Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

Like each of us, I suppose I was many things as a teenager. Awkward, powerful, shy, brave, and all the betweens. Oh, to be able to time travel to myself back then, and impart wisdom to my teenage self.  Everything Teenagers Need to Know Your best friend’s opinion doesn’t matter. Whether it’s about the boy […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Emily - All so true and such good advice…especially the “don’t tan.” I’d add “don’t slather yourself in baby oil” to that list too — ugh, if we only knew how BAD that was! Hope you and your family are well and stay well! xoApril 18, 2020 – 8:57 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - OMG I wish somebody told me “don’t tan” back then. We’re all hanging in there – hope you all are too!April 30, 2020 – 6:50 pmReplyCancel

  • Tamara - ha! I was so pasty in high schooling – no tan on the horizon.
    I wish I had taken a lot of this to heart. I really liked high school, but there are other teen years too, and they’re complicated as well.April 21, 2020 – 6:01 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I liked high school too, at least for the most part. But wow, was some of it so hard.April 30, 2020 – 6:51 pmReplyCancel

  • Adelaide Dupont - “Truly-true-real friends see who you are beyond what you do for them”.

    Finding, making and keeping real friends was a big issue for me as a teenager. And BEING a friend too.

    “Instead, connect with the non-creepy boy who seems shy around you. He probably has hidden gifts and depth beyond your imagination.”

    And when Mr [or Mx!] Non-Creepy shares his imagination and merges it with yours and gives you imaginative space beyond what you previously knew, showed or expressed. That is for a reason; a season and hopefully a lifetime. At least the impact would be.

    “Your perspective will be so much different in five years than now. Also? Five years isn’t as long as you think it is. It seems like a lifetime because when you’re 16 years old, 11 was almost a baby, right? But when you’re 40? 35 seems young, and you’ll miss it. ”

    It was only in 2002 that the long-term perspective came into view.

    I do think in terms of five-year increments and visions, that is true.

    Actually, my 16-year-old self thought my 11-year-old self was very wise.

    “You have zero reason to be insecure, although you’ll feel that way, and feeling what you feel is important. Think about why you feel insecure, and remember that all your friends and all the people in the world are also awkward, powerful, shy, brave, and all the betweens.”

    When I was young I vastly understated the power of insecurity in my life and in other lives – and I certainly did not understand the magnitude or lack thereof.

    FEELING WHAT YOU FEEL IS IMPORTANT. And how important it is not to stuff down feelings – especially if your cultural or subcultural group [the one you’re part of or would like to be part of or see benefits in being part of] does it on the regular. Or your close ones.

    This ties in with raising amazing boys and amazing humans.

    We can all do this. And it is a thing I wish I had known when I was a teenager.

    “When I was fourteen and a little more green – it’s amazing what a couple of years can mean”!April 24, 2020 – 4:48 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Oh had we known then what we know now. But you’re right, we can teach our amazing boys to be amazing humans, and hopefully things like being insecure for no reason will lesson with each generation. Or something like that. Love the merging of imaginations!! Brilliant!April 30, 2020 – 6:53 pmReplyCancel

You’re a time traveler on a mission to travel to your past to be sure that today, you matter. As far as you know, you alone have this crazy-awesome power to change whatever you want in your past and future. You have the ability to go back in time to moments that made you feel […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Tamara - Ugh, that girl. And when people call us ugly, it stays for life. Why is that?? Of course your Grandma was right. And of course you know that someone who calls strangers ugly actually thinks that exact. thing of themselves.
    So many comebacks I’d love to go back in time and finally hurl back!April 4, 2020 – 8:41 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - That girl just sucks. I can’t believe how clearly I still remember it but I guess that’s the point – we remember the cruelties so much more easily than the kind words. xoxo Here’s to comebacks at the moment!April 5, 2020 – 9:12 pmReplyCancel

  • Kenya G. Johnson - I imagine time travel a lot too and it always comes back to me undoing my present which I wouldn’t trade for anything – the present family that is – not what’s happening in the world. Such as undoing insecurties that bloomed in the 9th grade that may have turned me into the introvert that I hadn’t previously been, but I can think of all kinds of ways that being an extrovert might not have been good for me in high school. I’d be a different person. I’d not have been someone who never went out, therefore no one would have set me up on a blind date to meet my husband and I wouldn’t have Christopher. ❤️ I never thought of it like that.April 6, 2020 – 9:12 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Aw that’s a good way to look at it – if you’d gone out more then you wouldn’t have had your blind date…and therefore Christopher. It helps to look at things that way I think rather than wonder how much easier it’d be if you never felt insecure… xoApril 7, 2020 – 1:13 pmReplyCancel

  • Jen M - Omg I don’t know how you do it but thank you.April 7, 2020 – 10:39 pmReplyCancel

It’s March 26, 2020. If I remember the past 24 hours correctly, today’s the first official day of mandatory “sheltering in place” here in Colorado Springs. They announced it yesterday, but I think the orders went into place last night. Or, maybe this morning. Either way, it’s been almost two weeks since schools closed, so […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Dana - Kristi, your words echo so many of my own thoughts, and there’s comfort in knowing that. My family of four has been self-isolating for twelve days now, with once a week trips to the grocery store that do feel a bit like the zombie apocalypse. That mix of kinda normal and not-at-all normal is simply bizarre. Stay safe and healthy, Kristi – wish we were lunching in person. xoxoMarch 27, 2020 – 7:40 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - At least the kids are home, right? Still, I know how weird and unsettling it is to go to the grocery or whatever and it’s total zombie apocalypse looking. I wish we were lunching in person and hope you and yours all stay safe and healthy too! xoMarch 27, 2020 – 7:53 pmReplyCancel

  • Tamara - Sometimes I’m hopeful and the next minute, I’m petrified that things will never be ok again. Even though I know they will. I know it. It still seems like an ordinary day and hugs with friends seem lifetimes away.March 27, 2020 – 9:00 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I know right? It’s crazy. I think it’s worse because nobody – even the smartest experts everywhere don’t really know how long it’ll last, how immune people are if they have had it, UGH. Stay safe and healthy, you. Especially with the sweet little bean on the way! OMG do you know the gender now???March 27, 2020 – 7:58 pmReplyCancel

Life is unrecognizable. Our kids are e-learning and we’re isolated but still go shopping for toilet paper because people who realized this epidemic panic (pandemic, anybody?) would be a thing early on decided toilet paper was the item to stock up on. There’s a lot more missing than just toilet paper, but toilet paper seems […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Lydia - You get what you give
    Ocean man
    Aria from pagliacci
    Dancin in the moonlight
    Cool change
    …
    Stay calm my friend, love youMarch 20, 2020 – 5:16 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Aw, I love you. Also? I have to look up all of these other than Dancing in the Moonlight which is a GREAT choice.March 20, 2020 – 10:14 pmReplyCancel

  • Kenya - Tell Tucker I loved his song, it brightened my morning and it’s a keeper. Was it part of the American Pie Movies? It seemed to give a me flashback. Anyway I’ll find a playlist to add it to. Your first one made me teary eyed because I stopped watching This Is Us pretty much because I’m just too emotional and I don’t like to go there like that with television. A movie I can do because it’s one time. But anyway to hear the the song and see the updates such as Kate’s baby, I was like awwwww. Loved Nina! Of course I knew that one but after I got to that one I put my headphones in so I heard the lyrics better and I was giggling too. Disturbed was AWESOME!!!! My introduction to The Sound of Silence is from the movie The Graduate. Where it is played sooooo many times. I love it though. Here’s some trivia for you if you’re familiar with The Graduate – Benjamin’s dad is the voice of Knight Rider’s Kitt!March 20, 2020 – 7:58 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I’ll tell him 🙂 and he’ll super appreciate it. I have no idea if it was American Pie movies or not but I recognized it too. OMG to This is Us. I cry in every episode but can’t stop even though some of the characters are annoying to me. But Kate and the baby (he’s blind sorry for the spoiler) and him becoming a singer??? OMG. And well, anyway, no more spoilers if you decide to watch.
      I learned Sound of Silence at summer camp, and only watched The Graduate once but holy wow about Knight Rider’s Kit! So cool!
      And yeah, Nina is just amazing, and that song makes me giggle every time too. I wish I was old enough to have been there in person except of course I’m already older than I want to be… but still.March 20, 2020 – 10:18 pmReplyCancel

  • Mardra - Ah yes, this was a great line up! I didn;’t know the Nina song and now my life is better!
    Hahaha.
    Music takes us away from the panic – Yea for that.
    Much love to you and yours <3 – MsMarch 22, 2020 – 1:40 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - OMG that Nina song makes ALL life better, I think. Here’s to the panic at least lessening. Huge love to you and yours, too, friend. xoMarch 22, 2020 – 9:52 pmReplyCancel

  • Tamara - It was definitely a timely topic, wasn’t it? I’m all about the music to take us away right now. I didn’t know that Nina song at all! Shame on me. Well now I have all the time in the world to know it!
    Hang in there. It WILL get better.March 23, 2020 – 1:24 pmReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - That Nina song takes me away every single time. It’s one of my favorites of hers. OMG to hanging in there. I *know* it will get better but wowza. Same to you, mama. <3March 24, 2020 – 10:16 pmReplyCancel

We’ve all heard stories about wishes coming true leading to misfortune and doom. But what if we wish for something to happen in the future? If there’s no monkey’s paw involved, we can at least hope, right? This week’s Finish the Sentence Friday prompt is “If I could have a conversation with anybody, it’d be…” […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Emily - Seeing your illustration of you as a Grandma in the Metallica t-shirt just made my day. 🙂March 6, 2020 – 12:17 pmReplyCancel

  • Tamara - I love what you did with this prompt so much! And hey maybe you’ll be nearly 101 on his 60th. You never really know! Keep getting that good Colorado fresh air.March 8, 2020 – 5:02 pmReplyCancel

  • Twindaddy - If I could have one wish it would be this: I’ve already seen two of my boys grown. I just want to make it to see the third.March 10, 2020 – 5:24 amReplyCancel

  • Lydia - Hmmm…i love your wish!!!! Although its very Miss America and cliche, I really would love the world to chill the eff out. I wouldn’t wish just for peace cuz that could happen under a dictatorship but peace the way I know people of concience envision it.March 26, 2020 – 1:16 amReplyCancel

  • Lydia - Geeze I totally meant to say….now that my kid is an adult ….that you have made the right wish! Tucker reminds me sooo much of my guy and I gotta say they are both two of my favorites (then and now) .I would give my wish to you just for this one to come true ….you will get there metalicca gramma!!!March 26, 2020 – 1:22 amReplyCancel

There’s power and danger in asking “What if?” More danger than power I think, although power comes with knowing we can’t take back past decisions. Power’s gained in growing through choices we regret and found in adapting to a normal we never imagined.  Tonight’s post is a re-write of Life’s Turning Points, a post I […]

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by Kristi Campbell

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  • Mardra - I love every word of this – but I love the most: “Only by changing today are we able to change tomorrow.”
    So much.
    You’re awesome.February 28, 2020 – 10:21 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - I think that’s a reminder as much for myself as for anybody reading – I need to remember that all the time. You’re awesome.March 1, 2020 – 10:21 amReplyCancel

  • Tamara - OMG I love how we have similar themes here of “would we still be ourselves..”
    I mean.. it boggles the mind.
    I want to share what my mom wrote in response to my post which was pretty similar to yours, but was referencing when Scarlet asked me what my life would be like had my father never passed. Would I be me?

    “This could be a great intro into the theory of alternate realities. What I can glean from all of this and from watching you live your life is that your indomitable spirit would be the force of nature that you are in any scenario. I think you’re a warrior in this life and in any parallel lives you may be living .

    I always have imagined a world for us where dad didn’t die. I call it our through the looking glass life. I see it through that dining /living room wall where you and a Lindsay stand in that Halloween photo. As the years go by, I watch those people negotiate their perfect lives. But this human experience we share is what I treasure, watching you girls impact this world with your love and fortitude.”February 28, 2020 – 11:07 amReplyCancel

    • Kristi Campbell - Wow, I love love love what your mom said. So much. And I also love what similar themes we have of “would I still be me?” I wonder about that a lot. I mean, of course, we’d still be us, but how would that look in a different life completely, you know? Would we feel the same?March 1, 2020 – 10:23 amReplyCancel

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