Smiling Mom

Thanks for the tag Absolutely Bananas!

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Ten years ago I was 20. I had just been appointed LGA-living group advisor- (or Residents Assistant for the less hippie schools) for the on-campus apartments. I was finishing my sophomore year of school at Humboldt State University and heading back to San Diego to be a YMCA counselor for the summer. Life was good. I was mere weeks away from meeting my future husband!

Five Snacks You Enjoy:

• I love Noah’s Bagels- an egg bagel w/cream cheese, not toasted.
• I love, love, love my simple scones
• I’m a big fan of loose-leaf tea, hot or cold
• Nona’s Cookies
• Grandma Malwitz’s Cookies

Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To:

• Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star
• Row-Row-Row Your Boat
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• Do you want me to go on?… Seriously, I don’t know all the words to any songs, even my favorites. (This, by the way, aggravates Hubby to no end!)

Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire:

A millionaire in my neck of the woods can almost pay for a 1500 square-foot house in a good school district. So I’m going to pretend that the question reads Billionaire.

• Have a full-time cook
• A full-time house cleaner
• Pay for, in full, a big house
• Hire an interior designer
• Get multiple dermatological procedures done.
• *Bonus* Oh ya, eliminate world hunger and finance world peace.

Five bad habits:

• I walk on my toes-toes bent under. I’m getting a little old for this.
• licking the ice cream bowl
• I like to be right
• I crack my knuckles
• I like to pop pimples, on me and on Hubby.

Five Things You Like To Do:

• exercise
• blog
• sleep
• read
• hang with Hubby

Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:

• a bra without padding
• a belly shirt
• daisy dukes
• a “teacher” dress
• a sweater or vest with animals etc. sewn onto it

Five Favorite Toys

• my school laptop
• my new small ipod shuffle
• my teapot with a filter for loose-leaf tea to brew in
• my video camera
• my digital camera

Five people to tag: (apologies if you’ve already done it; I can no longer keep track!)

• Mrs. Chicky
• Momma to LG
• 42
• Plain Jane Mom
• Jennifer Playgroupie
• And my brother did this as well.  Go give him some love!  Unusual Perspectives

Instructions: Remove the blog from the top, move all blogs up one, add yourself to the bottom.

The Middling Monettes
Families are like fudge
A Beautiful Life
Absolutely Bananas
Smiling Mom

1. I had a pierced tongue in college. I thought it was really cool. But when faced with the choice of continuing to have my college education paid for and taking out the tongue ring or keeping it in and paying for college myself, I opted to take it out.

2. I have no rhythm. Elaine is my dance coach.

3. SAT scores were very, very low. Nobody but my parents and I even know the exact number, including my husband.

4. I lost my drivers license when I was 16 because I hit tapped a kid in the butt with the truck I was driving. (He deserved it.)

5. I don’t know what color my hair actually is. It was blond, now it’s brown. I think it falls somewhere in between.

6. I want laser hair removal. I won’t tell you where!

7. I hate the texture of nylons. I didn’t even wear them for my wedding. In fact, I have huge texture issues. Sponges, new clothes hanging on the rack, diapers. the list goes on and on.

8. Don’t tell anyone, but I doctored my daughter’s baby announcement picture. She had an enormous amount of a bit of baby acne. But in the picture, she just had rosy cheeks!

Thanks for the tag, Moodswingingmommy.

The Rules
Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
* Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
* Players should tag eight other people and notify them that they have been tagged.

Hubby, did you roll your eyes when you read that? Yes, I know, it’s all about me, as usual.

Ok I’ve been tagged by a meme by Jennifer from Playgroups are No Place for Children. I’m to tell you ten things about me, tag ten people and she’s added a new piece. Check to see if your blog is banned in China… You can see my answer to this below. Hmm.

Aside from the basics:

Teacher-two days a week
Mom of two
Wife to husband
I have three brothers, no sisters

Here are ten things about me:

1. I love loose-leaf tea.

2. But more importantly, I’m a HUGE Costco Fan. Hubby says this is an obsession (since 1984).

3. I care deeply about what people think, but pretend not too.

4. I’ve lived in California my whole life.

5. I prefer to wear flip-flops or no shoes at all (I grew up in San Diego).

6. I like to throw a party where it’s a ’serve yourself’ thing, not sit down.

7. I like to know when people are coming over to my house so I can clean up the disaster and mop my floors.

8. I don’t know what my natural hair color is these days.

9. I’m a fantastic mom- 92% of the time Yesterday was one of the aforementioned 8%.

And now for the Asian flair:

10. My all time favorite foods are Dim Sum and Sushi

And, yes. I am banned in China. Bummer!

Maybe it was my son who did it to me. ☺

I’m now suppose to tag some unsuspecting new victim for this meme. The only problem is that I don’t have ten people that I believe I can tag. So I’ll tag a few and leave it open for anyone who wants to play. Just let me know and I’ll link your site to my page.

Now off to finish my Makeover Monday items…. Is it already Sunday??!! One item to go before I’ve completed all my goals. It’s cleaning time!

Tags:

Momma to LG from Freitas Family
Lady M at Nupboard Central
My brother (a new comer) at Unusual Perspective
Suburban Turmoil
Mrs. Chicky from Chicky Chicky Baby
Mother at mothergoosemouse

Anyone else?

I was lurking over at Jennifer’s site, Playgroups Are No Place for Children, she asked if anyone would like to be tagged for a meme today. I was intrigued by this meme, so I decided that I’d like to give it a shot. I hope you enjoy!

1. Why did you decide to start a blog?

I began to blog because my team-partner turned stay at home mom, Momma to LG, had been posting entries about her life and her daughter for a while. Since we live on opposite sides of the valley and are not able to get together often, yet I still felt connected to her.

I am not especially good at keeping in touch, simply because I’m a bit of a homebody. So I’ve lost touch with many friends throughout the years. Since I’d been reading Momma to LG’s blog, I felt a connection with her that hadn’t been there since she left her job.

So I began to blog. I blogged so my family, living on the opposite corner of CA, could keep up to date with my kids. I also blogged so my brother, a Naval Officer stationed Guantanamo Bay, and many other friends spread throughout America and I could still feel connected.

But what I didn’t realize was how big the blogging world is. There are tons of us, educated women - turned moms, who are searching for others like ourselves. I am one of those women. A mom, reading about your family, grateful to know that I’m not alone in my struggles!

2. How do you balance the demands of motherhood with blogging?

I blog at night when my kids go to sleep, before I do dishes or clean the house. I blog as I watch Survivor, after Grey’ Anatomy, and often in lieu of sleep.

3. What is your top pet peeve?

Ok, 100% honesty here, beware!

This is a big one for me. I hate when I feel patronized. Don’t tell me that my stupid mistake was ‘cute’. Be honest with me. Don’t make me feel inferior because I’m not as intelligent as you. Don’t say to me, “No really, Smiling Mom, you are the most (insert your best kind, but untrue statement here) person I know.”

Listen people, my IQ might not reach genius status, but I know when I’m being patronized!

Be honest with me. If you don’t like me, but have to be around me, be respectful. Don’t be overly interested in my goings on. Don’t try too hard.

If my family and I do things different than yours does, be OK with it. I come from a very casual upbringing; as a result I am a casual person. We like to laugh at our mistakes and ourselves. If we have problems or concerns, we talk about them-with each other. We then come to a conclusion and move on.

Embrace my good attributes and learn to respect the areas in which I am different. - And I’ll try to do the same.

OK, I should stop. I’m beginning to feel a bit too passionate about this! ☺

4. What is one thing about yourself that you are trying to change?

I am trying to begin, again, managing our money more actively. I feel stressed all the time because I don’t have a handle on this area of our life. For the past year, since eClaire was born, I was simply too overwhelmed with having two kids 18 months apart to be an active manager of our finances. I want this to change.

5. How do you unwind when the stress of daily life gets to you?

Lately, I’ve been doing this by blogging. It’s amazingly comforting to know that I can post my frustrations and other moms are out there who can read my posts and relate to me.

At times, I wish that I could be completely honest about everything that goes on. But since this blog is not anonymous to my family and friends, I feel obligated to censor some of what I feel. But I really respect bloggers such as Kristen at Motherhood Uncensored for her candid look on life.

Well, that’s about it. If you are still reading, have not done this meme yet, and are interested in doing so, let me know! I’d for you to tag yourself.