My Story Is Not Over

Life: Via My iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:28:00 +0000

I'm compelled to take a picture every time I see hearts in the clouds

Me and my Lilly Pad Spencer

The result of my new Chi hair straightener I got for Christmas.

Look at this one from 2009. She's growing up so fast!

Last week I had bronchitis and a sinus infection, which was actually a blessing since I start back to school this week and I had yet to be sick all year- better to get sick when I don't have 12 hour clinical days! But, last week also happened to be the Quadrantids Meteor Shower, which coincided with the coldest night of the year- about 18 degrees with the wind chill. That didn't stop me and so at 2:30 AM Wednesday morning, I bundled up in two coats, a hood, hat, and blanket and headed outside to watch. It was freezing, freezing cold, but wow! It was a pretty amazing sight. (The meteors-not me. Well, I was definitely a sight, just in the fright kind of way, haha)

Spencer got roller skates for Christmas and we took her to the roller skating rink one afternoon. I didn't know those places still existed, but let me tell you- it was like walking into a time warp- nothing has changed since 1989. Spence loved it and she's actually pretty good.

New Year's 2012

The above sequence is entitled-

The Behavioral Breakdown of Spencer at the Biltmore

It's a crazy, but beautiful life we have.

SNL

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Spencer and Lila

Little Katie and Little Sara

(Circa 1996)

How did they (and we) grow up so fast?

The Black Hole

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:06:00 +0000

I was looking at the camera roll on my phone tonight when I discovered these gems that I'd never seen before. I found quite a few, all just like the ones below. (There were about 30) Before I get to the next part- I need to preface this- Spencer has broken every single cell phone I've had since she was born. Every. Single. One. (Plus two computers and many other electronics) Okay, so when I got my new phone two weeks ago, I became the meanest mommy on the planet and said she couldn't play with it. I didn't even download Angry Birds because I knew if she saw it, or saw me playing it, I would never be able to keep my phone out of her hands.

Which brings me to tonight when I found on it an extensive photo-docudrama of me hunting through my purse, aka, the black hole, for who-knows-what.

The search begins... I look relatively calm.

Still can't find it. Starting to look annoyed.

And, I still can't find it. I'm looking quite determined now.

At last, I found the coveted object!

I know it looks like I'm looking at the camera, or at least that I should have been aware that "someone" was taking a picture(s) of me, but I really didn't. I have absolutely no recollection of this entire episode of events. Which is actually kinda frightening... so I won't think about that part.

So when I got to this picture of me on the camera roll, I stopped for a minute and laughed and tried to figure out when it was and what I was searching for. Then I swiped my finger across the phone's screen to see what picture was going to pop up next. To my "surprise," the very next photo was a self-portrait of the guilty party!

And who do you think should appear?

The culprit:

Miss Spencer.

I'm not sure how she got my phone and I'm not sure how I didn't notice her taking a zillion pictures of me. When I asked her about it, she said "Huh? What did you say?" and then she repeated it each time I asked her, all the while laughing harder and harder. It was ridiculously cute. Clearly, I need to watch either my phone or Spencer more carefully. (Kidding!)

All of this brings me to my final thought: Apple needs to make a kid-friendly, indestructible, unbreakable, waterproof iPhone/iTouch/iPad. It would be a best seller, I guarantee it!

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:15:00 +0000

(Above title is a quote from one of my favorite movies- anyone else a fan like me?)

So my 30th birthday has come and gone and I have to say it was one of the best birthday/birthday weekends I can remember.

On Saturday morning I got 30 roses from parents.

Saturday evening a friend took me out for dinner, drinks and a little dancing. At the restaurant they brought out different desserts with candles on them and champagne- it was very nice! I didn't take a picture of that though, which I can't believe... but I'll still remember it.

Sunday afternoon I celebrated with my family. My dad made my favorite meal and we all went over to my aunt's house to eat. Spencer got a little cranky when she found out mac n' cheese wasn't on the birthday menu!

Yes, that's 30 candles!

And yes, I did blow out every single one of them! I haven't missed a year yet :) Isn't that just the cutest picture of me, ever? ha!

My mom ordered me cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake- of TLC's DC Cupcake- and they were SO good. Definitely the best cupcake I've ever had, so all the hype is must be true because they were amazing.

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday and I'm just so grateful for everything. I really am a lucky, lucky girl

Twenty-Something Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:31:00 +0000

One picture each year

25 26

30 Twenty-Something Things

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Thirty things that happened in my twenties.

(in chronological order, starting at age 20)

1. Became a sister in Kappa Kappa Gamma
2. My Papa died
3. Studied abroad in Italy
4. Worked as a Bev Cart Girl at a snobby country club
5. Had my heart broken
6. Cruised the Caribbean
7. Fell madly in love
8. Studied endlessly for the LSAT
9. Graduated from William & Mary
10. Got my first real adult job
11. Was accepted into law school
12. Went to Miami with my Kappas and pretended I was British
13. Started my first year of law school
14. My Mema died
15. My died was diagnosed with cancer
16. Became very depressed
17. Got pregnant
18. Dropped out of law school
19. Had a crisis of faith
20. My other two Grandparents died
21. Survived
22. Had a baby
23. Became Spencer's mama
24. Shifted ideologies
25. Went back to school
26. Found my way back to an evolved faith
27. Got into nursing school
28. Went to Mexico
29. Started nursing school
30. Became complete

Not to be trite, but it really was the best of times and the worst of times. But here is what I know- in my twenties I became me. Everything that happened, good, bad and terrible, helped me to get to this place I am now. And while my life isn't perfect, I'm truly happy with the person I've become. I'm happy with how life is turning out in ways I didn't expect or plan on.

Of course the defining moment of the last decade was my Spencer and I give her all the credit for shaping me into someone better than what I was.

I am me because of her.

A New Decade

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:42:00 +0000

I turn 30 tomorrow. The whole decade of being in my 20's is about to be over and I'm just so shocked at how fast it all went by. How could I have turned 20 a decade ago?

This is me on my 20th birthday. I remember the party my friends had for me like it was yesterday. (how old-timer does that sound?!)

So one decade later... I thought I needed to take one last picture on the last day of my 29th year. Um, yes, I know I'm being just a little dramatic.

I kinda can't believe how much of a baby I looked liked when I turned twenty. So that's a decade worth of change... I don't think I'm looking forward to seeing the difference between 30 and 40 though, ha!

I Heart Faces- the Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:42:00 +0000

This week's photo challenge on I Heart Faces is beautiful eyes. I know I'm her mom, but I really do think Spencer has the most beautiful eyes in the world and picking just one picture was really difficult, but this photo was the first one that came to my mind so I decided to go with it. I took this right before her third birthday.

I love those baby blues.

This Never Happens

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:57:00 +0000

I'm Irish.

And we don't tan, we burn.

Yet, here I am: ridiculously tan!

Well, I'm ridiculously tan for me. I realize that to most everyone else, this might still be considered pale, but I'm fairly certain this is the tannest I've ever been in my entire life.

When you have skin that's as fair as mine, with half a million freckles, this is almost like a miracle.

That Face

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:42:00 +0000

I think this is definitely one of those pictures that I'm going to show to Spencer's future husband, haha

Please note that container of Haagen-Dazs in her lap!

If She's Four, That Means I'm How Old?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:28:00 +0000

Spencer insisted on having a red cake with colored flowers and fairies. I have no clue where she got the idea for it, a dream perhaps, but she'd been talking about this cake for a good two months before her birthday. What's a mom to do? A friend of mine from high school made it for her and even though it was probably the strangest cake request she's ever had, she did an amazing job and it was super delicious.

I can't believe my little baby is four years old already. I also can't believe that I was only 25 when I birthed her, especially now I'm just a few short months from turning really, really old. Spencer grows up more and more every day, she's definitely four going on 14 and I'm feeling the need to press the pause button again.

Easy Crunchy Asian Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:24:00 +0000

During the warm weather months I have a serious aversion to eating warm or hot food. If I could afford it, I would go to our local grocery store every day and make myself a nice big salad from their amazing salad bar- but that ends up costing between $6 and $8 depending on how much fruit I add. I've tried buying all the necessary ingredients to my make my salad at home, but for some reason it just never tastes as good as the one from the grocery store!

I tried to find other salad options and there just didn't seem to be anything I really loved- that is, until a few weeks ago at a potluck dinner at our church. One of the ladies made a most delicious Asian crunchy salad and I thought it was maybe something that would be a good easy, healthy and cheaper salad for me to make at home. I tend to screw things up when I make them and nothing ever tastes as good when I make it as it does when someone else makes it, but with the recipe she gave me, it was almost impossible to mess up. And it tasted just as good!

This recipe makes for a great meal in the hot summer because it's easy and light, but still very filling.

Asian Crunchy Salad

* 1 envelope packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing and Recipe Mix
* 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce (use Kikkoman, it's the best soy around!)
* 1/2 Cup of sugar
* 2 packages of any ramen noodle soup (you will just be using the noodles)
* 2 (16oz) packages of coleslaw blend or you can shred your own lettuce and carrots
* 4 sliced green onions
* 1/2 Cup of sliced almonds
* 1/2 Cup of sunflower kernels (optional)

(You can add other ingredients, like a meat and/or fruits, to suit your tastes- I sometimes like to add cold chicken and craisins)

Directions

* You are first going to make the salad dressing in a separate bowl
* Follow the instructions on the back of the packet of the Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
* Whisk in the soy sauce and sugar
* Once you've done that, put it in the refrigerator to get in nice and cold.
* Break the ramen noodles apart in another larger bowl. I think it's easier to do the majority of the breaking up while it's still in the package and then put in the bowl. That way it doesn't make a big mess. You won't be using the seasoning packet.
* Add the coleslaw/lettuce and carrot blend, onion, almonds, and sunflower kernels into the bowl with the ramen noodles and gently toss together
* Once the salad dressing is at the temperature you'd like, add the salad dressing and toss to coat.
* I prefer to put my lettuce mix into a bowl that has a lid or a Ziplock freezer bag, add the dressing, put on the lid or seal the bag, and then shake it until everything is nice and well coated. Do whatever works best for you.
* After you've thoroughly mixed the salad, serve immediately.
* And that's it! It's seriously the easiest thing to make and it's delicious!

You can read about another one of my favorite, easy to make, main course dishes here.

Judgment Day is Nigh

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:52:00 +0000

I had planned on posting this picture on May 22, 2011- the day after the much publicized prediction of the Judgement Day Rapture. But then I thought to myself, well, on the 0.000000000000001% chance that the Rapture is going to occur this Saturday at 6PM, maybe I should err on the safe side and post it now- just in case.

I took this picture back in December when Spencer and I were driving to North Carolina to visit her Great-Grandparents. We were just outside of Lynchburg, VA, in a fairly rural area, when I spotted this massive billboard proclaiming Judgement Day was going to be on May 21, 2011. So I did the same thing any other sane person would have done and so I did an immediate u-turn followed by another u-turn into the median turning lane.

I always keep my camera in the front seat with me when I'm driving, which was good since I didn't exactly want to park my car in the lane for any lengthy period of time. The only problem was that I wasn't really up close to the billboard and I had to take the pictures through the windshield glass- hence the not-so-great image quality. But there was nothing that was going to stop me from taking a picture of this thing! I could not believe what I was seeing and I didn't think anyone else would believe me either- unless I had photographic proof!

Under the umbrella of Christianity, there have been denominations, sects and cults all claiming to know that the Rapture was going to occur on a specific day. When their predictions didn't come true these groups did one of three things 1) Fizzled out due to a lack of credibility and loss of belief in their leader 2) Offered an explanation as to why the Lord changed his mind and that it was now going to happen on this new date or 3) Committed mass suicide.

People have been making these Judgement Day/Rapture predictions for over 2000 years- it's a pretty common thing. But what is new is this massive grass roots/viral marketing/savvy advertising campaign these folks have created in order to spread their message. The types of groups and individuals that usually make this kind of specific date prediction are generally on the fringe of mainstream Christianity- meaning they have a small following, limited funds, and lack authority/credibility within the Christian orthodoxy. Even if they wanted to spread the news far and wide, high and low, they wouldn't really have the means to do so and if for some reason they had those kinds of funds, their lack of credibility would prevent them from being taken seriously.

Harold Camping has been spreading the news of a May 21, 2011 Judgement Day ever since his last failed Rapture prediction came and went on September 6, 1994. This makes it even more baffling that so many people have latched onto his teachings. And his teachings don't have any wiggle room or room for doubt- "Beyond the shadow of a doubt, May 21 will be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment," he told the AP.

Not only have they latched on- his followers have quit their jobs, sold their homes, and cashed out their retirement funds! They've taken their children out of school so that they could join them spreading this news across the county, no, the world! They drive around in caravans of RVs sharing their message that the world as we all know it is going to end on May 21, 2011. And then five months later, on October 21, 2011, God is going to completely destroy the Earth and everyone else who still has the great misfortune of still being alive. Ironically, I will turn 30 on October 22, so maybe that's not so bad... kidding!

My theological beliefs are always evolving and I think it's important that it stays that way. When you stop asking questions, stop trying to learn something new, and stop looking deeper, you stop any growth. But there will always be a few things that, for me, don't and shouldn't evolve. I haven't completely firmed up my eschatological beliefs- I flip flop between some schools of thought, but I do know there is one thing about which I'm certain. And that is, if you believe in a literal Rapture interpretation, you must also literally believe that no one, not one single person, knows the hour or day it's going to happen.

Now I am the first person who will say that the Bible can sometimes be frustratingly vague, especially for someone like me who likes clear cut, easy to understand answers. But what Jesus says here seems pretty clear- He didn't use a parable to explain a deeper meaning or answer their question with another question- it's a direct answer without any hidden sub-text. It says:

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?' Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name'" Matt 24:3-5 (NIV) Later on in that chapter He tells them "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matt 24:36 (NIV)

And if those verses weren't enough to convince you that you can't predict the exact day of judgment, there's more! Jesus went on telling his disciples "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Matt 24:42-44 (NIV)

So it confuses me as to why Harold Camping thinks there is a secret encoded calendar in the Bible that provides the answer to the 2000 year old question about the actual, specific day of judgment. But Camping is kind of an odd duck; he uses a literal hermeneutic approach in regards to the specific rapture, which is generally consistent with the dispensationalists, yet he rejects premillennialism, and believes the tribulation began in 1988- which is not at all consistent with dispensationalism. And with the exception of the rapture, his theology fall clearly within the amillennialists allegorical interpretation of scripture- yet they don't believe in a literal rapture. He is all over the place trying to piece this thing together the way he sees it and it just doesn't work.

I can tell you this though- I will be really miffed if it's that predictable and it does happen on Saturday. When I first learned about "the end days," I spent countless hours worrying that it would happen before I could get married and have children. Think of all I could have done with that time? ha! As Peanuts creator Charles Schultz once famously put it, "Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia."

In some ways I really feel for Camping- it's obvious that he deeply believes what he's saying. I don't think he is intentionally trying to mislead people or trick them into giving him their money- I mean, he is 89 years old. And in his own, very misguided way, he believes he's doing what God has called him to do and sound the trumpet. Camping has practically devoted the entirety of his life to the cause of predicting the judgment day and in the end, all he will ever be remembered for is being the crazy man who spent millions of dollars of his own money trying to convince people the world was going to end on May 21, 2011.

I'm going to step out on a limb here and make a prediction of my own: I predict you all are going to see me post this picture again on May 22, 2011. And if I don't, well, I guess it could be worse- after all, that means I will be eternally "in my twenties."

I Need a Pause Button

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Spencer's dance recital is this weekend and all I can think about is how it feels like it was just yesterday that I wrote this post about her starting ballet lessons. How has it time for her recital already? How has seven months passed by like it's at warp speed? Where is the pause button, because I really need it?

I was thinking about this all day yesterday when I remembered something I'd written on here in the early days of this blog about my love/hate relationship with my DVR. You can read the whole post here, but one of the snippets caught my eye:

And then other times I want to take my remote my control and press pause on life. The really beautiful moments keep flying by, they never last long enough and I only get to experience it once. With a DVR, it's okay if you miss something because the phone rings- you can either rewind it and watch it again or you can press pause and it will stay frozen in time until you to return. If you really loved something you watched, well, you can rewind and start it all over again. There's no such thing as a lost moment with a DVR. Why can't I do this with life? Please, smart geniuses at MIT, invent one of these mechanisms for me.

It seems as though those geniuses at MIT haven't really come through for me yet. Maybe I should have made my request to Cal Tech? I was doing my regular morning blogosphere perusal yesterday when I read this on one of my favorite blogs. It just confirmed to me that I'm not the only one who can't believe how fast these years are flying by. I would really love for a physicist to explain to me why in your childhood life seems to creep by inch by inch and then once you've reached that all important goal of being a "grown up," it starts to go faster than the blink of an eye. It doesn't seem fair. I guess I need to remind myself of this sometimes:

(print I recently bought)

Fair is Where You Get Cotton Candy. Words to live by!

The Blood Suckers

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 17 May 2011 07:01:00 +0000

You might have noticed that I'm not exactly what you'd call an in-the-outdoor-elements-nature-loving-gal. If you hadn't, let me be clear- while I love to admire the beauty of the outdoors, I myself do not like to interact with it unless there's a camera in my hand. But I have a little girl who loves to be outside and so I find myself interacting with nature on a daily basis.

photo © 2008 dr_relling | more info (via: Wylio)

In the last month, I've found four ticks on Spencer, three on me, and four and the dog! And now I can't shake the feeling that there's always a tick on me, which is kinda driving me crazy. I do NOT like ticks and my initial gut reaction each time I've found one is to call my dad. Then reality and sets in, I mean I am 29 years old, I pull up my big girl pants, and do what needs to be done.

Luckily, the first time I found a tick on Spencer we were in the Middle of Nowhere, North Carolina and Spencer's Great-Gran taught me the best way to remove a tick that's currently engaged in sucking the lifeblood out of you. I've since removed ten such ticks and her instructions have been so helpful. So if you'd are out in nature and find yourself with one of these little suckers attached to your body, here is what Spencer's Great-Gran says you should do.

The Best Way to Remove a Tick

1. Don't just pull it out!
2. Saturate a cotton ball with alcohol and hold it firmly over the tick for at least two minutes- longer if necessary.
3. Remove the cotton ball and use tweezers (your fingers will work fine if you don't have tweezers) to gently pull the tick out.
4. If it does not easily come off, saturate another cotton ball and hold it over the tick for another two minutes. Make sure you don't pull too hard- after the alcohol kills or knocks it out, the tick should be fairly easy to remove.
5. Repeat steps three and four until the tick is off your skin.
6. Once the tick is in the tweezers, light a match and burn it. There's good chance that if you flush it down the toilet and it's not 120% dead, it will work it's way back up the toilet and into your bathroom. Once you've burned the tick, you can either flush it down the toilet or immerse it in a small sealable container of alcohol and then throw that away. If you don't have matches readily available, sealing it in alcohol is just fine.
7. Saturate another cotton ball with either alcohol or some other type of disinfectant and clean off the bite. Ticks carry a lot of diseases and you want to get the area as clean as possible as soon as possible.

I realize that some of you who find a tick on yourself or child will not have immediate access to alcohol, so if you don't, the best thing you can do is use tweezers and try and grab the tick as close to it's head and mouth as possible, and pull it off. If you don't have tweezers, cover your hand with something like a baggie or paper towel, and then attempt removing it. Ticks are nasty little creatures and you really don't want to touch them with your bare hands if you can at all help it.

Hopefully you'll never get a tick bite, but if you do, I hope these tips will help you!

Sweet Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:49:00 +0000

Mamapedia is offering two really sweet deals for my blog readers! Mamapedia is a great flash deal site, much like Groupon, except that it's geared towards moms. They have wonderful deals and some really amazing offers. The first deal they're offering for my readers is so great!

Large Hardcover Photo Book

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These photo books are seriously gorgeous, and at over 70% OFF the list price, this is a truly unbeatable offer: Check it out here! This offer ends 5/18/11- Tuesday night/Wednesday morning at 12AM.

Weight Watchers Magazine

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Weight Watchers Magazine is a great choice for anyone who just needs a little bit of extra motivation when it comes to eating healthier and losing weight. It's not just for people on the Weight Watchers program-- It has the best of everything; including tips, recipes, fashion advice, and inspiration!

Check out the deal here! This offer ends tonight at midnight so don't put it off!

** I didn't get paid to endorse these deals or receive anything free/discounted **

Spencer, I Want to Go to the Bathroom by Myself!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:22:00 +0000

I'm not sure I ever anticipated "Spencer, I want to Go to the Bathroom by Myself!" ever being a title on this here blog of mine, but, alas, it is. I also don't think I ever anticipated ever needing to say those words to Spencer, much less having to say them multiple times a day, but, alas, I do.

I'm not exactly sure when this whole thing started, I'm thinking that it might have some roots from the potty training days when I would show Spencer how "big girls" use the the potty. But for the first couple months after she was fully trained, she always wanted to use the bathroom "by myselvvve!" as she would say. Spencer didn't give a second thought to when I went to the bathroom and I never gave a second thought to the beauty that is bathroom privacy.

It's not an exaggeration in any way when I tell you that every single time Spencer sees me getting up and walking towards the bathroom, she races like an Olympic sprinter in the gold medal race to get to the door before I shut it. Actually, it's not only the bathroom, it's any room in the house, it's just that the bathroom is the only place I really care about being all by myself. I know a lot of moms use their bathroom time as a personal refuge, a place to be by themselves for a few moments and collect their thoughts, maybe read a magazine or examine their face to see if any wrinkles have sprouted since the last time they checked; that's not me. So I would almost understand why Spencer would want to go with me every time if I did that, especially if she thought I was doing something like putting on makeup. I'm in and I'm out. (is that TMI?) I also might understand if I never let her in the bathroom while I was using it- maybe it would seem like she was missing out on something, but that's not the case either.

When Spencer realizes that a) I'm already in the bathroom before she noticed, or b) didn't make it to the door in time before I shut it, she stands at the door and sticks her toes and fingers underneath the gap between the floor and the door. And her little toes are so cute and then I feel an odd combination of love and guilt and I let her in. So even when I'm in the bathroom alone, I'm never really alone. And I miss it.

Spencer hasn't gone through a clingy phase in awhile and I wouldn't say that she's in one now, per se. I mean yesterday at Kohl's, she ran away from me and in a sing songy voice, taunted "ha ha, you can't find me!" But for some reason, whenever we're at home, she becomes my shadow. This morning, I started walking to the bathroom and she immediately began her sprint to the door. I turned around and said, "Spencer, I want to use the bathroom by myself!" To which she replied "please don't leave me," completely breaking my heart. I had no idea why she would say that, I mean, I'm by her side more than any parent I know- we are never apart. So I began racking my brain trying to think of why she would say that to me- why she was feeling this way? Then I remembered something seemingly benign that happened a few weeks ago, which I guess wasn't as benign as I thought.

A few weeks ago I was in the laundry room doing some morning chores before Spencer woke up and I didn't hear her get up and start looking for me. I was only in there for about five minutes, so I know she couldn't have been awake for more than a couple of minutes, but she was hysterically crying because she'd gone to the window and hadn't seen my car in its usual parking space and she thought I'd left her. (My car was pulled further up the driveway than it usually is and from the window you couldn't see it)

Now generally, Spencer would immediately realize that she wasn't being supervised and use that time to do something completely destructive, like get into my makeup bag and give herself a makeover, cut her hair with scissors, try and pour her own orange juice, basically anything that I wouldn't normally allow her to do. So I was a little shocked when she was sitting there sobbing because it seemed really uncharacteristic of her. After a few minutes of crying and hugging and reassuring her that I would never leave her, she was fine, and everything went back to normal. I didn't really think about it again until this morning when she told me not to leave her. The idea that Spencer thinks I might actually leave her alone breaks my heart. I hate that she's feeling this way and as much as I want my privacy, I want even more for her to feel secure and safe.

The weird thing is that she's not this way anywhere else. In fact, yesterday we went over to my aunt's house for the afternoon, and as soon as we got there, she begged me to go to leave so she could play "alooone" with my aunt. She also has no problem using the bathroom alone, she likes to go by herself. I'm kind of at a loss about what to do here. Has anyone else experienced something like this? I would love some ideas or any advice in general about what you've done, or heard others have done, in this kind of situation!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 01 May 2011 20:18:00 +0000

On Easter Sunday, Spencer sang a solo in church! It was so cute! My dad took a video of it, but I haven't gotten it on my computer yet, but as soon as I do, I will post it. The dress that I ordered her never came (ugh), so her Great-Gran bought her this one two days before Easter. Of course, she wasn't all that interested in taking pictures after church, she just wanted to eat her candy from "The Bunny," but I managed to snap a few decent ones. I think I might post some of the outtakes tomorrow- there are so many to choose from though, I'm not sure how I'll narrow down the worst of the worst, haha.

Egg Hunt

Requisite Dandelion Blowing

I don't know what this is, but it made me laugh- maybe this should be in the outtakes?

The Wedding Watched Around the World

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:12:00 +0000

I am not the tiniest bit ashamed to say that I cried for almost the entire wedding of Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton- heretofore, Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine Elizabeth, The Duchess of Cambridge. I know everyone looks in love when they get married, but don't they really look in love?

Fun Fact: When Harry looked back to get a sneak peak at Kate walking down the aisle, he told William "Wait until you see her." When he finally saw his bride, William told her "You look absolutely beautiful." (It is English tradition to look straight ahead and not look at the bride walking down the aisle because the groom is supposed to be the very last person to see the bride.)

The Dress: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. There is a blue ribbon sewn into on the inside for her "something blue." It is made with Chantilly lace and satin. The "something old" was the traditional Carrickmacross craftsmanship used in sewing the lace.

I think this is the cutest face William is making! He looks genuinely happy and in love.

Fun Fact: Just like Diana, Kate refused to say the traditional "Obey"in her vows

Pippa Middleton, age 27, also had her dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

Kate's Nail Polish for the wedding: Bourjois no 28 Rose Lounge and Essie 423 Allure

Makeup: Kate used Bobbi Brown products and she did her own makeup for the wedding after a few lessons from makeup artist Arrabella Preston

Perfume: White Gardenia Petals by Illuminum. This perfume is now back ordered everywhere until July, so if you want it, you need to place your orders asap, as the waiting time gets longer every day!

Bouquet Flowers: Sweet William blooms, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth and myrtle- which came from the myrtle that Queen Victoria planted in 1845.

William Wore: The uniform of Irish Guards, a scarlet jacket and blue sash

Most Outrageous Hat(s)/Fascinator(s): Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie (The daughters of Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson and Prince Andrew)

Princess Beatrice's and Eugenie's hats, or as the Brits call them- fascinators, are from hat designer, aka a milliner, Philip Treacy. (The cheapest fascinator and hat that he makes is over $1000.)

Craziest Hats/Fascinators Runners-Up: Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Jacqui Ainsley

Fun Fact: William and Kate wrote the prayer said by the Archbishop: God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage. “In the business of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy. Strengthened by our union, help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Music walking down the aisle: "I Was Glad" by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry

The sermon by the Archbishop of London: Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.‘Many are full of fear for the future of the prospects of our world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.

In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future. ‘A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.
‘It is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. And people can dream of doing such a thing but the hope should be fulfilled it is necessary a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love.

‘You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.

‘We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.

‘Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase: ‘“Whan maistrie comth, the God of Love anon, Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.”*

‘As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.

‘As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. This leads to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the next generation can practise and exchange those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the Spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.

‘I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day.'

* The Geoffrey Chaucer quote is from the Canterbury Tales, specifically The Franklin Tale.

Fun Fact: William's new title is His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, Baron Carrickfergus, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Master of Arts. Now that is a mouthful and a half, especially when you consider that his last name is Mountbatten-Windsor!

The Kiss- Before going in for their second kiss, he said to Kate "Let’s give them another one. l love you. One more kiss, one more kiss, okay."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rode in a vintage 1969 Aston Martin back to the Clarence House, where they got ready for the evening festivities.

Princess Catherine changed her dress for the private and more intimate dinner and dancing evening reception given by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen also designed this gown. You can't tell in these photos, but it's strapless!

The First Dance: The Duke and Duchess danced their first dance to Ellie Goulding singing a cover of Elton John's Your Song.

Pippa Middleton's dress for the evening reception is designed Temperley, London.

Closeup Learning Curve

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Last week Spencer and I went to the Middle of Nowhere, North Carolina to visit her great-grandparents for a few days. It was the perfect time to go because the flowers were at their peak and everything was blooming and gorgeous. I took the opportunity to get in some practice with my new macro lens. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the learning curve is a little bit more steep than I thought it was going to be. It took me awhile, and a few hundred pictures, before I started to get anything that I actually liked. I still have a lot to learn, but here are some of my favorites. I would love to hear any tips from those of you love macro photography!

The second picture is a closeup of the flower in the first one. See that yellow stuff? It's pollen! Just looking at it makes my nose start to itch!

Nurse Katie

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:48:00 +0000

When I was young(er), I had all answers to all the questions. Job? Lawyer. Specialty? Constitutional Law. Firm? No firm, the Solicitor General's Office. Marriage? Yes. Who? The boyfriend I've dated since age 13. When? Age 24, the summer after my second year of law school. Children? Yes. How many? Four- two boys and two girls. Names? Madison Grace, Jocelyn Anne, James Matthew, and Chase Prescott.** Location? Work in DC, live in Leesburg, VA. Main goal in life? To leave the world a better place than when I entered it.

**(please note, this was circa year 2000, many years before Madison became the trendiest name on the planet. I also will not be naming any potential future child any of these names.)

And then I went to college. As it would turn out, my feelings on things started to change and all of a sudden I wasn't quite sure I liked all the answers to my questions. All of a sudden, there were all of these questions swirling around in my head- ones I'd never thought about, or didn't want to think about, before, and I had no answer to them. I wanted to go to Africa and work for a legal non-profit dedicated to helping women and children. About ten million people named their kid Madison, my boyfriend did not like my new ideas on things, my parents did not like my new ideas on things, and I had no concrete answers for anything except that I wanted to leave the world a better place than when I entered it. How I was going to accomplish that was a little bit murkier.

Well, you all know the rest of the story- law school, pregnant, quit law school, had baby, no idea what I was going to do with my life. My eyes were opened when I was pregnant with Spencer, but it was like a blind fold being removed in the brightest light- I could see, but it took awhile for my eyes to adjust before anything was clear. I won't go into the whole story now- you can read about it here, but I became passionate about health care, especially in regards to unethical health insurance companies. (Briefly, my health insurance denied payment of all prenatal expenses and because I had health insurance, I was ineligible for any state or federally funded health care. I had to pay $500 dollars at every doctor's appointment, plus extra for all tests, ultrasounds, etc., and that's not even getting into the five day hospital stay we had.)

After a lot of thought and wishy washy-ness, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and become a nurse. I was paving the road for the day when I could combine my government degree with the one in nursing and use them together to work on realistic and sustainable healthcare reform. One thing stood in the way- I was a GOVERNMENT major! Do you think I took any science in college? Nope- I exempted everything in high school. So, about two years ago I started on this journey of going back to school and taking all of the required prerequisites. It's a long story filled with obstacles- you can read about it here- but, I finally finished everything and the only thing left to do was apply and get it.

Two weeks after the acceptances letters were supposed to arrive, I started preparing myself that I didn't get in. Every trip to the mailbox was filled with anxiety and then the sinking feeling in my stomach took over on every empty handed walk back to the house. And then, last week, it came- a tiny, thin, impossibly flat envelope that looked nothing like the acceptance packages I'd received from colleges. I didn't want to open it to be honest with you. I thought about tucking it away and pretending like it never came, that way I could still hold out some hope. After a few minutes of staring at it, I shut my eyes and began opening it. When the letter was out, I squinted one eye, peeking to see if the first letter of the opening paragraph started with an I or a C. (Denials always start with I'm Sorry to inform, and the acceptances always start with Congratulations) I saw a C.

I opened both eyes and read the first word: it said Congratulations. I didn't read one more word, I couldn't have read another word even if I'd wanted to, because I started crying, like really crying. And then I cried for about ten minutes straight. I didn't even think to call or tell anyone, it was a moment that was just about me.

There will never again come a day when I'll have all the answers to questions. If this life has taught me anything, it's that anyone can answer a question, but that certainly doesn't mean they're correct. Right now, I'm just so grateful that I have the chance to pursue something I really love, something that will allow me to leave the world a better place than when I entered it. So how does Nurse Katie sound to you?

Mother's Day Gift Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Did you know Mother's Day is just one month away? If you need a few ideas about what to get for you Mom, or what you want, here are a few suggestions to help you out!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

I like personalized gifts for Mother's Day and I love both of these necklaces from The Vintage Pearl! I think the The Key would be a great gift for a mom with only one child and the The Mama's Nest would be perfect for the mom with a larger family. But they have so many different pieces of jewelry, so if you don't like these two, don't worry, because there are a lot to choose from.

I got a Mom Agenda day planner for Christmas and I LOVE it! You can get them personalized with your name and they have a lot of different colors and designs to choose from. Mom Agenda also has a lot of other products (all can be personalized), like a School Years folio that keeps all of your child's memorabilia from pre-school through high school, chores pads, and grocery list pads, plus much more. Also, everything is very reasonably priced and they have amazing sales!

How great are these plates? You can get your very own custom silhouette plate- all you have to do is take a profile picture of your child, send it in along with his/her name, and voila! I think this would be such a great gift; I just might go buy one myself, ha!

This is one of my all time favorite scents- Amazing Grace by philosophy. It's light, fresh, and clean and smells, well, Amazing! This gift set with lotion, perfume, and bath gel would make any mom very happy on Mother's Day.

Stranger Danger

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:12:00 +0000

Image Source

Last week was my Mema's birthday and as per usual, Spencer, my mom, and I went to the cemetery to put flowers on her grave. Because Spencer had ballet lessons that evening, we were meeting my mom there afterwards. En route to the cemetery, we're sitting at a stoplight when I glance up at the rear view mirror to see that Spencer is waving at someone and then she started saying "Hi, my name is Spencer." I turn my head in that direction and see she is "conversing" with a middle aged Hispanic man in a construction van.

I really hate stereotyping and it's something I find completely unacceptable in others, but in that moment, I thought the very worst about this middle aged construction worker man in his van. Why was he trying to talk to my three year old daughter? Why was he motioning for her to roll down the window? Was he just being friendly to my overly gregarious daughter or was there something more sinister going on? I plastered a smile on my face and through clenched teeth told Spencer not to talk to the man because he was a stranger. (This has to be the longest stoplight in the history of the world) And that's when she said something that sent shivers down my spine: "He's not a stranger, Mama, his face looks too happy to be a stranger!"

Maybe it was one too many episodes of Dateline, but when she told me that I about had a heart attack. It was at this point the light changed and we drove off, only for this man to keeping driving beside us, all the while still waving to Spencer. This went on for the next mile! I'm pretty sure that's when my mom's uber-paranoiac voice entered my head and told me to keep driving straight, and not go towards my destination, until the van turned off the road we were on. (She's definitely seen one hundred Datelines too many) So that's what I did and a few minutes later he turned. Relief surged through my body.

I turned around and drove back towards the cemetery and I started replaying what had just happened. A small part of me told myself that I had completely overreacted and another, larger, part was saying you can never be too careful. I again tried to tell Spencer that we don't talk to strangers, only for her to keep telling me that "strangers aren't happy people and the man was such a happy person."

It can be difficult for a parent to admit they've made a serious parenting mistake. I don't have any problem admitting that my parental skills are lacking in the eat-all-the food-on-your-plate, no running inside, sharp 8pm bedtime, and no jumping off the sofa departments. It's easy to own up to those parental shortcomings because they're fairly insignificant in the big scheme of things. No parent wants to think they've done, or not done, something that could result in real, actual harm to their child. But in those few moments, I realized I had made one of those big huge mistakes and I needed to fix it, pronto. I completely dropped the ball on teaching Spencer about Stranger Danger.

When I was a child, my mom was so totally, completely over the top about me and strangers. On the extremely rare occasions that she'd let me out of her sight for more than a few seconds, she'd always make me repeat all of the Stranger Danger rules, plus a few of her own. (and by child, I mean from ages 3-12! Each year she'd add a few more.) These were rules like don't trust someone who tells you they're a police officer if they don't have on a uniform, never tell a stranger your name or where you live, don't get in or go near a stranger's car, if someone grabs you and tells you not to say a word- start screaming "Help! Stranger!" as loudly as you can, never take candy, money or gifts from a stranger, and if a stranger asks for your help to find their lost dog, tell them no and then find the closest person you can trust. And I was always reminded that these were people who looked very nice, like they could be trusted.

We had code words for any potential situation that might require me to trust someone who was a stranger to me, ie., if a person I didn't know tried to pick me up from school because there was an emergency- that person had to know the right code word. (This was in the day before schools had super strict rules about that.) Before we would go out shopping, she'd always remind me that if we got separated, I should immediately find someone who worked at the store and if I couldn't find an employee, look for a mother with kids.

Honestly, that's just the tip of the ice berg of my mom's safety rules. From the ages of three to five, I was very scared of any person I didn't know and would tell anyone who tried to talk to me that I couldn't because they were a stranger- even those at my church. After all, wasn't the danger in "nice" people? I frequently had bad dreams about being taken away from my parents and I was always very nervous when one of them wasn't with me. I guess the fact that I'm still here is some testament to her methodology, but at the time, it really bothered me.

Since I was never in a situation where I actually had to use any of the rules, aside from the two years of telling everyone they were a stranger, I don't know whether or not I would have in a situation that necessitated it. I have a sneaking suspicion that I would done what she'd taught me if I felt threatened or afraid, but not if I hadn't. After I started kindergarten, I realized that none of my friends had all of these rules and I started to think my mom was wrong. She saw danger lurking on every corner, and as I got older, I saw the opposite. I "yes Mom"ed everything she'd tell me, but I thought she was just being crazy over protective.

Somewhere along the line I decided that when the time came, I would do things differently when I had children. All of those rules had just scared me and given me nightmares and I wasn't going to do that to my kid. It's not that I haven't told Spencer about strangers, she knows she's not supposed to talk to them, I just haven't made it a real emphasis. Part of that is because I thought she was too young to really understand what it meant and part of it was that I didn't want her to be nervous and fearful the way I was, only to do a complete flop and become trusting of everyone. I wanted to be able to teach her in a way that she'd always have a healthy respect for strangers.

But this whole experience has taught me a lesson and it's that I can't be too careful where Spencer's safety is concerned. I can't worry about her not being wary of strangers when she's seven because I made her too afraid of them when she was three. Not that I now plan on making her overly fearful of strangers, but I can't let the possibility of that happening then, stop me from making sure she knows what to do to stay safe, now. And one of the first lessons were doing is that a person can look happy, and have a happy face, but they are still a stranger.

I'd really love to know some of the different ways you all have taught your younger children about stranger safety. Any ideas or suggestions for me?

Without Words

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:35:00 +0000

Well, maybe just a few... Now that the weather is nice, Spencer has started riding her bicycle that she got for Christmas. Let me rephrase that- she's started riding her bicycle outside. She thinks she's pretty cool.

A Terrifed Parent

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Last night, before I went to sleep, I went over to Spencer to give her a kiss, when I saw that her face was covered in chocolate. I turned on light to look at my sleeping beauty- why was she covered in chocolate? Only it wasn't chocolate; it was blood, and it was everywhere.

I'd like to tell you that I was completely calm and didn't overreact, but that's exactly what I did. I started ripping off all her clothes to see where it was coming from and shaking her to wake wake up. In my state of complete panic, I didn't think about how my reaction to this was going to scare her, and of course, she woke up scared. As she started to cry, her nose started to bleed (again), which was how I realized what I was actually dealing with was a bloody nose and not lethal wound of some sort.

Now that it's morning I'm able to be calm about all of this, but last night, the bloody nose scared the life out of me. She has never had a nose bleed and then all of a sudden she has a major one while she's sleeping- what is that? The next hour was not the most pleasant, as I had to stop the bleeding and Spencer didn't want her nose touched. Then there was the clean up...

This entire experience has taught me a few lessons, well, more than a few. I've never had a bloody nose in my life and this was Spencer's first, so I had no idea what was I doing. Realizing that my reaction completely terrified Spencer, I felt so bad that I made an already scary situation worse. It took awhile for her to calm down and go back to sleep and by that time I was wide awake, so I decided to look online for some answers. I wanted to know why this happened and what I should do if/when she has a bloody nose the next time.

1. Bloody noses at nighttime are generally happen during allergy season and when the air is very dry. You can fix this by having a humidifier in the room and putting some Vaseline inside of the nose. (I can't imagine a world in which Spencer lets me put Vaseline in her nose, so I'm not sure what to do about that.)

2. Contrary to popular norms, you should not have them tilt their head backwards and pinch the bridge of their nose. You need to have your child lean forwards and pinch the base of their nose-this will stop any gushing prevent, blood from going down their throat, and it will clot much more quickly.

3. Don't panic! The good thing to remember is that bloody noses are almost never cause for concern. The main reasons kids have them is because they pick their noses. Their nasal passages don't have the thickest of skin yet and the blood vessels are closer to the surface. So when they pick their noses, they sometimes scratch the surface without realizing it and then something as benign as a sneeze will start the nose bleed.

4. Sporadic nose bleeds are normal in small children, but if this is happening frequently, go to the doctor. You should also go to the doctor if you can't stop the bleeding after ten minutes.

5. Don't panic! I know I'm writing this again, but it's very important. Something like this is really scary for kid and if they see that their parent is scared, it will make it all the more frightening for them. Trust me, I know. As difficult as it may be to not freak out when you see your baby with a bloody nose, remember it's a fairly normal thing.
aining calm will

Spencer is 100% perfectly fine today. She did ask me if her nose was going to bleed again, but that's all she's said about it. I'm trying not to be a hovering helicopter, but it's that's hard for me- I'm naturally a worry wart who can't let things go. But I'm trying! And if this ever happens again, I feel better knowing what I should and shouldn't do.