secret friend

My MOMS group at church: Ana, Maria, Raechel, Angie, Melissa, Jenny, Jessica, and Lisa are doing a secret friend exchange and I decided to include my survey on my blog because I think that maybe it will be insightful to my personality? It’s a little more elaborate then the questionnaire I handed in, but here it is:

Date of birth: 09/22/1973

Husband: Erik and Date of marriage: 03/29/2003

Children’s names @ dob: Chelsea 08/24/1995; Ryan 06/08/2001; Olivia & Rebekah 02/13/2004

Favorite color: Green

Favorite restaurant: The Cheesecake Factory; The Melting Pot

Favorite food: Cheesecake; breaded tenderloins; pork BBQ; chocolate; vienna fingers; nutter butters; moist white cake with coconut frosting

Hobbies: Scrapbooking; reading; thinking about decorating, but never getting around to doing it; I would like to start gardening…have commited to doing it NEXT year, taking pictures. Very few of these hobbies do I actually DO mind you, but I would “like” to do them, when my children get a little older and independent and I get some of my life back.

Allergies: cats, dogs, feathers, dust mold, grass pollen, flowers

Biggest vice(s): cigarettes, casual attitude towards appearance, staying on top of housework, really BAD episodes of Maury Povich with paternity tests

Your Ideal vacation would be: a cruise to Alaska maybe; anywhere alone with my husband without the kids would be a vacation; L.A.-go see the Dr. Phil and Ellen Degeneres show…. Hawaii? Go to Macinaw Island, West Baden Springs, the Biltmore hotel, travel to New England when the leaves change color.

Something you’ve always wanted to do? Take a YOGA class, take another photography class, take a weekend trip alone with my husband to Brown County; Walk/Run/Train for a marathon

Your favorite music/ singer/ band? James Taylor, John Mayer, India.Arie, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jack Johnson —although I am forced lately to listen to A LOT of Hannah Montana...it's kinda growing on me.

Do you collect anything? I have dozens of teapots (which is funny ‘cause I’m not that much of a tea drinker); I also collect cookbooks (ok, that’s really an exaggeration. I like the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I have 2. Country Quick and Easy and One Pot Meals. I also have a few other random ones, aka. Pampered Chef, blah, blah, blah.) I don’t know if it’s really a collection or an “interest.”

Favorite kind of movie? Romantic comedies, suspense/mystery thrillers. I LOVE Napoleon Dynamite. Lately I have been into the Bourne Triology. There is something very ordinary and attractive about Matt Damon that I find alluring and irresistable.

Favorite Drinks? Cherry Coke Zero; Diet Pepsi

What is your favorite candy bar? Reese’s Sticks (although I can never find them anymore- I will have to find a new one). I don’t think there is a candy bar created though that I wouldn’t eat slowly and enjoy.

If you had 4 hours completely to yourself, no kids, no husband, no chores, no commitments…how would you spend that time? That’s a no-brainer….I would sleep.

Favorite Holiday: Halloween and Favorite time of year : Fall

What skill/talent of yours are you the most proud of: I am creative; I write and draw well; I think I am funny although I don’t know how much agreement I would get with that; I make friends easily.

What do you believe is your biggest flaw? I am a horrible listener, lol. I procrastinate a lot. I am really bad about trying to avoid conflict. I don’t have as much patience as I would like with my kids. I sing in the car loudly, like I have talent (much to the shigrin of my children.) Actually, until last year or so I would have told you that I actually can sing, but then, after being stuck in a car for hours upon countless hours I have re-thought that stance. I mean honestly, all of my kids sing their hearts out convinced that they have talent as well, and, not to be a Simon Cowell, but they are NOT the next American Idols. So perhaps I am not a gene abnormality, just in denial.

Who would you like to meet? President Clinton; Sylvia Browne; Matt Damon (see favorite movie section); Peyton Manning

What TV show do you NEVER EVER miss? Man vs. Wild; The Office; Survivor; Big Brother; Hell’s Kitchen; My Name is Earl; Amazing Race; Montel (when Sylvia Browne is on); All My Children; 48 Hours Mystery (any forensic stuff really); Dateline; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

What are your pet peeves? People who send e-mails and forget to include the attachments (I do that ALL the time); holier than thou non-smokers; republicans; Elizabeth Hasselbeck from the View; people who cry ALL the time; children (just kidding)

If you could change one thing about your life what would it be? Your life, not you! I would be a writer going back to school part time to get a nursing degree. Each morning after I dropped my kids off at school I would go to Starbucks for a nice warm cup of tea and 30 minutes of book reading before I headed to the gym to work out a bit. I would have a much bigger house. A 6 bedroom ranch with a nice crisp pool. I would be my kid’s room mothers at school and bake them homemade cupcakes to send in on their birthdays. I would be a brownie leader. I would take them each on sporatic one on one trips to fun places (yes, more fun than even Walmart). I would have plastic tubs and tubs of decorations for every season and holiday and on Christmas I would have a bathroom filled with Santa’s and a living room filled with Snowmen. I would be more organized, with everything labeled and in it’s place. I would have date nights each week with my husband and at least 4 times I year we would go on weekends away. He would bring me coffee in bed each morning with 4 sugars and 4 creams…and get the kids dressed while I leisurely enjoyed the news. OK, ok. I guess I am rambling a bit.

Your husband’s most annoying habit? His negative attitude and “chicken little” sense of urgency; his tardiness; his snoring (and denial of snoring); using all his t-shirts as bibs; licking his plates clean…and teaching it to our kids. His non-affectionate nature? Does that sound right? He’s not very “huggy/touchy” and sometimes I REALLY need that.

Your favorite day of the week: Friday; because it is always payday!

What is the last book you read? Babyproof; it was ok.

What is your biggest fear? The death of any loved one.

If you could be reincarnated what would you come back as….and why? I would come back as a butterfly I guess. They just get to flitter and flutter and look happy and beautiful. They don’t have to work as hard as ants or bees. There is always a tree they can hide under if it rains or the sun shines too brightly. What would they possible have to worry about?

What do you believe was the most important decision you’ve made up to this point in your life? Boy, these questions are getting rough! See the irony there, I made the questions :) I think up until now the most important decision I have made is divorcing my first husband. I was very vulnerable at that time and it was an excruciatingly hard decision. I think I would of swore at the time that it was the beginning of the end, but in hindsight it was the best decision for not just me, but Chelsea as well. I learned after that experience that I don’t have to be dependent. That being alone doesn’t always mean being desperate, depressed, and pathetic.