OK, Maybe I Am Weird

I honestly couldn't think of anything weird about myself when I was tagged by Esther (thanks, I have learned a lot!), so I called Kim. She had a few things....... at least 10 RIGHT OFF HAND! Wow, I never knew I was so weird! I feel normal, but she says I'm "just artsy and quirky".

So here my friends are my quirks:

1) I see germs. You know those Lysol or Clorox commercials that have those squiggly worm-like germs. When my bathroom has not been cleaned in a day or so I start to see those germs. I don't literally see them when I am in the bathroom, but when I have that nagging feeling telling me to get up and clean the bathroom I see those germs in my mind. Their all over the toilet, sink, my kids hands, I can't take it! I have to go clean it with Lysol, and then I feel better. I don't use Clorox anymore because I still see the germs after Clorox, it has to be Lysol. I am not a germ freak I promise! The bathrooms and kitchen counter tops ( after meat prep) are the only places I care about germs. Oh, and hospitals but you have to admit nobody likes that place! Remember I was a pediatric nurse before kids, I know what's in that place! Is it weird that I see germs?

2) My husband is the oldest of twelve children. I have a 2 year old sister in law. My children are older that some of their aunts and uncles. I have been pregnant with my mother in law three times. My sister is married to #3. This is normal to me but Kim said it is weird, so I guess I'll believe her. Maybe it's not weird to me because everyone I am around has a lot of kids. I have three close families that have 6 children each, one with 8, one with #7 on the way.

The fam at the beach last year.

This is all of us including Rae, me, and my three kidos.

I will answer the most common questions now:

Q: Are you Catholic?

A: We are not Catholic. LOL! We get that a lot!

Q: Are you going to have that many kids? A: Ben and I would love to have more children, we don't have a set number. We decided before we were married, to have as many as God would give us. I wish he would give us one now! LOL!

Q: I bet Christmas is fun. Do you have to buy for all those kids? A: Christmas is so much fun! We don't buy for all of the kids. We draw names, so they will get better gifts.

Q: What does he do for a living?

A: Barry, my father in law owns his own electrical company.

Q: How big is their house?

A: 8 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.

Q: Are they done yet?

A: I don't know- and have no way of knowing- if they are "done" yet. This one probably needs to be at the top!

Q: How many boys, girls, and what is the sequence? A: The sequence goes like this; three boys and a girl, three boys and a girl, three boys and a girl,9 boys and 3 girls. They are all about 2 years apart.

Q: Do they homeschool?

A: Yes, they homeschool. But keep in mind with the oldest being 28 and youngest being 2 1/2 , she is not homeschooling 12 kids, only 5 right now.

Molly and Uncle Adam

3) Every now and then the kids and I pretend it's raining. There are some days we just want to stay in and "snickle up" (this is their way of saying snuggle up), so we just close all the curtains, lay around with quilts and hot chocolate and watch "The Waltons". We pretend it's raining so we don't have to go outside. We love rainy days! If someone goes for the door one of the kids will yell, it's raining! I think this is normal but Kim says it is so weird.

4) Some days we only talk in British accents. We pretend to be other people -think Jane Austen- and play different pretend games. Example: Sometimes we hide under Tim's bed (he has one of those bunk beds with a club underneath instead of another bed) and we pretend we are lost in the forest and have found a cave to stay the night in, but we have to be very quiet because we can hear a bear right outside the cave. Molly will say things like, " Mother I am so frightened! What shall we do?" and I will say," Calm yourself dear, all will be alright. Surely father will miss us and come looking for us on his horse soon. When we get home Hannah (our cook) will have some warm soup waiting for us. There there, rest on Mommy's chest I will keep you warm." But sometimes we are on a ship (the top of Tim's bed) going to America when the ship starts to sink and we have to jump onto pieces of debris (blankets and pillows on the floor) in the water to save ourselves. All this in a British accent. Seems completely normal to me!

Thanksgiving Dresses!

5) I, a nurse who is married to to a paramedic, get medical advice from an old Amish man. When we have common ailments such as poison oak, I ask my Amish friend Daniel for advice. He is always very helpful. He will ask me into his home to look in one of his natural remedy books. He will share with me what has worked for him, raising 16 children. I have several pieces of furniture and other helpful household things made by my Amish friends. He loves for me to bring my children with me when I come. He has also given me very helpful advice on gardening. Kim says the Amish people don't like her because she doesnt have a "ton" of kids, and because she wears too much eyeliner. She is probably right! Kim thinks I am weird, but I think she is gaudy! I guess that's why we have so much fun together, we love to laugh at our differences. We are opposites. She loves to shop, I hate it; she loves sequins, I would not be caught dead in a sequin!; she's gourmet, I'm plain fruits, veggies, and dried beans; she is a cup of hot chocolate; and I'm a cup of coffee; she's store bought, I'm handmade; she's a two karat ring a necklace two bracelets, and a Gucci watch; and I'm a wedding band; she is contemporary and I am vintage.

So Kim you and your weird self are tagged, along with Kuky, Molly, Rae (which will require a lot of effort, so it may not get done for a while!).