Fun Fact Friday – The Christmas Edition

* My favorite Christmas music is Barenaked for the Holidays and Harry Connick, Jr.’s When My Heart Finds Christmas.

* I love eggnog. I can’t have it anymore, but that in no way diminishes my love for the nog.

* I don’t like flashing lights on houses. It always looks tacky. God forbid someone have some flashing and some not. Tre gauche. (If I’ve offended any of you with TACKY flashing lights, well, it couldn’t be helped.)

* We decided not to put up a Christmas tree this year. We would have had to remove furniture from the living room and then there’s the Maddie/Roxy quotient. Just too much trouble this year. (Our Christmas photo was taken at my dad’s house in front of their tree.)

* I love buying Christmas gifts. Wrapping? Not so much. However, it falls to me to do it every year along with the sending of the Christmas cards. There are just some things Gerald’s no good at.

* I prefer to go to church on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas morning. We’ll be doing both this year. *sigh*

* I still watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special every year.

(I’m kind of sick of typing “Christmas” already.)

* The best Christmas gift I ever got was from my Mom when I was maybe 5 or 6. It was Western Ken to go with my Western Barbie and her palomino horse.

* I once got a copy of the Charlie’s Angels movie on DVD that had been dubbed in Spanish as a Christmas gift.

* My favorite Christmas cookies are pecan snowballs.

* I don’t like sappy Christmas movies a la It’s a Wonderful Life. I’m more of A Christmas Story kind of gal. Bonus fact: My husband has never seen A Christmas Story. Can you believe that??

Fun Fact Friday

* Roxy The Wonder Dog is settling in nicely. She’s very loving and always wants to be in a lap. She plays really well with Maddie and the two of them are fast becoming BFFs. There’s still an issue with housebreaking, but we’re working on it.

* I finally bagged up all of my too-big clothes yesterday. I cleaned out my dresser drawers and closet. There are two things hanging on my side of the closet now. It looks like I’ve packed up and left Gerald. I’m one of the few women who can actually say “I have nothing to wear” and mean it.

* I need a new jacket. It’s wicked cold outside these days. (see above re: housebreaking) I’m thinking a fleece number from Old Navy with a cute matching scarf.

* Preschool/MDO is still proving to be a giant WIN for us. Maddie loves going to school to “play with the babies.” She comes home exhausted and sweaty and happy.

* I’m almost completely done Christmas shopping. Only one hard-to-find gift left (plus your gift if you win my contest!). My Christmas cards are all signed, addressed, stamped and ready to be mailed out. I’m on top of this shit, I tell ya.

* Also, we’re broke now.

* I’m ashamed to admit this, but I’m totally digging Britney’s new song Womanizer.

* The dust in my house has reached critical mass. We live a couple of miles away from a cement plant and there’s no way to stop the dust, so I’ve sort of given up on it. This, of course, doesn’t help the issue whatsoever.

* Maddie loves for me to draw bunnies for her. Poor thing has no idea that I can’t draw to save my life. She’s going to grow up with some weird, distorted view of bunnies, that’s for sure.

* I enjoy watching Sesame Street with Maddie and I don’t care who knows it.

Imaginary Children’s Names

Since you guys are interested, here are my imaginary future children’s names:

Beatrix Ophelia
Cooper Gerald

Ophelia is Gerald’s grandmother’s name and since Maddie is named after our mothers, the next girl gets a grandmother’s name. Beatrix isn’t a family name, but I’ve always loved it. And it’s french like Madeleine, so they go together. AND it has the benefit of fun nicknames like Bea and Trixie.

Gerald’s family has a tradition that the male babies get their father’s name as a middle name. Gerald’s middle name is his father’s first name and so on and so forth. Therefore, we’ve always known that our son’s middle name will be Gerald…. unfortunately, it’s kind of a hard name to match up. However, I’m totally into Cooper Gerald.

Fun Fact Friday Returns!

Well, it seems I’m once again sane and ready to post with some regularity. So, let’s get back to some Friday Facts, shall we?

* I’ve decided to go to BlogHer ’09 in Chicago. As I was saying to Shelly yesterday, it’s not that I’m all about the blogging or whatever. I just thought it would be fun. And I’m hoping that you’ll go, too. Yes, you. Then we can stay up late giggling like school girls. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Yes, it does!

* I’m one of those “laugh at a socially unacceptable time” people. I laugh when someone falls, during funerals, somber speeches, etc.

* We’re exploring potty training with Maddie. She’s VERY interested in her potty these days. I’m not all gung ho about it, though. I let her sit naked on the potty whenever she wants to and we watched Elmo’s Potty Time DVD yesterday. That’s pretty much the extent of it. I’m all about letting her do it in her own time and not pushing at all.

* The other night I couldn’t sleep and as I laid awake in bed, I named our next (and as of now, completely fictional) child. I came up with both a girl’s and a boy’s name. Cross one imaginary to-do off my list.

* I tried Honeycrisp apples for the first time this week. I ate three large apples over the course of the week. They’re unbelievably good. Look for them when you grocery shop this weekend, and if your store has them, buy yourself one. You won’t be sorry.

Fun Fact Friday: On My Deathbed Edition

* When I was sick as a little girl, my mom always bought me Gatorade and a new coloring book. My dad does it for me nowadays.

* I have never had the chicken pox.

* I have had the measles.

* I’ve had tubes in my ears twice. Once at the age of 6 and again at 16. I have severe eustachian tube disfunction.

* In the same operation that gave me the tubes in my ears at 6, I also had my tonsils and adenoids removed.

* Whenever I get a cold, it always goes to my throat.

* I refuse to take liquid cough syrup. My dr prescribes a gel cap version for me.

* I’ve had a non-cancerous lump removed from my breast. The medical term for it was “gristle.”

* I’m a whiny mess when I’m sick. I have to remind everyone within earshot that I don’t feel well at least once an hour.

* I’m going to the dr today at 2:45.

P.S. I don’t feel well.

Fun Fact Friday: The Pet Peeves Edition

* People that say “Barnes and NobleS.” wtf? Is there an S on the end of Noble? NO! So stop saying it that way for the love of gawd!

* When our Tivo cuts off the last couple of minutes of a show. Then I have to look for another showing just to see the ending. Yes, I realize that it’s not the Tivo’s fault, but meh.

* Our neighbors that have approximately 17,000 cars parked in front of there house 24/7. I can’t walk down the sidewalk because their cars are parked all the way down their driveway. I can’t walk in the street near the curb because their cars are parked there. I end up having to walk in the middle of the damn street just to get the mail. It’s even worse when I’m pushing the stroller. Oh, and half the cars haven’t moved in a year.

* Drivers who don’t acknowledge kindness on the road. I didn’t have to slow down and let you in, you bastard. You can at least wave a quick thank you.

* American Airlines charges $15 EACH WAY to check a bag now. One bag, not extra bags. So, when I go to Florida in two weeks, I have to choose between being the TSA’s bitch and buying all new smaller toiletries or I have to pay $30 to take what I already own.

* People who scrape their silverware with their teeth when they eat. *shudder*

* People who don’t even attempt to use correct grammar or spelling on message boards. Dear sweet baby jesus, are there REALLY people that write like that out there?

* Those telemarketer calls that have a recording that asks you to hold while you wait for a rep to talk to you. You’re going to call me and then ask me to wait until you get around to talking to me? Um, no.

* The fact that I always have to go through my “worst case scenario” routine when it comes to Maddie. She’s sleeping later than usual and I haven’t heard her on the monitor? SIDS! She refuses to take a nap? She will NEVER EVER nap again!

* Moms who judge other moms harshly over stupid shit. We’re all in this together and if we can’t support each other, who’s going to support us?

Fun Fact Friday: The Better Late Than Never Edition

Yes it’s Friday and no I didn’t post my facts. Why? Because I don’t have any. I’m completely out of facts, fun or otherwise. Therefore, I’m just going to write whatever so certain people will get off my ass about it already.

* I bought Maddie some cute Fall clothes today.

* I had to buy her a boy’s shirt because clothing companies don’t see fit to put dinosaurs on girl’s shirts. Apparently, girls are only allowed to like flowers and butterflies.

* Maddie’s going to be a dinosaur for Halloween.

* I also bought her a pair of pink Converse hi-tops.

* I’m going to buy myself a pair of Converse as a “I’ve lost 50 lbs!” present. You know, when I lose 50 lbs.

* Three weeks from right now, I will be in Florida with my bff and her sister.

* I ordered a new bathing suit from Old Navy for the above mentioned trip. It’s cool though because I got it on clearance for $9.99. I wasn’t about to spend a lot of money on something I’m going to wear once.

* I’m dying to buy new clothes. Only because I no longer wear the biggest size in Lane Bryant. I haven’t bought anything except a pair of capris on clearance at Target and that was weeks ago.

* Since I got my Kindle, I’ve read seven books on it. Three at that same time. I’d read a few chapters of one and when I got bored, I’d jump to another. Yeah, it’s pretty damned awesome.

* I miss Tessie. She’s incommunicado with me lately and I didn’t get invited to her private blog. I guess we’re not friends anymore?

Fun Fact Friday

Did you know that Friday comes EVERY week, and that if you do this FFF thing you have to come up with facts EVERY WEEK? I’m just sayin…

* I have a girl crush on Amy Poehler.

* Maddie has a puzzle book and one of the pieces is a llama. Of course, she calls it “mama.” You know, because it looks just like me.

* We’re not in any danger from Ike. Depending on the path it takes once it hit land, we’ll get storms and wind. At least that’s what they’re predicting for Saturday and Sunday. Please pray for my fellow Texans in the south, though. This one’s going to be a doozy.

* I got a Kindle on Monday. I love it so much that it’s a toss up as to what I’d rescue in a fire: my child or my Kindle. (I kid, of course. I’d grab my Kindle and go back for Maddie if there was time.)

* I met up with my best friend from high school last weekend. We went to school together in St. Louis, but both ended up in Texas. She’s lived less than a 1/2 hour from me for five years and I didn’t know it. We had a great time and I’m looking forward to seeing her again soon.

* My hair has started to fall out. At least it’s not my teeth.

* I read Perez Hilton every single day. It’s a sickness.

My god, isn’t this list done yet??

* I can’t draw, paint or sculpt. I’m not good at any “artsy” type things at all.

* Since she was about a year old, Maddie’s been obsessed with the Pancake Puff commercial. Seriously. No matter what she’s doing, if the commercial come on she stops and watches it intently and then tells us all about the pancakes. Target had it for $19.99, so I finally got it for her. I made pancake puffs for Maddie and Gerald for dinner earlier this week. I hope they were everything she dreamed they’d be.

* I broke down and got a myspace page. I know, I know. I’m far too old for myspace, but most of my friends are there instead of facebook. I gave in to peer pressure. QUICK! Put on an after-school special!

At long last… the return of Fun Fact Friday!

* My current breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal (not that instant shit, either) with a splash of milk, a spoonful of Splenda and some fresh fruit. Yesterday was blueberries and today is strawberries. It’s LITERALLY the only thing I’ve tried that doesn’t make me sick. I’ve tried approximately eleventy bajillion breakfast items, people. All I can say is thank the sweet baby jebus that I found something I can eat… even though it takes 30 minutes on the stove every morning.

* I am not remotely political. I don’t like either candidate and have no idea for whom I’m going to vote. It’s a “lesser of two evils” situation for me, I guess. I can tell you that I don’t give a rat’s ass about Sarah Palin’s pregnant 17 year old. That has absolutely no bearing on her competence as a Vice President whatsoever.

* I don’t like half-assed hugs. You know, those hugs where it feels like the other person doesn’t actually want to touch you or anything? If you’re going to hug me, then hug me, damn it.

* When I was a little girl, I used to put on shows for whomever would watch. There was a lot of  “tap dancing” involved. (read: wearing clicky shoes on the linoleum.) My stage name was Fajita Picante. I had no idea what it meant, but it sure was glamorous.

* My maternal grandmother died three years before my mother did. I have both of their last bottles of “signature scent” perfume. When I’m missing either of them terribly, I take a sniff. It’s almost like being hugged by one of them again.

* I am completely against the “princess-ification” of little girls. I have NEVER purchased a princessy product for Maddie. Family members have already done so, but there’s not a whole lot I can do about that. Gerald thinks I’m nuts for caring so much about it.

* I cannot remember one single instance of being called “pretty” by my mother while I was growing up. I can’t fathom not telling my daughter she’s pretty. I tell her at least 10 times a day. She likes to have her hair done, or play dress-up and I HAVE to tell her how pretty she looks.

* I’m re-reading the Harry Potter series for the third time.

* I prefer to drive in the left lane on the highway. I have to make a conscious effort to get over in the right lane. I drive fast, so I’m not one of those slow-assed people hogging the fast lane, ok? So, don’t send me road-rage hate mail or anything.

* When I was 13, I tried to commit suicide over a boy. Have you ever heard something so ridiculous? I was a total moron.

Fun Fact Friday: This-Is-Getting-Harder-And-Harder Edition

* I used to have my tragus pierced on both ears. I had to have a CT scan and had to take them out a month after getting them. I never could get them back in, so they closed. I want to have them re-pierced.

* I’ve never broken a bone. I have had stitches eight times, though.

* I have extremely crooked pinkies.

* I have an irrational fear of june bugs.

* My favorite Disney movie is The Jungle Book.

* I was VERY disappointed in Breaking Dawn.

* My ceiling fans need to be dusted in the worst way, but I just can’t seem to work up the energy to care.

* Gerald and I are going to spend four whole days away from Maddie in two weeks. We’re going to San Antonio for a conference and Maddie’s staying with my in-laws. She’s going to have a blast. We probably will, too.

* I went to the gym yesterday for the first time since my surgery. I expected it to be hellacious, but it totally wasn’t. It was easier than before the surgery, which really surprised me. After all, I am living on less than 500 calories a day. I only did 10 minutes on the treadmill, per my surgeon’s instructions, but I’m still proud. I plan to go back today and do it again.

* In October, I’m going to NYC for the first time ever. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!