A to Z About Me

Again, MIA for months at a time. 26 more days until both kiddos are off at school! Hurray! I just might throw a party - don't worry - I'll take pics for you!

In the meantime, here's a quick and fun survey post to share a little about yourself ... (try it, you'll like it!)

A - Available or married?

Married for almost 11 years. Whew! Over whole decade. Yep. I'm impressed, too.

B- Book?

All-time favorite is probably To Kill a Mockingbird. I am currently reading Tomorrow River by Lesley Kagan. I love reading books written from a child's perspective.

C- Cake or Pie?

That's like asking me to choose which is my favorite child. I love them both the same. Really, I do!

D- Drink of Choice?

Coffee with a ridiculous amount of French Vanilla Coffeemate non-dairy creamer. Not the fat free kind. Not the powder. 

source - btw, this site is loaded with gorgeous photography!

E- Essential Item?

Was it not obvious? French Vanilla Coffeemate non-dairy creamer! Just kidding. Sort of.

Essential item for me? Sleep. I am not the kind of person that can function on lack of sleep. I remember seeing an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, and Kate Gosling was describing how much sleep she got. She went to bed around 2am and woke up by 6am. Something like that. I remember thinking that I would have to be hospitalized. I could never get enough sleep. It regulates my mood, my body's agreement to get me from one place to another, and it keeps me from getting migraines.

F- Favorite Color?

How to pick just one? Aqua is definitely at the top of the list. That and greige. Top two of the moment.

G- Game to play or watch?

Hockey. Hockey. And more Hockey. :)

My son plays on a travel team, which my husband coaches. I had know earthly idea how much I would come to love this sport. But I can't even stand in skates, so no, I do not play it myself. That would end up in an ER visit. But my 4 year old daughter is learning to play and really starting to get fast. I can't wait to watch her play on a team one day. She is fierce!

H- Hometown?

I was born in Peoria, Illinois and lived there for the first 13 years of my life. Then I moved to Rockford, IL, for high school. I graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb. Upon graduation, I decided I'd seen enough of Illinois. I got in a car and headed West without a destination or job. After nearly exhausting my bank account, I found and job in Denver, Colorado, for about a year. I moved back to Illinois to live with my sister in the Chicago suburbs. Here I met my husband and started a family. I still wish I lived in Colorado, but we are currently in a great 'burb to raise kids.

I- Indulgence?

Ice cream. Almost every night. Yes, I realize that is not considered within the limits of "everything in moderation". But in my defense, I cannot have a glass of wine, bottle of beer or something stronger. I had a complete thyroidectomy in 2000 and strangely have not been able to metabolize alcohol since. Not even a sip of champagne at my wedding. So, ice cream is my poison of choice.

Source - isn't this photo scrum-diddily-umptious?

J- Job?

The hardest I've ever had... Stay at home mom. I ran my own business from home for years. But when my daughter was almost 2, I realized that she (very unlike my son) was not the kind of child to play quietly at my feet. She was the monkey that would scale walls and kitchen cabinets to get a bottle of Benadryl because it's yummy. She requires not only 24-hour surveillance, but 86,400-second surveillance. 

K- Kids and names?

2 expert bedtime avoiders (Can you guess what time I am typing this post?)

Jackson is 9-1/2 years old and Izabella is 4. No, the age difference was NOT on purpose. Jack has an incredible almost photographic memory, so his nickname is Jacksonian (like Smithsonian). Bella is an adrenaline-junky who would like the world to revolve around her, which it does - and so her nickname is Princess Monster.

L- Life is incomplete without?

My family. They drive me certifiably crazy, but I love them like crazy. I am getting used to being without my son for hours at a time - school, sports, etc - but when I am all alone - no Princess Monster around - I feel like I'm missing a limb. Or my head. I need to constantly remind myself that she's at preschool. And that she's ok. And that the teachers are ok, too. :)

M- Music group or singer?

My music taste is fairly eclectic, and varies by whom is riding in the car with me. :)

I love Adele and Mumford & Sons, but who doesn't. My kids love Ke$ha. My son falls in love with every female singer on The Voice. But honestly, the majority of the time, I am listening to Shrek, Brave or another Disney/Pixar movie. I could sing all the theme songs if you would like it? No? Ok, maybe another time.

N- Number of siblings?

One brother, one sister. I am the baby. A point that was drilled home when we were younger. My big brother is 6 years older than me and my sister is 13 months older. Couldn't find a photo of all 3 of us quickly. So here's a pic of my sister and me from the 70's. Don't knock it - yellow and brown tank tops were all the rage.

My big sister and me. I think we're 4 and 3 here. Don't we just look like trouble?

O- Oranges or apples?

Love them both. Even have a fruit basket filled with them both right now. And some almost-perfect-for-banana-bread bananas. 

P- Phobias/Fears?

Flying. Can you feel my shivers? It is totally ridiculous - and utterly terrifying. I can think very practically, but my body completely disregards my attempt to rationalize.
And, I'm a mother. We fear for everything. The past, present and especially the future. But we have good friends and family to talk us off the cliff of our mental over-exaggerations and extreme Google searching of whacky symptoms at midnight.

Q- Favorite Quote?

Again, too many to choose one. But here's one I'm particularly fond of:

R- Reason to Smile?

When I'm really frustrated with my daughter for pushing every possible button - and limit, she will do or say the cutest doggone thing ever.  She could have just put her foot in my lemonade for the fourth time (no, this example is not random), and then come over to me, kiss my knee and say {cue the BIG blue eyes} "Mommy, I kissed you. Did I make you happy?" I can't stop from smiling. It is her saving grace.

S- Season?

This is an easy answer. Fall. Always has been. Probably due to my October birthday, but it really is my favorite weather. And the Midwest in fall is truly a site to behold.

T- Tattoos?

Do temporary Spiderman tattoos count? In college, I really wanted one, but I wanted to design it myself. I am a fickle creature. I was pretty afraid of commitment to one particular design, and back then laser removal wasn't an option (hey, it wasn't that long ago).  So no ink on this momma. :)

U- Unknown fact about me?

Maybe less of a fact and more of an observation. I am equally left and right brained. It sucks and it's awesome. I am creative, but my analytical side stifles it. The planner in me wants organization, but my right brain makes me crave spontaneity. I think everything through too much. You can imagine how many barely started projects I have around my house (and garage). And I'm a daydreamer. So, to sum it up, I'm a lazy perfectionist.

V- Vegetable you love?

Green beans. In fact, my Dad's nickname for me when I was little was "Green Bean" or shortened to "Beanie". I never had trouble eating my veggies. It was the meat that I pushed around my plate. Unless it was covered in BBQ sauce, because I'd eat cardboard with BBQ sauce on it. :)

W- Worst habit?

Making simple things far more complicated than necessary. Surprisingly simple answer. Ha!

source

X- X-Rays you've had?

Chest x-rays my senior year of high school for pneumonia. CAT scan in college. Numerous x-rays after rolling my car during college - I was in shock and don't remember anything. Biannual x-rays for my thyroid (or lack thereof). Over 12 years cancer-free! Woohoo!

Y- Your favorite food?

This is a strange one. When I was pregnant with my son, I craved tuna melts. I don't know if I had ever even had one before that. But I ordered one the day I found out I was pregnant. I had to make a special trip during my lunch break to get one. Then I couldn't eat it. A co-worker said, "Giiirrrrlll, you need to go home and pee on a stick." I'll  never forget that. And she was right. :)
Several times throughout my pregnancy I had that same craving. One of the times I was at a restaurant  called Così. That tuna melt was legendary. The next time I went there to see if it was truly as good as I remembered, they had closed. I've been craving that sandwich ever since. The closest Così is about an hour away. 
But, who am I kidding? Ice Cream. Always. Ice Cream.

Z- Zodiac?

Libra all the way - the scales symbol. One of my dreams when I was younger was to be a Supreme Court Justice. This could also explain why I am so equally left and right brained.

source

If you would like to do an A-Z post, send me a link so I can learn more about you, too!

Credit where credit's due: (post idea from Rainbows and Honeysuckles)