11 things

Sweet Liv tagged me in the 11 Things post that's been all over the blogosphere this week, and a snowed-in evening seems like the perfect moment to do a little random writing, so I'm in!

 

RULES:

1.  You must post these rules

2.  Post a phot of yourself & 11 random bits of information about yourself

3.  Answer the questions that the tagger set for you in his/her post

4. Create 11 new questions & tag people to answer them

5.  Let the people know you've tagged them!

 

Rules, check!

Photo, check!

 

Random information about me:

 

1.  I have always had the really bad habit of chewing and picking at my fingernails.  I used to bite them really badly until sometime in college, and I don't even really know what finally made me stop... I was just able to kick the habit.  In its place, I now have the bad habit of chewing at the skin around my nails (ewww, I know!) and picking at even the slightest hint of a hangnail.  Unless my nails are painted, they look RAGGED.

 

2.  I don't go more than 2 days without a backrub.  The Moo accepted this random need of mine with absolutely no complaint, which is one of the reasons I know he is the love of my life.

 

3.  I constantly make lists.  I write things on my to-do lists that I can immediately cross off because I also LOVE CROSSING THINGS OFF MY LISTS. 

 

4.  Fall is my favorite season.  It's the season of my wedding anniversary, and I love that it always makes me think of getting new shoes for the first day of school and taking the bus home to pick apples in our backyard and the smell of dirt off the potato fields.  Fall is potato harvest time in Northern Maine, which always meant a week or two school break for kids to help farmers get taters out of the ground and into cold storage.

 

5.  Closely related:  I never worked a potato harvest.  I always just enjoyed the school vacation by sneaking soap operas while my parents were at work.

 

6.  I love the smell of Natalie's breath, even her morning breath and old-binky-breath.  From the first time I got a whiff of her hour-old milky breath to this morning's impatient huff in my face as she tried to wake me up to look at the snow, I could seriousy smell her little smell all day long.

 

7.  My favorite drink changes every couple of years or so.  Right now it's gin & tonic all the way. 

 

8.  Pretty much everybody has those movies that they can quote word-for-word from start to finish, right?  Those movies that you used to watch over and over as a kid.  My quotable movies are Robin Hood:  Prince of Thieves, The Swiss Family Robinson, and That Thing You Do.

 

9.  I feel really weird about getting older.  I am much more comfortable with myself at this stage in my life than I ever was before, which makes me feel good about aging.... but when I really imagine aging I get this really awful homesick-stomachache and it totally freaks me out.

 

10.  I have never dyed my hair.  Not a highlight, not a crazy color in college. 

 

11.  On any given day, I could be listening to a random mix of Bob Dylan, Rihanna, Linda Ronstadt, Jay-Z, DMB, Jewel, GLEE cast covers, and more.  Pretty much, if it's ever been radio-friendly, I'm gonna like it.

 

Liv passed along Kelly's 11 questions:

 

1.  What natural disaster freaks you out the most?

Anything that has to do with the unpredictable power of the ocean.  Hurricans, tsunamis, rogue waves.  They scare the crap outta me.

2.  What period of history would you like to go back to?

I really wouldn't want to go back in time too far as a woman, to be honest.  Probably any time in post-19th amendment 20th century would be interesting to check out.

3.  Manicure or pedicure?

Both, if possible, but usually neither.  Instead, you will see me with gnawed-on fingernails and just always wearing socks to hide chipped polish.

4.  What time period of your life would you like to live again?

I would do any period of my life again, truly.  The thought of being a little kid again is appealing because of how carefree I felt, and I actually totally loved high school so I'd be happy to do that again, and my grad-school life was definitely a time of selfish indulgence without the worries of home & child.  I'd do it all again.

5.  What kind of parent do you think you are?

I don't subscribe to a specific method of parenting, but overall I would consider myself a loving, consistent, and well-informed parent.  I try very hard to make considered decisions about Natalie's life, environment, and opportunities, and I do my best to remember that lots of love can make up for many parenting mistakes.

6.  How do you keep your patience with your kids/husband when they are driving you crazy?

I really struggle with this one.  With Natalie, I find that I can force myself to appear very patient while inside I am roiling with the discomfort I feel in many of the difficult moments of parenthood.  I do my best to simply make it through any tough moments with her, and then take time to myself when the moment presents itself.  Decompressing through naptime, leaving her with Mike at the end of the day so I can run errands solo, blogging regularly--these are my best coping mechanisms. 

7.  Favorite thing on TV.

Currently:  Grey's Anatomy, The Office, Modern Family, GLEE, Breaking Bad, Weeds., True Blood.

Previously/Recently:  LOST (currently watching straight through for the 2nd time:  still So Good), Parks & Rec, The Wire.

8.  How interested in celebrity gossip are you?

Um, very.  Very interested.  It's sick, but so fun.

9.  What did you major in in college?  Would you change it now?

I majored in English Lit and minored in Women's Studies, and later got my M.A.  in Women's Studies.  The degrees have served me well, and suit me, I think.  I can't exactly think of them as the most valuable degrees I could have chosen--part of me now thinks I should have just gone the Education route, or business, or, heck, interior design if I'm talking big dreams. 

10.  Are you a firearm owner?

Nope.

11. Favorite thing about yourself:

The goofy & weird stuff that only my family and closest friends see.  I love the feeling of being able to be completely relaxed around the people I love, and those ridiculous and often embarrassing bits of my personality are actually my favorites.

Whew!  I tag Colleen, Amanda, Amanda, Sarah, and Jon.  Gauntlet thrown, people. 

My topics/questions for you are (just 5, because, seriously, 11 is a LOT):

1.  Biggest guilty pleasure food.

2.  Embarrassing moment from high school.

3.  Top 3 places you'd like to travel.

4.  Thing that annoys you most on Facebook.

5.  Best birthday of your life.

And, tag!