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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Survey Answers--Kristy's Turn

Gosh, it's going to be tough to follow Holly's post, but I'll try...

Favorite childhood vacation: Our first trip to Florida was great, though getting pooped on by a seagull was not my most memorable time. I loved going to Disney, though, and trying to "surf" (boogie board) the waves.

Favorite childhood TV show: Little House on the Prairie. I think I've seen every episode and believe all children should have to watch it. I am not a crier but will will bawl like a baby during certain episodes.

Most memorable fight: Probably when my friend Natalie and I got into it at the bus stop and I kicked her in the shin with my Eastlands. I got in huge trouble for that!

Something that you thought in childhood you'd have as an adult, but you don't: A recording contract and a job as a leading lady on a daytime drama!! Seriously, I really thought I was destined to be a star. Then I realized you have to have a little thing called talent...or at least be an heiress like Paris Hilton.

Something you never thought you'd do, but now you have: Attend an NFL football game...and love it! I used to DESPISE football and never watched a game until college. Joel finally took me to a Colts game and explained every play to me. I seriously was always so annoyed in high school that someone would run with the ball and not get very far, then they'd take more time setting back up. Then it seemed like they would repeat this a million times during the possession. It seriously frustrated me to no end. Once Joel explained the first down, second down, etc., it all made so much sense! Now I would have to say that football is one of my favorite sports. Who knew?!?!

Something you were scared of in childhood, but now you aren't: I'm still scared of everything!! I was just telling my class the other day about my phobias. I guess the one I've outgrown the most is my fear of storms and bad weather. I used to fake being sick if the weather forecasters said we'd have severe thunderstorms with the threat of tornadoes.

Best childhood game: I'm with Holly on the tie between "Life" and "Mall Madness." We used to play each one for hours on end!

Best childhood toy: My Nintendo game system. We had so much fun staying up late playing Super Mario Brothers.

Best song from the 80's: Boy, there are tons that I could choose! My favorite ballads are "Africa" by Toto and "Lights" by Journey. My favorite songs that put me in a good mood are "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince and anything by Bon Jovi.

How many kids you wanted then? Now? I really thought I was going to have 12 and if not 12, at LEAST 6. Now I think we're done with 2. I'm so disappointed in myself.

Any scars? One by my eye. My friend's boyfriend was doing the drive and stop; drive and stop while I was running to catch up with the car. My friend reached back and flung the door open and when her boyfriend stopped the car, the door came back and hit me in the eye and knocked me out. Luckily I only needed the butterfly stitches.

Three words to describe Holly: Spontaneous, hilarious, and generous

Three words to describe Kelly: Compassionate, thoughtful, and intelligent

Best lie/prank you ever told/pulled: I can't really think of anything...isn't that sad? I'm not saying I never lied--just can't think of something.

What you love most about having a sister: I love having friends that I can call regardless of the time of day. I know they'll always be there for me and have to love me unconditionally, so I can really let my guard down around them. (Maybe sometimes too much!)

What you like about your personality, and what you'd change: I like that I'm approachable and people can open up to me. Sometimes I talk too much when I really should be listening.

One thing your sisters might not know about you: Mom and Dad told me I'm the favorite. Sorry, girls! (I'm totally kidding, by the way. Don't want to start any sibling rivalry.) Oh my...My life is an open book, so they have to know just about everything!!

Great survey, Holly! Did you make up these questions?

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Sordid Survey. Just kidding. Kind of.

Okay....so, I know this is v. cheesy, but sometimes I love these cheesy things. (Plus I loved doing this while I was at work). You know how sometimes you get those e-mail surveys from someone you THINK you know well? Like...say...your father? And you find out something that completely shocks you? Like...say...he's not wearing any underwear? Yeah. Well, girls, I hope YOU are wearing your underwear. But there are a few things we might find out that we didn't know before. Feel free to add any extra questions of your own. But remember, this is a FAMILY friendly blog. And pleeeease do it so I have something to read at work. :-)

Favorite childhood vacation: Our first trip to Florida. I was in the 3rd grade, which at the time seemed so old to be seeing the ocean for the first time! I love that I can still remember the excitement of it all. I had no fears of the ocean at the time, and we boogie boarded our little hearts out. Plus, that was the time (I think) Kristy got pooped on by a bird at the beach.

Favorite childhood TV show: Little House on the Prairie. I blame my high sensitivity level on that show.

Most memorable fight: Definitely when Kristy called me out in the parking lot in High School. I LOVE retelling that story in person. Kristy loves it when I do that, too.

Something that you thought in childhood you'd have as an adult, but you don't: A job I love! Ha! That and a Mercedes or BMW. Remember "MASH" and "MATH"? I always had a "Ferrari" or "BMW" or something. I'm happy with my Honda, thank you very much.

Something you never thought you'd do, but now you have: Run a full marathon. I always thought those people were NUTS.

Something you were scared of in childhood, but now you aren't: Spending the night away from home. Seriously. I had SERIOUS homesickness issues! My kids will be spending the night at various relatives the week I'm home from the hospital.

Best childhood game: Tie between "Life" and "Mall Madness". I was always pissed if I didn't get at least 2 kids in "Life!" And I still want to open a store called "The Fashion Bou-tique."

Best childhood toy: All of my baby dolls. I seriously loved playing house until I was way old...like 5th grade or something! Weird, I know. Nowadays, kids that age don't just PLAY house, they....well, you know.

Best song from the 80's: This is obviously very hard, as there are MANY great songs from that lovely decade. I would have to say Belinda Carlisle, Tiffany and the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack bring back some great memories, but I will never forget dancing to "Ghost Buster" (we changed it to "Dust Buster") and "Michael Jackson" (Thriller) on our RECORD player.

How many kids you wanted then? Now? Um, 12-18. I had a friend who had 15 siblings, and it looked crazy/fun (not Crazy/Beautiful). Now, I probably could only afford one, but I'd love 3 or 4.

Any scars? It's kind of gone away, but I did have one on my forehead. My cousin was lifting a dumbbell (10-20 pounds?) and dropped it on my head when I was 4. I remember it hurting SO badly, but then my parents took me to Hardee's when I got out of the hospital and bought me a Pound Puppy. And all was right with the world again.

Three words to describe Kristy: Positive, selfless, and hilarious

Three words to describe Kelly: Bails me out. Ha! j/k (um...) No, seriously - Helpful, funny and talented

Best lie/prank you ever told/pulled: I REALLY wanted a baby sister. I made a new friend, Kristen, in 2nd grade, and told her that I had a baby sister, Amy. I kept this up for weeks, and even brought in a baby picture (of me) to show her "Amy." When Kristen came over for the first time, she wanted to meet Amy. Conveniently, she was sleeping all day and didn't make a peep. One day, Kristen even came over and asked my mom, "Where's Holly's sister?" and my mom said something like, "Oh, she's not here right now. She's at a friend's house." (Thinking Kristen meant Kelly or Kristy). I'd like to think I wasn't devious in nature...I just REALLY wanted a baby sister.

What you love most about having a sister: Built-in best friends! Like mom always told me (and sorry, mom, for rolling my eyes), friends will come and go, but family lasts forever. Plus, I love to borrow their shoes and clothes.

What you like about your personality, and what you'd change: I like that I love to laugh and love to make others laugh. If I could change something, though, I would want thicker skin.

One thing your sisters might not know about you: This is tough! I have a love child. Just kidding. I can think of a few (things you might not know....not love children), but none that are appropriate here. :-) I guess you know all the big stuff, so we'll go for something small that you might not know. I have a spreadsheet that lists all of the people I've been set up with or dated in the last few years. My friend, Molly, and I both did them at work. It's actually pretty funny. As you can imagine, I made some of the columns a bit....um.....unconventional.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

What? She Cooks?

Since I have become a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) I have found this new desire to cook. Weird, I know. I have always enjoyed trying new recipes, but after coming home from a long day of teaching I just never felt like whipping something up. Now that I am home I feel more motivated to find new, healthy recipes for the family. Grace is a pretty decent eater and in order to encourage her to try new things and continue her healthy eating habits I enjoy introducing her to new foods. Here is one meal that I made last week and everyone loved (bonus: it is easy and fast!):

Moroccan Chicken

Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) tomato-lentil couscous, such as Near East
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach

1. Stir together the cumin, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle them over the chicken (I used less cumin and more cinnamon when I made this). Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium. Add the chicken and cook about 8 to 12 minutes or until done, turning once.

2. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to the directions on the package. I used plain couscous because I couldn't find the tomato-lentil couscous.

3. Transfer the chicken from the skillet to a serving platter. Then start cooking the baby spinach in the same skillet, stirring it often, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it begins to wilt. Blend in the cooked couscous. Serve the couscous and spinach as a side dish with the chicken.

Mmmmmm....this was tasty! I first had Moroccan food a few years ago when I was in Sacramento visiting family. I just love the flavor that the cinnamon gives to the food, so I usually add a little more. To make it more kid-friendly I don't add as much couscous. Oh, and another bonus? This meal is healthy! Per serving, it has 341 calories, 40g protein, 6g fat, 33g carb, 79mg calcium, and 3g fiber. Try it, and I think you'll agree that it is delish!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Name That Blog!

Kristy and I have recently been talking about how our little sister, Holly, should start a blog. She is witty, intelligent, and would make a good blogger. We finally decided that in order to help Holly get her feet wet in the "blogosphere" we would start a sisters blog. You never know what you will read about here!

Now, as for the name of our blog: When we were at the Indy 500 yesterday we were talking about Julianne Hough, the girl who sang the National Anthem. She is not only a singer but also a dancer and actress. A "triple threat." As luck would have it, Holly can sing, Kristy can act, and I can dance to Paula Abdul's workout video. Again, a triple threat- hence the name of the blog.

Check back often!