Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Liebster...Not to be Confused with Biebster


Do you remember how the internet used to be swarming with surveys? Seriously, that was the big thing. I can remember filling out multiple surveys a day...in between my internet cutting out (back in my day we had dial up folks).
Well, the Liebster Blog Award is like that...only cooler because it's vintage now.
Sooo...first you have to post 10 random things about yourself, answer 10 questions the tagger asked, then create 10 questions of your own. Then tag a few people.
So since I got tagged by my oldest friend in the whole wide world, Amanda Panda at www.thekriegers.org , I figured I better oblige! After all,  nothing says love and friendship like a good ole fashioned survey.
So here goes nothing...

10 random things:
  1. I actually have ten random things about me posted on the sideline of my blog...is copying these cheating? Yes? Dang it. Ummm...
  2. Until a few years ago I totally thought that jackalopes were real...seriously who woke up one day and said, "ya know what that stuffed rabbit needs? a good pair of antlers."
  3. I think Shepherd's Pie is disgusting.
  4. I think Shepherd's Pie is disgusting...but I totally love the smell of a barn. That is not weird by the way.
  5. I will NEVER get a tattoo but if I ever did, it would be shark tooth.
  6. When I was little my mom would play the record of "Peter and the Wolf" and chase me when the wolf's music came on...I still can't watch the movie alone.
  7. Six weeks ago I moved to Florida and that was my first time living outside the state of Virginia...though I'm not sure it really counts since I still haven't changed my location on Facebook.
  8. One of my children is named after his dad, one after a TV personality, two after Presidents of the LDS Church, one after my mother and a mentor...and one after a vampire.
  9. I love the smell of playdough. So do you...admit it. Everyone loves the smell of playdough.
  10. I have never backed out in a game of truth or dare...so don't dare me to do something embarrassing. I play to win.
Amanda's Questions:
  1. What’s your favorite cereal? There is this to-die-for granola that you get at Target. I am torn between the maple pecan and the french vanilla almond...ah-mA-zing.
  2. What’s your favorite time of day? Depends on the day I guess. I do enjoy the evening after the kids are in bed and I can just relax with the hubby.
  3. What are you reading now? I just finished reading "Matched" and I have a long list of to-reads.
  4. What’s your favorite season? In Virginia? Summer...in Florida? We shall see.
  5. Did you ever wish you had a different name? What is it? Maggie...I just think I look like a Maggie.
  6. What’s one vice you can’t give up, even though you’ve tried? Sweets! I have tried on multiple occasions and resistance has proved futile.
  7. Do you have a celebrity doppleganger? Everyone says I look like Rachel McAdams
  8. What’s one cause that you love to debate/weigh in on? Abortion
  9. Which of these was hardest? Random facts, answering questions or writing questions? Well so far I've only done two...but of the two? Random facts was WAAAY harder.
  10. What do you think the answer to #10 says about your personality? That I'm pretty boring.

My 10 Questions:
1. Would you rather be able to swim (like a fish) or fly (like a bird)?
2. If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
3. What color is found most frequently in your wardrobe?
4. Pudding or Jello?
5. What do you put on your baked potato?
6. Favorite band when you were in high school?
7. Name one thing on your bucket list.
8. What is your favorite kind of cheese?
9. It's 9 o' clock on Saturday night...what are you doing?
10. Who, in your opinion, was the best Batman?

And the nominees for my Liebster Award are:

Kelli at www.writingthewavesmama.blogspot.com
Maddy at www.bryceandmaddy.blogspot.com
Bronwynn at www.robinandrue.blogspot.com
Richelle at www.chelleybean.blogspot.com

Friday, February 8, 2013

Six to One...Half Dozen for This Mother

I have been a mother of six for an entire week now...let's just take a moment to let that sink in.

... sinking...

...still sinking...

When you're a mother, your life is pretty much nothing but questions. I ask a lot of questions. "Is this normal?" "Is he/she okay?" "Did he eat enough?" "Did he eat too much?" You would think I'd have this baby thing on lock down by now but hand me a newborn and it's like the first time all over again. That excitement and panic and overall "Can I DO this?!?" feeling.

I also get asked a lot of questions. In fact, when I'm not asking myself questions, someone else is asking me questions. I am not sure I'd know what to do with myself if I wasn't answering someones questions... What was that?

I get asked questions by everyone. My kids. My husband. People at Church. Random people on the street. Even in the hospital, when I'm breathing through a contraction someone asked me to rate my pain on a scale of 1 to 10. I hate that question. I told him/her that. I don't freaking know. It hurts. This was not an acceptable answer...so they asked me AGAIN. MORE questions!

One big question I get (rather frequently actually) is "how do you do it?"

I kind of hate this question too, only because I really don't know how to answer it. I don't know what people are looking for when they ask it. Do they want an answer? Are they really meaning to make a statement, like, "I don't know how you do it." or "You are absolutely certifiably insane." ?? Or do they want a list of what I do all day and how I do it? Do they want specific examples? A diagram? A youtube tutorial? Do they even understand that I am terribly under qualified to give any type of parenting how-to's?

Because of this, I've always given really vague answers, ie."We get up in the morning and go to bed at night...everything else just sort of happens."

But I've decided there are a few things that make what I do possible. Here they are:

1. Television---we watch way too much of it. My oldest has probably logged more cumulative tv time in his 9 years than Oprah. Ps. He is in an accelerated reading program and above grade level for writing. He spent his first few years watching Blues Clues and came out unscathed. It's a miracle.

2. Fruit Snacks---not the homemade-pinterest-really-dried-fruit nonsense. I'm talking gelatin, animal feet, preservatives...the real deal. I do not know how parents live without them. Truth.

3. Prayers---I say a million a day. I mean, obviously I need help. My kids are watching mindless brain sucking tube and eating animal hooves all day. I'm clueless and I need help...lots and lots and lots of help.

4. Husband---The man is an angel, sent to Earth so that I don't completely go off the deep end. He is the reason that we don't eat waffles for dinner every single night.

5. Mindless Fiction Novels---These keep me from losing my mind completely...except for secretly wondering if that girl who sold me the earrings at Claire's is an undercover shadowhunter and checking the abnormally tall guy at Target for molnija marks on his neck.

That's pretty much my list. That's how I get through. We love the heck out of our kids, take lots of short cuts and hope it all works out okay in the end. Now do you see why no one should ask me for parenting advice? Maybe number six will set me straight.