Unicorns and Fairy Tales

Is it strange that I am more nervous about raising a little girl than I was about possibly raising a little boy? Sure, now I’ve got ribbons and glitter that I get to play with, but I remember growing up. I remember my mother’s curse. I don’t think I can raise me. I mean, I know Julia (that’s the name we’ve picked for her) will not be me; she’ll be her own person, but still. I remember growing up. I remember being a teenager.

Essentially, all the little girl stuff, I’m good with. It’s all the young woman, growing up thing that freaks me out.

Well, I’ve got a little over four months before she’s here, and I’ve got twelve years and 364 days after that before she becomes a teenager.

Little Miss Julia,
I have one wish for you, and—it’s not that you’re happy, though I want that for you, too—it’s something you can do for yourself. I have one wish for you: be kind. Of course I want you to be successful; of course I want you to be happy, but more than anything in this world, I want you to be kind.

 

I can do that, right? I can raise a kind child. I can. I will. Jake and I will.

Days 22, 23, 24 & 25

22.Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

In 5 years? We'll hopefully have real jobs and a kid or two. 10 years? Add a few more kids and some soccer practice. 15 years? Do I really have to think that far ahead? 

23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.

1. Reading: I don't have money to travel, and, unfortunately, I don't own a magic carpet either, but with books, neither of these things matter. Want to travel to India? There's a book for that (a bunch of them). Want to hang out under the ocean? There's a book for that, too. Want an adventure in a dystopian society? There are many books for that. I can go anywhere, do anything, and meet anyone I want to all by opening up a book. 
2. Writing: This is just as fun as reading, but I get to create the world and characters. Sometimes it's frustrating because I want to just know what happens, but I only learn things as some of the characters do, but I guess I shouldn't be that frustrated. I mean, that's how life is. 
3. Sleeping: Yes, it's a hobby. It's how my cat and I bond. :) 
4. Surfing: I miss this so much. Riding a wave feels like flying. There's just something about the sun beating down on you while you paddle out for another wave that is beyond description. It's seriously in those moments when you find yourself thinking, "It can't possibly get any better than this," and then you catch a wave, and it does. 
5. Knitting: I like watching Murder, She Wrote and knitting. I'm preparing for the day I become a little old lady while simultaneously making cute hats and scarves. 

24. Describe your family dynamic from your childhood vs. now.

I think in some ways it's stayed the same, and in other ways, it's changed drastically. As to specifics though, I don't think I can really name anything off the top of my head. 

25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?

I think I'd go to a prearranged dinner: The Last Supper. I would have liked to be there. 

Day 21

21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with is first?

This is one that I have a hard time with because there are 4 superpowers that I want:

1. To be able to be invisible: I'm creepy, and I like to people watch. It'd be nice to be able to people watch without people knowing I'm watching (creepy, right?).
2. To be able to fly: I know  this is pretty typical, but I have a ton of flying dreams. I think I'd love it. 
3. To be able to speak/read and understand any language: Could you imagine the possibilities? I don't need access to every single language all the time; I just want to be able to speak, read, and understand any language I'm confronted with. 
4. To be a witch: This isn't technically a superpower, but it also kind of is.

3 days in one: 18, 19, & 20

18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?

This will sound petty and lame, but my hardest moment of forgiveness was when I had to forgive my parents for sending my sister on an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe. I was pissed. I don't hold grudges, but I held that one for quite a while. 

 
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

New England...or Old England ;) I'm not picky. (This is mostly because I've always wanted to live in England, and I totally fell in love with the UK while we were there for a brief week; however, I could probably live in New England because it looks like old England, but we'd still be in the states, which means we could get a retirement plan.) 

 
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.

(These are just the first 3 that popped into my head)

1. When I was a kid in Hawaii, we had a macadamia nut tree in our yard. We used to climb it and pick the ripe nuts (or walk around under the tree and find the freshly-fallen nuts), and we'd get my dad's hammer and put the nuts in the cracks in the sidewalk. (Have you ever tried to crack a nut with a hammer? Nuts are round....they just roll away, hence the sidewalk cracks.) We'd crack the nuts with a hammer and pick out the bits of nut from the cracked shell and eat them. 

2.  When I lived in San Pedro, California, my best bud, Nikki, and I made up a dance for "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain. I think I still remember some dance moves. :)

3. I also remember trying to save a little bird with Nikki. We named the bird Hopscotch, and when he died, we buried him on top of the hill, so he'd have a view of the ocean.

Day 16 & 17

16. What are 5 of your greatest accomplishments?

My five greatest accomplishments?

1. Writing two books of my five-book series.
2. Saving someone's life (I was a life guard...I saved a lot of lives...mostly the same little kid over and over again....)

3. Staying in touch with some of my best friends even though we are many miles apart (plus you add in all the moves. Seriously, it's impressive we still have each other).

4. Reading. I think reading is always an accomplishment (and I'm running out of things here).

5. My Franken-blanket. It took me almost three years to finish, but finish I did. :)

 
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?

There are two things: singing and finding cheap flights. 

Day 15

15.If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

Seriously? This is the easiest thing to answer: I'd be a cat, so I could lounge around and sleep all day, and no one would judge me....or if they did, it wouldn't matter because I would be a cat. Cats don't care. 

Day Numero 14

14. Describe 5 of your strengths.

1. Compassion: I'm compassionate, I think. Sometimes to a fault. I have what my mom used to call "a soft heart." 
2. Writing: this is something that, while I have had to work on, has always come pretty easy to me. 
3. Imagination: You can be a good writer, but if you don't have a good imagination, you can't be a good story-teller. Lucky me, I got both! :) 
4. Knitting: My mom calls me a spider.

Feel free to add. I can't think of anything else.

Day 13

13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.

1. Books: I have an impossibly hard time walking into a bookstore without walking out with a new book. Or an old book. Ah, old books. Mmmm. 
2. The inability to sit up straight. I have to consciously think about it. 
3. Kittens: Really, though? Who doesn't have this weakness.
4. Judgmental: I'm super judgmental of myself (as a whole) and others (particularly, grammar). I'm trying to be more understanding and forgiving, but it takes time. 
5. My attention span is just not what 

Day 12

12. Describe a typical day in your current life.

On a typical Monday, I'll wake up somewhere between 6:45 and 7:30 (depending on where and if Jake has a subbing job that day). I feed Gwen, then shower, change and eat a bowl of cornflakes with chocolate milk. :) I love chocolate milk. I pack a lunch that I may or may not eat.  I work at the ISU writing center from 9-12 and then I meet with another tutee from 12:30 to 1:30. If Jake has a job, I hang out at the library until he's done and can come pick me up (we only have one car). If Jake doesn't have a job, he comes and picks me up. 

I get home and feed Gwen again. I spend some time with Jake talking about whatever or reading him the latest thing I've written while he plays minecraft, and then, he goes off to work. While he's at work, I write or watch Murder, She Wrote and paint. Jake gets home; we eat dinner, and then we go over to our friends' house to watch the Olympics. We watch a bunch of athletes win medals while others fall down, and then, we go home and go to bed.

That's basically it.

p.s. I totally go to the bathroom and stuff...I just figured you wouldn't want to read about my sudoku sessions.

Days 10 AND 11!!

10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.

The problem with the post is that I’m really good at being embarrassed, but I’m even better at not remembering embarrassing moments. Seriously, I know I probably did one thing or another that I was probably super embarrassed about at the time, but I can’t remember anything off the top of my head….or even after sitting here thinking about it for a moment.

So because of that, I’m also doing 11.

11. List 10 pet peeves you have.

1. “I seen.” Ugh. Seriously? It’s either “I saw” or it’s “I have seen.” I live in the part of the world that seemed to have invented “I seen.”

2. When people are listening to music in a quiet environment but have the music on so loud that the whole room can hear it. What is the point of headphones if you’re going to play your music blaringly loud anyway?

3. Poorly used adverbs (I know I used one in #2). Most of the time I’m actually pretty forgiving about this one, but every now and then, I’ll hear one that sets my teeth on edge. The worst is when I use one but honestly can’t think of a better way to describe my scene. I always highlight the word so I can come back and change it later.

4. Commercials on Pandora.

5. My constant lack of money. It makes me sad, but it also bugs me.

6. When I want to read a book and suddenly realize that I don’t own it. I’ve wanted to read Libba Bray’s The Diviners for two months, but I don’t own that book (and I have no money to buy it).

7. When my phone decides it’s just going to randomly turn off.

8. That I’m only given an hour on the “visitor station”s at the library. Seriously people? I don’t have work for an hour and a half; only giving me an hour is cruel. ;)

9. Chewing loudly. It’s just gross.

10.  People that cross the street 5 feet away from a cross-walk. Sorry, I totally would have stopped, but you’re jaywalking. If you get hit by a car while jaywalking in the middle of the night while you are wearing all black, that is not my fault.

Day 9

9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.

1. My 7^th grade English teacher: she was the first person I remember telling me that I had a real talent for writing. She was one of the first people that made me think that writing could be something I could do as a career, something that I could always carry with me throughout my life.
2. The Ocean: whoever tells you that the ocean is not a person has never really met her (of course the ocean is a woman). She taught me that life is unpredictable, that you should always be watching for what is coming, but you shouldn’t let it consume you either. She taught me that you can’t worry about the wave you missed or the wave you may or may not catch. The only thing you can control is how you ride the wave you’re on. She taught me that falling down and getting scratched up is part of life and so is getting up. She taught me to relax when I’m scared. Most importantly, she taught me that, even though her moods were fierce, she loves me. This sounds silly, but I know the ocean loves me because I always had fun, and joy is the next most important you can get out of life (love being the first).
3. Stephen King: he taught me that it’s okay to get rejected, and that being rejected isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s something to be motivated by.
4. My friends: I can’t list you guys all here (I mean I could, but I would go over my 10 people limit). You know who you are. You know how you’ve helped me, how you’ve influenced me, and how you’ve changed me. The friends I have are the friends that have stuck with me despite the moves and changes. I read a quote by Elbert Hubbard that says “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” I think that sums up my friends pretty well. (If you really want to know how you influenced me, just ask and I’ll tell you.)
5. Taylor Swift & the Doctor: I’m going to sound like a 10-year-old, but they taught me not to be ashamed of things I love. I shouldn’t have to apologize for my taste in music or television. I like what I like; I spent a lot of time hiding the music I loved because I thought people would judge me. I was right. People will judge me, but who cares? I love listening to Taylor Swift, and I am a proud Whovian (who has, unfortunately, not seen a single episode since Clara and the Doctor’s last adventure before last summer).
6. My parents: (Also not technically one person, but only 2 people on this list have been physically one person so far, so whatever.) How can the two people who raised you not affect you as a person? They helped mold me for my first 18-19 years of life. I’ve taken what I’ve learned, and I’ve matured (you know, to a degree).
7. J.K. Rowling: she gave me two important things: 1. The backdrop for my childhood, and 2. An escape to a familiar place any time the world becomes too much for me. I am a child with adult responsibilities, and sometimes it’s nice to be a kid again. It’s nice to walk down the halls of Hogwarts and hang out with three of my best friends: Ron, Harry, and Hermione.
8. Guinevere (my cat): she taught me that you can really love someone even though you’re really frustrated with them because they pooped on your rug for the gazillionth time. Real love is washing a poopy bum even though it’s a quarter to midnight, and you’re exhausted.
9. Every single character in every book I’ve ever read: seriously, I become emotionally attached to fictional characters. I cried so hard when (SPOILER ALERT) Sirius died in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I was right there with Harry hoping Sirius had the mirror, praying that Sirius would be a ghost, and being totally devastated when both of these proved false. Sirius showed me how to have fun. Hermione taught me to be a responsible student (and that it’s occasionally okay to be a little rebellious). Princess Addie, from The Two Princesses of Bamarre, taught me to be courageous; and she taught me it was okay to fall for an older guy. I could write you a whole novel on all the fictional characters that have affected my life and how. I’ll leave you with those three though.
10. My hubs: (like you didn’t know this was coming) he showed me that real love is the ability to be yourself around another person. It’s not having to wonder if they’re going to think you’re weird when you meow at them; it’s know they’re going to think you’re weird and love you anyway. Real love is helping you wash your cat’s poopy bum even though he didn’t want the cat in the first place. Jake influences me in so many ways every day, and I love him for it (and for a million other things).

Day 8

8. What are 5 passions you have right now?

1. Writing

2. Getting my cat’s butt shaved (seriously).

3. Music

4. Painting

5. Writing. 

(Yes, writing is on there twice....I'm just SUPER passion about writing...and I honestly couldn't think of a 5th thing.)

Day 7

7. What is your dream job and why?

 

I think my dream job would be a combination of being a mom and being an author. Jake and I always talk about how, when we get our own house, we’ll have our own offices where we can write. I want to write. I want to send the kids to school, spend the 6-8 hours that they’re gone writing, and then I want my work published. Being paid to write would be my dream job because I wouldn’t work a day in my life. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be fun. Spending all day pretending I live in a world where magic is a reality? And then having the kids home and living in the magic? How could there possibly be something wrong with that?