48 Questions

I saw this over at a blog that I frequently read and decided that I hadn't done one in a long time, so here goes:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I was named after an obscure song from the 70s.  Apparently, it was about a dog who commits suicide.  Super duper happy, huh?!?

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?  A couple of weeks ago.  I don't tend to cry often, so it's got to be a big deal.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?  My handwriting is not great, in my eyes, but other people seem to think that it's good.  

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?  Turkey, if I have to choose.  Not a huge fan, but that's what I will always pick.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 2 and I'm sticking to it.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?  Sure. 

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?  I wouldn't say a lot.  I am, on occasion, on the sarcastic side, but I've learned in all my years that some people are highly offended by that.  Being in the profession I'm in, I have to reign that in.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?  Yes, but I have often wished for someone to rip them out.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?  No.  My years for that type of behavior have passed.  Besides, I would be that .0001 percent would get hurt beyond belief.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?  Lucky Charms.  Hello yumminess.  I don't ever eat it, though, because hello sugar!

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?  I rarely wear shoes that tie, these days, so I guess no.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?  Mentally, yes.  Emotionally, yes.  Physically, meh.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?  Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?  Their face, in general.  Then teeth and hair and eyes.

15. RED OR PINK?  Red, but I'm surrounded by oh so much pink.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?  I am SUCH a people pleaser.  I want to make everyone happy with me and with everyone else, regardless my needs and wants and feelings.  I'm coming to realize, in my old age, that I can't control or alter other people, so I have to just be me.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?  My grandfather and grandmother.  

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?  Probably anything to do with baking. I've come leaps and bounds in the baking arena and can actually bake things that are edible now, but there are so many pretty things I want to make that I know are out of the realm of my ability.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?  I'm at home, which equals no shoes.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?  Grapes

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?  My kids playing and House Hunters on the tv.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?  Red, red, red.  

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?  Clean laundry, but NOT fabric softener or scented laundry detergent.  I know that sounds weird, but the smell of my houses laundry clean with scent free detergent and baking soda does it for me.  Also, my husband's cologne.  That's a no brainer.

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?  Very, but I'm not going to force them on other people.  We all have the ability and right to have our own opinions, but I don't think we should force them on anyone else.  We can, however, all agree to disagree and still get along.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?  Oh, beach all the way.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?  Football, if on tv or game.  Baseball, if we are AT the game.

27. HAIR COLOR?  I am back to being brunette now, but I was just blonde.  I figure that hair is meant to be cut and colored, so I change pretty often.

28. EYE COLOR?  Hazel.  Most people think my eyes are brown, but they aren't.  They just haven't looked close enough.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?  Any kind of mexican food and sushi.  I LOVE sushi.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?  Always happy endings.  I loathe scary movies.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?  Snow White and the Huntsman

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?  Grey Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?  Winter

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?  Cheesecake, anything covered in chocolate.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?  I would have to say cardio.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?  Both.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?  I'm currently in between books, but have a whole pile on my nightstand.

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?  I use a trackpad on my laptop.  

40. FAVORITE SOUND?  My children really, truly laughing.  Not the fake laugh that they both can and do do, but when they get really tickled and have that belly laugh going on.

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?  Anything but doo-wap.  I can't stand that, but everything else is great!

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?  Probably northern Oregon or the Dakotas.  Oregon is probably further.

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?  I have a head full of useless science facts and knowledge.  I can also, pretty easily, recall stories that friends have told me years later.  

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?  Dallas, Texas

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?  McKinney, Texas - Just north of Dallas.

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?  Red brick with off white accents.

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?  Silver

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS? Yes.

Piper's New Accessories

For about 2 years now, Piper has talked practically non-stop about getting her ears pierced.  It started out as an appreciation for all things sparkly, including earrings.  I used to take her to various jewelry stores so that she could look at all the pretty things and we would always end up looking at all the earrings.  I would always tell her that we would buy her some of those sparkly earrings, if only she would get those sweet little ears pierced.  Her answer, 100% of the time, was NO!  

Until about 1 month ago.

We had had this same conversation for about 2 years, so when she said she would do it, I decided that I would take her the first chance we had and get it done before she lost the nerve.  

With the holidays, our time has been limited to make the trip to the mall and get it done, so this past Thursday became the day and off we went.  Before we headed over to the mall, some friends who we have frequent playdates with texted and we invited them along.  In all, it was 4 adults and 7 kids (counting P) who came along to give support and love to Piper as she had this done.  (Have I mentioned my amazing friends?!?)

I've posted the progression of photos below because no words could adequately describe the change that happened in my sweet girl as the process progressed.

She climbed up in the chair and sat happily, not knowing what was awaiting her.  You'll notice her right hand is being held by my dear friend, Miriam.  She was a bit nervous, but was excited!

Still ok, but getting a little apprehensive.

She let the girl pull her hair back with the clips and they were working on marking her ears so she wasn't completely uneven.  This is where my friend, Alison worked her magic, as she is so very precise and made sure her ears weren't totally wonky.

I made sure that they would pierce both ears at once, as I knew that if we had one done there was NO WAY that she would ever do the other.  She was a little more nervous here and you can see Miriam is still holding her hand (right hand) and now I have the other one (left).  I was having her look at me and I was talking to her too.  Her brother's head is at the very bottom right of the picture, as he was cheering her on the whole time!

The very moment they pierced her ears.  She was NOT happy.

Poor thing screamed, not just cried, but screamed for the next 30 minutes.

Still screaming...

STILL screaming...

And STILL screaming!  There was a line of people behind us waiting to get pierced.  I'm surprised we didn't clear the store out...

We walked all the way through the mall to the food court to get lunch and she was still crying.  Poor little drama queen.  Bless her heart!   

I finally got a little smile out of her and you can kind of see her little pink, sparkly flower earrings, complete with one pitiful tear.  

And ten there was this no more than 10 minutes later.  Homegirl can turn it off and on.  As a side note, she LOVES, and I mean LOOOOOOOVES her new earrings, now I just have to get her a whole collection of her newest accessory!