Get To Know Me From These Super Accurate Quizzes

You know those quizzes you see popping up on people's Facebook that look stupid but somehow suck you in to answering the stupid questions and getting some stupid description of yourself?  I may be guilty of answering a few of them from time to time.  I thought that I would answer some that were recommended to me by the fairies or minions that shove them onto my computer screen.  We all know that these quizzes are scientific, well-planned, and highly accurate.  So let's see what they have to say about me.

Which 80s Alt. Group Wrote The Soundtrack Of Your Life?

The soundtrack of your life was written by Siouxsie and the Banshees! You're experimental and so over labels. You like what you like, and won't let anyone judge you for venturing into things that are more popular, or perhaps, highly unusual. You refuse to compromise who you are for approval. Siouxsie and the Banshees' howling vocals, strange lyrics, and solid drumming leave you spellbound.

(I've never even heard of this band -- and it doesn't really sound like something I'd listen to.  "Howling vocals" is not a strong selling point)

Which Iconic Woman Are You?

You are Lucille Ball.  You are the most hilarious person ever. You make us laugh when we want to cry, and always keep us guessing. You have done the impossible and broken records. You are always full of surprises. You keep us smiling no matter what you do.

(Meh, I don't really think I'm that funny.....but the test never lies - lol)

Which Female Literary Character Are You?

You got Jo March. You are someone who is creative, clever, and outspoken.  You are considered the leader of the group who always comes up with the best ideas for things to do. You are thoughtful and caring when it comes to your friends and family.  You have a hot temper that can sometimes get you in trouble.  You are also extremely passionate about the things you love and sharing that with others who don't agree can get you riled up. You love to be around lots of people so you can tell jokes and share stories.

(Now that sounds a little more like me)

Which Strong Female Detective Are You?

Like Broadchurch's Ellie Miller, you're strong, sensitive, and compassionate.  You're able to connect with anyone once you put your mind to it - there's something about you that people just trust.

(I like to think that this sounds like me. I've never seen this show; I may have to check it out)

Which Type of Humor Do You Have?

You have surreal humor.  You have the most absurd sense of humor. You are fascinated by trippy and bizarre things and are always incorporating the most creepy, yet hilarious elements of life into your jokes. Your humor is a mix between dark humor, sarcasm, outrageous comedic brilliance, sexual innuendo and slap stick. You are easily entertained by almost every type of comedy and use all of the crazy experiences in your life to inspire hilarious jokes to cheer anyone up.

(Holy crap, internet quiz!  I think you nailed this one right on the head.)

Which Nickname is Perfect for You?

Look out for the DRAGON! You are a fierce and loyal individual who will protect those you love at any cost! Fiery and passionate, you fly through the night sky like the majestic creature that you are!

(Heck yeah!  From now on, I will only answer to the name Dragon -- that is badass)

Who is Your Game Of Thrones Soulmate?

You got Tyrion Lannister.  When it comes to partners in crime it's brain and not brawn that matter, right?  Like Tyrion, you're sharp as a tack and aren't fooled by anyone.  Have a large glass of wine because you are Tyrion are meant to be buddies for life.

(I LOVE Peter Dinklage!  And as a complete sapiosexual, I totally dig a man with brains)

What Kind of Man Will You Fall in Love With?

*Let me preface this by saying that I am have already found the man I will fall in love with, and after almost 18 years of marriage, this description suites him to almost a T.*

The Alpha Male.  Loyal, passionate and driven, you’re going to fall in love with the consummate alpha male! Not only will he create the life he wants for himself, but he’ll make room for an independent and intelligent woman like you, too! Sure, he’s a bit competitive, but this quality will come in handy when he’s trying to win your heart! He’s out there looking for you to help him shape and conquer the world! Go get him, girl!

What is Your Subconscious Obsessed With?

Your subconscious is obsessed with knowledge! The pictures you have selected suggest that you have one the most curious minds we have ever seen! Your subconscious is always looking for something new to learn, new sights to see, practically anything that would give a nice exercise session to that big brain of yours, and help you advance in life. You are a very passionate and patient person, and that combination helps you to truly immerse yourself in a subject without feeling the need for 'Quick Fixes' or feeling bored. Keep it up, you have a lot to learn! 

(Awesome.  I like to think I'm a pretty smart chick, and am always looking for new things to learn about.)

So do you answer these silly quizzes?  How accurate do you think they are?

Don't Ever Let Anyone Step All Over You

*Bonus points if you can name the song that the title is referring to".

I'm a people-pleaser. I've said it many times before, and I'm sure you'll hear me say it again. I don't like drama. I don't like confrontation. I don't like when people are mad at me. I am an expert at just letting things roll off my back or ignoring someone when they are being rude. I try to be like Taylor Swift and just Shake It Off. I seem to have a high tolerance for other people's bullshit and it takes A LOT to make me angry.

But I do have my limits. I'm human. Just because I keep quiet, or just because I smile, or just because I try to turn uncomfortable situations into a joke and make people laugh, doesn't mean that I'm not angry or sad or disappointed on the inside. I just don't show it because most of the time it wouldn't be productive. 

Sure, it would probably feel good for a minute to just say whatever I'm feeling (which may involve a few four-letter words), but what would it accomplish at the end of the day? Only more drama. More negativity and conflict. Sometimes when I'm feeling more upset than usual, I'll vent to a friend (usually my husband), and then once I get it out, I feel better. 

Lately, though, I find it harder and harder to hold things in. The thread that keeps my filter in place is fraying at an alarming rate. I find myself wondering why I have allowed myself to become a doormat to other people. That they can say or do whatever and I just take it. I can guarantee that if the situations were reversed, they would balk at being treated that way. 

I still say killing with kindness is the best solution, but if that fails... well, let's just say I'll be in the corner sharpening my verbal claws. 

I am woman. Hear me roar.  Raaawwwrrrrr. ;)

**And just because I'm a blog perfectionist, I feel I need to apologize for the lack of continuity in the spacing of this post.  For some reason, it's not spacing the paragraphs properly**

Lifelong Learning

Graduation. From Pre-K to Doctorates, these major milestones have been filling my social media feeds lately. Within these moments, come epiphanies that stick with us. They may even sway us toward a specific direction in our lives. 

As I think about my oldest son, soon to graduate, I think of some of the wisdom I would like to impart to him and his classmates:

1. Just do it. Ulcers never met a procrastinator they didn't like.

2. Speak carefully. You can never take back what comes out of your mouth.

3. Live within your means. It makes a difference.

4. Splurge every once in a while. The memories will be worth it.

5. Laugh and smile. Those wrinkle lines are a sign of a life well lived. 

6. Hydration is key. Reach for the water before the sugar or caffeine.

7. Take a hike. Fresh air and a humbling view can do wonders for the spirit.

8. Choose wisely in people, situations, challenges and words.
 
9. Listen to someone with experience, even when you don't want to hear it.

10. Be silly. But not obnoxious. 

11. Give a firm handshake. It shows you mean it.

12. For every negative, find twice as many positives.

13. Quality not quantity. Especially time with people you care for greatly.
  
14. Reveal your vulnerable side to at least one person in the world; the one you trust the most.

15. Make mistakes. You'll never be a lifelong learner otherwise.

I Offer No Apologies For Being a Mediocre Mom

I have my moments. My "I'm a kickass Mom" moments. I cater to my kids' every whim on their birthdays and the first day of school. I go to school parties and sometimes I even volunteer to bring stuff! I do my best to make sure Christmas is a balance of Christian celebration, childhood magic, and wonder. I try like hell not to fall asleep and forget about the ding dang tooth fairy. We go on memorable family vacations, which I document with eleventy thousand pictures.

But day to day, my approach to parenting is somewhat of a "less is more" approach. Some call it mediocrity. Whatever. I offer no apologies for it.

I will not apologize for not entertaining my children every waking minute of the day. It's called imagination. They should learn to use it on occasion.

I will not apologize for NOT taking my children to the amusement park or the zoo or the movie arcade extravaganza every time they have a day off school. We'll do these things sometimes, and they'll be a lot of fun and exciting and special when we do. But sometimes a day off is good for just that...a day OFF.

I will not apologize for occasionally "ignoring" my children while I use the computer or text on my phone. Because most of the time I will give them my undivided attention. It's better they learn that, while they are the center of MY universe, that won't be the case when they enter the great big world of "a whole bunch of other people with agendas all their own who aren't going to heed your beck and call". 

I will not apologize for expecting my children to behave like respectful human beings at home, in school, and in public. When they choose to do otherwise, there will be consequences. I will not rush to their side and blame ill behaviors on peers, teachers, or society in general. They need to learn about taking responsibility and holding oneself accountable. 

I will not apologize for not making a big production out of things my children should be doing anyway. They will be expected to turn in school assignments when they are due as well as make every effort to maintain decent grades. I will encourage them and offer every resource available to support them throughout their education. Their reward for doing these things will be a diploma. I will beam with pride at their accomplishment. When they get a job, the reward for doing said job will be a paycheck. Neither college professors nor future employers will throw a parade in their honor for simply doing what is expected. There is no sense in setting that precedent now.

I will not apologize for making my children do their own school projects. I'll willingly help where help is needed, but I've "been there and done that". And I did it by myself. There was a sense of pride when I turned in projects that were truly mine, and I want them to feel that pride, too. I've done my time at the science fair thankyouverymuch.

I will not apologize for making my children learn to "earn their keep" on occasion. A good work ethic is not going to appear out of thin air.  

I will not apologize for sometimes saying "no" to things even if we can afford them. Because that's a word they need to learn to hear on occasion. And because a lot of the time I'll say "yes". 

I will not apologize for not escorting my children back to their bed when they creep into mine in the middle of the night. I honestly don't believe that I'll look back on these days and say, "I sure do regret all those mornings I woke up to my babies' sweet sleeping faces." This phase will pass. All too soon, it will pass. (Admittedly Ryker just turned 11, but he will sometimes still sneak into my bed or fall asleep with me while watching TV.)

But most of all, I will not apologize for loving my children enough to do all of the above. While it may not work for everyone, and while I am by no means the best parent, I'm doing the best I know how and it's what works for me. It must work for my kids, too. Because I know without a doubt that they go to bed every night knowing they are loved. And that's really all that matters. 

The Way Kids See It

Look at yourself.

 The outside.

The inside. 

The parent you are.  The friend, the spouse, the daughter, the son, the sister, the brother. 

Do you like what you see? 

My son is in 5th grade. Despite the fact that he goes to a relatively small school, it consists of a considerably diverse (both cultural and religious) student body. Sometimes when I am lucky enough to get to pick him up from school, I watch all the children play. 

One day this week I watched. What I witnessed was nothing short of beautiful. 

What if... 

What if the media never focused on people being skinny or fat or ugly or pretty. 

What if, instead, you had no reason to believe anything other than YOU are perfect. Your height, your weight, your skin color, your hair color...are all exactly how they are meant to be? 

What if you knew you could have different beliefs without being judged? If your religion or political stance or sexual preference were all just part of what made you...YOU...and that was okay? 

What if other moms/parents/people were indifferent to whether you had a career or stayed home or breast fed or bottle fed or spanked or didn't spank or fed your family organic or went out to eat 5 nights a week? 

What if they parented completely different than you...but would be your friend anyway? 

What if when making friends, you didn't give a second thought to what kind of clothes you wore or how much money was in your bank account? 

These things...they are all true for children. Until they are taught otherwise, that is. Children see people for who they are on the inside. 

Until we teach them not to.

People I Want To Punch In The Throat

I've been trying to figure out how to write this post for a while. And on Friday, as some snarky person at workslammed the bathroom door in my face, I was compelled to act. No longer will these terrible people roam free! No longer will we be subjected to their tyranny! 

Okay, not really. But a girl can dream.

The following is a list of people I want to punch in throat just because......

1.  The person who sees you coming, LOOKS AT YOU, but doesn't hold the door. Who are these cruel people? Why did their moms and dads raise them so poorly? I think they need hugs.

2.  People who abuse their hazard lights. If you live in any city anywhere, you know exactly what I mean. These are people who pull off to the side and put their flashers on, which they seem to think makes it okay for them to be blocking traffic during rush hour. 

3.  The people who use public restrooms but don't clean up after themselves. They leave the toilet seat cover on or they don't flush or they drop paper towels on the floor and don't pick them up. These people were clearly raised in the wild where they don't have restrooms.

4.  Mall strollers. No, no, not the baby carriages; I'm talking about the people who walk in a horizontal line with their friends at a snail's pace so you can't navigate around them. These people do not belong at a mall, they belong on a nature trail. 

5.  Slow drivers. Like, really slow drivers. I don't understand these people. Don't they see everyone going around them? Doesn't it make them feel bad at all? They are clearly aliens. Human beings would speed the eff up. And they certainly wouldn't flip you off or honk. 

6.  That guy with the bass. I'm laying in bed late at night or early in the morning, and along comes this guy with the big penis-envy truck and the extraordinarily loud bass. It makes the whole cul-de-sac rumble all the way through to my windows, which shake. Plus, it makes my neighbors' yippy dog bark like a deranged lunatic. I hate this guy. 

7.  Elevator offenders. You know who I'm talking about. They are the people with no personal boundaries and stand right on top of you in an empty elevator. Or the person who sees the elevator is full and insists on boarding anyway. These people should be locked in a room and forced to listen to "What Does the Fox Say" on a loop.

Sunday Funday - Answers in Photo Form

OK, so this was a fun little time waster to do on a lazy Sunday.  Basically, you open google images and type in your answer to each of the following questions.  Take the first picture that pops up and paste it as your answer.

1.  What is your name?



2.  What is your favorite food?



3.  What \high school did you go to?



4.  What is your favorite color?



5.  Who is your celebrity crush?



6.  Dream vacation?



7.  Favorite dessert?



8.  What do you want to be when you grow up?



9.  What do you love most in life?

10.  What is one word to describe you?