May 15, 2006

Q&A: Part III

Melissa asked: Who is your favorite blogger?
My favorite blogger? Well, even though I have many favorites that I stop by and read two or three times a week, there are only two that if I see a new post on my bloglines feeds I will stop everything and go read. They are MetroDad and Morphing Into Mama.

I found MetroDad early on in my blogging days and I am amazed at how each of his posts are such amazingly crafted, funny, in your face, pieces of art. I’m lucky if I’m hitting .300 when it comes to posts I really like. MetroDad is batting a 1.000. I also consider MetroDad my blogfather, if you will, because he threw me some love soon after the twins were born and my readership rose significantly. Word is, he’s considering having another baby soon, so I’m looking forward to those posts!

Morphing Into Mama is someone I’d like to be friends with in the real world. She’s a psychology person like myself (only much better at discussing psychology) and I love her sharp wit and tell-it-like-it-is attitude on her blog. Very cool person.


Becky asked: What are your five favorite movies of all time?

When it comes to movies, I may as well be a chick. I can’t explain it, but I’ll take a nice romantic comedy over some action packed blow-’em-up movie anyday. So, in no particular order…

1. The American President
2. Field of Dreams (It’s about baseball and a dad. How could I not love this movie?)
3. Pretty Woman
4. When Harry Met Sally
5. Notting Hill

Honorable Mention to The Breakfast Club and Breakin’



Mormon Daddy asked: I’m into music so… if you had to pick your top 5 songs of all time, what would they be? Backstreet Boys songs don’t count.

Well, if I can’t choose Backstreet Boys, it’s gonna be tough. I’m not one of those obscure songs people. You can listen to my favorite songs over at Because I’m Your Father as I was a part of his Blogger’s Choice series.

Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to the Jack Johnson CD that features songs inspired by Curious George. I really like his easygoing style. Great CD for parents and children alike.

Sarah asked: What are your five favorite books of all time?
Another tough one. Most of my favorite books are from childhood. I’ll list a handful of all-time favorites.

1. Any Harry Potter book
2. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
5. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Honorable Mention: I loved the Da Vinci Code and I can’t wait to see the movie!


L. asked: If you could be stranded on an island with either a very ugly woman or a beautiful man, who would you pick? (Assume that personalities are equal. Yes, it`s a weird question!)

Oh, this is no contest. Give me the ugly woman! I just relate better to women.

Stay tuned for more Q&A!

May 10, 2006

Q&A: Part II

Nat asked: What should parents of single children, never say/ask (to) parents of twins/multiples?
Well, you’d be surprised what people do ask parents of multiples. Here’s a list of the most common questions and things people have said to us that make me shake my head…
–Did you have them naturally or through IVF?
–A boy and a girl? Are they identical?
–Boy, you have your hands full!
–I’ll bet you don’t sleep at all!

txhorns93 asked: This is a boring question, but…what stroller do you recommend for two children?
This is a matter of preference. There are basically two options. A side-by-side stroller or a front-to-back stroller. Andrea and I opted for the front-to-back stroller because of the ability to put our infant carriers in the stroller. We also liked the maneuverability that the stroller provided. The stroller we chose was the Graco Duoglider Travel System that included one of our infant carriers. As the babies get older, we may switch to a side-by-side to allow for ease in getting them in and out, but for now this works for us.

Surcie asked: Do you plan to have more kids?
Aaaah, the million dollar question. When Andrea and I first got married, we were pretty much in agreement that we wanted two kids. But when we found out we were having twins, we began to question that number. The only downside to having two at once is that we won’t be able to go through the cute baby stage again. For a while, I was campaigning to have a third baby. Andrea, having just carried two huge babies to full-term was, understandably, a bit more reserved about this. Now that we have both weathered a year and I reflect on how tired we are, i think we’re most likely done. Financially, we are probably not in a position to have another baby and still be able to do all the things we’d like to do as a family. The one thing we have considered, if our circumstances change in a few years, is the possibility of adopting a third child. This appeals to both of us as Andrea, herself, was adopted and I would love to give a child a loving home.

Samantha asked: As someone who desperately can’t wait to have children (gotta wait till the hubby gets a job), is it really as expensive as they say it is?
Yes. And no. It’s hard to answer this question because what one person might “need” another person will look at it as just the opposite. Daycare is the #1 expense for us, but some people may not have to pay for daycare because one of the parents stays home or they have a relative close by willing to do the job. We Andrea has breastfed the twins and that has saved us considerably on food costs during the first year. Now that we have started solids, I have made almost all of the baby food they eat. Clothing can get expensive but we have an angel in my mother who has bought virtually all of the clothing that TheMonk and Swee’Pea have worn to date. Having said that, you really only need 10 to 12 outfits and a bunch of onesies and pants for the first year. They grow out of the outfits fairly quickly so having tons of clothes makes it hard to wear them all a bunch of times. Some other expenses that we have encountered that some people don’t think about, is added health insurance expense and the co-payments for doctors appointments and medications. Saving for college is also an expense that can’t be put off for too long. So, yes it can be expensive but, actually, I’m rather surprised how far we’ve been able to make our dollars stretch. The tax break at the end of the year was nice and the ability to deduct some our childcare expenses also helped. My advice? Be prepared budget-wise and then brace yourself in case you have twins!