Random Meme

I was planning on posting some photos of the grandchildren and of M&A in all the glory of sisterhood, but I’m still sick and I’m tired from the craziness of family being in town, so I thought I’d do something here that I haven’t done in ages. Deb had this free-for-all meme and I’m stealing it to pass my last hour of work.

What Was I Doing 10 Years Ago?

I was just out of school and learning the ropes of the “real world” while at the same time contemplating applying to law school, as was the original plan. I was working at a law office on the corner of my parents’ street, where I would begin the path of disillusionment toward the profession in general. I was still living at home and had been seeing J for almost three years.

5 Things On My To-Do List Today:

• Catch up on blogs I love and find new ones to fall in love with.
• Clean. The. House. The BBQ is on Saturday and I haven’t so much as picked up a stray sock since Wednesday, when I began to feel sick.
• Make a menu plan for Saturday. We had one. Then we changed it. And again.
• Continue to encourage Peanut to use the potty.
• Get new batteries for the new camera and take more photos of the visiting nephews.

Snacks I Enjoy:

Let me tell you something about myself. I don’t do diets. I love myself and food too much to deprive myself of something that gives me such joy. Let me tell you something else. I’m not one of those women who can say “I can eat anything and not get fat! It’s in the genes!” and gracefully ignore the raging glares from other women. I’m not that woman, but don’t I wish. And, no Mother, I cannot still fit into my size four wedding dress. My secret is moderation. Without it, I’d be the size of a house. Because snacks I enjoy would entail everything from chocolate covered raisins to cupcakes to Doritos and cheese popcorn. I once stood in line at Garrett’s in Chicago for an hour in thirty degree weather for their famous popcorn. I’ve never met a snack I didn’t like.

Things I Would Do If I Were A Billionaire:

• Cry tears of joy.
• Hide.
• Pay off all of our debt and that of our family and close friends (stole this from you Deb.)
• Hire a moving truck for Arisa and Amanda to pack up their family and move home.
• Begin the search for our family compound. And we would have a compound. That’s how close we are. The compound would include four separate houses, a large pond, a central activity/play/entertainment area, a pool and several golf carts because the houses are going to be just far enough away so we don’t drive each other nuts.
• Establish a trust fund for my children, my niece (?), nephews and godchildren.
• Create a scholarship program for students from my high school that attend Michigan State University.
• Buy a navy blue M6. Not very practical for a mother of young twins but hey, I’m a billionaire. I’ll get another car.
• Take the love of my life on a much needed, much deserved two week vacation to some distant, tropical, fabulous island.
• Volunteer and donate to charities that mean a lot to me.
• Really, I could go on and on with this but you’re starting to get bored, I’m sure.

Places I Have Lived:

• Selfridge ANG Base
• Germany
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Fredericksburg, Virginia
• Salinas, California
• Fort Ord, California
• East Lansing, Michigan
• Metro Detroit

Well. This only took up half of my remaining hour at work. Damn. So, like Deb, I’m not going to tag anyone, unless you’re bored, sick, waiting or tired. If so, you’re it. And let me know if you’ve done it so I can check in!

Four Things

Shawn must have read the About Momma Bean section, wherein I professed my love for the Meme. She went ahead and tagged me and, since she’s one of my favorite finds of the year, I am forced to oblige.

The rules of this meme are to “share four things that were new to you in the past four years. Four things you learned or experienced or explored for the first time in the past four years. New house, new school, new hobby, new spouse, new baby, whatever. Then you have to say four things you want to try new in the next four years.”

Four things you learned or experienced or explored for the first time in the past four years.

1. The Beans. Oh, I don’t know…one day in 2003 I didn’t even know if I wanted children and I certainly knew that I lacked what I’ve termed the “mommy bone” and then the next day I was desperate to look into the face of the perfect combination of me and Daddy Bean. And what do you know? Two years later, DNA, fate, God, whatever it may be, decided to bless me with not one, but two Beans. And the funny thing is that they aren’t the combination of the two of us, but rather, one is so like her father that it melts my heart daily and the other is my splitting image and makes me beam with pride. It’s like nothing I ever imagined and definitely nothing I thought I would experience four years ago.

2. My sisters broke my heart. They did so by following their hearts to states that don’t look similar to the back of my hand and marrying men with strange accents. One left a little over four years ago and the other a little over two years ago and I hope everyday that one day they’ll return. It hurts me to know that my children will grow up seeing their aunts only a handful of times a year and, although they talk to the Beans (nearly) every day, it’s still not enough. Sure, they still drive me absolutely crazy despite the miles and they still know how to push my buttons better than anyone else I know, but I mourn for the relationship that the Beans will never have with them. The one that I was able to have with my nephew Jack, and still cherish to this day.

3. Like Shawn, I learned that the things that happen to your body when you have children may sometimes be scarier than Pennywise from It . Twin skin. There’s nothing pretty about it, as I’ve mentioned before. And, I learned that I should have appreciated my slender and unmarked body before the Beans, which I begrudged daily, because like a nurse told me one day, “it ain’t never gonna look the same again”. I’m just now learning to wear this body like a badge of honor.

4. My work ethic has been non-existent. Maybe that isn’t the correct word for it. But, before the Beans, before I ever thought about children, I took pride in the fact that I was a hard worker: diligent, effective, responsible and assertive. I didn’t love my career, but I did it well. Now, I spend my days looking at the clock, wishing away the hours so that I can get home to my Beans. I know that it mainly has to do with the fact that I want to be with them, but it is also the fact that I dislike what I do. It isn’t what I intended in life and to be honest, I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t doing this (and it certainly would not be the other thing, which is to go back to school to get a degree to become the person that gives the person like me the work to do for them) but there it is. I need a change.

Four things I want to try new in the next four years.

1. Professionally, I would love to retire from my current position and find something to do that would give me the freedom to be at home with the girls yet the fulfillment that work brings to me. Maybe I’ll finally grant my dad’s wish that I write a book. I should hook up with Shawn on this. Heck, I’ll write for newspapers even!

2. I would like to have one more child. ONE. I’d like it to be a boy. Or a girl. He’ll likely be James Jeffrey (if I have my way) and she’ll likely be Catherine. If we don’t have another, I will be perfectly happy with my Beans, but we’ll surely try at least once.

3. Move into a large house and one that we will stay in for the next ten years at least. I love my home to pieces. It’s adorable and perfect for us right now, but as the girls get older and if we have another child, I can imagine that we will start to feel the squeeze.

4. Travel more. This year, we’ve been to Puerto Rico and Oklahoma and we’re planning on going to California and New York next year. I grew up traveling with my family and I love it and want to instill that sense of adventure in the Beans. Daddy Bean did very little traveling as a child and as a result didn’t really enjoy it early in our relationship. Now, he’s just as bad as me and gets the itch to get out of town often. We’d both love to go to Barcelona within the next four years.

Lofty goals, but (most) are achievable. Stay tuned.

Now, about the tagging thing….I hereby tag: Lori, Stacy, and Amy.

Six Strange Things About Momma Bean

Let me start out by re-iterating that I am one of the most boring people I know, so what is strange to me may not be strange to others.

I guess you could say that I was tagged by The Twinkies’ mommy by virtue of checking her blog, which I have begun doing often (aren’t they cute?!?!). She, in turn, was tagged by The Town Criers.

So here goes…grab a cup of coffee to help stay awake.

1. I get horrible anxiety when someone says, “I have to talk to you.” It could be something great but I always think it’s bad news. Which is weird, because I’m generally an optimistic person and don’t get wound up over much. But, when someone says that to me, I am almost terrified to hear the next words that they are about to say.

2. I host a weekly chat for mothers of multiples and a board for Michigan women. I guess this really isn’t strange, but it might be something that no one knows about me.

3. I don’t like most condiments and only use a little bit of ketchup when I need it.

4. I check my blogroll in reverse order and read a magazine from back to front. I’ve read that the reading thing has to do with the fact that I’m left-handed.

5. I was named after a television show.

6. I don’t have any friends left from childhood because we moved around a lot and I went to eight different schools from pre-school to high school. All but two of my friends are ones that I met from the age of 20 onward.

And so now I tag everyone who reads this. Please let me know if you’ve answered so I can go find out how strange you really are!

2007

I’ve been tagged by the Town Criers, so here is my response to the 2007 Meme:

In honour of 2007 quickly approaching–and since I suck at actually doing memes once I’m tagged, I’ve started my own. I’m not sure if this is kosher–if a regular person can start a meme or if there is a group of men and women tucked into a dark room somewhere creating these lists. So…um…I tread carefully, attempting to not offend the Memers with my offering.

I have created this meme which can be done in two different ways. Either you can do all seven categories and list two answers for every category (get it? It’s 2007, so I’m playing on the two numbers: 2 and 7) OR you can choose two of the categories and list seven answers.

The categories:

Things you learned this year
People you met
Things you don’t want to take with you into 2007
Things you want to hold close as you pass into 2007
Things you’re looking forward to in 2007
Things that were life changing in 2006
Things you hope to accomplish by the end of 2007

(see–those are the seven categories. Now you can either give two answers for each category OR you can choose two from that list and give seven answers)

Things you learned this year
1. I learned how to make lasagna.
2. I learned what an omentum is, and it’s not very pretty.

People you met
1. Everyone at my new office.
2. E’s niece, Lauren, who is a doll.

Things you don’t want to take with you into 2007
1. The 20 lbs. I’d love to lose.
2. My accounting habits.

Things you want to hold close as you pass into 2007
1. My newfound enjoyment of cooking.
2. The joy I feel when watching the Beans discover something new.

Things you’re looking forward to in 2007
1. Watching J’s action plan become a reality.
2. Visiting my sisters in their respective towns.

Things you hope to accomplish by the end of 2007
1. Lose 20 lbs.
2. Make a decision on our third little bean.

I hereby tag Peanut & Cashew’s mommy, JN and Becki.