Trying New Things…

Brian is always telling me that my taste buds are bland so I have been trying to explore the possibilities out there in many areas and not just food. Yes, I would rather have original potato chips, popcorn, ranch dressing, tee shirts, shoes, hairstyles, the list goes on. Jumping outside of my comfort zone is hard for me but paying off so far this year. I don’t really believe in “New Years Resolutions” but maybe this could be considered one for me this year.

I have found so far that I really like vinaigrette dressings of all sorts. Although I still love the ranch these are a healthier alternative and tasty at the same time. Today I even went to the extreme for me and tried calamari which I have been offered several times in the past but knowing it is squid has made me squeamish and yet to try. To my surprise it is not bad when cooked right. In my mind it reminded me of something that would be chewy like rubber. The only thing I can really compare it to would be the texture of shrimp but without the fishy flavor. Even Shawn liked it and ate several pieces. The next thing would be Mittens. The big question would be how I would do with a cat and allergies to them I was hesitant to say the least. But little Mittens has made my heart melt and found that he is staying as a member of our clan. I do struggle at times and Benadryl has come in handy more than once.

The next big step for me would be talking to people and letting them get to know me. I realize that this may sound very corny to most people but it is something I struggle with more than you know. Accepting a church calling was exciting but terrifying at the same time. Thinking that being a librarian would be the perfect fit for me I didn’t even hesitate. Always thinking it was more of an “elderly” position I felt a little odd but got past it. That was until I walked in and noticed that yes I will need to get to know people much better and not able to just sit on the back row and blend into the wall paper. I have found that many people already know my name and who I am so I guess I didn’t blend in too much. I just hope that no one is offended if they know me and I have to ask what their name is since I can’t remember.

So far into this year I have made some good steps forward and continuing to keep going no matter my fears – wish me luck!

Welcome Mittens!

Yes, for all of you that know me I swore I would never own a cat right? Well, welcome Mittens as the newest member of the Hollinger family. Katelyn has been begging for years to have a cat and has loved every type of cat out there. Thinking that with my allergies to cats I would be safe I have just always told her that sorry we just can’t have one. As you can see I have lost the battle and after hearing the argument that I am allergic to Peppy (our guinea pig) and we still have him I gave in.

Mittens is about 5 months old and was rescued by a family that just was not able to keep him. He is mostly black but has white paws and white markings on his nose, chin, and belly. Already being mauled by Shawn and Katelyn and unable to try and check out his new environment. Brian about lost it when Mittens was downstairs and jumped behind the TV entertainment center using his game counsel as his landing point. Brian jumped from the couch to get him out of there faster than you would think is possible. Now our goal tonight is to find a way of keeping Mittens out from behind there but not sure yet how to accomplish it. This may be a tricky problem to fix but we will find a way.

If anyone has ideas on cats I would love to hear them where this is my first experience of owning one. Thank goodness he is already litter box trained!

Really Mom?

I hope that I am not alone when trying to do something different with our daughter’s hair. Katelyn has the most stick strait hair I have ever worked with. To get it to curl I have had to use a lot of hair gel and hairspray with the smallest curling iron in her hair to the point to where a hurricane would not move it. Over the weekend I saw some of the sponge curlers that my mom used to put in my hair while I was growing up. Excited I placed them in Katelyn’s hair Saturday night. Can I just say that the little blue curlers were probably not my best choice and after taking out about 2 of them there was no question that this was just not going to work. I let her look in the mirror before I sprayed her hair to get the curl out and blow-dry it normal before church. As you can see in the pictures she was not so impressed either and brought tears thinking her hair would not go back to normal. The question now is if we try the larger curlers or not? I wonder if she would even let me try?

Holidays...

Wow, time fly’s when your having fun! It has sure been busy and a whirlwind the last couple months. We have had Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and started birthdays all in a short time.

We have all had a great holiday season and hope that your family has done the same. Santa came and spoiled us rotten. Both kids received everything that was on their letters to Santa Clause. Then Santa made a surprise family gift that is being used probably more than he could have ever imagined with the Wii Entertainment System. Even Katelyn and Shawn love to play and beg each day to spend just a few extra minutes on the games. Katelyn has a real knack with the games and so far is the Bowling Queen in the family. Don’t ask me how she does it some of the times she is laying on the floor, jumping from one side of the room to the other, more times than not she is not even facing the TV but yet will still strike or spare in her turn. We have each tried to do the same however she still holds the title. She also loves to drive as well as Shawn on the Mario Kart game. Shawn had his dream come true with his gift from Santa and the Yoda light saber sword. He is a little obsessed with Star Wars to say the least. He asked for this particular sword for over 4 months and didn’t think he would survive without it. He babies this sword as if it was the most precious item in the whole universe. Katelyn was excited to receive Hello Kitty makeup and a jewelry box also the Tinkerbell styling head and other Tinkerbell toys, which she enjoys.

On New Years Eve I took the kids to a play area in our area where the kids could run, jump, and play to their hearts content. For two hours they ran around and had a great time. I have to say this is the place I will always remember and will revisit more often. It has several blow up slides, jumping, climbing, and interactive areas with other kids. What more could you ask for when you have two hyper kids that can’t wait for New Years?

Shawn also celebrated his 4th Birthday on New Years Day. One of his other favorite toys is Transformers and was excited to have a new one on his cake. We had a small family party at our home where he was spoiled rotten and will probably be in shock now that it will be another year until he will have Christmas and another birthday. Katelyn is on the countdown to her birthday that is at the end of January.

Wishing everyone warm wishes and hope that your Holiday Season has been spectacular!