Hey Friends!
Firstly, I just want to thank each and every one of you who reached out about my book, purchased a copy, joined the email list, and/or sent videos and pictures of a little friend reading my book. You have no idea how much I appreciate the support! Thank you.
Putting Katie the Caiman out into the world has been exciting, but also nerve-wracking and scary. I was attempting to express how it feels to a friend, and I explained that writing has always been something that brings me great joy. When I share my blog, I don't feel obligated to entertain or produce some amazing literary piece. Also, I've never really considered that anyone would critique my blog. I mean...you could...but it's my personal thoughts and feelings and you're not paying for it. It's always felt safe to me.
The book, on the other hand, is open to critique. What if the critique takes away all the joy that I get from writing? But...what if sharing my writing exponentially increases the joy? I'm still learning how to be an "author," which feels weird. When people congratulate me on writing a children's book, I find myself diminishing the project by saying, "Oh is just wrote a little story and self-published." I'm learning to be more proud, confident, and excited about sharing my work.
Fun aside: Check out a snapshot of my vision board from March 2025. In tiny type under the fish...😊
I have been sharing Katie with many little friends on the island, as well as talking to organizations such as LIFE (Literacy Is For Everyone) about forming some partnerships. Katie the Caiman is now available on the islands' most beloved bookstore, "Book Nook." So, it's all very cool. I'm learning so much (ensure the environment and number of children is conducive to a reading!!!!) and really trying to stay present, focusing on all of the love that Katie and I are receiving.
I really don't want this blogpost to be a whole book promotion. However, I just want to remind everyone of the free resources on www.kirstielindsaybooks.com. As a clinician, I'm always looking for activities to accompany books - activities that I can grab and use for multiple levels and year groups. I really hope that teachers and clinicians will take a look at the resources and see the value in them. I also know that parents don't have time to download and print things, so I hope that they will appreciate the "on the go" section to help their children with these skills. I put a lot of thought and energy into this, and I know how useful these will be. So please share and check it out. *plug complete*
But you guys...the videos! At the risk of sounding vain, I honestly overestimated my attractiveness! Ha! I'm not fishing for compliments here, honestly, I just re-watched my videos and focused on the asymmetry of my facial features, the shade of charcoal under my eyes, and my high screechy voice. Ugh! Even Evan was like, "You know, you don't really look like that in real life." One friend suggested a ring light and I was like, "I AM using one! AAAGHHH!" 😬. It took me about 20 takes to accept that this is "video Kirstie," and the purpose of these videos to help children. HELP THE CHILDREN, Kirstie, and stop focusing on your appearance! But seriously, isn't watching yourself age tough?? I'm always grateful that I GET TO age, but the realization can be jarring.
Overall, other than the fact that I'm older and less attractive than I thought 😕, I feel like I'm in a really good place!
My dad was here before Christmas, and we spent some really nice days together catching up. I see dad every summer at the lake, but it felt really good to host him and show him how we spend our time in Cayman. He hadn't been here in 11 years, so a lot has changed! (We now have enough money to buy happy hour food instead of finding the one place on island that supplied free appies with drinks! Haha). I know that my dad really enjoyed it and I'm so happy that he's healthy and living his best life in Mexico for the winter.
My mom and I had an incredible mother/daughter trip to Vegas! We saw the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere - which was mind-blowing! If you ever have an opportunity to go to the Sphere - do it. Unreal. Full disclosure, mom and I are NOT Vegas fans. We don't gamble and hate crowds, so when we arrived to packed streets (so many strollers! who knew?), we changed our plans and focused on a few exhibits and many cocktail lounges. We stayed at the VERY Vegas-y "Westin" off the strip, which was absolutely our vibe😂. I am so happy that mom and I were able to spend quality time that didn't revolve around a surgery. I also owe mom for all her book editing hours! :)
Interestingly, with all of this positivity around me right now, I began experiencing the horrible surgery nightmares that have come and gone for the past few years. I notice that they increase in frequency when I'm experiencing pain. I've mentioned them before, but basically, every dream revolves around me in the operating room experiencing something so horrific that I wake up in the middle of a panic attack. I've learned to manage the aftermath by sniffing lavender, taking a drink of ice water, reading, and petting Dilbert (he has actually woken me up from my nightmare on a few occasions!) But, c'mon, the last month has been extreme, and I've begun to fear bedtime.
I've been seeing my psychologist for about 2 years now and we have a great relationship. She suggested hypnotherapy. I'm game for anything! It's interesting that mentally, I feel like I'm over my past surgical experiences. In fact, I often joke and laugh about some of the crazy shit that I experienced! Hey, remember that one time when I was awake while they discovered that I had a horrible cartilage disease and then used a chisel and power drill to drill a hole in my bone while I watched. So funny! (red flag red flag). But obviously, my brain has decided that those memories should be relived in epic proportions every night when my nervous system finally takes a break. That damn brain! It NEVER forgets. I also want to publicly apologize for being mean to Trevor S. in grade 2. I was shitty and I'm sorry.
I've had my first hypnotherapy session, and it blew my mind - almost as mind-blowing as the Sphere but a little bit scary and unexpected. I'm going to try another session before I fully share my experience, but I will say that I do think it's going to be effective for me. I also want to emphasize that it's really important that you only do this with a professional who has the training and experience, as well as with someone whom you trust. Like, NOT on stage at the Saskatoon exhibition in front of hundreds of audience members! If you've participated in hypnotherapy, especially for "trauma" purposes (It still feels overly dramatic to refer to my experiences as "trauma"), I'd love to hear about it if you feel comfortable reaching out privately. I think it's so important to seek professional help when you are struggling.
Thanks for listening. Cheers to 2026!
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