My Socks are White with Pink Trim: Part 2

Let the Fun begin! I’ll keep updating as more questions come in so keep checking in...

Amy says:
Q. What are your three favorite stores to shop at for yourself?! What three stores do you most often shop at for yourself?!
A. Since I'm a SAHM, my daily attire pretty much consists of jeans, cropped pants, Bermuda shorts, A-line skirts, cable-knit sweaters, tee's, and polo shirts. So I pretty much stick to department stores since I wear a lot of Ralph Lauren, or Target (yes, don't gasp too loud, I love me some Target!), or Steinmart. Wait, I have to add Lands End in there too b/c I shop quite a bit from lands End too! So there's 4 for you!

Meg says:
Q. How did you get to be so amazingly crafty and creative?
A. Well you are really too kind, Meg! I wouldn't exactly say I'm amazingly crafty and creative, but I enjoy being crafty and creative. I really don't know how I got this way, I suppose I always had an eye for things and never really started to get into it until I got into College, then graduated and got married. Once I became a SAHM things really kicked into high gear for me as I had a lot more time to do what I liked to do and explore different things. For instance, my friend Ashley and I used to try new things like making quilts once (mine is still unfinished as she'll happily tell everyone in comments, I'm sure), and then learning to knit together (again, something that was not exactly my forte since my scarf looked like the state of Florida with a bunch of holes in it from dropping stitches). I think if I knew then what I know now, I would have majored in graphic design, but c'est la vie!

Chantel says:
Q. What I am most curious about….what do you look like. I have really enjoyed your blog. I would love to have a face to relate too. I have to say at first I was not sure if I would like it b/c I am not from the same pedigree, but I really feel as if we have a lot in common… but you have better ideas.
A. OH that's easy! I look just like Angelina Jolie-tall and skinny with really long legs. Ha ha ha. Chantel, you are very sweet and just because we may seem different on the surface and have had different upbringings doesn't mean we can't have a lot in common and wouldn't be friends in the real world! ;-) Seriously, I am 5'2 with really bright blue eyes, medium toned skin (although I get very very dark in the summer), shoulder-length brown hair with natural lighter brown highlights (seriously, they really are natural b/c I don't color my hair at all). My hair is EXTREMELY thick but I have to use a flat-iron to straighten it. I used to have thick board-straight wash and go hair, but when I was so sick with my anorexia and bulimia when I was a teenager I lost a lot of hair and my hair got very thin. As I started to get healthy and my hair started coming back in thick again, it came back wavy just in the back. It was very strange! And then it didn't change again until after I had mini #2 and now it's very wavy and curly. I alternate my hair length between either shoulder-length (which I wear flipped up usually) or long (well-past my shoulders) and when it's long I wear it up in a messy loose up-do mostly. Sadly, my days of wearing a size zero are but a distant memory, but I'm okay with my imperfect shape and have 2 boys to show for it!

Ashley says:
Q. OH...this one took a minute to ponder but I have a good one (drum roll please)...When are you going to come to NY/NJ to visit me :)
A. Gee I was wondering when you were going to ask me this since it's been a whole week since you last asked! Is the private jet all fueled up and ready to come pick me up? And when exactly is your trip planned to come see me?! All one-upping aside, I will be there as soon as I can pick out an adequate tranquilizer to give myself before hopping on a flight to NY (as you know I am no longer a very good flier), and Mr. Monogram can clear some time on his calendar to stay home and take care of the boys.

Anonymous says:
Q. Tell us about the details for the party! Steeplechases occur that same weekend and all this month and I am desperate for ideas!
A. Great question! I can't wait to fill you guys in on the party details, and I will do that later in the week. I am most excited about my tablescape (think turning your tabletop into a grassy lawn!) and general decor ideas. I am using colors to accompany my theme so I'm using reds (for red roses, the flower of the Derby), pinks, lime greens and grassy greens. There will be lots of roses but not in traditional vases, and LOTS of beautiful ribbons. I'll fill you in with more details on Thursday and hopefully I'll be able to give you a few ideas you can use for Steeplechase as well.

Kristi L. says:
Q. Hi Monogrammomma! I just wanted to thank you for entertaining me on a regular basis. Sometimes I am stunned by how much we have in common! I do have a question, what is on the menu for the Derby Party besides the obvious mint juleps? I love to hear the details on any party, but I am from KY, so I can't wait to hear more about your Derby shindig!
A. You're welcome, Kristi! Thanks for being a regular reader! I'm still working out the menu for the party but so far the menu looks like this: Louisville Benedictine, Fried Green Tomatoes, Grits Casserole, Cream Biscuits, Ham Biscuit Filling (for the Cream Biscuits), grasshopper Pie & cheese straws. I still need to work in some fruit and veggies and another dessert but so far that's what's on the menu.

J says:
Q. What's for dinner tonight?
A. Well J, tonight I am going all out with a "Caribbean Grill" Grilled Cheese sandwich with a side of fresh fruit salad. This recipe is SO AMAZING and I am planning on posting it tomorrow. It's still chilly here but it's so beautiful outside that I think we'll be dining al fresco and play a little Bocce Ball before dinner as well.

Jilly says:
Q. I want to have a Kentucky Derby party, I have had them in the past when I lived out East and enjoyed myself thoroughly. No one here is into the races or "gets" it, plus a friend of mine is having a cinco de mayo party, but has not sent out the invites yet. Do I trump her and her party and go ahead and do what I want. Is it too late to send out invites for a gathering May 5th? I have been struggling with this for almost a week.
A. This is a great question. If you have your heart set on doing this then I would call your friend and ask her if she's ordered her invitations yet and when she plans to send them out. Also ask her what time her event is scheduled to begin. The Derby is run at 5, and lasts about 5 whole minutes. So typically, most of the partying is done prior to the actual run of the race. My point is, it is entirely possible for each of you to have your respective party, but talk to your friend first. I wouldn't plan anything without letting her know your thoughts.

Preppy Rider says:
Q. I am not sure if you are into "scrapbooking" or not, but on Martha today she announced a new competition that had me thinking of you immediately! Go to her new/re-designed website for all the details but I am sure that you would be at the top of the list for creativity and ideas for beautiful scrapbooking pages (complete with monograms of course ;) We would all LOVE to see you on her show!
A. LOL! You know I am DYING to meet Martha and be on her show! But would you believe I am not a scrap booker? I know, it's quite shocking. I can appreciate all the work and time that goes into scrap booking, but it is too frustrating for me. Also, because I take children and pet photography in my "free time," it practically kills me to cut up my photo's! Maybe she'll do a monogramming competition, no?

Libby says:
Q. What are the invitation etiquette rules regarding No-Host dinner parties? By No-Host, I mean a celebration, usually dinner at a nice restaurant, for which individual guests are expected to pay their own bill. Often more formal than "hey, let's all go out to celebrate," but less formal then "the honor of your presence is requested." I see a lot of people my age doing this sort of thing because, let's face it, footing the bill for a table of 12 at a nice place is darn expensive. But what I guess I'm getting to here is: an invitation to such a party should clearly state that it is No-Host, should it not?
A. Hmmm.... I have never heard of no-host dinner parties, Libby so you have told me something new today! I understand the concept, but would think in this instance an e-vite should be sufficient or if you do send out an invitation, I would usually just assume it would be "Dutch." Plus, in a small group of people, I would think it could easily be spread word of mouth that it is a "no-host" dinner so it wouldn't need to be included on an invitation.

Anonymous says:
Q. I have seen you mention St. George Island as your favorite vacation destination. What do you like about it so much and what part do you go to? I searched on the net and it looks like there is an East End and a Plantation area.
A. I could go on and on forever about my love for St. George Island. It is completely unspoiled with only one commercial restaurant on the beach, and 1 very small hotel that is very old. Hotels, condo's and high rises are NOT allowed and will NEVER be built on the beach. Those 2 commercial beachfront properties I mentioned are allowed because they were grandfathered in as they've been around so long. Other than that, it is strictly private homes on private beach fronts, which is why we love it so much. I do not like going to commercial beaches and fighting for a spot on the sand, then having to listen to other people's conversations around me, and having to tote my stuff to and from the beach every day. With two little boys and a dog you can imagine we have a lot of things to bring to the beach! We stay in a private home with our own stretch of beach (the houses are also NOT stacked on top of each other as they are on lots of other beaches) and we literally leave our beach chairs, umbrella, and toys on the beach all week long and never have to bring them up or worry about anyone bothering with our things. There is nothing commercial there and to get to the grocery store you have to leave the island and drive about 15 minutes to Apalachicola (a great little shopping town), so we do nothing but read books, play in the sand and relax. Even at high season you feel like you are the only ones on the beach, and it's very quiet and relaxing. Dolphins jump in and out of the water so frequently you think you're at Sea World and the water is pretty much crystal clear and calm. We prefer to stay on the West side because we like the beach better there, but as you mentioned there is also an East side of the Island and the Plantation. The Plantation is where the stars have their houses and it's very "bushy" (lots of trees) and due to that, there are lots of mosquito's on the Plantation. The only benefit of The Plantation is that it's a gated community, but you are paying twice as much for the same size (if not smaller) house that you'll get on the rest of the island and they also sit farther away from the water's edge. The East side is currently going through a growth spurt of people building new homes down there so we don't like to stay on the East side. If you want more info, feel free to email me and I'll be happy to give you more information and some people to contact! P.S. SGI was also named one of the most dog friendly beaches in the country and dogs are welcome everywhere on the island, which is another reason we love it because preppy puppy loves to relax at SGI too!

Anonymous says:
Q. Lauren Ralph Lauren or Blue label ralph Lauren...Or Black Label or Collection. Green Label (Lauren) is not really RL, as it is designed oerseas and is merely a suburban money maker for those that have no idea about Collection, Black and Blue labels.
A. Much as I wish I could convince Mr. Monogram that even a SAHM should look stylish and deserves to pick up the kids from pre-school in Black Label, I stick to Lauren RL and the Blue Label collection primarily because I am very conservative (but you probably already figured that out by now)! ;-)

Sarah says:
Q. Hi MM! I am in awe of all of your preppy projects! How do you make the time? Can you tell us what a typical day is like in the Monogram household? Thanks! Sarah
A. Thank you, Sarah! I'm really glad to hear you are enjoying the projects. A typical day is crazy yet structured if that makes any sense. I do a lot while the boys are at preschool, while their napping, and after they go to bed. I also work on things while they're playing; I guess I just find the time somehow! Here's a basic time line of a day when the boys are not at preschool. I am very schedule oriented so this is very indicative of a regular day.
7am: Mini #1 comes to snuggle in bed with me while Mr. Monogram finishes getting dressed for work
7:30am: roll out of bed, make the bed, go potty, then downstairs to get cereal into bowls and milk into sippy-cups for the mini's
7:50am: first email check of the day
8am: wake up mini #2 and try to convince him it is really much better to be clothed for the day than wearing a pajama top and nothing on the bottom for the day (this can take any amount of time). He then has a breathing treatment whether he's healthy or sick. Then bring the boys down to eat b'fast while watching Noggin (I hop on the computer again while they're eating b'fast)
9am: I'm usually on the phone making plans for the day by this time while mini #1 is getting dressed.
9:30am: If we're doing a craft at home then usually we are hopping in the car to go get what we need if I haven't already done that the day before, or we're on our way to meet friends somewhere like to the park or another venue such as Pump it Up (the inflatable jumpy place) or shopping at the Mall
11:45ish am.: I am either making lunch if we're at home or if we're out and about with friends or doing some errands we stop for lunch (usually we meet friends for lunch if we're out)
1:30pm: The boys go potty then I put them in their room for nap time. I then rotate the laundry in the laundry room and either take a nap myself in my own bed or go downstairs to hop on the computer again to blog. Sometimes this is also when I work on my projects or sew or just do whatever it is that I want to do.
4pm: mini #1 comes out from his quiet time or nap time and we usually read a book or two and he plays quietly in the playroom/bonus room. I am still doing whatever it is that I was doing during nap time usually (unless I was napping and in which case he's woken me up by now)
4:30pm: mini #2 wakes up from nap time and both boys get a small snack and some milk or water while they play. This time of year they are outside a lot but if they're inside Noggin is on again while they play and I do some things around here, start dinner, etc..
5:45 pm: This is our first dinner seating of the evening where all those under the age of 5 are requested to sit down and eat dinner. I typically sit and have some fruit or a drink with them while they eat dinner at the kitchen table. They then go back to playing as I prepare for our second meal and seating of the day.
6:30-7pm: If I'm lucky, Mr. Monogram comes home at some point during this time and the second meal and seating for Adults is served.
7:15: Rotate the laundry again and usually holler at the boys to clean up their mess from playing. Then right in the shower or bath for the boys, then pj's (I also get in my pj's at this time too). Breathing treatment again for mini #2.
8pm: Mini's are in bed, stories read, and lights out at this point and Mr. Monogram and I sit down to watch tv. I am usually on his laptop while we watch tv or working on another project or finishing up my earlier project or even reading a magazine.
9:30pm: I'm in bed myself, tv on low and adding to my to-do list and reading before nodding off to sleep with preppy puppy (Mr. Monogram is a night owl)!

Anonymous says:
Q. What motivates you? What motivates you to complete your projects (I am a pro at starting them) dress cutely and do the whole SAHM thing with such ease? As an avid reader of your blog, I continue to be really impressed!
A. You are really far too kind! Trust me when I tell you there are plenty of days when I'm un-owered with no makeup on in yoga pants, barely keeping myself together as any one of my friends can tell you. I would be a liar if I told you otherwise! Don't get me wrong. That's certainly not the bulk of the time but rest assured I do have those days like everyone else. Being a SAHM was truly my "dream job." And while so many ladies I know are anxiously waiting for their kids to go to real school so they can go back to work, I have no interest. That will seem sad to some I'm sure, but for me, as tired as I am a lot of the time (which is why I sleep so much), I love having the luxury of being able to drop my kids off and pick them up from preschool, do craft and art projects with them, take them to sports practices and games, be the room mom and meet for playdates and outings at the park with friends. I realize it's not for everyone and some days I am really worn thin from tears and tantrums. But this is really what I foresee my life to be. As the boys get older, I will only be stretched more I think as I'll have two kids very close in age to get to different sports practices and games and balanace friends and laundry and helping with homework. So I guess what motivates me (aside from myself and my own curiosity to do projects) is my kids and just wanting to give them the best life I can, and to create lots of fun memories. I don't ever want them to look back and wish they had the opportunity to do something, so I want to make sure I give them all those opportunities that I can now (which is another reason I chose to stay home). My dad always said "You always want more for your kids than you had yourself." Truthfully, I had a really great life full of lots of advantages such as education, travel, friendships, and family togetherness (my parents have been married almost 42 years) and that's going to be a really tall order to beat! I have been very blessed and my parents worked very hard to give us the type of life that was important for their children to have, so I'm just trying to do the same thing in my own way. As for finishing the projects, don't feel bad. I have an unfinished quilt, some really horrible knitting projects gone bad, and plenty of even worse tasting recipes that will forever be skeletons in my "unfinished project closet!"

Kara says:
Q. i'm sure you'll have lots to blog about now that the truth came out about baby dannielynn! A. Oh, don't you just know it, Kara! I was so worried I would miss the live coverage that I ran into the boy's classes and was rushing them to get out to the car and home in bed for naps! And let me just say, for as wretched and selfish I think Howard K Stern has been about this DNA test for the last 7 months, I have to give him props for not challenging the custody and saying he will fully support Larry and make sure Larry gets full custody of his daughter. That being said, as I said before, TEAM BIRKHEAD!!!

Alyson says:
Q. So does Mr Monogram wear boxers or briefs???????????????
A. Ha Ha Ha. Very funny. Mr. Monogram wears boxer-briefs so the correct answer is neither!

Alyson says (again):
Q. How fast can you change a poopy diaper????????
A. In the height of my diaper changing days I must admit I was pretty quick! You might have known me as Quick Change Monogram. But that depends on the child. Mini #1 was a quick-change but mini #2 was a wiggler so he probably added a few more seconds onto my time. Let me know anytime you're up for a challenge!

Alyson says (seriously you can put this in one email comment!):
Q. What is your favorite cocktail?
A. Now this is a question I can get behind! It really depends on my mood. I am not a big wine drinker because it makes me too drunk too fast and leaves me with a really nasty hangover even after just 2 glasses. So if I'm mixing myself a cocktail at home, I always go for the Vodka in the freezer. I love Stoli Orange with Ginger-Ale or Stoli Lemon with Schwepp's Cranberry Ginger-Ale. When we're out I pretty much always order a Whiskey Sour and hanging out with friends I prefer beer (although I realize that's not a "cocktail").

Erin says:
Q. Hmmmmm...what was your major in college? And what's your favorite movie...I must confess that I think of Steel Magnolias while reading your blog sometimes! :)
A: Well you have good taste because I love Steel Magnolia's (except for the sad part which I just can't watch anymore)! But I am probably a rare bird in that I don't have any true favorite movies. As for my major, it was Psychology. I finished in 3 years (I still half expect them to call and tell me they goofed and I have to return my diploma!) and ended up focusing on I/O Psychology. I was looking at graduate programs but then Mr. Monogram and I got engaged 4 days after I graduated and I decided it would be much more fun to plan a wedding than to continue on with a graduate degree and the rest is history!

jhlomedico says:
Q. What is your opinion on address labels? Tacky or practical?
A. Definitely practical. But let me clarify. If you are asking about return address labels, then I am 100% behind those little stickers of convenience, especially since there are so many really cute or classic designs options out there. But if you're asking about address labels to actually send an envelope then it depends on the quantity. For instance, at Christmas I have roughly 160+ Christmas cards to send out and that is far too many for me to hand address so I do address labels (although I use the clear ones so it is not as obvious). That is truly the only time each year I do that though, and every other time for party invitations, thank you notes and birthday cards, I always hand address. If you are sending out 20 invitations then yes, I think it's tacky to use the printed label, but that's just my humble opinion.

Anonymous says:
Q. How did you and Mr. Monogram meet? How did he propose? We want details!
A. We met in College at the end of my freshman year right before Summer Quarter started. We were both planning on staying for the summer and we were introduced by my sorority big sister. I looked awful when we first met! We started hanging out by meeting at the tennis courts on campus and played a lot of tennis and going to all the summer parties together. He proposed on December 18th or 19th, 1997. Is that bad I can't even remember now? Anyway, I had just graduated from Auburn 4 days prior and it was the eve of his company Christmas Party. So he proposed to me in the parking lot here. He was very nervous and I always joke that I should get a do-over of the proposal. A parking lot?! Really?! He said he was just too nervous and needed to get it over with, but he'd also previously asked my dad for permission.

Candy says:
Q. I apologize if this is a bit rude...BUT you must have a housekeeper, right?? How do you get all the cleaning done? Husbands everywhere should clone you!
A. If you only knew how hard I was laughing right now, Candy! Nope, I no longer have a housekeeper. I always used to (a brief moment of silence for Christina, please) and then when we moved here I went through literally 6 housekeepers. All of them were beyond horrible and and ridiculous in price so it was really frustrating and irritating that I'd still have to go back and clean after them. And none of them did windows. Uh, helllo? That's sort of part of cleaning the house, is it not? So I clean my own house, although very begrudgingly. Every 2 weeks I pick a day while the boys are in preschool and pop my ADD meds and just nail it out. It is truly my least favorite chore!

Candy says:
Q. I swear I am not trying to hog the questions, but I can't help it! So what is a typical date night for the monograms? Your life sounds oh so glamorous!!
A. Oh, Candy you are really cracking me up today! My life is far from glamorous! Mr. Monogram and I do go out a lot but it's not all that exciting. If we go out alone on a date then we usually go to a nice restaurant and movie. But lately we've both been too full and tired after dinner to actually make the movie so we end up at Borders Bookstore. See, I told you that is just not very glamorous! Oh wait! Last weekend we went out to a great dinner for his birthday and topped that off by.....Are you ready???? An evening at Target.! WhooHoo! Now if we are going out on a double date with friends, we will typically go to a nice dinner, then to another restaurant in this historic house here and have martini's outside and listen to the live jazz band. Of course there are always exceptions that we'll spice things up a bit but those are typical dates for us.

Anonymous says:
Q. I think somewhere you blogged that you have two sisters? I am one of three girls. Are your sister(s) as Monogram-ish as you?? Or are you all different? My sisters and I couldn't be more different and I would love to learn about yours!
A. This is a good one! No one has asked about my sisters yet! Yes, I am the youngest of three girls. Sister #1 lives in Orange Co, CA with her family, and sister #2 lives in Atlanta (Sandy Springs) with her famiy. We are each very different but still very similar if that makes any sense. We are all very traditional and conservative but Sister #1 is probably less conservative than #2 and myself. I am definitely the most conservative and anal retentive of the bunch. They don't have everything all monogrammed like I do, although they do believe in dressing little ones in smocked and monogrammed jon-jon's and dresses. However I think that is more of a product of where we are from than is refelctive on our individual tastes and styles. Sister #1 is very fair skinned with blonde-ish hair and brown eyes. She is maybe 5' on a good day and has more of my figure. Sister #2 is my height at 5'2, has very dark brown nearly black hair with dark brown eyes and has an entirely different figure from #1 and I. But sister #2 and I have always resembled eachother the most. Sister #1 has a girl and a boy (11 and almost 5) and sister #2 has two girls (6 & almost 2). Sister #1 married her High School sweethart (they've been together over 25 years now I think) and Sister #2 married her grammer school sweethart! Sister #1 has just recently gone back to work full-time after being a SAHM and sister #2 is a SAHM like myself. My sisters are also very crafty and creative, and it's great becuase we call eachother and ask for help or ideas if we're stuck trying to figure something out. Particularly sister #2 and I (ssiter #1 tends to roll her eyes over the phone at a lot of my projects!) . Sister #1 doesn't think she's crafty or creative though but I tend to disagree with her assessment. She makes really beautiful handmade cards, which is something I don't do. Neither of them sew, however (although sister #2 has a machine and has sewn a little). Out of the three of us, sister #1 is by far the best cook. She is the type of person who can experiement and throw stuff into a pot on the stove and it always turns out great. We are all musically inclined and we all played tennis. They never sang like I did though. We do all have our own little personality quirks though and we still bicker and get on eachothers nerves with these "quirks." For instance, you know I can't stand people being late, and it's caused more than one argument with my sisters over this. But that's life and I can't change it and there are plenty of things about me that drive them crazy (I'm fairly certain they think I'm a b**** a lot of the time!). As you know, being one of three girls creates a very interesting dynamic!

Mrs. P says:
Q. Hey MM- I want to know what you will be wearing for your Derby party?
A. Well that is a very good question, Mrs. P. I had originally planned on wearing a casual little white strapless dress with a white cardigan, navy and white espadrilles and a navy sash around my waist (my hat is big and navy with lots of feathers), but I did not like the dress once it arrived and I tried it on. Perhaps the dress didn't like me, but either way, it's on it's way back. Foolishly I'd fallen in love with the hat and bought that first so now the outfit must come together around the hat (I know this is something you would probably not approve of!). Suffice-to-say, I'm now hunting for another white simple strapless A-Line dress or a white shirtdress. I'm not too worried since they seem to be everywhere, but I haven't ruled out the possibility of searsucker yet either. I'll keep you posted when the decision is made!

Deidre says:
Q. How you ever get 2 boys that age to nap for 3 hours a day is a miracle! Do you use cough syrup??!!!! I would kill for 2-3 hours a day in the middle of the afternoon! Benadryl anyone?
A. LOL! No, I most certainly don't hop them up on Benadryl, but as I've mentioned I am very schedule oriented. We "Baby Whispered" both of our boys as newborns and got them sleeping through the night and on a really great schedule right out of the gate. When they were babies they went down for morning naps from 9-11 every day, then afternoon naps from 2-5. When they dropped their morning naps (we allowed them to drop them themselves, and not dictate when it was time to do that-21.5 months and 19 months respectively), their afternoon nap moved back by 30 minutes to 1:30. Both of our children have always been excellent sleepers and nappers, and really thrived on good nap schedules, but it's also because we have taught them to be that way. It took a lot of work from both of us as you can imagine! On the occasions when our children haven't had enough sleep or enough of a nap, it's very evident in their behavior. That is why our days pretty much revolve around naptime because we know how much they need it. Now, I will say, mini #1 who just turned 5 is getting away from his nap. And that's fine, but if he doesn't sleep he still needs to have som "quiet time" in his room. He needs it as much as I do, even if he's just relaxing looking at books, he really benefits from it. So to sum up, I swear by The Baby Whisperer to anyone out there!

Anne says:
Q. Found your blog. How cute. Is there a reason you do not eat as a family? Is it some kind of tradition or your husband just does not want to deal with kids at that time of day? Mine snack earlier and then we eat later-so many lovely moments over the years at the table together. I think I would miss them a lot if we changed it. ANd I am talking FIVE children. :)
A. While I see you have a very good point, Anne, that has never really worked for our family as much as I've tried. And no, it's not because my husband doesn't want to deal with the kids as he is a very hands on dad and would very much like to be here for dinner with them. You can read this post and get a general idea, but the problem lies within my husband and me never knowing when he's going to arrive home from the office. It goes in spurts of months at a time when he's at the office often 13-15 hours some days, and on those days I actually bring dinner to him and we eat as a family in his Conference Room. I can't very well expect my kids to wait until 7 to eat when they go to bead at 8 either, since that's typically a "normal" time for him to be home during non-busy times. They still sit at the table with us and will often have their dessert while we eat dinner, but Monday-Thursday it just doesn't typically work out.

Donna says:
Q. I loved you Q & A session! My question is this: if you had given birth to a daughter, what would you have named her? I love names, have a friend who is having a girl, and thought you might have some original ones to give her for suggestions!
A. Yeah, this was lot's of fun, wasn't it?! Well you must know I love this question since I have two boys and no girls. I really swore up and down mini #2 was going to be a girl because I was carrying differently and I just felt completely different too. You could have knocked me over with a feather in the ultra-sound room when the lady told us it was a boy. Whew! We always loved the name Isabella (that was Mr. Monogram's first choice) but that was before it was as popular as it is now. I wouldn't use it now. I swear if a mom calls out "Isabella!" at the park about 3 girls turn around. We also liked Sofia and Eva. But not EEEE-va, pronounced in Italian it phoenetically sounds like Ava. Other girl names I liked were Luca, & Giada (this was before the famed chef though!). We probably would have gone with Sofia or Eva though to tell you the truth. We had a hard time agreeing on names!

Chantel says:
Q. Do your sister's have a blog?
A. Nope! Just me!