100 Things You Never Asked About Me (In Honor of My 100th Post)

Yes, ma'am. This is Post #100! Can you believe it??

So.....I apologize...........in advance.

(Innnnn-haling...)

1. My middle name is Kathryn. (With a "Y"!)

2. So is my grandmother's...

3....and my grandmother's brother's daughter's.

4....and my niece's.

5. I think that's the best way to spell it. (Of course.)

6. I learned to knit about 9 years ago.

7. I've made a handful of finished projects.

8. I knitted a newborn outfit for Atticus, but never managed to sew it together.

9. I'm horrible about starting projects and not finishing them.

10. I have intense guilt about it.

11. I like to read.

12. I used to devour books in one sitting.

13. It's rare that I finish one in several months' time now.

14. I have intense guilt about that as well.

15. If I had the time (and wouldn't fall asleep doing it), I'd read 24/7.

16. Really, I have a thing for books. I think they deserve the utmost respect.

17. In fact, I hate to break the spine of a book, so I often read with the book barely open and just PEER into it so the book won't look used.

18. That's some crazy "OCD" weirdness right there.

19. I think ADD/ADHD, OCD, ODD, and all the other abbreviated medical conditions are OVERLY diagnosed.

20. Paul and I both have hazel eyes.

21. My eyes were actually blue until I was 4 years old.

22. My first dog's name was "Lassie."

23. I was apparently a fairly impressionable kid.

24. My family and I visited my aunt and uncle in Germany when I was little.

25. I had my 5th birthday party there.

26. I received a tiny plastic snow globe as a present from some random German boy who lived near my aunt.

27. I kept it until only a year or so ago. Don't ask me why.

28. I hate the kind of "hold" silly objects can have on a person.

29. I struggle with knowing when to save or trash items.

30. I am excited about an idea I just read about to preserve the memory of "special-ish" items by taking a picture of them and then writing a few sentences about each one for a photo album. (And then TRASHING the actual objects!!)

31. I grew up in a family that owned a furniture/gift shop business.

32. I was once buried down deep in a giant MOUNTAIN of bean bags there by two of my much-older cousins.

33. They left me there, and I couldn't get out.

34. I have never forgotten that experience.

35. I feel sure it is the reason I have a tendency to be claustrophobic.

36. In fact, I feel a slight panic-attack coming on right now just thinking about it.

37. However, flying doesn't bother me one bit. I LOVE flying.

38. Maybe it's because I LOVE traveling.

39. Besides Germany when I was small, I've been to...

40. London,

41. Paris,

42. Prague,

43. Vienna,

44. and New York. (Ha! It's a foreign country, right?)

45. Speaking of New York, I LOVE Broadway musicals. (Show tunes, anyone??)

46. I am a singer......though not a Broadway singer.

47. But if God hadn't planned for me to be a mommy, I might have chosen to be a Broadway

singer and dancer. (Well, that or a veterinarian. Ha!)

48. I'm thankful for and happy with HIS plan.

49. AND I get to be a "church singer" sometimes.

50. I met my darling husband at college.

51. He transferred to where I was after our freshman year.

52. We had mutual friends.

53. He sort of had me "picked out" before he even got there! (Thanks, Freshman Face Finder.)

54. I already had a boyfriend.

55. It didn't matter. God was in control.

56. We are living happily ever afterly...

57. I graduated with a degree in psychology (hate psychology) and a concentration in elementary education. (The only way I can explain that to people who didn't go to a liberal arts school like mine is that it was sort of like having a double major.)

58. I loved the organizational parts of teaching--curriculum, lesson-planning, textbook adoption, class rosters, name tags, rules, making things, centers, teacher workshops, writing on the board, tidying the room at the end of each day, even grading papers. (Yes, I know I'm weird.)

59. But I hated getting up early in the morning.

60. And I hated feeling like I couldn't make enough of a difference in the lives of some children.

61. I'm thankful I'm teaching my OWN children now.

62. I homeschool because...

63. ...we believe God gave us complete authority over our children to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and that, at least FOR US, that can ONLY be done if we are solely responsible for their daily instruction. (In other words, it does NOT take a village...)

64. ...if there's one thing I know from my years as a teacher, one-on-one instruction trumps group instruction almost any day of the week, certainly when it's tailored to a child's ability level.

65. ...our kids don't need "socialization" by the world's standards. Placing them in a classroom with only same-age peers all day every day will teach them only the social skills of THAT age group. (And just keep in mind, bad company corrupts good character.) At home, they can learn to relate to many different age groups as they "socialize" with adults, older children who are growing in responsibility, younger children who need help from the older ones, and other homeschool families and/or friends at church.

66. ...I'd miss out on so many ridiculously funny, preciously endearing, wildly chaotic, and be-still-my-heart memorable moments in my children's lives that I don't know what I'd do with myself all day if I didn't do THIS. As bedraggled as I usually am, the truth of the matter is that I'd miss my kiddos terribly if they weren't right here at home with me day in and day out.

67. ...for the most part we can do whatever we want, whenever we want (which is the way I like life to be, don't you?) without concern about "missing school." So we can take a road trip to visit family or friends during the week if we want, we can take a break and go to the Wonder Place or the zoo or the library if we want, we can take vacations (WILL we ever??!!!) during off-peak travel times and get all the best deals, and we can have play dates whenever we want. (FREEDOM!! It's a good thing.)

68. ...I want to be the one who GETS to teach them all the cool things they need to learn about! 'Cause I'm selfish that way. (That's why.)

69. I enjoy photography.

70. Sadly, I don't have time to adequately LEARN to do it as well as I'd like.

71. My favorite color is purple. All shades.

72. It's actually NOT because I grew up rooting for the Hamburg Lions, whose team color is purple.

73. I don't know why I like it, I just do.

74. I'm not a fan of pink, in general. I LOVE it on Saylor, and I don't mind the occasional pink item for myself, but I'm not one of those gals with a NEED for pink.

75. I detest filing things.

76. Even finger nails. (Hee hee)

77. It shows.

78. I am an organizer and enjoy all things "Organization."

79. However, I have allowed my house to become so full of stuff that now that I'm MUCH busier just doing the day-to-day things like feeding, clothing, and teaching children, there is no longer any organization in our home.

80. I have intense guilt about it. Serious guilt.

81. I am desperate to declutter my home.

82. But I think I may need moral support AND a drill sergeant.

83. Oh, and I'll take a babysitter while we're at it, too.

84. I'm not ashamed to say it...

85. I need some help over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

86. I'll never forget when Paul and I were just getting to know one another, we'd tell each other long lists of things we liked or disliked. Some of mine were/are:

87. I like Dutch irises. A lot.

88. Really, I like just about any flower.

89. Except I don't like marigolds. Because they stink.

90. And actually, I think lilies do, too. If they're right by your head and all.

91. I like rainy days. When I don't have to get out in it, that is (especially with four small children).

92. I like naps and sleeping late, neither of which are possibilities for me right now.

93. I grew up on Simon & Garfunkel, The Mamas and the Papas, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Lovin' Spoonful, and Three Dog Night.

94. I still dig them all!

95. I am a big poetry fan.

96. I even used to write it in college, but it took so much out of me I had to quit.

97. Ha! From the look of that list so far, I obviously should have grown up in the 60s so I could be the hippie (minus the drugs) that I am.

98. Politically?? Not so much.

99. I actually HATE politics.

100. I married someone who loves politics. (Of course.)

(...big exhale)

Have anything in common with me???!!