#AskAwayFriday with Jodi from The Noise of Boys

TGIF! I finally worked a full week, and as expected, I'm exhausted! I've just had Benjamin with me, but I've never realized how much he depends on his brother and sister in order to sleep at night! He's had a tough time going to sleep and staying in bed.  He's also been a bear to wake up in the morning.  I'm looking forward to all three kids having a reunion tonight and for the bliss of them getting along to last as long as possible!

My partner this week knows a thing or two about siblings and noise.  Jodi at The Noise of Boys has two little boys, Hayden and Henry that keep her busy throughout the day.  She and my other blogging buddy, Melissa at Home on Deranged also host a fun swap on Thursdays called Tales from the Pink and Blue Trenches which compares and contrasts genders.

This week Jodi and I paired up and swapped 10 questions to be answered on each other's blogs.  You'll find my answers to Jodi's questions below and then you can swing by Jodi's place to see how she answered the questions I sent her.

Also, don't forget to check out the #AskAwayFriday hosts:

Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County

Amber from Bold Fab Mom

Tiffany from Mrs.TeeLoveLifeLaughter

Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings

And now without further delay, here are my answers:

1. Married for over 12 years to your high school sweetheart! I am so impressed! Any little quirks that still drive you batty after all of these years, but have learned to accept? My hubby always “misses” the laundry basket! Does hubby follow your blog?
Technically, Ken isn't my high school sweetheart since we didn't start dating until 2 weeks after I graduated!  Close enough, though, right! I laughed when I saw this question right off the bat!  There are a few things that Ken does that drive me bonkers. First, apparently he comes from a family that puts dirty dishes next to the sink.  I prefer them in the sink.  Yet, after 12 years, he still put his dishes next to the sink. I also make fun of him because he'll leave his glass on the counter away from the sink, because he says he might want another drink later. When I put it in the sink or dishwasher, he'll come looking for it, but if I leave it there, it's still there the next day! I can't win!! The other thing I tease him about is that he still asks me questions about movie stars or musicians and expects that I'll be able to answer him. I'm no good at naming people; never have been, never will be! And yet he still asks...And "no" as far as I know he is not a regular reader (he doesn't spend much time online at all).

Of course, I'd prefer them in the dishwasher, or better yet: the cabinets!

2. You have 3 beautiful kids! Any traits that you can easily identify as “yours” in their personality?
Ken and I laugh about which traits come from him and which ones come from me.  I think Frances and Benjamin get their love of singing from me.  All three have a love of reading that hopefully came from me.  They all get their brains and good looks from me.  Hahahaha!  Henry has a stubborn streak that's probably my fault. Frances is a pretty good eye-roller.

3. Was there anything you thought you'd do/or wouldn’t do that changed after actually having kids?
I used to think I would never put my kids in day care.  Of course I always planned on having a job, so I'm not sure how that was supposed to work out.  I also remember as a teen thinking I would never utter the phrase "because I said so" which I don't say often, but when the kids are really persistent about something they aren't developmentally capable of understanding, sometimes you just have to say it!

4. Describe a perfect summer evening with the family
Perfect summer evenings are actually quite doable for us.  They include having a relatively early dinner that leaves us time to take a walk or go for a bike ride in the evening.  We live fairly close to a cemetery which we frequently use for our walks.  It's pretty flat and we don't have to worry about cars.  I feel safe letting the kids go around on their own together while Ken and I can just walk and talk. If it's a completely perfect night, the kids can catch fireflies on the way home and then we can sit in the front yard and look at the stars for a little while before bed.

5. I am so impressed that you have been blogging since 2007! What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in the blogging world? How have you personally grown in your blogging style or methods?
When I first started, I really had no idea what I was doing. Back in the beginning there are lots of little posts with anecdotes from the kids that no one but my mother would ever want to read.  I enjoy going back to re-read those now because they are a part of my story.  It wasn't until a year or two ago that I started getting more serious about blogging. I've been trying to stick to a schedule, promote my posts, get involved in the blogging community, etc.  I think I blog differently now because I am conscious of my audience.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it just is. I think sticking to my schedule has been a tiny bit stressful but mostly

6. Do you have any blogging goals you would like to tackle, in the next year?
My previous goal of posting 5 days a week has gotten pretty manageable.  I'm sticking with that. What I'd like to get better at is interacting on other social media better. I know I could do a better job with Twitter and Instagram.  I'm not sure whether I should give up on Facebook yet or not. Most of the people I interact with on the blog's Facebook page are friends of mine, so that mostly tells me that I'm not getting to new people very often.

7. I know you wouldn’t want to change any part of the past, but if you could go back and meet a person in history or witness an event (either from family or of historical importance) Where would you travel to/what time period?
I'd love the inside scoop on some great mystery from history; like what happened to Amelia Earhart's plane, or how the pyramids or Stone Hinge were built.  I wouldn't necessarily share the info, but I'd like to know just for me.

8. I read you would like to go on a game show and win money! Congrats! you were just selected for SURVIVOR! How many days do you make it?
I'll admit I haven't watched much Survivor, but I'd like to think I wouldn't be one of the first to leave! Depending on how much is at stake, I might eat some bugs or do some other gross thing.  I'm pretty sure I could handle surviving in the wilderness.  I also think I'd be pretty good at the psychological aspect of it, though. I'm fairly good at reading people.

9. Choose a song, movie or book that describes your life right now!
This is a hard one for me!  As I mentioned earlier, I'm not good at naming songs, or movies, or actors.  I'm sure someone else could answer this for me better.  I actually called ken and he jokingly suggested Bon Jovi's "It's My Life." I'm guessing the kids get their sense of humor from him! I actually sing The Bangles "Manic Monday" on my way to work a lot of the time (not just on Mondays).  I think that fits pretty often.

10. I know you like to do reviews! Which was your favorite you have done, and who might you like to work with in the future? 
I've had fun reviewing stuff for the kids (like Frances' Zeenie Doll or Henry's Hot Dots game) because I like to see the way they interact with things that I might not have paid for otherwise. I've also really enjoyed the apps that I've been able to review because I use my devices a lot. One I haven't even written the review for yet is a company called Relish! which is a meal planning service. I love it!  They given me a lot of time to do the review so I can really get to know the product and I think it's really awesome. I've gotten some great new recipes from there.

I hope you enjoyed my answers! Don't forget to go check out Jodi's answers to my questions and the rest of the linkup!