FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

Mama M. at MY LITTLE LIFE has posted her 5 questions for Friday.

Here are my answers:

1. Are you a napper?

I used to nap during college. I would stay up until 2 a.m. studying and then after my 11 a.m. class I would sleep for an hour. It was wonderful. Now if I nap during the day, I can't sleep at night. After Sam was born, I even tried the sleep when the baby sleeps thing, but it never worked for me.

2. What was your favorite subject in school? Most hated?

I loved math and writing. Go figure! I teach math now and I LOVE to write. The rules never change in math and although I was a horrible speller, I had a great imagination and wrote great stories. I hated P.E. and science the most. Although I was on the volleyball team, sports, in general, are not on my list of talents. Science was boring and gross. I could never remember how to combine the electrons with the protons and which rock as which. I was never good at languages (other than English), either. We had to take French in high school and I think my teacher felt sorry for me and let me pass with a C-.

3. Did you have the something old, new, borrowed and blue at your wedding? What were they?

I know I did, but I can't remember what they were. I think I had a blue garter. My ring or dress was the new. Ugghhh...I guess I should remember, but I don't.

4. What one thing are you determined to do this summer?

Potty train my son! Wish me luck!

5. Ice cream or Popsicles?

Ice cream!

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

Mama M. at MY LITTLE LIFE has posted this week's 5 questions.

Here are my answers:

1. Do you make your kids finish all the food on their plates?

Short answer no. I've become very good at gauging how much Sam can eat. Usually he does finish it all, but if a couple bits are left who cares. I do not want Sam to have food issues and I'm learning to pick my battles. He is usually pretty good at trying new things and I've found if I don't make a big deal out of it, even if he says he doesn't like something, lo and behold, the next time we have it, he'll ask to try some. I do make sure that when he asks for snacks they are healthy ones, like grapes and carrots, but we do allow the occasional cookie too.

2. Do you give an allowance?

Sam is only 3 1/2 years old. We've just recently started a chore list of things for him to "help" with and he is a very helpful kid already. At the end of the week, we count up his stars of jobs he's helped with and he gets a "gold dub loon" (pennies...ha ha....he prefers them over the other coins...little does he know...) for each star.

I never got an allowance, but Richard did, so we are of a different mind on this front and we are still in negotiations over this one.

3. Do you actually park your car in the garage?

YES WE DO! We are one of the few on our block, wait...the entire neighborhood....that does.

Richard and I are in total agreement on this one!

One, I find it totally ridiculous that people have so much crap, and half the time they don't know what they have anyway, that they have to store it. If it's that important use it and if your not using it, maybe it's not that important. I do store Christmas decorations, our steam cleaner, gardening supplies and a few pictures that we change out occasionally, but everything fits on the sides of the cars. If you can't fit your car in the garage.....YOU HAVE WAY TO MUCH STUFF AND IT'S TIME TO GET RID OF YOUR JUNK!

Two, if you put your car in your garage, you won't have problems with hail damage or your car being damaged or stolen.

Finally, it drives me nuts when people park their cars in their driveways and it blocks the sidewalks. It also makes it very difficult to maneuver around cars that are parked on either side of the street and you and another car are coming in opposite directions trying to pass each other.

4. What is one food you will NEVER cook?

Cauliflower and Broccoli! YUCK!

5. Do you have anything exciting planned for the summer?

Yes! I just posted about it on Wednesday. Read about our big plans for the summer here!

5 QUESTION FRIDAY!

Mama M. at, MY LITTLE LIFE, has posted her 5 questions for Friday. Here are my answers:

1. Groceries are high right now what is easiest way you have found to cut back?

My number one way is by buying more generic brands. Some things I refuse to go cheap on, like toilet paper, but most other things the cheaper version is just as good.

Another thing is to buy less snacks, sweets and soda....which is healthier anyway.

The other way is that I STICK TO MY LIST and I do not impulse shop.

2. What are the top 3 things on your "bucket list"?

* Vacation in Tahiti
* Pay off our house
* Publish a book

3. Would you rather give up AC or heat?

This was an easy question....AC! I am always cold and we actually save money in the summer because I only use the AC when absolutely necessary.

4. What's your favorite cocktail?

KAHLUA AND CREAM

5. What was your first job and how old were you?

I starting babysitting when I was 13 years old for a couple that had 3 little girls. I spent 8-9 hours a day at their house and I made $1 an hour.

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

Mama M. at My Little Life has posted her five questions for Friday. Here are my answers:

1. Who mows your grass?

Ha, ha! I love this one...I am happy to say, NO ONE! Last year, after 8 years of spending tons of $$$$ trying to fertilize and seed and fertilize and seed and fertilize and seed...

I don't know whether it's because I live in New Mexico, where water comes at a premium (We have to pay for water!) or that I don't have much of a green thumb or maybe both, but I was tired of having a dirt lot.

Anyway...we finally took our tax return money and bought FAKE GRASS! It is GLORIOUS! We didn't get the BEST QUALITY, but we didn't get a putting green either. Anyone who has seen it tells us it actually looks real...except for maybe in December when there is snow on the ground and our gorgeous, bright green lawn is showing through.....

Anyway, the point is, there is no mowing, no watering and no more dirt lot. The best part...I just paid it off!

We all love it!

2. Do you have a picture wall or picture gallery in your house?

Yes, I do. It's a small one and an easy one. I actually made it with my Dad. I used a piece of wood, cloth, fancy tacks, batting and ribbon. I love that I can switch them our easily. I want it to, eventually, be bigger and grander. Having lots of pictures in multiple frames is on my project list. It's a very long list....

3. What book has influenced your thinking the most? Or, what blog?

The Shack is the first one I think of. Joyce Meyer's book, Battlefield of the Mind, is the other one. My life, over the past year, has been a little stressful and I think those two books prepared and helped me the most, for what I didn't know was to come.

The blogs I read (Yes, when they post, I read them all.) are listed in my sidebar. My top ten (in no particular order) are:

MckMama
Jumping the Tracks
Always and Forever Family
Dreams Really Do Come True
An Urban Teacher's Education
All Things Thrifty
I Heart Organizing
Jenny On The Spot
Such the Spot
More Then Dog Children

4. Do you have allergies? If so, how do you handle it this time of year?

Yes, I do, and I am lucky, what keeps it under control is just a generic, over the counter, 12 hour allergy medicine that I take March through September.

5. What's your go to meal to cook in an hurry?

I AM NOT A COOK! I love quick and easy and I love my crock pot.

* Calico Beans
* Chicken, corn and rice
* Pasta and salad