23 years young.

I am hours away from my 23rd birthday and I am feeling the need to self-reflect. I have to say, if my life were the way I had planned it out to be when I was younger, I would be having babies right now. Which is coincidental because everyone and their mother is having babies right now. I love it, but it's just not my time. I'm going to throw out the age of 26, 27- then it will be my time. In all reality, who knows where life will take me. Maybe it will throw me this crazy curve ball and I'll be having babies sooner than expected. As fun as a mini-me would be, I can really only make about 3 things in the kitchen and I can't save my money for the life of me. And who knows, maybe I won't even be having babies by 26 or 27. Maybe I will be like Samantha from Sex and the City and be 50 and... I won't even say it. ;) I think I prefer option number one. Or maybe there's an option number 3? Or 4? I like options. I don't feel like I'm about to be 23. But then again, I don't feel like any specific age. I feel young, healthy :) I honestly feel like I am right where I should be. I am entering the "primo" years of life. I think I'm going to look back over these few years and say to myself, "that was when I was in my prime." Don't most people? I have done a lot of growing, changing, discovering and understanding myself this past year. I've moved out of my parents house and developed an awesome relationship with my mom, which I totally knew would be the case before it actually happened. I have had this amazing boyfriend who I am so blessed to have and am so lucky has put up with me and continues to everyday. Although, I am not that bad. I have gotten more comfortable with myself than I ever have been. I feel very real, you could say? I have discovered that I have a very hard time showing feelings for things, that I no longer have feelings for. Even if I want those feelings to be there. I have different thoughts, maybe a different sense of humor. But I am okay with that. I anticipate life's craziness and questions. I understand that people change, grow, have different thoughts and opinions. I understand that people grow apart. And a sad realization it is at times. But it's okay. I have always been one to embrace change with an open mind and serious excitement. There are things that I complain about. But who doesn't have those things? But occasionally you talk to someone, read something, watch something that makes you genuinely happy about where you are in your life. You feel this awesome sense of contentment. And it's silly that people need those things to actually realize that. why can't we just always know and reference that? Or you wake up one morning and you just feel different. I feel like I am very lucky to have everyone, and everything I am so blessed to have. And I feel so grateful that starting tomorrow, I have another very exciting 365 day adventure ahead of me.

Happy birthday to me and a happy one it's going to be!

I'm cheesy.

Appropriate for now.

Finally.

I have a new obsession. And it's my new tittin. Everyone that I've told this to thinks I'm crazy and responds with, "Didn't you just get two?" Well yes, but clearly those are the people that have not heard that I unfortunately lost one of those kittens. She was the runt and wasn't 100% healthy- very sad yes, but all dogs cats go to heaven. I've been on a serious kitten hunt since. Olive (the remaining princess) has gotten super naughty and terrorizes everything and clearly is just bored out of her mind. But I don't want to do the whole kitten thing again. I just wanted one that was 4-7 months, around Olive's age (6 months) preferably had their shots, was fixed, female, yadda yadda yadda. So this weekend, Joel and I were out and about in Woodbury, shopping and running errands. We stopped into Petco? or Petsmart? (I actually don't even know) To get fish food-- not even thinking they have animals to adopt. Anyways, we walked to the adoption area and I immediately fell in love with this ball of fur sitting in front of me. Sign read, "Name: Fuzzy was clearly given to him by a 3 year old. 6 month old male. Had shots. Been neutered. Loving with people. Loving with other cats." and so on. Match made in heaven? Why don't you have a home? Oh, my goodness, this is perfect. I asked to hold him and he just nuzzled up against my neck and was such a lover right off the bat. We were told that he had already been looked at that morning and that if we wanted to get him, we should then and there. Stressful. I have other shopping to do. Do I even want to shop anymore? I think I'm in love. We were told that him and his brother were fostered for awhile and his brother was just recently adopted and taken from him. Sounds to me like our situation. Only less sad, Vino was not adopted. My thoughts were, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. We can go do our other things and come back, if he's here, we'll take him home with us. Little did I know, I could only be away from Petco (?) for 15 minutes before I realized I couldn't stop thinking about anything else but him and had to go back and get this wonderful kitten. So we got him! And here he is! Look at this little tiger.

 His name is Oscar.

I love him even more now that I've gotten him home, because his personality is hilarious. I somewhat thought he had one like Olive's when we first took him out of his cage- super friendly, cuddles. Olive, of course has been a brat and started hissing the second we got him in the door. Now mind you, she's had all of our attention for the last couple weeks. Princess Olive, ridiculous amounts of love. And we bring home a male. cat. that she is unfamiliar with. she needs to show him who's boss. And she does. She'll literally go out of her way, walk up to him, hiss and walk away. He is cool with it either way. He just backs down and tries to smell her/play with her again later. To me, they are typical male and female. She needs her power trip and he lets her. No way Oscar will let Olive ruin his day or his new home. They'll be cuddling in no time.

Imagination.

I babysat for the cutest little boys in the world today. I am not saying names, due to some lame KinderCare policy that previous employees have actually been fired for-- speaking of children outside KinderCare and violating confidentially. Stupid. Anyways, while the youngest was sleeping, the oldest (who's three) and I were playing with his train set he got from Santa! Before we started playing with his train set we had had "quiet time" where we laid on the couch and read his books he got from the library. One of them was The Magic School Bus something about dinosaurs. He's going through a dinosaur stage. So back to playing trains. (Little boy's name here) set his two trains facing one another on the track, stood up, put his hands in a claw-like position up to his shoulders, squatted down real close to the train set and said, "RAAWRR, TRAINS ATTACKED BY DINOSAUARSSS!!!" As loud as he could and pushed the trains off the tracks with his hands and they went flying. After I laughed, I reminded him he needed to be quiet because (little brother's name here) was still sleeping. He then assumed the position again and rawred in a whisper. I am loving this and of course, assumed the position myself. You should have seen us. I told his mom and dad how funny it would have been if they had nanny-cam and could have seen how hilarious we looked as we walked around the house like raptors eating, balloons, the curtains and dish towels hanging from the stove, all of which were tall trees. I am obsessed with the imaginations little kids have. My kids will have amazing imaginations having a mother like myself. I will be milkin it and playing along with them 24/7-- I am excited! 

 

Baby face.

I always love when a good opportunity to blog comes up. A little bit ago, I was at wal-mart buying myself some orange juice and more NyQuil. Does anyone else get carded every time they buy NyQuil? Because I do. And being sick, that means I'm going the 2 blocks to wal-mart, in sweats and no makeup. This time, the cashier actually asked to see my ID. Last time, the lady goes, "you're 18, right?" My response tonight, "23 in two weeks actually!" "Wow, you look 12. Sorry!" It's cool, I get it all the time. When I wear make up I can at least pull off an 18-20 year old. I actually had a conversation a little like this the other day with my friend, Mal, as she was walking me home. Thanks for the hair cut, by the way ;) We were talking about how some girls look like they are of-age, and of-age I mean, old enough to go to the bars, when they are in middle school. Not me, I was skinny, and had absolutely no shape to my body whatsoever. Awhile ago, I was down town Hudson with my mom looking in that little shop, Bella Luce. I was looking at the jewelry when the lady working came over to me and said, "I have daughters your age who just love the jewelry here!" I smiled and asked, "how old do you think I am?" She looked me up and down and replied, "17." I laughed as I usually do, because I get such a kick out of this and said, "Almost 22." I am actually to the point where I don't mind it anymore. My ID gets studied a lot of the times when I am out. They hold it up, look at me, look back at the ID, look at me again. They hold it up to the light, hold their flash light behind it. Would you like to see another form? I've got plenty! It makes me smile. I am going to continue to be carded until I am 40, maybe older. That, I am cool with. The first time I actually met Joel's mom, I was laying in his bed. Great first impression, I know. One of the first things she said to me, "I just hope you're at least 18." That same year I went out on their boat for memorial day weekend, I think it was. She continued the joke by saying, "I need to see your ID before you get on the boat." As Joel is handing me a beer. She sometimes continues the joke along, as other people do occasionally. I'm sure it confuses servers when I'm out to dinner with my family and my dad says, "check it twice" When they ask for my ID. Stop it, already! I know I've had the same face since I was 4. 

Nyquil night.

Tonight was going to be so much fun. And here I go getting sick again. You'd think being around kids all the time would make me completely immune to illnesses in general. Not the case. And I wash my hands like a natzi. What gives? I actually started feeling a sore throat coming on two days ago but told myself I was going to be over it by tonight. Sore throat + stuffy, runny nose= no Epic :(:( and sad faces. BUT the sunny side is, tomorrow is SIM (Sound in Motion)'s 50th birthday party at the Lounge. I've never been to the lounge! But I do love all the shows that SIM puts on soooo it can't be lame. Right? and Kristin is in town from Eau Claire and I haven't spent qt with her in far too long. 

So I just had some delicious cinnamon and spice oatmeal (perfect oatmeal weather-- not that I like that) and tonight I plan to drink lots of tea, take down some nyquil, cuddle with my tittin, most likely take a bath, run to get some more orange juice and medicine. Probably not in that order. I'll probably do lots of reading also. Oh! Side note: the book I started in Florida, in March-- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.. I cannot get into it. I am so frustrated. I keep trying so hard and I am seriously struggling. I have actually started and finished one book and am in the middle of another all while I should be focusing on that dang book. I am loosing my patience. I've never had to try so hard with a book. I don't know what to do. Maybe force myself to read that tonight. I hear it is so good once you get into it. Anyways, nyquil.. the reliever of all colds. I hope I go to bed at like 9 tonight. And I'm going to sleep in and wake up feeling like a million bucks! How's that for optimism? :)

Goodnight.

 I'm going to end the night with one of my favorite quotes. It came to mind today. Enjoy and good night!

"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the imporvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so as you are true to yourself and the best that is in you."