A fitting award, if I do say so myself...

When I first heard of the Leibster award, I'll admit I wanted one just because it's well a LEIBSTER award and you kind of have to admit, that sounds an awful lot like a LEBERT award and who wouldn't want an award that kind of, sort of, sounds like it may or may not have been named after them??

Well, my wish was granted. This award came to me all the way from West Virginia and the wonderful blogger, Gingerssnaps. You can check her out at The Wild and Wonderful World of Gingerssnaps. She also has a blog about the journey she's been on since losing her mom -- The Grief Chronicles -- if you've been here for long, you know the loss of a parent is something I can identify with and something that pulls me to other bloggers.

Back to the award...

There are rules here but they are pretty simple:

1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.

3. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.

4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.

5. No tag backs.

I'll go ahead and start with the random facts; those are always fun. 

1. I had to get my first set of stitches when I was in Kindergarten. Back then, schools had money and we got to enjoy a day with a real prima ballerina. It was totally awesome until the girl next to me swept my foot out from under me, doing one move or another and smack! right on the linoleum, chin first. My dad had to come pick me up & take me for the stitches, which was weird and rare because my parents were divorced and my dad was working graveyard. 

2. Before I had kids, I thought I wanted three boys. Then I had one. Then another. Now, I'm desperate for this last baby to be a girl. DESPERATE. I'm not totally irrational about it; if it is another boy, it will be okay. I will be okay. I will only cry a little, for a brief minute or two and then I will remember that it is not the sex of a baby that makes it special, it's the fact that it's a baby and OMGYOUJUSTMADETHATTHING. IN YOUR BODY. 

3. After growing up in a house that only ever had dogs for pets (my mom had a serious cat allergy and so do I), I discovered I actually really like cats. Sure, they still scare the shit out of me when I see them following me in the street, especially at night, but honestly, they are super awesome animals and way different than dogs. 

4. I love rainbows. When I was a kid and friendship bracelets were all the rage, I could only ever make them in rainbows. It was too hard to choose colors that went together. Jesus, it still is. 

5. I've lived in three different states (Oregon, North Carolina & California), traveled to another country three times (Canada, eh?) and since January 2010, I've lived in three different houses and one of those moves was The Big One. 

6. I love to eat and cook; food is just so awesome and delicious. You'd never know it from my appearance (thank you, Dad, for my amazing metabolism) but I munch and snack all day long. Not always the healthiest eater, I am trying to modify my food choices and add more fruits and veggies. Parsnips are one of my favorites and I love using my Crock Pot to make stews and chili. 

7. I'm five feet, nine-and-three-quarter inches tall but I say "5'10" because I feel entitled to that extra quarter inch. Plus it's so much easier and really, who's gonna call me on it??

8. I simply cannot survive without coffee. It's not my fault. I was never a coffee drinker until my pregnancy with Paxton; super tired and lagging, Jay convinced me to give it a try. Three years later, I'm a coffee nut and I've graduated from grande caramel white chocolate mochas with extra caramel sauce to French pressing at home, with cream & sugar. 

9. I love nail polish. SOMANYCOLORS. While I almost always have nicely polished toes, I usually have plain Jane fingers. It's pretty logical, really; toenails do not chip nearly as easily as fingernails do and therefore are much easier to maintain. Fingers are used for EVERYTHING. I can't go a day after painting my fingernails without chipping some off and then, it looks horrible and it all comes off. So, I forego the fingers and opt to have pretty little piggies.

10. Besides the morning sickness, I LOVE BEING PREGNANT. I can eat all the time, gain weight and I get to buy new clothes! My hair looks great; I HAVE BOOBS; my skin is doing awesome and I seem to be a pro at the hardest part: labor and delivery. I can't really say this one is going to be a cake walk but if past experience is any indication, it shouldn't be too difficult. Did I mention the boobs?? 

11. I think my kids are the best teachers I have ver had. How is that? you ask. They teach me stuff every day, like how to be more patient, to be more loving and in the moment. They teach me to get go of control and just relax. I have learned how to be a better mom and person because of them. I'm still not the best mom I can be but they aren't done teaching me yet, either. 

And here are my 11 questions from Gingerssnaps -- 

1. Where were you born? 
-- I was born in Portland, Oregon, the City of Roses and the city that still has my heart.

2. What is your most favorite thing from childhood?
-- Memories of my dad. I miss him a lot. 

3. Why did you start blogging and why do you blog now? Is it the same reason you started blogging?
-- I started blogging to get rid of stress and bitch about my relationship with Jay. It was very ranty and childish and most of those early posts have 'mysteriously' disappeared. I still use it as an outlet but I've refined my writing style and grown the fuck up. My reasons for blogging have definitely changed; I do it now to reach out and connect with people who have or are experiencing things I've gone through. I want to help people.

4. What is your favorite silly made up word?
--Farfignewton. Don't ask. I have NO IDEA.

5. Who is your favorite leading man/woman?
-- Jesus. No, that's not my answer. I don't really know; I don't have many 'idols' but I am a huge fan of Annie Leibovitz. She may not be a "leading woman" but she is damned awesome.

6. Who is your favorite heroine /hero from any book and why?
-- Lessa, from the Dragonriders of PERN.

7. Have you gotten to know any of your fellow bloggers personally?
-- Yes & no. While I haven't met any of my fellow bloggers, I definitely feel I know some of them personally. I can talk to a few about non-blog stuff, like real life and that makes them friends, right?? I thought so.

8.  What is your favorite holiday? 
-- I like all the end-of-year holidays; Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

9.  Who is your role model and why?
-- My dad. He wasn't perfect as a parent or a man but he was always trying to be the best version of him he could be. He taught me to push myself and accept challenges; that growth is sometimes uncomfortable but always worthwhile. 

10. What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you there yet, and are you what you wanted to be as a child? 
--I really didn't have a dream career, growing up. I think I always wanted to be at home, with my kids. My mom raised me alone for eight years and even when my parents got remarried, she worked full-time. All I knew was that didn't sound like fun.

11. What is your favorite quote?
-- Pretty much anything Oscar Wilde ever said but these two stick with me the most: "A man who does not think for himself, does not think at all" and "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing."


Now that we have all that mess out of the way, I can go ahead and nominate some very worthy blogs!

1. Life As I Know It
2. Young Mums Guide to Survival
3. A Lot of Layers
4. Musings of Munch
5. Bad Playdate
6. PDD World
7. The Insomniac's Dream
8. Non-Stop Mom
9. Life on the SONny Side
10. The Mommy Ref
11. Glitter and Laughter


Here are MY questions for you:

1. Have you ever moved away from "home"?
2. What are your hobbies, besides blogging?
3. Do you go on family vacations; which was your favorite?
4. Any big plans for 2013?
5. If you could have any animal, real or imaginary, for a pet, what would you choose and why?
6. What's your favorite book/movie?
7. It's raining and the kids are home from school, WHAT DO YOU DO?
8. If you could time-travel, would you go back to the past or into the future?
9. Do you censor your posts based on your followers (like family or certain friends)?
10. Will you keep blogging?
11. You get to meet a role model or idol: who is it and why?

Man, this was a hard one! I'm glad I could share all these great blogs though; go check them out and let them now they rock! Just let me tell them they've been nominated first...