Bathtub Junkie

Archive for April, 2008

I really should be heading to bed right now, but I’m not a bit tired. That’s probably because of the delicious chocolate that I just consumed. *sigh* Plus, the only quiet time that I really have is after the kids have gone to bed … and I thought that I would post a blog update before turning in.

I included the above photo because the past few days have been so rainy and cozy here. Love it! The sound of the rain is just so beautiful. That’s a candle that my grandpa made for us, with a texture overlay applied. I then played around with the opacity and brightness/contrast. I’ve had that candle burning at my computer desk all day ~ it’s so calming and soothing! Very vanilla-y, too.

So here’s a recap of our weekend, in case you’re interested in hearing about it! Better late than never, LOL! :)

Friday ~ Crap, crap, crappy day. :( The weather was gorgeous, but I was totally late getting all of us changed, dressed, fed, and out the door for a get-together with a friend at a wonderful (and pretty far away) playground. On top of that, I got pulled over on the way there! There’s this stretch of road that’s 30 mph, and I went exactly 30 mph the entire way. But as I approached the “End 30 mph limit” sign, I started speeding up because it goes back up to 55 mph. Wouldn’t you know ~ there was a police officer hiding right near that sign! Grr! He cited me, but he said that he would “work with me” as far as the ticket cost. Not sure what that means. (Oh well … I look great in stripes!) Anyway, I made it to the playground and enjoyed seeing the kids have fun. Got some sun, too. When we got home, an awesome new picnic table and sandbox were waiting for us ~ courtesy of my parents! The kids are going to have so much fun with it this summer!

Saturday ~ Breakfast at our local cafe. They’ve come up with one of the best inventions ever … homemade popovers filled with sausage, egg, and cheese! Oh, they were heavenly. I’ve never tried making popovers, but I definitely want to sometime. After that, Jeff pulled out the steam cleaner and shampooed our carpeting. We could have stopped someplace to pick up some pet supplies, too ~ Little Beast has decided that our upstairs hallway is the perfect alternative to her litter box. *sigh* But now, our carpets are all fresh, clean, and smelling great. Jeff was even able to remove the stain that resulted when Lucas dumped out an entire bottle of baby shampoo! Inspired by my husband, I then started scrubbing our bathtubs (as I blogged previously). It kind of turned into family cleaning day. We’ve been in spring-cleaning mode for quite some time now.

Sunday ~ Jeff took Lucas and Meredith to church, and I got some random things done around the house. Then, we went over to our volunteer fire department and picked up our roast beef dinners. It’s an annual thing. And gosh, there is so much food! Too much, really! A generous helping of roast beef, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade coleslaw with yummy dinner rolls to accompany it. They even gave us a little cup filled with gravy. And for dessert, it was apple pie. Luke’s and Meri’s meals were free, even! We should have just ordered one meal for them to share, but the leftovers made for several other meals. Delicious. And we all ate outside at the kids’ new picnic table!

So that’s the scoop. Other than that, I’ve been selling some things on eBay, working on surprises for some friends, embarking on a new freelance assignment, playing with the kids outside, having fun with Twitter, and soaking up our warmer weather. I hope that you’re enjoying your week so far!

Yay! More questions! And this time, they’re from Aubrey (who, coincidentally, just answered my questions for her!):

1. Are there any artistic/crafty things you want to try that you don’t currently do? I’ve been wondering a lot about digital scrapbooking. At the moment, I’ve put all of my traditional scrapping aside (and even given away some scrapbooking supplies to friends) because I just don’t have time to work on it anymore. Plus, the kids get into a lot of things, and I feel like I can’t spread everything out and scrap like I used to (we’re nervous about using the paper cutter around them, as well). Digital scrapbooking seems so convenient, and it’s kind of like graphic design (which I’m really into). I’d like to investigate it a bit further. Also, I don’t know whether you consider cooking a “crafty” thing or not, but … there are a few things that I’ve been wanting to try. Wouldn’t cucumber-mint sorbet be yummy? So refreshing for summertime. I’d like to try making that, and I also saw a recipe for spearmint ice cream that I definitely want to make when the spearmint in our garden comes up (it’s beginning to!). Also, I’d like to try making a soufflé. That’s on my list of “100 things to do before I kick the bucket.” LOL! :)

2. Have you and Jeff gotten into any NY sports teams since moving to NY? (I know you guys are still both big IU and Colts fans!) I like the Yankees, but only because they’re all so cute and so are their uniforms! LOL! :) Well, we follow New York teams, but I don’t know that we’re really into any of them just yet. We root on Siena College, of course, and we’re excited that our local high school has now raised enough money to form its own football team. But overall, we’re still huge fans of Indiana teams! I’d like to take our kids (when they’re older) to a River Rats hockey game sometime as well as to a Tri-City Valley Cats game. I’ve never been to a baseball game, if you can believe that … and I think that it would be a fun experience. Also, it would be so much fun to buy some new home theater furniture for our bonus room and get a flat-screen TV so that we can watch sporting events upstairs, too, as well as in our living room.

3. Would you be able to not go online for anything, at all, for 48 hours? Yes. I know that I’d be able to do it because I had to do it once before ~ when we first moved into our newly built house! We had to wait three entire months before our Internet service was hooked up. I thought that I was going to go absolutely nuts. I remember walking into our unfinished bonus room and gazing longingly at the outlet that housed the wiring that would eventually become my Internet connection at my computer desk when everything was all set up! LOL! :) Is that pathetic? Most definitely. But seriously ~ yes, I could probably go two entire days without doing anything online. I would miss it tremendously, though.

Did the above title catch your attention? :) I’m just very excited that we now have a sparkling-clean whirlpool tub in our master bathroom. It had become super disgusting because it’s pretty much next to impossible to clean it fully with two toddlers running around, and it requires a lot of effort ~ so I’m lazy and don’t scrub it out as often as I should. But while Jeff was steam cleaning our carpets today and the kids were fascinated by that, I thought that I’d take a few minutes and scrub out both of our bathtubs. I even took an old toothbrush and scrubbed out all of the jets, scrubbed around our Kohler faucets, and scrubbed the non-slip bottom of the tub to get everything all white and shiny again. I also organized all of our bath and body products into one container and placed it on the tub’s seating area for easy reach. Now, the only thing that I’d really like to do is choose some pretty tile design and tile our shower/bathtub walls. (Right now, we’ve got these boring semi-waterproof panels that our builder installed as kind of a temporary thing.) Tonight, you’d better believe that I’m going to treat myself to a nice, hot, long, relaxing bath in our whirlpool tub as a reward for all of the hard work that I did today. Can’t wait! :)

And speaking about household tasks, Colleen wanted to know, “How do you find time to accomplish anything useful in a day?” That’s a freaking good question. If any moms out there happen to have some good ideas/tips, please pass them along to me ASAP! :) Well, for a few mornings here recently, Lucas slept in until around 9:30 or 10 a.m. because of his bad allergies ~ so that afforded me some time to get a few things done around the house (while watching Meredith, but she’s a bit easier because she doesn’t get into as much stuff … yet!). And when Meredith naps, sometimes I’ll get on the computer or get some homekeeping tasks done (when I’m not doing crafts with Lucas or playing outside with him, though, which is most of the time). Really, the only quiet time we have is when both of the kids have gone to sleep. Sometimes then I’ll get on the computer and catch up on e-mails/work on freelance projects, but it seems like here lately I’ve been heading to bed myself at that time because I’m tired. Also, on Sundays, Jeff usually takes the kids to church so that I can have a few hours of “me time.” I always look forward to that, and while they’re gone I try to do some things that are difficult to do with kids running around (like Swiffering our floors).

But here’s the thing ~ I’ve realized that I can’t spend every waking moment cleaning. I used to freak out when our house wasn’t in spic-and-span order, and it was making me nuts. With two toddlers, that just isn’t going to happen. And people understand. Those who have been parents totally know what it’s like. I used to follow the kids around and clean all day long, but it was starting to drive me completely crazy. I quickly realized that I needed to prioritize and let some things slide until later. That has been a hard lesson for me to learn, though! I envy people who have clean homes, but my mom keeps saying that one day our children will be grown and our house will be spotless ~ and we’ll miss these days. I’m sure she’s probably right.

My husband actually requested for me to blog this e-mail forward that he just received. He said that it brings back a lot of wonderful memories for him! Some of them I “get,” but most of them I’m clueless about and will have to get him to explain them to me! LOL! :) If you live in Fort Wayne or have any Fort Wayne, IN connections, then I hope that you’ll enjoy this list!

1. You remember the Glenbrook Ice Rink.
2. You remember when Belmont’s didn’t only refer to a liquor store.
3. You remember when I-69 was just two lanes.
4. You remember downtown before Headwaters Park and Courthouse Green.
5. You can properly pronounce the name “Goeglein.”
6. You remember the Coliseum before the expansion.
7. You remember the Coliseum before the Expo Center.
8. You remember when Science Central opened.
9. You know what Gladieux is and remember it catching fire.
10. You remember the apple orchard at Glenbrook.
11. You remember when the Roller Dome was the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights.
12. You’ve been to Coney Island more times than you can count, and you have no problems walking in through the back door.
13. You’ve eaten at the Elegant Farmer.
14. You remember when Memorial Stadium opened.
15. You remember when B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, Little Professor, and Reader’s World were the biggest bookstores in town.
16. You remember when the Georgetown theater was full price.
18. You filled a prescription at Hooks Pharmacy.
18. You remember South Side High School and North Side High School before the renovations.
19. You remember Southtown Mall.
20. You’ve been to Safety Village.
21. You’ve bowled at almost every bowling alley in town.
22. You remember going to Lassus stations without hearing from Jon Lassus every time.
23. You remember the old food court at Glenbrook.
24. You know what 10,000 burning tires look like.
25. You remember the time before Jefferson Pointe when Glenbrook was the only place to shop.
26. You know that it’s “State Boulevard,” not “State Street.”
27. You remember Holiday 6 and saw movies there.
28. You remember when Southtown had more than Footlocker, Sears, and the MCL Cafeteria.
29. You remember when the TRF Midway was cool and you didn’t have to worry about getting shot.
30. You know what TRF stands for.
31. You remember when Lazer X and Ultrazone opened.
32. You’ve thrown apples on Johnny Appleseed’s grave.
33. You remember going to McMillan Health Center in elementary school.
34. You remember Maplecrest when it was a two-lane, bumpy road that “teed” into Rothman.
35. You remember the times before Wal-Mart and Meijer when you actually had to go to a grocery store.
36. You were ever on Happy’s Place.
37. You remember listening to B106.3. (My note: it sucks that 95.1 changed!)
38. You remember the TRF Raft Race.
39. You ate at the Moonraker and shopped at Tepe’s next door.
40. You went to Diamond Jim’s and still miss it.
41. You’ve eaten at Power’s Hamburgers and remember it being open 24 hours a day.
42. You’ve managed to cram yourself into Cindy’s Diner and not feel claustrophobic.
43. You remember when Hot 107.9 was Foxxy.
44. You remember the St. Mary’s Church fire.
45. You remember when Dupont Road was out in the middle of nowhere.
46. You remember the days before I-469.
47. You remember the flea market next to Hillcrest Bowl.
48. You know that the Wizards’ original mascot was actually a wizard … not some creepy dragon.
49. You knew about St. Francis College before the football team.
50. You bought something from Service Merchandise and had to wait for it to come out on the conveyor belt.
51. You remember when the first Meijer opened.
52. You remember watching Steve Shine on WFFT Fox 55.
53. You remember when Mike’s Carwash at Glenbrook was full service.
54. You remember when an express wash at Mike’s cost less than $5.
55. You remember the Trolley Restaurant on Wells Street next to where Edy’s is now.
56. You’ve marched in the TRF parade for some reason or another.
57. You remember Penguin Point on Spy Run.
58. You’re pretty much guaranteed to find a wooden nickel or two somewhere around your house.
59. You can name all the Hall’s restaurants (including those that have closed) and know where they are located.
60. You remember when Lincoln was based in Fort Wayne.
61. You remember Baer Field before it was “internationalized.”
62. You remember when Keltch Pharmacy was its own store, not part of Scott’s.
63. You know what “Froggy’s Pad” was.
64. You remember the Seyfert’s factory on Highway 3/Lima Road and what it smelled like.
65. You know that Best Buy was originally located where Borders is now on Coldwater Road and that it was The Children’s Palace before Best Buy.
66. You remember when Speice just sold shoes.
67. You know where Kittle’s is ~ even though you never shop there.
68. You know that our Pizza Huts are way better than anything outside of Dick Freeland’s franchise.
69. You remember when Vernon Jordan was shot at the Marriott.
70. You remember when the Citilink buses were PTC.
71. You remember when Win Moses was mayor.
72. You know the difference between St. Joe Blvd., St. Joe Rd., St. Joe Center Rd., St. Joe River Dr., and Upper St. Joe Center Rd.
73. You can finish the sentence, “If you’re not on Goshen Road …”
74. You remember never being able to find parking at the downtown library.
75. You know what the St. Francis campus looked like before the renovations and expansions.
76.You remember when the police department was at Southgate.
77. You remember Showbiz Pizza Palace before Chuck E. Cheese.
78. You’ve ever had a birthday party or attended one at the Roller Dome (north or south).
79. You remember Roller Dome North before they renovated it.
80. You remember Tilt at Glenbrook.
81. You remember when Coventry 13 was the main movie theater.
82. You remember Denny’s on Lima Road.
83. You’ve complained aloud in your car that St. Joe Rd./St. Joe Center Rd. is a screwed-up intersection.
84. You were pissed that northwest Indiana got to keep 219 when the area codes were split up.
85. You’ve drank out of the lion-shaped water fountain at the zoo.
86. You’ve eaten at Atz’s ice cream shoppe.
87. It doesn’t bother you in the least that a road can change names three or four times in the course of a few miles.
88. You know the story behind Harry Baals Drive.
89. You remember the GTE Tower.
90. You’ve eaten at Willie’s.
91. You remember Damon’s and the fact that the place was cursed.
92. You remember Roger’s, Lynn’s, and Cub Foods.
93. Even if you know Scott’s was generally overpriced, you’re still pissed that Kroger bought them out.
94. You remember Georgetown before the renovation.
95. You remember when there was more than one Big Boy.
96. You remember when the 14/I-69 Automall was built.
97. You remember when Roger’s grocery baggers loaded your bags in your car for you.
98. You drove Harrison Street when it was one continuous street.
99. You remember when Amtrak stopped in Fort Wayne.
100. You miss being told the “Fort Wayne National Bank Time.”
101. Bob Rohrman annoys you.
102. You’ve talked to Croaky the Frog.
103. You remember when Lutheran Hospital was on Fairfield.
104.You remember Hudson’s at Glenbrook.
105. You know the rumors about Devil’s Hollow at night.
106. You remember The Children’s Place in the mall having the little slide and stuff at the back of the store.
107. You know that the television was invented by Fort Wayne resident Philo T. Farnsworth.
108. You remember when the ACPL summer reading program actually had good prizes.
109. You’ve gone sledding down the huge hills at Franke Park and Shoaff Park.
110. You remember Furrows behind Southtown.
111. You’ve ridden on the BMX track.
112. You’ve had your picture taken while sitting in the joey’s pouch at the zoo.
113. You remember listening to Charlie Butcher on 97.3 WMEE.
114. You know that the Detroit Pistons used to be the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons.

My grandma, Leoma, would have turned 84 years old today. She absolutely adored this time of year; springtime was definitely her favorite season. I feel so sad that she’s not here anymore to experience it. She passed away on October 10, 2002. I think about her every single day, but she’s in my thoughts even more on April 23rd ~ her birthday.

I woke up this morning thinking about what birthday presents we might have given her. I would have enjoyed picking out some pretty new stationery (purple!) with a fun (purple!) pen. And even though it’s extremely difficult with two toddlers running around, I would have liked to make her some soaps and some other bath goodies (perhaps lilac-scented) in a spring-themed gift basket. Not too long ago at a cute little gift shop nearby, we saw a cool retro-looking dinner plate that said, “Granny’s Diner.” She would have gotten a kick out of that! And I would have enjoyed creating a handmade birthday card for her, complete with some new pictures of her great-grandchildren tucked inside. But more than anything, I wish that I could be there with her today, spending time with her. We wouldn’t have to do a single thing. I’d probably throw my arms around her, envelop her in a huge hug, and never let go. Ever.

But this April 23rd, I also find myself thinking about how all of my grandparents are now gone. The above photo was obviously taken before our wedding ceremony (June 17, 2000). I haven’t written a blog entry about my grandpa’s passing yet because … well, I’m still kind of in shock, actually. And I’ve been trying to collect my thoughts. Even though my grandpa had congestive heart failure and we knew that he wouldn’t get any better, I still can’t believe that we just saw him at Christmas and now he’s not with us anymore. Every time I walk through our dining room and catch a glimpse of his funeral candle in our china cabinet, I feel a tiny twinge in my heart. (Lucas pointed to that candle not too long ago and said, “That’s my old grandpa. He got sick.” I am so happy that he remembers him.) Back in March, I was forwarding our friends and family members the link to Lucas’s third birthday party pictures, and I noticed my grandpa’s name in my Outlook address book. I paused, stared at his name for a while, took a deep breath, and deleted the entry with much sadness. My grandpa has been gone for two months now. It’s so strange to know that no one lives in my grandparents’ house anymore. When Sunday rolls around, as I’m getting dressed in the morning, I sometimes still catch myself thinking, “Oh, I’m going to give Papaw a call today and see how he’s doing.” But I can’t.

How happy my grandpa must be today, though, to be able to celebrate my grandma’s birthday with her once again! I hope that they’re enjoying a wonderfully special, warm, and beautiful spring day today ~ together. I don’t want this blog entry to be a downer; I want to remember my grandma’s life today and celebrate all of the years that I was blessed to have her (and all of my grandparents) in my life. I’m thinking about fixing a special meal for dinner tonight, including some of her favorite foods. And maybe somehow I can do something nice for someone else today. I’m not sure what that’ll be just yet, but my grandparents constantly did such nice things for us. They were two of the most kind-hearted, generous, down-to-earth, special people who I’ve ever known.

Granny and Papaw, I love you with all my heart and more ~ and I miss you more than words can describe. And now tears are starting to come, so I’d better stop here.

Jenni (make sure to stop by and check out her new blog design ~ it’s really cool!) asked me the following question: If you had to choose sleep over sex, which would you pick? Are you kidding? Sleep. In a heartbeat. :) Sorry, Sweetie!

And my friend D. posed this question: If you had to have surgery, what type of surgery do you think would be the easiest type to have, and which type of surgery would be the worst? (Some examples: lasik eye surgery, open-heart surgery, dental surgery, C-section, etc.) First of all, the mere thought of having to have any type of surgery totally scares the sh@! out of me. Hopefully I won’t be confronted with that situation anytime soon. (Having surgery is actually one of my worst fears ~ it relates to my hypochondria.) I guess that lasik vision correction would probably be relatively easy because it’s so quick (about 15 minutes total, I’ve heard). I would love to wake up in the morning and be able to see without contact lenses or glasses! I just can’t imagine having my eyes propped open and a doctor messing with my eyeballs, though. Don’t you see everything that’s going on? Doesn’t it hurt? The idea of that completely freaks me out. As far as the worst surgery to have, I just don’t know. All surgeries are awful, in my opinion. The words “quadruple heart bypass” sound pretty horrid. I’ll never forget that episode of “E.R.” where they had to crack open Lucy’s ribs in order to perform heart surgery on her (anyone remember that from a long time ago?). I couldn’t watch it. :( I know that there are lots more surgeries out there that are way more complicated and longer than that, though. I pray that none of us (or anyone we know and love, or any of you guys out there) will ever have to go through something like that. Let’s all stay healthy, OK?

And last but not least, Carol asked me the following question: If you could only drink one kind of tea for the rest of your life, what kind would it be? (Applies to hot tea only.) That’s an easy one: chai tea. I just adore it. And there are so many different kinds of chai out there to enjoy! For a second, though, I thought that I might want to say sassafras tea (using the trees on my grandparents’ property). Mmm … that stuff is heavenly. Can I have two kinds? :)

Liz over at This Finngarian Mama also asked me some good questions. (Please make sure to visit her site and wish her and her husband a very happy sixth wedding anniversary, by the way!) Here are my responses!

1. How did you wind up living in New York? My husband’s job brought us here. A few days before he received his master’s degree ~ which was also about a month before we got married ~ he found out that he had gotten the job, and we accepted it. He’d heard about the position through a graduate school placement service, I believe. I think that our families were pretty shocked when we called them and said, “We’re moving to New York!” My mom cried, LOL! :) Right after we got back from our honeymoon (at the end of June 2000), we drove from Indiana to New York and moved into our first apartment. Jeff started work in July 2000, so that means we’ve been living here for almost eight years. Incredible!

2. What brought you to Twitter? (I’ve got an account, I’ll look you up!) You know, I’d been seeing Twitter on various people’s blogs. Wasn’t quite sure what to think about it at first. Seemed kind of cheesy, and I wasn’t sure exactly how it worked. And I thought, “Man … how do people have time for this stuff?” But I think that it was when I visited Laura’s blog one day … I saw her Twitter updates in her sidebar, and I thought, “OK, I have to check this out.” And I quickly realized how addictive it is! :) I love seeing what everyone’s up to. Feel free to add me as a contact.

P.S. Here’s a completely random note. Jeff’s parents will be visiting us sometime this fall, and they really enjoy playing cards. I’m loving these awesome poker tables. It would be cool to buy one of those so that we could play cards outside (if the weather is still nice by then, that is!).

More answers … here are my questions from Dana!

1] What’s your middle name? Victoria. I think that my parents chose that name after England’s Queen Victoria.

2] What’s your favorite color? BLUE! Blue, blue, and more blue!!! :)

3] Do you paint your toenails? Yes, I do. Especially since now it’s sandals/flip-flops season! Currently, I’m wearing a pretty orange/pink iridescent OPI shade on my tootsies (love it). It’s difficult to find a good time to paint my nails, though, with two toddlers running around. Sometimes I’ll treat my feet to a dip in the foot spa, followed by exfoliation, lotion, etc. Such a nice, quick way to relax!

4] Black or brown? If we’re talking about clothes to wear, I think that I look pretty good in brown (considering that I’m a Virgo “earth girl”). Plus, I have brown hair and brown eyes, so brown always looks good. Lately, I’ve been very into brown paired with other colors, like pink or blue. So pretty! I do need a sexy little black dress, though. Every girl must have one of those! :)

5] (pretty boring, right?) Not at all! I love all of these questions that readers are coming up with! It means a lot that you’re interested in knowing more about me. Thank you! :)

The lovely Laura just brought to my attention that I neglected to answer her questions. I’d responded to her blog comment, thanking her for asking me some neat things, but then I inadvertently deleted her e-mail and just forgot. Not sure where my brain is some days! *sigh* Oh wait, I know … it’s intensely focused on two toddlers! :) Sorry, Laura!

1. If you could have any meal for dinner tonight, what would you have? I would love to enjoy a huge cobb salad from Daddy Jack’s in Indianapolis, IN. (Jan knows what I’m talking about.) They have this salad that comes with everything … bacon, cheese, croutons, olives, crumbled bleu cheese, chicken, turkey, you name it. Absolutely delicious and perfect for summer! I’d probably accompany it with a nice big glass of sweetened iced tea with plenty of ice and lemon slices. Oh, and then dessert (because I was healthy with the salad, after all!). A warm fudge brownie straight from the oven, topped with ice cream, hot fudge sauce, nuts, whipped cream, and a cherry wouldn’t be too bad! :)

2. In which way do you think each of your children is most like you? That’s a very good question, considering that I can barely see anything of me in either of our kids! LOL! :) Sometimes I’ve noticed little things, like how Lucas walks on his tiptoes (I did that a lot as a kid). Jeff says that Lucas has my ears and that Meredith has my chin. And when Luke was born, everyone said that he had my eye shape (although our eyes are different colors). Personality wise, I just don’t know. Maybe as they get older, they will exhibit some of my personality characteristics? It’ll be interesting to see. I thought that Meredith would look a lot like me, and I was so excited when she was being born and the doctor said, “She has dark hair!” But alas, her hair has turned blonde. LOL! :)

3. If you had to buy a non-car vehicle (boat, RV, jet ski, trailer, etc) what would you buy? Probably an RV. My husband has talked before about traveling the country with an RV when he retires. It would be kind of fun to drive to California that way (see my previous blog entry!).

4. Do you and Jeff have any likes or dislikes that you “borrowed” from each other? (I disliked baseball before I met K. K hated bleu cheese until we got married.) I’ve always been a “Star Wars” fan, but I think that I enjoy “Star Wars” much more after marrying Jeff. It means more, I think, because I love to see him enjoy it so much. Oh, and I think that Jeff pretty much disliked my cat before we got married (he’s very allergic) … but she really started to grow on him afterward. I know that he secretly loves her. :) Ranch dressing is another one. Jeff says that he really never had ranch dressing until he met me, and now he likes it OK.

P.S. The weather today is just gorgeous! I think that it’s time to reinflate the kids’ swimming pool for our backyard. We need to get some neat new pool toys and beach toys, though ~ especially since we’ll be making frequent trips to our town’s beach soon!

Johna’s up next with my answers to her wonderful questions! :)

1) If you could vacation anywhere in the United States, where would it be? I’d love to be a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune,” so if that ever happens, maybe we could plan a California vacation! I’d love to go there (but alas, that would involve me hopping a plane). And hey, maybe we could also watch a taping of “Ellen.” I’ve always heard that San Diego is gorgeous, too, so I’d like to go there and also see San Francisco. Maybe we could also plan a side trip to the Grand Canyon since we didn’t have time to see it when we traveled to Arizona back in 2002. I’d also like to go visit Girl from Florida down in Key West … I’ve been to Florida and Key Largo before, but Key West looks like a ton of fun!

2) Do you collect anything? We now collect GeoTrax train pieces for our kids, I guess you could say. It’s so much fun to play with, and we’re kind of addicted to searching eBay for new GeoTrax items. (Just won the fire station for $10 ~ woo hoo!) I do collect bath and body products, too ~ but is that really a collection, since I end up using them and go buy more? :)

3) What is the best gift you’ve ever gotten? A very difficult question to answer … I have been so incredibly blessed. Gifts encompass more than material items, but I’ll stick to “things” here ~ otherwise, this blog entry would be huge! :) Probably the biggest thing was my college education ~ four years, entirely paid for. My parents paid for me to visit France (and England) for a month back in 1993, and I’ll remember that amazing trip for the rest of my life. Let’s see … my grandparents surprised me with a brand-new 1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE when I graduated from college. One item that I’ll treasure forever is the gold heart pendant necklace that my grandma gave me. Her parents (my great-grandparents) gave it to her when she was just 18 years old. I wore it for luck when both of our children were born, and I’ll be passing it along to Meredith when she’s older. Hopefully it’ll stay in our family for a long time. Also, my mom gave me the sixpence that she wore inside her shoe on her wedding day (I wore it when Jeff and I got married); I also have her baby ring and my baby ring, heart pendant, and bracelet. I’ll stop there … I could go on and on.

4) What is your dream job? To be honest, I completely love being a stay-at-home mom. Sure, there are challenges sometimes ~ but it’s the best job that I’ve ever had, hands down. I feel so lucky that I’m able to do freelance work while taking care of our kids; it’s the ideal arrangement. It would also be neat, perhaps, to write syndicated columns for a large newspaper ~ and I’d love to write a book someday. I also have a secret fantasy of attending cooking school and maybe having my own cooking TV show ~ but I don’t think that my skills are good enough for that! Plus, Chef Ramsay on “Hell’s Kitchen” totally freaks me out. :)

5) If you could, describe your ideal day of pampering (with no kids or husband around!): I totally love this question because it gives me the opportunity to daydream about one of my favorite things ~ pampering! :) First, I’d definitely sleep in. I’d roll out of bed whenever I happened to wake up (oh, how indulgent!). Then, I’d take a long, hot shower ~ maybe with some bergamot bath products by The Body Shop (I adore those). I’d dress myself in a pretty, springy outfit and then treat myself to a nice breakfast somewhere (either our local café or Dunkin’ Donuts; chai tea would be involved, of course!). Afterward, I’d probably visit a day spa for some total beautification: pedicure, manicure, haircut, facial, massage, etc. Then, I can see myself going shopping ~ perhaps for clothes, since it’s next to impossible trying on outfits with two toddlers in tow. After receiving my shopping fix, I’d probably head home, put away my purchases, and spend some time on the computer (uninterrupted!) while waiting for the nice Italian dinner that I ordered for myself (yay for delivery!). After dinner (and maybe some kind of sinful dessert), I’d slip into a hot, relaxing bubble bath. (Aromatherapy candles, mood lighting, the entire bit.) Following my bath, I’d slip into a pair of comfy PJs and maybe relax with a nice glass of wine ~ and who knows, I might catch up on some of my favorite recorded TV shows, pop in a chick-flick DVD, spend some more time on the computer, read some magazines, or even work on some scrapbook pages or make greeting cards. Finally, I’d climb into bed, rub some fragrant lotion all over my body, then snuggle down underneath the covers for a restful night of sleep. So tell me … why do I feel incredibly guilty and selfish after writing out all of that?) *sigh*