Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Things About Me.

I'm trying to write 30 different posts about myself for my kids. This one marks the third one that I've completed. Baby steps.

List 20 random facts about yourself.

20. I feel like drinks are easier to taste and more enjoyable with less ice. Sweet tea, iced coffee, pop, water... all of it better a bit closer to room temperature. My husband is the exact opposite. He gets extra ice for his drinks and I want very little in mine.

19. I love planning our family vacations. So much. Especially the Disney ones. Which are very few and far between. BUT. I'm always making mental notes for our next one. I'd love to do it for a living someday for other families!

18. My Hogwarts house is Hufflepuff. My patronus is a wild boar. My Ilvermorny house is Thunderbird. Just in case you were wondering. (And yes, I'd love to hear yours! If you don't know them yet then I highly suggest you sign up at Pottermore.com and find out after taking a few short quizzes about yourself.)

17. It's pretty easy for me to be optimistic about things -- especially when it comes to starting new things. I've definitely got to work on the finishing all the things part...

16. On the other side of that same coin, I can be a pretty melancholy to downright dark and twisty person sometimes, too. Two things that don't quite seem cohesive (being both optimistic & melancholy) but somehow they coexist just perfectly to make me, me. In the dark and twisty moments I am lucky to have some great and strong and wonderful people in my corner to help put things into proper perspective.

15. I don't really believe in coincidence. I really do think things happen for a reason. And one particular thing I feel so strongly about that it makes me choked up is that I know that the timing of my dad leaving my life and my husband entering into my life is so much more than mere coincidence.

14. I connect strongly through music. Whenever a significant moment in life takes place you can guarantee I've put a playlist together for it. When I watch a TV show or movie and I hear a song that they placed perfectly to evoke emotion I have to find that song right away.

13. If it were up to me, I think I'd love a ton of kids. There is something so magical and so holy about giving birth. Something so wonderful about creating life and getting to know and raise these kids. It's nice to have a husband who keeps me in check... we certainly can't afford a bunch of kids and I don't know if I have the patience or sanity required for any more kids. But, if it were up to me, I'd be barefoot and pregnant and at home raising them myself. THIS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO IDENTIFIES AS A DEEPLY FEMINIST PERSON! I don't find those two things (motherhood & feminism) as mutually exclusive, either.

12. I'm a cradle Catholic. I've always loved being Catholic and was so fortunate to grow up going to a church that felt like home. Equally lucky to have found that in Illinois for the time we lived there. The last few years I felt disconnected from the Church and so glad to be back now. I've been helping my sister teach Sunday school this year and it's been a huge balm in my faith life. I really like our new church and look forward to the day it feels like home.

11. I love soundtracks. And more than anything else these days my favorite thing is to listen to the scores from movies or tv shows. I have so many favorite composers (Carter Burwell, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, James Horner, Alan Silverstri...) and there is something so peaceful about listening to musical compositions with no words. The background music to my life is often "The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Film Score)" station or "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Film Score)" station on Pandora at home.

10. If I had to pick my favorite Disney princess it would likely depend on my mood BUT. If I had to give one favorite it would be Ariel. For so many reasons. The entire movie is brilliant and the music is untouchable. Jodi Benson and Howard Ashman working together made real magic. And I love how brave and sure Ariel is.

09. I have a 2 year-old son and I'm still breastfeeding him. And he shows no signs that he's ready to give it up either. I nurse him first thing in the morning, right before he goes to bed, and occasionally once or twice throughout the day. There are times he asks for "milkies" and I'll tell him no. If it were up to him we'd still nurse much more often throughout the day. But to be honest: I'm getting a little burnt out. Or maybe just stuck in the wrong mindset about it: I'm a little tired of sharing my body. The plan I have in mind is to quit on his terms. I've never nursed a kid this long before so we'll see how it pans out.

08. My sisters have always been my confidants. I've always told them everything for as long as I can remember. I lean heavily upon them. When I'm upset or excited or really anything, they are the first people I want to talk to. When they hurt, I hurt. When we're not okay, I'm not okay. We haven't lived in the same city for some time now and I'll always feel a bit incomplete until we're all back together for good.

07. My teams: Chicago Cubs, Dallas Cowboys, and Memphis Grizzlies.

06. Trenta iced coffee with 3 pumps of caramel - no ice, no classic, no cream. That's my Starbucks order. I come home and add my own cream. And it'll last me a couple days. And I love it. The trenta size is giant and I swear it's the size that tastes the best with the right coffee to syrup ratio. I know. I'm a weirdo. My favorite barista works at night & knows my order so I frequent the same store around the same time of day a few times a week and it's something I just love.

05. I really want to have a vow renewal. Intimate with a focus on the vows and inclusion of our children. I feel like even though I was conscious of this at the time, weddings are still such a production. It's so easy for the focus of the day to slip. I don't have much to regret about how we celebrated our big day -- it was such a great, happy, wonderful, beautiful day -- but I often look back and wish it had been a bit more intimate. Not to mention, Tony and I are - in many ways - two completely changed people from that day seven & a half years ago. Our experiences (and especially becoming parents) has transformed us deeply and I'd like to honor who we are now. To acknowledge that change and come back together all over again. I think it's beautiful to promise ourselves to each other all over again and to be able to include our children this time.

04. I want to go on more adventures. The furthest I've been is to Riviera Maya, Mexico and Ontario, Canada. Both were awesome experiences. I'd love to explore the United States so much more than I have and would love to visit Belgium someday. Jerusalem would be another truly amazing place to visit.

03. I am a crier and I am a hugger. Shaking hands feels cold. Also I can not watch Moana or Coco without crying.

02. I am frugal pretty much to a fault.

01. I'll forever be sad that both Nsync and The Civil Wars disbanded. 

1 comment:

  1. I'm so glad you're still blogging, it's been too long since I've opened up the door to the blog world!

    I lean towards you about the ice thing, especially with water. A little ice in something that is room temperature is okay, but not a whole lot. My sister is like Tony though and loves ice in her drinks, ugh.

    And I'm a crier and hugger too. I think it comes from my mom's lack of emotions and lack of physical affection as a child, haha.

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