A Random List...about Me!

Once upon a time on Facebook, there was a thing going around where you say 25 things about yourself. Or something like that. I thought I might as well do that here too.

So, without further ado, 25 random things about me!

I know you're breathless with anticipation.

1) I like lists. Actually, I like crossing things off lists. So I make a list of stuff I need to do. Often, if I do something extra, I will write it on the list so that I can cross it off. I make lists before every trip I go on so I know I won't forget something.

2) I am a night owl. I stay up late, though not as late as I used to. It's my productive time. The problem now is that some little person doesn't get that mommy wants to sleep in. Alas.

3) When my living space has order to it, I am happier and get more done. For reference, I've hardly gotten anything done lately. Infer away about my living space.

4) It would be my dream to make everything from scratch and have most of my food be either things I make or things I've grown and put up (ie canned, frozen). Bread, meals, snack foods....I think that would be awesome.

5) #4 ain't never gonna happen unless we strike it rich and I don't have to work any more and can also hire a nanny/child wrangler. And probably a maid.

6) I get satisfaction from completing tasks. Looking over a mowed yard, clean house, weeded garden, completed book, etc, brings joy to my heart.

7) Whenever possible, I try to spoil the endings of books, movies, TV shows, etc for myself. I have strong empathy with whatever people are going through, so if I know how it ends, I can enjoy the ride more. Otherwise I get very stressed out about the whole situation. Season ending cliffhangers are complete and total torture.

8) I love British TV shows and movies. And books too. I love seeing a British actor from one show in another and be able to recognize him/her. Their humor (humour, really) is right up my alley. If you want to experience great British TV, check out Doctor Who, The Vicar of Dibley, Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, Sherlock, or Merlin. Some have made their way on to American TV as well.

9) People who come late to the bandwagon and are then all on board, acting like they started it all, annoy me. It's nice that you think Downton Abbey is awesome and are all about it. But you didn't put in the time with all the other British shows first. North & South, multiple versions of Jane Austen stories. You don't really know...don't act like you're all about the British shows, you poser! (Just kidding. Kind of.)

10) *ahem* I get a little over-excited about small stuff. I do, in fact, sweat it.

11) I really hate going to the doctor. They can do great things and have helped many people, but I don't like paying my co-pay just to have them say "it's probably this so here are some drugs." I'd rather spend time and money looking into any reasonable natural remedy I can. (Note: this applies for things like ear aches, coughs, colds, etc. Not major diseases. I'm not going to try a chamomile compress for cancer or something.)

12) I really dislike talking on the phone. If I can email or text someone and get a reasonable response, I'll do that instead. This was the case even before I became a credit card collector. *shudder*

13) Meteorologists crack me up during severe weather. Snowstorms, thunderstorms, tornadoes.  I think it's the time they get to use all their fancy prediction/radar tools and they get all excited about it. I'm glad they are there to warn us...but sometimes I think they could take it down a notch. My personal favorite was the guy going on about their sever weather "polygons". They could be very specific about the areas under advisory...much more so than a lowly warning box could indicate. *smile and nod*

14) I love that Nathaniel is a snuggler. Except when he's laying in bed next to me and he keeps trying to move closer, so I move over. He's one. He's a fraction of my size. How is he pushing me out of bed?!

15) I like tea. Hot tea. (Or, to put it more Picard-ly "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.")

16)  I sometimes forget how much I like certain foods until I have something with them. Then I remember...and then usually forget again.

Examples include lemon flavored things (had a sample at Trader Joe's with shortbread topped with lemon curd and blueberries. Heaven!) and grape juice at communion time (we're Mennonites...we only drink alcohol in private. A joke: What happens when you take 1 Mennonite with you fishing? He/she drinks all your beer. What happens when you take 2 Mennonites with you fishing? They don't drink any of your beer!).

17) I carry a water bottle with me basically everywhere I go. Not a plastic one; a reusable one. I have since my Tabor College days as a newby music major and it's a habit that has stayed with me. I rarely  realize that isn't something everyone does.

18) I still haven't lost all my baby weight. It sucks. It makes me disappointed in myself but I just comfort myself with some ice cream and it passes.

19) I have, in recent years, become increasingly aware of the sexualization of women in media. I mean, I KNEW it was there, but the subtleties have shocked me. How the woman stands, the tightness/shortness/revealing nature of clothes, the use of her to depict sex to sell. It makes me so angry. Shows with beach scenes will ALWAYS, ALWAYS show close ups of women in bikinis. How will we as women be valued for ourselves if we are forever portrayed as sexual beings only?

20) I don't like scary movies. I venture away from scary TV shows too.

21) I get a bit obsessed with things. When I play a game on the computer or my phone, I have a hard time stopping playing. "Just one more level" or "One more life." Five times later....whoops! I'm working on it.

22) I would never, ever, in the history of the world home school my kid(s). This isn't an indictment on homeschoolers- I think it's a fine idea but I would be horrible at it and my kid(s) would never learn anything. The only exception would be if I were rich and our "homeschooling" was more like "home tutoring" that involved travel to places. So, let's learn about ancient Greece by going to Greece (and probably the history of democracy, etc). And I would have to hire someone to do some of the research and all of the teaching too.

23) The only time I've been in the hospital (for myself) was when I was born and when Nathaniel was born. I have never broken a bone. (knock on wood)

24) I love to read. As a kid, this gave me an expansive vocabulary. When I moved to a new place and school, I got made fun of for my big words so I consciously chose smaller words to try to fit in better. (On an slightly related note, I am a pretty good speller when I can visualize the word, but I have trouble with words that include a lot of c's and s's. Like consciously.)

25) I love being a mom everyday. However, some days the love is shown in cuddles, playtime, giggles, and sometimes it's shown by us both being alive at the end of the day. But this face....this face always gets me! Even when he's being a butt.

(Disregard my hair. This applies.)