This week’s questions are all about names. Those who know me well (and know the difficulties we have choosing names around here) know that I have some issues peculiarities quirks about names. So, I thought this one was just too fun to pass up.

1. How did your parents decide on your name?
Here’s how the story goes (correct me if I’m wrong, Mom): Mom wanted to name me Sarah Melissa, but I had an aunt who wanted to use the name Sarah for her daughter. Mom deferred, and neither of my aunt’s daughters are named Sarah. My understanding is that my name (Jana) was some kind of compromise between Mom and Dad and has some basis from Jan on The Brady Bunch. I could be wrong, but that’s the way I remember it. My middle name is my Mom’s name and my Grandmother’s middle name.

2. Do your initials (First, Middle, Last) spell out anything fun/funny?
Nope. I grew up JCW and am now JCG. Nothing funny there.

3. Did you take your middle name from childhood or did you take your maiden name as your middle name? (If unmarried, what do you plan to do?)
I kept my middle name from childhood. I love my middle name, and it is part of my family history (see answer 1).

4. Are you or will you name your children thematically (ie. same first letter, all of same origin…)
No themes here unless you consider the fact that all of our children have traditional first names as a theme. I don’t.

5. Did you decide on baby names as a little girl? Did you stick to them or change your mind?
I had a bunch of names that I liked growing up. We have used none of them. I am just fine with that.

6. Does your family have any names that have been passed down through generations?
My middle name, as mentioned above. But, more impressively, J’s first name is a family name in Matt’s side of the family that goes back hundreds of years. Like to the mid-1500′s if I remember correctly. E and S also have family names, but not ones that have been used generation after generation.

7. Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?
Both. Biblically, a name was considered to encompass the fullness of the person (personality, traits, etc). I believe there is some truth in that.

8. Do you name pets with human names (Sally, Henry) or with pet names (Fluffy, Mr. Bo Bo)?
We don’t have pets with names. I mean, we don’t have pets, so no names.

9. Are there any names that you have an affinity or dislike for based on a childhood experience/someone you once knew?
There are a few, but Matt has a bunch. That’s one contributing factor in the difficulty we have naming our children.

10. What are some of your favorite names? Why?
I love our kids names (both first and middle). They are strong names with meaning (either familial or the actual meaning of or history of the name). Here are a few more that I really like but I doubt we’ll ever use for children – Annalise, Ellen, Audrey, Claire (or Clara).

Seriously, I feel like I should have some sort of intro on this post every week. Well, this week, this is all ya get. Enjoy…

1. What was your high school superlative (if you didn’t have one- what would it have been)?
I was most likely to succeed, most intellectual, most athletic, and most school spirit. And yes, I did go to a very small high school.

2. What sports did you play in high school?
I played basketball and ran track (kind of).

3. What was the best part about your wedding (if you’re not married yet, what are you looking forward to)?
The best part of our wedding was that we were able to get married in Matt’s grandparents’ garden. We have beautiful pictures to remember it by.

4. It’s your last meal– what Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Entree and Dessert would you choose?
appetizer: fried pickles, soup: Olive Garden’s pasta e fagioli, salad: a really good caesar, entree: J Alexander’s chicken salad sandwich and fries, and dessert: cheesecake (either Godiva or Cheesecake Factory)

5. What song is your guilty pleasure?
I don’t really have one. I do have several albums that I like that I can only listen to when the kids aren’t around though (i.e., Radiohead, Elliott Smith).

6. What is your favorite professional sports team, and why do you like them?
Hmm…tough call between the Boston Red Sox (I’m a huge baseball fan, and Matt converted me to a Red Sox fan, although I’m still a big Atlanta Braves fan, too) and the Tennessee Titans (also a big football fan and the Titans are the home team).

7. What is your favorite reality show and why do you like it?
The Biggest Loser. I like to see the transformations from the beginning of the season to the season finale.

8. How would you classify your home decorating style (modern, classic, french country)?
Traditional. We have very functional and family-friendly decor.

9. Pizza- deep dish or thin crust? White sauce or red sauce? What toppings?
Oh, just pizza. I’ll eat just about any of it (except barbecue, chicken, or anchovies). My favorite (which I’m currently unable to eat thanks to baby girl) is Pietro Pizza (local pizzeria) ham and pineapple.

10. Favorite weekend getaway within a two hour driving radius?
Um, not so much weekend getting away with three small children and no grandparents in town. There is only one place within two hours that I can even think of that I want to visit. However, when we were in East Tennessee, we loved to visit Asheville, NC for the weekend (or even just the day).

Happy Tuesday! Here’s this week’s Ten on Tuesday. Enjoy.

1. Do you prefer markers, crayons, or colored pencils?
Nice, new, sharp crayons. I’m a bit OCD about my crayons. I only use Crayola, they must have wrappers on them, and once the tip wears down I don’t use them anymore. My kids’ crayon box drives.me.crazy.

2. As a child, how did your parents celebrate your birthday? (Parties, cake, you pick the dinner, etc.)
We had cake and, usually, a party. And gifts, of course.

3. How do you feel about leggings?
I don’t like them for me. My legs are much to big to put into leggings. I do, however, love BabyLegs on Baby Girl.

4. How do you prefer to follow directions? With a map? Words?
I prefer voice nav on my phone. If I’m going off of written directions, though, I prefer words. I don’t do well with maps.

5. What do you eat for snack?
It depends on the day, my mood, and what’s in the house. I eat a lot of the kids’ snacks (cheddar bunnies, goldfish, cheez its) when we’re out and about; my favorite snacks are popcorn, ice cream, and chocolate.

6. Have you ever ordered anything from an infomercial or bought any As Seen on TV products?
No.

7. What’s your favorite thing about summer?
Nice, ripe, red tomatoes (and grilled ones, yum!), fresh corn, and being outside with the kids (until the temps are in the 90s).

8. Do you have a tattoo? What and where is it?
I do not.

9. Are you good at journaling?
Not on paper. I journal occasionally, but I have never been one to do it regularly.

10. What’s your favorite way to eat a hamburger?
Grilled, on a bun, with sharp cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato.

It’s time for another round of Ten on Tuesday trivia (thanks, as always, to Chelsea for hosting); another Tuesday where you get to read trivial things about me. This week’s questions are mostly about the “firsts” in your life. There are some good questions here. Read on to learn more about my inherent dorkiness…

1. Think back a decade, do you remember what your first cellphone was? Was it as cool as Zack Morris’s phone?
My first cell was Nokia something or other (in 1995). It was not nearly as cool (or large) as Zack’s, but I do remember my parents having one like that.

2. What is the first children’s book you remember being read to you?
The first book I actually recall being read to me was Stand Back, Said the Elephant, I’m Going to Sneeze. I’m sure there were many, many before that (I remember being read to A LOT, especially by my brother), but I don’t remember specific books.

3. What was your first car? Did you love it or hate it?
A 1993 soft top Geo Tracker (white). I loved that car. Funny story about it – when I decided that was the car I wanted my uncle tried multiple times to talk me out of it saying it was too dangerous, too much of a risk to flip, etc. Now he drives it.

4. Who was your hero growing up?
My dad and my brother.

5. Think back to your first kiss. Was it everything you dreamed of?
Umm, no. Mainly because it was a kiss from someone that I really had absolutely no desire to kiss.

6. What was your first BAD hairstyle choice? (Extra points for embarrassing photos)
I had a bowl cut when I was preschool age, but that wasn’t really my choice. In early elementary I had a really bad choppy layers mullet-y thing. And then, my senior year of high school I got a “Rachel” shag. That was bad. Hair as thick as mine and that kind of style do not mix. I wish I had the pictures to share because it would definitely be good for a laugh.

7. What was your first realistic dream? (One where you had to think “Oh dang, was that a dream?”)
I don’t remember the first one, but the scariest one was when I was pregnant with Baby Girl and dreamed that the ultrasound showed she was a cat.

8. What was the first phobia you remember developing?
Probably either spiders or snakes.

9. Which character on Sesame Street do you most identify with?
Cookie Monster has always been my favorite. I can relate to never being able to get enough cookies.

10. What was the hardest goal you ever accomplished?
Getting an “A” in Organic Chemistry is the first one that comes to mind (that class about killed me), followed closely by potty training Little.

This isn’t my favorite set of questions (mainly because I don’t really have answers for all of them), but sometimes it’s good to stretch a bit. Check out Roots and Rings for more Ten on Tuesday fun.

1. What book, movie or song has made you want to travel to a particular place? (eg. I went to Prince Edward Island because I was such a Anne of Green Gables fan)
Jane Austen novels make me want to visit Regency England, but I don’t think I would want to stay long. And that’s all I’m coming up with here. Sad, I know.

2. Aside from your significant other, who would you want to take with you on a dream trip?
That would have to be my besties, Lindsey and Stacey, or my sister (in-law), Lu.

3. Where would said dream trip be to?
Somewhere exotic, all-inclusive, and with a lovely spa.

4. If you were hosting guests or providing tips, what three things would you show visitors to your hometown? (be it where you live now or where you grew up)
I would suggest the zoo, the botanical gardens, and the river front (although those aren’t the most popular destinations for tourists in these parts, they are the ones I like).

5. If you had a long weekend ahead of you, where you head – beach, city or country/mountains?
That would be the mountains for some hiking.

6. Do you have a passport? If so, did you get it for a particular trip or just to have, in case?
I no longer have a valid passport. Once upon a time, many years ago, I got one for my trip to Paris.

7. Are there any travel souvenirs you collect? If not, is there something else you collect?
I’m not a big collector, so no travel souvenirs. If you consider a collection a group of things that accumulates because you enjoy buying them, then I collect baby carriers and cloth diapers.

8. If you could name a paint colour, what colour would it be and what would you call it?
I can’t say that I’ve ever considered naming a paint color, but I guess if I did it would have to be a shade of blue in the periwinkle family. I have no idea what I’d call it, though.

9. If you were heading away for a weekend citybreak solo, where would you go? (forget about practicality here and flight times, assume you can get to any city in the world for the weekend)
Well, I would never go solo, Matt would be along, but right now I’d head to Portland or Seattle. Two places I’ve never visited but would love to see.

10. Is there a song or a smell or something that you strongly associate with a particular holiday/place/time, such that it always takes you back?
The smell of sage makes me think of Thanksgiving at my Mema’s. There are others, but that one has been on my mind lately because my shampoo smells strongly of sage. Oh, and the song “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t be Late)” always reminds me of childhood Christmases at Mema’s.

It’s time for another edition of Ten on Tuesday. I didn’t participate last week because I ran out of time before we went to the zoo and never got back to the post. But it’s always fun to answer the wide range of questions that show up in each week’s list.

So, here we go…

1. If you could travel back in time, would you? What decade would you visit?
If I were to time travel, I would probably go to the 1920′s. I’m not really sure why; it just sounds like an interesting time to visit. However, the whole idea of time travel kind of weirds me out, so quite possibly I would just stay home.

2. What was your best Halloween costume? (fun to make? most creative?)
I’m not a big Halloween person, but we always had a costume contest at my work in Knoxville; one year I went as a bunch of grapes and won the contest. I also won a school costume contest in middle school when I dressed up as a crazy doctor.

3. Do you like your name? If you weren’t called by your name, what would you want to be called?
I do like my name. It isn’t very common, and after 31 years it’s just me. When I was young (early elementary school) I hated my name and wanted to change it to something like Sarah (something common).

4. In the past year, what is the BEST recipe you made. Please share it!
Wow, that’s a tough one; I cook a lot and am regularly trying new recipes. One of our family favorites is Apple Cake, and then, of course, there’s Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls, and my favorite Strawberry Cake. I’ve made several good savory recipes this year, too. It’s.just.too.hard.to.pick.one!

5. Look around – what is the nearest object or picture hanging on the wall?
A deep red and white floral print canvas.

6. What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Would you recommend it?
Matt and I never go to the theater anymore. The last movie I saw was Julie & Julia with my best friends. I would recommend it, although, I didn’t like it nearly as much when I saw it again after reading the books it is based on.

7. Did you go to summer camp? Will you/do you send your kids to camp?
I did and I didn’t. I went to church camp the first time in 4th or 5th grade and pretty much hated it. I didn’t go to camp again until I started going as a counselor in high school. I also did basketball camp several years and an honors symposium/camp thing before my Senior year in high school. My kids are still way to young for camp, but I will send them in the future if they want to go.

8. What kind of ringtone do you have?
Right now it’s one of the preloaded ringtones called vid kid. I really need to load some music so I can have a better ringtone.

9. Where is the farthest away from home you have ever been?
Paris when I was a Freshman in high school.

10. Has anyone ever written a song or a poem for or about you?
Yep. Matt wrote me a song for our first Valentine’s Day together.

Let me know if you decide to play along. I would enjoy reading your answers.

Thanks, Chelsea, for hosting!

This week’s Ten on Tuesday questions were preceded by the following disclaimer: They are a different group of questions. So my advice? Don’t participate if you aren’t feeling fun and creative! After reading them, I totally understand why Chelsea felt the need to warn us. It looks like someone has been reading World War Z or watching I am Legend.

1. Quick! Zombies are coming!! What do you do?

Gather the kids and hide under the desk wielding my tazer (assuming I had one, of course). Then I’d call Matt.

2. Whew, that was a close one. …I think your phone is ringing. Oh, it’s your best friend! She thinks she’s been bitten by a zombie. What advice do you give her?

I’ll try to get you some anti-zombie bite medication and leave it on your front porch. Please don’t come to my house right now!

3. You realize it’s time to leave your current location because it’s clearly not safe anymore. Are you going to move at night or day? Defend your reasoning.

Day. Zombies are much more active at night; that’s when they feed. If I move during the day they are slowed by the intensity of the sunlight in their light-sensitive, nocturnal eyes and I have a chance to out run them. If a move at night is necessary, I must be prepared with the highest powered flashlight I can find.

4. During your relocation, you come across a weapon superstore. My, that’s convenient. What kind of weaponry do you choose?

Pretty much anything I can get my hands on, but I’m definitely looking for a gun with long range, a stun gun, and a crossbow (just because I think it would be fun to shoot one) plus lots of ammo.

5. As you leave, an old lady on the side of the street begs you to help her. Do you? Why or why not?

Yes. If she really is a little old lady then she definitely needs my help. If she is a zombie in little-old-lady disguise, then it will be too shocked by my willingness to help to attack me. If I didn’t help, and she was a zombie, then I would be done for.

6. Good choice, you’re clearly a good person to have around in a zombie apocalypse. Oh hey, there’s a wifi signal here! You can’t stay long but this is your chance to gather some intel on the current situation. What’s the first website you check?

drudgereport – drudge will definitely have the latest intel on the zombie invasion.

7. SHH! What was that noise?!

Oh, it’s the barista calling my name. My latte must be ready. (The wifi hot spot was in a coffee shop, right?)

8. I think it’s time to get out of here. I hope you have a plan. Where are you going now?

Gotta make a quick run to the grocery store. We have to have milk and bread, don’t we?

9. Wait a minute, that looks like a bite mark on your arm… You may be infected too! Will you tell other people?

Quick, hand me some of that anti-zombie medicine I procured for my best friend! I’ll tell Matt so he knows what happened if I go awol, but otherwise, we’ll keep this one under wraps…for now anyway.

10. How does this story end?

I’m not sure…last thing I remember the zombie venom and the anti-zombie medication were battling it out in my system. I must have gone into a coma because, next thing I know I wake up in a hospital bed an indeterminate amount of time later. It would appear that someone developed a vaccine, though, because I hear the zombies have been eradicated. Ahh! Now we can return to life as before.

That was fun. For more zombie stories, or to create one of your own, visit Roots and Rings.

1. Of your current hobbies, which would you choose to spend more time, money, and effort on? Why?

Reading. It is (and has long been) my favorite pass-time, but I don’t have as much time to read as I would like since we’ve had three kids in less than four years.

2. List two other hobbies/habitual activities (not chores) besides the one listed above that you regularly do now and didn’t choose in question one.

Umm…blogging and counted cross-stitch (although I am not currently doing it regularly, it is the only other hobby I can think of)

3. Why are you spending time on the above two hobbies/habitual activities at all if you really wanted to spend your time on the first one you chose? …or to put it another way, what are these two hobbies/habitual activities fulfilling that the first one doesn’t if you don’t want to put all your effort into the first hobby?

If I don’t blog it is often because I’m reading; especially when I get caught up in a really good book. I enjoy blogging on a totally different level than reading, though. Blogging allows for interaction with others, for one thing, but I also enjoy writing and chronicling what’s going on with our family.

4. Read John 3:16 in the bible… In what way does this passage affect you? What are your feelings towards these words, positively or negatively?

It reaffirms for me that God loves me on an individual and personal level; God sent Jesus because he loves the world, but also because he loves me. And it is because of my belief in Jesus that I have eternal life. I love the promises of the Bible because I know they are of God and that my God doesn’t lie.

5. M&M’s: nuts, no nuts, or peanut butter?

Usually plain M&M’s, although, I like the peanut butter ones a lot, too. In college I kept a bag of peanut butter M&M’s in my freezer most of the time for a quick between classes snack.

6. Putting away the feeling of pride being a bad thing; what secretly/openly are you proud about yourself?

I’m proud of the fact that I’m able to be a stay-at-home mom; that Matt and I have made that a priority over the conveniences (because that is what it would be in our case) of having a second income. Also, that we cloth diaper.

7. Given one room in the house to do with what you want, not changing the actual size of the room and with all the money you would need, what would you do, and be specific? (this can range from bouncy floor,walls & ceilings; to hard wood floor with wood paneling and purple ceiling with a chair; to nothing)

This was a tough choice between the living room and kitchen, but since I can’t change the size of the room, I would change our living room…install hardwood floors, take out the painted paneling and hang drywall then paint it a warmer beige or ecru, scrape the “popcorn” ceiling, change the look of the fireplace opening, add a nice comfy chair, convert part of our built-in bookshelves to a computer desk

8. What’s the next movie you’re going to see? Not what you’d LIKE to GO see, but the next movie you realistically are going to watch.

The newest Star Trek movie (next on our Netflix queue) or Julie & Julia (borrowed from a friend)

9. Use the keyboard only and make your best smiley/funny/cool face –> like this! 8^)

8-S

10. What makes you cry? What makes you pray? What makes you laugh?

My kids.

For more Ten on Tuesday fun head over to Roots and Rings.

Welcome to another edition of Ten on Tuesday hosted by Roots and Rings. This week’s questions are a bit all over the place, but you’ll definitely learn a little more about me.

1. If you were given an hour to use a $200 Amazon gift card, what would you buy?
I can’t even decide on what to buy with the $30 Amazon gift card I have, let alone a hypothetical $200 gift card. Hmm…probably some shoes and a few books, and maybe something for the kids (or maybe not).

2. Are there any fairly common foods that you’ve never had?
Brussels sprouts are the only thing that come immediately to mind.

3. What was your favorite way to use your imagination as a kid?
I loved to play with my baby dolls and to play “house”.

4. What’s your favorite state? Why?
I’ve got to say Tennessee here just because it is the state I’ve lived in all my life. It has three distinct and very different areas (East, Middle, and West), and I’ve lived in and enjoyed them all (although, East TN is definitely my favorite). A very close second would be North Carolina (at least the western part) because Matt and I love the mountains and the Asheville area.

5. If it was our culture to have our parents choose our spouses, do you think yours would make a good choice?
I think they would. They know me (and my strengths and weaknesses) pretty well.

6. What’s your favorite herb?
Tough one…It’s a close call between cilantro, oregano, and basil.

7. If you could have dinner with one celebrity, who would you choose?
I’m not much of a celebrity watcher, so I don’t really have an answer for this one.

8. What’s your favorite Disney movie?
Beauty and the Beast – My Daddy took me to see it in the theater for my 12th birthday.

9. If you had to listen to the same song over and over for 24 hours, what song would you choose?
That pretty much sounds like torture. No matter what song I chose and how much I liked it, by the end of 24 hours I’d probably be about ready to hurl myself off a cliff. (Matt suggested John Cage’s Four minutes, thirty-three seconds)

10. How do you order your steak?
It depends on where I’m eating. If it is a steakhouse, I usually order it medium-well; if I’m at a restaurant that just happens to have steak, I usually order it medium. Most places overcook their steaks.

There’s another fun set of questions at Roots and Rings for this week’s Ten on Tuesday. (Although there are 11 questions this week which kind of freaks the OCD in me out a bit)

1. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I’m an ice cream kind of girl, so this list could go on (it’s hard to narrow to one favorite), but I’ll keep it semi-short: peanut butter and chocolate, moose tracks, cookies and cream (especially Blue Bell)

2. What is your earliest memory?
It would probably be of me flying to Houston with my Mema when I was probably 3 or 4 (right, Mom?). I remember us being on the plane together and it just being the two of us.

3. What is your earliest memory of a dessert?
This is an odd question. I can’t think of one from early in my life, but my first memory of cooking dessert would be in middle school when my best friend would come to the house and beg me to bake chocolate chip cookies for him.

4. Do you have any recurring dreams?
A few, but I haven’t had any of them recently. There was one (mainly as a child) where my house was on fire in a ring down the center of the house and I was on one side and my Dad was on the other and I couldn’t get to him. The primary one as an adult has been Matt and I (with some other people) running from a group of mercenary-type soldiers who are persecuting us. We hide out in this little room where we have to crawl through a hole and along a tunnel to reach it. I always wake up with my heart pounding. (could be related to the amount of reading I do about WWIII era Europe)

5. Have you ever dreamed about dessert?
Absolutely. Especially when I’m pregnant, but occasionally when I’m not.

6. What is one thing (aside from a cell phone or computer) that you cannot go the entire day without?
Talking to Matt.

7. What is one dessert you could go your entire life without ever having again?
I can’t think of any specific dessert (although I know there are some out there), but anything with raisins is high on my dislike list.

8. If you could go on vacation tomorrow, where would you go? (Assume someone else is footing the bill, but within reason…so “the moon” won’t work)
The beach (Caribbean or gulf coast)! There are lots of places I would love to go, but right now I just want WARM.

9. If you could have any dessert tomorrow, what would you have (assume someone else is buying it for you. Within reason though, no “gold sprinkled ice cream cones.”)
Hmmm…strawberry cake with strawberry or cream cheese icing (or maybe chocolate mousse cheesecake)

10. What was your first impression of your significant other? If you’re single, what was your first impression of your best friend?
Matt – I thought he was cute and very quiet.

my best friend – that she seemed like a nice neighbor and it was nice of her to ask about our new baby (Little)

11. What is your first impression of dessert pizza? (Personally, I think it’s weird. I love dessert but I don’t want any on my pizza.)
Before I tried it I thought it sounded bizarre and gross. Once I tried some I found out I like some of it.

For the last few weeks my BFF, Lindsey, and my wonderful SIL, Lu, have participated in Ten on Tuesday at Roots and Rings. It looks like fun, and I like this week’s questions, so I thought I would play along. (seeing as how I’m blogging semi-regularly again and all)

1. If you could open any type of store/place of business (money is no obstacle), what would you open?
A used bookstore would be an option since we don’t have a good one in our area, but the only real business idea I’ve had is for Lindsey and me to open a stroller and baby carrier “rental” company where new moms and moms-to-be could try out different kinds of carriers and strollers without having to make the financial investment that is generally involved in these purchases. We would also rent carriers and strollers for people who were traveling or only needed them for a short time for whatever reason. Our husbands laugh anytime we bring it up.

2. If all jobs paid equally, what occupation would you want? Why?
Right now I’m perfectly happy as a stay-at-home mom. At some point in the future, however, I would love to train as a lactation consultant or doula (or possibly both).

3. If you could be any animal in the world, what would you pick? Why?
I have no idea. Can’t say that I’ve ever really thought about it.

4. If offered one “service” free of charge, which would you choose? (chauffeur, maid, personal shopper, chef, etc.)
Absolutely, positively, no doubt about it, it would be a maid! I’m good with cooking, laundry, shopping, etc, but I cannot stay on top of cleaning these days (could, just possibly, have something to do with having a newborn, but still) and it’s not something I enjoy most any time.

5. What is one habit, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to break?
I actually have 2: popping my knuckles and biting my lips. I’ve tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to stop doing both

6. What is one thing that no matter how many you own, you still love to buy all the time?
If I had the money, this would definitely be baby carriers, as it stands right now, I’ve gotta say cloth diapers.

7. Out of all the game shows (past and present), which would you want to be a participant on and play?
I would love to be smart enough to be on Jeopardy.

8. If you could play the lead role in any movie that’s already been made, which movie would you pick?
ooo…I don’t know. Probably either Jo in Little Women or Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC Pride & Prejudice. I think I’m enough like both of those characters to pull it off (if I could act).

9. Name 5 things on your bucket list (things you want to do before you die).
I’ve never made a bucket list, but I would like to buy a house 100% cash down (which would only happen if we were totally debt free), see my children find their God-given purpose in life, travel Europe with Matt, move back to East TN or western NC, and drive an Audi TT turbo (6 speed manual transmission and convertible would be nice). Wow, that was much harder than I thought it would be.

10. Which one of your birthdays was the best? What did you do that day?
I can’t remember very many of my individual birthdays, but my 19th birthday is definitely pretty high on the list. That year my Mom, brother, sister-in-law, and oldest nephew (who was 9 months old at the time) came to Montgomery (where I was in college) to celebrate with me. It was the first time my family met Matt.

1. Do you have any cultural or religious naming traditions?

Not cultural or religious. Little’s first name is just a name I’ve loved since hearing it years ago; although, after we decided on the name we found out that Matt had a great-great-aunt (or something like that) with the same name. Boo’s first name is a family name (on Matt’s side) that has been in every generation dating back to the mid- to late-1500s.

2. Did you or your partner come to the marriage with pre-selected names?

We came into the marriage both with names that we liked individually and names that we both liked; however, none of those names show up on our children’s birth certificates.

3. Did you consider the sound of the first and middle and last names together? Did this make any sad eliminations?

Oh my goodness, yes. I make a huge deal (it could possibly be called OCD) about the flow of names. The first test for any name is how it sounds with our last name. We also consider how the first and middle sound together and how the three names sound as a whole. I’m quite particular.

4. Did you have veto powers?

Veto powers are held and very frequently used by both parties.

5. Did the baby naming cause arguments?

No arguments. It just takes us a long time to name our children.

6. Do you think it is easier to name boys or girls?

Neither! We struggled with Boo’s middle name until just weeks before he was born, and the wee babe remains nameless with less than 14 weeks until her due date.

7. Did you eliminate names because of people from your past or present who you don’t like or because a certain image comes to mind.

Absolutely! We both had certain names that this applied to, but Matt seems to have a lot more negative name associations than I do (at least with names that have been tossed out there). He is also quick to point out crazy nicknames, etc that might arise from the name or initials.

8. Did you / would you survey your children to get their thoughts on the name?

Little was just barely talking when we were naming Boo, so this didn’t apply. Now Boo is just barely talking as we name the wee babe. However, we have asked Little about what she thinks we should name the wee babe – at first it was always Annabelle (with the first “a” being a long vowel sound) which we quickly dismissed; lately she either says she doesn’t know yet or she makes something up that we quickly veto.

9. Did you tell people the name or possible names before the baby was born or were they “in the vault”?

We’ve always shared our names as soon as we’ve decided on them. We also share our “short lists” because otherwise people would drive us crazy asking (many of them already think we take way to long to find a name).

10. Did you use baby name books?

We’ve looked at them with all three children, but never found them useful; every name either of us suggests the other seems to shoot down. Mostly we just make fun of the names that are in there.

Let me know if you decide to play along with this meme; I would love to read your answers.

By the way – be sure to stop in Friday for a kid/baby related product review and giveaway!

1. Sweet baby giggles. There’s nothing like hearing my two year old or my eight month old laugh, I mean the big, belly laughs. They make me smile.

2. Great friends (and neighbors). I feel so blessed that God led us to a neighborhood with such great neighbors. My best friend lives two doors down. We have a ton in common and enjoy hanging out all the time (literally, we see each other almost every day); we also do things together as families since our hubbies get along great, too. Then I have my other good SAHM friends, and my best friend that I had to leave behind in Knoxville. I’m quite blessed in this realm.

3. Clean sheets. I love climbing into a bed made with sheets fresh from the dryer. The feel of clean sheets on my skin and the smell of dryer sheets on my pillowcase are delightful.

4. A really good book. Give me a well-written book with a great story and I could read for days on end. Books that meet my “great book” criteria aren’t all that common, but when I find one I relish it.

5. My family. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and two great kiddos. My life would not be complete without them. Sometimes the kids make me want to pull my hair out, but they bring great joy to my life.

6. Christmas trees. I love Christmas. And my favorite of all Christmas decorations are Christmas trees. I own three (we only have one up this year because of the little man) and would keep them up year round if Matt would let me. I love the ambiance they add to the house, the beauty of the lighted branches, and the way the ornaments look. Just can’t get enough of them!

I’m not going to tag anyone, but if there is anyone still reading after my unintentional blogging sabbatical I would love for you to play along!

Here are the rules:

~Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following questions.
~They have to be real places, names, things; nothing made up!
~You can’t use your name for the boy/girl name question.
~Tag 5 people to play along.

1. What is your name? Jana

2. A 4 Letter Word: jolt

3. A Boy’s Name: Jason

4. A Girl’s Name: Jennifer

5. An Occupation: janitor

6. A Color: jade

7. Something you wear: jeans (my favorite cool weather attire)

8. A Beverage: juice (apple being the preferred type around here)

9. A Food: jumbalaya

10. Something found in the bathroom: john (you think of something in the bathroom that starts with “j”!)

11. A place: Java (you know, the island)

12. A Reason for being late: just plain lazy (a stretch I know; this one was hard)

13. Something you shout: Jackpot!

14. Now tag five others: if you’d like to play along I’d love to read your answers

Were you married at the time? Yes, we’d been married for almost 7 years when Boo was born.

What were your reactions when you found out that you were pregnant? We were a bit surprised but very excited.

How old were you? 29 when he was born.

How did you find out that you were pregnant? About two months after Little weaned, and a couple weeks after her first birthday, I began to suspect that I might be pregnant again.  There were a few days here and there where I didn’t feel all that great, and I was feeling a bit more tired than usual.  I decided to take my temperature a couple of mornings (as in FAM); the first morning it was up and I just knew that I was pregnant.  I picked up a test while I was out running errands.  When I took the test it immediately turned pink; there was no doubt it was positive.

Who did you tell first? I called Matt at work to tell him.

Did you find out the sex? But of course.

Due date? April 19.

Did you deliver early or late? A few days early.

Did you have morning sickness? Yes.  Not as quite as bad as with Little, but I threw up regularly and felt bad for most of weeks seven through sixteen.

What did you crave? Chick-Fil-A waffle fries.

Who irritated you most? I’m sure it was Little or Matt just because they are the ones I’m with the most.

What was your child’s sex? It’s a boy!

How many pounds did you gain throughout your pregnancy? About 30.

Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? So far I’ve been blessed with smooth pregnancies; no complications with this one either.  I did, however, have three stomach bugs during my pregnancy (including one the day before he was born, but that’s another story) which was not fun.

Where did you give birth? in a hospital.

How many hours were you in labor? My doc inadvertently broke my water during my weekly visit.  That was about 4:30 or 4:45 in the afternoon and he was born at 12:12 am, so about 7.5 hours.

Who drove you to the hospital? I drove myself.  I was at the doctor’s office, which is directly in front of the hospital, when my water broke.  Matt was on his way home from work (had just left the office when I called), and my mom was at my house with Little, so I was on my own.

Who watched? Matt was the only one in the room through the whole thing; my mom was there until I started pushing.

Was it vaginal or c-section? The old fashioned way again this time.

Did you take medicine to ease the pain? I was bound and determined that I was going to deliver without medication, but they started a pit drip (b/c of my water breaking) and I gave into the pain and asked for an epidural.  The epi was wearing off in a major way by the time I started pushing, so I felt much more this time around than with Little.

How much did your baby weigh? He was exactly 8 pounds.

What did you name your baby? His first name is a family name (he’s the latest in a long line) and his middle name is biblical.  We called him Boo in utero before we found out his gender and it stuck as blogging name.

How old is your baby today? He’s five months old.

Were you married at the time? Yes, for 5 years.

What were your reactions when you found out that you were pregnant? We were so excited; we knew we were ready to add a little one to our family.  I was also a bit nervous as I think all first time moms are.

How old were you? 27 when she was born.

How did you find out that you were pregnant? I had been charting my temps (using FAM), so I knew that having a higher temp for more than 16 days probably meant I was pregnant.  I tried to wait 21 days before I took a test but only made it 18.  The first test must have been defective because it only made part of a plus, the second test registered positive almost immediately.  We found out on Nana’s (Matt’s mom) birthday.

Who did you tell first? I called Matt at work and then my best friend, Nicole.

Did you find out the sex? Yes, I think it would have driven both Matt and me crazy not to know.

Due date? August 7.

Did you deliver early or late? a week early.

Did you have morning sickness? that would be a yes.  I threw up every morning and felt terrible the rest of the day for 8 weeks.

What did you crave? pineapple pizza from Papa John’s during the first trimester, anything spicy the rest of the time.  I went through 2-3 jars of salsa per week.  I also had a major aversion to the smell of coffee until about 17 weeks; I almost threw up one night in the cereal/coffee aisle of Target.

Who irritated you most? I can’t recall one person in particular that irritated me, but I’m sure everyone irritated me at one point or another.

What was your first child’s sex? she’s a girl.

How many pounds did you gain throughout your first pregnancy? 24.

Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? not a single one, thank God.  I didn’t even have any swelling until the very end.

Where did you give birth? in a hospital.

How many hours were you in labor? my water broke at 1:45 p.m. and I hadn’t had a noticeable contraction yet.  They started a pitocin drip about 4:00 p.m. and she was born at 10:33 p.m.  So labor was just under 9 hours.

Who drove you to the hospital? Matt.  When I called him at work to tell him my water broke and he needed to come home he didn’t believe me at first; I think he was in shock.

Who watched? Matt was there the whole time and my mom made it into town about the time I started pushing, so she got to see her first granddaughter come into the world.

Was it vaginal or c-section? she came out the old fashioned way.

Did you take medicine to ease the pain? I had an amazing epidural when I got to 7cm; I didn’t feel a thing after that.

How much did your baby weigh? she was 7 pounds 1/2 ounce.

What did you name your first born baby? she has a beautiful name that I love, but we call her Little around here.

How old is your first born today? she’s two years old.

Little was born on her Pops’s birthday.  Matt called Nana and Pops while we drove to the hospital to let them know that Little’s arrival was imminent.  They were at Nana’s college registering for her Fall semester classes, so Pops had to call us back when they got somewhere quieter so he could hear Matt.  I think he thought we were calling to wish him a happy birthday; he was quite surprised to hear that his granddaughter was on her way on his birthday.  It’s pretty neat that she shares a birthday with her Pops.

That was fun; now let me know if you play along.

Here are the rules.

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Let your tagger know when your blog entry is up

1. When I was younger (high school and college) I would have a “random thought of the day” just about every day.  It was usually something bizarre or unanswerable, and always had absolutely nothing to do with what was going on in the world around me.  It still happens from time to time.

2. I’ve always been a bit of a smart-aleck.  As a very young child (3 or 4) my Mom told me to put my toys in my room.  I took everything I had out and put it just over the carpet line between my room and the hallway.  Mom learned that she had to be more specific when she requested things of me; Little is much the same.

3. I love to read.  There are usually several books on my nightstand to be read, my “to-read” list is always very long, and it is rare for me not to be in the middle of a novel.  

4. My brother and I used to fight over who got to read the cereal box at breakfast because we both liked to read all.the.time.

5. I learned to cross-stitch when I was probably 6 or 7 years old.  I still enjoy doing it when I have time, and would love to branch out into embroidery.

6. If my toilets haven’t been cleaned it drives me crazy. I like to clean my kitchen and bathrooms at least once a week, but it just ain’t happenin’ right now.

And there you have it, more than you ever wanted to know.

And now I’ll tag…

Lauren at Baseballs and Bows

Leah at Love Grows Best in Little Houses

Kelly at The Craziness We Call Life 

Lisa at Sunny Side of the Street

and anyone else who would like to play along.

1. Link your tagger and list the rules on the blog.
2. Share 7 facts about your kiddos on your blog…random, weird, funny…whatever you want!
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post
4. Don’t forget to let the tagged people know!

7 things about my kids:

1. Little thinks that any time we leave the house we are going to church or to see her friend David.  It’s a constant refrain of “see Daydee” and “go to church?” no matter what day, time, or where we’re actually going.

2. Little equates Barnes & Noble with chocolate milk (this is her treat while we get coffee).  If we say we’re going to the bookstore she starts asking for chocolate milk.  As soon as we pull into the parking lot she starts asking.

3. For the first six weeks of his life, The Boy would only suck on Matt’s or my finger, never a pacifier.  It took us six weeks and four types of pacifiers before he finally started taking the Mam pacifier that was the first kind we ever tried.

4. The Boy has started cooing and smiling.  He will lay on his blanket or sit in the bouncy seat and just coo away.  Most of the time he reserves his smiles for Daddy, but one day last week he was grinning from ear to ear at Little.  It was too cute.

5. Little pays too much attention to my morning “getting ready” routine.  She always pretends to put lotion on her legs, makeup on her face (using a makeup sponge, of course), and product in her hair.  She’s also been known to try and put nursing pads in her shirt.

6. Little loves music and she loves to dance.  She dances to music on TV, music we play on the computer, and music that plays only in her head.  She spins and jumps and dances all over the living room and kitchen.  I think she will really enjoy dance classes when she’s a little older.

7. Little refers to pajamas as “dubba-jays”.  I have no idea how the “p” in “pj’s” became “dubba”, but it has; in fact, she often calls them her “dubba-dubba-dubba-jays.”  Silly girl.

So there you have it, more things about my kids than you probably wanted to know.  Now I’ll tag Lauren, Sheryl, Lisa, Leah, Diane, and anyone else who would like to play along.

8 things I want to do before I die

1. Know that my children have accepted Christ and will be with Him for eternity
2. Go back to school (right now I’m thinking nursing or lactation consulting)
3. Travel to Europe and visit several countries via EuroRail
4. Train for and run a marathon
5. Learn to sew
6. Make a quilt
7. Know my grandchildren (and hopefully great-grandchildren)
8. Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary

8 things I say often

1. There ya go (I’m discovering that I say this anytime I do anything for Little)
2. Alrighty
3. No or Stop
4. I’m not sure what that means (to Little)
5. I love you
6. We’ll see David and Lindsey later (or tomorrow, in a few minutes, etc)
7. I don’t know; what is that?
8. I’m doing pretty good; we’re kicking along (when asked about the pregnancy/baby)

8 songs I sing over and over again

1. The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
2. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
3. It Is Well With My Soul
4. Jesus Loves Me
5. How Can I Keep from Singing Your Praise
6. whatever we sang in church on Sunday
7. If All the Raindrops Were Lemondrops and Gumdrops
8. whatever is currently stuck in my head

8 things I’m passionate about

1. My God and my faith
2. My marriage
3. My children
4. My friends
5. My extended family
6. Nursing baby Boo
7. Babywearing Boo more than I did Little
8. Getting Boo into the world safely

8 books I’ve read recently

1. The Kite Runner
2. The Nanny Diaries
3. An Irish Country Doctor
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. The Birth Book
6. The Foot Book
7. Mr. Brown Can Moo
8. Pajama Time

8 things that attract me to my best friends

1. Love of Christ
2. Sense of humor
3. Common interests and values
4. Honesty and sincerity
5. Ability to converse (in a meaningful way, not just talk)
6. Ahead of me in life and wiser than I
7. Have fun just being together
8. Our families (husbands and children) can be friends as well

8 people I think should do Crazy Eights

1. Lauren
2. Sheryl
3. Leah
4. Lora Lynn
5. Diane
6, 7, 8. Anyone who is interested

Let me know if you decide to play along.

Two names you go by…Momma and Pooh

Two things you are wearing right now… maternity jeans and my Belly Hugger

Two things you have (or would want) in a relationship… a strong, God-seeking man and intelligent conversation

Two of your favorite things to do… read and eat

Two things you want very badly at the moment… Little to take a long nap and a nap for myself

Two pets you have or have had… a daschund named Taggles and a cat named Calico (childhood pets)

Two things that you did last night… went to Life Group and watched part of Pride and Prejudice

Two things you ate today… homemade vegetable soup and salad

Two people you last talked to… Matt and Lindsey (adult conversation, I last spoke to Little)

Two things you’re doing tomorrow… showering and watching The Biggest Loser (Tuesdays are exciting around here)

Two longest car rides… Nashville to Anaheim, CA and Nashville to Houston, TX

Two favorite holidays… Christmas and Thanksgiving

Two favorite beverages… sweet tea and strawberry lemonade

Two people no longer alive who you’d like to talk to… my GrandBill and Ruth

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? most of the time wrapping paper, but sometimes I’ll use gift bags for oddly shaped gifts or if I’m being lazy
2. Real tree or artificial? artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, this year, well, it remains to be seen
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year’s eve or day
5. Do you like eggnog? yes
6. Favorite gift received as a child? probably my Cabbage Patch Kids
7. Do you have a nativity scene? no
8. Hardest person to buy for? my dad or brother
9. Easiest person to buy for? Little
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I really can’t think of one
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail (if I remember to send them)
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I don’t really have one
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start thinking about it in September, but usually don’t buy my first gift until late October or early November
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? white elephant gifts, definitely
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I just enjoy eating, especially holiday foods
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear, on all 3 or 4 trees
17. Favorite Christmas song? I can’t pick a single favorite song, so let’s go albums here – Sufjan Stevens’s Songs for Christmas
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? this will be the first year we don’t travel until after Christmas day
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? probably, although I haven’t tried recently
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? often both – just whenever
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? the focus on consumerism
23. What I love most about Christmas? time with family, decorations, music – I just love the Christmas season

If you decide to play along let me know so I can check out your answers.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Calico Subaru

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Cookies & Cream Chocolate Chip

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl� NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
Jgra

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Blue Penguin

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, hospital where you were born),
Catherine Baptist

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Graja

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (�The� + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Purple Fruit Tea (and exactly what superpower would someone by that name possess??)

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
William Joseph

9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Ann Michael

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Coleman Cleveland

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Christmas Tulip

12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie� or “y�)
Banana Shortsie

13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Bagel Japanese Maple

14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (�The� + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour�),
The Reading Rain Tour

If you decide to play along, let me know; I would love to read your names.

Four jobs I’ve held:
1. lifeguard
2. administrative assistant (to an engineer, then to 2 salesmen)
3. human resources assistant (including payroll processing)
4. operations coordinator for a computer training company

Four movies I can watch over and over again:
1. About a Boy
2. The Princess Bride
3. Monty Python’s Search for the Holy Grail
4. Sense and Sensibility

Four places I have lived:
1. my parent’s house
2. a college dorm room
3. a small cottage on Matt’s grandparents farm
4. the house in which I currently dwell

Four tv shows I watch:
1. The Office (of course!)
2. Prison Break
3. Lost
4. Hell’s Kitchen (as my husband rolls his eyes)

Four places I’ve been on vacation:
1. the Cayman Islands
2. Paris, France
3. Navarre Beach, Florida
4. Walt Disney World

Four of my favorite foods:
1. chips with salsa &/or guacamole
2. mashed potatoes
3. fried green tomatoes
4. tuna noodle casserole

Four websites I visit:
1. ESPN
2. reinvigorate (site stats)
3. eBay (sometimes more than I should!)
4. Drudge Report

Four people I’m tagging: (if you would like to play along, of course)
1. Lu
2. Lauren
3. GiBee
4. Barb

Five things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. graduating from high school (May)
2. working as a lifeguard at summer camps
3. deciding where to attend college (final decision was made in late June/early July)
4. attending the birth of my oldest nephew (June 14 – happy 10th birthday M!)
5. meeting Matt for the first time (August)

Five snacks I enjoy:

1. ice cream – particularly cookies & cream right now
2. microwave popcorn
3. salt & vinegar potato chips
4. chocolate (preferably m&m’s or chocolate chips)
5. Edy’s strawberry popsicles

Five songs that I know all the lyrics to:

1. Sweet By and By as sung by Bart Millard
2. most songs on Chris Tomlin’s Arriving or See the Morning CDs
3. Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee
4. You Are My Sunshine
5. Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. donate a large portion to my church and other charitable organizations we support
2. pay off our car, mortgage, and the debts of a family member or two
3. put some aside for Little’s college fund
4. buy gifts for people whenever I had the urge
5. go on a nice vacation

Five bad habits:

1. “popping” my knuckles
2. biting my lips
3. snacking on not so good for me foods (see snack section above)
4. making a concious choice not to do what I should do
5. interrupting people in mid-sentence

Five things I like to do:

1. hike (although we haven’t done much since we moved from East Tennessee)
2. swim
3. take walks with Little
4. read books
5. drink coffee

Five things I would never wear again:

1. a side-ponytail
2. tight-rolled jeans with slouch socks
3. my brother’s clothes
4. stirrup pants
5. leg warmers

Five favorite toys (some are then, some are now):

1. dolls (especially my Cabbage Patch Kids)
2. play kitchen
3. big wheel
4. books (then and now)
5. iPod

Five people I tag (if they are interested in playing, of course):

1. Lu at Hyperactive Lu
2. Jill at Who Could Ask for Anything More
3. Diane at Chateau Smith
4. Lora Lynn at Vita Familiae
5. Nan at Life is Like a Lunchbox