This has been going around Facebook and I got "tagged" on there a lot, so I finally decided to participate. It was pretty fun once I got started, but it took a long time to think of 25 random things to write about. I decided to post it here too, since I'm in need of a new post, but am too lazy to think of something to write about. So here it is, again. For those of you who are my Facebook friend: sorry for the repeat! :)

1. My favorite animal is a Weenie Dog. (Yes, that is the official term.) Not just dogs, but Dachshunds in particular. Some other dogs are cool, too, but none are quite as cool to me as Weenie Dogs.

2. I can't swim.

3. I am an "Indoor Girl." I don't like camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, scuba diving, (see above) playing sports, or generally participating in any activity in which I am required to sweat.

4. Despite the fact that I am an "Indoor Girl" who cannot swim, I actually do love the beach. The sand, however, I do not enjoy.

5. I bathe my baby every morning of the world. Not because I think she is dirty, but because I like to. Then I slather her with lotion and she usually cries all the way through it, but I do it anyway because I like her to smell yummy. I used to think it was weird that everyone didn't do this, but now I realize that I'm the weird one because I do.

6. I need coffee to function in the morning. Preferably a Peppermint Mocha, from Starbucks, but obviously this cannot be a daily treat. When I brew coffee at home, I must have the yummy flavored creamer and some sugar. If my coffee tastes like coffee, I won't drink it.

7. I sang in the choir for all four years of high school and I loved it. I tried taking choir at a local community college after high school, but I quit because the director was a weird, sweaty little man. I mean he actually dripped sweat while directing the choir. This did not bode well for me, since I sat in the front row.

8. When I was 17 years old some dumb lady tried to sue me in small claims court. The judge laughed at her and threw the case out.

9. I hate ketchup. A lot.

10. I am obsessed with making hairbows for Kennedy. She literally has hundreds, but I make new ones all the time anyways. We never leave the house without one, despite the fact that she is still almost bald at 16 months old.

11. I am starting to think that 25 Random Facts is a lot and I'm wishing this list only went to 10.

12. Even though I am a single mom, I quit my full-time job to stay home with my baby. Its been hard, but so worth it. After taking a year off, I got a job as a nanny and I get to bring Kennedy to work with me every day. I love it.

13. I like to shop. A LOT. Random Fact #12 has made this quite difficult.

14. After living on my own for 10 years, I moved back in with Mom & Dad when I came to South Carolina. Surprisingly, this does not make me feel like as much of a loser as I thought it would.

15. I don't like living in South Carolina, but I will probably never be able to leave because this is where all of my family lives. If I could pick them all up and transplant them to California, I would in a heartbeat. No doubt about it.

16. My thumb is numb from a hairbow making injury and not being able to feel the tip of my thumb is driving me absolutely crazy.

17. I probably watch more tv than I should. Among my favorite shows: Lost, American Idol, The Biggest Loser, 24 and Friends. Yes, Friends. I know it hasn't been on tv since like 2001, but I still love it. I kinda feel like Ross, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, and Chandler are my actual friends. This brings me to...

18. I own all 10 seasons of Friends on dvd and I pretty much have every episode memorized.

19. At any given moment I have a song running through my head. Sometimes it happens after I hear a song and it gets stuck there. More often, it is triggered by something random and simple, like, I meet someone named Caroline. For the next 5 hours I'll be singing, "sweet Caroline (bah bah bah) good times never seemed so good..."

20. Currently playing is: "Put Your Records On" by Corrine Bailey Rae, because I saw it on American Idol.

21. It has taken me all stinkin' day to write this list.

22. One of the things I have missed most about California is Chipotle. A few weeks ago, I was driving around and discovered that a Chipotle is opening up in Greenville, SC and I got so excited I almost wrecked the car. It is not yet open, but trust me, when I find out the date of the Grand Opening, I'll be the first in line, ordering my chicken burrito with guac on the side!

23. I had an imaginary friend when I was a little girl. Her name was Andy, and she went everywhere with me. It would upset me greatly when she got left behind in the grocery store or when she played in the street.

24. I call Kennedy "Smushie" more often than I call her Kennedy. I don't know why or how she got that nickname, but it has caught on and now the whole family calls her that. She actually answers to it now, which is scary. She'll love it when she's about 12.

25. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 9 years old. Even then, I only learned because my 4 year old brother showed me up. Please refer to Random Fact #3 for more insight on this.

Now... what is something random about you??

Is it just me or do holidays and birthdays become even more exciting after having kids? I don't think I've ever cared as much about Halloween as I did this year. Normally, I don't bother with going to the pumpkin patch. And carving the pumpkin? Ew. I can't stand those stringy pumpkin guts and the smell is enough to gag me. But this year I couldn't wait to do the pumpkin thing!! I'm pretty sure Miss K had a good time:
I must give credit where credit is due: Mom actually cut the top off the pumpkin and emptied the nasty guts for me. Although I didn't actually ask her to do it, I was pretty happy that I didn't have to. Yay! Thanks, Mom!

Trick or Treating was also a whole new experience this year. I summoned all of my creative energy and fashioned a fabulous peacock costume for Kennedy to wear. Some might argue that she looked more like a Vegas Showgirl, but I assure you that was not my intention. I'll let my fellow Pleo People make the call:
Fabulous Feathered Peacock OR Vegas Showgirl Floozy?

After Kennedy's party I said I'd post some pictures of the big bash... I just never got around to it. However, since so much time has passed, I actually have lots of pictures to share! Below you can find the links to my galleries of:

1) Kennedy's First Birthday Party
2) Kennedy's First Trip to the Beach
3) Kennedy's One Year Old Photo Shoot

Hmm... I'm sensing a theme here. Sorry to those of you who might have been expecting a post that was not Kennedy-related.

I can hardly believe it... one year ago today my sweet baby girl was born. I've heard people talk about how fast time goes once you have children, but I never expected this. Although I'm happy that she's growing and learning and I'm excited about upcoming milestones, I can't help but wish time would slow down just a bit. Oh well... such is life I suppose. God blessed me with a healthy, happy daughter, and for that I am thankful. Oh, plus she's cute, in case you didn't know...

Today, with Mom's help, I threw Kennedy a 1st birthday party - polka dot style! Friends & family came from all around to help us celebrate. Kennedy got to eat her very first m&m (which she loved) as well as a jumbo cupcake (which she did not love.) Once again, she proved to be her mother's daughter when the messy frosting bothered her too much to enjoy the sweet treat. I promise I didn't teach her to be that way... she just comes by it naturally. She got lots of cute (much needed) winter clothes and some fun books and toys. She got her first baby doll that came with its very own stroller, which she immediately pushed all around the house. Overall I'd say the party was a success!

Some family members invited K & I to spend a week in Hilton Head Island, SC with them, so we are heading there now. Once I get home I'll post pics of the birthday girl in her pretty polka dot dress... unless she beats me to it!

Hope the rest of you are having as fabulous a weekend as I am!

Yes, yes, I know my last entry was a video. Unlike him my blogs are not very meaty. So, "why another video?" you may be asking... well, this one is pretty significant. Take a look for yourself.

On a related note: I can't belive my baby will turn ONE next month. It has been the fastest year of my life...


Untitled from Jaime on Vimeo.