1. I don't know where to start. There's a lot of things about me, but I feel weird writing about them in this format.
2. I'm married to my high school sweetheart. We started dating senior year, and have been together ever since. I know it's unusual for relationships that start when one is seventeen to make it for very long, but so far so good!
3. I'm a new mom. I have an amazing, sweet, tiny baby named Emma. Before she was born, I didn't "get" the whole baby thing. But now I do. Sorry to all of y'all who saw my eyes glaze over when you told me your baby stories. Tell them to me again. I'm paying attention now!
4. I'm having a hard time making peace with the idea of returning to work next week. I've been home on maternity leave since mid-November. The idea of staying home for good is a foreign concept for me, since I've always been so focused on my career, but I'm starting to toy with it. I cry when I think about returning to work full-time and all the mental capacity that work will take away from what I give my daughter. I feel like I'm at a crossroads. On the one hand, I have a good career trajectory right now, and could continue advancing and earning more money, and on the other hand, I have this beautiful baby that I don't want the lady at daycare to raise for me.
5. In addition to the new kiddo, I have a house full of animals. Currently I have two dogs and one cat. All of them were "impulse buys" because of where I was emotionally when they came into my life, or because their stories were so sad. There's my cat Walter, who we bought the week of 9/11 when I needed something to brighten up my life in DC, Rance, the puppy with distemper we adopted two days after George W. was re-elected and I was in a demoralized funk, and Wiley, the geriatric weenie that we adopted off of death row at the pound because he was the most pathetic looking creature I'd ever met.
6. I'm disappointed by how hard it is for me to write these days. When I was a kid, I was a good creative writer, but now it's hard for me to channel my voice on paper (or on the screen). I feel like writing should be a good creative outlet for me, so I keep at it. But I'm never thrilled with the results. My current labor of love is a blog I keep at www.gaylejk.blogspot.com. Come post comments. It makes me happy when people do.
7. In line with the writing thing, I wish I had an aptitude for the visual arts. I would love to be able to draw or paint, or to figure out how to make a photo turn out nicely. As it is, I just try to live vicariously through the people I know who are good at that kind of thing.
8. Since it doesn't require any actual artistic talent, I scrapbook. I always thought that it was a hobby for old biddies, but then I started finding the zen in cutting and pasting, so I no longer judge. Plus, it's a hobby that requires a lot of shopping.
9. I've shed more tears this election cycle than I care to admit. I'm still an idealist when it comes to the idea of civic engagement. The fact that so many people got excited this election season was amazing and beautiful to me. In local politics, my job was also on the line this election, so I certainly had some nervous anxiety about that as well.
10. With the exception of one ill-fated and short-lived job in the private sector, All of my "real" jobs have been for the government--whether it was state, federal or local. While I could make a lot more money working in the private sector, I can't imagine not being part of government. That said, I have no desire to run for office. I think that the politics side of government is ugly.
11. I like sloths.
12. At the age of 30, I finally got a set of matching chairs to go with my kitchen table.
13. I live in a tiny log cabin that I love so much, I'm willing to forego a lot of cool things I'd like to have (like a dresser that fits all my clothes) in order to continue inhabiting it. Actually, I think it will be good for Emma to have limits to the amount of stuff she can have so that she doesn't get too wrapped up in having the latest everything.
14. Since I've been home on maternity leave, I've succumbed to a very guilty pleasure. Yes, I watch a soap opera. And not even one of the moderately believable ones. I watch Days. Go ahead and judge me. I know... it's not good.
15. One thing I've given up on since I've been home on leave is reading books about how to raise a baby. They were all making me crazy. When I found myself letting the baby cry while I dug through a pile of books looking for answers about how to make her stop crying, when what I could have just done was pick her up, I knew it was time to put down the books and just be.
16. I'm a little addicted to the internet. Okay, a lot addicted to the internet. Having a new (wonderful) macbook doesn't make it any easier to quit, because I feel like I need to spend a lot of time on the computer in order to justify getting it.
17. I love how facebook has made me feel more connected with friends--old and new, but I worry that I'm worse at making actual human contact because of it. One of these days we need to have a facebook boycott day and just call everyone we feel like talking to. But not today, 'cause I'm not finished typing this up yet.
18. My idea of a fantastic afternoon is to cuddle up in my cushy red easy chair with a cup of hot tea and a book. But I never get that afternoon because there's always so much to do and so many places to go.
19. I love being in school. I've always been kind of nerdy, but the older I get, the more I idealize academia. I really like where John and I live now, but there aren't any PhD programs around here in my field. I'd like to move to a city with a good program and go full-time. And then I'd be Dr. Jen. How scary would that be?
20. Until I got married, everybody called me Jenny, but afterwards, I thought that Jenny sounded funny with Teal, so I started going by Jen. It's funny because I know how old of a friend you are by whether you call me Jenny or Jen.
21. When I'm not on maternity leave, I teach Sunday School at my Temple. Right now I have first and second graders. I have a lot of fun teaching them, and it makes me think I would have had a good time as a school teacher. Teaching Sunday School is a good way for me to be involved with my Temple, since I feel a little socially awkward with the adults there. In a lot of ways, I still feel like a kid, and I have a hard time associating with all the grown-ups.
22. I'm making a concerted effort to wear clothes that have more saturated colors in them. I've recently realized that most of what I wear is pretty blah. So I'm trying to be more vibrant. I need Stacey and Clinton to come and tell me what not to wear.
23. I watch more TV than I care to admit. Right now, my favorites to watch with John are Lost, The Office, 30 Rock and Top Gear, and when I'm on my own, I'll watch any of the TLC/HGTV reality shows that are on. And Days. But we've already talked about that.
24. I have an issue with getting sucked into volunteer work, so much so that other areas of my life suffer. I've had to make a very conscious effort in the past year to scale back my "extra-curriculars" such that I have time to sleep, spend time with John, and take care of myself.
25. This was hard! And it took me a lot longer to do than I expected. Whew! And by the way, I'm not tagging any of y'all because I don't want to you feel like you're on the hook to do this.
2. I'm married to my high school sweetheart. We started dating senior year, and have been together ever since. I know it's unusual for relationships that start when one is seventeen to make it for very long, but so far so good!
3. I'm a new mom. I have an amazing, sweet, tiny baby named Emma. Before she was born, I didn't "get" the whole baby thing. But now I do. Sorry to all of y'all who saw my eyes glaze over when you told me your baby stories. Tell them to me again. I'm paying attention now!
4. I'm having a hard time making peace with the idea of returning to work next week. I've been home on maternity leave since mid-November. The idea of staying home for good is a foreign concept for me, since I've always been so focused on my career, but I'm starting to toy with it. I cry when I think about returning to work full-time and all the mental capacity that work will take away from what I give my daughter. I feel like I'm at a crossroads. On the one hand, I have a good career trajectory right now, and could continue advancing and earning more money, and on the other hand, I have this beautiful baby that I don't want the lady at daycare to raise for me.
5. In addition to the new kiddo, I have a house full of animals. Currently I have two dogs and one cat. All of them were "impulse buys" because of where I was emotionally when they came into my life, or because their stories were so sad. There's my cat Walter, who we bought the week of 9/11 when I needed something to brighten up my life in DC, Rance, the puppy with distemper we adopted two days after George W. was re-elected and I was in a demoralized funk, and Wiley, the geriatric weenie that we adopted off of death row at the pound because he was the most pathetic looking creature I'd ever met.
6. I'm disappointed by how hard it is for me to write these days. When I was a kid, I was a good creative writer, but now it's hard for me to channel my voice on paper (or on the screen). I feel like writing should be a good creative outlet for me, so I keep at it. But I'm never thrilled with the results. My current labor of love is a blog I keep at www.gaylejk.blogspot.com. Come post comments. It makes me happy when people do.
7. In line with the writing thing, I wish I had an aptitude for the visual arts. I would love to be able to draw or paint, or to figure out how to make a photo turn out nicely. As it is, I just try to live vicariously through the people I know who are good at that kind of thing.
8. Since it doesn't require any actual artistic talent, I scrapbook. I always thought that it was a hobby for old biddies, but then I started finding the zen in cutting and pasting, so I no longer judge. Plus, it's a hobby that requires a lot of shopping.
9. I've shed more tears this election cycle than I care to admit. I'm still an idealist when it comes to the idea of civic engagement. The fact that so many people got excited this election season was amazing and beautiful to me. In local politics, my job was also on the line this election, so I certainly had some nervous anxiety about that as well.
10. With the exception of one ill-fated and short-lived job in the private sector, All of my "real" jobs have been for the government--whether it was state, federal or local. While I could make a lot more money working in the private sector, I can't imagine not being part of government. That said, I have no desire to run for office. I think that the politics side of government is ugly.
11. I like sloths.
12. At the age of 30, I finally got a set of matching chairs to go with my kitchen table.
13. I live in a tiny log cabin that I love so much, I'm willing to forego a lot of cool things I'd like to have (like a dresser that fits all my clothes) in order to continue inhabiting it. Actually, I think it will be good for Emma to have limits to the amount of stuff she can have so that she doesn't get too wrapped up in having the latest everything.
14. Since I've been home on maternity leave, I've succumbed to a very guilty pleasure. Yes, I watch a soap opera. And not even one of the moderately believable ones. I watch Days. Go ahead and judge me. I know... it's not good.
15. One thing I've given up on since I've been home on leave is reading books about how to raise a baby. They were all making me crazy. When I found myself letting the baby cry while I dug through a pile of books looking for answers about how to make her stop crying, when what I could have just done was pick her up, I knew it was time to put down the books and just be.
16. I'm a little addicted to the internet. Okay, a lot addicted to the internet. Having a new (wonderful) macbook doesn't make it any easier to quit, because I feel like I need to spend a lot of time on the computer in order to justify getting it.
17. I love how facebook has made me feel more connected with friends--old and new, but I worry that I'm worse at making actual human contact because of it. One of these days we need to have a facebook boycott day and just call everyone we feel like talking to. But not today, 'cause I'm not finished typing this up yet.
18. My idea of a fantastic afternoon is to cuddle up in my cushy red easy chair with a cup of hot tea and a book. But I never get that afternoon because there's always so much to do and so many places to go.
19. I love being in school. I've always been kind of nerdy, but the older I get, the more I idealize academia. I really like where John and I live now, but there aren't any PhD programs around here in my field. I'd like to move to a city with a good program and go full-time. And then I'd be Dr. Jen. How scary would that be?
20. Until I got married, everybody called me Jenny, but afterwards, I thought that Jenny sounded funny with Teal, so I started going by Jen. It's funny because I know how old of a friend you are by whether you call me Jenny or Jen.
21. When I'm not on maternity leave, I teach Sunday School at my Temple. Right now I have first and second graders. I have a lot of fun teaching them, and it makes me think I would have had a good time as a school teacher. Teaching Sunday School is a good way for me to be involved with my Temple, since I feel a little socially awkward with the adults there. In a lot of ways, I still feel like a kid, and I have a hard time associating with all the grown-ups.
22. I'm making a concerted effort to wear clothes that have more saturated colors in them. I've recently realized that most of what I wear is pretty blah. So I'm trying to be more vibrant. I need Stacey and Clinton to come and tell me what not to wear.
23. I watch more TV than I care to admit. Right now, my favorites to watch with John are Lost, The Office, 30 Rock and Top Gear, and when I'm on my own, I'll watch any of the TLC/HGTV reality shows that are on. And Days. But we've already talked about that.
24. I have an issue with getting sucked into volunteer work, so much so that other areas of my life suffer. I've had to make a very conscious effort in the past year to scale back my "extra-curriculars" such that I have time to sleep, spend time with John, and take care of myself.
25. This was hard! And it took me a lot longer to do than I expected. Whew! And by the way, I'm not tagging any of y'all because I don't want to you feel like you're on the hook to do this.
4 comments:
I found the 25 Things hard too. Much harder than I expected.
I had no plans to be a SAHM. And then Jim deployed and I couldn't do it. Job & daycare were lined up but I couldn't go forward. Sometimes I miss working and all the things that go with it. And, in a different life, I probably would have gone back. Its a big choice.
#23--No Bravo reality shows?! Those are one of my guilty pleasures. But not my most embarrassing ones. LOL
I should have added Bravo too. Top Chef and Project Runway mostly.
Hey girlie! I have to do my 25 things still. Top Chef is definitely one of mine. I can't believe it but I met Marcel from Top Chef last night!!! Anyway -- loved your list and I'll get around to mine one day.
For #13, I love your house too! I like how you list a dresser that actually fits your clothes as a "really cool thing." I can relate!
But good luck with Emma not having a lot of stuff in this family. . . if I don't buy a lot of toys it's not because I don't like her. It's just because I understand your struggle.
But if you ever get a house with a yard, I'm designing her an awesome treehouse.
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