homemade twister

i really wanted to play twister tonight, so i got out some paper and some crayons and some friends. things were a little too easy- so we invented twister, the college addition (for more advanced players). making the spinner was a little tricky- but with a little team effort, things really came together. this was a wholesome activity.

pet peeves and favorites

pet peeves:
Pens that don’t work
Hanging things up
My face when I yawn
My stomach talking
How my sleeves get wet when I wash my face
When my bangs don’t work
Being bad at spelling
cilantro

Favorites:
Shadows of trees on houses
Dandelions
People who talk quiet
Oat meal
New words
Productivity
The time right before I fall asleep
The time right before I wake up
My family
Ping pong

what are your pet peeves and favorites?

rip, my sandals (april 2005-november 2008)

these sandals have survived four summers, several dog attacks, and have been lost and found hundreds times. a few days ago, in a rousing round of three way ping pong with the nephews, they finally went the way of all the earth. some of you will be glad to see them go, but I will forever mourn their loss.
p.s. if anyone has any experience bronzing stuff, i'd love to talk with you.

ear candles

this began as a mild difference of opinion. my well-educated-indisputable-expert opinion vs. bryan's... opinion. several heated debates later, it ended in the truth. please review the following simple randomized control trial.
purpose: prove bryan wrong.
methods: bryan- adamant, stubborn, and believing, foolishly placed an ear candle in his right ear. Kaity- confident and insisting, held an ear candle in her left hand.
results: both ear and hand placement yielded similar post burn contents.
conclusion: ear candles are wack. wiggity-wack.

my current motivation

ever since i started working with little kidos i have gained an appreciation for positive reinforcement and well structured reward systems. if it works for them, why not me? there are 44 white chocolate chips in this photograph (well, that first one is a little cut off, so we'll call it 43 and 1/2). if i eat one for every ten minutes of homework i do- i should be able to write my mid-term paper for the next 7 hours and 15 minutes.
note: according to this rate of consumption, i have consumed approximately 26 hours and 45 minutes of white chocolate chips during the creation of this post.

I just ate all these peas!

75 hours

wednesday, after a particularly cleansing yoga class, i began an experiment that started as a casual personal challenge and ended near tears. My goal was to go 24 hours with out looking in a mirror, or any reflective surface-while maintaining normal personal habits (hair and makeup etc). After this initial period I thought it would be fun to see just how long i could make it. the next few days were constant avoidance. but as time passed, and i became less and less real, i found my thoughts changed and my eyes opened. i found myself seeing others in more detail- their hopes, needs and worries became my own. i was less self conscious about my physical appearance and more confident in other aspects of myself. i realized that my personal thoughts are the greatest determiner of my reality and that by carefully weeding the garden of my mind, negativity and its effects can be mitigated. and so it went- but where would it end. it was strange to miss myself as one would a distanced friend. on saturday night i decided i had to look. i couldn't take it anymore. so i did. my elation at the sight of myself was indescribable. i almost cried. as i ran from mirror to mirror welcoming myself back home i felt an intense gratitude for the friend that had been so long lost.
thank you to all of you who stood by me in this trying time... fixing my bangs and keeping me socially acceptable. except for my brother karl who kept trying to convince me i had something gross on my face- but double thank you to my very honest nieces who assured me that i looked normal.