Thursday, January 16, 2014

Kissing Lists, Answering Questions, and Finishing Sentences!

I have been participating in Finish the Sentence Friday for several months now.  I love the prompts and I have connected with so many other wonderful bloggers by participating.  However, I have recently been seeing many bloggers doing some Ask Away Friday posts in which they exchange questions with each other and then answer them in a blog post.  I love reading these posts and learning more about my friends from the blogosphere, but was torn because of my love for Finish the Sentence Friday as well.

So, when Dana from Kiss My List emailed me and asked if I would like to COMBINE Finish the Sentence Friday and Ask Away Friday, I thought she was a genius and was immediately on board!

Honestly, I cannot even remember how I found Dana and her blog.  I think it might have actually been through FTSF.  She is also a contributing author to The Mother Of All Meltdowns, but I'm certain I knew her before that.  We both have an affinity for planning and making lists.  Plus we are actually going to be roomies at the BlogU conference in June!  





Ask Away Friday is hosted by The Real Housewife of Caroline County and The Bold Fab Mom.









Here are my answers to Dana's questions for me.  To see the questions I gave her and read her answers, head over to her blog by clicking HERE!



1. This week's Finish the Sentence Friday prompt is "I once saw the biggest..." I'm going to tweak it. Finish this sentence: "I have the biggest..." Collection of music boxes.  Well, it's probably not the biggest, but I have about 30 of them.  I used to collect them when I was younger.  I always got a new one for Christmas and sometimes on other occasions.  I don't get them as much anymore, but I still love them.  Here are a few from my collection:
The old timey phone in the bottom right corner is the first one I ever got.  It was a Christmas gift from my grandmother and it plays "Music Box Dancer."
These are some of my favorites.  L to R: Mother and baby Pagasus given to me by my mom and plays "Wind Beneath my Wings;" Church that plays "Amazing Grace;" Snow globe that plays "Winter Wonderland;" Birds also given by my mom that plays "You Light Up My Life."

2. Tell me something quirky about yourself.
Well, here's something that I never thought of as quirky until I started dating my husband and it totally freaked him out.  You won't understand unless you actually do it, though.  If you sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and the back of your knees pressed flat against the floor, can you bend your toes all the way straight down to touch the floor? I can.  My husband says its weird and I have never found anyone else who can do it.

3. You and I are going to be roommates for Blog U in June. What kind of roommate will you be? Do you snore? I guess I should have asked that earlier! :)  
I will be wonderful roommate!! :-)  I am an introvert by nature and sometimes a little uncomfortable when faced with meeting a large group of new people.  However, I feel like I know many of the conference attendees even though I haven't met them in real life.  I am NOT a party animal and I need my sleep to function.  I am terrible with maps and directions, so might need some assistance there.  According to my hubby, I only snore when I am pregnant and I can assure that will NOT be the case in June (or ever again)! 

4. What are three things that you love to do, just for you?
First on the list would be blogging.  My family is supportive of it, but I'm not really sure they completely "get it."  I love writing and I find inspiration in reading other blog posts as well.  Plus, the connections I have made with others are so wonderful.  I feel like I have a whole group of friends that I have never met, but who would still drop everything to help me out.  I also love to shop.  I don't do it that much because I always feel guilty for spending the money on myself.  However, a new outfit or purse can do wonders to lift my spirits.  The third would probably be listening to music.  I rock out in my minivan and listen to the music I like even when my kids and my hubs don't like it so much.

5. Did you ever think about the genders of your future children when you were younger? Did you see yourself having three girls? What has surprised you about having three daughters?
Ha!  I did not see myself having three girls.  I always wanted to be a mom, though, and  planned to have two boys and then one girl.  Obviously, we don't get to decide and I actually love having three daughters.  I think what surprises me most is how different and unique they are.  You might think that three children of the same gender raised by the same parents in the same house with the same rules, morals, etc. would be quite similar.  However, all three of my girls are very different from each other in the personalities, their abilities, their interests, and their styles.

6. One of your New Year's resolutions is to read more. What type of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any all time favorites?
I like stories that have a little drama, a little romance, and a maybe a little history.  I don't like SciFi or scary stories.  I like love stories, but not too sappy or too trashy.  Three of my all time favorites are Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts, Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls, and Fireproof by Wilson.

7. Do you miss teaching? Do you think you'll ever go back, or will you try something new?
Is it bad if I say no, I don't miss it??  I used to teach special needs preschoolers and, when I was doing it, I loved it.  However, I have been a SAHM for 11 years now and public school has changed so much.  I don't think the kind of class I taught even exists anymore as it did then.  While the job was very fulfilling in many ways, it was also draining emotionally because I became so attached to the kids I taught.  I'm honestly not sure I could do it and, now, come home and have anything left for my own kids and husband.  I am really working on my writing and finding fulfillment in that now.  I am hoping to find ways to make that a new "career" of sorts, but I'm still figuring out how to make that happen.  In the meantime, I'm going to be combing teaching and writing as I coordinate a creative writing club for kids at my oldest daughter's middle school during the next quarter.  I'm nervous about teaching middle schoolers, but excited about sharing my love of writing with them.

8. You share with your readers the unique personalties of each of your girls. Who is most like you, and who is most like your husband? 
My oldest is most like me.  She is stubborn, but creative.  She's a planner, but often sees the big picture without considering the details.  She is compassionate and loves younger children and animals.  Yet, she is rather stoic and withholds her emotions.  We have our differences and we butt heads occasionally, but we are very much alike in may ways.  My middle one is most like my husband.  She is a ball of energy and she loves to be silly.  She is really good at math and puzzles.  She almost always finds the positive in any situation and is not afraid to try new things.  

9. If my family came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare? And what can I bring?  Hmmmmm.. I like to cook, but my family is a conglomeration of picky eaters.  If you were to come for dinner, we would probably grill steaks or chicken if the weather was good.  We would likely add some baked potatoes, salad, and of course, dessert.  If we had to be indoors, I would probably make lasagna.  I wouldn't ask you to bring anything but yourself! 

10. Let's end on something silly. My kids and I love to play "Would You Rather?" Let's play: Would you rather have hiccups for the rest of your life or feel like you have to sneeze, but can't (also for the rest of your life)? Credit goes to my daughter for that challenging question.
My kids love "Would You Rather" too!  That's a tough one.  I already tend to sneeze a lot and, when I sneeze, it's not just once - it's like 5 or 6 times in a row.  Therefore, I'd probably have to go with hiccups.  They would definitely be annoying, but I'm already tired of sneezing! :-)


This was so much fun!!  Big thanks to Dana for inviting me to participate!!  Please head over to her blog and check out the answers she gave to my questions!

34 comments:

Janine Huldie said...

Lisa, I ill tell you that when asked the question if I miss teaching for the most , I am with you and truly don't miss it. To be honest, I love what I am doing right now and especially being home with my girls while they are still young. Ask me tomorrow, when they are whining or crying over something and my answer may change, but still love it! And by the way, like I said to Dana am loving that you two combined the tow linkups here!! :)

Sarah @ LeftBrainBuddha said...

Yep that's totally weird about touching your toes to the floor. I just tried it {and I'm just back from dance class so I'm still stretched out and all] and I can't do it! Fun twist on FTSF - I'm bummed I won't be at Blog U! Such bad timing for teacher bloggers - first week of June!

The Dose of Reality said...

I love Dana! It's always so fun when two of my favorites join forces for these!! Your music box collection is awesome! They are so cool and all so different! I haven't read any of your three favorite books! I'll have to put them on my list!! --Lisa

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Janine! I just cannot see myself going back to teaching- I've been staying at home for eleven years now! Glad you liked the combo!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Ha! I tell you - nobody can do the toe thing! :-) So glad we did this!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Come on over anytime! I can't promise it will be clean or quiet, but there will always be good food! Yay for your nephew - like I said, I've never met anyone else who can do it. :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes - that ankle thing is weird. You can do that, I do my bendy feet thing and we can be the freaky side show at the conference! Many of my first music boxes came from the San Francisco Music Box Company. I lived in a very small town, so we didn't have a store. I remember looking the catalog with my mom (back in the dark ages before Amazon) and picking out the ones I liked.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I'm bummed that you won't be at BlogU, too, but at least I got to meet you at BBC. The timing made me hesitate at first, too. My kids' last day of school id the 10th of June, but I'm not a teacher so I was able to swing it.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks, Lisa! I don't think I've ever mentioned my music boxes here before. They are special to me and I love them all!

Stacey Gannett said...

I absolutely love the music boxes, they are so beautiful! I too, am a huge romance novel fan, but not too sappy and maybe a little intrigue is good. Someday I want to go to a Blog Conference, maybe one day it will happen. So wonderful to get to know you better! Hope you have a great weekend!

Tiffany Mrsh Haywood said...

Great answers! I love the 'would you rather' question...I think i would go with the sneezing...hiccups would end up giving me a headache...LMBO Have a Great Weekend!

Stephanie Sprenger said...

I love this combo you and Dana did! I too have a music box collection- my grandpa sent me one every year for Christmas! :) They are still at my parents' house- definitely not safe around my kids yet! I am so glad you two are going to be roomies at BlogU- that is awesome! And that toe thing- wow. Totally cool!

donofalltrades said...

The three daughters is your husbands "fault". I tell my daughter only friends that to get a boy, you have to be able to plant the seed really deep. Lol, can I talk like this over here? I never know anymore. The toe thing is creepy, but I enjoyed learning more about you! Have fun with Dana and her lists or whatever at the bloggy thingy!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes, Jodi! You should come to Blog U, too, if you can! I'm sure about 10 minutes into the hiccups, I would regret that choice! :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Well, I can't do that thumb thing, so I guess we're even! I can't wait to meet you at BlogU, too!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks, Stacey! You will get to a conference someday, I'm sure. This will only be my second and there's no way I could swing BlogHer a big one like that!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

HA! Well, I might regret my hiccups choice if it came true!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I should have known you would have music boxes! :-) Mine are, mostly, in a curio cabinet in our "formal" living room which is off limits for playing. They were at my parent's house for a long time until we had enough space to put them somewhere safe and my girls were a little older. My youngest loves to get them out one by one and listen to them - but only with supervision!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes, Don, it is his fault and I remind him of that frequently. In fact, I tell him that when he was younger I'm sure he wished to be surrounded by beautiful women and now his wish has come true!! :-)

Jennifer Steck said...

I love your collection of music boxes, Lisa. I'm glad you and Dana did the question and answer session. I hope to meet you at BlogU and know I know a little more. :)

Kenya G. Johnson said...

#10 is a tough one. My sneezes hurt and hiccups are very annoying. Funny as if you can really plan it, I was going to have two boys and a girl also. ;-)

Jen Kehl said...

This is awesome! I love learning all these things about you! I have been collecting nutcrackers for Isaiah, however he has broken 4 of them already, so it's a really good thing we didn't collect something more fragile!
I wish I was going to blog U :-( It's when we go to South Carolina every year....
It sounds like we would all get along so well!

Michelle Nahom said...

I don't think my family gets blogging either. It's frustrating to me sometimes. My husband reads it if I ask him too. Every once in a while, my oldest son will say he read something. I don't think my other two ever even look at it. It's kind of ironic because some of my husband's friends read it. I love Jeannette Walls too and really enjoyed Glass Castles and Half Broke Horses. I want to read more this year! And hopefully I will get to meet you in real life, because I think I am going to BlogU!!

Karen said...

omg that WOULD you rather question is tough, I would go with feeling of sneezing, hiccups hurt me. I would never be able to sleep if my roomate snored...I am such a light sleeper. that is some collection babe...and what a great way to turn it aorund to fit you.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Jennifer! Would love to meet at BlogU!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Great minds think alike!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I bet we would all get along great! I'm excited to meet so many. Sorry you can't make it, but I understand.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yay!! I would love to meet you at BlogU! I'm not sure anyone who doesn't blog can really get it -they don't understand the connections. They just view it as us writing. They don't understand everything else that goes along with it!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks Karen! I might regret my hiccups choice if it actually happened - or maybe I would finally get the six pack abs I have NEVER had! :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Ha! And I would give anything right now for just one "good" snow! :-)

Christy Garrett said...

I am coming to your house for dinner, the food choice is awesome.


I would make a terrible roommate, my husband says I snore too much.

Marielle A. Lord said...

I live in Montreal. This winter has been one of the worst winter EVER arrgh I hate the cold, no matter how long I've lived here, I will NEVER get use to it!

Tarana said...

Thanks for the mention, just saw this!

Ashley Linder said...

I totally agree with your "likes" and "dislikes" except for dislike #9. That is one of the reasons why I love the possibility of snow days. The excuse to not have to go anywhere or do anything. No getting up early to yell at the kids to get ready for school. Lazy days in our pjs. That to me is the best!!! Having said that it is only good if we have an overstock of coffee, half and half for the coffee, and wine. Food too but I'm usually pretty overstocked on that. lol

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