Do you think you are smart?

[mamagoosie]

The post on "do you think you are pretty" got me thinking.... I mentioned below that I don't think I'm pretty and it doesn't bother me. Now I don't want you thinking I'm healthy and well adjusted....

The truth is, the reason I think I'm OK with not being pretty is that all my life, people,tests, and institutions have told me how smart I am. And I've been very successful by "traditional" standards--high IQ, standardized test scores, grades, etc. I'm a geek--always have been. And I was lucky to grow up with parents (and marry a man) who value the things that are my strengths.

The lesson for me as a parent: We are all God's children and we all have special gifts--beauty, intelligence, musical talent, artistic talent, etc. in different amounts and combinations. And it's all good....

So how about you guys? What makes you feel good about yourself? Don't be shy--brag a bit!

[hez]

I'll jump in, Alex. I didn't jump in on the looks discussion because I didn't know how to answer the question.

I can take ownership of the 'book smart' label. I'm still working on the 'common sense smart' label, though ;) I used to be fairly athletic and musical, but right now I spend the majority of my free time just trying to learn how to be a good mom. The book smarts came easy to me, and I have to work at trying to be a good mom. I think I will value any accomplishments I have on that front higher than the academic stuff just *because* I have to put so much more effort into it. Does that make sense?

[psophia17]

Your second paragraph is me to a T - the IQ, testing, and grades have always been at the top, since I took my first standardized text in 2nd grade. I just kind of absorb information without studying anything, so long as I find it interesting, I'll remember it.

But the book smarts can be rough - I think I'm a better mom than I am a student, and part of the reason is that I know what it was like to be "the smart one." My peers didn't like that I was so smart, so I took the opportunity without friends to cultivate relationships with older and younger people. I do great with senior citizens and little kids.

As far as talents go, there's one that I have always loved having. If someone, anyone, has a problem, I can listen and usually help in some way, I tend to know what to say to make whoever it is feel better. It's my favorite part of myself.

[tarahsolazy]

Yep, I'm pretty smart. Not as educated as I'd like to be about politics and world affairs, but good baseline intelligence. I have always excelled in school, which may be why I stayed in, in a way, until I was 32. Oh yeah, and I am a good teacher, and, or maybe because, I love to teach.

[toomanystrollers]

I'm a smart *ss ;)

[kijip]

Well, I know I am very smart both book wise and street wise...

[Rachels]

I feel pretty decent about my brainpower. I always thought school was way boring and never bothered for outstanding grades until I got to college, where suddenly it was all interesting and relevant. Then I double-majored and got hooked on school, and went on to get a master's and doctorate. I learned a lot, but was also blessed to be in a field where I could really maximize the interplay between intuition and book smarts. Mostly, though, it has paid off in terms of knowing the value of research and knowing how to research-- and knowing that the usual answer or the party line may not always actually be related to the facts. That has helped me tremendously in my parenting.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Two years and counting!

[mudder17]

Well, academically, I've always been very strong in math--it's almost instinctive for me. I'm also good at science, but it's not as instinctive and I definitely have to study it more so. Using computers is also on the instinctive side for me and I can usually learn how to use any program by just playing around with it and trying different things. How well I end up being able to use it depends on if I have a project to do using that program.

The greatest gift my parents gave with regards to academics was how to work hard. So even though I wasn't great at writing, my writing became pretty strong because I worked at it. And while I'll never do well in history, I always did okay because I worked at it. So I guess I have a pretty good work ethic, even with things that I'm naturally good at.

I also have an artistic bent and I think I'm a pretty good choral singer (but never a soloist, LOL!). I'm also pretty good at the handbells.

I'm pretty outgoing and tend to make friends fairly easily.

And I don't know if this falls into a category of a talent, but I can honestly say that I'm a good high school teacher. I have the ability to form an easy rapport with students and to convey my desire to help them learn something, even if it's not the subject matter at hand. :)

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_garnet_6m.gif Breastfed 8 months and counting

[hez]

"I'm also pretty good at the handbells"

Another ringer here! I played Whitechapel handbells at my old church, and handchimes at the current. I always got stuck ringing the big bass bells at the old church because all the old biddies were too frail to pick 'em up.

[jbowman]

Yes, I think I'm smart. Above any natural intelligence that I have, though, I think my love for art history is what sustained me through eight long years of grad school (it also helped me when I had to learn four foreign languages--blech!).

My biggest gift, though, has been my sense of humor. Heck, I needed it to get through grad school! It can be hard, but I try not to take things (or myself) too seriously. My parents and my sisters (and my DH) all have wonderful senses of humor. We laugh a lot!

[mudder17]

Yay! A fellow ringer! I don't run into to many of you. :) I learned on the bass bells because I was one of the older kids who could actually 1) read music on both staffs and 2) actually pick up larger bells quickly. But I also learned 4-in hand with the smaller bells which was loads of fun. I'm currently playing in the middle (F5G5). We just got a set of chimes a year ago, so we try to play some pieces that use both. This past Sunday we just played Ride the Chariot with both and it was so much fun! :)

Have you ever been to a handchoir festival? You get to try out mass ringing as well as learn various techniques (such as change ringing), etc. It's a lot of fun, but I've only managed to do it once. :)


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_garnet_6m.gif Breastfed 8 months and counting

[slknight]

Well, I am booksmart - high SATs, GREs, Phi Beta Kappa. :-) And now I'm a software developer, so I'm certainly a geek. But I don't think I'm exactly streetsmart. I do ok, but I'm definitely not as streetsmart as I am booksmart, kwim?

As for other brags, I used to be a world-ranked athlete. World-class swimmer (100 meter butterfly) who went to Olympic Trials twice (88 and 92).

However, I am definitely NOT pretty. I have very low self-esteem and feel like I've got a pretty serious flaw (no chin) that sometimes overwhelms how I feel about myself. I also need to currently lose 30 pounds.

[sbjf]

My sense of humor and ability to laugh easily makes me happy to be me.

[hez]

4-in-hand-- I wish I could! Someday when I have time to learn I may give it a whirl up top. I had to settle for getting my kicks with the big swings (forgetting all my terminology-- it's been a few years!), thumps and plucks, but you don't get that with the handchimes unfortunately. You've got some of my favorite bells-- those would be any where you actually get to be part of the melody :)

We did a couple festivals with local churches. The mass ringing was a ton of fun, and I remember feeling like I didn't know anything because other groups were more advanced than we were. Another church's traveling group (handbells, handchimes, vocal choir) swung through town a couple summers ago and performed-- I was in heaven listening to what those kids could do. It was the first time I'd ever heard handbells and handchimes ring together, and it was fabulous!

[C99]

Of course I am smart! ;-) I was not (save a couple semesters at UIUC) a straight-A student type-smart, but I've always believed myself to be an intelligent person and to varying degrees, a creative thinker. I'm not rocket-scientist smart, but that's really more because I didn't actively choose that; I've no doubt that I could have been if I wanted that. Sometimes I think that everyone is smart and that being smart isn't necessarily a skill or talent, but then I'll meet someone who doesn't grasp a concept as quickly as I do or doesn't see a task as being easy (when to me it clearly is) and I realize that it really is a skill/talent.

I'm a kick-ass persuasive writer and communicator. Once I decided to become a writer, I was quickly and easily a success at it, and that makes me both happy and proud of myself.

I have, as my dad says, gumption. I think this is part of the reason why I don't always view people as smart. If I want something or want to do something, I figure out a way to get it done. I'm not shy about voicing my opinion (as I'm sure people here can attest! ;-)) or advocating for myself. In this world and as a woman, I think that's something worth mentioning.

[mudder17]

I learned the 4-in-hand when I was much younger and had lots more time. :) You're right, the handchimes don't give you as much flexibility with plucks, thumps, vibrato, etc., but they do sound really cool when you mix them with the bells. And yes, I definitely love my current position because I get a nice mix of melody and harmony.

At the festival we went to, we did get a chance to hear the Westminster Ringers, and it was amazing what they were doing! They were swapping bells, playing bells and chimes, doing all sorts of switcheroos and funky things with the bells that looked cool, and then one woman knocked over her music and went right on going! That was pretty nifty. :) They actually said any of us could audition for their group, but alas, they are a good hour away from me! :( Plus, I didn't really have the time to even try out for something like that (I'd need a ton of practice time--not good for a pregnant woman, lol!)


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_garnet_6m.gif Breastfed 8 months and counting

[candybomiller]

I am book smart. I'm not as educated as a lot of people here, but school has always been pretty easy for me.

However, I'm not really common sense smart. I have a hard time thinking outside the box. I spend a lot of time in my own little world with my head in the clouds. I'm very easily distracted and pretty darn clumsy.

I like to think that I have a fairly good sense of humor, but I know that it can sometimes rub people the wrong way. I try my hardest to be a "good" person, I try to be kind to people and animals. Generally small children don't run away screaming when they see me.

For some reason, I feel like I'm writing a personal ad! :)

[abigailsmom]

I think I am smart. I do not always "apply" myself, but I do alright in school.

I have been blessed with the ability to get my rear out of scrapes by being pretty quick on my feet.

i have been told I am a smart@$$. I think that is quite true.

I was also given the gift of dance. If it has a beat I can figure out a way to move to it. I can also do pretty great choreography. Oh in a different life with a different body type... I could have been great! :P

I think I am a good parent. Not great because I don't think I could ever live up to my own high expectations, but certainly not bad.

Overall, I am doing ok.

I also feel like I just wrote a really cheesy personal ad.

Robyn
Mama to my precious gift from God

Robyn's Nest Creations

[starrynight]

Yes, with the exception of math. I totally suck at math but otherwise I'm pretty smart, I have a ton of common sense which helps more on the mom side of things. My mom is a nurse but she admits to no common sense, she teases all the time I got my common sense from my dad. I will pass on the math and know I'm pretty with it for everything else, I'm always right about stuff too ;). Drives dh nuts LOL. My downfall is I tend to come across as know it all when I don't mean to.

edited because I re-read it and sounded pompus, so I changed something!

[jubilee]

I thought I was pretty smart- I had a 4.0 during the little bit of college I've attended. I wish I had money/motivation to continue college. School doesn't come "easy" to me, but I try SO hard and put so much effort into it, that I did well. However, if you haven't figured out yet, I am a horrible speller- which dumbs me down quite a bit. Recently my smart "confidence" has taken a hit because of some comments about the real smart people having to talk down to us non-college graduates. I think this is probably my nudge to go back to school otherwise I'd not be sensitive to that. Now to find the money to do that...

[jk3]

I do. I'm confident about my intelligence. I excelled in school, college and graduate school and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. Last September when my DS was only a few months old was the first time I was not in a school setting, either as a student or a teacher. Although I was/am thrilled to be home with my DS, I felt like I was missing out on some level.

At this point, I feel somewhat out of the loop since I'm staying at home so I recently ordered some professional books so I can stay current while I'm on leave. I'm probably not as smart as I used to be - I think having a baby can sometimes do that!

Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png

[cuca_]

Julie,

I wouldn't let any comments about having to talk down to non-college graduates get to you. (I somehow missed those). I have several members of my family who never finished college, and have never felt the need to talk down to them. I also do not think that the fact that they did not finish their degree makes them any less smart or informed. In fact, I also know quite a few people who did manage to finish college, who I would not necessarily consider them smart or informed.

I think school is a wonderful thing, and very necessary in todays work world. I went to college and grad school and really enjoyed both (for the most part), but again, I do not think it makes you a better person, nor do I think it necessarily make you smarter.

Carmen
DD May 2003
#2 expected in May 2005!

[Marisa6826]

Yes, I think I'm very intelligent. My dark secret is that I never finished college (I was putting myself through carrying 18 credits and working 50 hr weeks and just couldn't do it any more). However, I think I'm definitely smarter than the "average bear".

I wish I was better educated in world politics/religion though. I also really would like to be better travelled.

I have quite a bit of common sense/street smarts since I left home at 17. I have the strange ability to retain most of what I read, and being that one of my hobbies is researching things to a great extent. The most common question I got when delivering Sophie is whether or not I worked in the hospital ;).

I'm quite artistic and it's an innate ability. My major was theatrical set design/interior design. It also runs pretty heavily in my family. Hopefully Sophie and Amelia with get their Father's book brilliance (English degree from Princeton) and my common sense/artistic qualities.

Both Jonathan and I have a very dry, sarcastic sense of humour. No doubt that the girls will inherit that! :P

-m

[crayonblue]

"I can take ownership of the 'book smart' label. I'm still working on the 'common sense smart' label, though."

That's me! I will readily admit that I often lack common sense and do things that even surprise me! But, I excelled in school. And, I loved school.

I was thinking last night that when I think of my self-esteem, my first thought is my looks. I don't focus on my academic acomplishments or any of the other very successful moments in my life.

[jk3]

I just want to point out that being a good speller or bad speller most likely does not have anything to do with one's overall intelligence. Some of the most gifted students I have taught were not skilled spellers. In fact, they struggled with this. My MIL, who is by no means a genius, is a fabulous speller. I don't think there is a correlation!

Jenn
DS 6/03

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030603/2/5/1/-5/.png

[mamagoosie]

I just want to say thanks to everyone for putting yourselves "out there." These posts have given me a lot to think about--I think I spend so much of the day going from one activity to the next, trying to keep my head above water--sometimes I don't take time to really think about what's going on inside.

I think I wanted to post nice things about myself because so many days I feel like I don't measure up. After years of being a "driven" person, I've felt adrift the last few years--and I think my confidence has taken a big hit as I see my peers(mostly non-moms) blowing past me career-wise--it's hard. I think I need more "conversations" like this--with myself and with others--to help bring me back to center.

You are all an amazing bunch of women. Thank you.

[dr mom]

"...that can think of only one way to spell a word." ~Andrew Jackson

Just chalk your "alternative spelling" up to a creative spirit! ;)

Back to the OT, I do think I'm smart. However, in college I had a tendancy to rely on my ability to grasp things quickly and a good memory, so I didn't study as much as I should have. In med school, I realized pretty quickly that there were plenty of people around who were smarter and harder-working than I was, so I had to pick up the pieces of my shattered ego once I accepted that I was just "average" and move on. In retrospect, that was a good thing, because I spent more time exploring non-academic interests: went dancing every weekend, learned how to ski, visited museums, and spent time with friends. I guess I don't have any other exceptional "talents" but I do think I'm a fairly well-balanced person, a good friend and mother and wife and physician. I'm a tolerable cook, a bad pianist, a fair gardner, a good writer - and I can laugh at myself and have fun whether I'm doing something that I'm great at, or something at which I am truly horrible.

Finally, I know several people have been struggling with not feeling that they are pretty or smart or talented enough...and with so many gorgeous, creative folks on the boards it's easy to get caught up in comparing yourselves and feeling that you "don't measure up." But please remember that your kids love and adore you, and that no matter how you look or think or spend your time, to your child, you're the smartest, most beautiful Mommy (or Daddy) in the whole world.

It's schmaltzy, but what the heck...

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was,the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." ~Author unknown

[steph2003]

I think I'm above average intelligence because I always did well in school - although I always had to apply myself. But I am a horrible standardized test taker. My SAT & ACT scores were awful. Then I contemplated grad school & my GMATs were equally disappointing so I figured there must be some other plan for me!

I think I'm "smart" when it comes to researching things, planning stuff & organizational skills. My common sense is lacking some (ok a lot of!) days but I honestly feel that has more to do with giving birth to part of my brain when I gave birth to DS!

[MelissaTC]

I would say I am smart. I always did well in school and on all those important tests. My DH is super smartie pants and always says that I am a closet geek. :)

[lmintzer]

I think I am pretty smart. However, my confidence took a huge hit in graduate school. I always had excelled in school (in high school and in college). Although I did well in graduate school too, just spending so much time around such brilliant people and also around dh and his medical crew made me feel more average. I guess, though, what happened is that I was feeling "average" in a very select group of people. I had to come to terms with the fact that I had peaked in terms where my intelligence could get me.
Also, I had some supervisors at one of my practicum (clinical) sites who weren't particularly nurturing or supportive.

DH always says how smart he thinks I am, and sometimes, it's hard for me to take in. The man is really brilliant in a lot of ways, and it's hard not to feel that I don't measure up. We are both good writers, though writing is definitely harder when tired! I don't feel like I always express myself so well on these bb, for example. DH and I have our different strengths and weaknesses: he has an amazing vocabulary, memory, and is a fabulous public speaker and critical thinker. I also am a good critical thinker, have a great sense of people, and good intuition and problem solving skills. However, my memory, which was never that great, is totally shot after 2 kids and inadequate sleep for all of these years. My vocabulary has large holes in it, which surprises me sometimes, given that one of my college majors was English and my mom is an English professor. I am a simply awful speller (God bless spell check) as well, although this doesn't bother me much given how much of what we write these days is on a computer.

So, that's a long way of saying yes, I think I am smart, but I definitely have been knocked down a peg or two confidence-wise the further I progress with my education and career.

[steph2003]

Lisa -
I just wanted to say

<So, that's a long way of saying yes, I think I am smart, but I definitely have been knocked down a peg or two confidence-wise the further I progress with my education and career.>

soooo hit home for me. That is exactly how I feel. The further I got with my education & then my career I realized that while I had some smarts there are some truly brilliant people out there!

[kijip]

Julie-

The least smart person I ever knew was a Dartmouth graduate. The most talented smart person I ever knew (accepted to Harvey Mudd, Cooper Union and another top engineering school who recieved a 1600 on his SAT) was dumb enough to flunk out of school for lack of effort. The hardest working smart people I know have done much better for themselves, including me! I am a very smart person but I know first hand that $ issues and family do slow down formal educations. I am sure that are a VERY smart person.

[californiamom]

ITA with your lesson as a parent: we are all special in one way or another.

I would say I am *curious* and because of that I read about all kinds of subjects. I love learning new things from everyone I meet. I believe I got some of that from my parents, they were always humble, always curious, always interested in learning different things. To give you an idea, my mom was an MD and my dad an engineer. When they retired they both went back to college to study LAW! They couldn't see themselves "retired", not doing anything, not learning anything new. Funny thing, they were in the same class in Law School as an old friend of mine from High School. :-) LOL They had study groups and all that...

I like reading about psychology, politics, philosophy, anthropology... I also LOVE traveling, reading and learning about new cultures. I think I am very smart when it comes to things/subjects I love -- but then, aren't we all? :-)

I also consider myself easy-going, good with people in general. I love LISTENING to people. All my friends say I should quit Advertising to be a psychoterapist/counselour. :-) Having lived in different continents and being blessed with the parents I had, it just happened naturally. I wanted to see the world, to understand different people, to learn new languages (I am fluent in 3, studying 2 more).

Anyway, enough about me. If you read this far, thank you for letting me share! :-)

[alkagift]

I think being an english lit major and fanatic is the source of my confidence about my own intelligence. As a child I had a fearless attitude about what was possible intellectually and that has served me well. I think I reason well, I research well, and I have been reading heavy literature since I was about 10. Since I'm a bit overweight and have no natural athletic ability, intelligence is what I rely on. Being called stupid at my house was an incredible insult. I do think that society specifically equates being sarcastic and speaking quickly to intelligence and that is just not truth.

Now, though, as a SAHM, I don't think I have an opportunity to exercise whatever intelligence I may possess as often. I found myself talking about politics last week at a church circle meeting just to get something other than diapers and the Wiggles on my brain! In any case I am taking this opportunity with my son to slow down and to focus my development on being a nicer person--listening better, volunteering more, learning patience.

Allison
Mommy to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03

[psophia17]

Julie,

It's totally worth it to continue your education if you have the money to do it. My Mom graduated from college in 1987, when I was in 5th grade, and she was so proud. She went to Empire State College in NY, it's focused on adult education and you do most of the work on your own - you don't go to classes, but you have a mentor/advisor who works with you to make sure you're on the right track.

And there's a ton of financial aid out there, my Mom didn't pay a cent for her degree, you may have the same luck!

[Sarah1]

>I used to be a world-ranked athlete. World-class swimmer (100 meter butterfly) who went to Olympic Trials twice (88 and 92).
>
Susan, that is SO AWESOME!!!!!!! :) I would love for DD to get into swimming.

[Sarah1]

>I just want to point out that being a good speller or bad
>speller most likely does not have anything to do with one's
>overall intelligence.

I agree with this absolutely, Jenn!

When I was teaching middle school Language Arts, I had students who tested very low on standard IQ-type tests who were impeccable spellers. These same kids could hardly demonstrate any ability to think critically. And on the other hand, I had kids who were brilliant who were horrific spellers. So, I agree, I don't see a correlation between intelligence and good spelling. I happen to be a great speller, so that's too bad for me!

As for whether or not I think I'm smart, yeah, I think I'm pretty smart! I totally buy into the theory of multiple intelligences, though. I am smart in many ways and not so smart in others. I always did well in school, went to a good college (Northwestern), hold my MA in English, yet I'm not an overachiever by any stretch. Creative writing, public speaking, and practical problem-solving have always been my strong suits. I love dance and sports, too.

One of my best friends did not go to college, and she is incredibly smart.

[Saartje]

> In med school, I realized pretty quickly that there were
>plenty of people around who were smarter and harder-working
>than I was, so I had to pick up the pieces of my shattered ego
>once I accepted that I was just "average" and move on.

I kind of feel this way now -- and I'm a SAHM! My grades in school were nearly always good, and my scores on standardized tests were always top-notch, but I chalk the latter up more to being good at figuring out how the test-makers meant the question to be answered than anything else. My DH never scored quite as well as I did on standardized tests, and his grades weren't as good as mine (though he's excelling now, in graduate school!), but I'm pretty sure he's smarter than I am. Far smarter... it gives me a bit of an inferiority complex, and I have to work against that. I'm not sure what to do about it. (FWIW, DH does his best to make sure I don't feel that way.)

I do take comfort in the fact that I think I'm a darned good mom to Ishie. Now to do something about my confidence about everything else.

[csa12]

Alex,
I felt compelled to tell you how much I can relate to the struggle you mention of centering oneself, especially after I became a mother. I also consider myself a "driven" person and have friends who are successful career-wise, which was the only "type" of success I had ever been familiar with prior to having my son. But I do have to admit that becoming a mother is the one experience I am most *proud* of enduring as a kind of education and from which I have learned so much about myself.

I have gone through many years of schooling and am surrounded by "professionals" on every level and, like you, can't help but compare myself to find that I don't quite often measure up. There are times I felt "adrift" about what I do as a SAHM. However I recently realized, after a few rough weeks with DS, how much I have learned about who I am and what I am capable of as a mother/teacher/person just from raising my son. I think what makes this period of my life different from those spent in formal schooling has been how often I learn something now and am forced to use that knowledge immediately in practice. For instance, DS will be two in January and often becomes frustrated with things. His tantrums, in turn, frustrated me and I responded to them in a way I am not very proud of. So dealing with frustration in a productive way has been a difficult, but self-revealing, process for me. So far we are making strides. Now, my son asks mommy for "hep peese" :) instead of getting frustrated, which has totally amazed me. That we can learn and grow together from such a negative experience has made me proud of myself and proud of my son.

Used to be that I would read a great book of literature, learn the great lesson about humanity that it imparts, but then forget it. Now, I am growing smarter and more confident about myself everyday learning "great lessons" from the simple activities of my life with my son. I never really appreciated anything I had learned until now, probably because this knowledge affects my life so instantly and deeply.

Sorry to be so long winded and emotional, but this has been a new revelation for me so I wanted to share.
Thanks,
Cheryl

[babymama]

Yes, I'd say that I'm smart. I always made good grades in school, and I actually really enjoy learning (does that qualify me as a total geek, or what). I was the first in my family to go to college and graduate school.

I do really poorly on standardized tests, though. I don't have faith in standardized tests as a measurement for success. I think they are culturally biased.

Lydia
Mama to Santiago, born 11/16/03

[trentsmom]

Yet another "ding-a-ling" here. I play C6, D6, D7, and of course the sharps and flats. I've been playing for over 20 years! My church is hosting a festival this weekend with Michael Helman as the director.

Have any of you heard the Raleigh Ringers? They're great. They're in the NoVA area for a concert Sunday night, but I'm going to be ringed out by then! :)

[cdmamatutu]

I don't hang out here in the lounge much, but I've enjoyed reading all the posts here. I thought you all might get a kick out of something that happened this week:

DH was playing a game with DS (almost 3 years old). He would ask things like, "Who's the tallest?" (answer: DH) "Who's the cutest?" (answer: DD). He added, "Who's the smartest?" We expected him to answer "Joe!" since we are constantly telling him how smart he is. Instead, he yelled, "MOMMY!!" DH and I were ROFL!!! :)

[jubilee]

You girls are good for my soul!! Thanks for your uplifting words! :) Maybe Jacob and I can go to college together in a few years. LOL Wouldn't that be the worst for him? :)

[jubilee]

It's a damn poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word." ~Andrew Jackson

I might just have to change my signature to include that!! I LOVE that quote!

[jubilee]

see... out of the mouths of babes... :)