Category Archives: Five Question Friday

Five Question Friday

Posted on August 24, 2012 | 3 comments

Is it Friday already? This week has seemed to drag on and at the same time, fly right by. Lots of fun stuff has been happening and lots of fun stuff to look forward to for the weekend: Greek Festival, Sandy’s baby shower, date night with my hubs, brunch with friends and beach with small group friends (I sure wish weekends could be 3-4 days long instead of 2). Then it’s the last week before school and our new schedule of crazy. So fun.

1. If you could have been (could be) any profession you wanted (brains and $$$ no problem) what would it be?
When I was in high school (and the first semester of college) I wanted to be a pediatrician, or a pediatric surgeon of some sort. Obviously my dedication to the profession did not hold out, but instead I decided that caring for my own children would be enough and switched my major from pre-med to art (I was not alone in this switch, of the four people at my biology lab table, only one stayed pre-med and the rest of us switched after one semester to art, education and business). I think I would still be a doctor if I could or wanted to do all the schooling, I love being at the hospital and I love helping others. Short of that, I would be a philanthropist… finding causes to champion and support and giving money to those who were deserving and needed it.

2. How often do you clean out your car?
You mean, how often does my husband clean out my car. While his car can get loaded with stuff (from rugby and work) he hates having clutter in the swagger wagon so about once a month he cleans it out and complains heartily about the crumb situation. We have the cleanest, tidiest minivan of anyone I know, except maybe my friend, Tracey, whose husband washes their vehicles in their driveway every Saturday it is above freezing.

3. Do you wish there was such a thing as fashion police or are you deeply relieved?
I really don’t give it much thought. If they were judging me, I’m sure there would be good days and bad days, but I don’t know that my self-esteem could handle being torn apart, even by people who had the best of intentions. So I’m rather glad it’s not okay for people to just approach you in life and tell you that you look like poo, alternately, I do wish people would tell you when you looked wonderful, but then I fear if no one every said anything to you that you would wonder if it was because you looked like poo all the time. That would be a bummer.

4. What’s your go to food/drink/activity when stressed?
Food – anything salty and/or Mexican. Drink: Diet Coke/coffee. Activity: Venting/chatting with friends.

5. If you had twins, what would you name them?
In this magical world where you get saddled with twins, I’m going to pretend that they are both girls because we used both our boy name choices with Liam and Jack and I can’t imagine having to decide on another one or two. But for two girls, I have names: Fiona Grace and Sydney Lynn (just one girl would be Fiona Lynn). I love the name Fiona and it would go perfectly with Liam and Jack (a trio of British children). Grace was the middle name we had picked if Liam would have been a girl. Sydney is an homage to Simon’s birthplace (technically Mona Vale, but no matter). And Lynn was my aunt’s name who passed away when I was pregnant with Jack. The only reason I ever hoped for a girl instead of a boy with Jack was to be able to pay tribute to Aunt Lynn, one of my most favorite people in the world.

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday.

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Posted in Five Question Friday, Life in general

Five Question Friday

Posted on August 17, 2012 | 8 comments

I’m trying not to break out into song, but I’m just so glad it’s Friday! (Friday! Gotta get down on Friday! [Side note: How is it that I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard that whole song but I know the lyrics and the tune?])

1. What’s the one thing you buy every time you walk into the store?
Wouldn’t it be funny is someone said something like toilet bowl cleaner, anti-bacterial soap or bug spray so we could all think they were OCD? [P.S. If you buy a lot of soap, I think you are OCD. I’m not judging, just observing.] There isn’t one thing in particular that I get EVERY time I’m at the store but there are things I get pretty often: milk, bread, Eggland’s Best hard-cooked eggs, fruit and Diet Coke.

2. If you had a day all to yourself how would you spend it?
Let’s also say that the Internet wasn’t working. The perfect day (by myself) would look like this: I’d be well-rested so I wouldn’t have to sleep in and could get up at a decent time and not sleep in past 10 (which who am I kidding, would likely never happen because I’m too programmed to wake up earlier, thanks children). On a Saturday, I’d go to the farmer’s market (stopping first for coffee at Kava House), pick up some stuff to make salsa and grab breakfast from the food truck. I’d head home to chop up my salsa ingredients so I could snack on it all day. I’d pull out a good book and read the day away and maybe craft. In the evening, I’d mix up a batch of margaritas, fix some tacos and watch a chick flick. After the movie was done I’d spend more time reading until the wee hours and go happily to sleep. I’d maybe go for a walk at some point just to now feel so sloth-like, but maybe not. Clearly my perfect day wouldn’t be too hard to attain, it includes good food and good media, I’m easily made happy.

3. Are you a speed limit driver? If not, over or under?
I can hear my husband laughing now… heartily. He’s 100% a speed limit driver, though on the highway he might go a little bit faster to keep up with traffic but in Australia, he NEVER speeds because they are way more militant about pulling people over for going at all over the speed limit. I, on the other hand, did not grow up with such – shall we say – anal limitations so, while I am aware it is a limit feel more inclined to fudge the numbers a bit. I’m not the fastest person on the road (because I’m not stupid) but I’m never the slowest.

4. What’s your favorite dessert to make, homemade or from a mix??
Dessert in general is my favorite thing (unless there is Mexican food on the table, then I’ll go for the guac or pico over a slice of cake) so picking ONE is difficult. I love these Cheescake Bars with Chocolate Ganache from Bakerella or this Pineapple Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Tasty Kitchen and these Carmelitas are divine. You can’t go wrong with any of those, unless of course you are gluten free, in which case those are no good for you… but might I recommend a gluten-free version of this recipe: Green Dragon (use GF-Oreos) Sandy made it yesterday and it was oh-so-good.

5. Would you rather have a spider or a mouse scurry across your face (no copping out and saying “neither!!”)?
Oh ewww… either one would be horrible, but with a spider, I’d imagine I’d have a greater chance for not knowing it was happening (this assumes I’d be asleep when it happened, either way). I’d like to think I’d know it if (God forbid) a mouse ran across my face. If it were ever to happen, I hope I’d be dead asleep and be none the wiser. Yuck. Now I have to go squig out. I can for sure tell you I’d almost rather die than have a bat on my face – I woke up once to one flying around my apartment and decided I would rather stay under the covers until it went away then get up in deal with it. Then is swooping my bed and I felt it across my legs and I shrieked, pulled my covers off my bed and ran out into the hallway where I freaked out for a good bit and then decided to go wake the girl up who lived downstairs and have her get the bat out of my apartment. Bless her heart for doing that at 3 in the morning – I would not have been as pleasant about it if it were me being woken up (of course, I also wouldn’t voluntarily come within ten feet of a bat). I still shudder thinking about that.

Okay, just to leave you with a happy thought:

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday.

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Five Question Friday

Posted on August 10, 2012 | 4 comments

Just for kicks, here are a couple of cute things Jack has been saying: instead of laughing he says “lapping” and when you tell him not to do something, he responds enthusiastically with, “I willn’t!” And my friend, Tracey, noted that when he says “coffee” it sounds like he has a Bostonian accent, apparently that’s what happens when you hybrid the Michigan nasal with the Australian accent.

That have absolutely nothing to do with anything but I wanted to share before I forgot.

Liam had a marvelous birthday, really, a birthday week since we have seen friends every day and gotten to hang out with some of our favorite people and eat lots of sugary things. His favorite present was a camouflaged wallet with a velcro closure (second favorite was the $1 bill he got from his cousin – the kid is currently obsessed with money which means we have some nice life lessons in store for us with saving/giving/spending).

Also, I’m having a good hair day today, at least I was until I left the house and when out into the rain multiple times to drop the kids off at two daycare locations (Liam’s daycare had to move for the last three weeks as they were using space that now needs to be used for a head start program).

How about a little 5QF?

1. Thunder storms- love them or hate them?
Love. My kids don’t wake up when it storms so I don’t mind at all when they come (that said, now they will totally start waking up because I dared poke the beast of announcing something to be true on the Internet). My only complaint about storms, or preference I guess, is that if a day starts out stormy, I want it to stay dark and gloomy all day – I don’t like it when it clears up and switches to sunshine after a few hours (probably because that usually means it is then humid and humidity I hate).

2. Do your kids get back to school clothes
Not really, I mean, I did buy Liam some new jeans and a couple shirts for his birthday but we shop throughout the year, hitting up good sales and stocking up when we see a good price (my husband is best at this and I believe we had Liam’s size 7 wardrobe done sometime in the winter). But as they get older, I know we will probably do this a little more, letting them pick out one special outfit that’s new for the first day of school. I remember what that was like when I was in school and I loved having something special for the first day.

3. Do you golf? Do you watch it?
I have golfed exactly once. It wasn’t a horrible experience but I’m not a natural. Growing up golf was always on the TV on Sundays (when there was a tournament) so I watched it then. I used to have a theory that only the guys who wore hats played the best, then the visors and then those with bare heads (which, really, I’m sure they are super happy about not wearing hats now that they have skin cancer on their noggins – and also because they always lost – sure, the white foreheads from hat-wearing looks ridiculous, but wouldn’t you rather be non-cancerous and a winner?).

4. Showers or baths?
Showers just because they are easier and more refreshing in the morning. But if I want to relax, then bathtub all the way – though I never feel clean after a bath. I don’t really enjoy sitting in a wet mixture of soapy water and sloughed off skin cells (you are welcome for that mental picture). For relaxing, I’d prefer a hot tub, at least then it doesn’t feel like a dirty soup.

5. What’s the strangest meal you ever ate?
In terms of the food, I’m certain the strangest meal I ever ate was in Kazakhstan when I was in college. There were quite a few things I ate that I don’t even know what they were (because I learned it was better not to ask). Actually, I felt like I answered this question already and I did a search and found that one week Mama M didn’t have a 5QF so I made up my own (please refer there – hilariously, I also noted that I was almost named Robin Renee and mentioned my dislike for that name, only to have someone comment who was actually named Robyn Renee – sorry).

And in terms of the whole experience, a meal I had in Kazakhstan to celebrate the 18th birthday of my roommate’s neighbor also ranks up there as the strangest (though most unique would be a better term); we ate for at least four hours, stopping at one point to take a walk around their backyard vegetable garden. And her whole family stared at me for the entire meal, asking endless questions and plying me with wine (from California – FTW) and vodka (from Russia – for the headache); for a few hours, I knew what it would be like to be a celebrity and it was a little heady. Then I sang Céline. And then the birthday girl’s parents and aunt and uncle sang Russian songs and made me feel like I wanted to stay there forever in that moment because I knew there would never be another one like it. I wish it were possible to relive that again with older, adult eyes and take it all in.

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday.

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Posted in Five Question Friday, Food, Life in general

Five Question Friday

Posted on July 27, 2012 | 3 comments

Simon’s home… happy day… back to business as usual on the bloggity blog, just in time for a little five question Friday! Whoot!
1. What is the funniest thing you saw on Facebook/twitter this week?
Like everyone else I’m a more than a little entertained by the someecards that are everywhere on the internets… the following three tickled my funny bone this week:



2. What is your favorite Olympic event?
I think swimming because while I want the Americans to win, it doesn’t stress me out like watching other sports I enjoy, like gymnastics. I almost can’t handle watching gymnastics because I’m constantly afraid they are going to screw up and my heart breaks for them when that happens. I just can’t handle the stress, I don’t know what that says about me, but it’s true.

3. Do your kids to chores around the house? If so, what are they and how old are the children? Do they get paid for them?
Ummm… nope. But they should. I mean, they clean up their toys and put things away in their rooms and help clear the table after meals but nothing concrete like cleaning toilets or mopping floors – though I totally intend to get them training in those two things as soon as I feel like I can trust them to not make a bigger mess that I will have to clean up after they cyclone through. My boys are nearly 6 and 3.5 and we also don’t do allowances yet. But when we do start a cleaning schedule and allowance, I don’t think we’ll tie the two together, but the chores will be an expectation for being a part of our family, not something I will reward them for doing.

4. If you get bad service/food do you complain or keep quiet?
I’m not one to make a big deal over things but I have sent bad gnocchi back before for tasting like flour. And I have rewarded bad service with a poor tip and not felt overly guilty about it. I have also complained to corporate headquarters when I have received bad products at chain restaurants and have gotten gift cards in response which ensures my return loyalty and is much appreciated. I don’t hesitate to share my negative (or positive) feedback when I feel it is especially merited.

5. If you could pick ONE frivolous item for your home, what would it be? (massive room sized closet? swimming pool? greenhouse? etc…)
If it was assumed that the upkeep and maintenance of said frivolous thing would not be my ongoing responsibility (i.e., cost a ridiculous amount of money – I would clean the thing), I would go with an indoor pool. I would love to be able to just jump in a pool at any time, any time of year. If I’m going to think pie-in-the-sky, I’m going to go big 🙂 Though I wouldn’t turn down a room-sized closet either. Or a three-stall garage. Or a chef’s kitchen.

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday.

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Posted in Family, Five Question Friday, Life in general

Five Question Friday

Posted on June 29, 2012 | 7 comments

It was much easier to get answers out of myself on Monday when I very tardily did my last Five Question Friday post (is that some sort of record, two 5QF posts in one week?)… for some reason I’m having trouble thinking of answers. But I’ll power through, all for the love of my readers (though since most of you are my friends or family, I think you’d forgive me either way). One bit of sad news – my hubby did read my 35 before 35 midway recap and so now he knows we’re planning a girls’ weekend. If you see him, will you remind him that he has rugby games on Saturdays for BOTH spring and fall? And a Poison concert in Detroit in two weekends? It’s not like he doesn’t get to have fun. Just not whole weekends – but if he wanted to get some friends together to go away for a guys weekend… I’d be all for it (because I am also going to a women’s retreat through church this fall – double whoops).

1. What’s your favorite childhood snack that you still eat as an adult?
Does ice cream count? Or chocolate chip cookies. Or Oreos. I will tell you one snack I DO NOT eat. Sunday nights, after night church (of course), my dad and I would have a snack of kippers and Ritz crackers. What are kippers you might ask… well, they are smoked boneless fillets of herring. Yum. From time to time I have thought about buying them and trying them to see if I could even swallow them now, but I just can’t get up the gumption to do it. Maybe my dad and I can relive a memory together…

2. What food will you not eat the low fat version of?
There aren’t many that I won’t eat, it fact, after some thought, I can’t think of one that I won’t… I’ll eat turkey burgers instead of beef, I’ll eat margarine instead of butter (sorry, Sandy, it’s true), I’ll eat fro yo instead of ice cream… the list goes on. It doesn’t mean I prefer them, just that I’ll eat them. There is one think I won’t eat the full sugar version of… Coke. I just can’t stomach regular Coke. It used to remind my of my friend’s dad because growing up he always had regular Coke at their house and when I was there, I could have some, too. But would rather have Diet Coke or nothing (well, maybe not nothing, but not Coca-Cola Classic).

3. What’s your favorite way to cool off during the summer?
Stay inside in the air conditioning. I like the beach and pools, but my favorite way is not just not go outside. It’s true. That’s who I am.

4. What’s your favorite summer read?
I don’t have a particular summer read, I just like to read in general. I don’t recommend bringing classics to the beach, but a Marion Keyes or any other chick lit book is a good beach read. Often for the beach I prefer magazines because I don’t feel bad if they get sandy or wet.

5. What are you doing to stay cool in this awful heat?
See answer to #3… though last night I did have dinner out with friends and we got stuck out on the porch and it was miserably hot but at least we were all in it together. Misery loves company, especially when it is such good company!

Linking up with Mama M for Five Question Friday.

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Posted in Five Question Friday, Life in general