About Me

Hannahbanana

Laissez le bon temps rouler

Member since Oct 3, 2006
United States
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I am: Hannah; English; nearly 31 years old; wife to Todd; mother to quite possibly the most fabulous people ever born; happily brunette; shorter than people expect me to be; one of five children; a twin; an English Education major.

I am: a recycling fool; a picture-taker; a big time reader; an erstwhile homeschooler; good at maintaining contact over the years; a wannabe quilter; the only person in America, it would seem, who does not want to write a novel; a ruthless de-clutterer; a list junkie; among the (reportedly) 1% of people in America that don't watch any television.

I have: a boy and a girl, a Weimaraner and a Yorkshire Terrier, two cats and NO guinea pigs; a strong sense of who I am; a phobia of buttons; a healthy spirit of competitiveness; a sick complusion to buy more books than I could possibly read; retained my English accent; come to realize that I perform much better under pressure and on a deadline; eighteen nieces and nephews; an abundance of imaginative nicknames, bestowed on me by creative parents, siblings and spouse; three tattoos; no time for idiots; scars that carry good stories.

I want: to speak French better; to cultivate more self-reliance in myself and my children; to grow my own vegetables organically; to one day own a farm; to make a difference; to either be granted three more hours in the day or to need less sleep; to find the perfect pen.

I used to: think I was raised in a true religion (I don't anymore); be a vegetarian (from age 10-20); want to be a vet; imagine that I would have more than two children; dream of owning a sweet shop; operate a dog-walking business with my twin sister and the neighbourhood ne'er-do-well (the dogs were walked for the love of walking the dogs -- no customer was ever charged); take Latin classes in high school; have a recurring dream that involved calling 911 and not getting an answer.

I think: a lot; that Lego and Playmobil are the best toys ever developed; that Rush Limbaugh really is a big, fat idiot; that exclamation marks are overused; that italics are underused (except by John Irving. He uses them perfectly); that there's nothing I can't make happen if I want it badly enough; that no matter how low I set my expectations, my birthday will always be a disappointment; that, like the fridge magnet says, it really is the dull women that have immaculate houses; that no one has yet been able to offer a valid reason for circumcision of baby boys.

I love: doing laundry; traditions and rituals; to find interesting things about new places; to feel inspired by beautiful things; the process of cooking and baking; the writing of John Irving and Charles Dickens; my parents; remenising over photo albums; scalding hot baths; the perfume "Alien"; easy crossword puzzles that make me feel smart.

I also like: burnt marshmallows, Orville Redenbacher's Cracked Pepper pocorn, original thinkers, listening to "Car Talk" on NPR, and dragging my children around musuems and art galleries.

I dislike: Walmart; The Disney Corporation; the skin of peaches; sharing my tube of toothpaste; swimming anywhere I think there might be sharks (so, anywhere, then); seeing a photo of your kid with face all over his face; celery, peppers and olives; people- pleasers and follow-alongs; writing papers, especially, say, a close analysis of the poetry of the Romantics; cold weather; shopping; airports.

On most days I: plan my exercise around what my hair is doing; consider myself a good mother; vow to go to bed earlier than I did the night before; waste time doing pleasant things; check my e-mail about ten times; threaten to have a nervous breakdown; walk my dogs for at least an hour.

I miss: my siblings, who live 5,000 miles away; when my babies were tiny; my once-flawless skin; English supermarkets; living in Hawaii; thinking I had all the answers.

I don't miss: thinking I had all the answers; going to church on Sunday; having a husband in grad school.

I try: to certainly not live each day as if it was my last -- that would be ridiculous; to avoid caffeine; to reduce my carbon footprint; to walk places rather than drive; to figure out what I can learn from people I meet; to be more patient.