my secrets. . .but not all of them!

I was tagged by Brittany for this meme and since it's -10 degrees right now and there's no school and there's no way I'm going out of the house, I thought I'd take some time and play along!

Here's 16 things you probably don't know about me:

~I love to write. I'm secretly hoping that someday someone will come across my blog and hire me to write for an online publication about parenting, nutrition, family life, relationships, whatever. I spend lots of time choosing words and placing them just so, like I'm painting a picture or making a quilt. It's what I do if I can't get my hands on some textiles!

~I really, really, really like olives and no one else in my family does

~I have a birthmark on my right thigh. It looks like a pile of freckles, and is practically invisible now, what with all the stretch marks and cellulite that have taken up residence as a result of childbearing!

~I am completely neurotic about furniture placement. I have to have things placed to the centimeter or I actually feel physically ill. And, I always look at other people's furniture and re-arrange it in my mind when I'm at their house

~I quit band in elementary school because I was tired of hearing, "oh you make me sick, you're so good" and the band teacher telling me "wow! I can't believe you can play all this by ear, you can't quit, you do such a good job". It annoyed me. So I quit. I now think that was a bad decision and am very surprised that my parents let me do it!

~I also gave up on art class for the same reason. Although now, I think it was really because the extra attention made me uncomfortable. I REALLY, REALLY wish I hadn't quit! I've looked back on some of the things I drew and am amazed that that came from my pencil.

~My middle toe is slightly longer than my big toe and for some strange reason it really doesn't bother me!

~I've left Benji's red big wheel and Ava's pink push-n-ride sitting out in the front yard since they last got off of them in the fall. They're sitting in the same positions and are now covered with snow. . .I hope they don't freeze and crack. . .

~Since I've had my driver's license, I've been in 9 (maybe 10?) car accidents. None of them have been my fault except one. Talk about feeling like a victim! The first car accident I had, I was rear-ended by a hit and run driver. A week after I had the damage repaired, my car was rear-ended again while I was in a store. I went around after that feeling like I had a big target painted on the trunk!

~I hate to wash my hair. It's been a week since I've washed it right now. That's funny to me because I was a hairdresser for 10 years, love to do other people's hair and I actually love my hair, but don't like to style it. It looks better after I sleep on it, and most of the time looks fantastic when I wake up in the morning. Please don't be jealous; I have many, many other flaws!

~I can't leave the house without mascara and some sort of large, statement-making jewlery, usually a necklace or earrings. Even if I'm sick. And I NEVER wear sweatpants out of the house, not even to the grocery store.

~In my purse right now I have a $30 tube of Nars lip gloss that I purchased at Nordstrom with a gift card from my mom. The purse is a bronze and brown satchel from Kathy Van Zeeland. It retails for around $90. I got it from the thrift store for $9.99 and it looks brand new. See? It doesn't take a million to make you look like a million!

~I am a hater of all foods pre-packaged, or made of chemicals and not real ingredients. That having been said, Bisquick pancakes and Log Cabin "maple" syrup is one of my guilty pleasures! Hello, corn syrup and hyrdogenated soybean oil! All things in moderation, right? (we're talking about once a year on this one, though!)

~Ava is awake and waiting patiently in her crib with her dollies for me to come get her. I"ve been known to send the boys up to play with her while I finish applying that mascara I can't do without, or finish typing a blog post (like right now..."Oh, boys!?")

~If I were to have any cosmetic procedures done right now, I'd probably have veneers put on my teeth. I have very faint marks on the enamel of my front teeth from a high fever I had when they were developing, my eye teeth are too pointy for my liking, and the bottoms of my two middle teeth are bumpy like a corn cob instead of straight across. I have a nice smile, but I'm very picky!

~I love going into my bedroom in the middle of the morning. There's something about the light then and the quietness that makes me feel like everything is OK. I also like "spying" on my house when I'm not supposed to be there. You know, if I drove a mile and then realized that I forgot something and had to go back? I'm going in when I'm not supposed to be there and I always feel like it's so peaceful and somehow looks different, like it's resting.



I'm inviting Lacie, FaithHopeLoveMama, Sara, and Kate to play along