Bloggy Q&A, Part 2

Here it is. The much anticipated and long awaited second and final installment of the great Bloggy Q&A...

(I apologize in advance for the major spacing problems I had tonight. I have no idea what is going on in my blogger but my HTML seems to have a mind of its own tonight. I've spent plenty of time trying to fix it, because Lord knows I start to feel a bit red and itchy on my neck if I can't hit return every 1 or 2 sentences. Because I heart the return key. But tonight, it was not meant to be. SOVERYSORRYEVERYTHINGISCLUMPEDTOGETHER!)

(***Updated!! Woo-hoo! I fixed it. I went a return key happy, but AT LEAST I HAVE PLENTY OF SPACES NOW ! ! ! )

Miss Becky asked me if I have any outside help with my 4 kids? Her mother in law helps her out a lot with her three boys and she was wondering what I would suggest as a type of Thank You gift.

NO. In ALL CAPS. LITTLE TO NO HELP.

Unfortunately.

My mom is great with the kids, but lives in a different state, and my in-laws are often busy with their other grandchildren and kids. They are good grandparents, we just live about 45 minutes away and sometimes get left out of the loop, so to speak. My mother in law helps us out when she can so that we can go to dinner or have some type of date. I do miss having my mom around because I know she would be very involved in their lives if she were closer.

We are really grateful for the times that my in-laws offer to keep the kids. Most of my support comes from friends, who will never hesitate to keep the kids in a pinch if we need it! We are very lucky in that regard. I have a friend who helps me out every couple of weeks so that I can get a free afternoon now and then to do the shopping, my nails, Dr. appts., whatever, without my 3 year old, and I do the same for her. It's worked out very well for both of us.



I am sure no gift is necessary for your mother in law. My mom would say the same thing. But I understand your need to want to get something for her to show your appreciation. I am exactly the same way. I think the best gifts I have given to the Grandma's would have to be a Mother's Bracelet, a framed photo that also has a place to record a message from the kids (mine were really young so I had them sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat), or maybe a favorite food that she wouldn't buy for herself. My mom lives out of state, but loves Garrett's Popcorn, which she would never order for herself. So I sometimes send her a big tin, just because it makes her happy.



Bridget wanted to know if I had a personal chef, what kind of food would I eat for dinner?

Well, I sure would love the opportunity to find out.



Anything that someone else would want to make for me, would work. If a chef were doing my cooking, I would be so grateful, I'd just eat whatever he or she put down in front of me.



Preferably, things that did not come out of box.




Because I am really good at that type of cooking, on my own.



I may suggest some traditional comfort foods though, homemade mac and cheese, as opposed to my blue box of Kraft. Homemade lasagna, instead of the frozen one I buy from Costco. Because that theory that you are supposed to do the majority of your grocery shopping from around the perimeter of the store, mainly just hitting up the fresh fruits, veggies, meats and dairy cases? Yeah. I don't exactly subscribe to that theory. Well, in theory, it's a smart philosophy.


And healthy. No doubt about it.




However, I have actual, real live, picky eaters to feed, so therefore venturing up and down every aisle of packaged, processed and just-add-water foods, is sadly my version of cooking.


New Diva on the Blog wondered what my favorite guilty pleasure was in each of these categories: food, tv, drink, magazine. And anything else I'd like to throw in there.

This is such a fun question!


Food...I would have to say Mexican food. I love it. I would eat it every day, if my family would. I make quesadillas and enchiladas and tacos at home and I try to get my family to go out for Mexican at least once a week.



Food that is filled with cheese, makes my heart flutter. Literally.


I also love to go to the Olive Garden for the Fettuccine Alfredo. But I can only do this about once a year, due to the fact that I have some hardening of the arteries every time I set foot in that place.



And I'm not a huge french fry person, the only place I ever eat them from is McD*nald's.

Shocking I know.



You would think Fried+Potato=Love, no matter where it came from.



But no, for me I cannot settle for any old fry. If I'm going to eat them, they are going to be from the Golden Arches. With Ketchup. Plenty o' packets of ketchup.



Well now, look at all I've written about food and I haven't even mentioned P*rtillo's. I would say a hot dog from P*rtillo's would be my #1 food guilty pleasure. Because I love hot dogs. But hot dogs are very bad for you. So that would be why they are a guilty pleasure. They are in fact the reason why I moved back to Chicago. It's the only city with a P*rtillo's. Enough said.



My guilty pleasure as far as watching TV would have to be reality TV. I enjoy watching Survivor and the Amazing Race with my girls. But after the kids go to sleep, I turn on the real reality of the TV world.



Everybody could use a little Kimora in their lives. Or be a little bit more Hogan-esque. Or remember the good ol' days before tragedy struck Anna Nicole.






If you look closely at the small words under Anna, it says right there in print 'America's Guiltiest Pleasure!'

And that really says it all, right there.




As far as my drink...Coca-Cola Classic. Without a doubt. I believe that has been well documented on this blog. Any drink that has 140 calories per serving, is bound to have a bit of guilt associated with it. But the caffeine and sugar buzz...that's were the pleasure lies.

So those extra calories? So. Worth. It.




And Magazines...I waste way too much money on People. And US Weekly. And OK! It's almost embarrassing to admit that I enjoy myself a bit of celebrity gossip. But I do. And I always waste an obscene amount of money on Scrapbooking magazines. I read them and longingly wish that if I had the time and the talent to actually scrapbook as much as I would like, my pages would look as if they could be in those magazines.




But they do not. And it frustrates me. So therefore, money wasted.




And a few random guilty pleasures...expensive purses, Coach, D&B, Maxx New York, and The Sak are among my favorites. Gadgets...I like to have the latest and greatest that my local B*st Buy has to offer. The Tom-Tom is a recent purchase. And I love my XM satellite radio. The last thing would be vacations. I love to travel. I love to go someplace warm and with a beach and I prefer to stay somewhere that is all inclusive, where I can do nothing but sit by the sea all day and never need to leave the resort for my entire stay. Anything else is not a vacation, it is work with 4 kids. And my camera. MUST. HAVE. GOOD. CAMERA. And of course, Pottery Barn. And jewelery.


So really, I guess anything that costs, MONEY HONEY.


Totally wasteful, totally unnecessary, totally indulgent=guilty pleasures.


And yes, I know it's the best things in life that are free. I am no stranger to sappy sayings and old adages. But sister needs to have some nice jewelery and a good purse while sittin' back and enjoying the simple things in life.

And a really great camera to document all those sweet, simple things.




Martha wants to know what I thought my life would be like now, back when I was a fresh faced college freshman.




It is actually surprising for me to write this Martha, but it is just how I thought it would be. I knew I wanted a large family. I knew I wanted to be home with my kids. I knew I wanted the car and the dog and the soccer games and the birthday parties.

And I've got all of that, and more.




It's not that I didn't have aspirations for myself. I did. And I still do. But, my entire childhood, I wanted to be a mom. And now I am.




The thing is, is I went to school, I got married, I had the experiences I wanted to have, and then I knew I was ready to settle down at home.




I didn't think it would be here, in the middle of suburbia, but it is what it is.



I still have my adventurous side, my urge to travel and move to far flung locals. But I can still do that with my family. Much like when I was that young college freshman, I am still up for anything. It's just a different kind of anything.

Thankfully, my skin is a bit clearer now than it was in those 'fresh-faced' days of my young adulthood.



Mary is a real smarty pants and wants to know where my secret tattoo is. HA HA




I'm happy to report that I am tattoo free. Really. Anyone that knows me will tell you that I have an unnatural, completely ridiculous and highly neurotic fear of dying. Really. And what, you wonder, does this have to do with tattoos?



Well, I hate to fly, I drive too slow, I have never, ever tried any drugs, I test my smoke alarms monthly and obviously, avoid dirty needles at all costs.



(Yes, I know they are not dirty needles. I know this, people I hear you tattooed mama's out there grumbling at me.)




But still. They are needles. Not being used by health care professionals. How safe can that really be? *wink*



McSteamy or McDreamy???




Oh Mary...will you still read my blog if I say McSteamy?




I'm sorry, but I am just not a huge McDreamy fan. I know you are. But for me, his hair is too long and he's too nice and he could do a lot better than Meredith, so he should just Move.On.Already. Please, for the love of all that is Must See TV, on Thursday nights. SHE'S NOT WORTH ALL THE AGGRAVATION! MOVE ON.




McSteamy, now he's bigger, taller, has shorter hair and cracks me up. Seriously, his inflated self-confidence, the arrogance and his one line zingers, make me laugh every week. He is just so full of himself, and rude, that I can't help but wait to watch and see what he will say next. As a matter of fact, I am married to someone who is quite high on himself and full of one-liners as well, so this makes perfect sense to me.




I'm sorry to offend all the die-hard McDreamy lovers out there. So Very Sorry.



But you asked.



And lastly, Mary asked me Years ago what did I think my life would be like at the age I am now?




And that is a good question.




If I said the same and different would that make any sense?



I'm pretty sure that would be a contradiction.




I always knew I wanted a big family. And I knew that I wanted to be a stay at home mom. So I was pretty sure that by this time that is what I would be doing.



But I pictured it to be different. Very, very different. Easier.



Much Easier.




But I love where I am in my life right now and even though some days I am left holding a lunchbox and a pair of size 4T panties that must be thrown away because they are simply not worth washing, I would not change a thing.




I never had dreams to go out and conquer the world. Or save the planet. Or write the great American novel. I just wanted to be a mom.




So I think I'm doin' alright.









Thanks everyone, for all of the great questions. It was fun for me to answer them and dig a little deeper and summon some long forgotten memories.




I hope you think about doing your own Q&A!




And I promise...shorter posts to return tomorrow! Thanks for reading.