GTKY Friday! October 4 Edition!

2MamazInSeattle · October 2013

First off, how is it October!???

Join in our weekly Getting to Know You post! It's fun, and it's free!

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?)

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

5. What are you wearing today?

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

7. What are you up to this weekend?

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it.

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about? This is in the spirit of KH826, who a few weeks ago shared a lovely passage in GTKY about her brother, and added that she’d struggled finding a place for this piece of her that we didn’t know, but was huge! It doesn't have to be deep (but it can be of course) - so consider it "poster's choice" J.

As always, you get bonus points for a PIP of your choice!

Happy Friday all!

karah0011 · October 2013

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it

1989 Camry. I loved that car. I was the first to drive out of my friends so we all enjoyed it!

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?)

So so so sad breaking bad is over! We live in Albuquerque where it was filmed so we have a personal connection to it. Walt and Skylers house is half a mile from our house. Such a wonderful show! We are looking forward to the Amazing Race! Just started last week.

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change? This is more of a skill...but I wish she could cook! She is great at prepping and cleaning, but sometimes it would be nice to come home to a cooked meal. Bless her heart though...she tries.

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

My mom is a great cook, so I loved everything. Probably enchiladas and her famous ice cream pie.

5. What are you wearing today?

Comfy P.E. teacher gear. Under Armour sweats, Nike zip up. Its cold this morning!

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

Your basic Thanksgiving dinner with grand parents and Cowboys game after. My brother is a huge fan, so we all get stuck watching them. Hoping to make some new traditions with LO this year!

7. What are you up to this weekend?

We have family in town so we will be busy! We are headed up to our cabin in the mountains tonight for a couple nights. My cousin has never been so it should be fun. Bon fire, cold beer, fresh mountain air...Is it 3:00 yet?!

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

Orange Juice (I'm obsessed), coffee creamer, black box wine, yogurt, cheddar cheese in all forms.

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it.

Probably our Red Sox World Series memorabilia from 2007. We have a picture with David Ortiz after they won the World Series that is priceless.

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about? This is in the spirit of KH826, who a few weeks ago shared a lovely passage in GTKY about her brother, and added that she’d struggled finding a place for this piece of her that we didn’t know, but was huge! It doesn't have to be deep (but it can be of course) - so consider it "poster's choice" J.

Something that kind of baffles us.....since we had the baby in March we have not heard or seen many of our 'old' friends. I say old because after we had the baby we literally did not hear from friends that we were very close with. We have been playing softball with them for 8 years and have become very close with them. We travel together and they came to our baby shower. No text, no call, no email...nothing. We have briefly talked to a couple of them and they still have not asked about the baby. Its just extremely hurtful and it is very sad that we lost quite a few friends bc we had a baby. Things with us have not really changed...we still do things and are not home bound, but they must seem to think we are. We have tried to reach out and get no where. I never thought having a baby would really show us who our true friends are. I'm over it, but still bitter.

As always, you get bonus points for a PIP of your choice!

Happy Friday all!

KH826 · October 2013

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours?

2001 Pontiac Sunfire. It was red. Her name was Sally. Sally the Sunfire. I bought is used in 2003 - I was a freshman in college and had never had a car and desperately wanted one. So, I convinced my father to co-sign for me and I financed it and got two jobs to make my $185/month car payment and pay for insurance. I was so proud of myself when I paid it off early after just two years, but I was even more proud when I got rid of it a year after graduation and got my first "new" car!

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about?

My favorites that just returned this Fall are New Girl, Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, Bones and Law & Order: SVU. My DVR is currently at 93% -- hoping to chip away at a little this weekend! We did watch the 2hr episode of SVU last weekend - it was pretty intense/disturbing for the first 30 minutes and I really struggled with it...

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?

Procrastination! My wife is awesome, and she is good at many things, but she refuses to do anything until it is "crunch time" -- it makes me totally nuts!

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

Well... my mom did not cook much when I was a kid, and when she did it was stuff from a box/jar/freezer section... however, my favorite meals as a kids were spaghetti and meatballs and chicken pot pie. She used to buy these huge frozen chicken pot pies that she would serve with fluffy white rice. I recall that being yummy!

5. What are you wearing today?

Jeans, a flowy lace top with a navy blue blazer over it and silver ballet flats. I live for casual Fridays!

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

We alternate holidays between my family and my wife's family every other year. Last year we were at my mom's house for Thanksgiving, and with my in-laws for Christmas. This year will be the reverse, so we will be in PA for Thanksgiving. Usually we go to my in-laws house (about an hour from us) the day before and stay through the weekend. We cook A LOT -- my father-in-law and I do most of the cooking. Then we usually do black Friday shopping with my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law the next day. This year will be a little different since my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are settling on their first house on November 1st and rumor has it they would love to host dinner for both sides of their families... which I am not sure how I feel about... I am aware that traditions will be changing as our families grow, which is exciting but also a little sad.

7. What are you up to this weekend?

Today is our 9 year dating anniversary. My wife and I are going out to dinner and then to the mall to walk around and window shop at baby/maternity stores. We are obsessed with browsing at the moment. Tomorrow night we are having dinner with friends. Those are our only planned activities at the moment.

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

Skim milk, salsa, italian salad dressing, cheese of some sort, usually yogurt of some sort

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home?

We inherited a huge piggy bank (that is in the shape of an actual pig) from my wife's grandmother who we were both very close to, when she passed away last year. It looks like an antique, but we are not sure how old it actually is. It appears like it is made out of some type of pottery. We plan to name our future daughter after her grandmother, and we will have the piggy bank be a prominent piece in our nursery. Right now the piggy bank is in our bedroom.

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about?

We have nicknamed our baby "Noodle"

Bonus PIP: This was one of the shots from our engagement photo shoot a few years ago. It is seasonally appropriate and cute

Jazibel · October 2013

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it: 1988 Dodge Colt, Silver. I bought it for $600 and it lasted 3 months :-(

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?): We are planning on starting Breaking Bad. (We don't have cable just the internet/Netflix, etc.)

3. IF you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change? Today nothing but it's only 7:35am and she's sleeping for staying up late studying. :-) I guess maybe her stubbornness. It's a good and bad trait - bad when we are arguing about something - but good when it leads to determination in the face of obstacles...

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up? A german dish of meat wrapped in cabbage. And mashed potatoes... Yummmmmm Oh no now I'm craving just that!!

5. What are you wearing today? Yoga pants, t-shirt and a fuzzy robe. But I will change later - I swear!!

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!) I think we'll have a low key Thanksgiving at our house and have the in laws over for dessert (they usually do dinner with my sister-in-laws family). I prefer our small Thanksgivings - just the immediate family right now :-)

7. What are you up to this weekend? Hmmmm probably clothes shopping for EV's work clothes. Organizing Kaden's room, going to the park, library, on a walk. Nothing major yet. Today we're going to meet a friend in SF for lunch.

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer). Organic whole milk, eggs, butter, ketchup, hot sauce, fruit (seasonal), carrots.

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it. Hmmm too many favorites. I love our white metal cabinet, with glass doors. It's rustic with green and other muted paint/metal showing through. We keep our Portmeirion in it. :-) I also love our drapes just hung them yesterday - dupioni silk (or the fake stuff from Cost Plus) in a teal . I was still in the shower when our friends arrived for a BBQ yesterday because I was stubbornly hanging those things in the morning. *blush*

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about? This is in the spirit of KH826, who a few weeks ago shared a lovely passage in GTKY about her brother, and added that she’d struggled finding a place for this piece of her that we didn’t know, but was huge! It doesn't have to be deep (but it can be of course) - so consider it "poster's choice" J.: I guess what's on my mind (beside breakfast) is that I'm a little nervous about Monday. It will be weird to be back to being a Stay at Home Mom, hanging out with Kaden all day alone :-( I think I'm worried that I'll be able to keep him happily occupied, and myself as well. I also need to meet and make new friends in the area. When I joined the Mom's group where we lived before I was surprised to meet 6+ other LGBT families. We even formed our own group. I have a feeling that - that will not happen here so I'll be forging my own path - which is fine, but I miss my other Moms group. Just trying to keep an open mind, and let myself get excited about putting myself and Kaden out there. I'm somewhere between an intro and extro-vert so sometimes being super social is intimidating...

karah0011 · October 2013

My best friends live in Denton

wishiwaspreggo · October 2013

What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it

1) My first car was a Ford Taurus. My dad gave it to me since he'd just bought a new car after I graduated from college.

What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?)

2) No new fall programming really interests me right now. We've been watching Catfish and the X Factor but... I'm pretty underwhelmed. Ask me again in spring though, when Downton Abbey and the Bachelor start!!!!

If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?

3) Her tendancy to interrupt me when I'm talking to her because she notices something minute like "There's a fruit fly!" or "Did I turn off the coffee maker?" It makes me feel like she's not listening. I know she is, but it drives me nuts and I've told her. She tries to curb it but it's her intense attention to detail that makes her interrupt. And if she didn't have that attention to detail, she wouldn't be who she is so... if there was a way to make her stop interrupting but keep her usual detail-orientedness (which is usually very helpful since I'm type that would be awesome!

What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

4) My mom makes the best chili. I still can't make it as wonderfully as she does.

What are you wearing today?

5) Tan pants and a rainbow striped shirt. I'm feeling gay today

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

6) Usually go up to my parents' place since C's family doesn't really do Thanksgiving.

What are you up to this weekend?

7) It's a rainy mess here so I'm not really sure... we wanted to go to the apple orchard and have our fall picnic at our local winery but that may not be in the cards for us Go away, rain!

Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

8) Eggs, milk, onion, tea, and cheese. If we run out of any of those items, I flip out.

What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it.

9) My brother's art. He is extraordinarily talented and I wish he'd believe me. He made this gorgeous purple and black painting that's hanging in my kitchen. I wish he'd give himself more credit. He's brilliant.

What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about? This is in the spirit of KH826, who a few weeks ago shared a lovely passage in GTKY about her brother, and added that she’d struggled finding a place for this piece of her that we didn’t know, but was huge! It doesn't have to be deep (but it can be of course) - so consider it "poster's choice" J.

10) I have no one I can geek out with so I'm going to use this opportunity to gush about how excited I am that Catching Fire is coming out in November and The Desolation of Smaug is coming out in December!!! I can't wait!!! C does not read, and our other friends have no interest in science fiction or fantasy so I'm all by my lonesome in fandom. Anyone else love this stuff??

As always, you get bonus points for a PIP of your choice!

Happy Friday all!<?xml:namespace prefix = o />

And a happy Friday to you, too

keepsawaythenargles · October 2013

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours?

It was a brand new PT Cruiser that my mom leased for me. *Sigh* Until I got a speeding ticket 3 months later and got a 8 year old Dodge Intrepid that I had until 2012.

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about?

Law & Order SVU, Top Chef, Master Chef - Juniors, HALLOWEEN WARS...we're TV junkies

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?

Her lack of self confidence. She's beautiful and amazing and so full of love and I wish she could just see herself how I see her!

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

My mom is a great cook, but never really cooked a lot when I was growing up, we were busy lol But she makes an AMAZING italian dish for Christmas Eve that I can't wait for!

5. What are you wearing today?

I had on dress pants and a nice shirt for court, but I'm back home and in sweat-capris and a t-shirt!

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

We alternate between her family and mine... this year is my family maybe?

7. What are you up to this weekend?

We are having a Scentsy party tomorrow!

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

Cheese, yogurt, butter, ketchup, bbq sauce

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home?

Our photos

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about?

As much as I love love love our dogs and cats, sometimes I wish we didn't have any so we could come and go as we please. It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes.

ball.and.chain · October 2013

1. A black 1993 Mazda Protege. My dad sold it to me for $1 when he upgraded the summer before my senior year of college. It was my first time driving stick and I found the learning curve really steep, but I had to drive it 6 hours to college in the fall (including a stop in Queens and a drive through Manhattan) whether I was ready or not. I pulled it off!

2. The Voice is my guilty pleasure.

3. She has kind of a bad temper, though it's gotten better with age. She doesn't get mad at me very often, but if she gets angry with another person or a situation, it can ruin an experience for both of us. The good thing is that although she can get angry quickly, she also cools down fairly quickly and always apologizes later when she realizes she was out of line.

4. My mom had a special chocolate cake recipe that I loved. Also buttermilk sugar cookies at Christmas, which my sisters and I still make every year in her honor.

5. Jeans and a pink vine-print button-down shirt (casual Fridays). Running shoes because they are the only thing supportive and stable enough for my broken foot!

6. We almost always celebrate with my family, because my wife's is out of state and she doesn't get enough time off for us to travel to them (occasionally one set of her parents will come up and join us). We have dinner at my dad's house because they have two ovens, but everyone brings a few dishes. Football is on but usually only my dad and wife watch it; sometimes my wife goes with my dad to my hometown's high school football game in the morning.

7. I'm not sure about Saturday...we wanted to do something special but what we are up to keeps evolving. Right now it is a picnic in a sculpture park. We are going to a friend's birthday brunch on Sunday.

8. Milk, eggs, peanut butter, plain yogurt, pecorino romano cheese. Also my wife has to have pickles and olives at all times (I eat pickles, but not an olive lover)...and we are kind of condiment whores.

9. My wife loves antique maps and the ocean, and a few years ago I found a 19th C. maritime sketch of the area where she grew up and framed it for her for Christmas. She LOVED it and I do too.

10. I have a writing background (including an MFA in creative writing) and I often regret that I never do it anymore (except for GTKYs of course).

trisholio · October 2013

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it

The first car I drove was a 1991 Ford Escort, but the first car I actually bought was a 1987 Ford Mustang. I loved my Mustang! Unfortunately I wrecked it only after having it 6 months :-(

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?)

I am excited for Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. We only have basic channels, so we don't watch nearly as much tv as we used to when we had cable.

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?

I wish she would use her brain more. She doesn't think things through and just does things the first way that comes to mind, not the correct way. It makes me crazy! Like starting laundry on Sunday and not finishing it until Thursday (there are only 4 loads at the most) or cooking dinner and not following the recipe and then getting upset when its not good and we just wasted food. I could go on and on :-) But I could also list a million things that I love about her also

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

I am glad to know that I am not the only one who grew up without a mother cooking. She would make roast and potatoes and until I was an adult thought it was my favorite meal....but really it was the only one she would make.

5. What are you wearing today?

Yoga pants and a white t-shirt. I am at home with my wife's little 4 year old sister and babysitting a 5 month old today. I am wearing a variation of this most days unless I go somewhere.

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

The last two years we have hosted Thanksgiving at our apartment. The first year it was because everyone went out of town and we were all by ourselves so we invited my wife's parents down to eat with us. Last year we wanted to do it because we enjoyed hosting the year before. I am not sure what we are doing this year since my mom got married and bought a house. She will probably want to be suzie homeaker all of a sudden and host holiday meals. She hasn't hosted a holiday meal ever that I can remember.

7. What are you up to this weekend?

We do not have a lot of plans this weekend. Just hanging out with the wife's little sister. We only get to see her a few times a year because they don't live near by.

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

coffee creamer, cheese, milk, italian dressing and vanilla ice cream in the freezer

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it.

One of my favorite things I own are my grandfather's marbles. When I was growing up he lived in a huge house with mostly antiques. So we weren't allowed to play with anything, except the marbles that sat in a old glass fish bowl. We would roll them around on the hardwood floor.

So here is a picture of my wife's little sister WITH the marbles. She asked to play with them this morning while I was getting ready.

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about? This is in the spirit of KH826, who a few weeks ago shared a lovely passage in GTKY about her brother, and added that she’d struggled finding a place for this piece of her that we didn’t know, but was huge! It doesn't have to be deep (but it can be of course) - so consider it "poster's choice" J.

I often don't feel "gay" enough. I am fem and hadn't dated women until my wife. I don't feel like I fit into any stereotype of lesbians. We don't have a ton of lesbian friends and aren't active in the gay community much. I see or hear other people doing lots of "gay" things and I am over just living a normal life.

ATXmommas · October 2013

1. 1987 Toyota Camry. I called it the tin can as it was aluminum colored and squeaked a lot.

2. Modern Family, Scandal, Mindy Project, Top Chef, Greys Anatomy. I like SVU too and found the first episode to be really disturbing too - I had to fast forward through parts. Just bought Season 2 of Homeland. Z could live without TV, but I enjoy it. Don't want to get sucked into any new shows this year, though.

3. I debated whether to tell the truth on this one, but here goes. She has a habit of burping frequently and loudly and it drives me nuts. We worked out a deal that she gets one loud burp per day that I can't complain about.

4. What comes to mind is her Syrian dressing. My mom's family is Lebanese. The dressing is simple - just rice, ground meat (she always used turkey), salt, and cinnamon. I stopped eating meat 10 years ago, so it's been a while since I've actually eaten it.

5. Business casual day, so maternity jeans, work appropriate maternity top, and very low wedges. Not feeling very cute today to be honest. All my maternity jeans were "handed down" to me by friends and Z's sister. I want to splurge on a pair of maternity jeans that make me felt as cute and sassy as my pre-pregnancy jeans, but seems silly at this point since I only have a couple months to go (and it was too hot this summer to wear jeans). Oh well.

6. I haven't spent Thanksgiving with family since I moved to Austin 9 years ago. Too far away to go to MS at both Tgiving and Xmas. We usually spend it with friends here. My due date is one week before Tgiving day, so there's a good chance I'll still be pregnant. We shall see...

7. Nesting, writing thank you notes, yoga, and sobering outside since the high on Sunday is only 80. So excited! Might try to go to a laberinth - been interested since my child birth instructor talked about them as a metaphor for labor

8. Siracha sauce, veganaisse, Dijon mustard, soy or almond milk, and veggies.

9. We have a small table in our entry way that my dad made in high school shop class. I think it's pretty neat to have.

10. I have maintained a 90% vegan diet during pregnancy and I worry about going back to 100%, which is my desire. I've been 90% out of convenience and with the fatigue of being a new mother and the massive amount of calories I'll need for BF-ing, I don't know how soon I'll make the transition back. It's something I feel strongly about, but I also don't want to feel guilty for not making more of an effort right now. In other words, I want my cake and want to eat it too.

PIP:

This requires an explanation. I went to Alabama (as my brother did as well) and my whole family are big Alabama fans. If you don't follow this kind of things, Bama has won 3 out if the last 4 national football championships. They are led by Coach Nick Saban, who has become one of the MIT prominent names in college football. My coworkers had an idea to send Saban a bib and have him sign it for the baby. Sure enough, he signed it and sent it back. They gave it to me yesterday at my shower. So impressed with them! I think this is such a nest keepsake.
<<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/FileUpload/9b/e62b6f7c59f3b20362adbfa1218af6.jpg" />

KH826 · October 2013

@Trisholio - I had a bit of a self-described identity crisis my freshman year of college feeling like I wasn't "gay enough." I came out (to myself and a small handful of friends) towards the end of my Senior year of high school and I viewed college as my "clean slate" to just go somewhere new and be me and out from day 1 and not look back... I am very feminine and I always have been. I enjoy wearing feminine clothes, and wearing make-up and carrying a purse... but when I went away to college all of the gay women that I met seemed to be on the more butch end of the spectrum and I felt like there were no lesbians that I knew that looked like me. I tried to cut my hair, I tried wearing less make-up, I tried to stop carrying a purse... I was miserable. I was trying to fit myself into my made-up idea of what I thought being a lesbian looked like. It took me a couple of years to really truly make peace with my identity as a lesbian who is also feminine and feel comfortable in my own skin. When I met my wife, she loved all of the girly things about me, and she reminded me that she felt that I was perfect just the way I am, and I have never looked back. Being gay has NOTHING to do with how you wear your hair, or the type of clothes you wear or where you fit on the spectrum of outward displays of gender preferences (feminine, masculine, androgynous, butch, etc.)... All of those things are important forms of identity and self expression, but being less feminine and being lesbian are not mutually exclusive. Anyway, I just felt compelled to say that b/c it was an identity issue that I struggled with for a long time. I felt often that I was not "gay enough" -- but I have since learn to appreciate who I am as a whole package, and I no longer compare myself to others in that regard - gay or straight.

@ATXMommas -- I was reading through your bonus PIP post above and I just had an "Aha moment" -- I just said to myself "Duh, THAT is why her dog's name is Bama!" - Love it!

wishiwaspreggo · October 2013

@Trisholio and @KH826 - C and I are both relatively femme, and get all kinds of hell from our other lesbian friends (aside from a handful who identify as femme, too). It's less about our looks (except for the odd "frilly" comment on our shirt choices) and more about our lack of "lesbian" skills. Neither of us are handy, we're pathetic when it comes to car repair, we hate sports, and we're much happier in an air conditioned resort than we are in a tent. It's just who we are. We stopped caring. If my more masculine friends want to come over and replace my garbage disposal, we happily step back and sip our wine as we watch!! Own it

Us femmes deserve our place.

Greysmom13 · October 2013

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it
My first car was a 1985 Ford Mustang, 4 speed manual. I was so excited to have a car that I practiced hills all the time until I got it down.

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?)
Grey's Anatomy is my favorite! I've been watching Sleepy Hollow, Ghost Mine, and Nashville.

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?
This one does not apply to me

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?
My favorite meal that my mom made was Thanksgiving. It is still my favorite meal.

5. What are you wearing today?
Khaki pants, polo shirt, and work boots for work. I have made it this far without maternity clothes by using a belly band and some nifty maternity sudpenders that I found online that keep my pants up.

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)
This Thanksgiving I will be working so nothing going on.

7. What are you up to this weekend?
I'm working this weekend, feels like that's what I am doing most of the time.

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).
Milk, yogurt, fruit, juice, various condiments.

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it.
I love lighthouses and I have lots of knickknack lighthouse and nautical stuff.

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about? This is in the spirit of KH826, who a few weeks ago shared a lovely passage in GTKY about her brother, and added that she’d struggled finding a place for this piece of her that we didn’t know, but was huge! It doesn't have to be deep (but it can be of course) - so consider it "poster's choice" J.

I don't have any gay friends and seen to have grown in a different direction than the ones I used to know. I no longer see the thrill of going out to the bars every weekend like a lot of people I used to know do. This has kind of made me an outcast and add the fact that I am pregnant, it's like I am no longer "cool". I am fine with this as I have no desire for that lifestyle but I do miss being around gay people.

As always, you get bonus points for a PIP of your choice!
I need to start taking more pictures!

Happy Friday all!

healz413 · October 2013

1. A 2001 ford focus station wagon that I bought used in 2003 when I graduated from college and needed a car for my job as an organizer. I loved that car and had it until last summer.

2. We watch most things on netflix. The only show we have kept up with in real time is grey's anatomy.

3. Does diminised ovarian reserve count as a trait?

I would love for M to be able to get pregnant with her own eggs for her sake and so we could have a baby with her genetic material. Other than that, maybe leaving clothes on the bathroom floor every night?

4. My dad did the vast majority of the cooking. My favorite things he made was meatloaf. My mom made delicious mashed potatoes as macaroni and cheese.

5. Black Capri length pants, a gray t-shirt, and green checked button down open over it.

6. Canadian thanksgiving is the week after next. I'm newish to canada so I don't have any traditions yet. With my family, we tend to have appetizers and finger foods out midday. Some people watch football while others play board games. We try to eat dinner around 4 and then we sit around and talk until we have room for pie.

7. We have our beta test tomorrow but since today was a negative on a FRER we are not looking forward to that. We may have to stay at the clinic a bit though to meet with the doctor since I'm bleeding through my birth control again which I think defeats the purpose of it. Saturday night we are going to dinner with one of my best friends and his partner for his birthday. Either sat or sun we will have our dog's best friend over for a play in our apartment's dog park. Otherwise I think we will mainly unpack and organize.

8. Margarine, cheese, ketchup, baby carrots, spoiled leftovers.

9. A print of a Mary Cassatt painting of a mother and toddler daughter in a bed. Was my grandparents and always reminded me of my mom and me. After my grandparents died I asked my family if I could have it. At that point I found out that my lesbian and favorite aunt had given it to my grandmother because it reminded her of my her and my grandma. My aunt has since passed away.
I will try to add a PIP later. Am on phone now
10. M and I are not perfect but we are pretty ridiculously and wonderfully goofy, lovey, and cheesy with each other in real life too.

ATXmommas · October 2013

KH826 said:
@Trisholio - I had a bit of a self-described identity crisis my freshman year of college feeling like I wasn't "gay enough." I came out (to myself and a small handful of friends) towards the end of my Senior year of high school and I viewed college as my "clean slate" to just go somewhere new and be me and out from day 1 and not look back... I am very feminine and I always have been. I enjoy wearing feminine clothes, and wearing make-up and carrying a purse... but when I went away to college all of the gay women that I met seemed to be on the more butch end of the spectrum and I felt like there were no lesbians that I knew that looked like me. I tried to cut my hair, I tried wearing less make-up, I tried to stop carrying a purse... I was miserable. I was trying to fit myself into my made-up idea of what I thought being a lesbian looked like. It took me a couple of years to really truly make peace with my identity as a lesbian who is also feminine and feel comfortable in my own skin. When I met my wife, she loved all of the girly things about me, and she reminded me that she felt that I was perfect just the way I am, and I have never looked back. Being gay has NOTHING to do with how you wear your hair, or the type of clothes you wear or where you fit on the spectrum of outward displays of gender preferences (feminine, masculine, androgynous, butch, etc.)... All of those things are important forms of identity and self expression, but being less feminine and being lesbian are not mutually exclusive. Anyway, I just felt compelled to say that b/c it was an identity issue that I struggled with for a long time. I felt often that I was not "gay enough" -- but I have since learn to appreciate who I am as a whole package, and I no longer compare myself to others in that regard - gay or straight.
@ATXMommas -- I was reading through your bonus PIP post above and I just had an "Aha moment" -- I just said to myself "Duh, THAT is why her dog's name is Bama!" - Love it!

Beautifully said, KH. I had similar feelings and experiences when I came out.

And, ha! That's where Bama got her name. She is especially cute when she is wearing her Bana bandana.

StacyLH24 · October 2013

1. My first car was a 1991 Ford Tempo. My parents had a savings account for me and that was how it got paid for.

2. I guess I would have to say we have been most excited about SOA...though, it has become much more violent than it used to be. I have been watching since the first episode and I don't remember so many people getting killed all the time. We don't watch Breaking Bad.

3. If I could give/take away one of C's traits, it would be that she gets angry so quickly. Anger is her primary feeling, whether she is hurt (physically or emotionally), frustrated, disappointed, etc. Anger is what always comes out first. Her mom has been in several abusive (physically, emotionally) relationships and my social worky brain tells me that is where part of it comes from. She also acts so tough but really is a ball of mush inside. As a result, when she is emotional, she tries to cover it up with toughness instead of feeling what she's feeling. We work on it a little at a time.

4. My favorite dish my Mom made growing up was macaroni and cheese. She always made the box kind and whatever she did to it, it was amazing! My friends thought so as well.

5. Today I wore jeans, my red Pride Week t-shirt from this years Buffalo Pride and a red and white striped button down shirt with sneakers. Fridays are dress down days which I love!

6. Thanksgiving has always been at my Mom and Dad's house for as long as I can remember. Since C and I have been together, her Mom, brothers and sister have joined us.

7. I'm not 100% positive what we are up to this weekend. C is going to work briefly tomorrow and then tomorrow evening we have our Saturday night bowling league. We started in September and will go every Saturday through April. On Sunday we might go on a motorcycle dice run or meet a friend and her little girl at Pumpkinville.

8. 5 things always in our fridge.... Frank's Red Hot sauce, eggs, milk, leftovers (edible or otherwise), icicle pickles (my Mom makes these, they are awesome!).

9. My decoration (of sorts) in our home is the doll that my Mom made that resembles my paternal grandmother. In 2008 her body finally gave out after being treated for cancer for two years...she was in her 80s. She passed away on December 1 and I spent the 6 weeks before that helping to take care of her at home. I was very close with her and had so much anxiety during this time. I wanted to be with her when she died and I was so afraid that I wouldn't be as I was working full time and going to school at night. I did end up getting to be there when she took her last breath. I wouldn't change anything about those 6 weeks for anything. I certainly wish she was still alive, but I'm glad I was able to be with her as much as I was. I moved into her house right before Christmas that year and then purchased it from her estate. I always get to open a gift on Christmas Eve and that year, my gift was the doll my Mom made. It looks so much like my Grandma. My mom used her actual clothes, shoes, glasses and one of her broaches. I bought a small rocking chair for her and now she sits on top of the china cabinet and watches over us.

10. Well, I suppose that #9 fits here. Helping to care for my Grandma during her last weeks is one of the biggest events in my life to date. Though the depression I had experienced was years before this, I never had a lot of anxiety during that time. When we knew my Grandma was dying, I had more anxiety than I have ever experienced. Every time the phone rang I was expecting it to be a family member calling to tell me she had died. Like I said, I was working full time, as a director of a Victim Services program, and going to school at night. When I wasn't working or at school, I was at her house. I had the week of Thanksgiving off that year and I spent the entire week at her house. I went home only twice to try and sleep. We had her in a hospital bed in her room. Thanksgiving night I was sitting with her and ended up laying down in bed with her. How I fit I'm really not sure. I ended up sleeping next to her, holding her hand all night. Earlier that day, the pastor from Hospice came because we thought she was ready to pass on. As he was reading a passage from the bible, she sat straight up and moaned for several minutes. She would have gotten out of bed if my Dad and Aunt hadn't been holding on to her. Her eyes were open and were so blue...in life, they were brown. Previous to this, she had not moved nor made a sound in days and her breathing was labored even though she was on oxygen. We took the oxygen off and she was breathing better with it off than she had with it on. I have never experienced anything like that and I'm sure I probably never will. We thought for sure that this was her last hoorah. That was Thursday, she hung on until just after midnight on Monday morning. I was supposed to go back to work that Monday. Before I went home Sunday night, I told her it was ok for her to go and that we wanted her to be at peace. I also asked her to please wait for me and let me be there when she died. At 12:15 am that Monday, my cousin called and said that they thought she was at the end. Thankfully I lived just minutes down the road. I rushed to the house and was there when she took her very last breath. This year it will be 5 years since she passed. Every December 1st I stay awake until just after her time of death. Many times I feel her in the house. Sometimes when I come home, the house smells just like it did when she lived here.

I will mobile bump my bonus PIP...

StacyLH24 · October 2013

My Grandma

StacyLH24 · October 2013

@trisholio - I can definitely identify with your #10. I often feel the same way. We live in a very rural area which makes it difficult to connect with other LGBT folks. I have always loved having short hair, but have been letting it grow since C likes it longer. I did hack it all off this previous winter. When C and I first started dating, she kept a short bob style cut. She hasn't gotten it cut in over a year, so it is quite long now. She came to see me at work one day a little while back and one of the men in my office, who is also gay, later said that C "scared him" because we were switching roles...me with the short hair and her with the long hair. I was extremely offended and guess I never expected that to come from a fellow gay person. C is definitely more masculine than I am, but I'm also not super feminine either. I always feel like I don't fit in in the lesbian world because I don't fit in to any of the stereotypes that are out there.

kristynlee710 · October 2013

1. '90 ford tempo that was a hand me down from my parents

2. Survivor, Amazing Race, Glee

3. She's a picky eater and I'm a total foodie

4. Hungarian goulash

5. I'm in outside sales and I had two client appointments today. My "professional" maternity wardrobe is pretty lean so just a dress with a cardi and flats.

6. If baby girl doesn't make an early appearance we will spend Thanksgiving with my wife's family.

7. This weekend are our baby showers! We have a family shower tomorrow and friends shower on Sunday. Looking forward to celebrating our baby girl and seeing my family who are coming from out of state.

8. Water, milk, eggs, cheese, a variety of condiments

9. We have a great handmade shadow box from a close friend that she have us for our wedding. It's Scrabble pieces of our names.

10. I'm adopted and being pregnant with our baby is extra special for me because she is the first biological person I will know.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Pic is from last weekend at the pumpkin patch. It's an annual tradition we do with our friend and her two little boys.

Jazibel · October 2013

herbabymama said:

Jazibel said:
I guess what's on my mind (beside breakfast) is that I'm a little nervous about Monday. It will be weird to be back to being a Stay at Home Mom, hanging out with Kaden all day alone :-( I think I'm worried that I'll be able to keep him happily occupied, and myself as well. I also need to meet and make new friends in the area. When I joined the Mom's group where we lived before I was surprised to meet 6+ other LGBT families. We even formed our own group. I have a feeling that - that will not happen here so I'll be forging my own path - which is fine, but I miss my other Moms group. Just trying to keep an open mind, and let myself get excited about putting myself and Kaden out there. I'm somewhere between an intro and extro-vert so sometimes being super social is intimidating...

Jazibel, where are you exactly in the bay area?

Pleasanton :-) Do you live in Northern CA?

trisholio · October 2013

KH826 and StacyLH24 Thank you for your kind words and sharing your personal experience. I can relate in so many ways. I like being fem most of the time, but I do get annoyed having to "come out" all the time to new people and in new situations. I know it will happen even more when we having kids and I am in the process of accepting that.

It is funny that even in the 'gay' world we all have molds we are expected to fit in.

wishiwaspreggo I totally know what you mean. my wife is butch, but there is nothing about her that is handy around the house. she is learning, but its a slow process. i am also very fem, but not miss suzie homemaker. i didn't learn to cook or bake from my mom, so i have learned on my own. so we don't "fulfill" the stereotypes either. but for me the important thing is that we both strive to better people, not just people that fit someone else's mold :-)

2MamazInSeattle · October 2013

Yes, indeed I am doing the Friday GTKY on the following Tuesday. A little bit about my last week or so...

1. What was your first car? How did it become yours? Bonus: PIP it

I had a 1987 Plymoth Horizon (basically a Dodge Omni) I got because a family paid my dad for the original owner's funeral with it. It was brown, and my first gf in high school used to call it my "dead man's car" because that is how I obtained it.

2. What Fall TV are you most excited about? (And, anyone watch the finale to Breaking Bad?) Ohhhh the list is long. We LOVE Sunday nights - The Good Wife, Homeland, Walking Dead, Amazing Race ... and then I am also a fan of Top Chef, How I Met Your Mother and just started the new Showtime series "Masters of Sex" which seems promising.

3. If you could give or take away one trait of your wife/partner, what would you change?

Ok, @AXTmoms - I LOL'd at yours because one of J's wedding vows was "I promise to say excuse me when I burp." Now, she does, which at least takes the sting away from her little habit!! It's so gross! I grew up in a house where you just didn't make those noises. And if you did, you most certainly excused yourself!

Anyhow - my actual answer on this is that I wish she got more excited. She is so low key, sometimes even when something huge or big happens, she just doesn't show a lot of excitement. I have learned it is who she is, and it's not personal. But I'd love to see her jump up and down once about something amazing that happened!

4. What’s your favorite dish your mom made growing up?

My mom made this triple chocolate cake that had dark chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding and chocolate chips in it. I have since tried to recreate it and now it is gross to me, but as a kid, it was a HUGE treat! Otherwise, though boring, I loved spaghetti night...

5. What are you wearing today?

Today, I am in Arizona for work and the dress code for our meetings is "desert casual" so I have on a pink sleevless shirt and a skirt that has pink/black/and yellowish orangey colors going on. I actually call this my "southwest looking skirt" so seemed appropriate to wear it in the SW!

6. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? (HerBabyMama, I know what you’ll be doing!)

We usually have our family - so my 3 sisters and mom - plus any serious companions, and occasionally a displaced friend or two. Typically my youngest sister or I do the turkey (we are the cooks in the fam) and then side dishes are split up amongst everyone. I always make the stuffing, gravy and Brussels sprouts (our family's fave veg!) - and, I LOVE to make the pumpkin pie from the pumpkin, but my youngest sister and I trade off now because we both enjoy making it.

7. What are you up to this weekend?

Saturday I did a big woredrobe refresh - depressing due to the size I am in with all the IF crap in the past year, I've gained about 20 lbs. Ug. BUT, I was just miserable every morning trying to put together an outfit that didn't look like crap, or cause me physical pain . So, I did a massive purge + a few hours at nordy's and boom, I am back to center. I also flew to AZ a day early to see my growing up BFF who lives in Phoenix now! So that was super fun, even though J and I haven't had much meaningful time together lately, and I kinda miss her.

8. Name 5 things always in your fridge (or more, or fewer).

Real butter (whole food!), hot sauces galore, eggs from our girls, cheese of some sort, and pickled things (pickles, olives, peppers)... and leftovers we forget to eat and give to the chickens in the end...

9. What is your favorite knickknack, art item or other decoration in your home? Bonus: PIP it.

I'll post a pic next week, since I'm away - but J got me an amazing piece of art for my 40th birthday - it combines a ton of my favorite art things: Collage, text art, and it lights up. It was the most perfect gift ever.

10. What is something about you that you’d like to tell us all about?

I am a recovering control freak. I grew up being raised by two control freaks, who modeled controlling behavior for me constantly; and set me up in ways to be controlling of my sisters (i.e., demanding I get them to do things like clean or whatever "or else"). I have to work hard to remind myself that as much as wanting things in life to be "black or white" feels natural to me, most of life exists in a gray area - and since realizing and accepting that, my life has been SO much better! But last week work was awful and I regressed to some of my old behaviors; it makes me sad it's still in there - but also it is great to look back on and realize that is no longer how I exist in the world, and my life is so much happier when I'm not trying to force things, people and situations into tidy boxes.

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