20 Questions for My Mom

By way of introduction, I'll include the first things that come to mind when I think of my mom. First off, she did pretty good raising three boys, whom she either called her "three wise men" or her "three stooges," depending on the day. Secondly, she said things like, "that's a plan, Stan" and "understand, rubberband?" My first memory in life is of her reading me storybooks before naptime. She called us home from school during recess if we didn't make our beds in the morning. She made me start doing my own laundry after I complained that she folded my black and blue socks together. She used to pay me a nickel for cleaning the bathroom, ten dollars for mowing the yard, and she got me my first job, a paper route under her name, when I was nine years old. She taught me to drive but wouldn't let get my license until I got my Eagle Scout rank (my dad circumvented that rule though). When I saw my parents for the first time after living abroad for two years, I almost didn't recognize my mom. I talk to her every week and - I can't believe I haven't mentioned this yet - her most outstanding characteristic is that she loves to talk, but I'll let you see that for yourself below (words in parenthesis are my edits):

1. What was your first childhood memory? I really don't know a first memory. I will tell you things that I remember when I was little, but I can't put an age to any of these memories. I remember Grammy rocking us to sleep or when we were sick and singing two songs - one about the lilac trees a bloomin' and the honeysuckle vine and the other one is about the moon moon great big silvery moon blah blah there's a big ole man with a big shot gun ready for to shot you when you start to run.... or something like that. Another memory is my great aunt, "Auntie," would send Almond Roca at Christmas time. It was stored on top of the piano and I recall that was a long way up for a child my size. Also in the house on E Street (Salt Lake City), there was a basement where garden seeds were kept and I liked to eat radish seeds. Nowadays I do not like to eat radishes!

2. What did you study in college? I guess I always thought I would be a teacher of some sort. So my degree evolved quickly my last two semesters at BYU. I was majoring in speech/communication disorders. So my first student teaching was in a regular classroom in Spanish Forks. Yikes, I don't recall what grade. I think it was 4th. My second student teaching was for speech in a resource room (now history as they singled out students). I was told my last year if I took a few more Special Ed classes and a third student teaching I could get another teaching certificate. So I did and that student teaching was really just testing kids as I had already been in a resource room. After my one year of teaching I really wanted to go back and get my masters degree so I would be a speech therapist rather than a speech correctionist. I was more interested in the deaf by then. Then your father came along and then children.....

3. What's your favorite section to read in the newspaper and why? Oh dear, the cartoons I guess! I read the front page and any interesting articles. I skip the sports and then head to Dear Abby, the cartoons - Zits, For Better or for Worse, Garfield, Mallard Filmore (that is in the editorial section). I will try the Asimov questions.

4. What's the first thing you'd do with a million dollars? Are you forgetting who I am married to??? Pay tithing. Then I would pay off the house and Michael's car. Then I would figure out a savings plan and then give each of you kids some money. I would love to travel with some of it. We would go to New Zealand and Scandinavia.

5. Do you think you look more like your mom or your dad? Many a morning I look into the mirror and say, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I am my mother after all."

6. What's your favorite recipe to make for yourself? What recipe do others like you to make for them? Please include both recipes. Hum.... I will have to think on this one. Eating out is always a good recipe.

7. What's your least favorite household chore and why? Not sure if it is dusting or cleaning toilets. My back aches after bending over cleaning toilets.

8. What's your favorite body part on yourself? My little toe? Not really. I have never really come up with an answer. I like my laugh. When I was skinny it would have been my 22 inch waistline. I think my nose is fine.

9. If you could afford any vacation, where would you go? Question #4.

10. Which of your grandparents did you know and what do you remember about them? I only knew Grandpa - Granddaddy Bob's father. He lived in Florida most of the time then he moved to Utah to be in a home close to his only daughter. Grandpa smoked stinky cigars. One time we went to a Mexican restaurant and he thought he could eat the hot sauce. We thought he was going to die while in denial that it was truly hot!

11. What's your zodiac sign and what does it mean to you? The same as you - Capricorn. I have never been into zodiac stuff as they are toooooooooo absurd.

12. How many brothers and sisters do you have? One brother and three sisters.

13. Before you got married, how many kids did you want? I was game for four or five. Your father wanted four and reminds me of that sometimes. Too late now!

14. What was the last good laugh you had? Hum, it has been WAY to long. I love those kind of laughs where you cry and your stomach aches because you have laughed so hard. They cleanse the soul. It is usually at a situation that might be at another person's expense (not good). This is too sad that I can't remember a good belly laugh recently. I have laughed, just not those belly laughs. What does the sign in your bathroom say about a day in which you haven't laughed is not a good day or something like that?

15. Who was your best childhood friend? Lynn.

16. Which would you choose, fame or wealth, and why? Neither unless they could be
gained by good honest hard work. Paris Hilton fame?????? I don't recall his first name - Salks who discovered the polio vaccine. Mother Theresa fame. That kind of fame. Money is used for good or ill.

17. What was your first impression of your spouse? His eyes and eye lashes. So pretty.

18. What's the first question you'd ask God? I have to ponder a real question because my foolish questions have been: Why cockroaches? Why must women put up with periods for so long? And I won't tell you the other one . . . I am still thinking about a real question. I believe they change with life experiences. A heavy one would be to explain (so I could understand) the atonement. How does He handle the loss of 1/3 of His kids? What does He think of the choices people make? How did He come up with all of the animal ideas and colors and varieties of mountains. Are there more things out there that I can't even begin to imagine?

19. What's the hardest part of your day now? Humor - getting out of bed. Deciding what to cook for dinner. Trying to decide what to do so that it is wise use of my time. I waste too many hours on foolish things.

20. How did you feel when my son was born? Now for my favorite question with the longest answer! Let me go back to the time you showed us "Bean's" first picture (sonogram). I was so excited, (but) I couldn't say anything because it was your brother's (wedding) moment. It made me so happy to know that you and your wife would share in one of the most wonderful and difficult jobs in life. It is so rewarding and exhausting. To look at that helpless infant that will be so dependent for everything. They are so beautiful with those smushed red heads, toothless faces, odd shaped bodies, and sweet breath. I cry at the fake births of babies on TV. The wonder and awe of such a miracle. Mothers get to bond before the baby is born. We can rub and hold our bellies and laugh at strange belly buttons and a babies foot or elbow sticking out. So how did I feel when your son was born - in awe and fascination. I will admit that I never wanted to watch any of you guys being born. I really didn't think I could watch (your wife). If she had asked me to leave, I would have. At one moment I asked you if you needed to sit down as you don't do blood well. You did sit down. I remember they searched for a place to put the blood pressure cuff as it didn't fit (your wife)'s arm tightly. I was sad when they finally put her on pitocin. I understand it is not fun. It makes me laugh still that the head nurse called for the doctor by saying "to come because there was to be a birthday party." She was a short doctor. I was trying to get the video (function) to work on my camera so I missed some of the (delivery). After he was born I so wanted to scoop him up and hold him and touch him. Your wife held him and looked at his fingers with tears, from the labor, on her cheeks. Very tender. You were beaming yet there was also concern for maybe your wife and how do we take care of this new little thing. Two different expressions at the same time. It was nice to not be the one in labor and to see this experience from "a distance." I am so thankful that all went well. I listened to the number from the Apgar and it was either a nine or ten (ten being the highest). How sad. Only two years ago and I can't remember that. Did he cry right away? I am grateful that I could be there to witness new life, sacred new life.