Friday, April 19, 2013

everything you ever need to know about me (and more)

I read this post on The Anderson Crew and this post on Words of Williams the other day. I love posts like this from bloggers and it got me thinking what I would want you to know about me.

* I hate black coffee, wine and beer (even though all five members of my immediate family do). *
* I drink a cup of Red Rose tea every morning with milk and sugar. According to my English MIL and her mom and auntie, it's the best English Breakfast tea. I agree. *
*My favorite drink is chai lattes, though. Pacific Chai is the best brand (Wal Mart). If I get one at Starbucks, I ask for a 1/2 pump white mocha in it. *

* I am a serious bookworm. I am always reading a book and start another one the same day I finish one. I feel like I'm missing a limb if I don't have a book going. I usually only read a little bit at night before I fall asleep (or a lot bit, if it's a particularly good one). But I also cannot sit down at the table to eat when I'm by myself (or...TMI...sit down on the potty for business that takes more than 10 seconds) without something to read. I can't do it. * 
* I feel instantly connected to someone if they're a big reader, like me. *
* I love grammar and spelling and still beat myself up for losing a spelling bee in 8th grade with the word poisonous. So dumb. I get a little spark of pleasure when I find an error in any published material. * 


* I broke my leg in 7th grade skiing and wore a cast for 5 months. It was the worst pain I've experienced, far beyond childbirth. I broke my foot in 11th grade and didn't think for a second I'd actually broken it. I didn't even call my mom until a few hours later when it swelled up about three times the size and was turning strange colors. Not all broken bones are equal. * 
* I'm an adrenaline junkie and there's not much I won't do (besides snow skiing. I haven't been since and I'll never go again). I think scuba diving is the coolest thing in the world. Hang-gliding is at the very top of my bucket list * 
* I'd love to get my pilot's license someday. *


* I love removing the lint from the dryer trap and peeling hard boiled eggs. *
* I love filling out forms. * 
* I eat my food in a specific order and I don't like it to touch. * 
* I hate getting my hands wet or messy. Jon makes fun of me if I get something on one of my fingers, I just wash that finger. *

* I lived in four different states and one province by the time I was 15. I've lived in Iowa for about 15 years but still wouldn't consider myself an Iowan. *
* I don't want to move our kids around. * 
* When we moved from Georgia to Canada in 2nd grade, my mom asked me if I wanted to go by my middle name, Elisabeth, instead. I strongly considered it. *
* Most of the time I like having a different name. Its a good conversation starter. It makes it easy online to choose a user name. But whenever I'm at a restaurant or coffee shop where they ask for your name, I use a fake one. * 

* I hate dancing. I'm too self-conscious for it. * 

* I have a debilitating fear of moths and other large flying bugs. I would interrupt a funeral if there was one flying towards my head. * 

* I think I'm a good mom for wild boys. * 
* I am the opposite of a helicopter parent. I am a sniper parent, watching from a distance, waiting to pull the trigger. No, that's not quite right. Whatever the opposite of a hoverer is. I have had to call in security to find my runaway children no fewer than six times so far (Ok, one of those was my mother-in-law). My heart doesn't even beat fast until they've been gone for 10 minutes. If we were wildebeests or antelopes, they would have been eaten by lions a long time ago. Thank goodness we're not. Dawson had to wear a kid tracking device in our backyard last year because he would leave the yard every time and not answer when I'd yell for him. I had a newborn, so cut me some slack :) And we don't live on a busy road. I know, that doesn't make it any less ridiculous. *
* I'm not a worrier. (Duh...as if the previous information didn't tell you that loud and clear!) I let my boys climb high, run far, explore anything and I watch and wait when they get hurt. They have yet to have any stitches or broken bones. I've gotten really good at ignoring the judgmental looks of other helicopter moms watching my boys in shock as they jump off the roof of something or another. *
* I love adventure. My dad did a great job of instilling that into all four of us kids. His favorite saying is, "risks are for kids". He'd push us a little past our comfort zone until that became our comfort zone. I love going new places and trying new things and I want my boys to love it too. *


* I am an introvert to the nth degree. I love being alone. I've always only had one or two close friends at a time (which has been in constant rotation over the years due to moving around.) I force myself to be outgoing but am quite shy by nature. I hate calling people on the phone. I'll stay upstairs if a stranger (or distant acquaintance) comes to the door and Jon's around to answer it. Same thing if I see an acquaintance at the store. I'll go to great lengths to make sure they don't see me. I hate small talk and am terrible at it. * 
* Jon's an introvert too, but is extremely outgoing (and doesn't really comprehend my shyness in the least!). He just internalizes everything and gets drained when he has to talk too much. When we drive somewhere together, we're silent almost the whole time. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. We work well together. * 


 * I am a slob. My husband is a neatfreak. I only clean for him (and company). *
* But if you look in any closet, cupboard or drawer, they're relatively neat. I love to organize and used to refold my friends' sweaters in college. *
* I'm super slow and meticulous. (Like, crazy slow). It takes me forever when I clean because I have to do it so thoroughly. I'm also very easily distracted. This is why I never clean, and don't get very far when I do. * 
* I'm messy but I hate messes. I'm talking sticky, dirty, muddy, slimy messes. I hate when my kids get covered in food. I hate play-doh. I don't mind them playing in the mud if I'm prepared for it. But if they get in the mud wearing normal clothes, it drives me crazy. Seeing someone's 18 month old feeding themselves yogurt without a bib gives me anxiety. Ew. I can't handle it. *

* My love language is words of affirmation, followed closely by gifts. I love to show love in these ways. I love picking out gifts for people and I'm a big commenter on FB and blogs. It seems normal to me and I like to be encouraging because I know how much people's words mean to me. I could probably guess which of my friends also need words of affirmation based on who's comments I regularly get on here ;) *
* My husband's love language is sex and cookies (in that order) *
* After 10 years, he's getting a lot better at meeting my needs even though its a stretch for him! *

So what do I need to know about you? If you do a post like this, let me know in the comments! 

13 comments:

  1. We usually focus on our commonalities, but this shows me how vastly different we are as well! Fun post!

    ps: In case you didn't know, I HATE commenting, and it always takes a huge effort for me to form adequate sentences. Wish you could read my mind, though!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love this, Have! Thinking I'll need to do something similar soon... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. You are an intriguing gal, Haverlee. I think you're pretty cool!
    I, too, hate to clean. The bottoms of my kid's feet at the end of the day would tell you so.
    Also, I'm a huge worrier but I like to let my kids explore and climb and I just watch and wait too. :)
    Thanks for sharing all this neat, intricate stuff. God made us all so unique.

    ReplyDelete
  4. you are so funny. i laughed a lot reading this.

    i love love love to read too.

    such glorious woods. kinda wistful.

    i can be an annoying helicopter mom at times. it all started with my son's broken arm at 17 months. we have done are fair share in the ER and I seriously can't stand that place(the wait, the price)... and hence the coptering just to avoid that place, lol;) having 4 kids makes it near impossible to copter them all so it's been good for me to loosen up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Davi! I keep re-reading it wanting to edit things though :)

      So are you on goodreads.com? If not, you MUST join! It's not like other social media sites that suck you in and maintain a vise-grip-like hold on all your spare time (and not so spare time). I only get on when I start and finish a new book and when I'm at the library trying to find a new one. Because of it, the last 5 books I've read have all been wonderful. I used to have about 50% luck with books before.

      Cannot believe your baby had a broken arm! That would have scarred me too and probably turned me into a helicopter mom. At least for a while.

      Delete
  5. Oh Haverlee, I miss hanging out with you! We are SO much alike it's almost scary! You can come over sometime and we can not make small talk and just read instead....or maybe fill out some forms ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fun list! I learned a ton about you. You're amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. LOVE your list Haverlee! so great. I like knowing about you :) I did one too! geez, why is is intimidating for some reason. ha!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! We have a lot more things in common than I realized! (Hang-gliding is definitely not one of them.)I pulled up your blog to find a book off of your list that I haven't read yet, and laughed as I read through this post.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved this post! I feel like I know you better already:) Love that you are not a helicopter mom. I tried to pretend I was like you when I was reading that, but the truth is I didn't go to a MOPS group today because I didn't want my kids to have to go to nursery with people I had never met before taking care of them...so hover I do. You inspire me! Good job! And good job reading books!

    ReplyDelete
  10. sex and cookies. yup, that's right. and what is my second love language? :)


    also, is it weird that the anti-spam word below this comment diarrhea?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Finally reading this post on your blog Haverlee and I am laughing out loud at some of the ways we are so similar!! I am a major introvert and will also avoid people in public! I am afraid of moths too! And I love finding spelling errors, speaking of...I actually found one in your post, ironic. :) I also can't stand sticky dirty slimy messes. And my love language is words of affirmation. So thanks for helping me learn more about you haha!
    ~Traci

    ReplyDelete
  12. obviously I don't comment on your blog enough to know how to do it the right way...anonymous a.k.a Traci

    ReplyDelete

Please leave your email if you'd like a reply! Thanks for the love.