Alphabetically Speaking

With Hurricane Irene, this year's edition of "The Storm of the Century" bearing down on the Northeast, and the conclusion of our family's summer staycation, I thought it might be fun to do something a little different. 

I'm joining in on the fun that some blogging friends have been having on VoiceBoks and plan on describing myself using the alphabet. Here are the ABCs of me:


A    Always prefers to laugh, even if tears would be more appropriate.

B    Blogger is honestly one word I never thought I would use to describe myself, but what do you know, that is what I have become.

C    Changing my life for my children was impossible. So, I just got a completely new life. One I love even though it has its challenges.

D    Didn't think I could love my my husband and children a little bit  more each day, but I do.

E    Enjoy reading, gardening, Mad Men, and discussing politics, sometimes a bit too excitedly.

F    Forever changed by my daughter's neurological disorder that still has no name. Took me a long time to see that it wasn't my fault.

G   Going the distance in all my endeavors is my life's goal.

H   Help is still so hard for me to ask for without feeling humiliated.

I    Incredulous over the cruelty we can inflict on each other. Yet at the same time find the love, strength, and caring that we are capable of inspiring.

J    Just very grateful to be the wife and partner of my husband, Joe.

K   Katherine is my legal name. Kathy is what my husband and friends call me. To my dad though, I'll always be Kath.

L   Love to sing my children lullabies.

M  Meant to be a mom.

N  Need more sleep. It really is a necessity.

O  Older than my sisters. At 45 feeling a bit over the hill and well, just old.

P   Princess Elizabeth is my daughter. Perfect.

Q  Quickly learned that with three children the one thing that is not possible is quiet.

R   Remember listening to my favorite Broadway musicals on records.

S    Surprised to find out that I, one of three girls, was capable of having sons.

T   Too old to ever wear black lipstick again. Thankfully.

U   Until I had kids I didn't know that along with socks, washers also eat children's underwear.

V   Victoriously grew beautiful pumpkins one year. Then one day found that because of a squirrel they had all vanished.

W  Wish that I still didn't have a hard time considering myself a writer.

X   Xylophone is honestly something my son Peter wants for Christmas, or for the purpose of this essay, Xmas.

Y   Yellow rose I paid a small fortune for was supposed to be very hearty, but it's growth has been disappointing. Perhaps it will do better next year.

Z    Zoo trips are one thing I love to do with my family when we are on staycation and wouldn't you know it, almost all zoos have, you guessed it, zebras.