up a storm. Lots and lots of babbling, and everyday a new word or phrase comes out of her mouth. She knows eye, nose, mouth, tongue, belly, feet, legs, arms, bottom. Cat, dog, and horse, although they all say "Woof!" Tiny, Mama, Daddee (although everyone knows she loves Daddee most!). She has been telling Tiny to "Shush!" and "Shhh!" for a long time now. "Oh, wow!" "Yay!" "Go!" which she used a lot at the football game the other night, and is turning into quite the backseat driver. Signs for more, up, plane, ball, please, thank you, all done. She surprised us with "Diaper" the other day, and made up a sign she uses when she says "Nuu" for Nuk.
But it's the phrases that astound me. Today she was being nosy, watching the neighbor girl get in her car. She started waving and saying "Bye bye!" And I said "Bye bye, Susan!" and Katie followed me with "Bye bye, Busa!" She put my flip flops on my bare feet, saying "Here oo go!" She cuddled her stuffed doggie, crooning "Aww, goo' boy!" I know these are phrases she's copying from me, but she's so amazing to me! I have a feeling things aren't going to be quiet again around here for a long time!
But lately she has just started chatting up a storm. Lots and lots of babbling, and everyday a new word or phrase comes out of her mouth. She knows eye, nose, mouth, tongue, belly, feet, legs, arms, bottom. Cat, dog, and horse, although they all say "Woof!" Tiny, Mama, Daddee (although everyone knows she loves Daddee most!). She has been telling Tiny to "Shush!" and "Shhh!" for a long time now. "Oh, wow!" "Yay!" "Go!" which she used a lot at the football game the other night, and is turning into quite the backseat driver. Signs for more, up, plane, ball, please, thank you, all done. She surprised us with "Diaper" the other day, and made up a sign she uses when she says "Nuu" for Nuk.
But it's the phrases that astound me. Today she was being nosy, watching the neighbor girl get in her car. She started waving and saying "Bye bye!" And I said "Bye bye, Susan!" and Katie followed me with "Bye bye, Busa!" She put my flip flops on my bare feet, saying "Here oo go!" She cuddled her stuffed doggie, crooning "Aww, goo' boy!" I know these are phrases she's copying from me, but she's so amazing to me! I have a feeling things aren't going to be quiet again around here for a long time!
Sep 4, 2009
Two speeds
I joke that Katie has two speeds: full-tilt and off. She plays hard and sleeps hard. When she was new, she would never let me peek at her when she was sleeping. She would smell me coming and pop her little eyelids open.
Now that she's older, sleeping harder, I can sneak in and check on her. She got a big girl bed in June, and she loves it. She usually stays put. I love sneaking in and looking at her. She's so beautiful, and so peaceful when she's sleeping.
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