Even Mo Ask MO

Ok, so if you are the ones who like a little MoJoy with your Raisin Bran and coffee, I apologize. this Q&A thing is pretty intense! Plus, you know there is that full time job thing. and those two babies of mine. But if you are the ones who like those kickback photos from a time long ago... you are in for a treat! Let's get this party started!

Question #19 : From Kristi VK from Iowa
ANother hot topic! Would you recommend lapband?
Ummm.... Gosh I wish I knew how to operate a scanner. If you are local and know how, please come over. Today!

What do you think? (here is where I need a before and oh so obvious picture! Just imagine me back at caringbridge. somewhere around 2005!)
I would have done it 10 years ago if I had known how much better I would have felt. I had all this kind of energy in me with about an extra 90 pounds to "hold me down". It was stifling. So, without a doubt. I would recommend it.

And could you give us details on your new home?
Well, I kinda think I did that already, but let's review. It is a BAH. I have a screened porch where I expect to have a super awesome swing! Our back view is of a pond and a big horse pasture. Todd and I have a "private den" off our bedroom for when girlies want to sleep near their mama and daddy. Or when I have to stay up til the buttcrack of dawn to finish a blog post, and Todd is yelling at me to go to sleep. I anticipate a little climbing area in one of the girls' rooms like I have seen in Pottery Barn Kids for their kitchen set and playing stuff with a bunk on top for Emma to spend the night. I expect the girls to stay in the same room for a while. I just think it is cozy like that! They have a "jack and jill" bath where they both have a dressing area/vanity, but only one tub/potty. We have an 1100 square foot loft which has an extra bedroom that we intend to use as a workout room. hahahahahaha. Otherwise, the loft doesn't have a big purpose other than looking cool over my kitchen! I am sure the girls will use it to escape their parents in future teenage years! We have a spiral staircase in our kitchen that accesses the loft, and a step up into a dining room right off the kitchen with big glass window for a view of the pond.

I tried to give you some different details than the last post. Hope you had a visual.
and for even more "visuals", here are pictures of ideas/ homes that are of similar style to ours. I am TORN as I desperately need to make a decision on the look of the front of my house. They have formed it, but may have to change it before the slab goes down next week! I am really leaning toward the change. Basically, the whole stuck out middle section as seen here...


will be taken out for more of a flat front look (cottagey to me) like this...
and little spiky things on the top like this...
and cool windows on the side like this...
This is the closest thing to our present house plans that I have seen (definitely NOT these colors... sorry if yours is yellow and burnt orange. Mine just won't be!). So anyhoo.
this is pretty close too! except stucco in front. Which do you like? Balcony/ middle thing or flat cottagey look in front? Question #20 : from Sandy P. How do I get up and go to work after all that playing?

Didn't know if that was a real question or were you just playing? Well, I DO play a lot. I play as far as my general outlook on life goes. and I play with my girls. And I try to make sure we are playing at work. etc. So... I think my whole life is play. It is an attitude! So, it is easy to get up (relatively speaking ... 10ish vs. 7ish!!) when you know life is good.

Question #21 : Mere, whose girls are as smocked as my own, asks:
HOw did you and Todd meet? How long did you date? and how did he propose?

I like to say in Sunday School. I am reserving that to tell my girls! Actually, it was at a place called the Honkytonk. Yes, really! I am sooooo ashamed! It is strange for us to have not known each other, as we are the same age and grew up in the same town. We just hung out in different crowds, I suppose. the Honkytonk was the place to be when I was in college and the line dance craze was in its heyday! I went up to Todd and said, "If you can't figure out this magic trick, you will have to buy me a drink. Deal?" (I can't believe I just admitted that!) He didn't figure it out and well, the rest is history!

I was in PT school at the time, and wasn't in town a lot. PT school was abotu an hour and a half from home. So, he visited on the weekends. We dated for about 4 years or so. I just wanted to be older when I got married. I also started my practice and got that rolling. It was all in the grand plan! I needed that practice to be in place for when Jake got sick so I could leave to be with him. In retrospect, I know it was all meant to be.


As for the proposal, I have a picture in my house of that moment. I LOVE that I have it captured on film! Todd called over some of our closest friends, and actually their kids too. Paula and Johnnye were there as were our next door neighbors at the time. My dear friend from long ago, Josh, was there too. I was actually outside working in the yard when people started showing up. He said, "Oh, I called __, and---, and ___ over, and we are going to grill burgers." Within not much time, he was on one knee, ring in hand, right there in the yard of his trailer in the trailer park! He was crying, our friends were crying, and I was stunned and amazed that I had dirt under my fingernails for this monumental occasion! He had the group bring their cameras, so they whipped them out in time to catch it all. I have kept this photo up on my wall since the proposal!

Question #22 : from Vicki, apparently a northener!
Have you ever lived in any other state? Been to Minnesota in the winter? Think northerners have funny accents?
See that Packer?

Vicki, unless you can consider the time we practically lived in Memphis with Jake, then, NO, I have never lived in another state. In other cities, but no other state! Todd, on the other hand, was born in Wisconsin! New Glarus is from where he hails! So, we go there every August. And YES, "you guys" DO have funny accents! But they think my accent is HYSTERICAL! They make me re-pronounce words just to hear me say them again! On my list of things to do before I die (and yes, I have one!), is to go to Wisconsin in the dead of winter. Todd assures me that I do not want to do that, but he is wrong. If you havent' ever experienced windchill below freezing, then I just think you should! Is Minnesota colder than Wisconsin? Or about the same?


also from Vicki; Question #23: Why the nickname Mo vs. Mel?
I am pretty sure it was easier for Hunter to say when he was a baby. My whole life I have been Mel. I wore a necklace through much of my teen years that said, "mel". I also always had "Mel" on my softball jerseys. But, the short "e" is difficult for children to pronounce early on. So, somehow or another, it became Mo. Then, Hayden. Then, Jake. Then, the world... since the whole world got to know Jake!
Question # 24: from Kelly, When did you get married and how did you meet? I got married in 1996 and I think the above states the rest! My wedding rocked! I will have to do a whole post on my wedding. I thought it was just perfect!

random picture?! Not sure why I loaded this one. but yet again... can't delete it. So enjoy!
also from Kelly; Question #25: Why did you decide to adopt? Could you not conceive?
Todd and I went to fertility clinics for about 4 years. I had 6 inseminations and 2 in vitros (ICSI, if you are in the know!) We never really got a clear answer as to what the problem was. I am as regular as the day is long. (Sorry, Chief and Scott!) So, my ovulation was just fine. Both of the ICSI procedures produced something like 12 fertilized eggs. We froze all of them, but implanted 3 both times. And both times, we went in to see that the two cell (sperm/egg) zygote had grown to 4 cell, 8 cell, and 16 cell, which, if I remember correctly, is when they reinsert them into my uterus. And both times, we went away with three little 16 celled embryos in my belly. I had the pictures on the fridge. But, for some reason they just couldn't survive. We never knew why. Probably because the "Book of Families" was waiting for Ellie and Gabbi! Thank Goodness!


Question #26: from Proud Grandma, When do you hope to have your house ready to move into?
I WISH I knew this one! I am hearing around a year from now. Did I mention it was a BAH? Our contractor told us to not get too antsy, we were in for a long haul!


Question #27: from Lindsay , who makes killer birthday day cakes:
How do you approach hobbies/ crafts? She says she is overwhelmed, and wants to know if I just "dive in"?
Lindsay, I like you, have many hobbies. I bead, scrapbook, paint, garden... and anything else I just learned how to do tends to become an obsession until I master it! I will put up beads for months at a time! Then, someone will need something, or I will see some little charm lying somewhere, and I am off to the races! I will keep those out for a while, and totally quit scrapbooking. Then, I will see an awesome picture that totally inspires me to get out my paper and inks, and boom (boom pow!), I am scrappin everything in sight! I definitely think you need to just let your inspiration take you where it will. I love my Library of Memories system, which I have detailed in the past, as it makes me NOT feel as though I am so "behind" on scrappin. I just pick up wherever I feel inspired to do so! I love that. Hope you will take this as encouragement to "just dive in"!!


Question #28: another from Lindsay! What does Todd do?
I think I have sufficiently covered that one!


Question #29: from Courtlyn, Whats the funniest comment Ellie has ever made?
Oh man, that is hard! She is talking up a STORM! I mean, really, the kid is ADVANCED! She is saying 5 or so word sentences! For a kid not quite one, that is awesome! She told me today, "Mama. Ellie needs a popsicle." She told her dad the same thing a couple of nights ago (actually, "Ellie needs another popsicle")and he lied and said, "We don't have anymore popsicles." She said, "We have lots." I don't know where she gets that vocabulary. I stand amazed!! Dont' think I am exaggerating. She is speaking LONG sentences. I will be so sad when she has to go away to work on the space station!

I also think it is cute now when she goes up to Gabbi and says, "Gabby Girl, want milk?" as she signs it to her. She is teaching her sign language. Now THAT is cute! Let's face it... Ellie is pretty funny!

Question #30: also from Courtlyn: Whats my favorite resource for craft ideas?

I don't know if I have a favorite resource for craft ideas. I subscribe to Kids Craft Weekly, so that is fun for ideas for kid projects. I also have Martha Stewart craft ideas coming to me daily. Then, I LOVE scrapbooking magazines and Somerset magazines. I read some of my favorite scrappy people's blogs, Heidi Swapp, Donna Downey, Cathy ZIelske,E Elsie Flanigan, and Emily Falconbridge. Although, only on the ever so often occasion! Wish I had some pearl for you, but I am afraid I do not.


Question #31: Courtlyn again Do you cook? Do you like to cook? if so... what do you like to cook?

NO, NO, NO!


To really send this message home... did you not realize that Polishman's steaks, were actually supposed to be Polish Mistakes? My loving mother snorted corn out of her nose when she read that. She couldn't gently tell me the error of my ways, suggesting sweetly that I change it. NO. She had to email me about how she was laughing hysterically, followed by a call making me feel like a moron. Isn't she a doll?! Well, I got one thing to tell you JinJin. If you had actually taught me to cook, maybe I would not make mistakes like misunderstanding just about ANYTHING that has to do with a kitchen! If I had my way in the new house, I would just leave off the kitchen and have a drive thru window installed in the den. That way, Johnny's Pizza delivery boys wouldn't have to get out of their cars when they make their way to my house!
So, NO! I do not cook. (Todd does though and is an EXCELLENT cook!) See above. Chicken breasts stuffed with ????. Guys just love a good breast!

Question # 31: From Cori. a reapeater.
How do you store your picture? On an external hard drive? And do you edit them?
Well, let's see..
That would be a no. But I WILL be sending you some to edit. Send me your email again! I used to edit more. But you know, it is all about priorities! Just like in scrapbooking... I used to take way more time using materials and making the page 4 lbs with the crap I bought to add to it. That was my artsy phase. Then, I decided to focus on photography. (pardon that pun!) I started learning Photoshop and if you recall was really into angles and lenses and etc. My scrappin became more about the pictures. Lately, my scrappin is more about the story, the memory, the actual event! I add a little funky stuff for flair, and I like to use a fairly good picture, but the tutus above, (which by the way those two went and put on all by themselves) tells a story enough, even without good photo quality. So, for me, it is about whichever way the wind is blowing at the time!

I just bought a new external hard drive this weekend. If you are local and know how, please come by! I have a three day weekend! I am also looking into an online back up system. mozy.com or hmmm, there is another one. I researched these last week. It starts with a "c". It'll come to me. I am NOT doing the right thing right now! I think I have about 25,000 pics on my computer, and if you will recall it is only about 18 months old! Ha! I need a better back up system.!! I LOVE iphoto on Mac though for categorizing them for me when I upload them!

Question #32: from Katie, mom of Kaitlyn G:
I am not crafty. Do you think you can start late in life or do you have to be "born" with it?
Katie, Katie, Katie, have you learned nothing? Listen, little grasshoppa...I offer kits. I give lessons. Have you ordered any? In fact, those earrings above are going to be part of the next kit! I do not have magic hands! Once you learn a technique, it is all about YOUR taste! Not whether or not I nor anybody else likes it! OF COURSE, you can start now. And the sooner the better! Because, you will be practicing old techniques and pairing them with new techniques as you go. I just used a sewing machine for the first time ever (in North Carolina) and used my stamping and love of ribbons, and something I learned about putting pictures on fabric, and LOVED the outcome. Although still not finished. and Emily, since you are not a reader... you go back and read every word! Staci and Paula too!

Dude. That was a LONG one. One more small set of questions, and I will have them covered.

And that concludes our Q & A for today. I am painting canvases this weekend, so be looking for those beauts on my blog. PEACE.
Mo

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JINJIN! Big 6-1! My mama is OLD. I am making her some polishman steaks tonight. Or maybe some Frenchman's steaks. I havent' decided!