Kid Quotes Friday!

...so this is love...

It’s Friday! Not only does that mean that the weekend is nearly here, it also means it is time for some KID QUOTES! If you are new around here, please feel free to grab a button and link up with cute kid quotes/stories about your kids, kids you work with, or even the kids who won’t get off your lawn no matter how many times you yell at them. They are all welcome here, and please visit your fellow linker-uppers! (What? That’s totally a word).

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Kid: Did you have a little brother?
Me: No, I had a big brother. 
Kid: Oh, so YOU were the annoying one. 
Me: What?
Kid: It’s the circle of life. Little brothers and sisters are just annoying. (10 y.o.)
*****
Kid: Mrs. G, do you know everything?
Me: Oh no. No one knows everything.
Kid: My Mom says that she does. She tells me that ALL THE TIME! (8 y.o.)
*****
Me: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Kid: In a house of crocodiles.
Me: Really? 
Kid: Yeah, it would really keep me on the toes! Plus NO ONE else lives in a house of crocodiles. (6 y.o.)
*****
Me: What do you think bullies become when they grow up? 
Kid: Teenagers! (6 y.o.)
*****
Kid: Well, I bumped my head yesterday, but I’m ok now.
 Me: I hope you didn’t knock out any brain cells!   
Kid: What are brain cells?  
Me: They store everything in our brain so we can remember what we learn.   
Kid: Oh, I don’t think I have any of those! (8y.o.)
*****
Kid: She asked me to be her boyfriend!
Me: Oh really? What does being her boyfriend mean?
Kid: I don’t really know, but I guess I have to give her extra chocolate or something. (7 y.o. boy)
*****
Me: Sometimes bad memories can be like a song going through your head that you can’t get rid of even though you really want to. Have you ever had that happen?
Kid: Yeah. Two words. Justin Bieber. (9 y.o.)
*****
Have a great Friday, everyone!


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Memory Captured

(Thanks to Sarah for letting me hang out with this gorgeous munchkin of hers. And thanks for Alison and Galit for hosting another round of Memories Captured!)

*****
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your story matters (tell it).

I have this plaque on my wall in my office that has the title of this post on it. And I couldn’t love it more. Because I believe it with my whole being.

The theme of this week’s Group Blogging Experience 2 (GBE2) is “do-over.” And many of the posts are along the same stream of thought that I have. Oh, I wouldn’t do anything over, because it has all made me who I am today. Most of the time I wholeheartedly agree with this.

Except.

There are totally things I would do over. Things I would change about my wedding, about all the macaroni and cheese I stuffed into my body, and the number of times I opted not to go for a walk around the block with  my Mom when it was really some of my favorite times, but I was just lazy.

But this biggest thing that I regret, is not capturing the stories from my Grandfather and Grandmother. No one expected to lose them at such young ages. We always thought we had more time, time to record their voices and write down their stories. But we didn’t.

And as memories start to fade, I get scared that I am going to lose their stories altogether, the few I remember. So now? I may over-document things and I don’t care, because if I could do it over again, I would change things. I would write their stories. I would make my Mom lug our 75 lb video camera up to their house and record their laughter.

If we get to have children one day… they will know our story. They will know their Grandparent’s story, because we are writing it here. We are taking 250,780 pictures at every family gathering. We are video taping it. This love of documentation? I got it from my Mom, and every time she shoved the video camera in my face I sighed heavily…but now? Those old home videos are treasures.

So tell your story, tell the story of the elders in your families. It’s a treasure that you cannot get back, even though one day you’ll want to.

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Thoughts

My mind is sort of a jumbled mess right now. So it’s a good thing it’s Pour Your Heart Out Wednesday, which doesn’t require me to put together sentences that might make sense. Because it’s all about being real. And right now? It’s all about jumble. So here we go, welcome to my stream of thoughts.

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I had my last staff meeting today at the job that I’m leaving. In three short weeks I will officially be employed at only one agency. This has not been true in many, many years. I have had multiple jobs for a long time now, something like ten years. Because it was necessary. I was in school and things like rent needed to get paid.

And now? It’s not so necessary. So I’m cutting down to one job until we leave for North Carolina. And I’m going to have Wednesdays off. And although it is amazing, I had no idea the anxiety this would cause me. I suppose when you get so used to something (like working 14 hours days), it is a little anxiety producing when that changes, even if it’s changing for the better. So I had my last staff meeting today, at an agency that I really do love, that has taught me a lot, and one that I am sad to leave. I’m not sure where to put it, so I’m putting it here.

It is just the beginning it what will be a series of goodbyes as we begin to look at the reality of moving to North Carolina. A reality that I am so excited about, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things I will miss. Because there are things I will miss, and people I will miss, and this process is going to be just as hard as it is exciting. Change. Ever constant.

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I went grocery shopping today. This is a feat because Casey and I are both sick, and last night we went to bed at 6pm. No joke. I’m feeling sort of better today after 12 hours of Nyquil induced sleep. But I really hate grocery shopping. However we really needed food since we were away this weekend and have none. And we had Wendy’s last night, which is never a good decision. It tastes good, but my jeans were snug this morning. Oh jeans. They are so unforgiving.

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I gave Skeeter and Barney haircuts last week. I threw their hair into the wind, and some of it is still on the deck, stuck to the ice. It sort of looks like there is a small furry animal living on the deck. Skeeter is obsessed with this left over hair and every time I send him out I have to yell “stop sniffing your hair!” I wonder what the neighbors think of us.
*****
I’ve decided that our blog is sort of like Seinfeld. The blog that is about nothing. But really it’s about everything. I think there are worse things to be like, so I guess our blog will continue to be about nothing (but everything). Isn’t that what life really is anyway? A stream of days that consist of tiny little things that seem like nothing, but are really everything. Like our morning routine that Casey and I have down pat. We run through it every morning together, and most days I think nothing of it. But this morning? I was appreciating that Casey grabs my towel from the bed every morning to hang back up (because I never do), and how I send Skeeter out to do his business while filling up Casey’s water bottle. And how Casey opens the front door prior to leaving because we always have our hands full and it makes getting out the door a little easier. How I pull out of the driveway first, and beep three times to Casey which always signifies “I Love You.” 
Yeah, the nothing of life really is the everything.
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Witnessing a Love Story

Isn’t life such a wonderful journey?

(Okay, Sometimes. Sometimes it truly bites. But back to the wonderful)…

The people that surround us frequently change. There is that quote that goes something like people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Really only few are the lifetimers. So many are the seasons.

What is neat about the lifetime folks, is that you get to go through stages of life with them. You get to grow from awkward, melodramatic teenagers into courageous, adventurous young adults. And then, you get to see people grow up into who they are, who they always were – but a more refined version. You go from splitting ramen to trying new recipes and new restaurants. From staying up until 1am talking, “studying,” IM’ing, and going to Denny’s to going to bed at a reasonable time and rising early for work.

I got to witness a really beautiful season this past weekend.

I got to watch two women that I met when I was 13, as mothers.

Tending to babies, toddlers, and young children. Giving cuddles, setting limits, answering multiple versions of “WHY MOMMY WHY?!”

What a privilege to see growth and change in an all new light. In person.

To witness what I can only refer to as one of the greatest love stories of all times …mother and child.

This love story isn’t mine to tell, but this weekend it was mine to see. 

There’s really nothing like it. And it’s pretty beautiful. Don’t you think?

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Hope you feel love and show love all around you today and every day!

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All About Love

Today I am linking up with Stasha  Monday Listicles. 
We’re talking about love. Here are my favorite images of love for today
(I almost got it down to a top ten, but I’m indecisive by nature – so forgive me!).
Love is patient
love is kind. 
It does not envy

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It is not rude

  it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4
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Come join the list fun!
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Stream of Consciousness – Delaware Style

#SOCsunday

In kind of a surreal turn of events, I am coming to you straight from Delaware this weekend! Where I have gotten to spend quality time with some amazing friends, and their stunning children. I’m feeling really lucky right now, that we made this happen.

It’s the power of the internet. It’s the power of friendships formed over a message board sixteen years ago! The power of sending your thoughts and sharing your feelings through a computer, e-mail, eventually snail mail and phone calls.

It’s cheering each other on during wonderful times, and cheering each other up during hard times. It’s sending poetry back and forth to be edited and improved, sending artwork that has hung on my bedroom walls for years, and letters that will forever be in my memory box.

It’s a wonderful husband that I can bring along to meet these folks and who always goes along with my crazy impulses “Hey honey! Instead of buying Christmas presents this year can we go visit Sarah and Loni?!”

 Merry Christmas to me.

So look out Kristen, Emily, Teresa, Lynda… I’m coming for you next 😉

My five minutes are up, have a great Sunday everyone!

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This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

  • Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
  • Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
  • Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
  • Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
  • Link up your post below.
  • Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.
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12 More Things You Might Not Know About Me

Believe it or not, back when I wrote my original post there were more things I could’ve added but didn’t.  Since everyone seemed to enjoy that post so much, I decided to make a sequel post!  Enjoy!

1. When I was about 8 or so, I decided to don a backpack and fill it with thread.  One end of the thread was tied to a plastic pirate hook, which I threw up to our second story deck while standing on the ground in an attempt to scale it.  All of this was so I could be like the He-Man villian, Webstor.

2. When I was in fourth grade, I won a random drawing for a “Ducktales” themed prized, hosted by a local TV station and Burger King.  My name got announced on TV during my afternoon cartoons and everything!  I got a cool yo-yo and frisbee thing, but I also got a “one-size-fits-all” T-Shirt, which needles to say at 130 pounds, didn’t fit.

3. I have a favorite Teddy Bear, named Boo Bear, who I got when I was one day old (see the “groom” in the banner above).  When I was 4, I took him to a local pizza joint, because I took him everywhere.  When we got home, I realized he was gone, I had LEFT HIM THERE!!!  Thinking that he might be gone forever, and trying to deal with this new empty hole in my life, my Uncle Billy called and told my parents that he had Boo Bear.  It turns out that they went to the same pizza place as us, right after we left.  They got the SAME BOOTH and recognized the bear as mine.  It’s amazing to think how one tiny detail (or in this case a few) could have altered a good chunk of my childhood (and our banner and wedding invitations)!

4. Back when I was a kid, Trix cereal had only three colors and came in the form of little balls, not the fancy fruit shapes of today.  Occasionally I’d run into a piece that had a small hole in it, just a random imperfection.  I was afraid of these pieces, as I thought they were going to turn into little mouths and start talking to me.

5. Speaking of irrational fears, certain sitcoms of the 80s (probably late 70s, too), were produced by a certain company whose mascot was a small house cat.  I believe that they’re “title card” (or whatever its called) that used to appear at the end of the show was a spoof of the “MGM Lion”.  The cat would make a little meow noise, or sometimes say “Meow!” This cat scared the living Hell out of me to the point that I had to leave the room, go to my parents room, and hide under their bed while covering my ears and singing loudly.  Even as an adult, I’ve seen this cat and it’s freaked me out.  Offending sitcoms that I remember were “Newhart” and “WKRP In Cinncinnati”.

6.  I liked Crystal Pepsi.

7. When I was a kid, I had a “chemistry lab” in one of our bathrooms, which was basically a bunch of empty containers, food coloring, and sugar pills.  Sometimes I’d bring in grass and rocks and stuff to mix into my potions.  One day I mixed some grass pieces with water in a tupperware bowl, and called the mixture “Yum Yum Feast”. I brought one such mixture to the beach with my Mom and sister and spooned it into me right there in front of the other beach goers.  I think my Mom may have been a little embarrassed.

8. When I was 10 I was waiting in the car at the bank with my sister, while my parents went in.  A man got into a black pickup truck beside us with a german shepherd and drove off casually.  Another man ran out into the trees in front of our car holding a bag and looking behind him.  My parents came out a few minutes later to tell us that the bank had just been robbed.  The cops wanted to know if we had seen anything, and naturally I told them all about the guy in the truck and not the running man.

9. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.  And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, Underdog, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” –Me in kindergarten.

10. When I was very young, maybe 4 or 5, there was a show on prime time TV called “V”.  All I remember about it was these aliens that were living amongst us in human disguises (although wearing red spacesuits).  They’d rip off their faces and be this green alien “lizard” (as I called them ) underneath.  My Mom got a red and black bathrobe, similar to the look of the space suits.  I spent an entire evening terrified that she was going to rip off her face, despite my parents’ efforts to convince me otherwise.  After pulling at her cheeks several times, I finally conceded that my Mom was in fact was not an alien lizard.

11. When I was 14, I spent a night over at my best friend Corey’s house.  His Mom bought us bagels for breakfast.  One week later, I spent the night again.  When we went looking for something for breakfast, Corey mentioned that they still had a bagel left, while casually picking up and dropping the bag.  The bag make a “thunk” sound.  Thus was the birth of “Mr. Bagel” who we kept in a Ziploc bag for many years.  In fact, I just discovered his remains last fall while cleaning our garage…just an empty shredded Ziploc bag and mouse poop.

12. When I was about 12 or so, I decided I was smart enough to build my own working Proton Pack, like the ones the Ghostbusters used.  I had a dictionary with a “student” handbook at the beginning of it, which contacted some very basic information on atoms and molecules, which I thought I was somehow going to break apart in order to get the protons.  I was to accomplish this with an FM radio and a metal sieve.  I wanted to use the cordless phone, but I wasn’t allowed.  Always the responsible scientist, I went way out into my parents’ old cow pasture so that if anything exploded, no one would get hurt (except me, I guess).  I didn’t succeed in my experiment, but I remember bragging to my friends that I got “REALLY close”.
I also hope everyone got my comment responses for last week’s post via e-mail, all fancy-like, the same way Jenn responds to comments.  I’m wearing the big boy pants now!  Well, she had to help me get it started, but who doesn’t need a belt for their big boy pants?  Have a good week everyone!
–Casey, Ghostbuster Extrodonaire, aka Webstor, aka Slayer of the Cursed Trix
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Kid Quotes Friday!

Welcome to another Friday! Which means it’s time for some hilarious KID QUOTES!! If you’re new here, I am a social worker that works primarily with kids. I started posting kid quotes on Facebook, and they got rave reviews. So I’m bringing them to the blogosphere!

Please link up below if you so wish, I’d love to read your posts.

My edition of Kid Quotes today will be the “Therapy FAIL” edition (you win some, you lose some).

Enjoy!

*****
Me: “Do you know what the phrase ‘if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ means?” 
Kid: “Yup, it means I wouldn’t be able to talk much anymore. (10 y.o.)
*****
Me: So instead of telling her that her hair looked weird, what else could you have said or done? 
Kid: I could have asked her if her Mom could make her haircut prettier…PLEASE. (9 y.o.)
*****
Me: :Let’s try and think about something positive. What’s the best thing that’s happened to you today?
Kid: Who are you, Mary Poppins? (13 y.o.)
*****
Me: If I could wave a magic wand, and everything would be right in your world – what would that look like to you?
Kid: Well, I would DEFINITELY be living on Jersey Shore. My goal is pretty much to be more like them. (14 y.o.)
*****
Me: So where are you on the feelings thermometer you made?
Kid: Mrs. G? I think you say ‘feelings’ too much. (7 y.o.)
*****

Me: Great job working on this with me today!

Kid: I’m pretty much in it for the game of Sorry. (10 y.o.)

*****

And we’ll end with a cute one.

Kid (to another kid we see in the hallway): “Oh hey, this is Mrs. G. She’s my people-helper-outer.” (6 y.o.)

*****

Happy Friday, everyone! Don’t forget to link up!

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Welcome to the Award Show!

Back at Christmas time, my fellow Maine-ah, and fellow Jennifer, awarded me the awesome and most prestigious Versatile Blogger Award!

I’m a total dweeb for waiting this long to officially receive it, but at the time I was taking a break from the blogosphere. Now, back in the swing of things, I want to say thank you SO much, Jennifer!!!

Please go check out her blog here, she is awesome, informative, and has two adorable little guys.

So, The Versatile Blogger award comes with some rules. It’s a sort of pay it forward thing for bloggers.

The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award
1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs you enjoy reading.
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

Here are 7 fun facts about me. If you love fun facts, please also check out these additional 25 things about me you might not know!

  1. I recently asked an 8 year old girl I work with to kill a spider for me during session. I hate them. For the record, she wouldn’t kill it and instead hid under my desk. I had to throw a tissue box at it. Not my best moment as a therapist.
  2. Strangers talk to me. A lot. My best friend would often take bets on how much of a person’s life story I would obtain in the time it took her to go to the bathroom or something while we were at the mall. 
  3. I don’t like hotdogs.
  4. I have worked at least 2 jobs for the past 10+ years. I am having anxiety because as of March 8, I will only have one job. What is this “free time” people speak of?
  5. The extent of my art ability is drawing stick people.
  6. I don’t like jello…..or any gelatinous

Now, here are 9 blogs I’d like to recognize with The Versatile Blogger award. (Sorry, I am running low on time so I can’t do 15!)


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Oh wait, you wanted to know MORE random things about me? Well, then today is your lucky day. Because Taylor over at the Goings on in Texas selected me to participate in Random fun! 

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.
6. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 Random Things About Me

1. Funshine is my favorite carebear.
2. I gave diagnoses to the smurfs. For the record, Vanity Smurf and Smurfette clearly have Narcissistic personality disorder.
3. I don’t wear high heels. Ever.
4. We eat turkey burgers for dinner nearly every night.
5. I have a secret dream to have a room in my house that is a ball pit.
6. I am addicted to Scramble with Friends, and Words with Friends…..
7. My favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is Donatello. I go for the geeks 😉
8. I am a really good kickball player.
9. I used to DREADWITHALLMYBEING the one mile run we used to have to do yearly in gym class. I don’t run, still, but I bet I could do it a whole lot faster these days.
10. I eat popcorn one kernel at a time. SAVOR IT, PEOPLE.
11. I am addicted to chex mix.

Here’s the burning questions Taylor has chosen for me!

1. What is your favorite nursery rhyme? Itsy, Bitsy Spider.
2. What is your favorite vacation spot? Europe
3. What is your favorite movie? Casablanca
4. What is your favorite candle smell? Lavender
5. What would be your ultimate dream job? Being a therapist for rock bands. Ahem. Or, community organizing around poverty. Whatever.
6. Do you have any hidden talents? Getting people to talk to me. 
7. What song would describe you best? 32 Flavors
8. What are you wanting to accomplish in 2012? Move to NC!
9. What is your favorite ice cream? Do you like toppings? Chocolate. with Chocolate Sprinkles.
10. If you could live any where in the world, where would you live? Right now, NC. But if money was no object, probably Italy.
11. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, who would it be and why? Probably my Grandparents. I really miss them, and would love to tell them about my life now.

Okay, now I get to choose 11 of my bloggy friends to participate in all this fun randomness. Participate if you want, it will not hurt my feelings if you don’t. But I’d oh so love it if you did. I want to read your randomness! 🙂 



Okay, that’s all I have time for, but if you want to participate please do! Here are my 11 questions to you all! 

1. What is your astrological sign? Does it describe you well?
2. What’s the farthest you’ve ever travelled?
3. Who is your favorite Care Bear?
4. What does your name mean? 
5. What celebrity do you admire?
6. What is your favorite book and why?
7.  What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
8.  What is the one thing you would do if you knew you could not fail?
9. Why aren’t you doing it?
10. What is a favorite quote of yours?
11. How are you today? 

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Thanks again to Jennifer and Taylor!
Have a great Thursday, everyone! 


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