A new meme... I was 'interviewed' by Used*To*Be*Me....Fun stuff!

1. what do you want to do when the kids are grown and moved out?

Travel! Actually, I want to do that before the kids are grown and moved out. Right now, we're trying to figure out how to deal with a 4 year old on a cross country road trip, because we'd really like to go out West on our vacation this year. Any suggestions, other than duct tape? After the kids are grown, I would like to spend my retirement traveling around the world.

2. What happened on your 23rd birthday?

I got my tattoo! It's a Celtic symbol representing the idea that life is a dance. It's on my abdomen and has sort-of survived two pregnancies and c-sections. The doctor did cut into it during the second c-section, which pissed me off given that the *first* c-section was an emergency and the second one was not!

3. What is your favorite book and why?

There's just no way to answer this question. There are so many books that I love that I can never pick a favorite. I can tell you the first book that comes to mind that I love is Empire Falls by Richard Russo. It's sweet and heartfelt and has some cool twists and turns that you don't see coming. In addition to all that, it has some of the funniest scenes and funniest characters I've ever read. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which it richly deserved and there is a wonderful movie (I think it was done by HBO), in which Paul Newman plays the funniest character in the novel perfectly. Also in the movie and giving fantastic performances are Joanne Woodward, Ed Harris, Helen Hunt, Dennis Farina (hilariously perfect casting), and William Fitchner, who was slightly miscast but does an admirable job anyway. Anyway, terrific book, terrific movie. It's certainly *one* of my very favorites.

4. What is your favorite activity to play with the kids?

For S, we have the Tickle Game and the game where she tries to walk behind me on the couch and I lean back and "trap" her.

For W, our favorite activity is just hanging out. He sits in his car seat and watches me get ready for work in the mornings and we talk a little and just smile at each other. He's such a laid-back and sweet baby, I just enjoy his company.

But my true favorite activity with both kids is photography. I'm taking a photography class right now and I have even more reason to take pictures of them. They're so adorable and I just love capturing how darling they are on film.

5. If you could do it all over again, would you? Why or why not?

Hmmmm......there are some parts I'd like to skip or do differently. And there are things I would do earlier or realize sooner. But it has all led me to this happy place, so I have to say yes, I would do it all over again, even the bad parts, because they have made me who I am and guided me to the life I have - happy marriage, great kids, good job, happy in myself and in my life.



If you want to continue, here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.