Sunday:
*Daily visit to Lowe's for my 7th attempt to ascertain the perfect shade of . . . well, I don't know, but somewhere between rust and tangerine. I'll know when I get there. Sara just shakes her head at me and tells me I'm hopeless. She, of course, is right.
*Evening spent getting to know new friends better, and trying to work on a couple of brain teasers from NPR, one being: Name an auto manufacturer and telecommunications company whose names are exact opposites. (The best I came up with is Dodge and Sprint. Not exactly opposites.) It's been 5 days . . . still working on this one.
Monday:
*Paint girl at Lowe's greeted me by name. Well, not by MY name, but rather by my original paint name, "Hey! It's the LaFonda Copper Lady".
*Called mom to go to lunch, but she turned me down. Sad day. Okay, so she already had other commitments, but still . . .
*Went to the movies to see 2012 at the STRONG insistence of daughter-face, who thought it so nice she saw it twice. Now, I like a good action flick as much as the next easily-entertained American, but COME. ON. I rolled my eyes so much I think I may have snapped my optic nerve. And since I dragged a couple of people to the theater with me for this disaster of a disaster movie, I'm sending Kacey a bill for $17.25.
*Belated Birthday Sushi and only 24 days after my actual birthday! Two additional friends, who have never experienced the bliss that is sushi, were supposed to join us, but every time we have made plans to go she has found an excuse to back out. This time she was "sick". Jessica, I think you are suffering from ichthyophobia. Or omophagiaphobia. No! I know, it's consecotaleophobia! (When it's time for Christmas Sushi, we will let you use a fork!)
Wednesday:
*For Kevin, last day of co-op this semester, then guitar lessons.
*For me, an office filled with people all day, making it very difficult to work, work, work.
*I also had to "break up" with a doula client today . . . the most important aspect of childbirth is for everybody to be comfortable with everybody else involved. After our third phone call, I could tell that was not going to be the case, so I did my best to amicably part ways.
Thursday:
*Was planning to go to our Women's brunch . . . when I thought it started at 9. Turns out it started at 10:30. Apparently they hid that tidbit of information in the invitation they gave me. If only someone had told me I actually needed to READ the invitation.
*So, instead, it was just work, work, work, then . . .
*Administration meeting from 5 until . . . whenever it was we finished. This time of year it's all about the budget. Blah. Necessary, but blah.
Friday:
*More work, work, work. (Be it known, when I say "work, work, work" there is NO negative connotation to this. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my work, work, work!)
*Grocery to stock up on pre-Thanksgiving necessities.
*Friday Night High School Hangout crowd arrived for French Toast and games! No, Erin, there will NOT be cow-chasing tonight, or ever again!
Tonight's Highlights:
**5 females to 1 Kevin. They made him watch Runaway Bride. I love these girls!
**Erin arrived, stood in the living room and observed the multi-paint-layered walls that look like that piece of paper you test color all your nailpolish on when you are trying to find that ONE shade that is NOT orange but blends with your autumn sweaters, then came into the den and said, "Stephanie, your living room is going to be a foot smaller by the time you decide on a paint color!"
Tomorrow:
*Kevin has a Recording Technology workshop to attend; the cowboy, I'm certain, will head to the barn for the morning; and I, well, I will be shrinking the square footage of my living room by adding a coat of pumpkin spice latte to the walls. Wish me luck.
Showing posts with label doula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doula. Show all posts
November 20, 2009
May 17, 2009
all Saturdays should be this good . . .
When your day starts with a retreat at a lake cabin, ends with sushi and somewhere in the middle you help a mom bring a gorgeous baby boy into the world, it has been a good day. Yesterday was that day.
As I was leaving for the retreat yesterday morning (just a one-day working retreat), my cell phone rang. I knew the number and laughed out loud before I answered it. Sure enough, this first-time mom was in labor. It was early and she was fine, but wanted to let me know so I could be prepared. So, I went on to the retreat and participated in the morning's events. Three hours later she called again, well actually, her husband called that time which is always a sign that it is time for me to be there.
When I arrived she was 3 cm. and laboring on the birth ball (a GREAT place for early labor - keeps you in a semi-squatting position and takes the pressure off the lower back), I took a chair in front of her and we spent 45 minutes or so breathing and moaning and talking. Others took turns rubbing her back, getting her juice, getting the tub ready with warm water. After awhile we walked through the house, winding our way through all the rooms, stopping to let her lean on me and rock through each contraction. Once the tub was ready, she couldn’t get in it fast enough. There were four of us attending to her (hubby, mom, birth attendant and me) and we all circled the tub - which was perfect because she could not stay still. Almost with every contraction she changed position. Within 2 hours she was fully dilated, and by mid-afternoon her baby boy had arrived. A first birth. A fast birth. A perfect birth.
And, I was finished early enough to have sushi with Mike and Sara.
Saturday was a good day.
As I was leaving for the retreat yesterday morning (just a one-day working retreat), my cell phone rang. I knew the number and laughed out loud before I answered it. Sure enough, this first-time mom was in labor. It was early and she was fine, but wanted to let me know so I could be prepared. So, I went on to the retreat and participated in the morning's events. Three hours later she called again, well actually, her husband called that time which is always a sign that it is time for me to be there.
When I arrived she was 3 cm. and laboring on the birth ball (a GREAT place for early labor - keeps you in a semi-squatting position and takes the pressure off the lower back), I took a chair in front of her and we spent 45 minutes or so breathing and moaning and talking. Others took turns rubbing her back, getting her juice, getting the tub ready with warm water. After awhile we walked through the house, winding our way through all the rooms, stopping to let her lean on me and rock through each contraction. Once the tub was ready, she couldn’t get in it fast enough. There were four of us attending to her (hubby, mom, birth attendant and me) and we all circled the tub - which was perfect because she could not stay still. Almost with every contraction she changed position. Within 2 hours she was fully dilated, and by mid-afternoon her baby boy had arrived. A first birth. A fast birth. A perfect birth.
And, I was finished early enough to have sushi with Mike and Sara.
Saturday was a good day.
May 06, 2009
quite an entrance . . . and exit
So when I met Ashley at the hospital the other day I was looking for room 217. Walking down the hall, the doors were in pairs: 212 & 213, wall space, 214 & 215, wall space, 216 & the door into which I entered. It was long, narrow and dark, but one entire wall was fold-out doors. I peeked through to see Steven and Ashley on the other side, so I entered. They both looked up, a bit shocked and then laughed. Apparently, from their point of view, the doors I came out of looked like their closet. So Ashley enjoyed telling people her doula "came out of the closet."
Seventeen hours later, when I left room 217 (no, we weren't in there ALL day, but we did start and end there), I walked back down the hall, pushed the elevator "down" button (yes, I know, I could have taken the stairs. It was only one level. It was a LONG day! DON'T JUDGE ME!) So anyway, I pushed the down button, waited a few seconds, the door opened and I entered the elevator. The door closed. I waited. After a minute or so the door opened again. Steven got on. Then Steven laughed at me. Apparently, I got on the elevator and was so tired I forgot to push the button for the lobby. So I was just standing there inside the elevator, leaning against the wall and waiting . . .
Yeah, I know.
Seventeen hours later, when I left room 217 (no, we weren't in there ALL day, but we did start and end there), I walked back down the hall, pushed the elevator "down" button (yes, I know, I could have taken the stairs. It was only one level. It was a LONG day! DON'T JUDGE ME!) So anyway, I pushed the down button, waited a few seconds, the door opened and I entered the elevator. The door closed. I waited. After a minute or so the door opened again. Steven got on. Then Steven laughed at me. Apparently, I got on the elevator and was so tired I forgot to push the button for the lobby. So I was just standing there inside the elevator, leaning against the wall and waiting . . .
Yeah, I know.
May 05, 2009
the beginning of a life story
Today I just want to blog. There is so much in my head and so little time to get it on “paper”.
First, NinjaPrincess . . . thanks for the doula confidence. I’m not sure exactly how far away you are, but I think it would be pretty doggone cool to be your doula should you need one! However, I really like to meet people's faces before I . . . well, before I meet others parts of them, so maybe one of these days when I am passing through your stomping grounds we can “MEET” for lunch!
Second, Ashley’s precious second little girl entered the world last night. Though I have many things I could blog about this, and even though Ashley has given me permission to blog about it, I still feel that moms reserve the right to tell their own birth stories. So . . . suffice it to say that:
1) Ashley was a TROUPER! She had one tough labor, but she held in there and did the work. I’m very proud of her. She labored for 26+ hours (depending on how you count it) and never once told me she hated me!
2) Arrogance is an ugly, ugly trait. Especially when it comes from medical professionals. That is all I am going to say.
About my doula role: It is a nearly impossible thing to describe. Sometimes frustrating. Sometimes entertaining. Sometimes hard. But always, always such a privilege. Sometimes my role is to be invisible . . . to make sure everything in the background is taken care of, from finding socks to giving backrubs, without ever being an intrusion. Sometimes my role is front and center as “coach”, allowing dads or grandmothers or sisters to come and go, take pictures, whatever. Often my role falls somewhere in the middle, just helping dad be an effective birth partner.
Last night was definitely a “front and center” experience. Being face to face with a laboring mom, and I mean really face to face, holding her head, whispering in her ear, helping her understand the importance of what she is doing. If you have ever been on the receiving end of such encouragement, you know the value of it, but let me tell you, being on the giving end is pretty amazing.
Then there is the whole blessing of being at the beginning. To be there for the first gasp, the first cry, the first locked glance between mother and child, the first chapter of someone's life in God's story.
Ashley: Thanks for letting me be part of Chapter One.
First, NinjaPrincess . . . thanks for the doula confidence. I’m not sure exactly how far away you are, but I think it would be pretty doggone cool to be your doula should you need one! However, I really like to meet people's faces before I . . . well, before I meet others parts of them, so maybe one of these days when I am passing through your stomping grounds we can “MEET” for lunch!
Second, Ashley’s precious second little girl entered the world last night. Though I have many things I could blog about this, and even though Ashley has given me permission to blog about it, I still feel that moms reserve the right to tell their own birth stories. So . . . suffice it to say that:
1) Ashley was a TROUPER! She had one tough labor, but she held in there and did the work. I’m very proud of her. She labored for 26+ hours (depending on how you count it) and never once told me she hated me!
2) Arrogance is an ugly, ugly trait. Especially when it comes from medical professionals. That is all I am going to say.
About my doula role: It is a nearly impossible thing to describe. Sometimes frustrating. Sometimes entertaining. Sometimes hard. But always, always such a privilege. Sometimes my role is to be invisible . . . to make sure everything in the background is taken care of, from finding socks to giving backrubs, without ever being an intrusion. Sometimes my role is front and center as “coach”, allowing dads or grandmothers or sisters to come and go, take pictures, whatever. Often my role falls somewhere in the middle, just helping dad be an effective birth partner.
Last night was definitely a “front and center” experience. Being face to face with a laboring mom, and I mean really face to face, holding her head, whispering in her ear, helping her understand the importance of what she is doing. If you have ever been on the receiving end of such encouragement, you know the value of it, but let me tell you, being on the giving end is pretty amazing.
Then there is the whole blessing of being at the beginning. To be there for the first gasp, the first cry, the first locked glance between mother and child, the first chapter of someone's life in God's story.
Ashley: Thanks for letting me be part of Chapter One.
April 23, 2009
not quite a nuclear disaster
Several events mark 1986 as an important year in history:
Challenger Explosion
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
Iran Contra Scandal (Who can forget Oliver North?)
Haley’s Comet
Hands Across America
Statue of Liberty's 100th Anniversary
Somewhere in the midst of that, another event occurred. Lasting 32 hours, this event was so monumental I will never forget where I was when it happened. I will never forget how I felt, who was with me, nor my feelings before, during and after.
Several months prior to this monumental event, my husband and I left the “Lower 48” and moved 4,200 miles away to Anchorage, Alaska where he would serve his tour of duty at Fort Richardson. We had a going-away party with our families, and as we were leaving my mother screamed out these final parting words . . . “Don’t you go and get pregnant!”
I didn’t MEAN to. Really. But “the pill” and I were not good friends. Frankly, she made me sick. And cranky. And, well, after a few months, I gave up trying to make our relationship work.
Enter military work hours: Month gone. Weekend home. Month gone again.
If the FBI were to interrogate me under bright lights with toothpicks holding my eyes open and ask, “What happened on the night of November 9, 1985?” Well, duh. That’s a no-brainer. Remember? Month gone. Weekend home. Month gone again.
Barely 22 and a baby on the way.
Having two “doula births” in May and talking with the moms always brings up those first-time pregnancy memories for me.
Those months of walking every day, no caffeine, prenatal vitamins, swollen ankles, childbirth books, unending questions, and dreading the unknown.
So, in the late summer of 1986, I gave birth to my baby girl, after 32 hours of difficult back labor. To this day, my daughter still claims, “the harder the birth, the better the kid.” Not sure I can agree with her on that completely, but I’m sure glad (for once) I didn’t heed my mother’s instructions.
Challenger Explosion
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
Iran Contra Scandal (Who can forget Oliver North?)
Haley’s Comet
Hands Across America
Statue of Liberty's 100th Anniversary
Somewhere in the midst of that, another event occurred. Lasting 32 hours, this event was so monumental I will never forget where I was when it happened. I will never forget how I felt, who was with me, nor my feelings before, during and after.
Several months prior to this monumental event, my husband and I left the “Lower 48” and moved 4,200 miles away to Anchorage, Alaska where he would serve his tour of duty at Fort Richardson. We had a going-away party with our families, and as we were leaving my mother screamed out these final parting words . . . “Don’t you go and get pregnant!”
I didn’t MEAN to. Really. But “the pill” and I were not good friends. Frankly, she made me sick. And cranky. And, well, after a few months, I gave up trying to make our relationship work.
Enter military work hours: Month gone. Weekend home. Month gone again.
If the FBI were to interrogate me under bright lights with toothpicks holding my eyes open and ask, “What happened on the night of November 9, 1985?” Well, duh. That’s a no-brainer. Remember? Month gone. Weekend home. Month gone again.
Barely 22 and a baby on the way.
Having two “doula births” in May and talking with the moms always brings up those first-time pregnancy memories for me.
Those months of walking every day, no caffeine, prenatal vitamins, swollen ankles, childbirth books, unending questions, and dreading the unknown.So, in the late summer of 1986, I gave birth to my baby girl, after 32 hours of difficult back labor. To this day, my daughter still claims, “the harder the birth, the better the kid.” Not sure I can agree with her on that completely, but I’m sure glad (for once) I didn’t heed my mother’s instructions.
January 18, 2009
prayer request
On Kacey's 2nd birthday, I was blessed and privileged to hold my best friend Sherri's hand and breathe with her as she and her sweet husband, Neal, welcomed their first child into the world. They named him Tony. It was my first "doula" experience long before I ever knew what a doula was.
Over the years, Tony and his sister, Randi, have been like cousins to my kids. We love them like family. Neal & Sherri are those rare friends you can just pick up with where you left off no matter how long it has been.
We found out today, on Kevin's 16th birthday, that Tony has a brain tumor the size of an egg. Apparently this has happened quickly, with headaches, followed by numbness in his arm and face, followed by tests . . . and now he is having surgery on Tuesday. Though Neal & Sherri still live in Alaska, Tony is in Arkansas where he is in college. We are headed that direction in the morning, once again so I can hold Sherri's hand and breathe with her.
Please pray for Tony. Kevin chatted with him a bit tonight, and Tony seems to be in good spirits with full assurance that he is in God's hands.
Thanks to you all . . . I will keep you posted.
http://www.tonycollinsstatus.blogspot.com/
Over the years, Tony and his sister, Randi, have been like cousins to my kids. We love them like family. Neal & Sherri are those rare friends you can just pick up with where you left off no matter how long it has been.
We found out today, on Kevin's 16th birthday, that Tony has a brain tumor the size of an egg. Apparently this has happened quickly, with headaches, followed by numbness in his arm and face, followed by tests . . . and now he is having surgery on Tuesday. Though Neal & Sherri still live in Alaska, Tony is in Arkansas where he is in college. We are headed that direction in the morning, once again so I can hold Sherri's hand and breathe with her.
Please pray for Tony. Kevin chatted with him a bit tonight, and Tony seems to be in good spirits with full assurance that he is in God's hands.
Thanks to you all . . . I will keep you posted.
http://www.tonycollinsstatus.blogspot.com/
April 28, 2007
100 Things Nobody Really Needs to Know About Me
1. I am a Jill of many trades: involvement ministry, children's ministry, childbirth educator, piano teacher, homeschool mom, doula, community volunteer, writer, etc.
2. God has blessed me with two children, Kacey & Kevin, who are my world.
3. Naming my children was merely a formality. I only call them things like, “Sweet Cheeks; Honey Buns; Love Britches; Sugar Toot; Daughter-Face; Boy Junior; Little Man; etc.”
4. My parents are wonderful. . . I have my dad's brain and my mom's mouth. :o)
5. My younger sister, Stacey Leigh, was my best girlfriend and only sibling. She died in a car crash when she was 28. I cannot think of her without crying. I cannot wait to see her again. My daughter, Kacey Leigh, is named after her and sometimes looks very much like her.
6. I give my kids points for using big words or answering trivia questions. When they can prove they've earned 1,000,000 points, I will by them a car.
7. I tend to call people by their full names, or, if that doesn’t work, their first & middle names.
8. I don’t collect anything. In fact, I don’t keep anything. If it hasn’t been used in the last few weeks, it’s outta here! (Except for leftovers, which usually grow green fuzz before getting tossed.)
9. I have moved 24 times – Memphis; Tulsa; Longview TX; Mobile AL; Nashville; & Anchorage are among the list – though I was born in Kentucky, moved away, came back to graduate High School, moved away again, & now live back here. Full circle.
10. If I could live anywhere, it would be somewhere on the coast. Oregon, maybe.
11. I HATE to read instructions. I am totally dependent on my 14-year-old son to program the dvd recorder, replace the ink cartridge in my printer, and un-jam the copy machine.
12. I have “a thing” for guys in glasses.
13. I have "a thing" for Scottish accents.
14. I am oblivious to vehicles. If my life depended on it, I couldn’t tell you what anybody around me drives.
15. I have read through the entire series of “Little House on the Prairie” books 7 or 8 times.
16. I love to analyze people and try to figure out why they are all so much more difficult than I am.
17. I love email and texting!
18. I HATE talking on the phone. HATE.
19. I am terrible about keeping up with old friends (reference #18) But I really, really, really miss my best Anchorage friends, Neal & Sherri, who still live in Alaska.
20. We do not have cable or internet (at home). Upon discovering this, one of Kacey’s boyfriends asked her if we were Amish. True story.
21. No matter where I am, my husband will always track me down. I’ve decided to think of it as endearing rather than controlling.
22. My long-term memory is amazing. My short-term memory is . . . what was I talking about? 23. I was blessed to be a stay-at-home, homeschool mom for most of 17 years - it was the best.
24. My birthday is October 24th. So every day, (yeah, pretty much every day) when we notice 10:24 on the clock I yell, “It’s ten-twenty-four!” My children sing this goofy little birthday song to me. It’s required.
25. Now that I'm "over 40", I am reluctantly codependent on my reading glasses.
26. I am completely and happily committed to my purse.
27. I never remember to shop for baby showers. Inevitably, I will shop ½ hour before the shower, buying wrapping paper, tape and bows and doing the gift-wrapping in the parking lot. I will ALWAYS forget to buy a tag or card, so during the shower I’m yelling, “That’s from me!” Why do I do this?
28. I love thunderstorms and snow and autumn.
29. If you know who Lynne Truss, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Nora Ephron are, we are probably already good friends.
30. One can never have too many cool, clicky ink pens.
31. I am the least sympathetic mother I know. Even if it’s a fairly serious illness/injury I take the “oh, suck it up and stop your whining” approach. That’s my way of coping when I’m not able to “fix it”, but that doesn’t comfort my children when they are bleeding or tossing their cookies. However, I am immensely sympathetic to those outside my family. ???
32. I have book A.D.D. - I can have as many as 7 books going at one time and rarely finish any of them.
33. I have worn the same pair of black leather, rabbit-lined gloves for the last 21 winters. My mom sent them to me when I first moved to Alaska. I love them.
34. The concept of the 18-hour bra baffles me. What happens if you wear it 19 hours?
35. I love road trips, but I prefer to be the driver. I think it’s a control thing.
36. In High School, I was the yearbook editor, newspaper editor, speech club vice president, and student director of the band.
37. Disney World really is the happiest place on earth.
38. I could be very happy living in an apartment permanently – I like the small spaces, the sense of community, and the wonderful lack of yard work.
39. I want an iPod really badly.
40. Drawing house plans is my preferred multi-tasking project while I watch tv.
41. My favorite food is pasta.
42. I have a passion for literature, and I’m especially fond of children’s literature. I have read “Goodnight Moon” and “Where the Wild Things Are” a minimum of 1500 times each. (2 kids X every night for 2 years = well, you do the math.)
43. Jane Eyre is my favorite novel, I've read it four times.
44. I frequently break into song for no apparent reason.
45. Yes, I have had my heart broken. Wouldn't wish that pain on my worst enemy. If I had one. Which I don't.
46. I had straight A’s in high school except for the "A" subjects: Algebra & Art. Go figure.
47. On Sunday afternoons, I used to always nap. Now it seems all we have are what I call "Marathon Sundays". Whatever happened to the concept of sabbath?
48. I am a consummate pest and thoroughly enjoy embarrassing my kids.
49. Every night, after Kevin goes to bed, I flip the light on in his room (well, actually it’s his sister’s room ‘cause that’s where he’s sleeping since she left for college). Anyway. . . I flip the light on just long enough for the glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars to shine. Then I flip the light back off and say “PWETTY Stars”. Every night.
50. I’m convinced that Ephesians 6:4a does NOT apply to mothers. Look it up.
51. I bite my cuticles. A lot.
52. I started dating my husband after he broke into my dorm room, trashed it, and blamed it on someone else. What was I thinking???
53. My son said I’m the nicest person he knows. And he said it with a straight face. I think that must mean he doesn’t know very many people.
54. I spend a lot of time in the car.
55. I would like to learn sign language.
56. I love dark chocolate, hot tea, popcorn, cranberry-walnut bread, seafood anything, & almond biscotti.
57. I love trying new restaurants and new food - especially Asian food.
58. I have been a certified childbirth educator and doula. I have been blessed to be part of several births. I missed my calling as a midwife/obstetrician.
59. My second child was born at home. Yes, on purpose.
60. I really like toddlers and teens, but I am not a fan of other people’s babies. Go figure.
61. I did the whole “Earth Mother” thing for about a decade – complete breastfeeding, organic foods, recyclable products, homeschooling, etc. In fact, I nursed Kevin until he could unbutton things on his own, and began homeschooling Kacey back when people asked, “Is that LEGAL?” My family used to ask me when I "got weird".
62. I used to play the piano and was 1st chair clarinet in band for 6 out of 8 years.
63. When I was a Brownie Girl Scout in Nashville, I had to kiss the governor of Tennessee for a newspaper photo op. I was mortified.
64. I never get tired of listening to Carole King, Simon & Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Elton John, and Carly Simon. I am such a child of the 70’s.
65. I’m a compulsive multi-tasker.
66. Kevin is teaching me to play chess. It’s really hard to multi-task while playing chess.
67. I was voted “Outstanding Citizen” by my senior class. All that means is I wasn’t “Most Talented”, “Most Likely to Succeed”, or “Best Looking”.
68. I always clean the kitchen and start a load of laundry before I go to bed.
69. I rarely make my bed. Seems like such an exercise in futility.
70. I love to play games (except Monopoly!), and I especially like to play cards with friends.
71. I especially-especially like to play “Scene It, Shout About the Movies, and Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” with Kacey.
72. I work logic problems for fun.
73. Sometimes I feel an overwhelming urge to bite someone. Anyone. I don’t know why.
74. I’m irresistibly drawn to organizers and storage containers of all shapes and sizes. To quote Jerry McGuire, they "complete me".
75. I don't enjoy being at home nearly as much as I used to.
76. I LOVE my jobs.
77. When I grow up, I hope to find something productive to do with myself.
78. I’m love my traditional Church of Christ background, and, even more, I loved breaking out of it.
79. The treadmill in my bedroom makes a great clothes rack.
80. When I was in junior high, I kept scrapbooks on Shaun Cassidy, Barry Manilow and the Bay City Rollers.
81. Clearly, I don’t embarrass easily.
82. Sarcasm rules, and I am the reigning queen.
83. I get really excited when I watch a film with good editing.
84. I am a complete videophile, but I only like watching a movie with someone else who enjoys it, or someone who has never seen it but I think will enjoy it. Watching movies alone doesn’t work for me. I’d rather read or browse the internet.
85. I wish I’d had more children.
86. I dream that one day the bathroom project that began in 1995 will actually be completed. Mind you, it’s only a dream.
87. I explained the “birds and the bees” to my daughter when she was 5 - at her request.
88. Tomatoes are vegetables not fruit, I don’t care what they say. Fruit tastes GOOD.
89. My husband and I have absolutely NOTHING in common. We’re like Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor. But with WAY less jewelry. Welcome to Green Acres.
90. My favorite shoes are: NONE. I like my bare feet.
91. Scrapbooking is my creative outlet. Plus, cropping is very therapeutic. Especially if you crop off the heads of people you don’t like.
92. I love jazz bands, Broadway musicals, Drum Corps competitions, and symphonies.
93. I graduated from the University of Alaska, with a journalism major and photography minor. 94. I can’t tell (or remember) a joke to save my life.
95. If there is a contest drawing or a door prize, my name will usually be the one drawn. I’m just lucky that way.
96. I could live in a Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore. Though, after a couple of days, I might miss showering.
97. I do not understand the concept of indoor pets. They smell, shed, cost money, chew, pass gas, and bark. But, come to think of it, so do boys.
98. Tulips, all colors, are my favorite flowers.
99. According to Stanford-Binet, my IQ is 152. But, then, they don’t know that sometimes I’ll wear my shirt inside-out all day and never notice.
100. My favorite scripture is Philippians 2:5-15. After writing 100 things, I still know: It’s not about me.
2. God has blessed me with two children, Kacey & Kevin, who are my world.
3. Naming my children was merely a formality. I only call them things like, “Sweet Cheeks; Honey Buns; Love Britches; Sugar Toot; Daughter-Face; Boy Junior; Little Man; etc.”
4. My parents are wonderful. . . I have my dad's brain and my mom's mouth. :o)
5. My younger sister, Stacey Leigh, was my best girlfriend and only sibling. She died in a car crash when she was 28. I cannot think of her without crying. I cannot wait to see her again. My daughter, Kacey Leigh, is named after her and sometimes looks very much like her.
6. I give my kids points for using big words or answering trivia questions. When they can prove they've earned 1,000,000 points, I will by them a car.
7. I tend to call people by their full names, or, if that doesn’t work, their first & middle names.
8. I don’t collect anything. In fact, I don’t keep anything. If it hasn’t been used in the last few weeks, it’s outta here! (Except for leftovers, which usually grow green fuzz before getting tossed.)
9. I have moved 24 times – Memphis; Tulsa; Longview TX; Mobile AL; Nashville; & Anchorage are among the list – though I was born in Kentucky, moved away, came back to graduate High School, moved away again, & now live back here. Full circle.
10. If I could live anywhere, it would be somewhere on the coast. Oregon, maybe.
11. I HATE to read instructions. I am totally dependent on my 14-year-old son to program the dvd recorder, replace the ink cartridge in my printer, and un-jam the copy machine.
12. I have “a thing” for guys in glasses.
13. I have "a thing" for Scottish accents.
14. I am oblivious to vehicles. If my life depended on it, I couldn’t tell you what anybody around me drives.
15. I have read through the entire series of “Little House on the Prairie” books 7 or 8 times.
16. I love to analyze people and try to figure out why they are all so much more difficult than I am.
17. I love email and texting!
18. I HATE talking on the phone. HATE.
19. I am terrible about keeping up with old friends (reference #18) But I really, really, really miss my best Anchorage friends, Neal & Sherri, who still live in Alaska.
20. We do not have cable or internet (at home). Upon discovering this, one of Kacey’s boyfriends asked her if we were Amish. True story.
21. No matter where I am, my husband will always track me down. I’ve decided to think of it as endearing rather than controlling.
22. My long-term memory is amazing. My short-term memory is . . . what was I talking about? 23. I was blessed to be a stay-at-home, homeschool mom for most of 17 years - it was the best.
24. My birthday is October 24th. So every day, (yeah, pretty much every day) when we notice 10:24 on the clock I yell, “It’s ten-twenty-four!” My children sing this goofy little birthday song to me. It’s required.
25. Now that I'm "over 40", I am reluctantly codependent on my reading glasses.
26. I am completely and happily committed to my purse.
27. I never remember to shop for baby showers. Inevitably, I will shop ½ hour before the shower, buying wrapping paper, tape and bows and doing the gift-wrapping in the parking lot. I will ALWAYS forget to buy a tag or card, so during the shower I’m yelling, “That’s from me!” Why do I do this?
28. I love thunderstorms and snow and autumn.
29. If you know who Lynne Truss, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Nora Ephron are, we are probably already good friends.
30. One can never have too many cool, clicky ink pens.
31. I am the least sympathetic mother I know. Even if it’s a fairly serious illness/injury I take the “oh, suck it up and stop your whining” approach. That’s my way of coping when I’m not able to “fix it”, but that doesn’t comfort my children when they are bleeding or tossing their cookies. However, I am immensely sympathetic to those outside my family. ???
32. I have book A.D.D. - I can have as many as 7 books going at one time and rarely finish any of them.
33. I have worn the same pair of black leather, rabbit-lined gloves for the last 21 winters. My mom sent them to me when I first moved to Alaska. I love them.
34. The concept of the 18-hour bra baffles me. What happens if you wear it 19 hours?
35. I love road trips, but I prefer to be the driver. I think it’s a control thing.
36. In High School, I was the yearbook editor, newspaper editor, speech club vice president, and student director of the band.
37. Disney World really is the happiest place on earth.
38. I could be very happy living in an apartment permanently – I like the small spaces, the sense of community, and the wonderful lack of yard work.
39. I want an iPod really badly.
40. Drawing house plans is my preferred multi-tasking project while I watch tv.
41. My favorite food is pasta.
42. I have a passion for literature, and I’m especially fond of children’s literature. I have read “Goodnight Moon” and “Where the Wild Things Are” a minimum of 1500 times each. (2 kids X every night for 2 years = well, you do the math.)
43. Jane Eyre is my favorite novel, I've read it four times.
44. I frequently break into song for no apparent reason.
45. Yes, I have had my heart broken. Wouldn't wish that pain on my worst enemy. If I had one. Which I don't.
46. I had straight A’s in high school except for the "A" subjects: Algebra & Art. Go figure.
47. On Sunday afternoons, I used to always nap. Now it seems all we have are what I call "Marathon Sundays". Whatever happened to the concept of sabbath?
48. I am a consummate pest and thoroughly enjoy embarrassing my kids.
49. Every night, after Kevin goes to bed, I flip the light on in his room (well, actually it’s his sister’s room ‘cause that’s where he’s sleeping since she left for college). Anyway. . . I flip the light on just long enough for the glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars to shine. Then I flip the light back off and say “PWETTY Stars”. Every night.
50. I’m convinced that Ephesians 6:4a does NOT apply to mothers. Look it up.
51. I bite my cuticles. A lot.
52. I started dating my husband after he broke into my dorm room, trashed it, and blamed it on someone else. What was I thinking???
53. My son said I’m the nicest person he knows. And he said it with a straight face. I think that must mean he doesn’t know very many people.
54. I spend a lot of time in the car.
55. I would like to learn sign language.
56. I love dark chocolate, hot tea, popcorn, cranberry-walnut bread, seafood anything, & almond biscotti.
57. I love trying new restaurants and new food - especially Asian food.
58. I have been a certified childbirth educator and doula. I have been blessed to be part of several births. I missed my calling as a midwife/obstetrician.
59. My second child was born at home. Yes, on purpose.
60. I really like toddlers and teens, but I am not a fan of other people’s babies. Go figure.
61. I did the whole “Earth Mother” thing for about a decade – complete breastfeeding, organic foods, recyclable products, homeschooling, etc. In fact, I nursed Kevin until he could unbutton things on his own, and began homeschooling Kacey back when people asked, “Is that LEGAL?” My family used to ask me when I "got weird".
62. I used to play the piano and was 1st chair clarinet in band for 6 out of 8 years.
63. When I was a Brownie Girl Scout in Nashville, I had to kiss the governor of Tennessee for a newspaper photo op. I was mortified.
64. I never get tired of listening to Carole King, Simon & Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Elton John, and Carly Simon. I am such a child of the 70’s.
65. I’m a compulsive multi-tasker.
66. Kevin is teaching me to play chess. It’s really hard to multi-task while playing chess.
67. I was voted “Outstanding Citizen” by my senior class. All that means is I wasn’t “Most Talented”, “Most Likely to Succeed”, or “Best Looking”.
68. I always clean the kitchen and start a load of laundry before I go to bed.
69. I rarely make my bed. Seems like such an exercise in futility.
70. I love to play games (except Monopoly!), and I especially like to play cards with friends.
71. I especially-especially like to play “Scene It, Shout About the Movies, and Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” with Kacey.
72. I work logic problems for fun.
73. Sometimes I feel an overwhelming urge to bite someone. Anyone. I don’t know why.
74. I’m irresistibly drawn to organizers and storage containers of all shapes and sizes. To quote Jerry McGuire, they "complete me".
75. I don't enjoy being at home nearly as much as I used to.
76. I LOVE my jobs.
77. When I grow up, I hope to find something productive to do with myself.
78. I’m love my traditional Church of Christ background, and, even more, I loved breaking out of it.
79. The treadmill in my bedroom makes a great clothes rack.
80. When I was in junior high, I kept scrapbooks on Shaun Cassidy, Barry Manilow and the Bay City Rollers.
81. Clearly, I don’t embarrass easily.
82. Sarcasm rules, and I am the reigning queen.
83. I get really excited when I watch a film with good editing.
84. I am a complete videophile, but I only like watching a movie with someone else who enjoys it, or someone who has never seen it but I think will enjoy it. Watching movies alone doesn’t work for me. I’d rather read or browse the internet.
85. I wish I’d had more children.
86. I dream that one day the bathroom project that began in 1995 will actually be completed. Mind you, it’s only a dream.
87. I explained the “birds and the bees” to my daughter when she was 5 - at her request.
88. Tomatoes are vegetables not fruit, I don’t care what they say. Fruit tastes GOOD.
89. My husband and I have absolutely NOTHING in common. We’re like Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor. But with WAY less jewelry. Welcome to Green Acres.
90. My favorite shoes are: NONE. I like my bare feet.
91. Scrapbooking is my creative outlet. Plus, cropping is very therapeutic. Especially if you crop off the heads of people you don’t like.
92. I love jazz bands, Broadway musicals, Drum Corps competitions, and symphonies.
93. I graduated from the University of Alaska, with a journalism major and photography minor. 94. I can’t tell (or remember) a joke to save my life.
95. If there is a contest drawing or a door prize, my name will usually be the one drawn. I’m just lucky that way.
96. I could live in a Borders or Barnes & Noble bookstore. Though, after a couple of days, I might miss showering.
97. I do not understand the concept of indoor pets. They smell, shed, cost money, chew, pass gas, and bark. But, come to think of it, so do boys.
98. Tulips, all colors, are my favorite flowers.
99. According to Stanford-Binet, my IQ is 152. But, then, they don’t know that sometimes I’ll wear my shirt inside-out all day and never notice.
100. My favorite scripture is Philippians 2:5-15. After writing 100 things, I still know: It’s not about me.
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