thanks, w

mere and i hit uptown & northpark for some tax-free shopping yesterday. gotta give props to georgie b for that money saving perk. (and yes anna, there's something in that hollister bag for you!) uptown was pleasant while northpark was a massive zoo. they were doing a model search thing and even djs from the popular radio station 106.1 were there. today i'm off to a hula festival in garland with jonathan and tay. i know my peeps back home will be curious, so i'll be sure to post some pics and tell ya about it!!! check ya' laterz!

funny stuff

if you haven't already, go see this! those two are hilarious. still giggling thinking about some of the scenes tonight!

watching beckham's 1st galaxy goal last night >>>> working on back-to-school stuff

...and it's not even close

my gifted daughter (yes, i'm biased!)

taylor has shown that she can retain and reproduce information from a one-time conversation. her most recent demonstration of this ability was at a very odd time. she had me both amazed and grinning last night/this morning at 12:49am. it's a conversation i definitely want to share & record to scrapbook about later. about a week ago taylor saw a picture of a famous person on my computer. i told her who it was and what he did and then told her i thought he was handsome.

fast forward to last night>>> i was in bed watching the last few minutes of a soccer game and david beckham was being interviewed. i hear a door close in the hall and then my door opens. standing in the doorway is my half-asleep 4 year old, complete with mega bed head. she closes the door and turns to look at the tv.

taylor: {rather groggily} mama, what are you doing?
me: watching tv.
taylor: that's david beckham. (detail #1)
me: {smiling} yes, yes it is.
taylor: he's handsome, right mama? (detail #2)
me: {now grinning and stiffling a laugh} yup, that's right!
taylor: and he plays soccer. (detail #3)
me: {impressed even further & subsequently inviting her to hop in bed by flipping open the covers-something i don't normally allow} mmm-hmm, you're so smart!
taylor: {aware of impressing her mama, she grins ear to ear, giggles & hops in bed.}

i then turn the tv and lamp off and we both drift off to sleep-smiling.

reader participation, please...

so, i am in the midst of working on a mini-scrapbook, chronicling some random facts about me. one of my pages was inspired by a moment with my mentor teacher back in 1999 when i was student-teaching in oregon. it was a simple question, really...but it just seemed so difficult to answer at the moment. needless to say, if i remember it now, it definitely stirred something in me to remain on my mind. i mean, if i can't answer a question like that, do i even know who i am? the things i am drawn to? my passions? not that i thought the answer to this question would ultimately define who i am. i know there are adjectives that would just roll off the tongue when characterizing myself. however, this question made me stop to think about how passive i have been, how i've dabbled into lots of different things but not dedicating a sure passion to anything. that is, until i decided to reflect and pay attention to my tendencies. i mean, do i lean towards certain things or activities more than others? if i find one thing more attractive than another...why is that? what characteristic makes me drawn to it? so after some serious paying attention to myself i've found some answers! but first, here's the scenario & question my mentor teacher asked me:

1999, during the first few weeks of my student-teaching placement: i notice sue (my mentor teacher) has lots of different kinds pigs around & on her desk (glass, plush, resin, etc.). on the shelf behind her desk are literally hundreds of ABC books. she sees me noticing and offers information about her pig and ABC book collection. wow. i have never seen so many pigs in my life. she then turns to me and enthusiastically says, "so jonelle, what do you collect?" there is a beat of silence and then i stammer, "oh, uh, i used to collect stickers." yeah...like when i was NINE.

i know, i know...what do you collect...seriously? yes folks, *seriously*. so here's what i have been collecting and haven't really realized it:

1. scrapbook supplies (robbers, don't bother with my jewelry box, you'd make out better stealing my scrapbook supplies)
2. itunes songs (950 eclectic songs!)
3. DVDs of movies i have enjoyed watching
4. pens (you can NEVER have enough gel pens.)
5. handled paper shopping bags (weird, i know)

what do YOU collect?

mindreading

"i get to play soccer today."

"am i so pretty?!" -taylor

for ambiance, hit play on the music player before clicking on link for the pictures...



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check out taylor workin' it @ the picture people studio:

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double threes

at times it's hard to believe that i am now 33. yes, that's right kids, 33. and you know, for a brief moment i felt the usual "older person's opposition" to my age increasing today but then got over it pretty quickly...i guess i might hold the unpopular belief (of people as old as me) that at my age, i think i'm still young (with lots to learn, apparently). the girls from the tv show, sex in the city helped me see that i'm still going uphill in life (they were all in their mid to upper thirties).

i had a great day with my family-getting tay's 4 year old studio pictures taken and some light shopping and then a wonderful dinner out & opening presents with my "texas-adopted" family. the observance of my birthday just ended about an hour ago, with a phone call with my mom back in hawaii. 12 hours of celebrating...this "youngen" is pooped. thanks to my families, and for all the phone calls and emails guys...you made me feel so special today!

later =)