Memory Monday: Pocket Pack

I will now bring up a very painful childhood memory.

This memory still leaves me in a state of terror and slight embarrassment, yet I'm finding it in me to get the word out. People need to know about this for their own safety.

This is the day I learned that external pockets are dangerous.

When I was about seven, I used to have this awesome outfit with Keroppi (the Hello Kitty frog) on it.

I don't have a picture... but the pants were mint green and had this cute litte pocket on the outside with Keroppi's face on it. It's sort of hard to describe... but it was a pocket that tied to the outside of the pants. Kind of like a fanny pack/pocket hybrid. It was a fanny pocket. No... a pocket pack. I like that better, we'll call it that.

Little did I know that that pocket pack would cause me to be brutally attacked later that day.

It started out as a bright, happy summer's day. I went to a friend's birthday party, made some place mats, jumped on a trampoline, then went back to my grandparents' house. Things were looking up until I went to play in the back yard.

At that epoch my grandparents had just adopted a giant golden retriever named Russel. Russel was a really sweet dog that was good with kids... but even though he was huge, he was still in his "playful puppy" phase. And that day, something happened. I blame the pocket pack.

Russel to that pocket pack was like a bull to a red cape. Some sort of barbaric force was unleashed within him and his rabid fangs clamped on to my pocket pack. He started tugging me around the yard with an unyielding resolve.

Of course, I went with the most sensible solution.
I screamed my freaking head off.

Seriously, it sounded like I was being murdered. And maybe I was. I didn't know why else he'd be pulling me towards the back of the shed.

My desperate cries for help did no good. I was frantically searching for an idea, when I remembered something important: pants are removable.

Without giving it a second thought, I removed the beloved trousers I was ensnared in, and made a run for my freedom.

When I got to the door, pantsless and sobbing pathetically, my mom and grandma were standing right there. Where were they?! Why didn't they do something?! I remember feeling a little indignant at first, but I was just glad that I escaped with my life.

So beloved blog readers, I urge you: NEVER. Wear. Pocket. Packs. Or fanny packs, for that matter. It's not worth your pride.

This has been a message from the founder of C.A.P.P. (Civilians Against Pocket Packs.)

Another Candle

When I turned ten, I was freaking mature. 

I had my very own lipgloss. In my very own purse. I got a really girly pair of pink skorts. How much more mature can you get? I was in double digits, and a full-fledged lady, for gosh sake. 

I turned eighteen today. 

There are really too many feelings still swirling around that statement, ranging from jumping for joy to cradling myself in a fetal position. I like the idea of having more freedom. Getting my license. Getting a job. Possibly going to college. But at the same time... I sort of feel like there's just too much change.

What the heck happened? I feel like time's giant thumb and forefinger lifted me from my legos and crayons and dropped me into adulthood with all its grown-up problems and challenges. Sometimes I stop thinking about the things that are bothering me and just go, "Since when did I get old enough to even have these kinds of problems?" That thought alone puzzles me.


I sat there as my dad and grandma lit all the candles on my birthday cake. There in front of me my years were tangible. Every year I've lived was sitting on top of that cake. It looked like a lot... considering how I remember squeezing all my birthday candles into a cupcake. It's now going to take a full cake to hold my years. All of it was kind of overwhelming. Really overwhelming, actually.

Besides the cheesy, overused "rollercoaster" of emotions I've been on lately, it was an awesome birthday. I got to hang out with some friends, we talked all day, and then I spent the evening with my family. :D (You all rock! Thank you all for the awesome presents and cake).

 I guess I'll never be as "mature" as I was when I was ten, but I am hoping to get some things accomplished this year though, and just keep learning things. Learnin's good.  

I guess I have picked up on a few things already...

• Never drink orange juice after brushing your teeth. Just don't. 
• Water is good for you; just not when you're drinking someone else's backwash (ALWAYS make sure it's your water you're drinking from. O_O) 
• It's ok to disagree with people sometimes. It's better to be hated by people who disagree with you than be a suck-up. (Something I'll always be reminding myself of!) 
• Pray for patience at your own risk. ;) 
• Don't belch in public. (Maybe this one goes without saying...?) 
• Don't tell people "everything's fine" when it isn't. (Again, something I'm still working on!)
• If you see someone's Chinese leftovers on the counter, for the love of all that is holy, DON'T EAT THEM! 
• On the other hand, don't just leave your Chinese leftovers on the counter. Keep them someplace sacred. 
• Music doesn't have an expiration date. If you like a song, it doesn't matter if it's "old."
• I like lists. It's not helpful advice to anyone, I guess, but I just do. Can you tell? 

There's still just so much to learn!
I'm hoping to try and read my Bible more consistently, and that God will teach me more this year (and that I'd really listen!)
I'm praying that the people I love will stay close to me no matter what happens.
I'm wishing that I don't need to grow up *too* much...

Katie's Birthday!!!

Today isn't just April 4th to our family. Because on April 4th we celebrate another birthday!

Today Katie turns 4.

Ugh, it's pure madness. I remember the day I walked into that hospital room with my sisters to see my dad holding a potato.

But it wasn't just a potato.

It was a potato with arms, legs, a face... a heartbeat...

She was tiny, only 4 pounds when she was born. (I thought I'd clear that up, in case you were wondering whether my sister is some sort of genetically mutated potato head hybrid.)

Because she was so tiny in utero, the doctors thought there was something wrong with her. They even suggested "terminating the pregnancy," as they put it. My mom didn't listen to them, and it's a good thing she didn't. It turned out that Katie somehow managed to tie a double knot in the cord. O_o So the fact that she was perfectly normal and didn't have more difficulties from the knot makes it a total miracle. :)

^(This picture kind of shows how tiny she was, but the face she's doing kind of makes her look like an alien.) haha XD

Katie is our "Free spirit." ;P In a household of shy little girls, she's the social butterfly. She loves to talk to just about anybody. She's very honest, too... which will be a good thing when she's old enough to manage her honesty better (as opposed to going up to someone and saying, "Why are you so BIG?!") :P

She's also very busy. She's crafty with a pair of scissors (say her bangs), can work wonders with crayons and markers (says the wall), and I just heard my mom tell her, "No, honey... that's a glue stick, not lipgloss!"

That's Katie, and our house would be very boring without her. ;D

Happy Birthday, Katiebug! :)

Memory Monday: The Sleeping Game.

I'm convinced that at some point, every little kid plays "the sleeping game." They think it's just hilarious to pretend to be asleep convincingly enough that their parents believe them. You get to conciously lie there and listen to adults ooh and ahh about how cute you are when you're sleeping. But the best part is, you're really not! It's the passive-agressive way of pulling one over on your parents without getting in trouble because really, it's not that big of a deal. But if you could pull it off, you were a genius.

There were several times I attempted this when I was little. A few times it worked; other times, it backfired like an old car engine. Like at my sister's second birthday party.

I was five, and I think it was Christmas. We had my uncle and probably some other family members celebrating Karissa's birthday that evening. My memory fails me a little, but I know there was a box. It was a beautiful box. It was used to hold the new "Little People" parking garage that Karissa got as a birthday present, and it was the perfect size for me to crawl into and play the sleeping game.

It was going to be hilarious. People were going to see me.... and they're going to think I'm sleeping! IN A BOX! This is genius...

So I nestled into my carboard sanctuary, huddled into a cute little faux-unconcious ball. I faithfully kept my eyes forced shut, although they wanted to eagerly snap open and see if anyone noticed yet.

Soon enough (or was it eons?), I heard something.

"Hm, look at that box over there," a voice announces.

Footsteps. I keep my eyes shut and force my facial muscles to uniformity. I could hear my dad and my uncle standing over me.

My dad picks up the box and my excitement mounts. He has to see me now and think I'm asleep!

But then his voice proclaims, a little too loudly, "I think we should put this box outside!"

That's not what I was expecting.

Why isn't he pining over how cute I look?

As he walked to the door, I panicked a little. But I kept those eyes shut like my life depended on it. I couldn't just give up on the game! But... does he even notice I'm in here...?

I felt the box being lowered, and the light that poured from the house slowly faded as the door closed. I opened my eyes and blinked a little. I stared at the cold, dark world around me and felt all hope escaping. In hindsight, I wonder why I didn't just knock on the door. I just sat there, stunned and afraid.

I remember the thoughts running through my head at that moment.

Oh, no... I guess I'm going to have to sleep out here. I'm going to be bitten by mosquitos!

Forget about kidnappings, wild animals, or psychos with guns-- I might get bitten by mosquitos! The very thought surfaced tears in my eyes. What am I going to do?!

Suddenly, like sweet sunlight coming over the dark horizon, I saw the door open. I don't really remember who was standing there, I just remember hugging them and crying like I'd been stranded on our front porch for days.

It was a very traumatic minute and a half, but I soon forgot about it once we started eating cupcakes.

2 Birthdays

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!!!

Mine was pretty good. :)

It started out just about the same as it always does... people groggily stumbling down the stairs for our annual picture on the staircase.

My Grandparents came out to watch us open presents.

...And yes, despite the fact that we had to leave a couple waffles out for Santa because we didn't have time to make cookies, he still came. ;)

...And as far as the presents go, I didn't do too bad this year. ;) (THANKS EVERYONE!)

I got the coolest leather-bound Bible, NKJV, with silver pages (this is what it looks like from the outside...)

A couple of my favorite movies ("Sherlock Holmes," and "27 Dresses."), 5 new diaries to indulge my writing addiction, and this little baby riiiight here:

It's amazing. :D

Also... Kyla got me this for my Secret Santa gift:

I totally love her music the more I listen to her. :D Her voice is so cool!

Ok, my bragging is over with. :D

After present-opening we had a HUUUUGE brunch, and then we went to my grandparents' house. :)

And my mom's cousin James came to visit, too.

...and, as the title suggested, our family celebrated 2 birthdays yesterday.

I think you can guess who the first person's birthday was... ;)

But the second birthday was my sister, Karissa's.

She turned FIFTEEN yesterday. O_o I still find that really weird, since I still vividly remember this:

Also, it seemed like yesterday *I* was fifteen. Pretty soon I'll be all old, covered in wrinkles and sitting in a creaky old rocking chair in some retirement home, fighting with my roommate over a game of checkers........

But I'm getting ahead of myself. :P

She had a good birthday. :) She got her greenbean casserole for dinner (her favorite), and...

She got a cellphone.

I'm not sure, but I think she likes it... ;)

So yeah. Christmas/Karissa's birthday= Awesome. :D

Also... If you've made it to the end of this post, I commend you. :P

^Those cheeks. O_O