I’m sure you’re all surprised to see me post for 5QF again. Not. There are a ton of small things going on around here and it doesn’t leave a ton of time to blog. I do have a couple posts in the works though, so maybe I can get some things posted in the next week or so.

Anyway, to play along, link up with Mama M.

1. How close to your childhood dreams is your life now?
This is difficult. As a child, I wanted to be everything, including a SAHM like I am. Usually though, my dreams involved something in the medical profession. I might get there once the babes get into “real” school. We’ll see. 🙂

2. What is one must have item for the summer?
Watermelon.

3. Do you have your kids stay up on school stuff during summer vacation? (Or, if you don’t have kiddos, did your parents make you keep up on school stuff during summer?)
My daughter’s only 2, so she’s ALWAYS learning. I try to avoid workbooks for this age, and just try to expose her to life. This has become even more difficult than usual, because on top of my usual introverted issues, the pregnancy gets in the way as well.

My mom never made us keep up on school stuff over summer. She thought my brother and I were both crazy when we voluntarily took summer school (both of us the summer before our junior years). When we were real young, like K-2nd, she always made sure she knew our strengths and weaknesses from the previous year, so she could help us remember right before the next year started. Just a little refresher before the new year started. 🙂

4. Do you can or freeze fresh produce?
No. I wouldn’t mind learning how, but it’s not a big thing for me right now.

5. Do you get ready for the day first thing in the morning?
No. I hate mornings. If I need to be somewhere before 11am, I put everything together the night before. If plans are after 11, I might wait and get ready in the morning. If no plans turn into plans, it all depends on how much prep it will take me in order to get ready. 😉 I’ve become a pro at prepping for activities though, so it usually doesn’t take too long to leave once I’ve put my mind to it!

Look! A post! I do remember my blog. 😉 A quick update before the main event. Shortly after my last post my husband and I both had a serious allergy attack or cold and spent the next several days bordering on miserable. Other than a slight bit of stuffiness, our daughter seemed to come through unaffected. Until yesterday when she started with this odd cough. Since today is Friday and I believe doctors go to school longer to become pediatricians for a reason, I decided to go ahead and take my daughter in. She was the happiest kid in the sick waiting room, bouncing around and happily munching on raisins. Then she was taken back and they took her temperature. 100 degrees. Wait, what? My kid has a low grade fever? When did THAT happen? So we proceeded through the exam and found out that she has a sinus infection and will need antibiotics for the next few days. The cough is actually starting to bug her now, but I think it will clear quickly.

Trust your instincts people.

Now, on to the main event. If you’re interested in learning more about 5QF with Mama M, click here.

1. Tube socks, calf socks, crew, ankle, none? ([email protected]_Blog)
Ankle socks, although I very very rarely ever wear socks. Living in Florida and being a SAHM, I can spend most or the year in flipflops or casual flats. I only need socks for camping/hiking and going to the gym. 🙂

2. Was your child’s (children’s) name a mutual decision or was it a debate? If you don’t have children, do you plan on giving your spouse a say, or do you have a name you MUST have, regardless if your other half likes it or not?! (From @momtodh)
Neither one of us had a name we HAD to have, although there were a few we could agree NOT to have. Our first child’s name was a mutual decision, although I did insist on a more unique spelling. We don’t yet know the gender of our second child, but do have one name picked out already as a possibility.

3. What is your favorite type of weather? ([email protected])
I like it warm enough during the day to hit the beach (mid-70s?) but cool enough at night for a light jacket and a fire outside in the fire pit (upper 50s?). This roughly translates to spring and fall in Florida, and both are very very short.

4. If left to your own devices, what time would you wake up every day? (From Sandy at “Pardon My Dust”)
If I wake up any later than 9:30, I feel like I’m wasting the day. Occasionally we’ll be up really late and sleep past that point, but since the birth of our first child, these instances have become increasingly rare.

5. Have you bought your cemetery plots yet? (From Pam at “Troop Petrie”)
No. We’ve only just begun writing wills and that’s been a difficult step for us. We’re still young enough to think we’re invincible (even when we know we’re not), but a plan has to be in place for our kids if something does happen.

Link up with Mama M for 5QF!

1. Have you ever had surgery?
Yes, twice. I had hernia surgery when I was very young, and a c-section to deliver my daughter. This will probably increase to 3 surgeries when baby #2 joins us in October.

2. Ever ride in an ambulance?
No, and I hope to keep it that way.

3. How are you in a medical emergency? Panicked? Calm?
Calm. I used to be a student athletic trainer in high school and the #1 lesson we were taught is that, as a first responder, you CANNOT increase the anxiety of a situation. By doing so you can create panic and cause more injuries or make it more difficult to get help to the person(s) who really need it.

4. Do you have a garden? Flowers or veggies?
It’s been quite awhile since I had a real garden, but we do grow herbs in containers on the back patio and this year I’m attempting tomatoes out there as well.

5. When did you move out of your parents house?
Memorial Day weekend 2004 was the official move, although it had been at least a year since I had REALLY lived there. Long story short, my husband (then fiancee), had just moved into his first apartment without a roommate so we lived together and planned the wedding for the next spring.

Another round of 5QF with Mama M this week. I promise, there will be more entertaining posts in the near future, but I’ve been a little busy lately getting myself together. So for now, just the questions and their answers. 🙂

1. Have you ever testified in court? For what?
Negative. And if I ever do, I hope to be an expert witness for something.

2. Do you still have your wedding dress?
Yes, altho I haven’t seen it in several months since it got shoved to the back of a different closet. I’ll keep it until there just isn’t any space any where for it.

3. Is there a special place you like to go when you’re happy, sad, stressed, etc.?
Not particularly. The more “negative” emotions usually involve more reading and getting caught up in other people’s problems and not focusing on my own. The more “positive” emotions tend to play out in various video games. This is not a rule, per se, because I’ve also been known to fire up the Wii
for some Sports ResortSword Play on days I’m feeling violent. It also makes my daughter giggle. 😉

4. If you have kids, do they sleep with you? If you don’t have kids…will you let your kids sleep with you when/if you have them?
My daughter does not sleep with me. As a rule, I don’t intend to ever let her sleep with me. Sure an occasion such as a nightmare or sickness might warrant some night time with mommy, but the average nights? No. Because I am SO HAPPY that there is ONE place in my house that isn’t constantly rearranged by my toddler, and that’s my bedroom. Just thinking about it makes me want to go curl up in bed without even bothering to finish this post…

5. Do you watch late night TV?
Define late night. You could find me watching TV any time from 7am to 2am, but it is usually kid’s shows or my shows on the DVR. Oh, and now it could also be movies or documentaries on Netflix. I’m not really into the late night talk shows, although I do have a soft spot for David Letterman and Conan O’Brien.

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Friday blogging fun! If you would like to play along with 5QF, head over and visit Mama M at My Little Life and link up!

1. Do you know what your REAL hair color is?
Yes, because I’ve never died my hair. Ever. Unless you count the Halloween spray paint-ish stuff, and I definitely do not because it was gone the next morning. Although darker than it used to be, I am still a redhead!

2. Do you plan ahead for summer, or fly by the seat of your pants?
I’m not a huge fan of summer. Living in Florida it is H-O-T and everyone in my fam has very sensitive skin. So we plan our outings for early morning (HA! Like we do mornings…) or late afternoon/evening and hide when the sun is at it’s highest and hottest. Afternoon thunderstorms also typically get in the way of afternoon activities.

I guess the short answer is, fly by the seat of our pants.

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?
Anything that involves pasta. It’s so versatile. I also really enjoying baking, especially specialty cookies. Like Red Velvet Whoopie Pies… YUM…

4. Do you get offended by not receiving thank yous?
No. Not at all. I wish more people would write thank you notes just because it’s so nice to get something that’s not a bill or junk in the mail. I also know that life gets in the way and well intended notes don’t get written. Like the ones for my daughter’s birthday party almost 2 months ago…

5. How did you meet your best friend?
Well, my bestest friend in the whole wide world is my husband, and we’ve known each other since elementary school, although we weren’t really friends til high school. After that, my closest friends were met at work (in the before kid time) and one is the girlfriend of one of my husband’s good friends. They each bring out a different piece of my personality. 🙂

1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?
No. I wear a lot of very similar outfits, but to my knowledge, I have never worn one two days in a row.

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?
How do you define large? I already live just 20 minutes from Orlando, FL, and generally like it here. Does San Diego count? I’m curious how it would be to have beach, mountains, and desert all within driving distance.

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?
D.R.I.V.E. It might take longer, but you see so much more in the process, and you can take more things with you. If you get sick or antsy, you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone else.

4. What is your idea of “spring cleaning”?
I don’t really do this cleaning stuff. I do dishes and laundry mostly, with a little vacuuming thrown in for fun. Wipe counters and Swiffer floors when they get too gross to tolerate. But two or three times a year I decide to get rid of old clothes, organize closets, and get the carpet cleaned. So I guess that’s what I call spring cleaning.

5. What is the best book you have ever read?
Ummm… What? I’ve read a LOT of books, most of them in the romance or mystery categories and you want me to pick the ONE BEST book I’ve ever read? Impossible! I mean, come on, I have three favorite authors. I stalk websites to find out when Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Lowell will be releasing new books. Not only that, what I read depends on my mood for the day. Do I want suspense? Romance? Comedy? All of the above?

I’m freaking out over this decision. I’m also a Harry Potter and Twilight fan. But is one of those the best book I’ve ever read?

Ok, let’s answer the question this way. The book I most frequently read is Birthright by Nora Roberts.

Wow that was stressful. 😉