Oh My! A Liebster Blog Award for Me...

One of the many things I love about blogging is how supportive mom bloggers can be of one another. We comment on one another’s blogs, we share posts we enjoy, and we get to know (at least virtually) the other mommies who are sitting behind their computers during naptime, just like we are.

One example of this abundant bloggy love is the Liebster award which is not exactly an award in the big fancy way, but is more just a little acknowledgement from one blogger to another (11 others to be exact) to say, “Your blog is great”. It is specifically for blogs who have 200 followers or less, so it’s an awesome way to give a shout-out to up and coming bloggers.

Chris from Riding the Crazy Train:Diary of a Delirious Mom passed on this little token to me, which is super flattering.  Chris is from Virginia and I love her blog and how she just tells it like it is. She's raising twins that are on the autism spectrum AND substitute teaches on top of that. Not to mention the poor dog and his little issues. She has her hands full and her blog will really make you think. Heck, I admit I thought about getting one of those "families" for the window of my car, that is until I read her take on it and it just makes TOO much sense. She is smart, witty, and hilarious. You seriously need to check out her blog.

Here are the rules for the Liebstering (not a verb?):

Post 11 random facts about yourself.
Choose 11 deserving bloggers and tag them in your post.
Tell them you’ve tagged them.
Answer 11 questions the tagger has asked you, and give 11 questions to the people you’ve tagged.
No tag backs.
Ok, here goes…

11 random facts about me (11 is a lot…)
1. I LOVE bubble bathes! I know, I'm an adult, but ah the relaxation of a bubble bath, a lit candle, and the dark room. My house is organized by my borderline autistic son, so what seems "odd" placement to some is what doesn't stress him out. In the dark bathroom and the bubbles I can totally block out my urge to rearrange all of his placements.

2. I don't eat green things. I can't say I don't eat anything green because there is one exception to that rule, I eat Lesueur Peas and only that brand. All other peas seem to be crunchy or have a weird bright green color. I refer to these as "fake peas" and yes, this means I do not eat store bought pot pies.

3. I have anxiety in crowds. I know I know, I'm SO family oriented, but as the Christmas gatherings, I'm the one standing by the door. It's not because I'm ready to leave, it's so I can catch some "fresh air" as the smokers go in and out. Ha ha, I know "fresh" with smoke even when I hate cigarette smoke. I think it's the fact that it's not the same air all of these people are breathing in and out.

4. I don't wear jewelry other than my wedding rings and my autism awareness ring, but I have my tongue pierced. I know, I'm older, but I did it when I was 18 and just haven't let it grow up. I mean I've left it out for months, but then I put it back in eventually. I guess the hole is there permanently since I have taken it out so much in my life. When, I would go places to speak, such as with Phi Theta Kappa in college, I always took it out. I mean would you believe anything that comes out of the pierced mouth of an Officer of an International Honor Society?

5. I watch Disney Channel shows. I know what you're say, "of course she does, she has children." No, if they aren't in the room or home and the tv was left on the Disney Channel, I don't change it. The shows just pull me in... I mean I may have been more excited that my daughter when Charlie got a little brother. (hint: Good Luck Charlie is the name of the show I am referring to)

6. I became a Certified Pharmacy Technician just to see if I could. Yes, you read that correctly. I was working at a Walgreens call center and I knew you made more money if you were a pharmacy tech, so why not see if I could do it. I took my classes, while working and then made the trip to Birmingham to sit for the National exam. Talk about a bundle of nerves and it would be almost a month before I would learn that I scored very high and was now a Nationally Certified Pharmacy Technician.

7. I LOVE sign language. Ok, so at first the idea that my son was non-verbal was shocking, but then I realized their are children everyday that learn sign language because they can't hear. My son can hear and respond perfectly, he just doesn't talk (they say he will in time). Now, I love it! Seeing family react to him and he does sentences in sign language and he's not even two yet is wonderful. He can because he's smart! I have to get better at using my signs, sometimes I don't sign because he does understand me talking and he signs back and that leaves my husband a little lost. I'm going to have to sign more often so I can teach my husband since he's at work while we are at therapy.

8. I love playing with cars. Before we had our son I use to buy my husband hot wheels and tracks, not really for him, but for me. Now I have a little boy and it's just so cool to play with his toys. With my daughter it was barbies, babies, and dress-up. Boy's clothes aren't as cool, but boys toys are better.

9. I watch Home Alone ALL year long! Yes, the movie, what else did you think I was referring to? I can quote the whole movie, love it. My husband says, "Again?" When he walks in the room and it's on.

10. I hate spiders. You know the saying, "more people get hurt getting away from snakes than are bit by snakes." Well, that's me with spiders. I will cry, scream, run, and curl up in a ball before I will even kill one. That's what my husband is for. :)

11. I love my blogging family. Yes, you guys. I love blogging and the reason I got into it was to make a book each year for my family to have an eventually pass down when I'm gone. But I have come across blog hops and have met so many wonderful people through blogging, it's a part of my family. Sometimes I spend hours on blogger not even writing a post of my own, but reading all of the blogs that I follow. You guys are great!

Here are the questions (and my answers) from Mrs. Chris

1. What is in your "secret stash" that you hide from your kids or spouse? (I hide dark chocolate, for example.)

During the school year, it's extra money so AJ and I can go to Bojangles for breakfast after dropping Lyssa off at school and while Daddy is at work.  I know, such a rebel!

2.  What are your feelings on the "5-Second Rule"?

Oh my, is that for real?  I have a boy with a dog that he thinks is his brother.  Most stuff he puts on the floor first so he can bend over and eat it like his "brother.

3. What is the best compliment you have ever received from one of your blog followers?

Either that I'm a "breath of fresh air" from Mrs. Chris or the weekly encouragement from No..el about my son speaking one day.

4. What pushes your crazy-psycho button?

Women in SUVs!  Ok, so not all women that drive suvs have a bad driving problem, but ALL the suvs that almost hit me are driven by women.  I say if the hubby is gonna buy his wife one, it's his responsibly to teach her to drive it!

5. Who inspires you the most on your life journey?

My mom, she has been the rock for our family since my dad became disabled when I was 15.  She has had her career and stood strong working and supporting the family when he couldn't.

6. What gets you through the day most often: coffee, wine, or your sense of humor?

Knowing there is a bedtime at the end of the day and a bubble bath for me.  I also mumble, "he's just being Alex" under my breath.

7. What's your number one travelling tip?

Know exactly where you're going.  Getting lost or looking directions up will only make the children ask, "are we there yet?" even louder.

8. If you weren't doing what you're doing today career-wise, what other life/career path would you be on?

I would be an accountant like my mom.  I have my Associate and finished three years of my Bachelor, but circumstances have me at home and I LOVE being "Momma."

9.  What are your goals for blogging?

Originally it was my books, but now it's a sort of family.  I love making new friends and reading about their journeys and how everything isn't perfect and knowing I'm not alone.

10.  Anything on your bucket list you'd like to share?

Sounds simple, but I want to go white water rafting.  I am an excellent swimmer and I guess that's why water can strike fear in my rather quickly.  I watch Fear Factor and they put people in cars and then in water and that scares me because I know what water can do in an instant.  My husband went with church when he was growing up and it looks like so much fun, I really want to do it, but I would have to find the courage.

11.  What is the craziest thing you have ever done that you are willing to admit to doing?

Wow, so I didn't realize how extremely boring my life really was until I got to the question.  I guess it would be the time I drove my friends eclipse home from a club one night when she had been drinking.  It was a stick shift and I have NEVER in my life been behind the wheel of a stick shift, but I got us there.  All I knew was it's an H haha.

I’m spreading the Liebste r love to these 11 bloggers. If you haven’t already stopped by these awesome blogs, what are you waiting for?! 

1. Noel's Beautiful Life

2. Teshuva

3. Raising Bean

4. Weak and Loved

5. Dreamweaver's Wife

6. Being Mom(me)

7. Innes Family v:3.0

8. 1 Camera 1 Mom

9. A Matter of Choice

10. Preppy Premed

11. From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly

Here are the 11 questions that I have come up with for you:

1.  Who is your favorite artist (painter) and your favorite work by them?  (ie. mine is van Gogh's Starry Night)

2.  If you won the 689 million dollar lottery would you take a lump sum payment of $430 million or $28 million for 30 years?

3.  What is your biggest pet peeve?

4.  If you could change any one thing about your life right now, what would you change?

5.  Which do you prefer, the local grocery store or your local farmer's market?

6.  If you have an unlimited supply of money, an unlimited amount of time in the day, and the largest house ever, how many children would you have? 

7.  How long have you been blogging?

8.  What's your favorite movie/TV show?

9.  What's the first thing you think of when you heard thunder or see lightening? (ie. my parents told me God was whooping the Devil when it thundered)

10.  What's your favorite childhood memory?

11.  Why do you blog?

Ok, so that has to be the longest blog ever posted by me and wow did it take some thought.  Thanks again to Mrs. Chris and don't forget to check out her blog as well as the other's that I have nominated.