Birth Story Tag/Meme

Apparently I just have nothing to say so I am doing tags and memes.

1. Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant?
1st: At my friend's house.
2nd: At home in my bathroom.


2. Who was with you?
1st: Um, my friend.
2nd: Rhayn

3. What was your first reaction?
1st: Oh crap.
2nd: Ecstatic.

4.What was your husband's reaction?
1st: Its complicated.
2nd: He was excited, but worried that something would happen. (I had already had 2 miscarriages)

5. Who was the first person you told?
1st: My friend, then my mom/dad
2nd: Online friends. I was so excited that I couldn't wait for Will to get home.

6. Were the pregnancies planned?
1st: no- not at all. We were not even together when I found out.
2nd: Oh yes, she was very planned.


7. Was everyone happy for you?
1st: Its hard to say- unmarried, 22, not even with the father. No probably not.
2nd: I think so.


8. What was the sex?
1st: Girl
2nd: Girl

9. What was the nursery theme/colors?
1st: right, a theme? None
2nd: Hahahaha

10. Did anyone throw a shower for you?
1st: Yes, my mom and her good friend did.
2nd: No, but since my sister was having her first baby at the same time, she had one. I received a few gifts there.


11. Did you get any outfits you wouldn't use?
1st: Sure
2nd: I think I used some of the aforementioned outfits for Gwennie.

12. How much weight did you gain?
1st: 50ish lbs
2nd: 25ish lbs

13. Did you get stretch marks?
1st: On my BUTT!
2nd: Yes a few, but mostly around my belly button

14. Did you crave anything crazy?
1st: Dr. Pepper, Sauerkraut, Big Macs,
2nd: Lemons with salt on them, hashbrowns with cheese and onions, In and Out cheeseburgers (because I was too high class to eat at McDonalds.)

15. Who or what got on your nerves the most?
1st: No one that I can think of, I think when I am pregnant I am less annoyed at people.
2nd: Same, but I do remember Rhayn being a little annoying.

16. Where were you when you went into labor?
1st: At home, but I think I really started labor in Math 151.
2nd: We started my labor at home on the couch.

17. Did you have any complications?
1st: None
2nd: She was breech for a while and had to have her turned, but it was successful.

18. Did your water break?
1st: The darn nurse broke it.
2nd: The midwife broke it.

19. Who drove you to the hospital?
1st: My Dad
2nd: We stayed home- HOME BIRTH Yeah!

20. Did you go early or late?
1st: I went into labor on her due date but she was born the next morning.
2nd: Ditto- on her due date and born the next day.

21. Who was in the room?
1. My mom, Dad and Grandma (it was the first baby she ever saw being born, it made her middle name even more special. Also my grandma cut the cord.) Um the doctor, some nurses.
2. Will, my mom, the midwife, student midwife, my dad was right outside the door. And my sister (dacheese) and Rhayn were downstairs.

22. Did you video tape it?
No- not at all.

23. Did you have any pain medication?
1st: epidural
2nd: nothing at all

24. Did you have a c-section or natural?
vaginal both times.

25. What was your reaction to the birth?
They were awesome, but Gwennie's birth was empowering. I felt like superwoman afterward!

26. How big was the baby?
1st: 6 lbs 14 oz
2nd: 8 lbs


27. What was the baby's full name?
1st: Rhayn Loretta (my Grandma's first name)
2nd: Gwennie Meg

28. Did your husband cry?
1. He wasn't even there at Rhayn's birth. I know- I don't want to talk about the stupidness, ok?
2. No. He was too busy worrying about everything to be emotional.

29. When is the next one coming?
Um... talk to Will. I would like it in the next year. He says never. So its a toss up.

30. If you could, would you do it all over again?
Yes. Although I would do Rhayn's birth differently. I would, for one thing, allow Will to be there. I really screwed that up. It was an awful thing to do to keep him away from the birth of his first child. Luckily it didn't stop the bonding at all.

100 Things

Highlight the ones you have done
Come on you know you want to do it too! (Thanks Mo, this is a fun one! Glad you found it.)

1. Started your own blog (well duh, I actually have a few.)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (Band nerd from 5th grade to 11th)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (I think the first time I went I was 2, right mom?)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (We always have them in the spring and summer, my daughters found the egg case this year, so we are watching it waiting for them to hatch!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Knitting!)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (bleh not fun!)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (This last year, I finally grew some of my own.)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (this was during a bad time of my life, and is a very long story that some day I will tell, but maybe my mom shouldn't read it.)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Of course, but mostly it was my kid who was ill.)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (With my girl pals my freshman year of high school.)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (I routinely watch them both!)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (And I want to watch it again!)
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (He became a good friend after that. I have also had my meal purchased by a stranger, without them ever saying a word. It feels really good!)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (There are pictures of this somewhere- I was about 10, right Hairball?)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (I was in second grade at the time.)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (but only if you count seeing the outside and not the inside!)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (well sort of, I was with my family when we were butchering the chickens. I remember it vividly, I think I was 5.)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Webster yeah Emmanuel Lewis cause he's the anti-christ)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (twice)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (and in all the pictures of us swimming in it I am picking my butt because I was wearing my younger cousin's panties and she was wearing mine.)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (routinely I do this!)

One Word Tag

From the Blog'o'Amie a fun meme.

Where is your mobile phone? here
Where is your significant other? deployed
Your hair color? multitude
Your mother? loony
Your father? hardworking
Your favorite thing? sleep
Your dream last night? vacant
Your dream goal? acres
Room You're In? noisy
Your hobby? sewing
Your fear? heights
Where do you want to be in 6 years? mountains
Where were you last night? bed
What you're not? surrounded
Where you grew up? desert
The last thing you did? bath
What are you wearing? dots
Your TV? large
Your pets? many
Your computer? friend
Your mood? lonely
Missing someone? yes
Your car? red
Something you're not wearing? bra
Favorite shop? target
Your summer? hot
Love someone? yes
Your favorite color? green
When is the last time you laughed? dunno

There's a First Time for Everything.

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
His name was Andy and he thought Veruca Salt was pronounced Verusha Salt. Shudder.

2. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink?

I think it was a beer, blech.

3. What was your FIRST job?

I worked for my uncle's engineering firm. I learned how to work the blueprint machine. Sometimes I smell office supplies and am totally transported back to that office.

4. What was your FIRST car?

My Plymouth Horizon, I loved that ugly red thing. I bought it myself. I had borrowed vehicles up until then. (I was 21 when I bought it. It is actually the only car that was ever mine, bought by me for me.)

5. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
No texts, no texts at all.

6. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
Will, I had a dream where he was at home, and I half expected to roll into him in bed.

7. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?

I actually had two, because we moved during first grade. I do not remember the first one, all I remember about her is that I did not like her nor did I like first grade. It was hard. We lived in a small town (the K-12th grades were all in one building) and didn't have workbooks. We had to copy our work out of the textbook, and I had so much homework in my desk that I never turned in that I probably would have failed had we not moved. The other was Ms. Roof and she had the most awesome bun. I loved school after that.

8. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?

Probably to the Dakotas or home from the Dakotas.

9. Who was your FIRST best friend, and are you still friends with him / her?
My brother G'Rat, and yes I am still friends with him. But other than him, I think I had a friend named Sara, (I have had a few friends named Sara) and we moved away (in first grade.)

10. Who was your FIRST kiss?

DJ. Yes he went by that. And it was freshman year of high school and we totally were playing spin the bottle with a bottle of Cappio (anyone remember that? Mmmm.)

11. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?

Myself of course. I am my mother's daughter. Then I talked to Rhayn who told me she was too excited to sleep anymore.

12. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?

Talked to the girls and went downstairs to see if St. Nicholas left them anything in their shoes. (He did!)

13. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Spin Doctors, Screaming Trees, and Soul Asylum. It was the 90s, y'all.

14. What was your FIRST tattoo or piercing?

Um, when I was 18 for the tattoo. I pierced my belly button when I was 16. (In my bedroom with a safety pin.)

15. What was the FIRST foreign country you went to?

First and only- Mexico. And I have only been there twice. Can we say LAME?

16. What was the FIRST movie you saw in the theater?

The first one I remember was Gremlins. But I think my mom went to see Star Wars when she was pregnant with me does that count?

17. When was your FIRST detention?

Probably freshman year. I was so lame I sometimes went to detention just to draw because it was held in the art room. Oh, and DJ (see #10, #19, #20 and #23) was almost always in there, too.

The boy in the plaid dress is DJ, we wore that to school for spirit week switch day. I loved that silly babydoll dress. Oh, and yes I am wearing polka pot boxers. I loved Twister, ok?

18. What was the FIRST state you lived in?

Arizona

19. Who was the FIRST person to really break your heart?

DJ. (See #10) he started dating another girl. It about killed me. No, wait, actually in Jr High I was infatuated with our red-headed neighbor and he didn't like me back, that hurt, too.

20. With whom was your FIRST date?

I guess it was with this guy Daniel. But really as far as dates I don't remember doing a lot of that, you know, being all infatuated with that DJ character.

21. What was your FIRST pet?

Oscar the wiener dog. (He was my parents, but I sort of remember him.)

22. Who was your FIRST roommate?
Lisa, we lived across the interstate from our boyfriends. We didn't have furniture so we found a couch and loveseat in the trash. We left them on our patio for a week, because of the cockroaches. Then moved them in our house. We allowed our friends to draw all over them.

Here is one of my friends drawing on my couch. But by this time, Lisa had moved out and like 5 guys had moved in with me. This was one of them. My living room had a bunk bed in it. It was a really stinky boy apartment. But those posters? Those were all me.

23. Who was your FIRST love?

DJ.

24. What was your FIRST screen name?
Ravenous76 or hypnotica I can't remember.

25. When did you have your FIRST baby?
I had Rhayn in 2001. Then Gwennie in 2005.

ABC

My music meme was messed up. Because I thought my iKnockoff was set on shuffle, and it was not. Those songs are mostly in alphabetical order. (Not sure how that last one got there, its totally not the next in alphabetic order... Hmmm.)

The Last of the Famous International Playboys- A music Meme

1.Put your iTunes (or if you have a cheap knock-off MP3 player, an iKnockoff if you will, use that. Like mine its a SanDisk Sansa) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. If you want to add commentary- please. I felt compelled to comment on some of these- because they totally worked or didn't work.


IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
'Til It Kills- Tilt
Interesting- Its a good response, no?

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
10:15 On a Saturday Night- The Cure
Um, yes, I am usually asleep at that time.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
A Letter To Elise- The Cure

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Acathisia- Tilt
I think its the opposite of that.


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Agamemnon- Violent Femmes
To be killed by my wife- Clymenestra

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Alison- Pixies

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
All Good Soldiers- Bad Religion
This one is true, since I think about a certain soldier often.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
All I Ask of You- Phantom of the Opera

WHAT IS 2+2?
American Jesus- Bad Religion

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Answers- Goldfinger

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Army of Me- Bjork
I wish he was here by the Army of Me.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Bad Seed- Tilt
Isn't that the truth- I am the bad seed.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Bad Shit- Porno for Pyros
Whoops- sorry for the curse word.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Berkeley Pier- Tilt (Lots of Tilt on here, huh?)
Ever heard this song? Such a good one.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Big Yellow Taxi- Pinhead Gunpowder

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Bikeage- Descendents

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Bizzare Love Triangle- Frente

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Black Girlfriend- Porno for Pyros

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Boys Don't Cry- the Cure

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Bring Me to Life- Evanescence

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Bubble Pop Electric- Gwen Stefani Ft. Johnny Vulture

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Can't Let Go- Waterdog

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Cannonball- the Breeders

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Car Song- Elastica
Yes, because I am not getting any lovin'.

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Celebrity Skin- Hole

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Confines of Love- Tilt

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Connection- Elastica

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Cool- Gwen Stefani

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Cursed Female- Porno for Pyros
Well, no, itsa not that time of the month. But I could blame my pains on my youngest daughter being "lazy."

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
The Last of the Famous International Playboys- Morrisey

Couples Survey

Couples Survey

[1] What are your middle names? I didn't answer #1 because, well, I want a small amount of anonymity and middle names are not allowed. I do really like my middle name and I would share it with ya if I could.
[2] How long have you been together? We met January 29th, 2000, but broke up in July 2000, back together around April of 2001 (sort of, we started seeing each other again) and have been together since.
[3] How long did you know each other before you started dating? We had met once.
[4] Who asked whom out? He asked me.
[5] How old are each of you? 30 and 31
[6] What are your astrological signs? Scorpio/Sagittarius (me) Cancer (him)
[7] When was your first kiss? Our second date
[8] Who's mother do you see the most? Mine
[9]Who's father? Mine
[10] Do you have any children together? two girls
[11] What about pets? A dog and a three cats
[12] Do you have a song? F#$% the World, the Queers (I know- romantic, huh?)
[13] Which bill is the hardest on you as a couple? Car insurance ***Updated, I asked Will about this. He said our car insurance is not that bad. So I am not really sure which bill is the worst. Probably the credit card, but even that is not fight worthy.
[14] Who pays the bills? I make sure they get paid, as in set up online bill pay and all that. He makes the money that pay those bills, though.
[15] Who drives and who sits shotgun? He drives, I sit shotgun.
[16] Did you go to the same school? No, but we knew a lot of the same people before me met.
[17] Are you from the same hometown? No.
[18] Do you live in the same town now? Well, for the moment. He will be living in Iraq soon.
[19] Who is the smartest? I would have to say him, but he doesn't think he is smart at all. (grrr.)
[20] Who is the most sensitive? Me
[21] Where do you eat out at most as a couple? We go for Curry.
[22] Where do you shop the most as a couple? the internet.
[23] Where is the furthest you have traveled as a couple? Los Angelos. Really far, huh?
[24] Who has the best group of friends? Him.
[25] Who has the craziest exes? That one is hard. We both have some crazy exes.
[26] Who has the worst temper? Me, but mine fizzles out quickly. He can hold onto anger for months.
[27] Who does the cooking? Mostly me, but he is a great cook.
[28] Who is more social? Him, but it used to be me.
[29] Who is the neat-freak? Me, I want stuff clean. But he will get wild hairs up his butt and want everything clean suddenly.
[30] Who is the most affectionate? He is.
[31] Who is the most stubborn? Him.
[32] Who hogs the bed? He does
[33] Who wakes up earlier? He does.
[34] Where was your first date? Mini golf then Denny's, but we went with a couple of friends. Our first date alone was to Macayo's (Mexican food) then for a walk around a park.
[35] Who said I Love You first? Him.
[36] Who has the bigger family? Brothers and sisters? Him. Extended, as in cousins and all that- Me.
[37] Do you give/get flowers often? Once a year sometimes twice.
[38] How do you spend the holidays? With my family. But we try to see his brother during that time, too.
[39] Do you have cute little names for each other? He does call me some interesting things.


Ok everyone- lets see yours!

Quirk Factor MeMe

The Rules
* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Mention the rules.
* Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
* Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
* Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment to let them know that they’ve been tagged.

I was tagged for this- the Quirky Meme, by Homeslice.

1. I am a chameleon. Seriously, even if I am on the outskirts of the party, I can flex and change until I fit in. I credit (or blame) my youth at the LDS church, especially as a teenager, for this ability. It is so easy to fall into something that is comfortable like that. And over time I just learned to fall into every situation the same way.

2. I chew my nails, and only stop when I am pregnant. But as soon as the baby is born? Yup, my nails are in my mouth. I chew the right hand more than the left, because I am left-handed and need that hand to draw/drive/etc.

3. I am left-handed (as mentioned in the above quirky thing). That in its self is not quirky or anything, I know. I however can not use left-handed scissors to save my life. I was always given them in school, and I would stare at the teacher while I asked for the regular ones.

4. In school I was a know-it-all. Bad. My teachers hated me, I am sure. I would tell them when they were wrong, and point out flaws, misspellings, errors. As an adult this only comes in handy when I am editing my husband's papers. (Or when I am reading a story and there is a mistake in spelling, does that drive anyone else bonkers? Is that just me?)

5. I deal with stresses by not thinking about it. Examples? My friend JD's moved to another state. I ignored it until she had actually left. Will's deployment- I won't really let it affect me until it happens. I have had a few more break-downs from this than any other stressful event in my life. I do not usually cry about things, because I am too "strong" and crying makes me feel weird.

6. I love numbers. I like to do division, like figuring out the MPG in our vehicles. I like to write the numbers out, all ordered and lovely, and do the LONG division. I know I can use my mobile phone to do the math. But darn it I like to refresh my mind.



I will tag Mo, my Mom, Hairball, Dacheese, Tif-do, and Penny.

5 Defining Moments

What were the five most character defining moments of my life. This is a meme from a blog that I often read.

This is really tough for me, because my life has been easy. Hear that blog world? My life has been easy. My parents loved me, stayed together. I was supported and given opportunities. I was not forced to be anything that I didn’t want to be. These are not all moments, ok? Deal with it. I didn't follow the question exactly. I found it hard to pinpoint the exact moment that the world changed in my head. These are experiences that happened to me, and that changed me into who I am today.

1. The men (boys) I dated before meeting my husband, and the experiences that I had while living on the street (my choice) and hanging out with the punk kids that I hung out with. These experiences, although not one specific experience showed me different ways of living, and things that I did or did not want in my own life (drugs, alcoholics, people with little or no ambition.) The choices that I made as a teenager, and moving to Colorado. So much that happened, too much to really fit into one thing, but at the same time it was all tied together.

2. Meeting Will and falling in love with him so fast that I didn’t even realize it had happened until after the first miscarriage. He was not at all what I thought I wanted. Not at all what I had been looking for. Not at all what I expected. Yet he made me feel complete and still does. We fight, we disagree, but I wouldn’t want any one else by my side. Getting pregnant with Rhayn, and breaking things off with Will, was very hard on me, even though the break up was my idea. Neither of us has ever fully gotten over it. It still affects how we deal with each other to this day, because of broken trust. I needed to grow up.

3. Rhayn’s birth and her birth defect. This was hard for me because it shocked me so fully. I expected her to be perfect; I thought she would have brown eyes. I thought, I assumed, and my first dose of parenthood made me realize NOTHING should be taken for granted.

4. Gwennie’s birth. This has been the most important, empowering thing I have done in my life. It has given me courage and strength, and shown me that no, life isn’t easy, but it is worth it in the end. Although her birth gave me her, and healed me from not being able to nurse Rhayn, it also gave me a sense of power.

5. Will joining the Army has been tough on us all. It has brought us closer and torn us apart. It has given us so much and then ripped my heart out. It has been one of the best things for Will, and one of the worst things at the same time. For both of us.

It is a HOUSE meme.

When you walk in your front door, which room do you enter?
A dining room area.

Do you have a dishwasher?
Yes

Is your living room carpeted or does it have hardwood floors?
Carpeted with ugly brown/tan carpet (covered in stains.)

Do you keep your kitchen knives on the counter or in a drawer?
I keep my knives in a block on top of the refrigerator.

House, apartment, duplex or trailer?
House. Although I have lived in all of those besides a duplex. (I always wanted to live in a rowhouse, though.)

How many bedrooms is it?
Four, and they are used as such- one master bedroom, one girls' bedroom, one office and one guest room.

Gas stove or electric?
Electric, but Will would like to retro fit a propane tank to come in the house to our stove so we could have gas. I grew up with electric and have fear issues with gas stoves.

Do you have a yard?
Yessireebob.

What size TV is in the living room?
Its huge and plasma, and did I mention its huge? It plays Friends and Stargate SG-1 really well.

Are your plates in the same cupboard as your cups?
No, each has its own special cupboard on either side of the stove. My mom put them in their respective cabinets when we moved in and I, being lazy, have never switched them, even though I think the cups should be closer to the sink.

Is there a coffee maker sitting on your kitchen counter?
No. I recently retired the coffee maker to the garage. I stopped drinking my morning coffee about a month ago and switched to a morning cup of green tea. I bought an electric kettle that sits in the sad lonely stop that held the coffee maker for so long. (My electric kettle only cost $30 at Target- and it doesn't heat up the kitchen like the teapot on the stove did every morning. And also I don't have to make the girls' instant oatmeal in the microwave, which I have been trying not to use anymore.)

What room is your computer in?
It is in my bedroom. But I hate having it in here. I wish that I had a laptop and could take it with me. Maybe in a few years. But I do like my beautiful, hand-me-down, nineteen inch, flat panel monitor.

Are there pictures hanging in your living room?
Yes, a few Monet prints. The dining room (being our front room) has the family pictures and pictures of the girls hanging in it.

Are there any themes found in your home?
Themes? I guess BROWN would be the theme in our house. Although I am changing it, because it makes me blue (snicker.) We were going for an Asian theme in our bedroom, but it just didn't really work. Rhayn's room is fairy-licious.

What kind of laundry detergent do you use?
Wintree because they sell it at Costco and it smells pretty. Also? I only use about a tablespoon of it in a medium load, it lasts a long time.

Do you use dryer sheets?
Sometimes, because we have cats, and they help the few things I still dry in the dryer keep from having static cat-hair cling. (Or the clothes that I dry on the line- but throw in the dryer on the fluff cycle.)

Curtains in your home?
When we first moved in, they were all made by me. Now we have slowly replaced most of them with very nice Target-bought curtains (and a set I bought at Lowe's on clearance, baby!)

What color is your fridge?
I suppose under the magnets and filthy hand prints it is white, just kidding it isn't that messy.

Is your house clean?
Well, that depends on your definition of clean. Its passable, but if you look at the shelves its really dusty. So is clean dust-free? Because I guess you could say my house it tidy- but not clean.

What room is the most neglected?
The laundry room, because the floor in there always looks dirty even when I just swept and mopped (but that hasn't happened in months.) You see our trash and recycling bins are in there and there is a baby gate in the doorway to keep the dog out of the litter box. So we toss our rubbish over the gate and into the bins, it doesn't always make it, and then the floor gets covered in nasty stuff. (Or an ice cream carton misses the recycling bin and ends up behind it and drips vanilla ice cream on the floor, which is left to harder over months of neglect.)

Are the dishes in your sink/dishwasher clean or dirty?
Currently none in the sink (my goal) and dirty in the dishwasher but it is nearly full.

How long have you lived in your home?
Nearly five years by the end of this month.

Where did you live before?
A townhouse. One of those ones that is connected by one wall to the next house and the yard is mostly fenced by the next house, too. It was Will's bachelor pad, he lived there when we met.

Do you have one of those fluffy toilet lid covers on your toilet?
No way, Jose! Those are for my Grandma.

Do you have a scale anywhere in your house?
Yes, Will needs to see how much he weighs. He uses it way too much.

How many mirrors are in your house?
10, I think. None, thankfully, on any closet doors. And as long as the bathroom door stays mostly shut, I don't see reflections in them at night (big fear of mine- stupid Bloody Mary Legend. I shouldn't have read that- it says she can still get you if you are close enough to a mirror in the night and not even trying to call her. Darnit.)

Look up. What do you see?
Two pictures, one of my Grandpa standing in a field of wheat, one of a turtle that is a print from an aboriginal painting I once saw in Outback Steakhouse and loved. Will bought it for me, from Australia.

Do you have a garage?
Why, yes, yes I do. It is my friend, and it a great place to store things and to park our cars. But sometimes I wish we didn't have one, so that we would be forced to be outside our house once in a while, and maybe meet our neighbors. Garages are a great way to hide from the world. You get in the car in the garage, you drive away, you drive into the garage and never have to really look at your neighbors.


Tag! You are it.

Fun Photobucket Survey

Her​​e'​​s​​ how​​ it works​​ (fi​​rst​​ copy and​​ post bul​​let​​in​​ - delete my answers then go to photobucket and​​ fol​​low​​ the​​ direc​​t​​i​​o​​ns​​ bel​​ow)

1. Go to www​.pho​t​obuc​k​et.com​ (do​n​'t sig​n​ in)​
2.Typ​e​ in you​r​ ans​w​er to the​ que​s​tion​ in the​"se​a​rch"​ box

3.Use​ onl​y​ the​ fir​s​t pag​e
​4. Cop​y​ the​ htm​l​ and​ pas​t​e for​ the​ ans​w​er


1.WHA​T​ IS YOU​R​ NAM​E​?





2.WHA​T​ IS YOU​R​ CUR​R​ENT REL​A​TION​SHIP​ STA​T​US?





3.WHA​T​ IS YOU​R​ FAV​O​RITE​ COL​O​R?



4.WHO​ IS YOU​R​ CEL​E​BRIT​Y CRU​S​H?



5.WHA​T​ BAN​D​ ARE​ YOU​ CUR​R​ENTL​Y​ LIS​T​ENIN​G​ TO?​




6.WHA​T​ IS YOU​R​ FAV​O​RITE​ MOV​I​E?



7.WHA​T​ KIN​D​ OF PHO​N​E DO YOU HAV​E​?



8.WHA​T​ DO YOU​ WAN​T​ TO BE WHE​N​ YOU​ GRO​W​ UP?​



9.WHA​T​ DO YOU​ LOV​E​ MOS​T​ IN YOU​R​ LIF​E​?





10.​ONE​ WOR​D​ TO DESC​RIBE​ YOU​?​

The word there is STRANGE.

11.​WHE​R​E WER​E​ YOU​ BOR​N​?





12.​WHA​T​ DO YOU​ HAT​E​?



13.​WHA​T​S BET​T​ER BLO​N​DE OR BRU​N​ETTE​?​


14.​WHA​T​ IS YOU FAV​O​RITE​ SHO​W​?


15.​WHA​T​S YOU​R​ FAV​O​RITE​ PAS​T T​IME?​



16.​WHA​T​ DID​ YOU​ HAVE​ FOR​ BRE​A​KfAS​T THI​S​ MOR​N​ING?​



17.​W​HAT KIN​D​ OF CAR​ DO YOU​ DRI​V​E?



18.​FIR​S​T ALB​U​M/CD​/TAP​E​ YOU​ REM​E​MBER​ BUYING FOR​ YOU​R​SELF​:




19.​IF YOU​ COU​L​D BE ANY​W​HERE​ RIG​H​T NOW​ WHE​R​E WOU​L​D YOU​ BE?​

(With my husband)


20.​WHA​T​ WAS​ YOUR​ HIG​H​ SCH​O​OL MAS​C​OT?

(That there is a bear, I guess.)


21.​FAVO​​RITE​ FLA​V​OR OF COFFEE (OR ICE CREAM)?


22.​CLO​S​EST THI​N​G TO YOU​ THA​T​ IS RED​:



23.​WHA​T​ DO YOU​ WEA​R​ TO SLE​E​P IN?​




24.​NAM​E​ OF THE​ LAS​T​ BOO​K​ YOU​ REA​D​:




25.​WHA​T​ IS THE​ CLO​S​EST THIN​G TO YOU​R​ RIG​H​T LEG​?​



26.​WHA​T​ DID​ YOU​ THI​N​K OF THI​S​ PHO​T​OBUC​KET SUR​V​EY?

Survey from Amie

1. What is your occupation? I always put Human Resources on applications. I am currently not occupied by anything besides my kids.

2. What color are your socks right now? none,

3. What are you listening to right now? Rhayn has her stereo on, and it is the Shrek soundtrack.

4. What was the last thing you ate? Andes mint

5. Can you drive a stick shift? No, well I could if I had to, but it wouldn't be pretty.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? That changes every day. Today it would be something muddy, like a gray brown color. Yesterday I was vibrant and yellow.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? I have no idea. Its been a few days.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? No one sent it to me, but I found it on Amie's blog and I like her a whole lot!

9. How old are you today? Thirty

10. Favorite drink? iced tea

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? None. I will watch really exciting games (this years super bowl, wow!) but only when there is nothing else to watch.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Um, Me? Never! This week? No, but last week I added green in the mix.

13. Pets? Two cats and a dog.

14. Soap or shower gel? Depends on my mood, and how bad I smell. I use Will's soap when I have been working out or am sweaty, but really I only use it under my armpits and my nether regions. If I feel like smelling pretty, I use fancy shower gel.

15. What was the last movie you watched? Shrek was on, but I didn't sit down and watch it per se.

16. What was the last book you read? The People of the Wolf by Micheal Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear. I finished it last night, on to The People of the Fire, which is the sequel, tonight.

17. What do you do to vent anger? I yell and sometimes throw things. I also take deep breaths when I am more in control but lately that has been more difficult to do.

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Transformers, My Little Ponies, Care Bears.

19. What is your favorite season? winter

20. Hugs or kisses? hugs

21. Cherries, Blueberries or Strawberries? Cherries

22. Do you want your friends to play along? YessirreeBob.

23. Who is most likely to play? I dunno

24. Who is least likely to play? whoever doesn't feel like it

25. Living arrangements? Two story house in Arizona, with my kids and pets, wishing my hubby was here also.

26. When was the last time you cried? I cry almost every day. I feel so overwhelmed by life sometimes.

27. What is on the floor of your closet? Stuff, it is a walk-in so the middle of the floor is clear.

28.Who is the friend you have known the longest? Starla.

29. What did you do last night? Watched too much TV, then went to bed and read a few chapters in previously mentioned book.

30. What is your favorite number? Eleven

31. What or who inspires you? Nature,

32. What are you afraid of? heights, speaking in public, people not liking me.

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Don't like them at all unless they are from In and Out.

34. Favorite dog breed? Mutt

35. What is on your key ring? A ring that says Trust= Faith= (trust=faith=trust= You know, because it goes in a circle) And of course too many keys.

36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

37. How many states have you lived in? Three

39. Favorite holiday(s)? The Christmas season, but the day is usually rather sad.

40. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? No.

You Are Ani Difranco!

Honest, real, and well liked. You're not limited by any boundaries. "And you can call me crazy But I think you're as lazy as white paint on the wall"

Who's Your Inner Rock Chick?

Middle Name

I found this meme on another blog, and absolutely adored the idea of it! I know I used the word "every" a few times. You have four Es in your middle name and see what you do (oh, wait, Hairball- you do!) So the idea is that you take your middle name and write something about yourself using each letter of your middle name. I am tagging Hairball for sure I want to see how she does it, see as we have the same middle name and all. I am also tagging Dacheese, Tif-do, Purple Lurple, and my Mom.

Gorgeous, well at least sometimes I think I am, most of the time I feel average.

Every year I deal with depression. I am a determined that it is brought on by the seasonal change, and the fact that it remains over 100 degrees for such a long time.

Not a wall flower, but also not the life of the party. I like to survey the crowd before jumping in to a conversation. Sometimes it takes me a long time to get “into” a scene.

Easily embarrassed, but I think I have learned how to hide it quite well.

Vibrant colors make me happy. After painting our upstairs living space such a lively yellow, I realized that the subdued colors I have chosen for other parts of the house really bring me down, so if it was up to me, I would redo the walls, but it’s not completely, and it’s a lot of work.

Interested in being an author, I posted about this previously.

Every day I try to remind myself how wonderful my kids are, even though I am ready to pull my hair out because they can be so obnoxious.

Viciousness really bothers me. If I see someone in pain, I can feel it too. I have spent days of my life thinking about mean things I have said to others. I have spent countless hours lying in bed trying not to let some injustice that I have seen bother me.

Every time I see a little boy, especially a fairly fresh baby boy with dark eyes, I can feel my uterus moan. I am happy with my girls, they are great, and I totally love them unconditionally, but there is a baby-yet-to-be in my future and he reminds me of that so often.