Tagged

Thanks to Amber, I've just been tagged in this little blogger game :). Here goes. How To Play This Game of Tag: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, & 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!
3 Joys:
1. My little family. I love the way Gabriel is playing so well these days. He loves hide-n-seek and to surprise us when he pops out from behind a corner. He has been so snugly and kind of needy, and I know that I should encourage his independence, but I really don't want to right now. I love that he loves me. He often just comes up and throws himself on me giggling or just sits in my lap when I'm playing with Ariana or sneaks up behind me and plays with my hair. I love how my little Ariana is getting so much spunk! She is turning into a toddler (without the toddling) right before my eyes. She knows what she wants right now, and man does she let you know. She is getting such a sense of humor -- she laughs these huge belly laughs at the silliest things (usually something Gabe is doing), and I don't think she ever stops smiling. Jake is the best husband ever. I say it a lot, but I don't think I could ever say it enough to do him justice. He loves us unconditionally, and he works so hard for us. He makes me feel beautiful every day.
2. Food. And not just any food, but good food. I can get very excited about something really delicious. If it's free, it's just that much better. Some people have marveled at how I can still get up the motivation to cook so called "elaborate" meals every night, when there's just so little time in my day (by the way, they're not elaborate, they're simple). My standard answer is that I like to cook, because I like to eat, and I would never ever cook anything that I didn't really want to eat. In other words, I'm kinda selfish about all things culinary -- Jake's just lucky he married a hungry girl. Recently, I got hired as a "secret shopper" (a.k.a. low paid restaurant reviewer) for a company called Coyle Hospitality. Jake & I are going on our second free dinner date this Sunday to Firebirds (last time it was Bloom), and I just can't wait. Crab cakes & prime rib here I come!
3. Vacation. I love to travel... a lot. It's one of my passions in life. Lucky that Jake & I share it, because I could never be with a person that wasn't willing to traipse the planet with me. I think it's needless to say that we haven't gotten to go anywhere in way to long (since before I was pregnant with the twins). We are going on our first vacation since on July 15th - July 21st to the Dominican Republic, and we are taking the whole crew. I am so excited. I believe that people who never get away are just wound way too tight! I know that I am when I've been stuck for too long. I need to get out of my element, get a change of scenery, see some beautiful sites, break my routine, nap, ditch technology, and spend more than 3 consecutive awake hours in my husband's presence at a time for me to really relax.
3 Fears:
1. Losing a child or my husband. I don't know if it's just me (I'd like to think it's all moms), but I've gotten pretty paranoid about death and other tragedies ever since I had my twins. I just know I would lose it completely if I lost one of them. Okay, that's enough -- I'm freaking out here.
2. Spiders. They are freaky. They have lots of legs. They can be hairy. They have lots of eyes and can see you in every direction. They play dead (sneaky!). They can jump. They have fangs. They are probably the only insect that will run towards you, rather than away, when you are chasing it. Lastly, I don't care what anyone says about how they can't hurt you -- they can! They can be very poisonous (especially the ones in Arizona), and are resistant to insecticide unless you have killed off their entire food source.
3. 2012. Okay, so this isn't really a fear, but I stand by it until proven wrong. I think that the world is going to end in the year 2012. Call me crazy (and you wouldn't be the first), but all signs point to yes, especially Obama winning the Presidential race.
3 Goals:
1. Ariana. So Ariana isn't really a goal, but I have so many goals for her that I had to put her name. In the short term, I want her to be eating only solid foods (not pureed baby foods) by the time we go on vacation. We are almost there. I haven't opened a jar of baby food in at least 2 days. I want her to be sitting independently by the time Isabella is born. I want her to crawl before Isabella does (& I want Isabella to crawl on time), and for her to walk before preschool (3 years old).
2. Graduate degree & fulfilling work. I want to finish my Masters in Counseling (I have about 2/3 of the way left to go), get a law degree, or both. I want to go to work eventually (after all my kids are in school), and love my job...no, love my work. I don't want a "job" (I know, cliché). I want to feel like I helped myself by helping others every single day. I want to be somebody's advocate. If you know me, you'll know that I need this. When I'm not being my children's advocate, I'm playing the devil's advocate. I need to fight a righteous battle or help others to do so or I'm not happy.
3. Pottery Barn Perfection. You know how you feel when you open up a Pottery Barn catalog? Like this world doesn't really exist for most people, but oh my gosh does it look refreshing? Dusted furniture, everything in its place, Norman Rockwell style Christmases with wood-burning fireplaces & mugs of hot cocoa, summertime kids running through sprinklers in the backyard, a clambake on the dock by the lakehouse, colorful drinks with sliced limes on sparkling glassware on the deckchair side tables? It's not just furniture people. For me, it's a small dream of a way of life where leisure and home life are central. Bills, errands? Well, they are nicely catalogued in the business center organizers, labeled envelope bins, and stylish filing cabinets; not to interfere with...well, life. 3 Obsessions or Collections:
1. My blog. It's addicting. I have always loved journaling. Written school assignments were never too much of a chore for me either. This is the best of both worlds: journaling with an actual reader. Surprisingly, it doesn't take half as much time for me to blog as it would be to keep a written journal, because I am a fast typer (my claim to fame).
2. My Babies (& their schedules)! There, I admitted it. I keep a pretty tight routine for my twins, and I like it. I'm only 10% flexible on it, and I reserve the right to decide where, when, & how to adjust it. My babies are happy -- what can I say? I'm not going to pretend not to take any credit for that. And another little thing... I get to keep my sanity. I am the type that would just hit the wall if I had to spend the day putting out fires. It's not my style. I'll take my "Type A" label, thankyouverymuch.
3. Sharks. I love sharks. I have dreams about swimming with sharks & befriending sharks. I have scuba dove with a school of about 40 10-ft. sharks and it was one of my best memories. I think it stems from my toddlerhood obsession with dinosaurs. There is just something appealing to be about forming alliances with ferocious beasts. Surprising facts:
I don't know if I can surprise anyone with any facts about myself because I'm a pretty open book, but I will list a few (more than 3) and maybe one will catch someone by surprise. Sorry, but I'm just not that mysterious. I got engaged at 19 and married at 20 years old to my husband who is 10 years my senior. I am a convert to the LDS (a.k.a Mormon) church 1 1/2 years ago and was raised Jewish. I am half Korean and half Eastern European (Russian, Polish, English, Latvian). I used to be a party girl, and that's how I met my hubby (who says it doesn't pay off to be a little crazy every once in a while?). I graduated high school with a 5.0 GPA and college with a 4.0 GPA (sorry, that was obnoxious). I have a really good memory & can recall conversations verbatim. Aside from being a mom, my dream job would be to be a CIA agent, American spy, military sniper, or an arms dealer. I'll bet no one saw that last one coming.

I tag Alison, April, Emily, Kassidi, & Kristen.