Happy Birthday to My Sister!

My sister, Kim, turns 36 today.  Kinda big deal if you ask me!  But Kim hates her birthday.  In honor of that hatred, I thought I would make her a list to show her why she should enjoy her birthday...

TOP 10 REASONS WHY MY SISTER, KIM, SHOULD ENJOY HER BIRTHDAY:

10.  This year, your birthday falls on a 3 day weekend.  Which means, in essence, a LOT of people are celebrating with you.  That's pretty awesome.

9.  By the luck of it falling on a 3 day weekend, you are able to sleep in for your birthday or have breakfast in bed (as prepared by a lovely seven year old).

8. It's a day to receive gifts.  And, if money is involved, you are about to go buy yourself a new pair of shoes (or a mani/pedi).

7.  RJ is a fabulous cook who will make you whatever you want for a birthday dinner.

6.  You're still happily married (and that's saying a lot with your particular social group).

5.  You've lost 20 lbs since your last birthday and you're rocking it well!

4.  You've got a kick ass job and you're rocking it well, too!

3. Instead of having to go into work on your birthday and deal with summer bridezillas who are pissed about the rainy weather ruining their special day, you get to spend your birthday at home with two people who adore you more than anything else. 

2.   3.  You have a whole day to celebrate with Lorelli and RJ,

1.  Turning 36 isn't so bad.  You could be turning 39.  Now, THAT'S bad.

Happy birthday, little sister! I love you!

Lazy Sunday

Last night was Senior Prom. I have been the Class of 2010 advisor for four years and Prom is the final event (well, I do have to read names at graduation but that's easy in comparison to putting on a Prom). 

Imagine planning a wedding every four years with high school students who are in charge of fund raising and budgeting and you can imagine how excited I am to have this behind me  

Jen and I couldn't resist posing with royalty gear!

After a late night, I was more than ready for a lazy day.

Alexander spent the night with Umm and Big Papa (thanks for the sleepover!) so I could sleep in after a night of breaking up freak dancing partying.

We slept in, ate breakfast in bed, and planted ourselves on the couch to watch Dexter.

 (image found on google images)

Have you ever watched this show?  We're in the midst of Season 3.  We had heard this season jumped the shark but we've been pleasantly surprised by the plot twists.

In a few hours, I'll haul myself up to shower so we can enjoy a bbq with friends. 

And the best news of all...I have tomorrow off too!!

Here I Go Again

I was weighed today.

On an official scale.

At my annual doctor appointment.

The number was the same as a year ago.

That information did not make me very happy.

Weight Watchers.

We're about to become reacquainted.

For the 400th time.

Only this time...

I'm going to win.

Today Has to be Better

It has been a long time since I have experienced a day like yesterday.  I was short tempered, irritated, and frustrated with everyone who crossed my path at work.  It started at 8AM and snowballed until I left at 3:30.

Yesterday, I was fed up with the issues, personalities, and behaviors of adults and kids alike.  I wanted everyone to go away and stop complaining to me.  Fortunately, my boys were able to ease my frustrations once I arrived at home.  Alexander and I played with trains, Eric made dinner, I opened a bottle of wine, and life didn't seem so bad.  I'm so lucky to have their love to give me perspective and balance in life.

This morning, I woke up to the pitter patter of my sweet boy, running across the house.  He climbed the stairs and ran into my arms with that beautiful smile and dimpled cheeks.  We cuddled for a bit, discussed about how well we both slept, planned our day, and then I put on cartoons for him (he might have snuck three chocolate chip cookies) so I could finish getting ready for school.

As I was leaving, he gave me a kiss goodbye, said, "Hab a nice day.  Don't be sad, Mommy.  I lub you so much". 

There is no way I'm having a bad day today.

Reusable Wrapping

Ok, this idea of reusable wrapping might be the best idea since someone squished grapes and made wine.

I love to reuse gift bags.  I still have gift bags to be used from Alexander's baby showers.  And my mother in law and I have made a bit of a silent game about exchanging gift bags for gifts.  Why spend the money when one doesn't have to?  Eric will go so far as to wrap a gift in the plastic bag it was brought home in (i.e. Target), use tape to form it around the gift and say "voila"!

So, when my friend Jen over at A Daily Dose of Davis, introduced Reusable Wrapping, I was sold.

Go check it out!

Full Steam Ahead!

With the baby shower behind me...oh, you're saying you want to see a few pictures?  Well....ok!

 

My awesome students whom I hired to cater the shower.

The Spread

The Cupcake Cake (from Sam's Club).

  No doubt in my mind that I will go this route for every party from now on!

This cute clothesline of baby outfits were part of the decorations.  Isn't it a cute idea?  Kelli and Melinda did this for my baby shower and I LOVED the idea.  And I loved buying all the pink to send home with the new mom.

Marianne, the new mom, and me.  

I forgot to unzoom for this photo!

Our Little Legacy and reason for gathering together.

I love this girl.  Really

I love these girls too.  Really.

It was an afternoon to remember and we've pledged (no pun intended) to meet again, before another 10 years pass us by.

Anyhow...now that the baby shower is behind me, it's time to look forward to the next event:

MOM'S RETIREMENT!  

Thankfully, my brother-in-law is in charge of all the food.  I am in charge of invitations, decorations, and hosting the event.  As long as I don't have to do the food, it is going to be a fun afternoon.

Only this time, I think I'll stay indoors when Eric mows the lawn for the party.

Only 3 miles but...

It may have been a short run at 3 miles but it felt like the hardest, longest run of my life.
And I'm about 99% sure my appendix burst at some point during the run.

There is a hill by our house.  I have had a goal in my head to run this hill before the half marathon.  Since the race is a month away, I figured today was the day.  The boys dropped me off at the bottom of the hill, I cranked the running music, and began the 3 mile trek home.

The first 1.8 miles was STRAIGHT UP.  My eardrums popped.  My hammies and glutes burned.  My lungs burned.  There were points when I felt I couldn't get any air into my lungs. And I'm pretty sure cars slowed down thinking they were going to have to pick up my body from the side of the road after I passed out from lack of oxygen.

But I didn't walk.  I might have been running at a pace where walking would have been faster but I was determined to run.  It might have felt like someone was stabbing me repeatedly in my side with each step but still, I ran.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the path leveled out.  And still I ran. 

Being a teacher

One of my favorite pieces to being a teacher is hearing from students after they graduate from high school.  I let them initiate the communication.  With a select few, friendships are formed.  And with others I may receive an email or have a random sighting in a bar.  However, no matter who it is, I love learning how their lives have unfolded over the years. It kills them that I won't add them to my facebook, though.

Over the past few years, my favorites (from the class of 2006) have kept me updated on college life, turned 21, started marriages and with college graduations this past week, they are about to embark on careers.  Some will be business men, high school teachers, stay at home moms, will travel until they feel forced to settle down, or will flounder until they find their path.  But each are learning who they are supposed to become and it is such a joy to watch.

Several of my students have had the opportunity to travel overseas with college programs.  I wish I had had that chance in college! Although, I'm not so sure I would have had the confidence 20 years ago to take off and explore another country (let alone eat the food!).  Of course, I worry about these kiddos but I figure if their parents let them go, I probably don't have much of a say whether or not they can go.  For example,  Right now, Nate is in Thailand.  Bryan leaves for China this summer.  And Mikie is living in Chile with her husband and newborn son.  I can remember when each were students in my class and now, they are adults and living full lives.

Being a teacher rocks.

Old Insecurities and Lessons Learned

I grew up "the fat kid".

Looking back, I wasn't fat.  Not by a long shot.  But the two girls in my neighborhood were underweight so I was the fat girl, by default.  With that title, days in elementary and middle school were filled with insecurities and daily thoughts that no one liked me because I was fat.  I was an easy target for others when the tears flowed easily and I missed a lot of school because of those insecurities.   

*Let me clarify that, not for one moment, do I blame my parents for my insecurities.  My peers created them and I fed them.  They are mine to own and mine to conquer.*

When I entered high school I decided, once and for all, the fat girl was NOT going to exist.  She was going to disappear for good.  Instead, people were going to meet an outgoing, funny girl who didn't care about appearances.  I was going to be friendly with everyone and never give anyone a reason to dislike me. In four years, I perfected that personality.  So much so that when I was talking with a high school friend after the cheek gash incident that I was feeling insecure, they couldn't believe that vanity was my biggest issue.  I had learned to hide it from even the closest of friends. 

And then I entered college.  And drank beer.  And ate food at 2AM.  And spent a summer in Alaska eating everything I could as an emotional reaction to heartbreak and change.  And I became the fat girl.  Again. Only this time, when I look back, I really was fat and there was no excuse or chance to hide behind humor.  I was fat.  Luckily, I had friends who didn't care.  They loved me despite of the weight.  But I never loved me.  With time, I dropped most of the weight and when I left college, I felt ok about myself.  Yes, I always thought I could lose more weight but honestly, I don't know a time when I haven't had that thought.

Enter Eric.

Enter a man who loved me for me.  Enter a man who showed me how to shine with confidence.  Enter a man who taught me to surround myself with good people who made me better.  I may never have truly learned to love myself but with Eric's love, I have learned how to feel confidence in myself and put old insecurities in the past.  I love working out now and feeling good about my body.  I love that I'm working on it and Eric is fully behind my choices to be healthy.  I may still want to lose those extra 10 lbs but I have learned to love me, despite the body image issues that flare up.

So, imagine my surprise when all those old insecurities rose to the surface on the heels of Friday's accident.  One 3 inch gash to the face and I was instantly transported to the 12 year old fat girl.  I was instantly transported to the days of hoping others wouldn't see my physical flaws because they wouldn't gauge me worthy of their friendship.  And I was instantly transported to the days when I hated myself.

It's been a rough couple of days and not because of any physical pain.  Having to explain the story over and over again and have people stare has not been easy for a girl who hates physical scrutiny.  I hated growing big during pregnancy because I equated it with "fat girl".  If I had known it would be my only pregnancy, I would have embraced it differently.
Lesson learned.

I know the injury could have been worse and don't think for a minute that I don't thank God for watching over me.
Lesson learned.

The scar will heal.  I'll do my best to manage it and make sure I have done my part to keep the scar to a minimum.  Just like I have done all these years to keep my "fat girl" scars to a minimum.  It's time to love my fat girl self so she can heal, too.  Without her, I wouldn't be who I am.
Lesson learned.

All scars tell a story.  Be them emotional or physical.  We carry them with us to remind us of lessons learned.

And every single lesson is worth learning.

"I don't wake up and run to give me that extra boost of energy. I don't spend hours at the gym to relieve stress. And I didn't start taking yoga classes to spend even more time with my friends. The truth?

I want to look good naked. Doesn't everybody?"

~Nike

 

Uh...Ouch...

Yes.  That is my face.  My right cheek, to be more specific.

Here's the story...

We spent all day Friday in the yard, cleaning out bushes and trees and burning everything that we didn't burn last summer in the fire pit.  Flowers were planted.  A 3 year old was playing in his sandbox on the deck.  And Eric was mowing the lawn.  Once he was finished, I was going to head inside to tackle cleaning for the baby shower. 

We had a plan.

Funny how a plan can change in one instant.

I was about 3-6 feet away from the mower, stacking some wood, and had just turned to walk to the porch when I felt something like a hardball hit my face.  I knew it was a rock from the mower but figured I had, at worst, a huge goose egg on my cheek. So, I covered it with my hand and showed my cheek to Eric (once I got his attention.  He was mowing after all).  He IMMEDIATELY put HIS hand over it which left me to glance at my hand.  Which was covered in blood.  Huh.  That's not good.  

A rock had shot out from under the lawn mower and hit me about 2 inches under my right eye. In the picture, it doesn't look deep but believe me, it was.  And it was bleeding.

I forgot how much head wounds bleed.

Within the next half hour, Eric had the fire out,  Ho-Ho Papa was on his way over to watch the baby so we could go to the ER, and I kept pressure on the giant gash (that I couldn't help but stare at in the mirror every few minutes) and put ice on it.  Oh, and I logged on to Facebook and updated my status.  It's not every day that a girl makes a trip to the ER with a dent in her cheek.

  I kept insisting I wouldn't need stitches and that some crazy glue and butterfly strips would be enough.

I might have been in shock but ya know, crazy glue can fix anything.

  4 hours and 8 stitches later....

Dr. Bob did an awesome job.  And didn't use crazy glue.

Now, I just need a good story to tell the kids on Monday.  

Weekend Recap

Anyone who knows me knows I am a social butterfly.  I LOVE a good party, drinks after work with friends, and any event that lets me sit around for hours, chatting, laughing and enjoying cocktails.

In the past three years, that social scene is what I miss the most about my old life.  Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and a wife.
But there are times I miss being Michelle.

Friday night - After work, I took off to meet my friend, Kelli, who I have known since I was 11 (we figured that out in between sets at the concert).  Our birthdays are a week apart and we've celebrated together for so long that I've lost count. She is one of my dearest friends and I love my Kelli time.  

We headed to her house to put ourselves together for the Nickelback concert.  Kelli and I do enjoy our concerts and affection for rockstars.  We've seen Def Leppard, Goo-Goo Dolls, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, and Nickelback (2times).  So, we cranked the music, put our big girl clothes on, and headed to the show.

I have to say, having a girlfriend who is single is awesome and the perfect sanctuary to find your inner rockstar.  For a few hours, I wasn't Mom and I wasn't Wife.  

I was Michelle.  And it rocked.

Nickelback concert with this gal

Here Kelli and I are at the Gorge, enjoying Nickelback last summer.

It is quite possible we were rockstars or rockstar groupies in our former life.   And we're already searching for a summer concert.  Any suggestions?.

Saturday night - Despite a late night on Friday, I woke up early with Alexander to spend time with him.  I hadn't seen him at all on Friday and we only had a few hours together before he headed to his grandparents for the night (Thanks Umma and Big Papa!).  Once he left, I spent a little time with Eric and then headed off for my afternoon to go out and play with these girls.

Rin, Gypsy, Mika and me (with a weird head tilt)

After several sangarias, appetizers, laughs, and non stop conversation, we headed to Rin's house.  Rin's house is our sanctuary.  No kids.  No husbands.  Clean and quiet.  We opened bottle after bottle of red wine, ate more unhealthy but oh-so-delicious food, and laughed for hours. 

Again, more Michelle time.

Mother's Day - Rather than being woken up to breakfast in bed, I woke up to silence.  And it was 9AM!  Hallelujah!  I haven't slept in that late in months.  I think this is why Eric asked his parents to watch Alexander for us - he knew I wanted sleep after my busy weekend!  After a slow wake up, I headed to McLendon's and bought container after container of flowers for our planters.  I wanted to have everything ready for Alexander's return so we could spend the afternoon planting the flowers since it was a beautiful sunny day in the PNW.
Alexander is my best helper, you know.

After a long afternoon nap, the three of us headed out into the sunshine to work in the yard.  

And I realized that as much as I enjoy and need my time as Michelle, the balance as Michelle, Mom and Wife is a fragile one.  If the scale tips too far in one direction, I lose energy to give to others.  But if the scale tips too far in the other direction, I lose sight of what I have waiting at home.  

I don't know that I'll find the perfect balance of the three roles.  But weekends like this one remind me that looking for the balance is where all the fun lies.

And boy, did I have fun!

Being a Mom

I was trying to think of what to write about Mother's Day.  Should I write how I love that twos days a year I get to be princess for 24 hours (this day and my birthday?  Should I write how much I loved my weekend and its many activities (I'll save it for later this week)?  Should I talk about how I love my boys more than I ever thought possible?

Truthfully, emotions are heavy on my heart this year as I think of my best friend who lost her baby a year ago.  She should be celebrating Mother's Day with a six month old but instead of squeezing her daughter's chubby cheeks, she is wiping tears off her own cheeks.  Life isn't fair.

Since the words aren't coming to me and the sun is shining outside the window, tempting me to go outside and enjoy it, I am going to copy and paste a post I put on Alexander's blog last Mother's Day.  The thoughts still ring true.  I love being a mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

In all honesty, I never thought I would bring a baby home, because I never thought I would be a mom.
I can remember past Mother's Days and wondering, "will I ever be a mom?" Sitting as a guest at a baby shower wondering, "will I ever be a mom?" Masking the hurt when someone would ask when we were going to have a baby and responding with a flippant remark so they wouldn't see the pain of years of trying. Desperantly wanting to make my husband a father. Over time, the thoughts eventually turned from "will I have a baby" to "I can't have a baby". I think I hit an all time low when we were watching Battlestar Gallactica one night. A cylone announced it was pregnant. I looked at Eric and said, "A machine can get pregnant but I can't!" and sobbed uncontrollably for the remainder of the show. Yes, I was bitter and angry, irrational and hysterical that a fictional TV character could have what I wanted. I laugh about it now but infertility is a nasty beast and I never knew might trigger its arrival. Hope is pulled out from under you more times than you can count and you learn to put up a wall to avoid feeling hurt. Friends and family tell me that time in my life made me stronger but there was a feeling of helplessness which created a weakness in me. I think I have put behind me but when someone begins to talk about their fertility struggles, I'm instantly transported back to those feelings once again.

I found out we were pregnant three years ago this week and yes, I know that remembering that date seems silly to announce on the blog. But I bet every mom can remember the morning they found out they were expecting their first child. The details of that morning are etched in my mind, along with Eric's first sentence, "that can't be right. Your infertile and I'm sterile". Lovely sentiment, honey. All that I had hoped for in 3 years was about to come true for us and yet, Eric was just worried that I was going to drink coffee that morning, which was bad for the 4 week old fetus (never mind the cocktails I had drunk Saturday night with the girls).

The wounds of infertility were still fresh and I was scared to hope. I just couldn't believe I was going to be a mom. I refused to tell anyone of the pregnancy but our parents until we heard the hearbeat. We sent a picture of the ultrasound to our closest friends.  And told the rest of our family at my Grandma's house by refusing a cocktail.  I never refuse a cocktail offer and the look on my Grandma's face when I had to tell her no is etched into my mind.  Oh, the joy of finally being able to share the news.  I never told anyone at work, either. Instead, I told six of my former students in the 14th week and let them spread the news. By the time I returned to school in August, most kids knew I was expecting and hadn't just let myself go over the summer months. And I let my mom tell the staff.  I had the best pregnancy but worried at each doctor appointment that something was wrong. There was still part of my heart that refused to believe that I was going to be a mom.

Even as my belly grew and I waddled and ached and suffered a broken rib due to our active boy, I still didn't believe I was going to be a mom.

1 week before baby

My due date came and went and I still didn't believe I was going to be a mom.
My water broke and I still didn't believe I was going to be a mom.

before contractions hit!

Even when Alexander immediately stopped crying when he saw me after he was born, I STILL didn't believe I was going to be a mom.

But then...

Everyone left the hospital room, except for Alexander, my mom and me. And in one perfect moment, I looked at my sweet son's face and I KNEW I WAS MEANT TO BE HIS MOM.

All of the anger, hurt, and bitterness of infertility seems a lifetime ago. I secretly loved when people said "Happy Mother's Day" to me this past weekend because I am a mom! I love it when Alexander says Mama over and over and over again because I am a mom! I love that my husband and son spoiled me like a princess ths past weekend because I am a mom. They bought me a spa day (ok, so I booked that for myself), made me breakfast in bed, let me sleep in until 10, and they told me they loved me all day long.

I want you to hug your kid(s) or call them and tell them you love them. I want you to stop for a minute and count the blessings in your life. Or maybe I just needed to write all this out and realize that dark chapter in my life is officially closed. And the sunshine that is my son is asleep in his bed, quietly snoring and sucking on his pacifier. Music to my ears. Because I am his mom.

My 2 favorite pictures of us together.

It's Worth It To Me

Since we made the decision that Eric would stay home and I would go to work, I have learned one very important lesson.

I have learned to keep a budget.

I'm the spender in this family so learning to keep to a budget has been a huge accomplishment.

In essence, we have learned to live with less, without feeling that we are going without.

So, when it comes to hosting events, I am hyper aware of the cost associated with decorations, foods, gifts, prizes, etc.  The perfectionist in me wants it just right but am ever aware of the costs.  I love throwing a party.  I love to shop, clean, and prepare for a party.  I love to show off the beauty and uniqueness of my home. And I have learned to throw a party without breaking the bank (or tapping into our savings account).

But there is still one detail of any event that stresses me out.

THE FOOD.

 For a person who HATES TO COOK, just the idea of putting a menu together makes my back spasm in tension.  I spend WEEKS worrying about the food.  I worry which foods to serve and how I will shop for everything and how much time will I need and then the day arrives and I start cooking and all the while I'm thinking that I need wine as I'm making the food because I'm so stressed but its 10AM so I can't really drink (or can I?).  By this point, I've yelled at Eric and Alexander so often that they have begun to tag team me with the silent treatment. By this point, I've managed to take all the fun out of an event because the perfectionist in me wants EVERYTHING just right.  Frankly, by the time my guests arrive, I'm pretty drunk and I really never know if anyone enjoyed the food or not.
 

BUT NOT THIS TIME!!  

Having a top-ranked culinary program in my high school?  
Perk.

Having a wonderful TA who was a member of the team that participated at the state level with amazing food?  
Perk.

In an act of absolute desperation brilliance, asking wonderful TA agree to buy, prepare (from scratch no less), and serve all the food?  
Priceless.

For the first time, I (completely sober) will meet my guests at the door, with a smile on my face and absolutely no stress in my body.  And I have no doubt this time everyone will enjoy the tasty food.

That is SO worth it to me.  No matter what the cost!

No Time to Chat

I'm in a cleaning frenzy. 

Next weekend, I'm hosting a baby shower for a sorority sister.
There will be about 15-20 of us together for the first time in almost ten years.

We're gathering at my house.
The very house where construction is scheduled to begin the week OF the baby shower.

If the outside is going to be a disaster, I certainly cannot let the inside of the house be the same.

I have made a list of projects to be done.
I'm crossing projects off the list.
And adding new projects to the list.

I will let you in a secret...I'm cleaning in order to procrastinate on figuring out what to do about food.

Have I ever told you how much I hate to cook?

Maybe if I serve enough wine, they'll never notice the lack of food.

A-Z

I came across this survey and thought it would be fun to answer for my readers.  

Enjoy!

A. AREA CODE:
Not the most exciting way to start a questionarre but I represent the 425.

B. BED SIZE: 
King.  Eric found the bedroom set online and we bought it without seeing it in real life.  It is a platform bed and even when I was 9 months pregnant and could barely climb up from the low height, I loved this bed.

  The mattress is from IKEA. 

C. CHORE YOU HATE: 
Deep cleaning the bathrooms.  Or taking the garbage out.   

D. DOG'S NAME:
We don't have a dog.  If we did, I would name it Rascal. 

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM:
Shower.  And Coffee.  In that order 

F. FAVORITE COLOR:
Right now?  Coral

G. GOLD OR SILVER:
Silver


H. HEIGHT:
5' 5" (depending on the shoe)

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY:
I played the piano when I was much younger.  As soon as I quit, I promptly forgot everything I learned.

J. Job:
I have taught PE for 15 years.  I plan to teach another 15 years before I announce my retirement.

K. KIDS: 

Alexander - 3 years old

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS:  

After living in our starter home (10 years of remodeling)e which Eric bought at a steal out of foreclosure, we moved to our current home of 2500 sq ft.  We moved in in February of 2006, sold the old house in May of 2006, and one week after signing the paperwork for both, we found out we were pregnant.

Eric remodeled the kitchen within months of moving in.  

We took out a gigantic fireplace to give us more room in the living room.  

And have focused the past few summers to cleaning the overgrown yard.

We have one bedroom with four walls, a closet, and a window.  The other "bedroom" is the loft that overlooks the living room.

In two weeks, we are planning to break ground and add 1500 sq ft.  

Two bedrooms, a bath, a master bedroom, and a 2 car garage.

N. NICKNAME:

Chelle, M

M.MOM'S NAME: 

Irene

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: 

 Only once.  And we came home with a beautiful baby so it was worth every minute when they woke me up to take blood or make me pee.

P. PET PEEVE: 

liars, cheaters, selfishness

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE:

Breakfast Club

Brian Johnson: Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...   

Andrew Clark: ...and an athlete...
Allison Reynolds: ...and a basket case...
Claire Standish: ...a princess...
John Bender: ...and a criminal...
Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question?... Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?:  
Righty
 
S. SIBLINGS:

I have one younger sister and one younger brother.

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP:  

Alarm goes off at 5:15.  I usually crawl out of bed by 5:30.

U. UNDERWEAR:  

I can assure you, I do wear it.

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE:  

I like fresh veggies but really could do without cooked ones.

If I had to pick a veggie I dislike, it would be rutabaga.  Just like the ones my granddad used to put his overcooked stew.  Blach.

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE:  

I am never late.  Honest

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD

Only once.
I rolled my ankle when I was running in between ball fields, coaching two teams a few years ago.

It went from instant pain to numbness.  But I didn't know anyone in the area so I drove myself to an Urgent Care.  It wasn't broken, just a third degree sprain.

I rather wish I had broken it.

I did have a broken rib while pregnant but couldn't have an x-ray due to the sweet baby in my belly.  I have a very short torso.  Thus, sweet Alexander had very little room to move.  So, one day he kicked out.  And broke my rib.  Doctor confirmed it at the next appt.

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: 

Uh.  I don't cook.  Ever. 

My wonderful husband does all the cooking.

But I mix a great Captain and Diet Coke.

Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE:  

Elephants.

I have a reoccuring dream that I own a baby elephant named Amy and she lives in my parent ravine.

I love Amy, the elephant.

Have a great week!