An interview with me...

I was lucky enough to be picked to be interviewed by this lovely lady after I commented on her interview last week. Colleen and I go waaaaaaaaaaaaay back. Like, from birth. So she probably knows pretty much everything about me. But she picked five super duper great interview questions to ask me, and I've been working like mad over the past three days to find good answers to them!

So here you all go... five lovely insights into the one and only Olive Oyl!

1) Do you feel you are the adult version of your childhood self, or do you feel like you have changed quite a bit?

Hmmm... you had to throw a thinker at me. :) Well, honestly, I think I am a lot like I was as a child. I've always tended to have an "old soul." I loved to play the mother, take care of others, make sure rules were followed, do my best to make peace with everyone around me, and tried my hardest to please my family and my parents. I had a hard time letting go and really letting loose except for with those friends and family members I was very close to... and I often would get really ridiculously silly and out of control when I was embarrassed or feeling stupid and needed to distract people with my craziness. Interestingly enough, I never really felt like I belonged anywhere as a child. I didn't quite fit in with the girls at school... I didn't quite fit in with my family. I always compared myself to others and hated that I wasn't quite pretty enough, quite smart enough, quite athletic enough, quite Christian enough... pretty much, I was just always the best friend to the girl that was pretty, smart, athletic, etc.

As an adult, I still struggle with everything that I dealt with as a child. Only now, I'm really trying to reverse some of those traits that caused me such heartache as a kid. I'm trying to let loose more. Trying to find peace in not having everything goes as planned. Trying to feel okay with not always fitting in. Trying to work at leading my own life and worry less about what others think of me. Trying to be confident. Trying to let the mean and judgemental comments of others slide off my back rather than penetrate my heart and soul. Trying to be my best self, rather than someone elses idea of my best self. Trying to make a life with Popeye and Swee'Pea that is even better than the life that I dreamed of having as a child.

But even more than that, I'm also trying to embrace who I am rather than constantly push it away and pretend that is not who I was molded by my Creator to be. I am organized. I am a nerd. I am slightly anal. I do like being a perfectionist in some areas. I hate rude behavior. I enjoy being a submissive wife and the woman of the household. I thrive off of responsibility and the feeling that my husband and son need me. When push comes to shove, I may not have a perfectly decorated house or lipstick that matches every outfit, but I know that my child is clean and fed, the bills have been paid, and the grocery list written and ready for the next day's shopping trip. And yes, I probably will have my Christmas card envelopes addressed and stamped by Halloween and my summer vacation completely planned by Valentine's Day... but hey, I don't judge others for being semi-unorganized, so I am hoping that people won't judge me for my crazy little eccentricities. :)

2) What characteristics of you do you see in Swee Pea, and which characteristics of Popeye?

I have thought about this question for days! I used to think Swee'Pea was more like Popeye... but lately I think he is more like me. So I guess I'll just break down the main personality traits he has and then figure out who he is most like...

* He hates getting his hands dirty. He could play and play all day outside, but the moment his hands are dirty, he gets totally annoyed and wants them wiped off. He is kind of a clean freak. Popeye
* He loves carbs. He could eat carbs from morning until night. He would never survive on the Atkin's diet. me
* He dislikes most vegetables. Popeye
*He loves to talk... and talk and talk and talk. And talk. Popeye. Yes, he talks more than I do!
*He randomly laughs aloud to himself as if he has just told himself a really funny joke in his head. me
* He loves shoes. Any shoes. Every shoes. All shoes. me
* He hates when I am on the computer. It makes him so mad. Popeye
* He thinks my mom is the coolest person on the planet. me
* He is a snuggle bunny and loves kisses and hugs. Popeye
* He likes to keep the house clean by vacuuming and sweeping up for me. Popeye
* He enjoys bike rides and walks and warm sunny days in the yard. me
* He likes to be in charge... he is fine sharing or playing in a group... as long as he directs the situation or can organize the play that is going on. Oh, how painfully I see my personality in this little characteristic of him!!!
* He is getting quite the little temper when someone makes him eat when he doesn't want to. me 

* He loves music... loves to drum... loves to crazy dance... loves to be out of control silly and crazy and hilarious. Popeye

* When he is overly tired, he randomly gets spurts of energy where he kind of gets to acting like he is drunk and on some sort of illegal substance.  me
* He is stinking adorable. Popeye

3) If money was no object where in the world would you like to live and raise your family? Or is Bakersfield right where you would want to be?

This is an interesting question... because from the second Popeye and I were married, I have been begging him to move. I would love to live in a few different places before we really "settle" down and have more kids. I'd adore a funky downtown house in San Luis Obispo for a bit... a stunning loft in Manhattan complete with stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors. But regardless of if I ever get to move to the coast or out of state, I know deep down that Bakersfield is not where I want to settle.

Now, let me be clear. I have nothing against Bakersfield... except that it just isn't where my heart belongs. I think that Bakersfield is a perfectly wonderful place to live and raise a family. In fact, I get brutally overprotective of Bakersfield when people trash talk or bag on it. (Seriously people, if you hate it so much, why are you living here?!).

My heart 100% belongs in Shafter. And my dream has always, always been to move into my Grandma Doris's house someday. Of all the places I lived as a child, this is the one place that truly feels like home. I love the over grown orange tree in the backyard, the scent of fresh zweibach and jam that always lingers in the air, the mailbox through the front wall, and the perfect way the breeze blows through the sliding glass doors in the living room. I love, love, love this house, and if money was no option I would absolutely buy it someday. I've drawn plans in my head of how I'd renovate the kitchen and bedroom to provide more room for a growing family, but maintain the traditional charm that the house has. I've plotted out where in the backyard I'd plant my vegetable garden, and organized in my thoughts how I would arrange my furniture to maximize space.

My dream is for Swee'Pea to grow up down the street from all my friend's kids... to ride his bike through the neighborhoods that I once roller bladed down... to spend summers sipping on slushies from the local burger joint and using his pocket change to buy Smurf flavored Sno Funs... to walk down the halls of the same high school I attended, my parents attended, and my grandfather attended so many years ago.

Whether or not money is an option... I'd love to raise my family in Shafter.

4) If you could hear people's thoughts would you want to?

100% absolutely not. I already feel down about myself so many times just guessing what people might be thinking about me, I can't imagine how depressed I might feel if I could verify those thoughts! Plus, I can have some pretty disturbing thoughts in my head at times, and I'd prefer not to hear the disturbing thoughts of others... I've got enough going on in my head than to fill it up with the minds of others!

5) If you could only listen to one cd and watch one dvd for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?

The DVD would totally be "You've Got Mail." It has everything... Comedy. Romance. Love. Suspense. I love it. I love Kathleen Kelly. I love Joe Fox. I love The Shop Around the Corner. I love bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils. I love this movie.

The CD is harder... do mixed music discs count??? Hmmm... I don't listen to a ton of music quite frankly, I prefer talk radio in my car (I am a nerd. I am well aware of this.) I really don't know if I could pick one CD though! So since this is my interview, I'm going to choose two... the first is Robin Thicke's album A Beautiful World. It is sultry and sexy and hot and always blasts from my car speakers on sizzling summer nights when I'm flying down a back road with my windows rolled down. The second CD would be Nickel Creek's album Nickel Creek. I love, love, love this disc. It combines a lot of bluegrass elements with amazing lyrics and the combination of the violin and mandolin produce an almost haunting sound that leaves me mesmerized every time I listen to it. I don't have a single song that I don't love on this album, and can listen to it in the car, while working out, while resting or napping, or even while doing my quiet time or Bible study. I'm super sad that this band has said goodbye to recording and touring (for now!) but luckily each of the three band members are releasing their own CD's now (and all three are equally talented on their own, so I have loved all that they have done individually as well!).

Well, that is it for me! Now it is your turn... the first three people who comment on this post and request to be interviewed will get a shot at answering five of your own interview questions! So hurry, hurry! Time is of the essence!