and have ourselves a snack...

answering more questions...

Janet ask:

Here's my question: What are your food quirks? I know you don't like cantaloupe but I don't remember why . . . so what are some of your more aggressive food aversions?


****Heh, food quirks. I like to think don't have a lot of those or well, I don't think of myself as a picky eater...

I don't like cantaloupe-I like to refer to it a vomitloupe :) (i know, gross, right?) Nathan (oldest) LOVES it and would eat a whole one. I buy it for him. I am a HUGE smell person. HUGE. I remember scents. For me, cantaloupe has a BAD smell...I know, I know A LOT of people LOVE the scent of melon (clearly, Bath and Body Works had a whole line dedicated to it) but the scent to me...is just not pleasant, at all. :) So there is the cantaloupe deal.

Otherwise, I don't like beets...turnips (but love turnip greens) I don't like chicken on a bone (but will eat it...but the whole meat pulling away from the bone when you bite it...totally skeeves me out...) I love the TASTE of cottage cheese...but the texture...ick. LOL Those are the things that come to mind, right off.

I LOVE steak---l.o.v.e it. I love salad. A steak salad is my idea of heaven. :)

Over the last couple of years I've really changed the way I eat. I don't avoid carbs all together...but I avoid simple carbs as much as I can. That is not to say I never eat them...because a girl has got to have a potato on occasion. ;) But by default, and because I honestly LOVE them, I eat a lot of salads. It's not about being 'one of those girls that won't eat anything to rabbit food' (one does not get to be the size I was, eating rabbit food...just saying! lol) I love love love food...but salads are a default that are a healthy choice and one that isn't hard for me to make or feel like, ''ugh, that again.'' I also love with a love that is pure and good...guac and pico...and could literally eat it EVERYDAY. :)

It goes without saying I love chocolate. Brownies are my idea of a good time...frosted brownies are like a rebellious good time. Hee! A chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting is my idea of an engagment ring. ;)

Four

i need you to know

especially on those days when you doubt it most.

i love you.


i need you to know
my heart aches when I look at you...
when you smile I see your life
I see you taking your first step toward me
and in that same step
taking your first step away...

this momma thing is hard
so hard
because I never, ever want you to hurt.
i don't want the words of mean people to stick in your mind
and rear their ugly heads...
i want everyone to know you
as these incredible beings
so filled with life
and love
and potential

it's what a momma does
she sees her baby
and her heart is transformed


it's on those days
those days that I whisper through clinched teeth...
those days that i ask for just 10 minutes with no one saying , ''momma''
those days that my snark and bark seem far more accessable than my nice...
those days when i am not ''the cool mom''
it's those days
i need you to know
and remember

you are my best effort
you are my world
my heart started beating, the day I met you
you pull from stength I didn't know I possess
you make me braver than I ever knew I could be...

my biggest disappointment in life
would be messing this up...
not being enough
or being too much

I fight against myself everyday
with every decision
...

i need you to know
you make my heart smile
you fill me with purpose
you amaze and delight me

i need you to know
that being your momma
is what I wanted
before I knew what I wanted

i need you to know
you make my heart

whole.

with all of my love,
Momma

More answers...

Katho asked what I hoped to get for my birthday & what would be an ideal Mother's Day...

Rhonda asked my shoe size so she can get me some Christmas Shoes, in case I meet Jesus...

Marisa asked if I planned to kill Rhonda...


@Katho--HONESTLY ... I don't care. I really don't. I love gifts...prizes, as I like to call them. I will not lie and say I don't enjoy getting expensive BIG gifts (duh!) but I am truly a SUCKER for little fun things...a little something that shows you were thinking of me, or you paid attention to something I said. LOVE IT. A pack of M & M's given in love goes a loooooooooooooooooong way with me. More than anything honestly it's not WHAT you get me...you can call me on the phone. But it's that whole ''you took the time'' thing. KWIM

Ideal Mother's Day... I'm having it. My whole family will come over after church. I'll be surrounded by people that know me and love me. My ''wish'' would be-in a land far away...to have ONE day for myself. To check into a nice hotel...sleep in the next morning, have coffee while watching the news...a massage, mani & pedi and an afternoon movie. :)

@Rhonda- 11. (they were 9's before babies and I thought my feet were huge...now I know they are...but alas I share the same shoe size as Paris Hilton--I hope that is our only similarity. :)

@ Marisa--probably. :)

More answers to burning questions...

Stephanie and Penny both asked about summer plans...

I love Summer. It's my favorite season...well it ties with Fall, which ties with Spring (you'll notice WINTER is missing from this...UGH)

Summer Plans 10

(still firming up)

Right now the theme seems to be Lost and Dangerous
I want to watch all the seasons of LOST with the older two (at least) and work through "The Dangerous Book for Boys"

We have several trips planned...Biloxi, possibly back to 'the river'... the kids had fun when we did Tanner's Beach last year-so I think I'm going to try to fit that in maybe bi-weekly. It's local and fun.

Deliberate time...as my kids are getting older and their interest seems to be computer and game related-I can feel our time slipping. I want this summer to be about simplicity. Day trips to parks...hiking...bird watching (AE's current obession)My Nathan turns 12 in September--he is so not a little kid anymore...but I want to relish this summer...I want to suck every moment from it and I want it to be filled with good memories. I want to own the days...not letting the day slip by into another fog of routine and default schedules. (just ''be''...that will make sense in a minute...)

Read Aloud--I used to do this regularly-and it is one of the things in the last 1/5 yrs that has fallen by the wayside...so I am going to pick a series or something and we are going to pile on the bed and I'm going to read ... we are going to get lost in a story together. :)

We are going to memorize the BE ATTITUDES...and work on making them real in our lives.

Other than that...lots of swimming, movie watching, laughing, blowing bubbles, eating watermelon, birthday celebrating, watching fireflies and soaking in the sun. :)

Personally...

I want to journal (paper) daily or near daily...
I want to lose about 25 lbs and will be at what I think is my goal...
I want to walk, a lot more, it's becoming my sanity saver...
I want to relax...
I want this summer to be one of renewal and refreshing and finding out and getting to know
me.

The one where I answer your questions...

From Mama Said...she asked two:

My question... when in the world are you going to come to Canada and visit me? ;)

Why do you love your birthday so much? I've never met someone who loves their birthday as much as you do! I get a kick out of seeing how excited you get about it but wonder why...


****When am I coming to Canada? Um...when it's NOT snowing. :) I've actually been to Canada, back when I was in college--it's beautiful! :)

Why do I love my birthday so much? Hmmmmmm. Honestly, I don't know-I just always have, always. It was never about things--it was about the fun. I didn't grow up having elaborate bday parties, didn't have a sweet sixteen celebration etc...but I love me a birthday. I don't know--it's your day and you get to celebrate! Mostly I like to celebrate with other people. I am ridiculously obnoxious about my birthday. I am...but I want you to be too. I want you to enjoy my day just as much. I want you to celebrate--it's what we should do in life. :)

One of my best memories is my 21st birthday, where I had an Army Ranger in my kitchen making me funnel cakes. Another great birthday memory is from college. Since I have a summer birthday I never really had parties with friends. However, when I was at Truett McConnell, school was still in session and my parents drove up ...brought party goods (Sesame Street!), ice cream, cake and the whole nine yards and we had a party in my dorm lobby--with anyone that wanted to come by...SO much fun. :)


--------------------
Got a question you are dying for me to answer..leave a comment, shoot me an email or post it over on FB. :)

Cinco De Mayo

May 5th...
not feeling bloggy...
actully feeling bloggy-but they feel heavy and I am wanting to focus on some light and happy...

So in that vein...I open the floor to you, dear readers (waves at the two of you, madly!)

What do you want to know?
What burning question have you been dying to ask...
Do you really wonder if I wash my dust pan (yes!)
Shoe size...
Favorite song...

You ask and I'll answer (more than likely, or I'll say UM, that's a bit too personal so NO! heh!)

Ready...
GO!

Addendum:

if you can't get your questions to post, feel free to shoot them via email cheribrorsen@yahoo.com or PM or post them over at FB. :)

something

I sat there...
the breeze blowing, just shy of carrying any humidity...
the fountain,
splashing, amid color changes and sending off an occasional askew spray...
all of us
a party of five
sitting on one bench
savoring
the night...
for a few moments
we were just there...laughing
joking
smiling
scooting over to smash together
laughing more
and
it's always the best gift...
the one you get
as a surprise
my eleven year old looks at me
and says,
''mom, i really love you.''

{something special}

then i spotted them
the couple
they were young,
and in love...
you could tell by the way she watched him
and the way he enveloped her hand in his...
he stopped her by the fountain,
spun her around
and they shared a bit
of magic...
a night, so perfect
a memory
so sweet

{something wishful}

and I sat there
with the breeze
my kids giggles
and my heart full...
my life
these moments
I wouldn't trade...
they are my northern star
they are my soul's song
they are the reason I am

{something beautiful}