Just kall me kreativ

I was recently given the Kreativ Blogger award by Jingle, a new bloggy buddy who brings inspiration and eloquence to the blogosphere. So basically, we don't have much in common. But she gave me the award anyway, and I am grateful! (And I also now received it from Gerardine at My Walking Path. Thank you so much.)



Per the rules of the award, I must list seven things about myself. I've done this exact assignment numerous times for other memes, and lately I feel I've been having to dig into some pretty ridiculous and insignificant facts. (Remember this recent post where I boast of my prowess at the computer game Minesweeper? Ummm, yeah.) Because I've recently "met" some new bloggers thanks to my foray into the world of multiples and bedrest, I thought I would pull back into the bigger-picture, getting-to-know-me kind of facts that will hopefully at least be new to them.

1. I have known my DH since elementary school, and I have had a crush on him ever since. When we were 16, I asked him out on our first date, and much to my complete shock and thrill, we began our relationship. We went to college in different states and married the month after I graduated. We have both changed so much since that first date 13 years ago (and I'm not just talking about the extra pounds around our midsections), but fortunately we've only grown closer over the years. I don't mind that he DVRs shows about Russian czars on the History Channel, and he doesn't mind that my idea of being a SAHM doesn't include cooking or cleaning. We are the perfect match!

2. Before quitting my job to stay home with my son, I was a mental health counselor. After a bachelor's degree in journalism and a job offer to make $10 an hour writing for a business journal in St. Charles, Missouri (need I say more?), I decided to scrap that career and follow my passion by getting a master's degree in counseling. Working in the field was more rewarding than I could have imagined. I feel blessed to have found my "calling" and I look forward to resuming the work someday. In the meantime, I'll just read your blogs and diagnose you all with the appropriate mental disorders. (KIDDING!!) (Seriously, I don't do this.) (But you probably should see a professional for that OCD.)

3. I'm a girlie girl, although I'm not always good at it. I adore shopping, but my wardrobe is decidedly unremarkable. I love make-up, but my eyebrows call desperately for professional shaping. I spend extra money for a quality hair-cut, but I haven't gotten a really cute pair of shoes in years. It works just fine for me, though. And I will not be embarrassed of my weakness for tiny, cute packaging and things that sparkle or glitter. Perhaps because of this, several people have asked DH if I am disappointed that we are not having a girl. Actually, no, not whatsoever. Because if they are like their father, they won't notice (or care) about my imperfect eyebrows or completely functional footwear. God bless my boys.

4. I may be Sunny in Seattle, but I'm a Midwesterner born and raised. Shortly after we married in our home state of Michigan, DH accepted a job in St. Louis, where we lived for five years. It is a lovely city, but neither of us felt really settled or at home there. When DH got an offer to transfer with his employer to Seattle while we were pregnant with Bean, my first thought was, "Over my dead body!" But since I wanted to have the option of being a SAHM, I took a big gulp and agreed to support his career. Much to my surprise, I absolutely love it out here and quickly grew comfortable. The mountains, the water, the green... it's gorgeous. And for some reason, I was not expecting everyone to be as friendly and welcoming as they are. It is really hard being so far from family, especially having Bean and soon the twins, and we miss them all terribly. But there is a solution: everyone we love needs to move here. What are you waiting for?

5. Motherhood was a difficult adjustment for me. I think most people who experience infertility agree that extra time waiting for a baby in no way translates to being extra prepared for the challenges of actually having one. To be completely honest, in those first few months, DH and I frequently asked ourselves what we were thinking going through all those treatments to achieve parenthood, because we sucked at it and weren't having much fun. But as Bean outgrew the newborn stage and we found our groove in caring for him, I discovered that being a parent is actually incredibly amazing. Bonding took a couple of months, but now Bean is my sweet little buddy and being home with him has been hands-down the best time of my life.

6. Speaking of motherhood, I would classify myself as a mainstream mama with a hint of crunch. I've tried to let parenting flow as naturally as I can: co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, babywearing, and gentle discipline as much as is reasonable. I tried to make homemade baby food for Bean -- which he consistently rejected, seemingly on principle -- and I opt for organic when it's available and not wallet-busting. We also keep Bean rear-facing in his car seat. But I do believe in vaccinations, the beauty of television, and the appropriateness of limited cry-it-out when the old-enough kiddo needs help learning to sleep. Oh, and unlike my crunchier counterparts, I didn't vote for Obama and think this administration stinks like poopy diapers. Cloth or disposables.

7. Having a sense of humor about life is very important to me. And if that humor is dry, irreverent, sarcastic, or self-deprecating, all the better. My Netflix and DVR queues are overflowing with comedies, and of the nine books stacked next to my bed right now, six are romance novels -- because really, it doesn't get much funnier than this. (And for the record, one of the remaining three books is a comical memoir and the other two are parenting books.) There are a lot of seriously sad things that happen in life, so I try to balance it out with as much laughter as possible. As Mark Twain said, "Humor is mankind's greatest blessing." He was probably referring to Seinfeld or Cake Wrecks. Hope you all have a blessed, hilarious day. And please blog about it so I can laugh too!

I actually also received this award a while back on my now-defunct Secrets of an Infertile Mom blog. So instead of nominating more people to pass it on, I'm going to link you back to that post. Not all of my nominees have accepted the award yet (I'm sure they are getting around to it, any day now) so instead of nominating more, I'll renominate them.

Thanks for reading!