Answer Me This . . . and all the things about Iowa! (oh, and me lip-syncing)

by | Aug 10, 2014 | Answer Me This | 21 comments

In my excitement over your generosity towards Bonnie’s fundraiser for Fulton, I decided to make an entry for Fulton’s mom Kelly’s lip-sync battle at This Ain’t the Lyceum. (That whole sentence was kinda name dropp-y.) Anywho, watch it, thumbs up it if you don’t hate it. That’s just for me. My children and niece were already paid handsomely in m&ms (and they got to pick the song).

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

Greetings and salutations! And a very warm welcome to Answer Me This . . . the internet’s favorite virtual cocktail party* in which I ask six totally random questions and we all answer them and get to know each other a little better.

Isn’t that nice?

*this statement may not be true.

So, here goes this week’s edition:

1. What do you still want to do this summer?

Well, I still NEED to order our uniforms (done!) and books for school, and map out the year so I know when we’ll start. It would appear that next school year will not be interrupted by any new babies (famous last words) so instead of taking a super long break over the fall/winter holidays, I’m thinking about trying a three weeks on/one week off (or whatever works out) kind of schedule.

Has anyone else tried that?

As for vacation-y things still to-do. we’ve been in Iowa for a week visiting my sister and her husband, and are heading back to Chicago today, then home to LA and real life on Wednesday. I want to go to San Diego to visit my parents for a couple of days, and I also plan to get Frankie potty trained and Lulu sleep trained before school starts. So, THAT should be an interesting couple of days, huh?

Speaking of the Iowa trip, it has been super-terrific.

One rainy day, we went to the Bass Pro Shop in Des Moines. It was my first time to such an establishment. And, wow. That’s quite an operation they’ve got going there.

We did some shootin’ . . .

and some lookin’ at critters . . .

and we played a little game we like called “What’s the Craziest Thing in Here?”

The results were inconclusive, but I totally think my Meat Saw wins. Socks? C’mon.

We’ve also fished, some of us more successfully than others . . .

 We’ve played boardgames . . .

 We went to horse camp . . .

Good times were had by all.

2. What’s your favorite kind of pie?

 Mud Pie, which I usually get to eat on my birthday because my awesome husband makes it for me, and Lemon Meringue, which I almost never get to eat because everyone else in my family kinda thinks it’s slimy and gross. So, if I buy one at a holiday, I’m basically just buying myself a whole pie. Which somehow seems not okay, so I do it only occasionally.

3. How much sleep do you need each day? How much do you get?

I need 6-8 hours per day, and that’s what I get. I just prefer it broken up into chunks. Three would be ideal. But that doesn’t work with my kids’ schedules, so I sleep twice, 4-6 hours at night and a 1-2 hour nap.

4. Do you prefer to swim in a pool, lake, river, or ocean?

I most prefer to be wet in a nice, warm bath. But barring that, I don’t have a preference for type of body of water. I don’t mind fish or sea weed or anything. It’s just all about temperature for me. I do not like cold water.

5. Do you know any poems by heart?

Yep. Lots. I know all the poems the kids memorize for school from kindergarten through about third grade. After that they start getting really long, I can help with prompts, but I don’t think I could do them all on my own.

From my own childhood, I still know The Jabberwocky, and about a dozen Shel Silverstein poems.

6. Do you use the public library?

Yes, yes, yes. I didn’t used to. For years, if I wanted a book, I just ordered it off of Amazon. Then I started trying not to spend money on non-essentials during Lent, but I still wanted books, and I remembered . . . the library.

I was a huge fan of the library growing up, and have fond memories of the summer reading contests. I think I’m an even bigger fan now. I can reserve books online and send a kid in to pick them up at the front desk, without ever getting out of the car. I can borrow ebooks on my iPad right that very second. I can read the buzz-iest new YA book, or a classic I’ve always meant to read, and then not have to find a place for it to live in my house. If I want to read it again, then I’ll think about buying it.

It’s really such a lovely resource.

Here are next week’s questions:

1. What is your favorite room in the house?

2. Do you subscribe to any magazines or other periodicals?

3. How do you feel about the sign of peace in Mass? Enriching? Awkward? Overdone? Just right? Some combination of the above?

4. What is your least favorite sound?

5. What was your favorite TV show (or shows) growing up?

6. What are your favorite TV shows now?

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. For bonus points, you can even tag a couple other bloggers so THEY can play along too! So fun.

But always remember, in Answer Me This . . . there are no rules, and the points don’t matter.

21 Comments

  1. Annery

    My friend did the three weeks on one week off last year and she loved it so much she's convinced me it's the way to go! We're trying it out this year.

  2. Ann-Marie Ulczynski

    I died laughing at the props – especially the book of Greek antiquities, and the clock. Ha! That was hilarious.

  3. Wendy Klik

    Thanks again for hosting Answer Me This and thanks for sharing the video and starting my day off with a laugh.

  4. Lisa Healy

    We totally play "what's the craziest thing in here," except our favorite place to play it is at the state fair! Thanks for hosting the fun again this week!

  5. Julie

    I loved the HUGE Clock… And that you can hear Lulu singing along :). Everything IS awesome

  6. Kaitlin @ More Like Mary

    If you ever find yourself in Springfield, Missouri you must got to the THE Bass Pro! It will make the one you went to seem like a tiny drug store. I will definitely be playing your game next time I go.

  7. Catie

    I'm bummed that I missed out on Answer Me This this week. Illness got me down this weekend. Funny how we just kind of forget about the library. Ours offers ebook lending now. That's the most recent feature that I always overlook. My sister loves it. Instant access to the newest YA dribble that you just can't wait to read (…Divergent, anyone?) I hope to be back for next week's link up.

  8. Madeline

    Well next year on your visit from Chicago to Iowa, if you need a good rest stop in Davenport my house is open to you! 🙂 Looking forward to hearing how Frankie potty trains.

  9. Nanacamille

    Ames Iowa was an awesome week vacation in the wilderness with all if the comforts of home. Uncle Bryan introduced the 3 big boys to all of his hunting stations on their 12 acre property with their own lake for fishing and boating. The horse camp was just across the street. What more could you want for an outdoor vacation.
    A new Bass Pro Shop is going into the Pyramid in Memphis and touted to be the biggest and best ever. The one in Des Moines was pretty amazing can't imagine bigger.

  10. Amy @ Motherhood and Miscellany

    We just got to Iowa as you left! We're in Des Moines and are heading to the Fair tomorrow. My kids (and husband) love that Bass Pro. I love that picture of you shooting with Lulu on your back!! Hilarious.

  11. Nanacamille

    We were headed to opening day at the Iowa fair when the rain took us to Bass Pro. Missed getting the bacon wrapped corn dog.

  12. Francine

    Obviously this isn't ALL the things about IA because I'm not in here… 😉 looks like you're having a great time!

  13. Martha

    I think you should get extra points for including 8 children in your lip synch – and props!

  14. waiting

    I love the picture of you with the gun and Lulu – she is SO ADORABLE!!!!

  15. taraaaaaaa

    Lulu was really rocking that duet with you in the beginning. Girl can siiiiing!

  16. WritingWillow

    Jabberwocky is one of my favorite poems. 🙂 And I loooove your lip sync!

  17. Sophie שרה Golden

    Please write about pottytraining, Kendra. I'd like to hear about your methods and all. I've started to pottytrain my 28 months old son recently and it's been going not easy so far.

  18. Nanacamille

    When I listened to the video again, I heard Louise singing along with you all…. la la la and other adorable sounds. Grandad was right. Makes it even better.

  19. Nanacamille

    I just looked at the photos on a big screen and saw how clever the Bass Pro Shop grouping rally is with Gus punching that cougar in the face from Guy on a Buffalo, "Anita" Oakley, Bob and his bobcat, dead eye Gus, Miss Betty protecting the homestead and Bonnie & Clyde robbing the store. In the horse camp photos Anita looks right out of Barbie's A Pony's Tale and those boots are made for walking and fishing and riding.. Louise looks like your rear gunner hanging off your back. How cute.

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Hi! I’m Kendra.

For twenty years now, I’ve been using food, prayer, and conversation based around the liturgical calendar to share the lives of the saints and the beautiful truths and traditions of our Catholic faith. My own ten children, our friends and neighbors, and people just like you have been on this journey with me.

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