So I was consumed all of last week with a very sick two-year-old.  Three doctor’s visits and one emergency room adventure because he has Croup and RSV, two nasty intruders who don’t play nicely together.

Croup RSV 1

And even though it seems like a middle-of-the-night emergency room visit alone with a toddler who can turn on and off his symptoms at will is just the kind of thing that would be oh-so-bloggable, I haven’t found it within myself to write it in anything less than tragic form.  And nobody comes to my blog thinking, “Oh! I do hope she wrote a tragedy today!”

So I didn’t exactly get any writing done last weekend.

But it’s all good, because today just so happens to be National Delurking Day – the fourth one I’ve celebrated, and one of my favorite holidays, because I get to find out all sorts of interesting things about you.

Because the problem with blogging is that I end up talking way too much.

Me me me me me me me…my kids my car my husband my butt my jeans my trips my food my denim skirts my failures my embarrassments my home catastrophes my crappy ideas my crappy craft projects my illnesses…you get the point.

I really get tired of the sound of my own voice.  Or keyboard.  Or whatever.

I would much rather hear from you – your comments, emails, feedback, interactions, additions to the story, and opinions.  I absolutely love getting to know you, and the relationships that I’ve formed with you are what makes it all worth it.

And although writing about myself all the time is totally egotistical and should not be encouraged, it’s a fact: I write MUCH better on weeks where you’ve been talking to me.

(I write even better on weeks where you’ve been talking to me and Noah doesn’t have Croup and RSV, but you can’t do anything about that, now can you?)

But today is my holiday, so it’s time to shut up.  It’s your turn to write.  Whether you comment on every post, comment once a month, comment once a year on this holiday, or have never commented before, below is your writing assignment – choose as many as you want to answer:

1.  Tell me about yourself.  Family, kids, weird quirks – whatever you would like for me to add to my mental folder with your name on it.

2. What state do you live in?  If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first?  And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived?

3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it?

(Okay – don’t answer this one if you think they might read it.  You can email me later.)

4.  What is your earliest childhood memory?

So there.  Write, people.  And know that I love you.

133 thoughts on “I Like Taking Turns. And it is Yours.

  1. I hope Noah gets better really soon! So sorry he’s been ill, seeing your little one sick is one of the worst feelings this side of major tragedy.

    I’ve stared at this comment box for too long now trying to come up with a random factoid about me but just keep pulling a blank. It’s before 6 am here and the only reason I’m up at all is that a skunk has ever so thoughtfully chosen just outside our bedroom window as the ideal place to spray overnight. I don’t know how my husband and son sleep through it.

  2. Hi Rachel, I admit…I always read but rarely post. What can I say? First that I am so sorry that your son is sick. I currently am also getting over the WORST head cold of my life. I never get sick and I have been down for 6 days. Praise the Lord that my boys haven’t seem to catch it. I live in Virginia, right outside of Richmond. Great location, 2 hours from the moutains, 2 hours from the beach, 2 hours from DC. Love it! Married to a fire fighter who is a military reservist on weekends. I stay home with my 2 beautiful boys (4 and 2 1/2) and enjoy working 2 mornings a week at their preschool. Here is what is going on right now, my oldest is obsessed with the phone. We gave him one of our old dead flip phones to play with. He is now obsessively taking pretend videos with it and laughing hysterically while ‘replaying’ it and watching the blank screen. I am forced to stare at a blank screen and laugh along over and over and over. I’m starting to think that maybe I take way too many videos? Current New Years resolution is to decorate my house. I finally have gotten rid of all the baby gear and am ready to reintroduce breakables, plants and decorative tables into my life. Wish me luck!
    -Rachel

    1. I LOVE that he’s fake videoing! That is fabulous. And yes, laughing at nonexistent items is a hard skill to master.

      I’m impressed that you’re decorating already – perhaps that gives me hope in the next year or so. I would adore to do our bedroom (it’s so stark), but lack the courage. Best of luck to you!

  3. I’m honestly too tired and hurty to think of anything much to say (I hurt my back), but you know I lurk a lot. I know you want us to delurk, and so, because I love you dearly, here I am. Um…interesting place that I’ve lived? Easy. Montrose, Scotland is my earliest memory of home. Living in the UK contributes to my lack of interest in whether or not I have ice in my drink, to why I persist in putting the stress on the second syllable of the word advertisement when reading it, to he fact I don’t notice British accents half the time when watching movies or TV, and to my delight that almost everyone I know is into Downton Abbey. I love cold weather, quirky comedy, and I’ve eaten haggis. There you go!

  4. Jerrod and I are going to see how well we survive doing our own laundry for 3 whole months. Mom said she would be going on her vacation to the Philippines for 2 month, but my calculations say three. Since I’m much better at math, I’ll go with my calculations. I’m sure we will be fine. I just hope no one minds seeing us in wrinkled clothes. I may need a vacation after she gets back.

    1. Doing laundry is bad enough. Beginning AGAIN to do laundry after a long hiatus would be tortuous. Perhaps y’all could just wear dirty clothes for 3 months?

  5. My kids are grown, so it’s fun seeing your littles. Hope poor Noah is recovering. I have too many quirks to list, but avoiding the flu is high on my quirky list this time of year. I’m a bit obsessed with it. I need to get over it.

    I live right next door to Mickey Mouse, but I’d suggest visiting Florida beaches and state parks if the weather is nice. Snow skiing out west is a big treat for me. I love the mountains, snow, and skiing.

    I’d blog about a certain quilter who both inspires and irritates me. Ha!

    My earliest childhood memory is playing in my neighborhood. I’m still friends with most of those kids 40+ years later.

    1. We’ve been to several Florida beaches in the past few years (Jacksonville, St Augustine, Indian Pass) and really hope to make it to Disney World in the next few years. We’re waiting until our kids are at the perfect age, whatever that may be.

      1. Having been to Disney both on my own and with my husband and his family (including a kid in a stroller), I would say another year or two — when Noah is able to do some walking and appreciate it a bit more. And definitely go in the low season, it’s so much less crowded.

  6. First off, I can’t believe that it has been a year since I commented on this post last year. That is truly blowing my mind.

    1. Tell me about yourself. Family, kids, weird quirks – whatever you would like for me to add to my mental folder with your name on it.

    Jameson is my four year old son who really fits the “boys are noise with dirt on them” definition. However, he has such a sweet soul. He has his first loose tooth and it is freaking me out. One, because it grosses me out and two, how is he that old.

    2. What state do you live in? If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first? And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived?
    Auburn, AL – I think you have covered many of the “to dos” in Alabama. But I guess here they could see our dying Toomer’s trees. ;) I went to visit my dad in Romania when he lived there and not that I would think anyone else should put it on their top ten list but it was so different.

    3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it?

    I could write a book about my family and sell millions because we are all crazy. However, I like too many of them to lose their love for money. But if we get a reality show, we would dominate the airwaves.

    4. What is your earliest childhood memory?
    I think turning 5 and crying because I had to wait til Fall to start school. I thought I would get to begin that very day with my big sister.

    Sorry your little man is sick. We dealt with RSV before Christmas. It is not fun.

    1. Wow – a loose tooth at four? That is an early start! Ali’s second is loose – I’ve got to get her to wiggle it more, because it just will NOT turn loose.

      I’ve yet to go to a game in Auburn, despite my illustrious career of 14 seasons of football. But from what I hear, I’m on the docket to go this year. So I’ll finally get to see your trees!

  7. Hi there. I’m a lurker, and have enjoyed your column since finding your blog after doing a google search on jeans! I’m a stay at home mom to a 4 year old boy and a 2 year old girl currently. They drive me crazy a lot of the time, but I can’t imagine my life without them. My son is obsessed with trains, and my daughter is just getting into princesses. I’m obsessed with reality tv, but my hubby is a big football fan, so we don’t watch much tv together!
    We currently live in Baltimore, MD. I’m from Philadelphia, and that will always be home. My husband is from Tennessee (a big Vols fan), and our kids were born when we lived in Louisville, KY, so I’m the only True northerner in the family.
    As for blogging, I can’t think of anyone I’d write about since I barely have the energy to read, let alone write!
    I really enjoy reading your blog, and hope your son feels better soon.

    1. We’re overloaded with trains and princesses around here, too. I don’t know how long the train obsession lasts, but you’ve got at least another good four years of princesses, if that helps your investment decisions any (such as, “Is this Princess dress-up set worth it?” Yes – she will squeeze herself into those dresses until she pops the seams and the length of the dress barely covers her panties.)

  8. Hey girl! So sorry you little guy is sick. That is no fun… My hubby was sick over the weekend, and, well, that might as well have been like having a sick little guy… Men. LOL What can ya do?

    We have 2 little boys. I just started following you recently. I saw you linked from somewhere… I’ll remember it at 3 am, right? ;) Your header sucked me in actually. We LOVE that place!! So. Much. FUN!! So, I guess that answers the 2nd question. We live north of Birmingham. It is growing on me and I am learning about all sorts of cool places through blogs like your and a few others. I’m a blogger, too. It started out blogging about being a mommy and having my 1st little guy. NONE of our family lives anywhere nears us (which is great, but not awesome either…). Now, I blog about making our house a home, crafts, recipes, and, yes, still a lot is written about our family life in here the ‘Ham.

    Hmmm…childhood memory. Well, I have 5 younger brothers, so I love how when I’m playing with my boys I can tell them all sorts of stories about what I used to do with their uncles. I remember one time we dumped out all the millions of legos (which my mother thoroughly enjoyed lol) and built this mega tower. We had to stand on the bed and desk to finish it. Good times. Then it came crashing down. Next thing that happened. James and I were in huge trouble. We even had our middle names screamed out. Not cool. Ah, love it. Wish we took a picture of it, but no one had a smart phone handy in the 90s. LOL

    1. Yes, I think I’ve been to your blog a couple of times – I’ll add it to my reader today! I love the Lego story! Except that I swear they don’t stay together like they used to. We could build towers that high, but now they seem to fall apart too easily.

      Thanks for saying hi! I hope your husband is back to 100%.

  9. 1. Quirk – don’t like people with weird heads, which is why I’ll never be a Trekkie. Family – married 10 years with 1 daughter, age 4.5
    2. Birmingham, AL = home, so the visiting thing doesn’t apply, though I do love Vulcan. Most interesting place ever visited = British Virgin Islands. Most interesting place ever lived = Atlanta, GA in a house that no longer exists.
    3. I’d blog more about work, but I’m scared for it to be in print while I’m still employed.
    4. Earliest childhood memory – our apartment on Southside. I drove past it yesterday – so tiny!

  10. Hi, I just recently discovered your blog and loved it. Is it weird I enjoy reading about other peoples lives? I guess not because I’m not the only one here. I live in Honduras small country in central america. I have a son(11) and my hubby recently moved to Canada for work. We are hoping to join him later this year. I love to read (books and blogs), watching movies and listening to music. And I’m addicted to Pinterest specially the women´s fashion pins; which is how I found your blog.

    Hope your son gets better and nice to meet you. :)

    1. I don’t think it’s weird – I’m just always surprised people are interested! But I love the connections and getting to know people. That’s going to be quite the change, isn’t it? Honduras to Canada – you’ll have to buy a whole new wardrobe!! Good thing you like Pinterest boards. :)

  11. 1. 4 kids ages 10, 8, 5, & 3. The three oldest are girls. Been married 11 years. I’m a former band director, and I love all things nerdy, and British.
    2. I’m in Kansas, and I’m not sure what I’d have you visit. I’ve only been here a couple years, and haven’t been west of Topeka yet. I can tell you all about St. Louis though. And the most interesting place I’ve lived is Des Moines, IA. Seriously.
    3. If I could, I’d blog about my extended family, particularly a sister and parents that drive me absolutely bonkers, but they read the blog and I’ve gotten in trouble with them before.
    4. My earliest childhood memory was when I was 2 or 3. It was touching the St. Louis Arch. It was a sunny winter day, and we were all in coats. The sun was shining on the metal arch and I remember when I reached out to touch it it was very hot and nearly burned my fingers. I remember being a bit confused why it was so hot when it was so cold outside.

    1. I think we drove through Kansas when I was a kid – I remember lots of cornfields – that’s about it. But it was pretty and flat, and flat is something that doesn’t exist around here!

  12. Hope Noah gets better soon. Poor little guy!.

    1. Well I am 37 single, never married, no kids but have a great family that includes my parents, sister, brother in law and 2 wonderful nephews Alex (4) and Lellan (almost 1). Quirks are probably too many to name but a few are I can’t stand having my hands dirty so I am constantly washing them if I am in the kitchen cooking or outside doing yardwork which is rare since I hate yardwork. I can’t sleep with a window behind my head I guess I have this fear of someone coming in the window so I always have to see the window.

    2. I live in Florida born and raised here. Orginally Brandon FL but now High Springs FL, which is near Gainesville. I love St. Augustine so that would be the first place I would go, but I love all things history. I also avoid all the theme parks been there done that. I love Sarasota/Bradenton for beaches. Most interesting place I have visited to me is Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan. The island is made up like it was in the 1800’s no cars are allowed on the island and it is just beautiful.
    3. I would blog about work. I work at UF and I could have plenty of material but I can’t while I still work here.
    4. Earliest Childhood memory is playing with my Grandpa’s dog Blackie. We lived on the same property as my Grandparents and Blackie was their dog she was an old black Lab.

    1. I’ve never thought about the weirdness of having a window above my head while I sleep. But I can see why that would be disconcerting. Next time I go visit our relatives in Orange Beach (where there’s a window above the bed,) I’m sure to think of you.

  13. Sorry your son is sick! Hope he gets better soon!

    I live most of the time in Birmingham and a small part of the time in Pensacola Beach. My son is in college in Mobile. I recently got married for the third and last time (although I don’t count the second very brief one). I’m also a triathlete/runner. I’m addicted to it. I found this blog through your other one, Alabama Bloggers.

    My favorite place to visit was Hawaii. I want to live there one day!

    1. That Mobile Marathon looks like a beautiful route! Chris did his first half-marathon last year, the Mercedes, and he’s trying to figure out where to do his next one. What’s been your favorite?

  14. I love reading your blog! You always make me laugh, and we seem to have a lot in common – specifically, an aversion to smock. I think they might take away my Southern citizenship for admitting that fact aloud, but it’s true. I’m 31, wife, mom of 2 boys, pediatric nurse, proud Southern belle (GA), bookworm, Anglophile (Downton Abbey FTW!), and proudly boring. I like to stay home and hang out with my family. If I didn’t have to go take care of (other people’s) sick children 3 nights a week I would only leave my house to go to the grocery store. I’m so sorry Noah’s been so frighteningly sick. It’s been a bad fall & winter – lots of kids sick with respiratory junk. I hope he feels better soon!

    1. What other great British shows are you watching? We just finished Sherlock – it was amazing. I’ve heard that Call the Midwife is great, but I haven’t tried it yet. Since I already watched Downton and everyone else is talking all about it, I’m in a bit of withdrawal.

  15. Hugs to Noah, sick kids can be stressful….send him to grandma’s for a day! I’m a mom of 2 grown children both married. Our daughter has 2 kids…the loves of my life! Didn’t have my parents around when my kids were little so I try to be very available and do watch my grandchildren two days a week. I love to DIY…in construction I think that is sorta a weird quirk. Currently remodeling our son’s home room by room. My husband and I live in Michigan, we’ve been married for 25 years. If you haven’t been to Michigan the lakes are beautiful whether inland or the Great Lakes. I’d blog about work….sometimes people can do the absolute dumbest things I work in the veterinary field so client confidentiality is important. Don’t get a pet if you can’t afford it, plan on a minmum expense of $1 a day a year for good quality care. NO that doesn’t include the food etc. My earliest childhood memory…my dad nailed my pants to the steps! Our second story was down to the joist, he didn’t want me get hurt. I remember telling him I had to go potty. Needless to say he wasn’t fast enough! My dad has been gone for 4 years now, that made my day just thinking about that.

    Thank you for your time Rachel, your post are funny and uplifting!

  16. I’m not answering your questions because my brain is zapped too, but I would like to point out that now that you bring it up – I WOULD like to read a tragedy a la Shakespeare (think “out out damned spot”) one day. It would make a fantastic switcheroo.

  17. I’m sorry Noah has been so sick, I hope he feels better soon! I’ve commented once or twice before and I enjoy following you on Twitter, but I’ll share a bit more..
    1. I’ve been married for almost 19 years to Jason, and we married six months to the day after we met. We have 3 kids.. Clay is 17, Shelby is 14 and Emma is 10.
    2. I live in South Carolina and there is no question that if you visit South Carolina, you must visit Charleston. The most interesting place I’ve lived is Anchorage, Alaska. Jason was stationed there for the first 8 years of his Air Force career.
    3. I would definitely blog about all my family (mom, dad, siblings and in-laws).. There’s enough stuff there for multiple daily posts!
    4. My earliest childhood memory.. Maybe 5-ish when we moved into the house I grew up in and my parents are still in.
    This was fun, thanks for being interested in your readers!

    1. I haven’t been to Michigan since I was a kid, but I would love to come one winter, just to get to experience a real snow!

      I wish I loved DIY anything, let alone construction!! I can’t work up enough courage to do much of anything around here.

      A Vet blog would be entertaining, horrifying, and probably sad all at once!

      That’s awesome about getting nailed to the steps!! I love it.

    2. We LOVE Charleston!! I have a very good friend there, and don’t go to visit her nearly as much as I would if they would but a dang direct flight between Birmingham and Charleston. How is that too much to ask??

      My parents want to go to Alaska, but I’m not sure if I could take the temperature. It would have to be at the perfect time of the year!

  18. Since you know the basics about me I’ll start in the middle:

    The most interesting place I’ve ever visited is the US Virgin Islands & BVI. My senior year of HS I went on a private yacht with a friend & we spent the week in the carribean. It was a dream & I’d LOVE to go back!!!

    I would totally write about my in-laws. Mostly my MIL. Seriously…maybe I’ll write up “posts” an privately email them to people because WOW!

    We’re still praying for Noah. Is there anything more sad than a sick child?!

  19. I love reading your blog so I guess it’s my duty to complete this “assignment” :)

    We live in Michigan where it was 60 degrees this weekend and 30 today. YUCK! My husband and I have been married almost 10 years and I am a SAHM of 2 girls. I was a Civil Engineer until I got laid off. Now I volunteer at schools and do “mom” stuff :) I also do karate and kickboxing and love both more than I thought I would. I could totally blog about my crazy family but it would have to be anonymously!

    1. Yes, I think we’d all have awesome stories about our family! I’ve said for years that it would be fun to create an anonymous blog for anyone to post on about their family. But I wouldn’t want to be responsible for it!

      Our weather flip-flopped, too – 70 yesterday, 40 and RAINING today. Ick.

  20. Hmmm, about me. Well, the weird part is that I’m the girliest girl ever, and I have FIVE boys. :) Yes I wanted a daughter. But I got nieces! I’m the awesomest auntie ever. :)

    I was in publishing for years and years before my boys came along, so I still freelance when I have time. A friend and I started a Christian women’s magazine in our area about two years ago, and I finally got back to writing more. Too many years of fixing everyone else’s stuff! lol I like to blog, but it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to squeeze in everything I want to do. :(

    My earliest memory is when my brother was born. A couple of days after my mom brought him home, I asked her when he was leaving. lol She said, “But you prayed for a brother!??! Aren’t you excited that he’s here??!” I said, “Yeah, well I prayed for an OLDER brother! This baby is no fun at all. Send him back and order a bigger kid!” lol Sadly, she kept him. ;)

    1. Ha! Ali totally wants an older sister. She’s heard of adoption, though, so she’s got it all figured out as to exactly how I am to procure her an older sister.

      My condolences regarding your own baby brother issue.

  21. 1. Tell me about yourself. Family, kids, weird quirks – whatever you would like for me to add to my mental folder with your name on it.

    I have 9 younger siblings but was an only child until I was 20 years old. Mom is a foster and adoptive parent and Dad gained grown children through re-marriage.

    2. What state do you live in? If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first? And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived?

    Kentucky. There isn’t just one thing that defines the state, or even my city… Louisville and Lexington are both known for horse racing, so that might be a good first thing to go do, but I’ve only been once. I have only ever lived in Kentucky, but I love to travel. The most interesting place was probably Japan, because it is just so very different from anywhere in the US!

    3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it?

    I would love to blog about my siblings, but I don’t because their identities need to be protected. Someday I’ll blog about my own kids, because kids are freaking hilarious!

    4. What is your earliest childhood memory?

    My earliest memory is going to see Baby Shamu at Sea World in Orlando around my 4th birthday :)

    1. Nine younger siblings?? That’s quite a switch for an only child! You could write a post about adapting to that, for sure! I would love to go to Japan, too – it would be so fascinating.

  22. I think it’s hilarious that you think I can remember all those questions without scrolling up repeatedly to re-read them.

  23. That poor Noah! I sure hope he is better very very soon. Here’s a good ol’ “Bless his sweet little itty bitty heart!” :)

    Ok, I have read your blog now for over 2 years and in that time I don’t think I have missed a post and I have probably read just about all the ones you wrote prior to my following you. You have such a great writing style that is both easy and enjoyable to read. I heard about your blog from a friend (also a reader) who mentioned that you and I were expecting at the same time. As it turns out, my oldest son is 4 days older than yours – how fun! I really enjoyed following your pregnancy and hearing all about sweet Ali and her adventures and I still do now with Noah added to the equation.

    1. I think you know that I now have two sweetie pie boys (Landon & Carter), now 2 and 7.5 weeks old. I am starting the newest adventure of my life with being a SAHM after working for the first 5 years of our marriage. I haven’t quite figured out what to do with myself at home yet, still on survival mode with very little sleep, but I love seeing the ways that you teach Ali and hope to develop more of a school-ish routine with Landon since he is a sponge and loves learning. I am also toying with the idea of homeschooling… who knows! My most recent adventure was waking up this morning to Landon screaming my name FROM THE GARAGE. After Carter and I got back to sleep from his 6 a.m. feeding, Landon did the following: woke up, broke down the baby gate, came downstairs, opened (the kid-proof lid) and emptied my bottle of ibuprofen liqui-gels and then went out our garage door and got stuck out there. Thank goodness he didn’t eat the entire bottle of pills (not even sure if he really ate any at all- after calling poison control, I found what I believe to be most of them down inside the recliner) and thankfully he wasn’t in the garage long enough to freeze (AAAAHHHHHH). I discovered all of this all while carrying Carter in my arms. Nothing like a good adrenaline jump-start to your day!

    2. I live in Tennessee and think that visitors should see the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains via a good hike before doing any of the other fun things. Most interesting place I’ve visited was Glasgow Scotland on a mission trip in college. What a gorgeous place and sweet people, not to mention their super-dee-duper accents! And yes, I ate Haggis! And LOTS and LOTS of meat pies… everything is in pie-form there.

    3. Oh man, I would blog about my adventures at my previous job (high school secretary in a private school), or my in-laws. Either would be quite interesting.

    4. I remember laying over in my great grandmother’s lap while my mom drove through a drive-thru car wash. They scared me to death. She died when I was barely two, so I suppose it was a VERY early memory, but it was so vivid. I also remember her funeral. Really happy I have that to hold on to.

    1. Oh my goodness! You poor thing. I am NOT looking forward to Noah doing something like that – Ali had a “pill episode,” but never left the house. And both in one morning?? He must have slept good last night!!

  24. Sick babes are no fun! Hope he feels better soon!

    A little about me…

    1. I’ve been happily married for 5 years. I’m a stay at home mom. My son was born at 28 weeks, so we lived in the NICU for 60 days. Thankfully, he has had no health issues or developmental delays. He is my perfect little 18 month old, it is a blast to watch him grow and thrive.

    2. I live in Oregon, more specifically Portland. It is a great place to live. One hour to the coast, one hour to the mountain. The weather is very mild; winters aren’t too cold, summers aren’t too hot. The Columbia River Gorge is magnificent, it is hard to imagine a prettier site.

    3. I currently blog, and unfortunately, I don’t have much of a filter. If I feel like talking about someone or something, I just do it.

    4. Some of my first childhood memories involve my grandparents property in Hawaii. My sister and I would run around picking plumerias and catching lizards.

    1. I’m so glad your son is fine now! My nephew was born at 32 weeks, and I remember how traumatic that was. I can’t imagine 28 weeks! And how awesome to have gotten to grow up visiting Hawaii – I would love that!

  25. Poor Noah! Sick kids aren’t fun at all :(

    I’m a Montana girl, born and bred. Live in what people who don’t live here call the “boom” (referring to the oil of course). Most of the people in my small community hate the influx of outsiders and roughnecks that the oil has brought but I appreciate the oil, my husband works in it. That being said, my husband works, ALOT, so thankfully I have a very flexible job that allows me to take time off when he isn’t working so I actually get to see him.

    I have 8 nieces and nephews, no kids for us yet (I want our house built first), but we do have 3 dogs and 1 cat. For the past two years I have gotten a puppy each April. It’s kind of like women who have a baby and when it starts to get big they want another. I shamefully admitted to my hubby I had been looking at puppies on the internet the other day (though I really don’t have any intention of getting another). He worries that I will be the same way with children. I don’t blame him, I probably will be!

    Nothing else very interesting about me. I love reading your blog, always gives me a good chuckle!

    1. I think Montana would be a beautiful place to visit – I’m an Anthony Bourdain junkie, and one of my favorite US episodes was in Montana. It looked beautiful!

      Happy Puppy searching!!

  26. You asked for quirks, so here goes:

    The sound of people chewing makes me want to pull my hair out and run from the room screaming. Naturally my family loves this about me.

  27. Oh, Rachel. My 14 month-old is a teething, inquisitive rascal who has been up at all hours for the past week. So I am not so much with the program. But I love to read about your kids.

    I’ve undertaken a 365 project this year, and it’s been challenging to get into the habit. I gotta say, though, that I love documenting my life so much. I needed a thump on the backside to get me into blogging regularly, and this has done it swimmingly!

    If you ever have a chance, you should visit the Oregon coast. It’s where I grew up, and it’s simply gorgeous. A place called Otter Point is my favorite, a place that is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been. It’s a small sandstone peninsula that juts into the ocean a few hundred feet, covered in trails, beach grass, and humongous sea rocks. I love to go to the very tip and watch the waves crash around me when it’s high tide, or soak up the serenity of the calm sea when it’s low tide.

    For eats, stop by The Crazy Norwegian’s in Port Orford for fish and chips. Best there is. Then take a jet boat tour on the Rogue River (setting out from Gold Beach, the mouth). They have 60-120 mile tours that take a half day or a whole day. There are restaurants upriver that you can buy lunch/dinner at, and the experience is spectacular. Wildlife, canyons, rapids, and a screaming good time for kids and adults alike.

    Visit! Find a B&B to make it romantic.

    1. That sounds amazing!! I would love to visit Oregon and Washington. As far north as I’ve made it on the Pacific Coast is San Francisco, so there’s much exploring to be done!

      Here’s to getting some sleep soon!!

  28. 1. I am married and do not have children but love reading your blog. My father was in the military so I grew up moving around a lot. Since my father, and every other kids father, was underway most of the time our moms became like sisters and we became cousins, I always fell in the older cousin category… I grew up with A LOT of cousins. It was always crazy.
    My quirk…I have to many. I do have pet peeve I’ll share. It coinsides with your jean blog. Proper underwear! Your thong should not hangout or worse plumber crack. A bra shouldn’t create back rolls…the girls shouldnt be two inches from your chin. There is a bra out there for everyone. Please find it. My husband rolls his eyes at me. I dont think he gets you can’t just buy your size.

    2. After moving around so much as a child my husband and I settled in the Live Free Or Die State. Yep, you have followers in New Hampshire! Impressed aren’t you?! It is a great state though if you love the great outdoors, seeing that is really all we have beside no state income tax. I far from perfected snowboarding. Tubing is more my style.

    3. If I were to blog it would be about my adventures with my husband. Nothing NOTHING ever goes right. We do make the best of them though.

    4. Earliest memory was singing chicken soup with rice on the way back from preschool. Apparently, I sang it everyday. I actually still remember the words!

    1. Have you seen the new Bra Fitting show on Lifetime? It’s called Double Divas, and it takes place in Atlanta. I agree that everyone needs to find the perfect bra, but maybe NOT on National Television. HOWEVER, I will admit that I did watch the first episode, but only because they were fitting the Guinness World Record Holder for largest breasts. It was pretty amazing.

      Also, Ali will be happy to know that we know someone in NH! I think that was one of the only states we couldn’t identify with someone when we did our last geography project. So thanks!!

  29. I live in Utah and the first place a visitor should go would be the amazingly beautiful state/national parks–Zions National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park. These parks are so unique and beautiful–truly unlike any other place I’ve been.

    1. I remember driving through Utah at night when I was a kid – the stars were unbelievable!! It was the thickest, brightest sky of stars I have ever seen. I’ll never forget it! We also drove through during the daytime once, and it was really beautiful. I’d love to come again sometime!

  30. Ahh, there we go, it was acting weird earlier.

    Let’s see. I’m almost 32, have been married for five years, no kids. I got to your blog via my friend Helena, who retweeted your jeans post, and then I started following you. I’m a Mennonite pastor’s kid, I love all things Pixar, and I’m a Fragile X Syndrome carrier. How’s that for random? As for quirks, I’m a writer and editor, so I tend to notice grammar mistakes and rewrite sentences in my head a lot. I really try not to inflict it on poor unsuspecting folks, though.

    I now live in the Chicago suburbs, and I feel like Chicago has been done to death by tourists, but the lakefront is quite lovely and so is Millennium Park.

    I’ve lived in Philly, NYC (for a semester), various points in Indiana, Kentucky, and now Illinois. They all have something different to offer. I love Philly, but for people who like a quieter pace, northern Indiana has a lot to offer, from cute college towns to Amish country to the lakeshore.

    My earliest memory is when I was roughly 2 1/2, just hanging out in my crib waiting for someone to notice I was awake. I remember the painted clowns on my crib and the water-stained rose wallpaper clearly.

    1. I had to Google Fragile X Syndrome – interesting!

      And I profusely apologize for all of my sentences you’ve had to rewrite in your head! I do it all the time, too.

      1. Heh, no worries, I try to curtail it when I’m not getting paid :P

        I feel like I could blog about FXS, but I’m not really “in the loop” about research and stuff like my dad is. And my affected brother is older than me and lives in the next state, and chances are we won’t have kids (in part because of the FXS)… there are several parents-of-FXS-kids blogs out there, though.

  31. Hi Rachel, dont even remeber how i found your blog. I really enjoy it though
    you have a knack with words. Hope your little boy is feeling better.
    I am 47 yrs old been married 30 yrs., I was 17 and my husband was 18 when we hitched. 3kids from 29 yrs old to 14 yrs. old. just became a glamma to an awesome baby boy. love, love, love, him! i live in upstate NY. We enjoy camping and hiking, bike riding, mostly anything out doors except skiing, not coordinated enough!

  32. I have religiously read every post you write for almost a whole year. Your posts make me laugh and sometimes I talk about you to my family and friends as if you were a close friend. If I think about it I feel like a creeper, but then I get over it.

    I have a very big family and we have lots of fun together. I am getting married in April and really look forward to starting a family of my own. Some weird quirks? I am a clean freak and it drives me crazy when things are placed or hanging crookedly. Even though I have a need for order I love kids and the chaos they can bring. I work at an elementary school and love (nearly) every minute of it.

    I live near Salt Lake City, Utah. The biggest thing in Utah this time of year is the snow. For the past few days it has dumped tons of powder. The big ski resorts up here got almost 4 feet of snow. However, I wouldn’t suggest visiting Utah right now unless you enjoy frigid air temperatures – the high today is 15. So cold!

    I have actually considered blogging before but my life isn’t interesting enough to blog about. Perhaps it’ll be more eventful when I start having children.

    My earliest childhood memory is looking at books with my mom and being frustrated that I couldn’t read it myself.

    1. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Is wedding planning totally stressing you out, or are you enjoying it? I hated it, but then again, I got married before Pinterest. I don’t know if that would make it more fun or just add more pressure!

  33. I’ve never lived in a state! In fact, the only place I’ve visited that has states (that I know of) is Australia. I lived near a city in New Zealand most of my life (first off in the country, then in various suburbs) and now I live in a smallish English city.

    Most interesting place I’ve visited – Krakow, Poland last year. An excellent holiday destination – cheap, safe, tons of pretty history (I ignored the WWII stuff), great food (rib-sticking things like stews, duck, dumplings and lovely pastries) and shopping, enough people speaking English, horse and trap rides, bars with 100s of flavours of cheap and delicious flavoured vodka :) .

    I hope you’re all back to routine very soon and you manage to get some r n r after your stressful time.

  34. Don’t make me stop lurking! I think I have a generally lighthearted personality, so the prospect of being a ‘lurker’ makes me feel so multifaceted and fascinating! ;)

    1. You have my permission to continue with your lurking tendencies. I’m sure you are quite deserving in the multifaceted and fascinating label!

  35. K. It’s a first comment for me. I enjoy my lurking :)
    I am in mommy mode full time with ages 8,7,6,5, and 4. Didn’t do it all by myself, though. We adopted the four youngest as a sibling group two years ago after a year of foster care. This is my first year home-schooling. I LOVED how you taught Ali division through party planning-but I actually found you through your mom-butt posts. I needed guidance. Something weird about me is that I used to be a phlebotomist and I am always checking out people’s veins. It’s rather unconscious, but then I realize I’m doing it and think CREEPY!

    I live in Utah. I can’t choose a first spot. I think if Utah had an ocean, it would be the perfect playground. I’d visit Arches, Zions Nat’l Park, Timpanogos caves, salt flats, sand dunes, Bryce canyon, Great Salt Lake, and Park city. It really is great for anything outdoors.

    I would blog about my kids! I have a straggling little blog that I haven’t written on because I’m not sure how much I should put out there of our struggles to bond as a family, issues with attachment, special needs etc. I would like to share with those that are considering adoption, but I also don’t want my kids to grow up and be upset that I have shared hard aspects of their lives with the world. Still figuring out what is appropriate.

    My earliest childhood memory is of myself living in Wyoming on a very small farm in the middle of nowhere. I had an old tire that I lined with straw and put some rocks in and …voila! A chicken nest. What fun I had just sitting on my eggs…all day long……..sitting… Yeah. There’s not a lot to do in Wyoming.

    1. You have my permission to go back to lurking – I totally understand! I just like to say “hey” annually. :-)

      Also – you would adore my veins. I should totally send you pictures. I have never gotten my blood taken where I wasn’t complimented on my fabulous veins. From the way they go on about them, it is apparently my best feature – lucky me!

      You’re very brave to adopt that many at once – I am totally in awe – and homeschooling!! Very cool.

  36. Awww poor Noah. I hope he is feeling better soon. :(

    Let’s see I’ve been coming to visit your blog for a bit now. I think I found something interesting on Pinterest and clicked the link, which brought me to your blog and I’ve been hooked every since. I try to stop by at least once or twice a week if not more to kind of see what you’ve been up too.

    I am a single Mom of a very involved and active 7 year old little girl Ava. She is the light of my life. I think she actual is what keeps me sane most of the time. I have 3 nephews, and 2 nieces, and one soon to be born niece in March. So I am super excited about that. I just started to really pursue my photography career within the last year or so. As for weird quirks hmmmm let’s see it bugs me to no end when someone writes or highlights something in a book or dog ears a page in a book to save their spot. I sat next to a girl in college who wrote in the margins and all over the pages in her book and it drove me crazy. Eventually I had to move seats because I just couldn’t watch her do that anymore. lol

    As for the state I live in, I live in Illinois. If you were to visit here you would see wide open spaces. It is really flat here, cornfields, bean fields. You’d also see factories. We are the home of ADM which their motto is something like “Supermarket to the world”. I live about 2 1/2 hours South of Chicago. 2 1/2 hours North of St. Louis and 2 1/2 hours West of Indianapolis. So there are lots of things to do 2 1/2 hours from me. lol I’ve lived in the same city in Illinois my entire life. The most interesting place I’ve ever visited is NYC.

    The earliest childhood memory I have is when I was around 16-18 months old actually. I was with my Mom and we were going to pick up my sister from our Dad’s apartment. It blew my Mom away that I have this memory from so young because about 5 years ago we were talking and I described his apartment building in detail and how to get to his apartment, the color of the carpet, the stairs, the landing, the side his front door was on. He only lived there a very short while and the last time I saw my dad as a baby/toddler was when I was just shy of turning 2 and had never been in the building as a teenager or an adult.

    1. Wow – that’s amazing that your memory is so early! My husband has one from pretty early, too, but I don’t think that early!

      Congratulations on your upcoming niece! How fun.

  37. 1. Tell me about yourself. 30 y/o living in [the] Boston [area] and working in advertising production. Long distance bf of 3.5 years [CT] and looking to get an apt finally that does not have roommates!

    2. What state do you live in? If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first? And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived? Massachusetts. People should see the beautiful Boston harbor at sunset, and taste our hometown brewed IPA [Harpoon], and some historical stuff too. Most interesting place — Shark Bay, Western Australia

    3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it? the lovely office & co workers I spend more time with than my own bf and family.

    4. What is your earliest childhood memory? Sitting behind the christmas tree [age 3 ish] and pretending it was a car/machine I could drive, and somehow kicking it over and crashing it to the ground.

  38. I’ve been married for almost 4 years and have an almost 5 year old son with the hubby. I also have a 13 year old step son. My 4 year old is a handful, he loves video/computer games, super heroes, and all things boys love. He is stubborn, and independent and drives me nuts! But he is also, sweet and cuddly and melts my heart . My 13 year old is just a sweet kid all around, he doesn’t talk back, how many people can say that about a 13 year old? I love your blog, I’ve tried to read others and they fall short of capturing my attention to visit again. However, you make me laugh out loud, and as long as that happens, I’ll be a dedicated fan.

    I live in Southern California, minutes away from Disneyland. Obviously if you visit you would have to spend big bucks and go to Dland, also, the beaches, and Los Angeles. Truthfully though, I’m over California. Yes, we have nice weather, the beaches and mountains, but I’ve lived here my whole life and don’t find it fascinating anymore. I’ve been to VA and SC and find those states much more intriguing. So much history and such beautiful landscapes. Southern CA is all buildings, and traffic and smog. Not fun.

    I don’t think I would blog about anyone. I’m not a good writer.

    Hmm my first memory, almost drowning. My dad swore it never happened, but my brothers say it did. Also, my memory is so detailed it had to have happened, I think he just felt bad. :(

    1. I think one of my earliest memories is almost drowning, too! My Mom totally admits to it, though. I remember walking into the pool with my brother’s goggles on, thinking they would make me float. They did not.

      We went to San Diego last summer and loved it, but I understand what you mean – there’s something very magical about the old towns on the southeastern coast.

  39. Okay, so I’ve been reading for probably a year now…or maybe less…my sense of time is not so great :-) and I’ve only commented one other time….

    I’ve been married for almost 7 years and am pregnant with my 7th child (1 stillbirth, 2 miscarriages, and 3 munchkins!). Ezra is 4, Abigayle is 2, and Sophia is 10 months… they definitely keep me on my toes!! But we are seldom bored :-)

    I live in a small town in the province of Alberta, in Canada. We just had 3 moose in our backyard this afternoon (which happens semi-regularly in winter – and is fabulous entertainment for the kids…from inside the house!). There’s not much to see up here other than snow right now… and if you were to come and visit at this time of you, you’d probably have to be crazy ;-) The coolest place I’ve ever been is Turkey. My husband did an internship/mission trip for 9 weeks there and I got to tag along.

    My earliest memory is going with my mom to help out at my older sister’s kindergarten class. I must have been about 3 or 4. Nothing too exciting :-)

    1. I would love to have some snow right now, but the temperature that would have to come with it might be rough. But moose would make it all worth it!

      I had a mission trip opportunity to Turkey when I was a teenager, but my Dad didn’t want me to go. Now that I’m a parent, I totally understand! I did get to go to Cyprus on a mission trip, which was also very cool.

  40. 1. Ha! If I went into great detail (as I am apt to do, at times, I’m a rambler! [and now Rambling Man just started playing in my head. I blame you.]) it would take all day. So I’ll stick to the basics – I’m 27, married for five years next Friday, and we have a dog and a cat who we spoil, and a tarantula who…can’t really be spoiled. We treat her well, though. We don’t plan on having kids, so this is our little family. I’m definitely the weird one in the marriage, but that can be traced back to my immediate family, as we are all, collectively, the weird ones. I need to write a book. Needless to say, I have a lot of quirks.

    2. I currently live in Arkansas, Hot Springs to be exact. It’s really beautiful here, and it’s a huge tourist town so there’s lots of stuff to see and do. I would recommend a visit to the Mid America Science Museum, a drive up Hot Springs Mountain and a ride up the mountain tower, and definitely Garvan Gardens (unless it’s the middle of summer.) If you ever come around let me know and we can have a drink or something! The most interesting place I’ve ever been…does Vegas count? My first time there I was trapped there alone with $10 to my name, and I didn’t spend a cent. It’s a long story.

    3. I don’t really have anyone I would blog about, so I’ll take this opportunity to say I hope Noah starts to feel better soon.

    4. When I had just started walking (wobbling) at 10 months old, I used to like to like to pull all the cans out of the cupboard and sit in there in the dark. (Told you I was weird.) One day I was doing it while my brother was babysitting me (i.e. watching tv and letting me fend for myself) and I found a huge spider in there…I kept trying to tell my brother but I couldn’t talk. It was quite frustrating as I remember, because I couldn’t walk that great and I had to keep going back and forth trying to get him to follow me…

    1. You remember something from TEN MONTHS OLD??? You totally get the prize on that one.

      And now I’m psychoanalyzing you to see if that’s why you have a Tarantula now.. in the attempt to capture your infant-fears.

  41. Hi Rachel!

    I have been a lurker for 3-4 months now and absolutely love your blog. I almost always save it for last when going thru my Google reader because I know it will be the best thing I will read all day :)
    So…I’m going to take the plunge and delurk myself….
    1. I’m Kate, 25 years old. My husband and I have been married for a little over 3 years and are pregnant with our first child.
    2. I live in South Carolina…There is a lot to see if you visit, but I definitely recommend Charleston. It is the best (well as long as you visit between the months of October and April…otherwise it’s miserably hot and humid). I’ve visited a lot of interested places. My 2 favorites are probably Montana and Italy.
    3. If I had a blog, the person I would write about if I knew they would never read it would be my husband’s grandmother. Her facebook status updates are hilarious diatribes on all kinds of random topics…
    4. My earliest childhood memory is when I was about 4. My parents were packing up our 1966 pop up camper for a weekend excursion and my 2 year old brother and I were playing outside. I was walking around on the stone border of the garden and my brother just came up behind me and bit me on my back. My mother claims I antagonized him, but as the perfect oldest child, I can not believe that is the reason :)

    OK there is a little bit about me…Thank you so much for sharing your life with the internets! I truly enjoy reading and feel like if I lived in Alabama, we would definitely be real life friends.

    1. You have good taste in cities, because I ADORE Charleston. We’ve been there many times and love the surrounding beaches, too. If we were to ever move anywhere outside of Birmingham (which we aren’t), it would probably be Charleston.

      And yes, I highly enjoy random diatribing Facebook people myself. My dirty little secret is that I sometimes screenshot especially entertaining statuses to find later in my photo stream.

      Congrats on your first baby! Hit me up for any baby questions you have when you get there. And if you fear you are crazy for anything you feel / go through, I promise we’ve all been there too!! :-)

      1. I’m glad you have been to Charleston! It is such a great city.

        I love the idea of taking screenshots of good facebook statuses! Genius! Her 80th birthday is coming up in about a month and I told my husband I would prepare a dramatic reading of her status updates for the occasion :)

        I am sure I will have lots of questions as I get “more” pregnant and especially when the baby is here. Thanks for the encouragement!

        Hope Noah is all the way better and ya’ll are having a great week!

  42. Hi Rachel! I’ve commented once or twice, but I mostly lurk…sorry about that. I hope Noah feels better cause there’s nothing worse than a sick kid. I enjoy reading about your family.
    I’m a 44 year old pediatric oncology nurse, mother of three almost grown girls (ages 23, 20, and 16). I’ve lived in Loganville, Georgia my whole life. My earliest memory would have to be sitting on my knees on my bed watching the cars pass by through the window of our trailer. I was 3.

  43. i’m sorry noah is so very sick. no fun at all. but it looks like you’ve got a ton of comments to keep you a little distracted.
    being from SD, people don’t know where that is. or even that mt rushmore is there. but really, we are in the best part of the state b/c there’s hills and trees. the rest, well, kinda stinks in it’s farming boredom.
    i think it’d be fun to write about my parent’s testimonies, maybe. first thing that came to mind.
    earliest memory? not sure. i distinctly remember going to preschool and not being able to work their safety scissors and thus freaking out and not going back.
    fun fact? i’m working on potty training samuel today. he turns 2 on feb 1 and the baby is due at the end of may. i dislike potty training. we’ll see how long i can keep this up. but really, he’s done well. he’s peed in the potty 3x and only once in his pullup, but it was tiny. and his pullup is leftover from his sister and i don’t care :)

  44. Hi Rachel! I hope Noah feels better soon and that you get a full nights sleep.

    Melanie here. Born and raised in the Midwest, moved to Idaho after college because this boy I really liked asked me to…later he asked me to marry him and I said yes. Next month we will celebrate 19 years of marriage! Two kids, 15 & 12…if we survive the next six-ish years, I will give a big sigh of relief and a shout to the Lord. They are good kids, but the teen years are full of hormones.

    One quirk of mine: I pay attention to license plates. If I think that’s your car heading my way, I will look at the plates to confirm it.

    If you come to Idaho, I’d take you to see Boise, it’s a beautiful city. And the mountains are a must visit. If you are a football fan, then the blue field at BSU :)

    Earliest memory: 4 yrs old at my Grandparents home. Grandma wasn’t there and my mom said she must be at the hospital and I remember thinking why is that the first place she’d say? I didn’t realize it at the time, but my Grandma had cancer and went in for treatment. I was very close to her.

    Thanks for the fun activity today!

  45. Hi Rachel, I guess it’s time to say hello again. Thank you for letting me lurk around here. I so enjoy reading your blog. I think your pretty awesome.
    I am a stay at home mom and homeschool my 4 kids ages 14 to 4. They are awesome and keep me busy. I have been married 16 years to my wonderful husband. We live in Oregon and it is a beautiful state. The coast and the mountains are an hours drive, not that we go to either place often enough. But they are beautiful. We took our kids for four days this fall to camp at the beach and it is one of my best memories.
    I love reading! Wish I could do more of it. I don’t enjoy writing, maybe because I’m shy. If we were all together in real life I would be the one not saying anything listening to everyone else. I have gotten better at speaking up, but I still like listening. :)
    Thanks so much for opening your life up in such a fun and engaging way.
    Stephanie

    1. Oregon does sound beautiful for sure! There are a whole club of you readers in OR and WA – I just need to come up and hop around to your houses. ;-)

  46. Me: 39 year old mother of two boys (one on the autism spectrum) and an early childhood educator. Married to a dreamboat for 19 years. I love reading, writing and running. I would be a dog hoarder if my dreamboat didn’t keep me in check. I want to be a children’s book author and professional blogger. I am in the beginning stages of the blogging thing, th0ugh.
    I live in Texas. You gotta see the Riverwalk and Alamo here in San Antonio. Come during Blue Bonnet season.
    I want to blog about the bully team leader I had two years ago who was the straw that broke the camel’s back and I slipped into a depression. Thank goodness I had my dreamboat to be my rock…but I never got to say the things I want to say to her.
    My earliest memory is at about two years old, washing the car with my dad. He washed the car a lot, and later I would find out that he was using it as an excuse to sneak his beer. It didn’t take away from the special memory, though. I loved my dad and miss him everyday.
    Love the blog, although now I think I may have mom jeans, and this distresses me.
    Peace.

    1. I’ll check out your blog later tonight – I look forward to it!

      I do apologize for any denim distress I’ve caused! And I love your first memory – too funny!

  47. 1. Hey there! I am a mom of 6 kids (4 adopted, 2 birth) from 10-21 years old. Two of my children are Haitian, one is Inupiaq Eskimo and the rest are Caucasian. My husband and I are both HS teachers and live in such a tiny place that all of our children will/do/did have us as their teachers. You are the first and only blogger that I have ever followed, I’ve never commented on your blog before….but I have really come to enjoy your posts and look forward to each new installment!!

    2. What state do you live in? If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first? And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived?

    We live in a remote Alaskan bush village above the Arctic circle. And thanks to many, many, many prayers….you would now see snow if you if you came to visit! Finally! For some reason it has just now started to snow even though the ocean and rivers have been frozen since September/October. Alaska is so diverse that I could never recommend one place to visit….but I could recommend a time….March if you are heading to the far north where we are and August if you are headed farther south!

    Personally I love to travel….I have spent several months in Kenya and have traveled to Haiti many times. Those are probably the two most prevalent non-US locations although I would really love to go to Italy! I am originally from NY and have been all around the US.

    3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it?

    (Okay – don’t answer this one if you think they might read it. You can email me later.)

    Very interesting question….something I love about your blog is your honesty. I would love to blog and be as honest as you are and not have to worry about political correctness. I think living in such a tiny remote location and the nature of my job makes me feel like I have to restrain my thoughts or make sure they come out only after carefully crafting just the right phrase. For this reason….I am also Facebook phobic.

    4. What is your earliest childhood memory? My mom came into my sister and my room with a “new” prayer to say before we go to bed. We had bunk-beds and the prayer was written on some kind of cat paper. The prayer was: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep….” Once I grew up, I found out that this wasn’t so new….or original!!

    And if you’re wondering…..I found you Pinterest. Someone had re-pinned your Mom Jeans post…I read it and was hooked!! Take care!!

    1. I have to tell you – I quite proudly told my husband that I have a reader in the Arctic Circle. How cool is that?? I mean really – you can’t get much more different from Alabama while still being in the United States, can you? But oddly enough, it looks like we’ll get snow tomorrow – and we’re pretty pumped!!

      Thanks for saying hi – if you ever do blog, I’d be fascinated to read!

  48. I’m so sorry to read that your little guy has been so sick. That’s just so sad!

    I think you already know that I live in Seattle, Washington, so I’ll tell you my first childhood memory. I think it was when I was two. I was playing on a slide in my backyard and a loud motorcycle drove by on the street behind my house. I was scared of motorcycles, so I wanted to get in the house as soon as possible and get away from it, so I ran down the slide, then I fell and broke my arm.Weird and random…yes.

    1. It was traumatic, though, and therefore it stuck! Both mine and my husband’s first memories are of injuries, too. That kind of thing doesn’t wash away easily from consciousness. Unless it’s childbirth, and somehow it totally fades – and then smacks you in the face the next time around.

  49. I really hope Noah is on the mend. We’re all down with colds but I have no desire to trade!

    1.  Tell me about yourself. 
    I’m pretty sure I’ve already revealed more than anyone really would want to know since I tend to babble in your comments section rather a lot! Something you might not know about me already: I can ride the unicycle that is currently hanging in our garage. That’s because I briefly attended circus school in Belgium as an enricrnt activity.

    2. What state do you live in?  If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first?  And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived?
    I live in the province of Ontario, though I do a lot of work in Quebec (we live right on the border!) I don’t think I’ve ever lived somewhere with states; too lazy to look up whether Belgium has provinces too but I think so!
    Clearly if you were going to visit Ontario you should visit me in Ottawa first, but Algonquin park / any part of Muskoka is pretty amazing too.

    The most interesting place I’ve ever visited? Tough question! Pangnirtung, Nunavut was quite interesting (I made it to the Arctic circle!) My aunt Mary lives there and she’s one of my favourite people in the whole world. Really liked Takayama in Japan as well though, even if it did involve naked baths with my mom and mother-in-law. Hmm.

    3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it?
    I’d love to blog about work! But I also like being employed…

    4.  What is your earliest childhood memory?
    Not sure if this is my earliest memory but close: My dad making a computer circuit board in our bathtub. Boy did it STINK!

  50. 1. So, I’m 19, not married or engaged and don’t have children… well, unless you count the children I babysit/nanny for.
    Quirks: I hate when people put their feet on the back of my chair. It irks me.
    2. I live in Pasadena and La Mirada, CA (#lyfeofacollegestudent)
    The best place to visit or most interesting… Hawaii, was great, but nothing tops Camp Barnabas. Seriously, in 10 years go let Ali volunteer, I guarantee she will be nothing but a changed lady.
    3. I would blog about my family, the places I have worked and probably the craziest people I have met…
    4. My earliest childhood memory would be when my sister was probably about six months old, so I was about three, I took her into my room and stuck her in my dolly’s highchair and fed her fake chicken. (Yup, I’m a good big sister.)
    Or… the time when I connected my dalmatian’s spots with a highlighter when I was about 2 1/2 and then I put sand and flower petals over them to make them “pretty.” I feel like Noah and I would have gotten along well if we were born at the same time. Speaking of Noah, hope he gets well soon!

  51. I am a 24 year old mama to a hugely chubby, six month old baby, and have often been accused of being born in the wrong century and country. I love British period dramas (I hope that’s the correct term for the genre). Growing up, my mom and I locked ourselves away from the rest of the family every Sunday night to watch Masterpiece Theatre. From Jane Austen to Dowton Abbey, Sherlock to Dickens, I just can’t get enough of my British movies!

    I am a native Arizonan – born and raised. If you ever venture to this great state, rent a boat and go to the lake! We are a boating family and some of my fondest memories are from days at the lake.

    I recently returned from a family vacation to Costa Rica and absolutely loved it! I would go back in a heartbeat (I would even do the five hour plane ride with the baby again). The country is beautiful and the people we met were extremely friendly. We explored the mountains, the beach, and the city so I feel like we got the full Tico experience. Definitely a trip worth taking.

    If I could blog about one thing, it would be school. I’m a junior high teacher and there is a plethora of experiences to blog about. However, I notice that most teachers who post about their jobs end up without one. So… I’ll keep those stories to myself for the time being.

    Best wishes to you and your family!

  52. 1. My name is Heather. I have commened a few times, but I am a regular reader. I have a 2 1/2 year old girl, and I’ve been married for almost 7 years. I am a teacher for at-risk high school students. I think the weirdest thing about me is that I cannot hear Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” without nearly panicking (I turn it off). I had a recurring childhood nightmare, and that song was playing throughout the dream. I feel weird even typing that…

    2. I live in Alabama. You know about our state, but you probably don’t know about Limestone Couny where I live. If somebody visited my county, they should visit during the first weekend of October during the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention. It is so much fun. I’ve only ever lived in Limestone Couny, Alabama. The most inerestesting place I’ve visited was Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home in Missouri. I’m nerdy like that.

    3. If I knew for sure that nobody would ever read it, I would blog very honestly aboutt my job. It’s hard, but there is almost nothing in the world I’d rather do. The one thing I’d rather do is be a stay at home mom. (I knew you’d want to know.)

    4. My earliest childhood memory is the green carpet in the sunroom of a house we lived in for a short while. I just didn’t understand why there was green carpet. It was astroturf on a sunporch. Then, I remember my brother being born. Those things both happened when I was 2.

  53. 1. My Name is Lisa. I’m 25 and married. Listing off my husband and my quirks would take quite a long time so just suffice it to say we’re quirky :-) I’m a graphic/web designer and he is a substitute teacher and also on the job hunt. Oh, also, I’m a first time commenter and I LOVE reading your blog :-D

    2. I live in Grand Rapids, MI. If you were to visit MI I think I would tell you Mackinac Island and the Bridge would be a must-see. But really the whole state is beautiful, and full of great state parks. If I’m not enjoying our many lakes and trees in the good ol’ mitten state, I love visiting Estes Park, CO. We lived in South-Eastern Wyoming for a school year, and we visited Estes Park 3 times while we lived there. Its just so beautiful!

    3. I don’t really think there is just one thing I’m dying to blog about. but if I did have a blog, it would probably include a lot about the crazy clients we have, my husband’s job hunt and his battle with anxiety/depression (he is doing very well at the moment, Praise God!), and my crazy baby fever (we don’t have any children yet, but really want to, and have been trying almost a year)

    4. My earliest memory…lets see…Before I went to pre-school I was in a play group with some neighbor kids, and we all loved Macaroni and Cheese and had it for lunch pretty much every time we got together. There were three of us, and each of us got to put in an ingredient when we made it (from the box) I always did that powdery cheese mix stuff because I was too clumsy for the milk or the butter haha!

    1. It’s been many years since I’ve been to Michigan, and then it was mainly to Detroit. I’ve heard the Lakes Area is just beautiful.

      It took us a while to get pregnant with both of ours, too (2 years for Ali and a year for Noah) so I can totally relate to that crazy baby fever!! I hope y’all are successful very soon – and be sure to let me know!

  54. 1. Tell me about yourself. Family, kids, weird quirks – whatever you would like for me to add to my mental folder with your name on it.

    I grew up with one brother & when I was 32 I found out I had another sister that was placed for adoption when she was born. Kind of like living a Karen Kingsbury book in real life. :-) So, overnight my daughter & my son ( who I was 9 months pregnant with) went from being the only grandchildren to being Grandchildren number 7 & 8. Kind of weird.

    I’ve been married for 9 years & we’ve lived overseas for 8 of those. I have no idea what it’s like to deliver children in America nor have I ever raised any of my kiddos in America.

    2. What state do you live in? If someone were to visit your state, what should they see first? And what’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or lived?

    I live in Ethiopia, but I call Texas home in the States. If you ever visit Ethiopia, you should definitely visit Lalibela!!

    3. Who or what would you most love to blog about if you knew that they’d never read it?
    I’d love to blog about the Fulani family I lived with in Niger for 2 years. They were AWESOME, had some CRAZY cultural rules and they always kept me entertained.

    (Okay – don’t answer this one if you think they might read it. You can email me later.)

    4. What is your earliest childhood memory?

    Hmmmm, I think it was my Dad swinging me in a swing at the park just before the Adoption Agency brought my Brother to our house.

    1. I bet that wasn’t an easy adjustment for your kids – the whole “bumped down on the grandchild list” thing – That would make for a good story! And I have friends headed to Ethiopia at the end of this week to bring home twins that they’re adopting!

  55. So I’m a little late the the party, but that’s okay, right? :)

    I’m married with one daughter currently. She’s 3 and oh so entertaining. We currently live in Colorado, and I completely agree with an above commenter about Estes Park. It’s gorgeous. Not only is it in the mountains, but it’s just a cute, small town. They also have a hotel type place, but instead of staying in a room, you stay in a log cabin. I want to do that one day, but when we only live 45 minutes away, we generally just come back home after a trip. In the last 5 years, I have lived here in Colorado, in Montreal Canada and in San Antonio Texas. Each place has it’s features, but I love Colorado the most. It’s just so beautiful and everyone is really friendly.
    I don’t know what my earliest childhood memory is, but one that stands out the most is a birthday sleepover I tried to have. Only my cousin showed up and after my parents went to bed, we decided it was time for the birthday cake. While lighting the candles, we dripped wax all over the cake, but decided it was still good and ate it anyway. I’m not sure why my parents had matches somewhere I could get to them, but at least we didn’t burn the house down!
    If I could blog about anything, it would be my current pregnancy. Anytime something interesting happens, I want to post about it, but we haven’t announced that I’m pregnant to a lot of people yet, so I can’t say anything. We want to wait until the 20 weeks ultrasound and I have 3 weeks to go!

    By the way, I thought croup was scary for my little one (waking up in the middle of the night hardly being able to breathe), so I can’t imagine croup and RSV. Poor Noah (and you guys!). I hope he feels better!!

    1. Congratulations on your upcoming baby! I am impressed you have been able to keep it a secret – I am not that talented.

      And Noah is officially all better, thank goodness!! It was a rough week and a half.

  56. Hello, my name is Nilce I’m married and we are trying for our first baby this year, what is quite terrifying. I’m from Brazil, I live in a town in the Amazon forest to be more specific. I suppose the forest is what people would think most interesting about my city. It’s a good place to live, it is called the “mango tree city” because there are many mango trees in the main streets. What is quite a sight! If you want to check it out you can google: “belem cidade das mangueiras” and you will find some pictures. I think the most interesting place I’ve visited so far was Rio de Janeiro, probably because I was not expecting to like it as I’m not a beach loving kind of person, but in reality the city is breathtaking and one can only imagine why the Portuguese did all they could to establish a city there. In terms of natural beauty it really deserves the fame it has. As for blogging I think the only thing I would like to talk about is food as I love cooking, not very exciting. To wrap it up my earliest childhood memory is my mother setting the table for us to have lunch. That is it, bye.

    1. Your town is beautiful! That tree-lined street is amazing. I’ve always been fascinated by the Amazon Forest region, because I’ve also always been interested in Anacondas. I’m sure most of it is legend, but to see a snake that big would be a memorable moment for sure! But it looks like your city is pretty big, so I’m assuming you don’t have Anacondas slithering down the street or anything. :-)

      Best of luck with your first baby, and my personal opinion is that people who are terrified are the best off, because they’re the ones that are pleasantly surprised. I, on the other had, had these perfect visions of ideal motherhood. My first baby’s infanthood was not easy, as a result. I’m sure you’ll do great!

  57. 1. Qoumidan is meant to sound like Coumadin and I started using it as my internet name after a World of Warcraft character of mine.
    2. Washington state. Go hike Mount St. Helens. It’s a relatively easy hike for the inexperienced but you still get to go to the top of a volcano. I was born during one of the secondary 1980 eruptions and my dad got the day off bc of all the ash. I’ve always lived on Washington. The most interesting place I’ve visited is Yellowstone park.
    4. My first memory is a baby crawling down a hallway in a hospital where my oldest sister was getting her appendix removed. I think the baby was my younger sister. My older sister got ice cream after and I don’t think I did: (

    1. My brother got his adenoids out and I didn’t – I was totally jealous of his ice cream diet, too. I wonder if that is one of my earliest memories…I’ll have to ask my Mom.

  58. Hi Rachel,

    I found your blog via some pin about jeans -go figure! But have stayed and followed for awhile now. I am a SAH mom with 3 kids and recently began homeschooling! We currently live in Arizona. Hope your family gets well soon- my family has been passing around various colds/illnesses since Christmas day….that’s right 22 day straight of SICK! Love your blog,
    sarah

    1. Twenty two days??? Oh I am SO sorry – I feel your pain! I feel like we started catching stuff in October and have had a steady stream of illnesses (with a few breaks) since. Perhaps we should reconsider our kid’s rare bathing schedule…

  59. Wow, I think it’s been two years since I officially delurked (is that a word??) but I’ll play your game today =) I’m almost 29, an only child, married to another only child which means our 15 month old son will never have aunts/uncles/cousins BUT will be infinitely spoiled by our parents. We only have the one so far and I have this weird feeling that when we try for #2, we’ll get twins. There’s no reason to think that (twins don’t run in either family) but it’s just this weird premonition I have. And I don’t think it’s what I’m secretly hoping for because I’ve always said I just want 2 kids and if I got twins next, I would want to have another to balance things out giving us 4 kids which is definitely not two!
    I grew up near Athens, Georgia, surrounded by family, literally living in the middle of my great-grandfather’s farm surrounded by great-aunts/uncles. I went to the same public school system K-12 which made me want to fly the coop and go out of state to college. So I did. I went to Samford (in B’ham like you are!) and loved it. After graduating I moved back to GA and worked at the University of Georgia until I moved to Portland, Oregon (home for now) after I met my husband at mutual friends’ wedding (He was the “best man” after all; although the bride had been trying to set me up with a different groomsman, oops!) If you come to Oregon, I would probably insist you go to the coast. We go several times a year since it’s only 1.5 hours away. Mt Hood is also wonderful and the waterfront park in Portland has fun activities/festivals like the Rose Festival (Portland is the City of Roses) that are fun. We did drive across country the year after we got married so I’ve seen a variety, although mostly interstates, and would probably still pick the South as my favorite spot. But I think I’m turning into more of a Pacific Northwestern-er…it’s a very odd feeling. I have never left the country but have a gorgeous black and white canvas of Venice and hope to one day go there =)
    I do blog…ok, I did. Then I had a baby and I haven’t gotten back into it like I want to. We started a travel blog and I think I’m going to revisit that soon.
    I’m not sure what exactly is my earliest memory but I remember playing with my grandpa’s walker and pretending it was an elevator (the height adjustment buttons at the bottom of the legs were the floor buttons) and he died before I turned 4 so it’s sometime before that. The rest I’m not sure if I actually remember it or I’ve seen pictures and heard stories so much that it’s like a memory.
    I hope Noah’s feeling better and life gets “normal” for you soon!

    1. I’ve never thought about how small a family must be if two only children marry each other! Fascinating. Which brings me to the rabbit trail of wondering if only children are more attracted to each other… hm. I bet you could make a spreadsheet on that.

  60. Well, I’m a wife, mother, and pharmacist. Not always in that order. My kids are 4, 3, and 2. I’ll wait while your eyebrows come back down. I work nights, and my husband is practically a stay-at-home dad. We love it. I’m a Catholic who was raised Methodist. And I seriously wake up every day excited that I get to be a pharmacist. I know, total nerd.

    I live in Indiana. We have the best children’s museum in the world. Seriously. There’s really not much to see in Indiana… Come to Indiana; be amazed by the affordable housing prices! Marvel at the proximity to Chicago! One thing I really do love is that we have 4 true seasons, and fall is gorgeous. The most interesting place I’ve ever lived is Boston.

    I would totally blog about that guy who plays Hook on Once Upon A Time. Um, wow. I should just go ahead and do that though, b/c he’ll never see it. =)

    My earliest memory is of waking up in my crib in our first house. That house burned down when I was 3.5, but I could still draw you an exact layout, complete with where all the furniture was. It’s a sharp reminder of just how much my kids are likely to remember of me right now… =/

    And apparently I share my birthday with National Delurking Day. =)

      1. No story, just find him *really* good looking. That whole dark hair – blue eyes thing really does it for me (see also: my husband). =)

  61. HI! I visit a few times a month because I think you are funny and that we could get along. But I have never commented before. My husband is a med student and I stay at home with my 3 kids (ages 6, 4, 1). I blog, too, and spend entirely too much time on the computer instead of cleaning my house. I live in Vermont. Vermont is beautiful from May until all the leaves fall off the trees, and then it is beautiful again when it snows a nice thick blanket of snow. But it is cloudy a lot, and I don’t love that. We do have so many fun things to do in the summer and fall: beaches, a cool farm, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, pumpkin patches and apple orchards and farmer’s market. It is awesome. We also have amazing maple syrup. I grew up in Idaho, which I love more the longer I am away from it. I don’t know who I would blog about if they didn’t read it. Maybe an ex boyfriend from college, but that might be awkward if he did actually read it. My earliest memory is me as a 3 year old insisting to my mother and my 5 older siblings that my soon-to-born youngest sibling was a girl and her name was supposed to be Cindy. And it was a girl and my mom named her Cindy.

    1. Hi Erin – nice to meet you! That’s so fun about your sister. Did your Mom also want to name her that, or did she actually take your advice?

      1. My mom thought they would name her Alana if it was a girl, but after having 6 girls in a row, they were hoping for another boy. (I have only 1 brother and 7 sisters).

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