My Real Life

1. Do you prefer to drive to your vacation spot or fly?

Fly.

Because if I had to fly to get there, it means I went REALLY far away.
2. Should grown women wear leggings?

As a grown woman who wore leggings last weekend, I’ll go with yes.

Would I wear them every day?

No.

Would I wear the leggings with every outfit?

No.

But do I think there is a definite age limit to leggings?

No.

3. If you could live any where in the world, where would you go and why?

Considering I’ve never really been anywhere, this one is tricky.

My gut instinct says Scotland.

So green.

So historic.

Love the little villages.

Yet, I’ve never been there, so it’s hard to know for sure.

I don’t know…I think I should probably get to some places before I answer this one. 🙂
4. If you could change your name to any other name, would you? And what would it be?

Something exotic sounding, because seriously…Amy?

I can’t think of a single one right now, but anything that wasn’t Amy would be fine with me.

5. What magazines to you have subscriptions to?

Games, which is a puzzle magazine.

Nerd, I know.

Self, which is about exercise and women’s health.

Shape, more exercise and women’s health.

And I just started a subscription to Us weekly.

Been wanting that for a long time and finally pulled the trigger.

Because I love my celebrity dirt.

Call me shallow, but I do.

I read all the comments from yesterdays post on sappy movies and I had to talk a little more about the topic.

Susan mentioned Stepmom and I couldn’t agree more.

She sews that quilt and the magicians cape…oh boy.

And when she invites Julia Roberts to be in the family picture.

Love it.

A few people mentioned Terms of Endearment.

Don’t even get me started on the scene where she says goodbye to the kids.

And the scene that makes me cry like an insane person is the scene where Shirley MacLaine goes out and is banging on the nurses station desk, screaming “My daughter is in pain!  Give her the medicine!”  I can’t imagine how it would feel to be in that position, and I imagine I’d behave just about the same way.

The Notebook…forget it.  Love that movie and only a small part of it has to do with Ryan Gosling.

Okay, maybe not just a small part, but I do cry tears and they have nothing to do with him.

Well, almost nothing to do with him.

And, finally…Mr. Holland’s Opus.

I don’t think you have to be a teacher to love the moment Heather described where they finally play the piece that he has been working on his entire life.  He directs that orchestra and the tears in his eyes…I can barely breathe during that scene.

I get it.

So, there is some more sap for you, just in case you are in the mood for a wallow.

Now, on to Five Question Friday…

1. What is one grammar issue you cannot let go without correction?

Your and you’re and there, they’re and their, obviously when they are written.

When speaking with someone, when they say “He needed fed” it drives me up the wall!  It’s “he needed to BE fed” and leaving that out just sounds so, so, so wrong to me.

Also, when people say “good” instead of “well” it makes me a little nuts.

2. What’s your favorite thing about fall?

Um, how about EVERYTHING???

The crispness to the air, the ability to be outside without sweating, the smells, the sounds, Halloween, Thanksgiving, football, leaves.

There is nothing, NOTHING that I don’t love about fall.

3. What’s your favourite dish to take to a potluck?

We don’t get invited out much, and don’t think we’ve ever been invited to a potluck.

If we were, I’d probably make some type of vegetable dish.

4. When do you start Christmas (Holiday) shopping?

As soon as I see something I want to buy for someone.

I’ve been known to buy Christmas gifts in April, but that’s the exception, not the rule.

5. Did you move homes a lot growing up?

Not really.

I was born in NY and when I was three, we moved to NJ.

A few days after my 8th birthday, we moved from one town to another and we stayed there until I was a sophomore in college.

Then, my parents moved across town, but by then, it wasn’t really me moving.

As an adult, however, I moved out of my parents house pretty quickly after college and moved into a house with roommates.

When Real Man and I got married, we moved into our first home, and we are now in our fourth.

However, this is it.

We love this house and plan on spending our retirement entertaining the grandkids here.

1. What is your favorite fall family tradition?

Football, baby!

On Saturdays, we go watch Monkey in the Middle play, come home and watch Rutgers.

On Sundays, it’s football snacks and the Giants!

2. If money weren’t an issue, how many kids would you have?

I’d love a gajillion, but even if money weren’t an issue, I think four is enough.

It’s important to me to spend quality time with each and every one of my kids and to make sure no one gets lost in the shuffle.

It’s hard to do with four, but if you work at it, you can do it.

Beyond four, someone is getting left out.

3. If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you put it?

Next weekend, I’m getting an enormous heart tattoo across my back that says “Honey Boo Boo.”

I kid, I kid.

Don’t know that I’d get a tattoo.

I’ve always thought about it, but I’m not sure it’s me.

If I did, probably do it on my shoulder-blade and it would probably get a music note or on my wrist and get a fountain pen.

4. What condiment is a must in your house?

Butter.

Is it a condiment?

Don’t know.

But, it’s a must.

5. How did your spouse/fiance propose?

I think I’ve told this story before.

It was a completely and utter surprise.

I had absolutely no idea it was coming, which made it that much more amazing.

It involved a Rangers key chain and beautiful words.

Love that man.

1. If you could have been (could be) any profession you wanted (brains and $$$ no problem) what would it be?

Where do I begin???

I love my career, so teaching is a no-brainer.

If I wasn’t a teacher, I’d (obviously) want to be a writer.

To write full-time?

Heaven.

If I couldn’t be a teacher or a writer, I’d want to be a professional singer.  I wouldn’t have to be a rock star (although, seriously…I’d be okay with that) but just someone who got paid for singing and could sing all the time.

I love to sing alone and I love to sing in a group.

I stopped singing in the choir when Tiny was born, or actually, when I was pregnant with Tiny because I was just too darn tired and rehearsals ran late, but lately, I’ve been thinking about rejoining or finding another adult singing group.

I really, really love to sing.

2. How often do you clean out your car?

When stuff starts falling out when we open the doors?

Is that answer okay?

Because it’s kinda true.

I just don’t think about it, otherwise.

When I put Tiny in his seat, I freak a little at what I see, but then I get in my seat, up front where it’s clean, and I forget about it.

And in the way, way back?

I have no idea what might be back there.

It’s possible we actually have 5 kids, but just lost one of them in the third row.

The good news is, we don’t really eat in the car, so it’s not biological crap that’s in the car.

It’s thirty-thousand pens, five-hundred and seventeen Mad Libs pads, three-hundred and three workbooks, etc.

But seriously, it all adds up.

3. Do you wish there was such a thing as fashion police or are you deeply relieved?

Who cares?

Seriously.

Who cares what other people are wearing?

The do’s and dont’s of fashion drive me nuts.

As if there aren’t enough things we judge other people about, the clothes they wear have to be something, as well?

And, you may be thinking, “Yeah, whatever…she says this because she’s completely a fashion don’t,” and you may be right, but fashion has never been something I’ve been too concerned with.

I wear what I like and I wear what I can be comfortable with.

4. What’s your go to food/drink/activity when stressed?

Chocolate and peanut butter.

Every time.

I can eat a Hershey bar smothered in peanut butter faster than it would take most people to even unwrap it.

I realize I need to substitute running or something for the chocolate and peanut butter, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.

5. If you had twins, what would you name them?

If it were completely up to me and Real Man would love any names I chose?

Boys:  Jack and Sam

Girls: Emma and Olivia

However, in the real world, Real Man would definitely have a say and I’ve been loving those names my whole life and I have four kids, none of whom are named any of those names, so I don’t think it would happen.

Plus, there will be no more monkeys, so it’s all a moo point.

(A little Joey Tribbiani reference…anyone?)

4. What’s your favorite dessert to make, homemade or from a mix??

Brownies.

Which is why I never make them.

5. Would you rather have a spider or a mouse scurry across your face (no copping out and saying “neither!!”)?

A spider.

I know they won’t hurt me, but if a mouse scurried across my face, I would seriously lose my mind.  Like, insane screaming and shaking of the head, and completely freaking out.

I am getting the chills just thinking about it.

The spider, I probably wouldn’t even feel.

1. Do you call them flip-flops, thongs, sandals or slippers?

Well, I call flip-flops “flip-flops.”

I call sandals “sandals.”

I call slippers “slippers.”

And thongs don’t go on your feet.

2.  Are you a “My kid can do no wrong” mom or a “Johnny punched you?  Well, what did you do first?” mom?

Oh, I am totally a “Well, what did you do first?” Mom.

I never say never where my kids are involved, and while they are really good kids, they are also quite normal kids who don’t always make great choices.

3.  Would you confront a good friend that looked down on your significant other?

I’m all about confrontation, so if someone, no matter how close, was saying something nasty or condescending about Real Man, you bet your sweet bippy I’d say something.

We’re a team.

4.  Biggest pet peeve.

Oh, there are so many.

Bad grammar, for sure, is at the top of the list.

Then, there is the use of the term “close proximity.”

It’s just “proximity,” people.

When people make mouth sounds when they are eating or speaking.

Gross.

There are others…I’m not always an easy person.

But, I don’t want to share ALL my secrets today.

5.  What’s your favorite take-out meal?

We don’t really do take-out very often.

Once every few months the monkeys and I will get Chinese if Real Man is at a work function, and when we do, I get the pork lo mein and I love it.

So, I’ll go with that.