Tagged x2

Free pancakes at IHOP tomorrow, Feb 23rd! Get them from 7am-10pm!

Finally getting around to answering some 'tags' -

AZ Chapman tagged me with the Happy 101 blog award.

10 things that make me happy:

1. Joe being back from Afghanistan
2. When Lucas takes a 2 hr nap
3. Listening to Kayla and Lucas play together
4. Catching up with friends
5. Hot chocolate on a cold night
6. Snuggling under blankets
7. Planning a vacation (or maybe that part is stressful - being on vacation!)
8. Red Sox Spring Training starting soon
9. Hearing Kayla and Lucas giggle and laugh
10. Getting lost in a good book

Rebecca tagged me with the Kreativ Blogger award. Here are 7 things you may not know about me.

(Having a hard time coming up with things that I haven't already mentioned!)

1. I'd like a do-over of high-school. Next time around I wouldn't be so shy and would participate a little more.
2. Sometimes I want another child, but then the thought of a 3rd one freaks me out a little.
3. I can't carry a tune. At all.
4. I love to read, but I haven't made the time to read a book in months. Shame on me!
5. I took French in high school, but now can't say much more than "Je m'apelle Michelle" and "Comment ça va?"
6. I snack too much throughout the day.
7. My steak has to be well done; I can't stand to see pink on my meat!

Tagged - Again!

I'm catching up on some tags I've not done yet. Mommaof4wife2r doubled tagged me for the book meme and 7 facts about me.

Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions.

The book closest book to me is Child of Wonder by Ginger Carlson.

Page 56 is actually a blank page! What are the odds? LOL So page 57: A nice set of maple blocks are not only fun, but worthy in the development of a creatively thinking child. Additionally, Brio MEC, Legos, K'nex, Erector sets, pieces of found wood and sticks, boxes and other recycled materials of all shapes and sizes, and even coins or other small stacking objects are all wonderful examples of building toys that require and develop planning, critical thinking, problem solving, and imagination.

Facts about me:
1. I collect pens. I have 3 mugs full and still collect them! Whenever we are somewhere like a fair, convention, expo etc and the vendors have free pens, I help myself. Joe brings me pens when he's TDY too.

2. I also have a large collection of notepads from the same venues.

3. I have lived in 7 states and Germany twice.

4. As far back as I can remember I have lived in 20 different houses/apartments.

5. I say I'm left-handed, but it's more like ambidextrous. I eat, write, and hold the phone with my left hand. I cut, bowl, throw, and bat with my right hand.

6. I always seem to put my socks and shoes on my left foot first.

7. I don't have an artistic bone in my body; I can't draw a straight line!

Picture Tag

Nancy tagged me for this picture meme:

Go to your 6th picture folder and pick your 6th picture. This was a bit hard to do, because (as Joe can attest!) I have picture folders scattered all throughout my hard drive! You can't really determine which one is my 6th picture folder LOL He's been telling me to clean them up and organize them for years now :) So this is the best I could come up with:

Kayla was 18 months and this is the first, and so far only, time she's been sledding (in the snow, she has been sledding in White Sands)!


Let me know if you do this so I can come see your photo from your 6th folder :)

Trivial Post Tuesday

Just trying to catch up on a few random posts today!

Melanie tagged me (quite awhile back!) for a flashback meme. Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you hadn’t seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize about you.

15 years ago was 1993 and I was 20 years old...so in 15 years...
- In 1996 I got married and moved to Colorado from Maryland
- I realized it was a mistake and we divorced
- While living in CO I had the opportunity to be an escort for Tommy Lasorda
- I attended two "all-years" high school reunions (for Zweibrucken High School) in Orlando (1998) and Las Vegas (2000)
- In 2000 I took a chance on love again and married a guy I knew from high school
- With this marriage I relocated to NM
- We took a cruise for our one year anniversary (first cruise for both of us and we want to go again!)
- In 2003 I had our first child, a girl, I always wanted a girl!
- In 2007 we went through our first deployment experience
- In 2008 our second child, a boy, was born

If you do this one let me know so I can read about the last 15 years of your life summed up in 10 bullet points!

I was also tagged, 3x, for 6 things about me, but now I don't remember by whom...sorry!
1. I sometimes talk out loud to myself- even out in public. If I'm by myself in a store looking for something I'll mumble to myself.
2. I prefer the quiteness of staying home and reading a good book then being out and about.
3. My taste buds have changed. I never used to put pepper on anything I ate, but now I sprinkle it on a lot of things.
4. I don't eat peppers though.
5. I like chocolate, but I don't prefer chocolate ice cream or cake.
6. I have a bowl of cereal just about every morning, except on Sundays when Joe makes breakfast.

Alisha gave me this award
Killlashandra gave me the "thrifty blog award" because of my Friday Freebie posts.
Cuddle Cottage gave me this award:

Thank you ladies for thinking of me! And if Lucas would give me more than 5 minutes I might have time to sit here and link to other bloggers and pass these on! But he won't - we're going through some separation anxiety already! Geesh! If he spies me in a room, even if he's been perfectly content playing, he'll crawl right over to me and demand to be picked up.

And how can I resist this cute face? Snotty nose and all!


I can't leave him alone for a second, he's pulling up on things now, but doesn't have the balance/coordination to get down yet...little stinker!

Tagged x3

Misslionheart tagged me for Monday Motivation Meme. The rules of the game are simple enough…just list 5 things you wish to achieve during the week ahead and hopefully get motivated!

1. Try can catch up with bloglines! As if that'll ever happen though...even if I get caught up tonight, tomorrow it starts all over with a whole slew of new posts LOL
2. Mail out some thank-you cards.
3. Write up the review of the Snikiddy snacks I received for The Opinionated Parent
4. Take Lucas to get his 2-month shots :(
5. Finish at least one scrapbook page! Maybe the half-finished one will even count!

Glo tagged me for this one:
What I was doing 10 yrs ago: 1998...that year brought many changes...I was living in CO at the time. I went through a divorce, found a place to live, and realized living on my own was actually quite nice!

Five things on my to do list for today: See meme above!

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: That's more money than I could even imagine! Definitely donate to a few charities, pay off our parents'/siblings' mortgages/debt, take a "dream vacation" - probably Australia, buy one of those luxury RVs so we can travel across the country, buy a home, and retire!

Three of my bad habits: procrastination, running late (which I guess would also fall under procrastination), impatient

Five places I have lived: Ramstein, Zweibrucken, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey

Five jobs I have had: cart pusher, teller, cashier, outpatient records clerk, secretary

Five people I want to know more about:
Stephanie
Tricia
Heather
Stephanie
RK

And Debbie tagged me for 6 facts about myself.
1. When I was a toddler I somehow got my foot caught in the spokes of a bike and sprained my ankle...I had a little cast put on.
2. One time I was jumping from bed to bed in a hotel room (I was maybe around 5 or 6) and missed the bed and hit the railing. I had butterfly stitches in my forehead.
3. I once had had my thumb slammed in a bedroom door. I fractured the tip of my thumb in 3 places and they had to take my thumbnail off.
4. My teenage crush was Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains.
5. He was the only celebrity I sent a letter to; and it was worth it because I received a signed photo and short note back from him. (Ok it was a stock photo and a photocopied letter, but at 14 that was enough for me!
6. I used to collect unicorns when I was growing up; now I collect Willow Tree figurines.

Debbie also gave me an award. Thanks Debbie!

The rules for this award are:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her/him the award itself.
4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5. To show these rules.
I'm passing this on to:
Melissa
Conny Wenk
Shannon
Christina
Laura
~~~~
Just a reminder about Parker's Toyraiser which goes until May 10th.

Saturday Stuff

Using Random.org I've got the 2 winners for my Bloggy Giveaway. #27 - Laura - won the pampering set and #176 - Jenn - won the votives and candles. Congratulations!

~~~~~~~~
Kennedy tagged Kayla for the "Love and Hate" meme. So here are some things Kayla loves, and hates!

Loves:
Mommy and Daddy
Cereal
Fruit
Riding the school bus
Going to the playground
Signing Time
Painting
Reading
Singing
V8 Fusion

Hates:
Eating dinner
Going to the doctor (although she is getting so much better!)
Loud noises
Not being paid attention to
Sitting still

Hmmm...it's hard to think of things she doesn't like - even Joe couldn't come up with anything else! Kayla tags Gabe, Rylie, and Micah.

~~~~~~~
Karen gave me the
award. Thank you Karen!

Tracey and Leanne gave me this: Thank you both!

and Cheri sent me this one: Thanks so much!

Tuesday Miscellany

This week Annie is inviting us to travel back to the day you found out you were pregnant.

I've actually posted the stories of both pregnancies already and I think most of you have read them!

Here are the links just in case. When Mommy Talk was going on I did a post on when I found out I was pregnant with Kayla and how I told Joe.

In July I wrote a post on how I found out with this pregnancy and again, how I told Joe.

Miscellany:
Karen tagged me for this meme:

Accent: Growing up as a "military brat" and moving around so much I don't think I actually have an accent. When I moved to Germany my freshman year (after living in Massachusetts for almost 7 yrs) I was told I had a New England accent; but I think that is long gone now!

I don't drink: Coffee - blech

Chore I hate: I hate to iron. When Joe irons his uniform I used to ask him to iron a few shirts for me. Then I discovered Downy Wrinkle Releaser and I should invest in stock in this stuff! I love it and hardly need to iron my shirts anymore. I just spray this on and smooth out the wrinkles and I'm good to go!

Pets: We have 2 saltwater fish in our tank right now; but I guess those are really considered Joe's pets!

Essential Electronics: Well my computer of course!

Perfume: Rarely wear it.

Gold or Silver: I really don't have a preference; my wedding ring set is white gold (same as your Karen!)

Insomnia: Unfortunately, yes. There are many nights where I toss and turn and just can't fall asleep while Joe sleeps like a log - lucky him!

Job Title: I guess once you have a child this becomes "mom" doesn't it?! I'm also the Chief Financial Office for our household...along with all of those other domestic duties! I'm an Educational Consultant with Discovery Toys

Most Admired Trait: Geesh I have no idea! Loyalty maybe?

Kids: Well who reads my blog and doesn't know the answer to this one! LOL 1 daughter, Kayla, who is 4 and one due in Feb.

Phobia: Heights and roller coasters (or maybe I should just say amusement park rides!)

Religion: Christian

Siblings: I have one full biological brother. I have a half sister and a half brother. I technically have 2 step-sisters from my dad's marriage, but it's kind of odd actually to think of them as my "step-sisters"...when my dad married their mom we were all out of high school and in our 20s, so we didn't "grow up" together and I think I've only seen them once since our parents have been married!

Time I Wake Up: Whenever Kayla wakes up (usually between 6:30-7:00) but then I bring her back to my bed and snuggle. Sometimes she'll fall back to sleep until 7:30.

Unusual Talent/Skill: I don't think I have any unusual talent!

Veggie I Refuse To Eat: Brussel sprouts and beets

Worst Habit: Procrastinator and running out the door late!

X-Rays: Dental, one on my thumb when I had it slammed in a door, I think I had one of my stomach when I was young and swallowed a coin, and then ultrasounds when I've been pregnant.

My Favorite Meal: I don't actually have any really "gotta have it" favorite meals. I do like my mom's beef stroganoff, my dad's breaded veal cutlets, my MILs sweet potato casserole, and Joe's quesadillas though!

I'll tag - whoever feels like doing this one!

Jodi, Amy, and Chelle have all given me the Nice Matters award. Thank you ladies so much, you all said such nice things about me and I'm flattered!

The Middle Name

No we don't have a middle name picked out for this child yet - heck we don't even have first names picked out! We're going to be in trouble because for me it's getting difficult to find the name!

Amy tagged me for this meme, which was a good thing because I haven't had anything to post for a couple of days! Guess I've hit a dry spell and was just fresh out of ideas of what to write about!

What's in a name?

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

For the facts:
D = Die hard Boston Red Sox fan
E = Eldest - I'm the first-born. Or maybe I should have said Extremely thrifty. I'm the big saver in the family and Joe is the big spender. That's why I control the checkbook! LOL
B = Brat, as in, military brat (my father retired from the Air Force).
R = Reading; I love to read. Give me a good book and I can sit for hours reading.
A = Answered to the nickname "Mimi" when I was younger.

For the tag:
D = Diary of a SAHM
E = Ethan and Lauren
B = Banana Migraine
R = Raising Joey
A = A Special Family

Shannon had a neat idea of something to do in memory of little Gabi called Pigtails for Gabi. There are some cute pictures of Gabi in pigtails so we're posting pics of our kids in pigtails in memory of Gabi.

Kayla won't be still enough for me to put her hair in pigtails, so I went to the archives! Here's an old one of Kayla in pigtails:

Passing it on

Amy from
Laughing Through The Tears passed on the Blogger Reflection Award to me. This is what she had to say, "Michelle is the best. I came across her blog because of her beautiful daughter Kayla. I love children, even more than laughing. She posts so many pictures and videos of Kayla. We are invited into her world as she writes about Kayla. She shares from the heart and is real about life with her daughter and husband. Michelle writes the best Grains of Gratitude every Sunday. You can tell that she is truly thankful for the good and even the trials she comes face to face with. She's such a loving wife and mother too. She's a faithful friend and always leaves uplifting and encouraging words. Once you've visited them you'll never forget them. I would love to meet her, Joe and Kayla someday. I feel honored to have them in my life."

Thank you Amy! I was so touched by your words!

Here are the rules for passing this award on: The reason for the title is because this award should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy... of knowing them and being blessed by them.
1. Copy this post.
2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.
3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.
4. Go leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they've been given the award.
5. Put the award icon on your site


So here are my 5 choices for passing this on:

Jennifer from Pinwheels Jennifer is a mom to 3 boys, including a set of twins (and one who has that extra chromosome). She's also a writer and I just can't say enough about her writing! I love reading her blog and how she can take the small, every day things, and write about them as if they were the most important things in the world. I enjoy reading her weekly posts at ParentDish

N from Mayhem and Miracles - N is one of the bloggers I was lucky enough to meet on our vacation...along with her 3 great kids! She is just as sweet in person as I thought she would be from reading her blog! I enjoy reading her posts and she writes with such passion and honesty and bares her heart and soul. She is definitely someone I would like to have as a neighbor!

Andrea from Sgt and Mrs Hub - When I visit Andrea I feel like I'm visiting an old friend! Her husband is also in the Air Force, and our daughters are the same age. She has 2 kids (home births!) and a 3rd on the way. Her husband is currently serving as a recruiter and I admire them for that - I'm not sure I would be able to handle that assignment as well! As a recruiter in a remote area there isn't a military base nearby and I've grown quite accustomed to the perks of living on base! Maybe one of these days we'll be stationed together - I would enjoy getting to know this family in person!

Overwhelmed With Joy - The first post I read of hers was about a conversation she overheard between her husband and son via her cellphone. Unbeknownst to her husband, he, or their son, accidentally called her cell phone. He didn't realize his phone was connected and she got to listen in on a small part of their day. Then I started reading her adoption story and was hooked and couldn't wait for the next installment. I've also been lucky enough to meet her twice now! She is just as friendly and down-to-earth as she comes across on her blog.

Karen from Karen's Ramblings has given me two awards so it's about time I have something I can pay back to her! Karen lives in New Zealand, and I recently blogged about how sweet she was to send a birthday package to both Kayla and me! Just spend 5 minutes on Karen's blog and you'll see how dedicated she is in her faith. It's like a breath of fresh air stopping by there!

Ok on to more awards! Time for the

I'm not sure where this one originated from, but it looks like you pass this one on to 5 other bloggers as well.
I was just given this award by 3 bloggers:
Karen, who I just mentioned above, said this, "this lady is beautiful inside and out, there is a wonderful 'aroma' that just emanates from her writing. Her daughter is gorgeous and I love hearing and reading their journey. You just fill the pages with a fragrance that is glorious and uplifting!"

Renee from Renee's Ramblings said this, "I just love this blog! Michelle's daughter, Kayla, is absolutely adorable and I just truly enjoy "visiting" with them and reading about their life. They just came back from a vacation and on the way there and back they visited several of their blogging buddies - it sounded like so much fun! Happy upcoming Birthday Kayla!

Cindy from Still His Girl said this, "...is a blog I have just fallen in love with. Take a look at the photos there and you'll see why. Michelle inspires me. Her love and care for her beautiful daughter will get you, too. And her man is in the service... I can't say enough about families like that!"

Thank you so much ladies for thinking of me and for your kind words!!

So now for the 5 I would like to pass this on too:

Tammy from Praying For Parker - anyone who has read Tammy's blog knows that she deserves a Rockin Blogger Award! She is an amazing mom with an even more amazing son. He has fought and fought every medical hurdle thrown at him and come out kicking and screaming. He's a fighter that's for sure! Tammy is someone who I would love to just head on over to her house and give a great big hug too! They've been dealt a bad hand, insurance-wise, and she handles it all with such grace!

Eden from Once Upon A Dream is also another Air Force spouse. They have an adorable daughter Olyvia who is growing up so fast! Her husband recently joined the service and she just made the move to CA to be with him as he goes through training to be a translator. It sounds like they've made a smooth transition to the military life, which I know isn't always easy to do!

Christine from Prince Vince Meets The World - I so enjoy reading about their life in Europe! I love the pictures she posts from over there - it makes me miss it (I used to live in Germany). Vincent is such an adorable little boy with a contagious smile! Christine is in the process of opening up new Vincent shoe store and I'm so excited for her on this journey!

Dori from The Ups and Downs Of Our Life - Dori's daughter Aviva is too cute! She was born premature but you wouldn't know it by knowing her now! She sure has come along way from where she started and is a smart and spunky girl. Dori is going to school and hopes to be teaching kids with autism soon. She's also been going through her share of medical problems, but keeps on keeping on. She always has a kind word for anyone!

Janeen from Our Story has 2 adorable boys, one with food allergies. Reading about their day-to-day life has sure made me more aware of what it is like to live with food allergies and to be more aware of all it entails as well. She posts such wonderful recipes that have been adapted to her son's allergies, that I know if I'm ever in that situation I'll know where to go to make some food-safe dishes!

Ok ... as if this post wasn't long enough can you stand a quick meme?
Amy from Amy's Random Thoughts and Omahamama both tagged me for the 8 Things About Me meme so here goes:

1. I don't like coffee - hot or cold.
2. I don't like sea food. Even though I used to live in MA and MD. Although I don't recall if I've ever actually tasted any seafood before, but for as long as I can remember I've had a dislike for it; I think it's the smell.
3. My birthday is August 1 - I was pretty much born on my due date (Aug 3rd).
4. My name isn't pronounced Michelle. It's pronounced Meechelle - like the Beattle's song, "Michelle, My Bell"
5. The first car that I owned, and bought for myself ($2000 cash!) was a black, 2-door, no power-steering, no air conditioning, 1988 Ford Escort. I bought it in 1992 and it was a great car, but I finally traded it in, in 1996, for a Plymouth Neon - 4-dr, power-steering, and AC. I didn't realize what I had been missing out on!
6. As far back as my memory goes I have lived in 20 different homes.
7. I eat and write with my left-hand.
8. My teenage crush was Kirk Cameron.

and 8 people to tag for this one:
Raising Joey
Super Duper Jack
Living My Dream
Kittyhox
Just Another Mommy Blog
Gigis Little Blog
Gabis World
The Amazing Ella Grace

One Word

Omaha Mama tagged me with this quick one-word meme

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Relationship? married
3 Your hair? straight
4 Work? consultant
5 Your sister? graduate
6 Your favorite things? photography
7 Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? water
9 Your dream car? none
10 The room you're in? small
11 Your shoes? sandals
12 Your fears? heights
13 What do you want to be in 10 years? retired!
14 Who did you hang out with this weekend? friends
15 What are you not good at? drawing
16 Muffins? banana
17 Wish-list item? massage
18 Where you grew up? military
19 The last thing you did? ate
20 What are you wearing? pjs
21 What are you not wearing? socks
22 Your pet? fish
23 Your computer? Dell
24 Your life? full
25 Your mood? content
26 Missing? friends
27 What are you thinking about? cleaning
28 Your car? odyssey
29 Your kitchen? boring
30 Your summer? hot
31 Your favorite color? purple
32 Last time you laughed? yesterday
33 Last time you cried? Tuesday
34 School? out
35 Love? Joe
36 Tag? Melissa

Reasons I Blog

Melanie from Omaha Mama tagged me for the "5 Reasons Why I Blog" meme.

So here goes, in no particular order:

1. I blog for my family and friends. We are in the military and have no family close by so they don't get to see Kayla "grow up." I created a family website for us, but then I found out about blogging and it just seemed easier, more fun, and more interactive. I still have the family website, but it's just languishing out in cyberspace now.

2. I started reading blogs about 1.5 yrs ago and while I could leave comments on some of them without having a blogger account, there were some that didn't allow anonymous comments. I got tired of lurking and decided to create my own account.

3. I used to keep diaries and journals and every great once in a while I enjoy looking through them and reading about the things that were going on in my life and remembering who I was then. I figured this would be another way to keep a journal and look back on. Hopefully it'll give Kayla a glimpse into her life too!

4. I try to subtly use my blog to be an advocate for not just my daughter, but all people with Down syndrome. I hope to raise awareness and acceptance and even if I only change one person's perspective, it's worth it.

5. And the last reason? Why not? "Everyone" was doing it!

I won't tag anyone in particular - but I would like to read your reasons too! So let me know if you do this one.

Don't forget to enter my drawing (post below) if you haven't yet!

6 Things

Well not just any 6 things. 6 weird things. About myself.

I've been tagged for this one so many times over the last several weeks that I've lost track of who has tagged me. The problem is I actually did this one back in April, but there weren't many people reading my blog then, so no one realizes I've already done this and I keep getting tagged - never-ending cycle!

So here are the answers I did for this one:

1. I am addicted to frozen grapes. Yes frozen. They are delicious. I keep an 8 oz measuring cup full of grapes in my freezer and everytime I walk in the kitchen I have to grab a few.

2. I am a die hard Red Sox fan (got Joe and my inlaws rooting for them now too!) For 2 years (pre-Kayla) we drove 8 hrs to Dallas to see them play the Rangers. Kayla was due on Nomar Garciaparra's birthday which I found exciting. He doesn't play for them anymore, but at the time he did and he was my favorite player.

3. I absolutely hate roller coasters, flying, heights, anything that spins me around and makes me sick. In other words going to amusement parks with me isn't fun.

4. At random times throughout the day I find myself singing any number of Signing Time songs! (Whether the DVD is on or not!)

5. I was born in Texas, but do not consider myself "from" there. I'm a military brat and only lived there for a short time and have no memory of it - so I really call no place "home" and have no answer to "where are you originally from?" ("everywhere" is what I usually say).

6. I don't know how to drive a stick shift - just never learned.

I don't know who hasn't done this one yet, so if you haven't, and want to - go ahead!

Kayla's turn!

Overwhelmed's Snuggle Bug has "tagged" Kayla. I did my best to help Kayla answer these questions!

3 Things That Scare Me
1. Those party horns that you blow and they unravel....yeah keep those away from me!
2. Car alarm sirens
3. Mommy says I don't really have a sense of fear...most things I was thinking of really fall in the category of what I don't like, not really what I'm afraid of!

3 People That Make Me Laugh
1. Daddy blowing raspberries on my tummy
2. Mommy tickling me under the chin, on the cheeks, in the ribs
3. Other little kids I play with

3 Things I Love
1. Mommy and Daddy
2. My baby dolls
3. Going outside for a walk, especially if the walk ends up at the playground!

3 Things I Hate
1. Sitting still to get my hair cut
2. Shots
3. Having my blood drawn...I have veins like mommy's which don't make for an easy blood draw!

3 Things I Don't Understand
1. Why mommy wants me to go back to sleep when I wake up at 6AM.
2. Why I can't play with the phone. I know I have my own 'play' phone, but that's not the one mommy and daddy talk on!
3. Why mommy and daddy go out one night a month without me for "Parent's Night Out" ... don't they know I want to go too?

3 Things On My Floor
1. Books
2. my baby's hat
3. My little pony

3 Things I'm Doing Right Now
1. Putting my baby doll in a laundry basket
2. Telling her "shhhh" and "night night"
3. Giving her kisses and covering her with my pj shirt

3 Things I Can Do
1. Sign more than 100 words (Thanks to my awesome Signing Time DVDs!)
2. Color specific items in my coloring books instead of just scribbling all over the page. Of course I'm not staying in the lines, but I like my way better!
3. Draw circles

3 Things I Can't Do
1. Draw a stick figure (yeah the tech at my 3 yr check up asked mommy this and she wanted to say "are you serious?")
2. Identify my numbers yet; but we're working on it!
3. Ride in the van without being in my carseat. I keep trying to sit in the regular seat and I even pull the seatbelt over my shoulder like mommy and daddy do, but they say I'm not big enough yet.

3 Ways to Describe My Personality
1. Energetic
2. Friendly
3. Curious

3 Things I Think You Should Listen To
1. Me!
2. My Kindermusik CDs...they are fun to dance to!
3. Me when I say "(l)et go!"

3 Things I Think You Should Never Listen To
1. Mommy's singing (I humor her, but she really can't sing you know)
2. When mommy or daddy say no; don't they realize I really want to go out right NOW, or that I want a snack even though it's 5 min before dinner?
3.

3 Absolute Favorite Foods
1. Daddy's waffles and pancakes
2. French Fries (even though I only get them about 1 or 2 times a month!)
3. Pretty much any type of cracker, but that's a given isn't it?

3 Things I'd Like to Learn
1. My numbers
2. How to open the fridge (mommy says I could do it if I just pull a little harder)
3. How to put on my shoes, I try so hard, but my feet don't want to cooperate!

3 Beverages I Drink Regularly
1. Water
2. Milk
3. V8 Fusion Fruit & Vegetable Drink (yep Mommy has found a way to make sure I get at least one serving of veggies a day - and this drink is really good!)

3 Shows I Watch On Occassion (besides the above mentioned Signing Time DVDs)
1. Dora
2. Pinky Dinky Do
3. Max & Ruby

3 Babies I Tag
Miss E at Always Chaos At Our House because I always like reading about the things she's up to! Sophia at O Mama Mia because her mommy doesn't have enough to do with their move!
Becca at Crazy Thoughts By Chelle because I bet she has some great answers!

I've been tagged!

I just had to read The Pajama Mama blog tonight and now I've been "tagged" to write 6 weird things/facts/habits about myself. I couldn't go to bed without doing this because I would have kept myself up all night thinking about what I was going to write! (There that should be a fact - I can't sleep when thinking about something!) So I figured I'd better come up with something now so I can sleep! I don't know if these are necessarily 'weird' enough, but it's what I could come up with at the moment. So hear are the rules:

Once you have been tagged you have to write an entry with 6 weird facts/things/habits about yourself. After the last fact, choose people who you want to tag and list their names. Then leave a comment that says ‘You are tagged’ on their page telling them to read your blog.

After YOU get tagged, you have to go back to the blog of the person who tagged you and let them know you have fullfilled your tagging obligation and put up your list of six things. That means you have to come back HERE and let me know you put up a post with your six items. The more people you tag, the more comments you should get with other people’s lists. Got it?

Here are my six weird facts/things/habits about myself

1. I am addicted to frozen grapes. Yes frozen. They are delicious. I keep an 8 oz measuring cup full of grapes in my freezer and everytime I walk in the kitchen I have to grab a few.

2. I am a die hard Red Sox fan (got the DH and inlaws rooting for them now too!) For 2 years (pre-Kayla) we drove 8 hrs to Dallas to see them play the Rangers. Kayla was due on Nomar Garciaparra's birthday which I found exciting. He doesn't play for them anymore, but at the time he did and he was my favorite player.

3. I absolutely hate roller coasters, flying, heights, anything that spins me around and makes me sick. In other words going to amusement parks with me isn't fun.

4. At random times throughout the day I find myself singing any number of Signing Time songs! (Whether the DVD is on or not!)

5. I was born in Texas, but do not consider myself "from" there. I'm a military brat and only lived there for a short time and have no memory of it - so I really call no place "home" and have no answer to "where are you originally from?" (everywhere is what I usually say).

6. I don't know how to drive a stick shift - just never learned.

Ok there you go. I've tagged the following bloggers:

Emma Sage
Always Chaos
Praying For Parker
All 4 My Gals
Brady's Bunch
Chanelle and Tristan
Callum and Kieran
Don't forget to come back and let me know when you've done your list!

So there you go!