Ten Honest Things About Me:
- I love blogging. It’s a fun way to share things that I enjoy doing with my kids. I especially like getting comments back and reading about all the stuff other people do with their kids and have on their minds.
- I love cardboard boxes. I think this goes back to a childhood of moving frequently and having tons of enormous boxes to play with, but I have a hard time sending a cardboard box straight to the recycle bin without my kids making something or letting my kids play with it first.
- I love my dishwasher. I grew up hand-washing dishes – big deal in a family of 12, and I fall in love with my dishwasher all over again every time I open the door and see the rows of sparkling dishes.
- I love my washer and dryer. I lived without a dryer for three years, and hang-drying a family of three’s laundry is no picnic, especially in a 350-square-foot apartment. I’ve also had to hand-wash clothes for up to a month at a time, and that’s not fun either (although I did once buy some really awesome hand-clothes-washing goop in Bosnia, it got my clothes really clean with minimal effort and didn’t even dry out my hands!).
- I hate, hate, hate the belly contraction/baby heart rate monitor they use in the labor and delivery wards in hospitals. It drives me nuts, and they can never get mine to stay one. Plus, with both babies I’ve had so far they’ve made me keep it on the ENTIRE time. I’m hoping third time’s the charm and they won’t make me keep it on non-stop. Can someone please invent an EKG-type thing that is just a sticker with a wire attached? And get it into my hospital by this summer?
- I LOVE chocolate, especially Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips. This will come as no surprise if you’ve been reading my blog for a while.
- My nine siblings are the best resources/backup ever. I think having lots of siblings as an adult is quite possibly the biggest benefit of growing up in a large family. I just wish I lived closer to them.
- I’ve never lived anywhere longer than 6.9 years.
- My daughter had lived in three countries (and visited a fourth) before she turned nine months old.
- I don’t plan to move anytime soon. It’s a good feeling.
MaryAnne lives in Silicon Valley with her Stanford professor husband Mike and their four children. She writes about parenting through education, creativity, and play. Mama Smiles - Joyful Parenting is a space to share crafts, hands on learning activities, and family outings that enrich lives and bring families together.
