My Real Life

1. Did you do anything special for your kids on the last day of school? Or did you parents do anything special for you?

Our last day of school isn’t for another week, and I’ve never really done anything special for the kids because their last day of school is also always my last day of school.

Although, that night is the first sleepover night of the summer, and they get to start their later, summer bedtime, and we usually have a family movie night that night, so I guess that might qualify.

However, those are things we usually do on Friday nights all year, so maybe not.

Except that, it being the first night of summer vacation ups the fun quotient.

So, yeah.

Or, no.

Who cares?  It’s summer!

2. What’s your favorite summer tradition with your children?

I don’t have a summer tradition with my kids, and these questions are starting to make me feel like a bad parent.

We go to the beach every year for vacation, so I guess that could qualify.

This year, however, Monkey Girl has already begun outlining some of the trails she wants to hike with me, so I’m hopeful that this could become a new summer tradition, because I am SO into it.

Love to hike, love my girl.

3. What was your favorite thing to do during the summer as a kid?

Play.

I’d go to the pool with Erin all day.

or

I’d ride bikes and climb trees with Gail all day.

or

I’d play on the playground all day.

or

It would rain and I would lay around and read books all day.

I played when I was a kid.

All day, every day.

I didn’t watch tv.

We didn’t have a computer.

I just played.

And it was awesome.

4. How old were you when you were married? Were you a Bridezilla?

I was 26 when I got married.

I don’t think I was a Bridezilla, because I consider myself to be fairly laid back, but I’d need Kim, Erin, or Michaela to chime in here. (My sister-in-law was my Maid of Honor, but I don’t think she reads the blog.)

Or, I guess, Real Man could chime in, also.

But, I’ll say again, I think I was fairly laid back about the wedding.

Except when it rained on the wedding day and we had to change our venue for pictures and we were so late to the reception that we missed the cocktail hour and I never got my potato pancakes dipped in applesauce or my mini-hot dogs, which were ALL I could think about all day.

I mean, other than how happy I was to be marrying the love of my life.

Other than that…pretty laid back, I think.

5. What is your favorite girl name?

I’m partial to classic names like Julia, Olivia, Emma, Sara, Madeleine, Lily and Anna.

And, I guess that’s the answer to that.

1. What were you scared of as a kid?

I believe we’ve covered this topic, ad naseum, but I will answer again.

Clowns.

Porcelain dolls.

End of story.

2. Do you sleep well in a hotel?

Like a baby.

In fact, sleeping in a hotel is one of the few times that I actually sleep through the night, undisturbed.

It’s like it takes some sort of responsibility off my shoulders, and it’s just enough to allow me to sleep.

All night.

It’s a beautiful thing.

3. If you could meet any celebrity, dead or alive, who and why?

Hmmm…tough one.

I’d love to meet Jennifer Garner.

I think we’d be friends.

I’d also love to meet Reese Witherspoon, just to see if we really do resemble each other in person.

I’d like to go back in time and meet Heath Ledger and tell him to clean up his act, otherwise, his little girl is going to grow up without him.

I’d like to meet Mark Wahlberg.

Just to stare for a bit.

I’d like to meet Billy Joel and have him just play the piano for me for a few hours.

I’d like to meet Stephen King.

I’d just be happy to sit in a room with him in absolute silence and be in awe of his talent.

And, although I don’t think he’s a celebrity by today’s standards, Lord, would I love to meet Mozart.

Like Stephen King, I’d be happy just to sit in a room with him, although I’d want there to be a piano so I could watch his mind at work.

4. It’s a hot summer day. Do you prefer to be pool side or at the beach?

At the beach.

Because that means I’m on vacation.

The pool is great, but the pool means I’m home.

I don’t have a beach down the street, so if I’m on the beach, I’m away from home, and that, my friends, is a lovely thing.

I don’t even mind the extra work that the beach is, with four kids.

I welcome it.

Because it means I’m on vacation.

5. What is your favorite summer dish?

Tuna noodle salad.

Especially because no one else here will eat it.

So it’s mine.

All mine.