Thanks to Monica of Equipping Catholic Families, who brought us diapers, snacks, Tylenol, and, best of all, company, when our flight to Paris was canceled and we got stranded in Toronto for a night and a day on the way over.
Thanks to Catholic All Year reader Isabelle, who, even with a baby due next month, met us in Paris and gave us a very fun and informative historical tour. We now know all about all the revolutions, and the time Paris ate the elephants in the zoo.
Thanks to those of you who entrusted us with your intentions. We prayed for them on each stop of our journey.
Thanks to all of you for your great comments on the interviews with the husband and kids. I read and appreciated all of them, even though I didn't do any responding on our vacation.
And thanks to Haley at Carrots for Michaelmas, who hosted Answer Me This for me last week while we were out of town and gave us this week's questions!
And here they are . . .
1. Beach or Mountains? Where would you rather be?
I like both. We really like hiking and try to visit a new National Park each year, and most of those are in the mountains. But, I'm a California girl and have almost always lived near the beach. So, I think I'll have to go with beach.
My favorite are overcast days at the beach. Not too hot, we don't get sunburned (I know you still CAN, but we don't seem to), and no crowds.
In order to keep from spending the day sitting around feeling jetlagged, we went to Venice Beach for a picnic lunch on Saturday, our first day home.
Again, both are great. But there's just something magical about Christmas Eve. I love the anticipation.
We wait until Christmas Eve to get our tree and decorate, so there's always lots to do. And I do love a hustle and bustle. We put out milk and cookies and read A Visit From St. Nicholas. My favorite is the last thing we do: we put the baby Jesus into the little manger that the kids' have been filling with nice, soft hay by their good deeds throughout Advent. We sing Silent Night and Away in a Manger and then it's off to bed.
Christmas Morning is great, but there's all the chaos of wrapping paper and candy for breakfast. There's just nothing like the dark and quiet and readiness of Christmas Eve!
3. What’s the most embarrassing childhood outfit you remember wearing?
My mom sewed a lot of clothes for my sister and me growing up, sometimes with a matching outfit for her too. I was not at all embarrassed by those outfits at the time, and I continue to think they were pretty much the bees knees. I'm unlikely to whip my kids up matching alligator print overalls. But how cool would it be if I did?
The outfit that comes to mind for embarrassing was a pastel sweatsuit with a big silkscreened bunny on it that I picked out for myself with birthday money from my grandmother when I was in the fourth grade. I thought it was pretty great. But then I wore it to school and some kids thought it was lame and teased me about it, so I lied and said that my grandmother had sent it to me and so my mom was making me wear it. I don't think I ever wore it again.
It still makes me sad that I let what other people thought take away my joy in that outfit, and drive me to sin. It's an experience that has stuck with me. I try to teach my kids that we should care about other people's feelings and preferences, but not to the point that we allow them to rob of us our own joy in something.
And also, don't lie.
4. Your house is quiet, you don’t have to do work (housework included). What do you do?
4. Your house is quiet, you don’t have to do work (housework included). What do you do?
I almost always write anytime I have a free moment now. But I think I'll count that as work, even though I love it. If it's true leisure time. I'd say sit in my glider in the living room and embroider while watching Netflix. Currently I'm into the first season of Foyle's War. So great.
5. What movie do you want to watch when you’re feeling under the weather?
I mostly don't watch TV when I'm sick. When I was little, the rule was: either you're sick enough to be sleeping or you should be doing something productive. I've kind of always stuck with that. I very rarely get sick, but when I do, I just sleep until I can get up and going again.
5. What movie do you want to watch when you’re feeling under the weather?
I mostly don't watch TV when I'm sick. When I was little, the rule was: either you're sick enough to be sleeping or you should be doing something productive. I've kind of always stuck with that. I very rarely get sick, but when I do, I just sleep until I can get up and going again.
And now that I have big kids that don't nap, I can't really get away with watching movies during the day anyway.
But if I'm going to quit being nit-picky and answer the question, I'd have to say the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. I know the casting is divisive among Janites, but I love it.
6. Did you have an American Girl doll when you were little? If so, which one?
I was born in 1976, so I think I must have missed the American Girl Doll thing the first time around.
I had Barbies, a Cabbage Patch Kid, and my favorite, a "Jeans & Things" Kim Doll.
She was pretty stylin.'
Betty does have American Girl Dolls though. She has the now discontinued :0( colonial dolls Elizabeth and Felicity and she got the new Marie-Grace Doll for Christmas. I think the historical period dolls are a great way for girls to connect with history.
(I think the My American Girl dolls are a great way for girls to connect with themselves, which isn't a priority around here.)
For next week I'm tagging:
Sophie Golden of שרה Sophie's. Post to check out: On being a stay at home mum and a Hausfrau.
and
Emily from Jeffily: Post to check out: why you should never comment on another person’s fertility.
Next week's questions for them and for your are . . .
1. Do you have a smart phone?
2. Which is your favorite meal of the day?
3. Shower or bath?
4. Think of a person you love. How many days have you been in love with that person? (Don't worry, this site will do the math for you. And, hey, now you can order this card!)
5. What's the best church you've ever been inside?
6. Happy Feast of the Visitation! Has anyone ever come to help YOU?
Next week's installment will go live at 10pm Pacific Saturday night, and will be open until 10pm Wednesday night.
So, please, answer this week's questions for yourself in the comments. If you have a blog, answer the questions there, link back to this post, and link your blog post up below. Thanks for playing along.