Today I am excited to participate in another #AskAwayFriday. I've been a little less than enthusiastic because my previous three partners dropped the ball and never posted their half. Last week I didn't even both. This week, however, I get to swap with Tia from BecominNeurotic and she promised me she would play along!!
Tia is mom of a teen who is currently engaged to be married next year. She blogs about her life with chronic illness and I have been inspired to read her outlook and see how positive she tries to keep things. You really need to check out her post "Treat me Normal, But Don't" because she wants your understanding, but not your pity, and that's a fine line to walk.
If you're not familiar with #AskAwayFriday, it's a great way to meet new people and get really nosy! You pair up and swap ten questions with your partner to be answered in a post on Friday. #AskAwayFriday was created by Penny of The Real Housewife of Caroline County, and is now hosted by these #AskAwayFriday hosts…
Tiffany from Mrs. Tee Love Life Laughter,
Christy from Uplifting Families,
Stacey from This Momma’s Ramblings
and
Amber from Bold Fit Mom
And now on with the show!
We planted broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers (green, yellow and red) and Brussels Sprouts. The broccoli yielded one tiny head that we added to a salad. The tomatoes are looking really good, but I think they're going to be punks and turn red the week we're at the beach. The squash and zucchini are both growing well and taking over the rest of the garden. That is likely why we won't see much of anything from our cucumbers or peppers.
We tried out a new gardening space this year and we didn't spread stuff out enough. Next year we should plant fewer things and spread them out more.
2. You and your husband recently celebrated 13 years married. What is your best tip for a successful marriage?
I don't know that I've got any great marriage tips, but going in we both knew this was forever. There have been times that we've been upset with each other for extended periods, but we've moved past them eventually. We try to always be honest with each other and say what we mean. I hate passive aggressiveness and those dumb memes about "When your wife says this...she really means this..." I just don't have time for messing around like that. If I say I'm okay, it's because I'm okay. I also reserve the right to say I don't feel like talking about it right now. But eventually you've got to be honest and put your feelings and desires out there if you want things to work out.
3. You've said you're an open book as a blogger. Where would you say you draw the line? What boundaries do you set on what to keep personal?
Funny that you should ask this question right after the previous one. I personally am an open book. However, I understand that other people have different privacy needs. Ken prefers that I not talk about him much here, so I don't. When it comes to the kids I try to decide if what I am saying is something that will come to embarrass them later. I often ask their permission before I write about certain topics because I want them to be okay with what I write.
I've always used real names and locations here and many of my face to face friends and family read here. That puts me in a position to think carefully about what I write and how it affects the people I interact with. In fact, there are a few things I won't even tell you I don't write about because just saying that would be too much!!
4. I love the little tributes to each of your kiddos on the side of your blog. What is one of your favorite characteristics of each of them?
Now that you've mentioned them I'm embarrassed that they're out of date! I need to get on that soon. Hopefully before Frances turns 11!
Frances marches to the beat of her own drummer. She's got her own tastes and her own style and she's not afraid to be who she is. She occasionally gets upset because of teasing, but she's never considered changing who she is in order to please people. She is 100% true to herself and I love that about her.
Henry is on the move. He is a sweet boy with a really passionate side. He has outbursts and he gets angry about things, but no matter how much trouble he gets in, he is always good for a big hug and a snuggle once he's calmed down. He is super friendly and will go up to almost any kid and just start playing with them.
Benjamin is super funny. His personality is really starting to come and I love the kids is he becoming. He has a group of best friends that he plays with at school and he is always telling us stories about "what J did" or "what S said." He likes to play pretend and will often become a different animal for the day and request to be treated as such. He is also a very good snuggler and loves giving his mommy kisses!
5. You're a fellow lover of lists. List your top 5 favorite movies of all time.
This list would probably change depending on the day you ask, but off the top of my head, my favorite movies are: Top Gun, The Princess Bride, Pretty Woman, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Harry Potter Series.
6. What is your favorite genre of music? Favorite band or artist?
I'll listen to pretty much whatever is on the radio, but my current preference (and I can't even believe I'm saying this) is pop music. I never listened to pop music growing up. It was always hard rock or alternative stuff. I am a big fan of Maroon Five right now. Their songs keep popping up on my Pandora and I always sing along.
7. One of the things you said you love about summer is your husband grilling dinner. What's one of your favorite things from the grill?
It's hard to pick a favorite because he does so many great things with the grill. One thing I really like is when he peels and cubes up a potato, adds some butter, garlic, and onion and the wraps it up in a foil packet and sticks it on the grill. Yummy!! We have also recently discovered the joy of grilled asparagus!
8. What is a tradition or ritual from your childhood that you've carried forward with your own children?
I think the way we open Christmas presents is the strongest connection I can think of. We wait until after breakfast on Christmas morning (actually, now we even wait until after Mass). One person plays "Santa and finds a gift for each person. They we each unwrap that one gift and show it off. Then there's another round of passing out and more opening. I'm sure it takes much longer than the unwrapping frenzy I've seen elsewhere, but I like the way we savor each gift and try to make it more about the thoughts of the giver than collecting all the stuff.
9. Do you have a crush on any actors? I have a soft spot for Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell :)
I would not protest if you wanted to show me pictures of Johnny Depp. Or Robert Downey, Jr. I won't complain about Ryan Gosling photos either. In fact, I'm going to show you some just to make everyone happy! {You're welcome!}
Also, that was the BEST blog research I've ever done in my life!!
10. Do you follow any professional sports? What's your favorite team?
I don't follow sports all that much except to keep up with Ken. Right now he is following the World Cup quite closely. I won't say who we're rooting for, but the current Pope is on our side. I also like to root for the Dallas Cowboys. Partly because I was born in Texas, but more because we live in Redskins country and it's fun to annoy the fans around here!
Thanks for the great questions, Tia!
Make sure you head over to Tia's blog to see what I asked her.
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