Five Question Friday

While everyone else and their brother seems to be on vacation right now (or getting ready for a blogging conference), we’re still life as usual at our house and will be pretty much up until school starts when the new normal begins. I don’t mind, we had our long vacation when we went to Texas this spring and I’m sure I’ll at least take a week off at Christmas.

But while I’ve been *just* at home, I’ve been quite productive. Last night I did up 12 1-pint jars of sun pickles and I can’t wait until Sunday when we can crack one open (I LOVE dill pickles!) and I made a two-layer rainbow cake, basically following the recipe I found here. I’m a little curious how it’s going to turn out because the center never would let a toothpick come out clean but the edges are rather hard on one of the layers – sorry family if it tastes like crap – at least it will be fun to look at. I also went grocery shopping for the weekend’s festivities and rode 7 miles on the stationary bike. I did not bathe the children.

On the way home from the grocery store, Liam was telling a long rambling story based around the one time in the fall when I couldn’t get over to exit off the highway at the normal exit I took for his preschool (jerky driver who wouldn’t let me in) so I had to drive on to the next one. It apparently made a big impression on him (and I didn’t even swear at the person, though I might have yelled) since he still remembers it. So he was recounting what happened and apparently he’s decided that maybe the guy wouldn’t let me in because he didn’t like my hair (my body was also another option, but I left that one alone). He also thought that the guy was too skinny but he wasn’t Andy (my friend Kara’s husband) who we saw another time driving on the highway over a year ago; because Andy is skinny but he’s nice. Then he went on to recount all the men he knows who are skinny (this includes Andy, my nephew-in-law, Chris and my nephews Andy and Mitch – this is a list he seems to always get around too when he’s in this kind of rambling story-telling mood – we’ll definitely be watching out for body issues as he grows up). So I backtracked to inquire as to why the guy might not have liked my hair and he said, “I don’t know, maybe it was in a ponytail.” Which was exactly how my was last night (thanks, Liam). To wrap up, he told me that if he was driving, he would let me get in so I could get off for his preschool. He is thoughtful like that.

Now for a little Five Question Friday… won’t you play along?

1. Do you have siblings and are you close with them?
I have two brothers (Mike and Marty). They are 21 and 19 years older than me so while we didn’t grow up together and therefore don’t share all those common  memories and experiences that bond siblings together but we’re not un-close. But I’d say we are close considering the circumstances – I see them regularly and love spending time with them (and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual – you’d have to ask them that question). Every milestone I reach as an adult puts us on a more level playing field where we have more in common, unlike growing up where I was always the kid who was only three years older than my oldest niece. I always adored them when I was little but now I genuinely like them, too.

2. Would you rather be slightly UNDER weight or slightly OVER weight?
This is a tough question considering I am overweight (more than slightly) but I don’t know that I’d ever want to be under weight because there would be other issues I’d have to be dealing with to get to that other end of the spectrum. Overall, I rather just be healthy and that’s what I’m working on.

3. What’s your favorite State Fair food to splurge on?
I mentioned a couple 5QF’s back that I haven’t really been to a fair, but as far as carnival food goes, I’d always pick salty over sweet and probably go for fresh-cut fries or a soft pretzel.

4. What are your thoughts on your kid(s) going to school in a few weeks?
See here. While that post was about having a five-year-old (Monday – yikes!), it goes hand in hand with what I feel about Liam going to school. I’m excited to have him start and anxious to see how he does and ready for the new normal to sort itself out.

5. Pool or Ocean?
Pool for swimming, ocean for hanging out on the beach – though maybe a lake would be my real choice. I greatly dislike salt water (some might say hate) and the thought of all the things that could be in the ocean (jelly fish, sharks, icebergs – to name a few) just freaks me out. Shudder. Ick. Blech. But I love swimming in a pool and could stay in one for hours just swimming back and forth and splashing around with the kids.

Happy Friday!