: Why thank you!
Favorite thing to do by myself? Probably sit and read a book cover to cover with great snacks. I love to read.
Favorite thing to do with DH?
Play cards after the kiddo is in bed. We play Phase 10 or Skip-Bo usually. We also like to walk around resale/thrift/antiques stores when we get the chance.
Favorite silly thing to do with DH or friend?
Hmmm.... this is a tough one. The silliest thing I've done lately is to go on a road trip where we were caravaning with 2 other cars and we all had walkie-talkies... we giggled back and forth the whole trip!
Favorite Holiday?
Halloween. Hands down!! I love it, though I hate winter and it does make me a little bit sad that I know the colder weather is coming once we hit Halloween. I always decorate for this one- we don't do anything TOO scary, but we put cobwebs in the shrubs and some fake tombstones out, etc. Last year we made a big fake spider out of black garbage bags. We also make jack-o-lanterns. I hope to make it a tradition to visit a pumpkin farm each year; we did this last year and had so much fun. The air was cool and crisp and we got lots of cool looking gourds and pumpkins to decorate with. DD trick-or-treats and last year I dressed up and handed out candy and small prizes. I always light some yummy-smelling candles (cinnamon, vanilla, etc) that remind me of fall.
My most recent paying job?
eBay! I had a job working for a cellphone company for 4 years and managed to save up enough to quit and sell on eBay. I was a single mom at the time and scoured yardsales and thrift stores for good deals to resale, as well as selling for a few friends who were antiques dealers and splitting profits with them. I did this to put myself through 2 years of college and got to spend LOTS of time with DD, so I consider myself pretty lucky (even though I worked my butt off and earned it!)
About DH:
He is actually a member of the board and is PixiesDaddy on here. He came here mostly to read up on circumcision (which we have decided NOT to do! Whew!) and to connect with other dads a little bit. He is a high school english teach and loves his job. He loves to read and play computer games and loves anything involving a good story (games, movies, etc) and wordplay.
He's GREAT with my daughter and we are in the process of legal adoption between the two of them.
Greatest joy as a mama:
I have to admit, I did feel pretty darn great that I nursed her until she was 3.5 years even though I had virtually NO support other than LLL. It has also been wonderful to see her grow up respecting the environment and really CARING about recycling, etc and living green. We also homeschooled for kindergarten and I loved watching her learn. It's hard to choose just one time of joy- she brings me joy on a daily basis!
Greatest challenge as a mama:
Being a worry wart. I think I'm overprotective sometimes to her detriment. I won't let her play in the yard alone or stay at a friend's house whose parents I don't know, etc. I'm such a mama bear! This is getting harder and harder as she gets older and wants more independence too. Another big challenge early on was tantrums. It wasn't until she was 4 yrs old that we discovered it was due to Red #40 food dye. She gets very aggressive and unmanageable and I was afraid we had a more serious condition on our hands and was considering testing for Asperger's or something when we discovered the allergy.
Where would I live if anywhere?
I really miss the south. I grew up in NC but also love Louisiana and have visited a couple of times and never want to leave. I like being warmer and I think the people are just more laid back and friendlier. I miss the food like crazy too!
Manda
Pixiesmommy 
