Day 4: A Picture and a Letter

Soo...I'm not exactly sure how to interpret this one. Does it mean any picture with a letter written by me? A letter of the alphabet? I chose to post a picture of an actual letter...

4 of my besties [Lindsey, Cassie, Monica, and Tamara]
were at Hallmark one day.
 Unfortunately, this card reminded them of me...
probably because there may or may not be a
picture of me in precisely the same pose...UHH-HuHuh-HuHuh...

                                                                                 

            LOVE getting mail from my favorite nieces in the world!
              This is from BrookLynn Jayde, age 3.

                                   

From Lexis KaLynn, age 5. 

Day 3: Picture of Your Favorite Store

TARGET!!!

Where else can you buy candy, swim suits, shampoo, a computer, a lawn mower, paper towels [besides Walmart or Kmart, but who wants to go there?]...and the list goes on and on. A modern day general store- you can buy a Tangled Barbie doll for your 3-year old niece or denture wash for your 98-year old grandpa as well as stock up your kitchen with groceries and get oil for your car. Oh! AND I was there yesterday [I go there quite frequently, more than the average human being- though not as much as my Mother] and they have a Target bulk section! No need to go to Costco. 
Speaking of my Mother and Target...she goes there every day, sometimes twice a day...the employees know her by name. I read one time that American Express gave Jessica Simpson a Black card...you have to spend something like $100k per month to qualify. Target should offer my Mother one...or at least give her a gold star. I mean, she probably keeps the Kelso store in business single-handedly! But I understand. Because Target really is the

Best. Store. Ever.

I worked at Camp Danbee the summer of 2007...we worked 24/6 so either I was going stir crazy or this picture adequately expresses exactly how much I love Target.

DAY 2: Photo of the Person You've Been Closest With the Longest

MICHELLE wins the prize! We've been getting into trouble since the day I was born and she was 2 months and 14 days old. Our moms knew that if we were ever quiet, that meant were doing something we most definitely should NOT be doing- like climbing through a window out onto 2nd story deck that was rotting away...

Here we are with Michelle's dad less than a year old...

....and 26 years later celebrating her birthday in Portland!

♥ You CHELL!!

DAY 1: Photo of yourself with 10 FACTS

1. My color is CRIMSON and my blood bleeds it.


2. I used to sing made up songs whilst dancing around the park pretending I was in a musical. I still sometimes pretend that life is a musical...


3. I think it's ironic that in my profession I expect clients/students to open up about their deepest fears, feelings, thoughts, etc. but I avoid talking about that stuff like the plague.


4. Some would say that I have a competitive nature...[that may or may not be an understatement...]


5. I've been knee-boarding since I was about 9 or 10 and I still think the best way to spend a summer day is out boating on the lake! [That is one of the few downfalls of living in Hawaii- no fresh-water lakes!]


6. I tend to smell unfamiliar food before I taste it.


7. I document my life through pictures and scrapbooks [and now a blog] but don't worry- I definitely experience through my own eyes too!


8. I want to have a plum-purple room in my house one day.


9. I'm eternally grateful that I know where to find true peace and joy.


10. I'll go to the gym when I have to, but I'd MUCH rather exercise in ways that don't feel like exercise- running outside on a perfect day, playing sand volleyball, park hopping, basketball, hiking, swimming, frisbee golf, football, surfing, boogie boarding...

i'm a sheep!

Yes...I am giving in to the 30-Day Photo Challenge. I really love pictures and doing unique things with them. [Although this 30-day challenge isn't so unique...] Seeing as my scrapbook stuff is stuffed in a boxed holed [stuffed? haha] away in my parent's garage on the mainland, I need another creative outlet in which to display my millions of pictures. Granted, this is supposed to be a 1 picture a day sort of thing, but I tend to overdo things in the photo department. So here goes...

My Day Job

I'm a full-time nanny for the next couple weeks for a 16-month old girl [Baby]. I usually only watch her 3 days a week, but Grandma is gone. I'm also watching a 3-year old boy at the same time 2 days a week for the month of May. Whew...never knew staying at home could be so exhausting! Some things I've learned [that stay-at-home Moms and Dads know very well, I'm sure] about Baby:


1. Sleep when Baby sleeps
I've heard this saying before and understood it from a theoretical perspective, but now I understand first-hand. The only time to rest is when Baby isn't constantly pulling books off the shelf, getting into the dog food, or playing 56-card pickup...and the only time Baby isn't doing those things is when she's sleeping. And I don't even experience the sleepless nights! I can't imagine having to get up every 2 hours to feed a newborn and THEN taking care of her all day.


2. No means no
Granted, I've learned a lot about this concept in my psychology and child development courses and have put it to practice in the classroom. However, when you're watching only 1 child who is the cutest thing on the planet, the temptation to give in to her "peese?" is a lot greater. BUT I know it's a lot easier to "say what you mean and mean what you say" rather than give in to Baby's manipulative fake cries. [That sounds a bit harsh, but you know what I mean!] Then they learn that no amount of crying or fussing is going to get them what they aren't supposed to have.  
Although I have to admit, when I'm on an important phone call trying to schedule an interview and Baby is fussing and crying because she wants my water-bottle, I give in. Oops.


3. Always eat before or after Baby eats
Otherwise, Baby inevitably wants what you're eating and won't eat her own food. [Tune-in the vigorous shake of the head, "NO!" when offered yummy vegetables.] One time I was eating pizza. Rather than giving her a "bite?" of the good part, I tore off a piece of over-microwaved, chew crust. That turned her off and she happily enjoyed the rest of her green beans. 


4. Clean up at the END of the day
If I was a neat-freak, I probably would have anxiety about the millions of toys littering the floor...and be constantly picking up after Baby, straining my already bad back [at only 26! ugh.] and testing my annoyance level. Thankfully, I'm definitely not. While that might not be the best non-quality to have for an office job or other of the sort, it's ideal for this sort of pseudo-parenting I'm doing! Clean up at the END of the day when I pass Baby off to Mom & Dad and it's time for me to go. 


5. It's all worth it
LOVE when Baby runs up to me and gives me a great, big baby hug. Enough said. :)

As It Turns Out...

...summer is NOT here- unless you view the past week or so as "Summer Storms"...

It was a crazy thunderstorm with just as crazy lightening. The streets were flooding...this picture doesn't do it justice since it was taken from my phone.

Again, you cant really tell from this picture, but I had my wipers on full-blast and I still could hardly see. Reminded me of Washington! :) It's REALLY not fun driving in the rain here, though...nobody knows how. Kinda like driving in western WA when it snows ;)