I’m linking up today over at Sunday Social.  It’s been a while since I’ve done it but I’m on a bit of a blogging kick and I liked this week’s questions.

Do surf around and see what others are up to:

So without further ado, here are this week’s questions:

1. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?

It’s a picture I took back in May right before I went back to work from mat leave.  I took the girls downtown to visit my husband at his favourite pub after work.  So yup!  There’s my two girls at the bar. ‘Cause we’re classy like that.

And that’s my husband behind them proudly wearing his BFM shirt (Bill “F”ing Murray).  It was cute.  When I uploaded the photo to Facebook, it suggested I tag Bill Murray.  It was nice that they thought we were buds and all.

But I’ve learnt that the whole BFM thing is, well, a “thing”.  Every now and then we’re walking somewhere and my husband passes another guy wearing one of these shirts and they greet like long-lost frat brothers.  It’s all very secret society.  And apparently they have meet-ups.  I picture them looking sort of like this:

2. What do you keep beside your bed?

Oh boy.  My bedside table is currently a wee bit cluttered, so I had to go upstairs and make a list.  Aside from the lamp and alarm clock there is currently:

• A rather eclectic and forever growing stack of books (some read; some partially read; some to be read) including: VC Andrews’ Petals in the Wind (a total guilty pleasure re-read many times); Richard Gwyn’s John A, The Man Who Made Us – Part 1 (it’s autographed! I’m about half-way through); Jessica Valenti’s The Purity Myth (started to re-read a while ago); Abby McDonald’s, The Popularity Rules (done; just never made it to the bookshelf); Cathi Hanauer’s The Bitch in the House (have read; was looking for a specific reference and then left it there); Kathryn Stockett’s The Help (to read – saw movie and loved it); and Bunmi Ladita’s The Honest Toddler (started to read and lost interest).
• Two notebooks
• A broken phone
• One quarter and four nickels
• cream
• 5 back issues of MacLeans Magazine, 1 Canadian Family and 1 Nutrition Action Newsletter

3. What is your least favorite chore?

Folding laundry, with emptying the dishwasher running a close second.

4. If you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be?

My morning routine.  By this I mean the daily 60-75 minute gong show* that starts the moment I open my eyes to get showered and dressed; get two kids dressed; get everyone fed; get lunches made; and get out the door (with all the required backpacks, diaper bags, signed agendas, snow pants, mitts, glasses, water bottles, show and tell items, my purse, whatever else is needed ….) in time for school bus pick-up for my eldest and then to work in time.  My husband and I alternate “lead weeks” for this joy and I love the weeks where it isn’t me and I can sleep in a wee bit.  If I could, I would go from sound asleep to showered, fed and dressed at the office.

*I am aware of articles offering advice on how to make this go smoother.  This often contains things like “prepare as much as possible the night before”.  Given the last thing I feel like doing once the kids are in bed is immediately start working again prepping for the next day, this rarely happens.  I’ve accepted that parents who do this are simply better than me.  And I’m okay with that.

5. What do you do to vent anger?

I apparently mark pieces of my blog with little (*)s and then make passive aggressive snide comments about those who make me feel inferior.  In those moments where I am in a more positive head space I go running.  Exercise is awesome for getting out aggression.  A good running track and 45 minutes on a treadmill make me a nicer person.

6. What is your favorite holiday of the year and why?

I’m a sucker for Christmas.  It’s the only holiday that has ever motivated me to cook for large crowds so it really must be magical.  I love seeing family.  I love travelling, or having family we don’t usually see visit.  I love making gingerbread cookies.  I love Christmas Craft Shows.  I love finding the perfect gifts for people.  I love that my kids now make Christmas tree decorations.  I love putting up the tree.  I love that my eldest plays with our nativity scene like they’re any other dollies.  I love my memories from childhood and I love seeing it all again through my kids.