Real Simple Interview

Natalie tagged me with this little interview from Real Simple magazine, so here we go...

Bath or shower? I'm with Natalie here. Showers for everyday life, baths for vacations. Gracie gets baths 4-6 times a week, lucky girl.

What did you want to be when you grew up? An oceanographer/whale trainer who does the Shamoo shows at Sea World. As fate would have it, I showed more inclination for arts and letters than for math and science. Hence my degree in the Humanities. No Shamoo.

What is the one thing you will never understand? How it is that I spend so much time cleaning and organizing things only to have to spend more time cleaning and organizing things. Why can't cleaning and organization keep a little longer than they do? Are these things getting themselves out at night while I sleep?

What surprises you most about your adult life? That I can feel so personally fulfilled in the selfless profession that is being a wife and mother.

What is your idea of the perfect meal? Hmmm. This would be too difficult for me to narrow down in terms of a menu. In general, it would involve being somewhere that has splendid ambiance with Cori and no Grace. It would be a meal that I wouldn't have to clean up. A meal that we could eat slowly.

What is the craziest fashion trend or hairstyle that you've worn? Ah... the 80's. I had large raspberry framed glasses, braces (with coordinating multicolored rubber bands), and a tight poodle perm all at the same time.

What amount of money would make you feel set for life? Enough money to cover education and talent development (piano lessons, dance studios, sports, etc.) for our kids, own our home and cars and stay out of debt (we've been so fortunate to stay out of debt so far, although we are paying rent and don't own the place where we are living), and have a comfy retirement that would allow us to do some traveling, serve missions and go skiing in the winter.

If you could change careers now without any consequences or financial loss, what would you switch to? It would be impossible in every way for me to change my career at this point in my life. However, when all of our kids are in school and then out of the house, I'd love to get a Master's in Art History or Curatorial Studies, and work at a museum either researching, or curating.

The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is... the decision to go with Cori to Paris at the end of February. I know, I know, the answer should be "How much underwear do I need to pack?" But life has just gotten back to normal after our last big trip. Gracie is back on schedule, and all the financial dust has settled. I'm hesitant to throw it all back up in the air. But it would be Paris, with Cori...