The Opposite of Ordinary.

Typical; Common; Predictable; Generic; Normal;   O r d i n a r y .

Since I can remember, I've never once used any of these words to describe my life or the events that happen in it.

Falling in love was one of those events.
And this is why it was the Opposite of Ordinary.

HOW WE MET: 

It was the first weekend of fall semester.
I was situated into my apartment and reunited with my soulmate; Madi Streeter.
That night we decided that since we were the only one's home, we were going to have a 90's dance party. By ourselves.

As the 90's tunes of Destiny's Child, Will Smith and Shaggy blared over our incredibly pathetic sound system, we became more and more out of control. Naturally.

Then without notice there stood 6 handsome boys standing inside of my family room, which I, in that exact moment, just so happened to be using as a dance floor to execute some dance moves that were not designed for the public eye.

However, because I decided that night to not have any fear, I did not execute the normal thing to do... but I instead kept going.

The dance moves I pulled out that night may never be reincarnated again.

Exhibit A: The butterfly, chicken thrust. Feel free to use your i m a g i n a t i o n on what that actually looks like.

Exhibit A 

Anyways, in the midst of these impeccably brilliant moves, my eyes shot up and locked themselves to another pair of hopelessly cute; glossed over eyeballs; that actually made me stop and think for one second "He must be so impressed right now". (later I came to realize how bad of a judgement call that was). 

I instinctively walked over to this mysterious quiet creature that was somewhat hiding in the corner, and stuck out my hand and said: 

"HEY! I'M KAYLEY! WHATS YOUR NAME!?" 

He said:

 "Tanner."

Oh. 

(yes, so profound, I know.. Can't you just see the fireworks?!) 

We both stood there a little a LOT awkwardly and then I did the only thing that felt natural at the time... I went back to dancing. 

Within 20 seconds I looked back up to find that this "Tanner" boy I had just met, was gone. 

Side note: come to find out later, he was literally scared of me and that is why he left my apartment. Apparently being 'fresh off the mish' will do that to ya. 

There are 2 things we can inference from this occasion: 

1. I've never been good at first impressions (even when they involve my dancing.. crazy I know.) 

2. It was not love at first sight. (for him anyways!)

However, since that moment I was determined to find out who that boy was. 

Because knowing how my life works...

it's the things that are the Opposite of Ordinary, that are worth keepin around. 

And I was set on keeping it that way. 

Since Last Time...

Since the Last Time I Blogged:

I moved home from living in New York, I moved to Idaho to start my J u n i o r year, I met a boy, I got a job at the Health center on campus, my BEST friend graduated college, my BEST friend that graduated c o l l e g e left me and moved to hawaii, I finished my fall semester, I had an amazing christmas break, I got an Ipad, I ate a lot of muddy buddies, Pitch Perfect became my new favorite movie, I fell in love and ohhhh yeah.... I GOT ENGAGED.

A lot can happen when you unconsciously decide to boycot blogging. (or you just become lazy).
Either way you look at it, there's a lot to catch up on.
I don't even know where to start.

So I'll start with the love of my life.




Muddy Buddies.



.....Naturally.

And that's how I feel about that. 

NY Nanny Diaries: Meet Madeline!

So enough about how it happened.... Without further adue: 

Meet The Girls! 

~Madeline~ 

7 Years old 

Likes:

-Star Wars Legos

-The Color Blue

-Anything that shoots 

-Vanilla Ice Cream

-Playing Tag

-Drawing 

-Swimming 

-Football aka The Jets! (Obsessed)

-Playing with the 'boys'

-Pretending to be a Superstar

-Bagel Bites 

-Disney Channel 

-Bubble Baths

-Smoothies

-Phineas and Ferb 

-Torturing her cat 'Willow'

-Hot Dogs

-Water with Ice

-Sliced or Peeled Apples

-Dancing 

-Playing on her D.S. and Ipod Touch

-Playing 'Masseuse" and giving Kayley back massages :)

-Presents 

Dislikes: 

-Anything Pink

-Putting things away 

-Eating at the dinner table 

-Taking showers 

-When her hair gets tangled 

-Spicy Food

-'Little Kid' Things (she's an adult now) 

-Anyone who doesn't like the Jets 

-Dolls 

-When her little sister whines 

-Grocery Shopping

-Taking Naps 

-Chores

Madeline. Aka: Maddy. MadDog. Mads. Mad-el-oo. Madsy. 

When I first arrived, Maddy was a lot more shy than her sister. She was a little hesitant and afraid to talk to me. But the moment I told them I had presents for them, she came running over and that's when I realized the shyness is just an act! It's true. Even the smallest present is the way to her heart... smart girl!  Maddy is my buddy. She's old enough to have a legitimate conversation with me that doesn't revolve around Beauty and the Beast or tea parties. 

She is extremely active and more busy than any other 7 year old I know! Just in the past 6 months she has participated in: Tae Kwon Do, Lacrosse, Golf, Multiple Clubs at school and most recently: Swim team.

 This was her first year participating in the Country Club's Swim Team and it was an adventure to say the least. I took her to practice every morning and the anticipation of the first swim meet kept growing more and more, till finally it was time. I think I was more nervous than she was! 

This was Maddy's First Swim Meet! 

Right before her turn to swim, she ran over to me very nervous... almost in a panic. I told her that I would be watching the entire time and all she needed to do was pretend like it was practice and no matter what I would be proud of her! She gave me a hug (this is rare) and ran back to her position. I told her to look for me at the end of her lane before she swims. 

She got on the block. 

She looked at me. 

I gave her a thumbs up. 

She gave one back.

She took her position.

Gun Fires.

Before I knew it she was reaching for the wall and the race was over.

FIRST PLACE! 

I was so proud. 

She got up out of the pool.

I gave her a huge hug.

I told her she won.

She smiled and said "Duh", ripped off her cap and skipped away to her friends. 

So humble. ;) 

Every swim meet after that, the same routine played over and over again.

She improved her time almost every meet consistently and each time the race started with a thumbs up. 

She's quite the little fish. 

Mads Sportin the Friendship Bracelet I Made Her

Mads and her bestie "Louise" with their signs for the Swim Invitational.
Go Westchester Hill!

Here's her very first, 1st Place Ribbon :)

For the Swim Invitational, I painted this on the entire Swim Team's Backs.
They Loved It! Haha

Madeline also loves to sing and dance. Although, she'll never admit it. This video was an attempt to catch her singing to "Super Bass" in the car when she was listening to her Ipod Touch. Although you can't really hear her singing, the best part is when she catches me taping her. I don't know if she was more embarrassed that I caught her singing, or that I caught her wearing pink sparkly glasses ;) This gives you a good idea of the fun times we have together :) Whatta little sass! 

Always building something! 

Mads with her Golf Buddies! 

MadDog And "KK" 4Eva :)

Madeline is adventurous, protective, caring, athletic, curious, competitive, sassy and forever my little best friend :) 

N.Y. Nanny Diary: How it Happened Part 3

The moment I got woken up by the flight attendant proudly stating "Welcome to New York City! Please remain in your seat with seatbelts fastened, trey tables and seats in their upright position for landing", my stomach began to turn. I was nervous. 

As I stepped off the plane, a couple things were about to change... immediately.
1. Sucker is now Lollipop
2. The word "heck" is not cool.
3. Pop is now Soda
4. The F word can be used very casually in any given conversation at any given place.
5. My fit summer body by NY Pizza. (this is the only excuse to become fat. its that good.)
6. Because of Humidity- the air is now tangible.
7. Purse is now 'Pocketbook' (so weird. like, what even really is a pocketbook??)
8. Looking like you're constantly in a hurry is popular and attractive.
9. Casually having barbie shoes, princess lipgloss and legos fall out of your purse while looking for your keys on a date is normal.
10. I was about to become cooler according to the "You are cool if you can say you live in New York" book.

My parents called me the moment I landed- psychics or professional stalkers, you decide. 
I was trying to hold back tears as I waited for my luggage to arrive- not really sure if it was the complete exhaustion that had overcome me from getting no sleep the night before traveling across the country, or if it was nerves, or if it was because I witnessed a U.S. Marine come home only to his 90 year old grandmother who was waiting in her wheelchair with a sign that read "Welcome Home, Kid!" in frail handwriting.

Or maybe it was a mixture of it all. 

For whatever reason it was, I was overwhelmed with all types of emotions and talking to my parents was the last thing that was going to calm me down at this point because I really didn't want to scream out the only thing I wanted to say which was "I want to go HOME!"

So I let them know I was safe and hurried them off the line.
Well.
After my dad gave me very detailed instructions on what to say/do/avoid to not get abducted.

I had a few minutes between the time I got my luggage to the time that my boss pulled up to pick me up. During these few moments, I sat outside on a concrete, graffiti infested bench with my two overly stuffed suitcases and took a couple deep breaths of the thick, almost cotton candy like textured air that instead smelt like a homeless person drenched in a bottle of rum and moldy feet and thought....

I'm home. 

Side note; It wasn't until I turned around to find "Jay" (a 50-something year old homeless man) that I realized the air didn't actually smell like that- it was just him that did. 

I was calm, collected and ready to meet my boss.

Once I saw the X-5 BMW s.u.v. pull up with the description I was given did the butterflies come back.
A blonde, well dressed, woman jumped out of the front seat in heels and approached me with a warm smile and greeting. She immediately looked down at all my luggage and back up at me.

This was the moment I immediately regretted majority of the things I had packed.

She chuckled and we both, as a team, began the process of hailing my luggage into the trunk.

On the way to the house, she explained to me everything I needed to know.
Only problem: Once we reached the home, I couldn't recall more than, Don't feed Gwenie Peanut Butter and Don't be frightened by our huge dogs. 
Solid.

When we pulled up to the home, I got really excited.
The outside looked like a cobblestone cottage- except big.
There is a long, crooked, narrow driveway leading up a hill to the home.
The landscape in perfect condition.
Once we parked at the top of the driveway I looked up to notice two huge doberman dogs staring down at me as if to say: Enter at your own risk- no sign needed.

After walking in the door, i noticed we were on the 1st floor. My bedroom was on the 2nd floor.
And the only thing keeping me from my bedroom was a steep flight of stairs that immediately made me regret the amount of luggage I packed- For a second time. Great.

After another hail up the stairs, I heard little feet patting down the stairs in a dead sprint.
These footsteps eventually sped right into my legs and before I knew it, two little arms were wrapped around my thighs.
When I looked down, two big, green, beautiful eyes looked up at me and before I could say a single word she blurted out--
"Want to have a Tea Party with me!?"

I love tea parties.
This was fate.
And so began the summer of many tea parties.

When those little arms were wrapped around me, all I could think was:

Cheers New York..... Thanks for welcoming me to my new home! 

N.Y. Nanny Diary: How it Happened Part 2

I've always said I was a 'spontaneous' person.
What does that even mean?

To me it use to mean:

Hi, I'm outgoing and occasionally do things others typically don't because they have self respect.

Well.

To me it now means:

Packing up and moving across the country, not knowing one single soul, within less than a weeks notice.

Tuesday, May 22nd-Friday, May 25th: 


At the beginning of packing, I was calm and collected.
-I had been to New York a couple times before on vacation- so that made me an expert. 
-I'm great at making friends, so I won't be lonely. 
-Kids love me, so being a full time, live-in nanny will be a walk in the park. 
-I'm not scared. 


Little did I know as I nonchalantly did my 'draft' for what I was going to fit squeeze in my two suitcases, that I was wrong about every statement.

These days also consisted of more questions, expressed concerns and self defense lessons from my parents. Like I said, they really really really love me.


Saturday, May 26th: 


I woke up sick to my stomach. 
Was I REALLY leaving tomorrow?

Although I tried hiding it, I was T E R R I F I E D.
The entire day I was in a weird state of mind.
I was excited. 
I was sad. 
I was anxious. 
I was nervous.
I was happy.
I was scared to the bone. 


My mom put together a little family 'going away' party for me which included a BBQ aka: tons of food and people I love.

Everyone was asking how I was feeling. Naturally.
You can see from just a little list of how I was feeling that it was a little difficult to respond to that.
But I didn't want anyone to know how scared I was.

I could hardly eat.
That's when you know, people! That's when you know something is wrong!

I am so attached to my family and even though I'm making it sound like I was leaving for a 6-year trip to Afghanistan on the front lines of war- It was hard seeing them knowing that tomorrow I was not just leaving them, but I was leaving them and going really far away. To a place I didn't really know. To a place where I didn't know anyone. To ultimately live with strangers. 


Sunday, May 27th: 


Today was the day. 
Today I was doing something truly spontaneous. 
Was I ready? 
Didn't matter now.

As I gathered my completely, overpacked suitcases, travel goodies (an absolute need), my backpack and travel blankie (another necessity), I turned off my bedroom light and headed downstairs.
My house was pretty silent.
My parents were waiting downstairs and I was practically shaking- even though I tried to look like I was such an adult.

We said a prayer. Packed the car. and off we were to the airport. But not before my dad handed me two papers stapled together that included addresses and phone numbers of church leaders that would live near me and other tips and advice he had found on the internet about being a nanny in New York. My dad really is the man. And although I acted like I was annoyed, I mean I got this, right? wrong. It made me feel a little more at ease and I am very grateful for his protection.

The moment we pulled away from my driveway, tears started gracefully viciously releasing themselves.
My dad turned down the radio.
Here comes the speech...
I won't go into detail about what said, but basically it included tips on how to spot a predator, how to not get mugged and basically how to survive any type of attack that might even be slightly impossible to physically occur to me.

Nonetheless, I was still grateful and listened patiently. 


He had very detailed instructions of what I was suppose to do when I arrived at the airport and before I was to get into a car with the people (aka my employers) that were going to pick me up. The directions may or may not have included taking a picture of the license plate and sending it to him with a description of the car before I got in.

Oh yes. I can see it now: 
"Hello new boses. Let me make a great impression really fast and take a picture of your license plate and send it to my dad so he can stalk us from some sort of creepy, satellite program he probably installed on his computer to track our every move before I can get in.."
Totally happening. 


Although that direction was a little far fetched, I was grateful knowing that I had such a loving father who cared for me so much. I told you, he straight up secretly works for the C.I.A. 


Before I knew it, we were at the airport. 

I wiped away the tears and grabbed my things.
My dad waited in the car and my mom decided she wanted to walk me in and help me check-in.
Good thing she did, because my bags may or may not have both been overweight, causing me to do some much important contemplation in deciding what to let her take back home with her.
I guess I didn't really need 7 pairs of wedges, right? 
Yeah. 6 should be enough.

Anyways, so after that fiasco, I was checked in and the only thing left was to.... wait! where's my travel blankie?? It was still in the truck! Great.
Like I said, that was a necessity. 


So we headed back outside the airport where my dad pulled up.
He totally thought I had backed out. PSSYYCCHH. I need my blankie.
Priorities, people!

So after saying another goodbye to my dad, it was time to say goodbye to my best friend.
Mommy dearest.
(The thought of that moment is actually making me sick thinking about it, even two months later... Going to war in Afghanistan or just moving away for the summer- saying goodbye to my mom has and always will be the hardest thing I do)

She had already started crying and I knew I was a goner.
I squeezed her as hard as I could.
What if something really DOES happen to me and I never see her again?? 
My dad's lectures were really starting to set in. 
It was as dramatic as I'm making it sound. Gag if you want. But this is raw emotion right here.

Eventually I had to peel myself off of her and just walk away.

By the time I got to security- I was a MESS.
I'm pretty sure every security guard had their eye on me and even the person who checked my boarding pass and I.D. looked at it a couple times while looking back up at my swollen, wet eyeballs.
Yes lady, I'm not dying. 
No lady, I'm not loaded with explosives. 
Yes lady, I just miss my mom.


Once I got on the plane, I sat down, threw my travel blankie over me (yes, it deserves this much attention), and laid my head against the window.

"Good Morning passengers of Flight 176- Direct flight to New York City. Please sit with your seatbelt fastened and chairs in their up right position for take off" 


This was it.
No turning back now...

Time to be Spontaneous.

Bring. It. On. 

N.Y. Nanny Diary: How it Happened Part 1

Okay, so usually I'm a promise keeper.
But when I promised several people before I left for NYC that I'd blog about all my experiences, I had no idea what it would be like out here.
and in one word that would be: Busy. 


So here I am, using time as an excuse. So typical right? 
But fo' reals.
Since I have procrastinated so long, and there is much to this, I'm going to break it up into parts (I know, I know, you won't be able to sleep until the next post... the anticipation..Humor me.. )

Read on and you'll see that the word "busy" has taken on a new meaning for me when I became a "mother" of two girls-practically overnight.

Here's how it happened. 

Wednesday, May 16th: 


I had been home from school for about a month. I had just gotten my closet completely organized and I was settled. I was just working a casual 25 hrs a week and spending the rest of my time partying every night and doing really fun things .... orrrrr I might have been hanging out with my mom, going to the gym and organizing my closet...every day. Basically I had no idea how I was going to make it through 6 months of summer in the 'couve. I mean my mom is the coolest person I know, but only so much of my social life can be revolved around hurrying home from the gym so I can eat peanut butter out of the jar while watching American Idol and The Bachelorette with the woman who birthed me... right? 

We've been chillin since day one.

So anyways, it was just a typical Wednesday and I was actually at Seaside (the beach a place people from WA and OR like to call a beach) with some friends. I get a Facebook message from a friend I knew from school.
The message:

"Hey Kayley, 

How are you? Youre not at school this semester, are you?

I know this is random, but the family I used to nanny for in New York is looking for a Summer nanny starting in about 2 weeks, and I was wondering if you might be interested. I'm not sure what you've got going on now, but I thought I'd ask. 

They need someone until either the end of July or end of August-- whichever works best for you. They have 2 girls-- a 7 year old and a 4 year old. They spend the Summers at the country club, literally all day long. All expenses will be paid for, plus a nice salary. 

Let me know if you'd be interested and I can tell you more about it. 

Thanks" 

I could literally feel my heart jump. Who wouldn't respond to a message like that?? For some reason, I knew I was going the moment I read this message. Weird feeling.

After much messaging back and forth, the entire road trip back to home from the "beach", I was just thinking how I was going to convince my mom that I was going to move to NewYork in one week, and have her actually believe me.

I mean come on, it's like some unwritten rule:
When someone messages you and asks you to move to NY, expenses paid- YOU GO. 

Thursday, May 17th: 

I was tired. I had stayed up all night the night before thinking about my new life in New York.
Only problem: Hadn't told anyone I was going yet... I mean I'm 20 now (huge deal, okay? I hadn't been a teenager for exactly a month, it was time I did something that only grown ups do... make big, life changing decisions!)

... Do I really need permission? NO. Yes. Because my mom (if you couldn't tell) is my bestie and permission to me, is like support. and if my mom doesn't support something I want to do, it's usually for good reason and typically every time she is right.

So I planned out all day how I was going to break the news to her. 

She comes home from work. 

Play it cool, and stick to the plan. 

Me: "Mom, I'm moving to New York". Whoops. Crap. Not the plan. 

Mom: "Haha, Oh yeah? When?"

Me: "Next week..."

Mom: "Um why?"

Me: "To be a nanny..."

Mom: "Excuse me? Are you serious?"

Shoot. Telling her I was serious was suppose to be the first part of the plan. 

Me: "I think so...."
*Cue a night spent mostly of her asking me a million questions about the job, area, people, pay, environment, living situation, everything.* 

I just sat patiently and tried coming up with clever answers to give her no reason to not support me.. in-between bites of peanut butter and only during commercial breaks. It was Wednesday. American Idol. Hellloooo.

She was shocked and a little confused how this could all just happen so fast, but mostly skeptical.. I wouldn't actually go...right? 

Little did I know, her support was going to come a lot easier than from what I was about to learn, is the Protector of A L L protectors. Straight up, I'm now convinced he's worked for the C.I.A. and that the movie "Taken" was actually based on what my dad would do if something happened to me. Liam Neeson Mark Christensen himself. Aka: Daddy.

I mean come on, with a face like that, who wouldn't be intimidated??

Friday, May 18th: 
Today consisted mostly of my dad staring deep into my soul asking me every question that my mom had already asked me, plus a million more. He's a creative man, with a creative mind and he was determined to ask me as many questions as possible. Love this man. and it was very apparent that he REALLY loved me too.

I was flattered at first. 
"Aww they don't want me to leave!"


But in reality it was more of:
Ohhh... They don't want me to be abducted, kidnapped, shipped to China, forced into some drug cartel and become the latest story on 20/20. 


Understandable.

But for some reason, confidence grew stronger with every question I was asked, I was going. 


After a lot of prayer and more contemplation, I was ready to accept the job!

I received a call this day from the Mother. My potential "boss".
She did a phone interview and I was ready to tell her that I wanted to go.
The interview went well and she told me she had one other girl she was interested in and that she would let me know. It was very hard, especially after talking to her, not to get my hopes up.
I wanted to go SO bad. 


Monday, May 21st: 
I woke up anxious and throughout the whole day, I checked my phone probably 500,000,000,000 times. (I dont even know what number that is, but I'm sure it was at least that many).
The evening came and I hadn't heard anything.
I think my mom was secretly happy. It was very obvious that although she knew it would be a great opportunity, she really really really didn't want me to leave her.

Then it happened. 
It was 7pm and I was at the gym. 
I had given up all hope of receiving a phone call and I was on Mile 3 on the treadmill.
Phone starts buzzing.
Great. Timing.
I jump off the treadmill as fast as I possibly could and run to the nearest corner.
I take a couple big breaths to make it seem like I wasn't just running 3 miles, and then i answered.
I got the job! 
I was MOVING TO NEW YORK.......SUNDAY. 
Wait. That's like 6 days from now... I have to start packing! 


When I got back home and told my parents the news, they weren't really surprised but I knew the questions and researching and stalking- would not stop until I was gone. And even then it would probably continue. But as the days went on during that week, i was okay with it.

Because truth is: Every single day that went by, the more scared I got.

Footprints.

Yup. It's true. I'm an aunty x's 2!

(Okay, that was not suppose to rhyme..no but really.)

That's right! My brother Kyle and his wife Katie had their precious, new born son Max August Christensen on 4.3.2012 at 3:45am weighing in at 8 pounds 4 ounces! 

Yes. The hair is real. 

No. It is not a wig. 

I was able to go to Utah on my way home from school to be able to see the little bug a couple days after he was born. I have come to conclusion that I am officially obsessed with babies. There. I said it. 

It is a risky statement to make when you already have many stereotypes flyin at you for being Mormon, but I had to say it. I've got many years till I have my own, so until then, I'll just obsess over these bundles of joy's that others around me bring into this world :) 

What a stud muffin!

Max could not have 2 better parents to raise him in complete support and love. 

Plus I heard he has a really cool aunt ;) 

Maybe I obsess over the birth of a new baby because it brings families together, celebrating this perfect being that just entered earth. Maybe it's the way they snuggle to you, with no care in the world and a heart full of pure love. Although these things are true, I think the reason why I obsess is because when I hold that newborn for the first time, all I think about is their journey they just now started. What will he do for a career? What will he love to do? What is he going to bring to the world? Although these are deep questions to ask while holding a day old baby (I know. A little psycho), it helps me reflect on my own life. Where I am headed? What are my goals? What are my priorities? 

Max has already brought our family closer together and through a little medical emergency, he has already changed lives and has already left quite the footprint.

I like to think that while on this journey on earth, through choices we make, each of us leaves a footprint in the path that we are creating. Through mistakes, good times, and the bad, we are not only taking with us the lessons that have been learned and memories that have been created, but we are leaving behind our footprint for not only us to reflect on, but for others to see. 

I like to see this as not a negative thing, but as a positive way to remember that although you may not be a celebrity or a powerful politician, or the Dr. who finds the cure for cancer, but each of us, even sweet, innocent, new born babies, are all leaving footprints that one way or the other affects and changes lives around us without us even realizing it. I like to think that when my time on earth (hopefully a while from now!) is done and I'm up in Heaven (fingers crossed ;)) that I will be able to look down and see my footprints and where I placed them and where they might've helped someone. I want my footprints heading toward my goals and dreams and aspirations. Whether you fail or have to take many steps to get there, it's the direction you're heading that actually matters. 

 I think if we could realize that we are ALL on this earth, partaking in the SAME journey, just in a DIFFERENT route, then the world would be a little more calm and a lot more loving. 

Where are your footprints headed?