Random - Vol. 8.3

So as you may or may not know by now, I am totally in love with my niece. CHECK OUT HER PICTURES

So I have a cute short story from Easter- I pretty much kiss her as often as possible; I was holding her (because I do that as often as possible too) and went to give her a kiss on the cheek and she leaned her head into me and wanted to cuddle!! So we are just standing in the middle of the room and my adorable niece has her head resting on my face! Almost made me cry!! It was the sweetest thing ever and really made me believe that she loves her auntie tons.

Things like that are going to make it hard for me to leave this state…

So I’ve also posted a video of her crawling, because she is doing that now. So sweet! She pulls herself up on everything and always wants to stand up, so she’ll be walking in no time at all. She can even stand on her own for quite some time… I was walking at 8 months so if she wants to grow up to be like her auntie, she better get a move on.

I love taking pictures of her, she is a great subject. Even when she is cranky she still looks so beautiful!

OMG- I’m bragging way too much. I’ll stop now. Sorry.

Let’s see… ok, here is something:

I was reading a blog the other day, Ann’s blog, she was asking for funny stories from when you were a baby. I couldn’t remember any and still can’t. It got me thinking though… what is my earliest memory? I remember one time when I was about 5 and I was eating a PB&J, all of the sudden I just didn’t like it anymore! I didn’t have another for YEARS!! I don’t know what happened to make me try one again, but I love them now.

I also remember one time getting ready to play kickball in the street (which I’d love to get a group together and play sometime!!), the ball was in the bushes, so I went to grab it and it had a slug on it! It was so gross. That was at the first house we lived in, so I’m pretty sure I was 5 or younger when that happened.

I look at pictures from when I was a kid and try to remember those things and re-live those times, but I always come up short.

What is your earliest memory and how old were you?

Isn’t it funny how we can’t remember what we did last Thursday, but we can remember things like a slug on a ball from age 5?!

It’s interesting to me how we grow up and our tastes change and our way of thinking changes. I grew up in a home where dinner was either meat and potatoes or dinner out.

My mom has always been a very picky eater, and when I was a kid I was very much the same way. Now, I’m 26 and I love food more than anything (and it’s beginning to show!!).

I was making an artichoke dip for Easter and my mom, always in my face, comes over and says "what are those?" so I hand her an artichoke and say "here, try it, it’s an artichoke". She automatically gets this disgusting look on her faces and hesitantly asks "what does it taste like?" I basically tell her to just ’shut-up and try it, it won’t kill you!’. So she very slowly puts it in her mouth and makes the ugliest face I’ve ever seen a person make!! Like she is about to die having put this thing in her mouth, she gives it her best open mouth chew and rushes to the sink for a drink of water.

I give her credit though, she actually tried something! She’ll be 50 this year and she has never tried a pickle or an olive and still eats salad with no dressing. I am so glad I’ve ventured out of my comfort zone and tried new foods. It’s amazing the things out there that I could have missed!

As much as I’d love to go back to the days where you have no worries, I rather enjoy learning about life and having new experiences. Granted some of those ’life lessons’ suck, it is fun to think back and realize how you’ve changed.

Good news! It’s been a year now since I’ve had even a puff of a cigarette!! I’ve been a non-smoker, by my definition, since November 2004… but I’d have one every now and again when I’d have a beer or something. I considered myself a non-smoker the whole time though; maybe ’social smoker’ is a better name for it. Anyhow- it’s been a full year now, since I’ve had even a drag, and I’ve had many beers in that year! I’d say I’m official now

That’s pretty much all I have to say today.