GTKY 3/21 Edition!

2MamazInSeattle · March 2014

Hello all!
I know there have been a ton of new threads added this week but if you need a Friday break, join in so we can get to know you better!

1. Tell us a bit about an adult (other than your parents) who significantly influenced you in some way while you were growing up, and how that changed you.
2. What shoes are you wearing today?
3. Describe the best meal you ate this week.
4. What is something interesting you've read lately? Could be a book, magazine, online - or something you're following in the news. And your thoughts on it!
5. What's the weekend hold?

Bonus: PIPs always encouraged! Maybe your shoes? Or something fun for the weekend? Or anything!

KH826 · March 2014

1. Tell us a bit about an adult (other than your parents) who significantly influenced you in some way while you were growing up, and how that changed you.

Well, I didn't meet this person until I was 20, but I think I still had a good deal of growing up (and certainly forming the person I was going to be) to do, so I am going go with this as my answer... my wife's maternal grandmother. We called her Nan (short for Nana). I met her after I had been dating my wife for a couple of months, and over the years I grew very close to her. I did not have a close adult relationship with any of my own grandparents (partly due to many of them passing away when I was younger), but I had an instant connection with Nan. She was a traditional Italian lady (catholic), and very "old school" by most accounts. I was nervous to meet her. J was nervous for me to meet her. J's mom was nervous for me to meet her. The only one who wasn't nervous was Nan. From day 1 she treated me like part of the family. She had never known an openly gay person in her life, but her grandaughter brought home a girlfriend from college and she just went with it. She considered me like another grandaughter. She never made me feel like less. She gave me gifts at every Christmas and birthday. She included me in everything. She was kind, and loving and genuine...and independent and stuck-in-her-ways and just an awesome person. I learned a lot from her. I am crying a little right now writing this... I always have struggled to feel at home with my own family. I always felt like I didn't quite belong and I was never really equal. Nan taught me what family is really about. She got sick in February of 2012 -- she deteriorated quickly and passed away in April of that same year (4 months before our wedding -- it was really hard). My wife and I cleaned out her apartment b/c no one else really could bring themselves to do it. It took days. It was so hard but so amazing at the same time. I feel lucky to have that connection to her. My wife and I were there when she passed away. We each held her hand. About a month after she passed away I had my hair and make-up trial for the wedding. I left the salon that day with all of my make-up on and my hair all done up and I went and bought flowers and went to the cemetery. I sat with her and talked to her about the wedding and told her I wanted her to see what I was going to look like the day I married J. Then on our wedding day, at the end of the night J and I were in our hotel room looking at some of the cards we had received that day. There was one in there from Nan. It was written out by J's Mom, but it had a message from Nan in it and $500 with a note saying that was the last $500 in Nan's account after she passed away and she had made J's mom promise that she would save it to give to us for our wedding. I miss her a lot. J misses her deeply. At any rate, I could ramble on, but I won't. We are naming our daughter after her. We cried in the ultrasound room the day we found out we were having a girl and J called the baby by her name for the first time and just said that "Nan brought her to us"...

2. What shoes are you wearing today?

My new old lady shoes! I have been having difficulty with swelling in my feet/ankles, and the ballet flats I had been wearing lately were really starting to hurt and cut into my feet when they were swollen. Sooo...I bought these puppies. They are extra cushioned inside and have a no slip grip on the bottom HAHA. I think they are truly meant for 80 yr olds, but I don't care! PIP of them below

3. Describe the best meal you ate this week.

I think the stuffed peppers that I made on Tuesday night were the best so far. I posted them in the "What's for Dinner?" thread. Not sure what we are having tonight... maybe I can beat that!

4. What is something interesting you've read lately? Could be a book, magazine, online - or something you're following in the news. And your thoughts on it!

I have been obsessed with the Malaysian Airlines flight for the last week or so, and I have been reading WAYYY too many articles about it. Some nonsense, I will admit. I have had a busy day, so I haven't had a chance to read up on any new developments since yesterday. I will have to see what I can to about this over lunch!

5. What's the weekend hold?

Groceries and a few errands during the day on Saturday, while my wife paints the nursery. Saturday night we are going out to dinner with my in-laws. Sunday we have a meeting with our accountant to finalize our taxes in the AM, then home and my wife will work on the nursery some more and I may try to squeeze in some couch time HAHA

PIPs

PIP #1 is of my old lady shoes!

PIP #2 is a family pic from Nan's 80th Bday party. She is in the middle in the green blazer.

shelly2314 · March 2014

1. Tell us a bit about an adult (other than your parents) who significantly influenced you in some way while you were growing up, and how that changed you.

My great grandmother. At 90+ years old she came to as many of my basketball games in high school, would climb up a step or two on the bleachers and was one of my greatest supporters. She was a quiet, strong kind of woman. I admire her in so many ways. Her and my grandmother lived together for years and were always very involved in my life: piano recitals, dance recitals, sporting events, birthdays, EVERYTHING. She is the one person I most admire. I am also naming one of the twins (if we have a girl) after her!!!
2. What shoes are you wearing today?

My shoes are comfy dress shoe like slip ons. I think I got it from Wal-Mart yearrrrrssss ago.
3. Describe the best meal you ate this week.

My appetite this week has been sucky so nothing really this week.
4. What is something interesting you've read lately? Could be a book, magazine, online - or something you're following in the news. And your thoughts on it!

My wife sent me some documents stating that she gets maternity leave for the twins. I am thrilled about that. Other than that, all I have read lately are spreadsheets and work memos----boo!
5. What's the weekend hold?

My wife and I are packing up our camper and heading out for 5 days. It is more like "glamping" as we have a/c, electricity, fridge, shower, toilet, tv, etc in our camper and the place we are going to has a bar, pool, and a million things to do....but that is how we roll LOL

SweetPea0307 · March 2014

1. Tell us a bit about an adult (other than your parents) who significantly influenced you in some way while you were growing up, and how that changed you.

This is a tough one. I'll pick my high school math teacher who started a math team and asked me to be on it. I think he influenced me to pursue math in college which led me to the career I have today.

2. What shoes are you wearing today?

The black pumps I always wear at work. I have a hard time finding comfortable shoes, so when I find a pair I wear them every day until they absolutely have to be replaced.

3. Describe the best meal you ate this week.

Hmm. Probably the pizza I described in my WFD Wednesday post.

4. What is something interesting you've read lately? Could be a book, magazine, online - or something you're following in the news. And your thoughts on it!

The latest blog posts on Monkey See on NPR. I find Linda Holmes hilarious. Check it out if you haven't ready any of her stuff.

5. What's the weekend hold?

Possibly an IUI? A run and some weight lifting. Also, lots of work. I'm swamped.

StacyLH24 · March 2014

@KH826‌ - I teared up reading your #1. Thank you for sharing that.

StacyLH24 · March 2014

1. I have a few people who come to mind. I'm going to pick the one who I might not have considered if I hasn't given it some thought.
When I was 14 I met a guy online through a chatroom. We spent the better part of 11 years in each other's lives. We exchanged letters, e-mails, texts, IMs and phone calls until my freshman year of college. He lived in Michigan and I lived just down the road from where I live now. We saw each other a few times while I was at college. After I graduated, I moved to Michigan to be with him. We lived there briefly and then he moved back to NY with me. We got engaged and started planning our lives together. During that time, I joined WW and lost 51 pounds. I joked at the time that I also lost another 220 pounds. Looking back on things, it never was a very healthy relationship. What kept me there was the fact that he literally knew everything about me and never judged me. He was there for me when I had some of my darkest moments. When my grandma passed away, and after my weight loss, I gained the strength to finally let go of him. It has been almost 5 years now. I can't deny that he was a huge part of my life. Because of him, I learned to be my own person, to not let others treat me badly and to stick up for myself.

2. I'm wearing my brown Carolina work boots. There is snow and mud here and I had a few home visits this morning. I love my work boots and wear them all the time. They are comfortable and keep my feet warm and dry.

3. My Mom made a cauliflower soup with carrots and zucchini in it. We had that last night and it was delicious!

4. Like @KH826, I am also mildly obsessed with the recent plane disappearance. I'm constantly looking for updates on any progress.

5. Tonight a friend is having a bonfire for his birthday. We may not go because of the cold temps. I imagine we might end up there for a little bit. Tomorow I have to work for a few hours in the morning. The St. Jude bowling tournament is tomorrow night and C may bowl on a team for it. Sunday is my Mom's birthday and we are planning to have her and my Dad up for dinner.

Jazibel · March 2014

1. Tell us a bit about an adult (other than your parents) who significantly influenced you in some way while you were growing up, and how that changed you.
There are many people (well at least a few) but the first one that popped into my head is Mrs. B. She recently passed away in her 80's. She was my mom's friend, but we became "friends" too, and occasionally went out to lunch or coffee. She used to be a school librarian, and had married a professional body builder (Mr. B was pretty cool himself). They never had kids, but had the most loving and fun relationship I had ever seen. It was her marriage that influenced me most. I wanted to be married to my best friend, travel companion and sweetheart like they were. All the stories she told and advice she gave stuck with me, but in particular just how she lived her life, full of energy and enthusiasm.

2. What shoes are you wearing today? Right now slippers, later probably comfy Born shoes (muted red leather, mary-jane style)

3. Describe the best meal you ate this week. Besides the yummy veggies burgers from Monday - I think my best meal awaits me.

4. What is something interesting you've read lately? Could be a book, magazine, online - or something you're following in the news. And your thoughts on it! Wow, I am pretty lame. I've read a really boring case about HP for class, and some FB links, blogs, etc. But nothing that stands out. Today I researched and read about Freddie Macs interest rate trends....

5. What's the weekend hold? YAY!!!!! We're dropping Kaden off with the in-laws tonight for his first sleepover. We'll pick him up tomorrow mid-afternoon. So with our copious amounts of free time we're heading to the movies to see the Grand Budapest Hotel (I believe its called), and then we'll probably sleep in until 9 or 10 am!!! Sigh. Maybe grab breakfast out on our way to meet with our midwife for my GBS test, and pick Kaden up.
We're also shopping for double strollers. EV found the Orbit. OMG what an amazing stroller. I've searched and searched to find it cheaper (even on CL) but alas. FX I can find it. Our second choice is the City Select. I found one on CL that I'm hoping is still available. We might opt to buy it new and resell it later, so it's off to stores and such tomorrow to go stroller and baby stuff shopping.
Sunday I plan on working in the city, doing my driving gig, probably most of the day.
Any free time I have will be dedicated to my group Capstone project and working on our taxes since I've Finally received all the documents we need.

Wishing everyone a Happy Friday and wonderful weekend.

2momsinCA · March 2014

1. My best friend's mom. She was very fun and into cool music. She was also a hair dresser and would cut or dye our hair crazy colors (which my mom was none to pleased about). I spent a lot of time at her house in middle and high school and I adored her style and taste. The house was so colorful and welcoming, there was always something going on and it felt very open and accepting. I felt like I could talk to her about anything.

2. Slippers, I'm working from home today! Lately the weather here has been warm so I will be putting on flip flops soon.

3. Stirfry with tofu last night. It's only in the last two weeks that food sounds good and I have the energy to cook it. The first tri was brutal!

4. An article about Scarlett Johanssen in this weeks New Yorker. She's in some very dark movie that's coming out where she plays a killer alien. I'm not exactly a huge fan of hers, but it's a well written article.

5. Sleeping! My wife just started a new job this week and the commute is awful so she's looking forward to staying close to home and catching up on sleep and playing with the dogs at home.

ball.and.chain · March 2014

1. Tell us a bit about an adult (other than your parents) who significantly influenced you in some way while you were growing up, and how that changed you.

My parents knew a couple from college that had kids around my sisters and my ages, and we spent a lot of time with that family when I was growing up. As a kid, I always thought that if anything happened to my parents, I would want this couple to take us in. They are both amazing people: incredibly kind, open-hearted, open-minded, funny, loving and generous. I grew up with an anxious, worry-wart mother, and although these other parents were strict about certain things, I felt like they let their kids take more risks in life, in a way that made them less afraid and more confident (see the article I linked below). I envied that, and I think a little bit of it did rub off on me, and made me bolder than I would have been otherwise.

2. What shoes are you wearing today?

Right now, slippers (I'm home for the night). I wore brown Dansko clogs to work. Some of my shoes are getting tight, so my options are getting kind of limited.

3. Describe the best meal you ate this week.

My wife made brisket in the crock pot on Wednesday. It was supposed to be corned beef but everyone was sold out and that was as close as she could get. We had it with roasted potatoes and a green salad -- but the brisket was the star. I ate it Thursday night too.

4. What is something interesting you've read lately? Could be a book, magazine, online - or something you're following in the news. And your thoughts on it!

A friend posted this article on FB. I kind of love it, but I wonder if my anxiety would win out. Would love to hear others' thoughts on it!
https://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/

5. What's the weekend hold?

We're looking at wallpaper for the nursery tomorrow, and hopefully finally making the Irish soda bread I've been promised all week.

Sunday, yoga. Otherwise, just relaxing. I need a lazy weekend.

GTKY 3/21 Edition!

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