Family Pictures!

We have NEVER had family pictures all together – and I am SO glad that the grandbabies have finally convinced my mom to get pictures all together! Priceless.

A really long post about nothing (or everything)

I just started teaching Romeo and Juliet, and I am pretty much freaking out about it. This is my students' first time with Shakespeare. Do you know what kind of pressure that is? I could singley determine their entire outlook on Shakespeare. Wow. Especially because they are the Honors kids - I want them to understand how amazing these texts are. I have nightmares about teaching this unit. I know that I am a perfectionist, but this is just so important to me. Any suggestions? What do you remember most about learning about Shakespeare?

We went to the very last home game today - sad. I love football, but I especially love these home games because it gives me time alone with Jer. I will forever be grateful that Jer and I have so much in common. It wasn't always that way - we actually started out liking pretty different things. But we strongly believe that to have a fantastic marriage, it is important to learn to like the things that matter to your spouse. So I play video games and am a huge fan of football, and Jer tries new restaurants with me, reads classics, and watched sytycd (and likes it). I never feel like I have to make sacrifices with my time anymore - what Jer likes, I mostly like. We can share our favorite things with eachother without feeling like we are forcing eachother to participate. The only thing I miss now is playing board/card games. I used to LOVE playing games, but Jer HATES playing them :(

I was chosen to host a House Party for the new EA Sports Active 2 game - which means a FREE game ($100!) Woot woot! If anyone wants to check it out - party at my house Dec. 11 at 11:00 a.m.! I could definitely use another outlet to try and loose the rest of the baby weight - another 15 lbs to go! Plus, I just feel like my body is all weird now. My legs and arms seem back down to normal, but my stomach is completely different than it was before Kaiah. I guess that babies change everything!

Speaking of babies - I know that most of you will think that we are crazy, but Jer and I have always planned on having our first two babies close in age - like just one grade level apart. Kamie and I are 16 months apart and Jer and his brother are 15 months, and we both absolutely loved growing up with a gauranteed best friend. I can't imagine growing up without Kamie there every single step of the way. We did everything together. I want that for Kaiah. So, we started trying again in August, but we haven't had any luck yet. I know that it hasn't been very long, but now baby #2 won't be one grade level behind Kaiah, but at least two. It may seem silly to you, but it is such a big deal to me. I have always imagined having two babies growing up together and every day that Kaiah gets older and learns more and changes more is one more day that she is doing it without her younger brother or sister. This isn't what I imagined - it isn't what I had planned. I am definitely a planner, and I don't know what to do when my plans fail!

Watching the U vs SDSU game - ugh. Why, oh why did you give up the win, SDSU?

I know that this is a long post about nothing, but I just feel like I need an outlet. I used to be a huge writer, but that has stopped. I never write anymore. Writing is so cathartic - it really helps me to release the things that keep mulling over in my head and refocus. So, if you are still reading this post, then I am sorry. Really, I am. But this is what I needed. This is what I need more of. Feel free to ignore, because (once again), this blog is for me.

Now off to bed.

Like Mother, like daughter.

When Kaiah was first born, everyone always said that she looked just like me. Then, as she got older, more and more people began to compare her to Jer. My mom just found a picture of me around Kaiah’s age, though, and I can definitely see the resemblance!

Kasie, 1985

Kaiah, 2010

This picture doesn’t really do it justice. When I hold my picture up to Kaiah, it is so similar! I love my little mini-me! She is at such a funny age right now and I just know that it will fly by – and I hate, hate, hate how much I have already forgotten about her earlier months! Things I love about baby now:

• She pulls the most stuck-up snob face every time she is super happy. We can never get pictures of it, though! She scrunches up her nose and wrinkles her forehead. I call it her stink face.
• She is a little monster. She doesn’t cuddle and she doesn’t coo – she creeps and she growls.
• She still doesn’t crawl, but she army crawls like a pro!
• She has just started standing up in her crib – and now doesn’t ever sleep because of it!
• She will eat anything and everything we give her.
• Her laugh isn’t a laugh at all – but a half-cough half-growl exorcist type thing.

She is just too much. I can’t believe that I get this little entertainer every day! I am so grateful that I have her and Jer to bring me all the joy in the world. When everything else goes to pot (like it always seems to), I know that I can come home and feel safe and wanted and loved and needed and respected and encouraged and like a part of something so wonderful, so absolutely wonderful, that everything that happens outside of my front door doesn’t seem to matter anymore. That is what family is to me!

Lily Puff Design Giveway!

My amazingly talent cousin, Missy, has a great website called Lily Puff Designs! She does amazing FREE backgrounds for blogs, plus she also does great custom work! ALL of my blog backgrounds have come from her FREE collection (including my current background!) Right now, Savy Moms Save is hosting a giveway where you can win a HUGE custom package to make-over your blog! Go check it out!