Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me.....
Ok, so I don't post a whole lot about my actual day to day life here. I stick to mainly quilty and stitchy stuff. But there is actually a real person behind all the pictures of fabric, thread and yarn. A person with a husband, three children, a cat, a dog, a job and a business.
This is me. Yes I'm eating ice cream at Ghirardelli's in San Francisco. I do that a lot. The ice cream eating, I mean, not the San Francisco part, although I'd love to go back soon.
I've been married for 16 years. Well, we did have a nearly two year separation, but we managed to keep it together and now things are better than they ever were. My husband runs a trucking company and I "get" to do all the daily bookkeeping type stuff. Not the kind of work I enjoy, at all. I don't complain about it much one little bit though. My husband works very hard to provide for us and give us all we want need.
The three children in my life are growing up too quickly. The oldest is going to be 16 next week. *deep breath* he's 6 feet tall, facial hair, manly stuff going on *breathe out* Middle child is 13 and has just passed me in height, making him about 5'7". I'm feeling pretty little in the house these days, surrounded by these giant boys and their equally large friends. My youngest is a very special kid. She's 10 and all girl. She has a very rare chromosomal deletion. Rare as in 700 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the same thing. It's known as 22q13 in medical terms, but it also has a name, Phelan McDermid Syndrome It's a bit like autism in many ways. Repetition and schedules are our friends and when things get out of sync, it's very overwhelming for her. Many children who have Phelan McDermid Syndrome never speak. Let me tell you, that is NOT the case in our house. This girl never STOPS talking. Sometimes I wonder if we'd be luckier if it were the other way. I'm kidding of course. She started talking when she was 5 and it felt like such a blessing to us. Not only to hear what her sweet little voice sounded like, but because she could actually tell us things she needed. Like more cookies. Or a hug. Or for us to buy her bigger shoes because her toes were squished. That last one may or may not have happened quite recently.....
As for me? I work part time as a pastry chef. I went to culinary school just a few years ago while my husband and I were separated. It was what I always wanted to do, so I did it. Now I have a job I love and going to work doesn't feel like work. The only way it could get any better was if they paid me $50/hr and gave me fabric as a bonus.
Now it's your turn. Tell me something I don't know about you.
I think it's wonderful that you became a pastry chef. That's something I've always secretly wanted to do too. I didn't know about your daughter, I bet she is a blessing in ways you never expected. I can't believe how rare that is though, those are incredible odds. She sounds like a really special soul. My brother has Downs Syndrome so I can understand how things need to be scheduled and adjusted in certain ways to work out, or just to communicate. He's 31 now and living in a group home in San Jose and loves being mostly independent. I'm hoping we'll be able to move to California after my husband's done with school so we can see Peter (my brother) more often.
ReplyDeleteI love posts like this. Thanks for sharing more about you, it's nice to know what's behind all the creativity and awesome projects!
Katie, it was so great to learn more about you. I'm always amazed the small revelations I get at times about the people out here in blogland...I find out what people are dealing with in their daily lives, and all the time I had no idea. Your words about your daughter made me happy and teary at the same time. You are so blessed to have her.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have been married for six years after first meeting on eharmony (yes, we're one of those success stories). Almost four years ago, we outgrew our rental and decided to buy a home with my parents...a very good decision for all of us. Most people would go nuts living with their parents, but we have a lot of fun with it. We have three little girls who are 5, almost 3, and 1 1/2. My dad is a pastor, my mom is his secretary, and my husband teaches seventh grade history. I was a fifth grade teacher for nine years, an assistant principal for one year, and am now a full time mom since we had our second daughter. These early motherhood years have definitely been intense, but I'm still thankful to be home with the kids. I started sewing last fall and blogging last December; I think both have saved my sanity, what little there is left of it most days. In any case, I'm terribly thankful for the encouragement I've found through people like you who keep me smiling. Thanks, friend!
it's so good to learn more about you :) my husband and i were just married this past january, and we have two lovely girls that i'm sure you've read about ;) we live in ohio, but i grew up in eastern pennsylvania where we're actually headed next week to visit my grandparents during spring break. btw, i've been thinking about your hexies. good project for an eight hour drive, i think!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post...I love learning about the lives behind one's blog. Not sure what I can share back...other than my DH and I met when I was barely 16, but life and a big ocean kept us apart and we married and divorced different people before we picked up where we left off when I was 30.... :o) That's how I ended up in the UK.
ReplyDeleteKatie how precious are these tidbits! Love getting to know you. Secretly I wish I was a country and western singer ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to echo the sentiments above that I love learning more about people, knowing they're real people. Because even though everyone knows that, it's kind of like reading about characters in books...you have your own idea of what they're like, and they become more defined the further you get through the book.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, my tidbit...just before I turned 18 the restaurant I was working at was robbed and I was held on my stomach on the floor for 30 minutes with a gun at my head. Every now and then I think about it and appreciate everything that I can do since I made it out alive! :)
Thanks for sharing your story with us! Love getting to know you a bit more. :)
ReplyDeleteMan...what is interesting about me...no clue! But I will share that my hubby and I started dating 15 years ago this year and will be married for 11 in September! I used to be a pilates instructor before having kids...and I love to travel...I'm a beach girl at heart! Um...I'm sure there is something way more exciting but I just can't think of anything. :)
It was so fun getting to know you and your family a bit better, Katie. I love your sense of humour! I'm not sure what else is all that interesting about me that hasn't been shared on my blog or the TNTN profile. Although I'm not a speed reader, I can read fiction crazy fast. And I'm double jointed in both thumbs, which may be why I can pin baste with one hand (I never thought it was anything odd until a quilt teacher I had saw me do it and seemed amazed). How's that for a couple of odd tidbits? :)
ReplyDeletehi Kati,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through your comment on Rachel's (Stitched in Color) blog about her upcoming handstitched class.
I'm a mom of 3 kiddos. (5-year-old boy/girl twins and one very special 8-year-old boy who, like your daughter, also has a chromosomal abnormality). He has a trisomy of the 5th chromo attached to the 7th, and a partial deletion of his 7th. So it's rare (there is noone else on record, anyway that has the exact same abnormality), and there is no name to his disorder. He is non-verbal and low-functioning but can run and play and is such a happy guy. In fact, as I write this, he is in his hospital bed recovering from his 4th open heart surgery that was perfromed this morning. He's doing great; better than they expected and should be released in 4-6 days. ANway, while he's resting I'm online catching up on reading my favorite blogs and happened to come across yours! I look forward to reading more of yours and I'm so happy to see that you'll also be at the sewing Summit. me too, woohoo. It'll be so nice to meet you!
I'll be wearing a nametag that says "Piggybaby"
Oh, and I love to sew and all that good stuff too ;)
Jen