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Name: Kristi
Location: South Carolina, United States
Gender: Female
Interests:
Fav Activities: picture-taking, scrapbooking, playing with my girls
Fav Music: worship music, Mozart, MWS, opera, jazz
Fav Reading: baby magazines and books, Bible
Expertise: pregnancy
Occupation: Computer related (Internet)
Industry: Education/Research
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  a and js place
Member Since:
8/30/2004
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| Last week, the girls got to vote in a booth on a
machine at their school. They got registration cards and everything. They were
learning about the process, but weren't told who to vote for. Both voted for
McCain, and when we asked why, Jacquelyn said "because the other guy's name
sounds silly!" We couldn't find out many details about what information they'd
been given on the candidates to help them decide, but they were excited,
nonetheless, that John McCain had won at their school. They both encouraged us
to vote for him when it was our turn. One of them said he was the right one
because he was a Christian.
They were happy to see my "I voted" sticker when I
picked them up and made sure I picked "McCain." And I got to show them the line
we stood in, when I drove up to give Stephen some dinner and hot cocoa, as he
waited.
This morning I turned on the TV to see details on the
results, and Nicole was watching with me. When she saw Obama speaking (clip of
the acceptance speech), she said "oh no, 'arack Obama won?" and looked at me
like "how could that happen? we voted for the other guy." Jacquelyn came
downstairs and asked if it were Weds, because that meant we'd know who won.
Nicole went up to her and "Jacquelyn, I have some very bad news.... Obama won."
She was so serious! It was quite a funny morning. Then she added "Mom, I know
why he won...because more people who don't believe in God voted than people who
believe in God."
I choose Nicole for President!
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| Friday night we took the kids to a Riverdogs game. Stan, Ashley
and her two neices were there, and the girls had fun with them and got
balloons, hot dogs and the whole game experience. Marc and Magda were
with us, too. As the 6th inning approached, Michael started lying
down in my lap, getting tired (it was only 2 hours past bedtime!)
Stephen said "don't let him go to sleep yet - keep him up until the 7th
inning stretch."
He taught Michael the song, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" months ago
and has fun singing it with him often. He asked Michael if he was
ready to sing their song, and Michael nodded. Stephen managed to
keep him awake through the bottom of the 6th and top of the 7th.
Finally it was time. He told Michael to stand in his seat.
We all stood up to stretch. Then Stephen told him it was time to
sing, so they began, as did the whole crowd.
When Michael realized that everyone around him in the entire place was
also singing this song along with him, his face was priceless. He
was so amazed! He got the biggest smile on his face that we all
knew the song and were singing with him! He got into it, singing
louder and louder, and some fans in front of him turned around to give
him high fives afterwards. At the end he yelled, "Play
Ball!" It was the highlight of the game.
Here's a photo of "1, 2, 3 strikes you're out!"
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| 3 funerals: Grant Vann (January), Mrs Demetria Votta, Peter's mom (February), Gerald Dixon (August)
Us: 15-year anniversary, new PC for Stephen in Nov, home projects
included flower bed and rock outside (front yard), putting up shelves
and TV in garage; new purchases: kitchen table/chairs and patio
table/chairs, Stephen played hockey, Kristi finished Michael's baby and
1-year photo album/scrapbook; still driving Honda Civic and Odyssey
(75000 miles), hosted some family/friends dinners, Kristi, R&R had
about 9 "sisters" days together, kept in touch with cousins after
reunion (mostly through email surveys), spent weekends with kids at
pool, park, zoo or at home; hung out on porch in evenings with
Jeff & Johdie often
Trips: Virginia over spring break, then Charlotte for Easter weekend
Tabor cousins reunion, Hilton Head in Aug to visit Vanns, really missed
going to Ohio this year (since last trip was April 06).
Jobs: Stephen at AT&T, Kristi still at MUSC, but moved to Library to work under Mary Mauldin (Jan 07)
Movies: Harry Potter 5, National Treasure, took girls to see Enchanted (first time in theater)
Books: Harry Potter 7, Princess Bride
Children: Jacquelyn turned 5 (birthday party at House of Bounce and
cookout at home with family); Nicole turned 4 (pool party with friends
and family, then cookout after swimming), and Michael turned 2 (and
started preschool at Coastal Shores with the girls); birthday party was
at home with many friends/family
Jacquelyn loves: ballet, "dollies," pegasus horses, princesses, school,
friends (Victoria, Alexis), swings and acrobats on the swingset, riding
her bike, skating, working on her scrapbook, coloring/drawing, singing,
reading, fav meal is spaghetti, likes a clean room, likes to help, very
sensitive toward others, sensitive feelings herself, very spiritual
minded, becoming more independent in choices.
Nicole loves: dancing, riding scooter and bike, playing with Michael
(roughly), swinging, digging, collecting things (shells, rocks, coins,
small toys), looking at and taking pictures, working in her scrapbook,
playing house, dressing up, mermaids, talking/chatting, very friendly
and outgoing, really wants to see snow
Michael: copies everything he hears or sees, especially when looking at
his sisters for inspiration, loves cars, trucks, balls (and baseball
bats), loves the slide, riding the tricycle, drawing with chalk,
running and jumping with the girls, watching TV (Mickey Mouse, Donald
Duck or Einsteins), loves playing blocks and pulling on mommy's hand to
"sit down, play blocks." He went through 3 babysitters this year before
starting preschool with the girls in November: Wanda (Jan-May),
Brittany (June-Aug), and Corrie (Aug-Oct). He definitely grasped the
concept of gifts this year, learned what that word meant and wanted to
be opening if anyone else was - he was upset when he finished before
the girls, and they still had some left to open. Loves candy and
cookies and chocolate milk. Says "Michael needs you, Mommy" with arms
raised when he wants to be picked up. He's started tattling, even
though I can't always understand the words... he draws it out in a
sing-song voice "Mom, 'Cole [insert word and make it last 3 times as
long]." loves markers and wants to use what the girls use, not the
"safe" ones.
Friends: Joe & Tammra, Rachel, Rebekah & Danny, Jonathan and
Crystal, Peter and Amy, Stan and Ashley, Brian & Ashley, John &
Amy, Jeff & Johdie, Johnstones
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| I received this challenge from Rebekah... here's
how you play. Once you have been tagged, you write a blog with
10 random things, facts, goals or habits about yourself. At the end,
choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose
them. Don't forget to send them a comment (you're it!) to read your
blog. Since you can't re-tag me, let me know when you've posted your
tagged blog.
1. I can't wait for the holidays to begin - which means (the time when)
I'm taking vacation time and the kids are out of school, and we'll have
fun every day: making cookies, working on their scrapbooks, having
craft time and making ornaments or gifts, maybe doing some shopping,
going to a movie with the girls...
2. I can get into the Christmas spirit when it's 80 degrees... a good
majority of the US doesn't have snow (or really cold weather) at
Christmas... so why do all the pictures and movies depict a white
Christmas? Not that's it's not cool to look out the window on
Christmas and see a blanket of snow, but it's just not normal for most
of us, so why make us feel left out? Another hype of what people
"need" to feel in the Christmas mood. In fact, my Christmas spirit
usually hits about August, and I break out the Christmas music first,
then follow with some early shopping (September, maybe).
3. I get excited about Disney almost every day - even though our next
trip is a ways off, and our last one was over a year ago - it's still
very vivid. Just visiting the website sprinkles a little pixie
dust around me. Can't wait.
4. If I had a week at home with no (MUSC) work to do, I'd spend most of
my time scrapbooking and writing letters to my kids (or writing in a
journal about them or to them). I'd probably plan fun evenings
with them after school: parks, playgrounds, bookstores, special treats
for dinner.
5. I would love to have two cousins reunions a year - the other one on
Christmas Eve.... maybe not every year. It's tough when we all
have families of our own to celebrate with. But I love those
memoies of Christmas Eve and getting together - if there were two times
to count on seeing cousins, it was Easter and Christmas Eve. I
want my kids to have memories like that. I think they will.
6.
Not many things can make you feel better than drinking a big cup of hot
chocloate with a little milk in it and topped with Cool Whip or whipped
cream - YUM!
7. Luxury to me would mean having a maid come in three times a week to
take care of general cleaning (kitchen/bathrooms) and laundry, so I
could spend time snuggling with Michael on the couch or watching the
girls play outside or playing games with them.
8. I wish I could have been pregnant longer - sounds weird, I know, but
it was a better feeling than not being pregnant (for me), and I really
miss it. Even though Michael was harder on me than the other two,
it would have been nice to have some extra big belly time to
experience... I'm so afraid I'll forget it. There's really no way
to record it, like you can video or capture everything else.
9. My favorite art pieces in the house are the girls' drawings - even
above my Van Gogh from Amsterdam and my Monet from Paris... my
Picasso's "Maternity" is probably my favorite painting in the house,
then Mary Cassatt's "Breakfast in Bed." I have Cassat in
Jacquelyn's room (because it reminds me of her at that age) and Monet's
"Madame Monet and Son" in Michael's room. I'd considered putting the
Picasso in Nicole's, but it just doesn't work there. I need to find her
one that means something to both of us. I wanted each to have a nice
art piece in their room growing up so they'll remember it and maybe
learn to appreciate some fine art later on. I know I'll never
forget that picture in my room of the angel overlooking to two kids
crossing that God-forsaken bridge - it was more scary than comforting,
really.
10. I'm already preparing the girls for our family trip to Europe.... a
little at a time (talking about food and showing pictures and saying
foreign words). We want to take the kids when they're in high
school - maybe Jacquelyn's last year, while they're all still home.
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| On Saturday, when I woke up, the girls asked me to play house with
them, so we were in Nicole's room making lunches and doing stuff, then
it was Christmas (JG turned out the light, she was the Mommy); Nicole
and I went to bed. It snowed that night and the next morning was
Christmas. And I asked if we had a Christmas tree, so (since we didn't)
we decided to go shopping. Nicole says (as she's picking up her coins
from the bookshelf and putting them in her purse) the Christmas tree is
$100, but I only have $1, and the Christmas tree man said that was ok."
I said, "The Christmas tree man said he'd give you $100 Christmas tree for a dollar?"
"Yes," she answered.
We walk out the door and Nicole says, "I'll go get a Christmas tree and
you guys can go shopping for toys." So JG and I go into her room
looking for toys to "buy." Then Nicole comes into the room and says,
"The Christmas tree man lied... it wasn't a dollar, but I gave him a
dollar and took the tree anyway - here it is."
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