{Ask Away Friday} Questions with @JoyInTheMidstOf

Hello December! It’s the month of crazy holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, happiness and joy!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with #AskAwayFriday it’s an amazing way to meet new bloggers, make friends and ask some questions to get to know them better!  10 questions are exchanged and answered on your partners blog, you can get as creative as you want and even get into our purses!

As always, tried and true we have the partners in crime, the ladies who created #AskAwayFriday…the wonderful Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and Amber from Bold Fab Mom!!

Our co-hosts for the month of December are here as well!  All new ladies who have been wonderful additions to the #AskAwayFriday week after week!  Show them some love by stopping by their blogs!

 

This week I’m so excited to be exchanging questions with Stevie from Joy in the Midst Of… I met her through SITS, a supportive blogging community, when I was new to socializing with other bloggers.  I was nominated for a Liebster Award, which is similar to #AskAwayFriday, but instead you have to ask 11 new bloggers to participate in a Q&A.  That forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and actually connect with other bloggers – one the people I nominated was Stevie.

I was immediately drawn to her blog because her of her writing.  Sometimes I stop and read a sentence again to soak up how beautifully she can put words together.  She talks about real life stuff – sometimes happy and silly, but sometimes emotional and painful.  The first post I read was Baby Sister, I was  Unprepared and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Here are the 10 questions that Stevie asked me this week:

I think you already know this, but you seriously have the cutest kids ever.  What is one lesson or value you are hoping to instill in them?

I hope to instill the Filipino culture in them.  I’m a first-generation Filipino-American and I can already see how much of the Filipino culture is lost between my parents and my sister and me.  The language, for one, is already lost with me.  So I hope to carry on whatever values and traditions that I still have such as the food, emphasis on family and God, to be humble, hospitable, and kind …

As I’ve already confessed, I have total babies on the brain.  Tell me a favorite memory from one of your pregnancies?

Besides guilt-free ice cream binges?  My favorite pregnancy moment was when Jeff and I went to Anna Maria Island with my parents and sis when I was about 6 months preggo with Arielle.  My bump was just starting to show.  It was the perfect day and we had just had lunch and the most amazing scoop of vanilla ice cream I’ve ever had (I’m usually a chocolate kinda girl).  Then, we all ran up and down the beach looking for seashells.  It’s probably not just my favorite memory from one of my pregnancies, but one of my favorite memories of all time.  We were all happy, and it’s the last time I remember the care-free feeling of being my parents’ kid before I became a mother to my own kids.

Speaking of motherhood, what is your most embarrassing “Mom” moment?

It was an unseasonably warm winter day and I was in the thick of Christmas shopping last year.  I found a ton of really great presents for my nieces and nephews at Michael’s. They were crafty gifts in large awkward boxes and I was having a hard time carrying them while pushing the double-decker stroller through the tight and cluttered aisles.  It was hot and Zavier started to have a melt-down so I tried taking off his jacket, but by then he was in full tantrum mode.  Then Arielle stared crying, too.

I remember standing in a long line with boxes underneath the stroller, piled on top of the stroller, while holding a basket with more boxes in one hand and pushing the stroller with the other hand.  I was doing mental gymnastics trying to count the kids to make sure I didn’t miss anyone, while the kids were screaming and crying.  I just avoided eye contact with all the other shoppers, but I could feel them glaring at me.  I was hot and sweaty.  By the time I got to the cashier, I just muttered, “Make this quick, we gotta get out of here.”

And then I realized that I forgot. my. wallet. at. home.  I was so embarrassed and flustered and hot.  Did I mention it was hot?   I just apologized left everything right there on the counter and ran out of that store as fast as I could with my double decker stroller and screaming children.

Many of your readers and blogging buddies have commented on your fabulous sense of style.  And I know that you love lipstick!  Let’s talk beauty products, drug store or department store?  Any favorite brands?

I mostly wear MAC cosmetics and recently started wearing Urban Decay eye shadows.  I’m usually a thrifty shopper, but drug store products tend to stink and lipsticks that have that lipstick-y taste make want to barf-ola.  Plus, I have sensitive skin so I tend to stick to brands/products that I know won’t mess me up so I tend to splurge a little when it comes to cosmetics.

As a working mom, I imagine the weekends are special times with the family.  What does your Saturday morning routine look like?

I like making pancakes for A&Z on Saturday mornings.  Sometimes we add chocolate chip or blueberry happy faces.  I don’t know if they like it because I make stellar pancakes or if they just like the syrup.  I try to attend #SITSSharefest if we don’t have anywhere to be; otherwise, we’re rushing to get ready for a birthday party, ballet class, or other events throughout the day.

I love reading the stories about your marriage and relationship with Jeff.  How would you describe your marriage personality?

I would describe it as “coo coo in the poo poo.”  That was a phrase that Jeff used to say a lot when I first met him.  It means It’s all good! Chillin’. No worries.

Speaking of marriage, and Jeff, what’s something that Jeff does that cracks you up or drives you nuts?

He’s a goof ball, so he always cracks me up.  But anytime I ask him to help me with something, all of a sudden he has to poop.  Can you change Zavier’s diaper?  He has to go poop.  Can you take out the garbage? After he’s done pooping.  Can go you see why the kids are screaming? No, he’s currently pooping.  I think you get the pattern.

He also seems to always have leisure time, unlike me where I feel like I’m constantly working or cleaning or doing something.  For example, he has time to work out at home.  Good for him, but the unequal time distribution drives me nuts.

So the other day, I was blogging while the kids were hanging out with me in the office and Jeff was watching TV in the family room.  I told Arielle that we should all go to the family room and spend time with Daddy and she replied, “OK! What are we going to do?  Work out or go poo?”

I nearly died.  The kid speaks the truth, y’all!

We are basically the same age.  I remember watching cartoons as a kid, and when I see the kids shows today, they just don’t seem as cool.  What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Tiny Toon Adventures!  I think I was supposed to say Smurfs, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite, or Shera – but honestly, I don’t remember watching those.  I remember watching Tiny Toons like it was just yesterday.  Maybe it was just yesterday because I think A&Z watch that show too now.

I loved the story of Coconut and I love his little sweaters.  Are you like me and do you spoil him a little?  What’s one dog mom thing you do that’s a little ridiculous?

Before I had A&Z, I really treated Coconut like he was my real baby.  I took him to the park on his birthday.  Not a dog park, but a children’s park.  I traveled with him everywhere.  Fact:  Coconut has been on more plane rides than Zavier.  He has in his own carrying case that was also a car seat.  It was a little ridiculous, but I’ve calmed down a lot since I had real babies.

I remember we compared notes on what it felt like to turn 30.  Now that you are into your thirties how is it different than being in your twenties?

Being in my twenties was so transitional.  Finishing college to starting my career.  Moving out of my parents’ house to buying my own house.  Clubbin’ with my girls to having a family nights with my hubs and two babies.  It was all exciting, but I didn’t know anything!  I just fumbled my way through it with the help from my family and friends.

I feel like all that transition dust is starting to settle in my 30s.  I’m sure I’ll continue to evolve and learn new things; however,  I want to take things I’ve learned along the way and refine them and get really good at the things that matter.

Thanks so much for swapping questions with me, Stevie!  For those of you who have also participated in #AskAwayFriday, don’t forget to link up below!! Or, get to know some other bloggers who participated this week!
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xoxo // gracielle.