Award!

So I got this. How great is that?! So fun. And even though I'm not much for chain letter thingies, or those book sharing things, or anything where I have to send someone one thing and I will get 30 in return-you are officially warned, this is a fun one because I have been doing tons of crafting and posting lately.

This was given to me by Michelle at A Little French Loven. She's amazing and you should check out her blog! She spray painted a basket red! It rocks! And it matches her dreamy washer and dryer.....and the chairs....wow. Thanks Michelle!

I'm not sure I'll make it to seven, so I'm going to start slow.

1. I have finished two half marathons and a duathlon and given birth to my last two boys sans ANY drugs...and yet, I never feel more empowered than when I do some sort of home project, whether it crafting or electrical work, without the help of Tom.

2. In graduate school I taught public speaking. It's not my favorite thing, public speaking, that is, so I opened each class with some sort of stupid joke that I would usually get off of Laffy Taffy candy wrappers. Eventually people started bringing them in and they would tell jokes to start off class. It was awesome and was a great ice breaker for our classes. What they don't know is on my first day of teaching my very first class I got locked in the bathroom seconds before class started. I freaked out in the bathroom and nearly had a nervous breakdown. It was awful and horrifying and I wanted to cry at that very moment. Uhhh, I got out.

3. I wrote my thesis for my first graduate program (when I was teaching Speech) (yeah, that's right, I said"my first") on the Globalization of Latin Music in the United States. Really. Really Kirsten?! Ask me if I know what that means.....I didn't belong in that program and eventually went on to get another master's in school counseling....I was a counselor for 4 years. Now, when all my kids are in school I have no idea what I am going to do....I want to be a doctor.

4. I've been seriously thinking about homeschooling the boys. Not because I think they will get a better education....but because I don't want them to go away for the entire day. It makes me sad. I want them to stay close....FOREVER. Seriously. I'm contemplating having another one just so that I have another one to hang out with. When I say "I'm contemplating" I really mean "I". Tom is not on board with that one. ALTHOUGH....I did convince him to let me paint the kitchen cabinets. Sidenote: Today is Monday. Today, I do not feel this way. Every other day of the week, I do.

5. When Tom first called me, I told him I wasn't home. Did you read that? I told him I wasn't home. I was trying to move on from someone else and I wasn't ready to start anything. Plus I was in graduate school freaking out about a thesis that I had no idea what the topic was even about and I had to teach speech to a bunch of pilots, pre-med students, pre-law students and pre-not communication students who could have cared less about speech class. Really, he was just looking for a bench. A bench = a bunch of girls for him and his buddies to hang out with....we were it. BUT, I snubbed him. That was in September of 1999. It wasn't until December of that year, that we finally connected again. Thank goodness for mutual friends! I then had to ask him out. I knew on our first date that we were going to get married. Dead serious. Although, on our honeymoon I cried for 3 days because I thought I was wrong. I was sad that I was married. I thought things were going to change and I freaked. Umm...they aren't. Well, except for the dogs, three kids, mortgage....that stuff. Other than that, we're the same. We are still madly in love, we have a huge respect for each other and we love to play.  I was a dork. Okay, I still am a dork.

Slowly, but surely.

6. I lost 22 pounds through Weight Watchers after I had Jack. That's 22 ADDITIONAL pounds to the pregnancy pounds. Then an additional 10 after I had Gus. Yep. I love me some WW. And training for marathons. That helps too. And my neighbor Sara. She helped train. And running after three kids. That helped too. I'm not shy to talk about it and am very proud of myself. I'm not however proud that I'm addicted to Diet Coke.

7. I wish I didn't "want" things. I always say, "I want this" or "I want that". It drives me nuts. No wonder my kids say it all the time. I constantly think about this. I don't need this stuff. I don't need a tv in my kitchen or curtains in my living room, or new flooring in my family room. I don't NEED a new dress. I don't need to have a kitchen island. Yet, here I am doing all this stuff. I know it's not wrong to get these things, I just wonder if they are making me happier....okay, the island is totally making me happier. And so is the painted kitchen. And a tv in my kitchen would sure help...with my cooking. I hope I'm not sounding all goody-two-shoes...It's just what I think. But, here I go downstairs to put liners in my kitchen island and get ready for my trip to Ikea this weekend.

I need to breathe.....