my mom: raising kmb

Krista was born on her due date and has been on time ever since! Right? Actually, as far as I know she has never been late on an assignment … not that the teachers ever complained to me about. She has always been responsible for herself.

Newborn Krista bringing much happiness to the family.

It is pretty reassuring to know that she has so many friends … a little crazy (like her) from the sound of this blog. I think you need to know about her upbringing so you understand her a little better.

I tried my best to raise her right. She would tell you that I was a little tough. As I look back on her upbringing, perhaps I was a little tough, but then again, I could have been a lot tougher!
She said that we yelled at her when she didn’t approach Ashlee as a roommate. We did not yell at her … that would have brought tears and we do not like to see Krista cry. We may have encouraged her to talk to Ashlee in person at the college rather than internet, but never did we yell! (Ashlee was and is one of the best influences in Krista’s life -- glad that Ashlee took the initiative! Also thankful that Ashlee has a sense of humor like Krista‘s -- that she didn't take offense for Krista’s Amish jokes!)

Krista often reminds me of some parenting things that she was not happy with….. Like the TV shows that I would not allow her to watch. For instance, “Friends” which now is one of her favorites, but I did not feel it was appropriate at a young tender age. Ok, now you can watch it as you can make your own decisions as to what is right and wrong. Even now, when she comes home we do not have the same tastes in shows. (Sorry, Krista, hours of watching Man vs. Wild show is just a little too much for me. And “Whose Line is it Anyway“ is Krista’s kind of humor, not mine. She can be laughing hysterically and I just don‘t get it! Then she ends up laughing at me!) My favorites in shows: Dancing with the Stars; Super Nanny (do people really raise their kids like that? Hey, Krista, you could maybe get some helpful ideas here); Wife Swap (sick how some families live - and then again you can see the importance of rules); American Idol (just the singing -- not the critiques); Desperate Housewives; Brothers and Sisters; Everyone Loves Raymond; most anything on Lifetime or Hallmark channel (wow, I watch too much tv -- I guess ever since we became empty nesters!!!)

Ok, another parenting moment -- the time Krista went to our small town’s bar for pizza with a few friends. Perhaps I did over react, but I had a hard time with my daughter at a bar when she was under 21 years old and still in high school -- even though you were a senior and about to graduate. I guess you can legally hang out at a bar now if you want!


Bedtime was pretty important to me while Krista was in high school. At 10:00 p.m., the computer was to be off, unless she had homework to do. I just couldn’t understand how you could be at school all day and not talk to your friends at school, why on the computer???? (Hey, Krista, stay up all night now if you want to!) Curfew also was hard for her to accept when she had the only parents that gave curfew times???? Really!!! (I never checked this out with other parents since it didn’t really matter as curfew times were county and state mandated and therefore Krista’s parents mandated them too!)

Ok, I also MADE Krista finish anything that she started … like sports, 4-H projects, jobs, etc. Hope this hasn’t damaged you too much!

A happy day for the Central grad and her parents.

Unfortunately, I didn’t too well in the teaching of cooking ( I always preferred to do it myself as I was afraid of a mess??? - or perhaps it is because I am not the greatest chef. I stick to my basic recipes.) Glad to hear that Krista is willing to try many different recipes. Sorry, that I don’t know what half of the ingredients are!

I always had my reasons for whatever I did in the upbringing of Krista -- perhaps I could have been a little more lax, but on the other hand I think you turned out to be a pretty responsible, fine, young lady!

Family vacations were fun. Disney World was by car and I remember her dad getting pulled over by a cop for a warning ticket for pulling into the wrong lane. Krista cried. I don’t know if she was worried that her dad was going to be taken to jail or that we weren’t going to make it to Disney World! (She was only 3 years old!) Family favorite vacations were fishing trips and the competition over who got the biggest fish! So, no real big family travels and all by car (which was always fun with her brother and her getting along so well.) I know Krista said her friends couldn’t believe her first air travel was when she was in college and flew to Mexico on a mission trip. She had lived a sheltered life back here in the boonies! No wonder she loves Chicago and all of the opportunities!

We made it to Disney World!

I hope that Krista has inherited my good traits and not my bad traits…. Ok, one bad trait that you accuse me of is the worry genes and this is true…. Sorry! Blame my mother (your grandma)!
(See Ashlee -- you should have written this pretending to be me -- I think that was a great idea!!) Krista might have preferred that too!

I love you Krista, and couldn’t ask for a more loving and responsible and happy daughter!

See- your brother does love you!

P.S. See, Krista, I didn’t even mention the temper tantrums at ages 2 & 3 where you just laid down where ever you were to have your fit -- even if it was the doorway to the zoo! Sooo glad that you outgrew that stage!

P.P.S. I will be reading this on your blog, Krista, and comparing and making sure you did not use your right to delete anything I wrote!

*Blog owner's note: I won't deny that I wanted to change some things (apparently I have control issues) but all I changed was the name of MAN VS. WILD because my mom called it "Wild Man." Just had to get that straight. Also I think she forgot to mention that I ALWAYS won the big fish competitions. Or at least once..

When my mom says I couldn't watch friends at my "young tender age" she means jr. high/high school.