5 Things I've learned in 2007

1. Sleep is more precious than just about anything.

2. Don't compare yourself to others, it only makes you depressed.

3. You will never know 100% what you're doing as a mother.

4. I have the best husband and family in the world.

5. 2 dogs is 2 too many sometimes!

5 Things I know more about than I ever thought possible

1. Disney Cartoons - Ooh and Aah, The Higglytown Heroes, Little Einsteins . . . we always pick one to watch together in the morning after breakfast.

2. Diapers, their contents, and rashes pertaining thereto.

3. Childrens Literature

4. Teeth and how each erupts

5. Toys

5 Songs I Love at Christmastime

1. All I want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
I know it's kinda cheesy, but really special to me. And you have to love belting/screeching out that last note.

2. John Denver and the Muppets sing the 12 Days of Christmas
"bah dum dum dum"

3. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Carol of the Bells
Pretty much anything by them is fantastic

4. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Classic. It doesn't get any better than this.

5. Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend - Marilyn Monroe
Hey! It's on my Ratpack and Friends Christmas album so - that makes it Christmasy!

And an honorable mention for Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song"

5 Christmas Traditions

There are all traditions from "my" side of the family. Don't know if we'll adopt all of them or not.

1. Nuts.
Nuts and nutcrackers everywhere!

2. Puzzles
We never do puzzles but there is always one out on a card table around Christmas

3. Christmas Toys
Mom always put away a few really cool toys that we only got to play with at Christmas. It made them really exciting and fun.

4. Christmas Eve Service
We always went to this service at my church and then had cheese and crackers and soup afterward.

5. Movies on Christmas Adam
(The day before Christmas Eve)
We always watched White Christmas. However, I think my family will end up watching "A Christmas Story" sigh.

5 Things I've done today

1. Signed my mom up for facebook

2. Sat behind a row of bonafide inmates

3. Saw someone get cuffed and "dragged" to jail for showing up to court drunk. (He was appearing on a Public intoxication charge)

4. Argued with a librarian

5. Cleaned out my nightstand. (Ask my husband, this is the most suprisingly one!)

5 Awesome YouTube videos

1. Charlie the Unicorn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5im0Ssyyus
I know - I'm immature

2. Girl through basketball Hoop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frJZ1QJOLGg
Some say it's fake - Ida know but it sure looks cool!

3. Miss South Carolina calls 911
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F226lI-lo5M
HILARIOUS! I love it!!

4. Baby got book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTYr3JuueF4
This is really only funny if you know the original AND have a religious background

5. Vegetable Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY
I can't even eat them let alone play them!

And here is a special "6th thing" for my sweetie. I love you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM

5 names I think would be really cute for a little dog

1. Smackers

2. Mr. Tumnus

3. Lady Godiva

4. Tonka

5. Gucci

5 Things the snow makes me want to do

1. Listen to Christmas Music

2. Make a snow angel

3. Read "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" over and over
But I have promises to keep - and miles to go before I sleep - and miles to go before I sleep

4. Make comfort food and home made hot chocolate

5. Turn on the fire

5 Reality Shows I Watch

1. Amazing Race

2. America's Next Top Model

3. Ace of Cakes

4. Kid Nation

5. America's Best Psychic

(I LOVE this show! I have NEVER seen anything so ridiculous!)

I don't watch any of these religiously....but I have to admit I enjoy watching them when I come across them on tv.

5 Things I want to do before I die

1. Help women in prison get their GEDs

2. Camp out all night somewhere for a good deal. (Like outside the Coach outlet!)

3. Learn to ballroom dance.

4. Skydive

5. Get a nose job.

5 Things great to give as Christmas presents this year

1. Perfume/Cologne sampler from Sephora.
Available for a man or a woman, it comes with 5 or 6 different small testers of popular scents and a voucher for a free full size cologne of your choice redeemable at their store.

2. Digital Picture Frame
Who wouldn't love this? Great for Grandparents, Dad's office, or even at home!

3. Digital Picture Wallet
This is the size of a wallet or ipod and can have a hundred or so digital pictures loaded onto it for viewing.

4. Jewelry
My dad is buying my mother some pearls for Christmas. I've learned more about pearls than I thought humanly possible. I'm not a HUGE pearl fan, but I love my pearl necklace.
My recommendation? Splurge for the Mikimodos- they will last a few lifetimes.

5. Ipod or Zune
We're a "house divided" on this one. Steve likes the Zune (if for no other reason than to not follow the apple crowd) ok ok there are other reasons he likes it. I like the ipod because it's small and seems easy to use. But honestly - who wouldn't like an ipod??

5 Moments when I love my baby most

Yes, I love her ALL the time, but there are just certain times where she's especially irresistable

1. Waking up from a nap.

2. While Sleeping - especially after a hard day

3. While eating out of her "snack - trap" bowl like a big girl.

4. In the bath (though this is always a daddy job I like to peek in)

5. When the dogs make her laugh - that huge belly laugh that gives her the hiccups

5 Things I ate too much of on Thanksgiving

1. Pie

2. Roasted Pecans

3. Mashed Potatoes

4. Bread

5. Chips (during the colts game)

5 Movies one MUST watch around the holidays

1. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

2. White Christmas (my fave fave fave Christmas movie!!)

3. A Christmas Story

4. Charlie Brown Christmas

5. That Rudolf movie where everyone moves really jerky and that elf wants to be a dentist.

ok - does anyone remember the Claymation Christmas? It was the California Raisens and they sang "Wassailing" and these 3 camels sang "We three kings" and there was a bell choir that played Charol of the Bells on himself. I LOVED that movie. My husband thinks I made it up though... so if you've seen it let me know.

5 Reasons why I love my husband extra this morning

1. He is taking Friday and Monday off work to stay at home with our daughter so I can visit friends in South Carolina.

2. Two foot rubs this week!

3. Listening to my feelings, even when I don't know exactly how to express them.

4. For adding things to my grocery list like "kisses" or a pony.

5. Getting up early to let the dogs out while I sleep.

5 Reasons it's good that Moms don't have a union

1. We don't get paid.

2. We don't get medical. (Or dental for that matter!)

3. No appreciation from children until much older

4. We can't write our "home office" off our taxes

5. No one can afford us.

Seriously, imagine if we got to make demands like union workers do?! "Sorry sweetie, I'd feed you my lunch but I have to take one of my 20 fifteen minute breaks" "Sorry honey, I'd make dinner, but I don't have union-approved cooking instruments." "Sorry honey, that's just not in my contract!"

5 Commercials I love

1. The "Go Meat" commercial for Hilshire Farms in the office.
"Go meat meat, Go meat meat. This salad rocks, the best! Make it easy at your desk!"

2. The Febreze commerical where the lady is spraying her kids stuff and puts on a ski mask so that she can smell it as she cleans.

3. The Peyton Manning Pep Talk commercial - " Bummed about your gut?Unless you're under the age of 23 or a professional athlete, it's not gonna happen. So I'd probably just buy some bigger shirts."

4. K9 Advantix - "There ain't no bugs on me" Makes me want to get another little Lab puppy.

5. Subway - I love the commercials where they walk in and say "Could I get some thunder thighs?" "Regular or Jumbo Ponch?" They certainly make their point. eek

5 Places I could spend money with reckless abandon

1. Target

2. 96th Street Goodwill

3. Preston's Rocks

4. The Gap

5. Half Price Books

5 Things in my purse right now

1. Crumbs from: Goldfish, Pirate's Booty, and Puffs

2. One Shoe

3. A coupon for Pickles

4. A broken hair band
(By hair band I mean something with which to hold a ponytail, not a loud group from the 80s)

5. And address of someone in New York

5 Short Stories Worth Reading

1. The Lady or the Tiger
This is the only short story ever written that ends right AT the climax. (Usually there's a "falling action" and a denouement.)

2. The Gift of the Magi
This is a tradition on Christmas Eve in our house. SUCH a touching story.

3. Roman Fever
I was assigned to read this in a class in college. I remember being all "ho hum this is boring" and then hitting the last paragraph and being like "WHA?!!!"

4. The Birthmark
A touching tale by Hawthorne that reminds us where vanity gets you

5. A&P
Nothing riviting here, but fantastic decriptions by Updike

5 bald people we could have dressed Madeline up as on Halloween

1. A Sumo Wrestler (are they bald?)

2. Britney Spears

3. Charlie Brown

4. Dali Lama

5. Sinead O Connor

5 Beverages I have in my 'fridge

1. Organic Egg Nog

2. Organic Whole Milk

3. Soy Milk Very Vanilla

4. 1% Milk

5. Coke

5 Literary boy names even I wouldn't name my son

1. Bartleby

2. Horatio

3. Gregor

4. Francis

5. Milton

5 Literary Boy names I really like

1. Edgar

2. HenryDavid

3. Darcy (Probably more a girl's name)

4. Atticus

5. Keat

Do you think my literary kids would get beat up?

"I would go to the beach and people would kick copies of Byron in my face" Dead Poets Society

5 Things I love the smell of (5 Things of which I would never get tired of smelling)

1. Gasoline

2. My Baby

3. My parents' house

4. Spun Sugar

5. Dry Erase Markers

5 Things I have eaten today

1. Frosted Mini Wheats

2. Puppy Chow

3. Garlic Bread

4. M&Ms

5. Califlower

5 Things I could eat every single day

1. Papa Johns Pizza

2. Chilis Southwestern Egg Rolls

3. Hash Brown Cassarole

4. Chocolate anything

5. Chicken Chow Mein

5 Things that my material possessions reveal about me

1. I really, really like to read

2. I have an incredibly eclectic taste in music

3. Sweats = expandable!

4. No one comes to our house to Trick or Treat :(

5. Someone likes to bike and someone took the time to restore a '67 Camero. (Neither of these are me)

5 material things that reveal a lot about who you are

1. Your book collection

2. What's on your ipod

3. Your clothes (Sad, but true. My clothes say , "Sweats are really what's most comfy these days")

4. The type of candy you hand out on Halloween

5. What's in your garage

5 Things on my nightstand

1. A Butterfinger Wrapper

2. A pen that doesn't work

3. An empty bottle of water

4. A hair tie

5. A pile of papers

5 Reasons my neighbors are the best in the world

1. The weeded our poor little garden this summer about 3 times. (And yesterday just turned it under for us)

2. She's a nurse practitioner and has come over at all hours to watch/take care of one of the three of us.

3. They have 3 daughters and lots of advice!

4. They have loaned us pretty much everything in their shed.

5. They didn't care when I smashed their mailbox with my car. heh heh (We replaced it anyway)

5 Books on my nightstand

1. The Glass Castle

2. A girl named Zippy

3. The Monster at the End of this Book

4. A Collection of Robert Frost Poetry

5. Bible (cue angelic ahhhhs)

5 Good Movies for Halloween

1. Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin

2. The Ring

3. That Mickey Mouse cartoon where he dances with skeletons

4. Scream

5. Frankenstein

5 crappy things you hated getting in your treat bag as a kid

1. Those little carmel - peanut butter things that come in orange or black wrappers. Seriously - ick!

2. Corn Balls

3. Homemade anything

4. Tootsie Rolls

5. Pencils (Yes, I actually had a lady in my neighborhood who gave us pencils every year. They probably weren't even number 2 pencils!)

5 Movies I Really Want to See

1. Into the Wild

2. Love in the time of Cholera

3. Martian Child

4. Darjeeling Limited

5. Elizabeth: The Golden Age

5 Things I Have Been for Halloween

1. A Hippie

2. A Princess

3. A Fairy

4. Dr. Frankenstein (Frankenstein wasn't the monster he was the Doctor!!)

5. Caesar (Ok so that was for an Ides of March party but I still got to dress up so it counts!)

5 Things my daugher will eat that I won't

1. Peas

2. Beets

3. White Beans

4. Any form of pureed meat


5. Styrofoam

5 Things that are cute when they're little

1. St. bernards

2. Goats

3. Pigs

4. Pumpkins

5. Baby Bumps

5 Jobs My Husband Must Do

It was in the pre-nup ;) I kid!

1. All spider/bug killing

2. All Toilet Plunging

3. All Trash Taking Out (ok so I do this on occasion)

4. All fixing of things broken

5. All disposal of animal remnants left in our yard by the dogs/ and or birds that got electrocuted on the telephone wire

5 perfumes for women that I love!

1. Happy for Women
Classic, but just a great scent!

2. Lolita Lempicka
My bff Jenn turned me on to this scent. It's slightly (slightly really) floral and a hint of licorice. I LOVE THIS!!

3. Gap's Pink
Cheap and smells yum-o

4. Bath and Body - Orange Ginger
Do you remember the smell of Moist Towlettes that your mom would give you to wipe off your hands? That's what this smells like!

5. Cotton Candy
This is the cheapest of the perfumes that I love. I think I buy mine at Walgreens - but whenever I wear it, everyone asks me what I'm wearing because I smell so good!! It really does smell like Cotton Candy!

5 words I really like

1. Juxtapose

2. Ergo

3. Serendipitous

4. Soiree

5. Verisimilitude

5 Things I miss from the 80s

1. Neon

2. Slap Wraps

3. Leggings (I guess those are back in sytle now though)

4. Full House

5. Cabbage Patch Kids

5 songs on my ipod/computer that I can't stop listening to right now. :)

1. You are the New Day - Kings Singers
"Thoughts occur that this night might stay yesterday"

2. The Candyman - Sammy Davis Jr
"Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream"

3. Dust in the Wind - Kansas
"All your money won't another minute buy."

4. Gracie - Ben Folds
"Some day you're gonna wanna go. I hope we taught you everything you need to know Grace Girl."

5. Taylor, the latte boy
"Hello my name is Kristen, and thank you for the extra foam."

5 Books I Have Recently Read That I Would Like to Recommend

1. Memory Keeper's Daughter
A doctor's wife delivers twins but one has Down's Sybdrome, so he gives her to the nurse to take to an institution. She takes the baby and raises her as her own instead.


2. The Secret Life of Bees
I know this was like Oprah's book 10 years ago or something but I'm just getting to it.
A white girl runs away from home with her black nanny. Her father is abusive and her mother is dead. She ends up in Tiburon, South Carolina helping a group of sisters, all named after months, tending bee hives and making honey whilest learing about her past.

3. Midwives
I picked this up for 50 cents for ONE reason. It said on the back cover that if you have a worn copy of To Kill a Mockingbird than this book was for you.
A midwife is caught delivering a baby in the worst blizzard the town has ever seen. The pregnant mother is in duress and suffers an aneurysm. The midwife performs a C-section on the dead mother and saves the baby. She is then put on trial by the state, stating she killed the mother when she perform med the C-section.

4. Into Thin Air
By the author of "Into the Wild" another fantastic book and now a movie that I am dying to see!
Jon Krackaur chronicles the true story of the horrible climbing season of 1996 on Mt. Everest. 12 people ended up losing their lives that year.

5. Under the Banner of Heaven - A True story of Violent Faith
This is also by Krackaur. It is the true recount of 2 brothers who are fanatical fundamentalist Mormons. They kill their other brother's wife and her young baby, all in the name of their faith.

5 Things for strangers to know whilest around my baby. (Or any baby that isn't yours)

1. DON'T TOUCH

2. Don't give out advice. You don't know me, my circumstances, or my baby!

3. Don't get up in my baby's face and breathe on her - giving her your nasty germs.

4. Don't assume my baby is a boy just because she's not in pink and doesn't have any hair. Purple is a girly colour too!

5. DON'T TOUCH

5 things attending Ball State's "Air Jam" that showed me I'm not cool anymore

* I went to Ball State's "Air Jam" with Steve the other night. It's a variety show in which the Greeks and Dorms do silly skits and lip sync to music.


1. I thought "Timberland" was a shoe

2. It was too loud!

3. I kept thinking, "Where do they get their energy?"

4. I didn't bring a glowstick.

5. The only song I knew the words/motions to was "Thriller."

5 Things my daughter would like to play with instead of her (expensive) toys

1. Dog bowls. (Hands down winner)

2. A Sharpie

3. Plastic Bags

4. My (expensive) kitchen utensils

5. Butter Tub lids

*note* Just because she likes to play with these things doesn't meant I do. I wouldn't want someone to send CPS to my house for negligence.

5 People I want to give shoutouts to

1. My H.S. English Teacher - Mr. Hamrick - for inspiring this idea and not minding that I (really) ran with it.

2. My HUBBY - for being an amazing person in general. (And for giving me a footrub last night!)

3. My former student Em - for being an inspiring teacher. I couldn't be more proud!

4. My bff Kendra. just 'cause

5. My Mentor - Becky - For continuing to inspire me in everything

5 reasons I started (yet) another blog

1. I think it's a fun idea

2. I miss writing

3. It's easy

4. I like blogging

5. One more way for me to share my (amazing) opinion!