No prompting

Without prompting, ask your child these questions and write EXACTLY what they say about you.
(Be sure to ask each child separately, so they cannot hear each other's answers!!!)

First, I answered the question on paper
Then, I had Sean and Lucy get a piece of paper and they wrote down their answers

We recorded all three answers below
Then, of course, I had additional editorial comments

Children/Ages
Lucy 7
Sean 47

***What is something I say a lot?

Lucy's Answer: Shit

Sean's Answer: Lucy Ellen Sykes!

My Answer: I love you

Editorial Comment:
Lucy, I appreciate you not repeating fuck
Although that would have been just as accurate

But I have to say, I am a bit surprised neither of you said I love you
I mean I say it so much I am not sure if I am trying to convince you or me…..

***What makes me happy?

Lucy's Answer: Me and Daddy

Sean's Answer: Lucy Ellen Sykes

My Answer: Sean and Lucy, together, apart…they make me happy

Editorial Comment:
But you know what else makes me happy?
Catching a green light
A good snow storm on a Saturday that is the perfect excuse to drink hot coco, read books and play games with no guilt
Rainstorms
Movie star parking
Flipping through the channels and finding one of those movies you can watch over and over again without get tired of it (Air Force One, Sahara, Steel Magnolias, Practical Magic, Bull Durham, The Fugitive, Legally Blonde….)
Or a good basketball game
A no hitter and a perfect game make me happy
And I was happy to be a red Sox fan in 2004 and a Cubs fan in 2016
Getting mail, like cards and notes make me really happy
Writing makes me happy
Giving gifts to other people makes me happy
And recently, I learned that lemon curd makes me happy
So does cotton candy – it’s so fluffy and pink
Ohh and narwhals, unicorns and rainbows make me smile so they too must make me happy
And I am really happy when I think I of how far Lucy has come in the past year…how hard she has worked to control her temper and emotions
How much she has matured…and how hard we have worked at parenting her better….

So yeah, mostly Sean and Lucy make me happy
The three of us together make me the happiest

***What makes me sad?

Lucy's Answer: When I don’t behave

Sean's Answer: Aunt Nell’s passing

My Answer: I’m sad when I think one of you two is having a tough time…especially if it’s because of me

Editorial Comment:
Aunt Nell’s passing did indeed make me sad; still does
And I am not 100% sure I ever really got over it nor will I ever stop missing her…. I still get sad when I think of Aunt Nell

But then I remember her
I remember Aunt Nell and our talks, her laugh, her letters and her hugs
Then I am not sad
But I still miss her

I should add Aunt Nell to the list of things that makes me happy

***How tall am I?

Lucy's Answer: 38 feet

Sean's Answer: 5’8

My Answer: 5’5…5’6 if I am signing up for Weight Watchers

Editorial Comment:
I’m 5’5 jackasses…

***What's my favorite thing to do?

Lucy's Answer: Snuggle

Sean's Answer: Snuggle

My Answer: Snuggle Lucy and/or Sean and Ziggy when he lets me
I also really like scaring Lucy and Sean
Like hiding right outside the bathroom and jumping out/yelling at them when they walk out
Which is sort of mean
But I have scared them both pretty friggin’ good a couple times

Once, I scared Sean when he opened the shower curtain and he almost slipped and fell - hilarious
And once, I made Lucy pee her pants

Yeah, scaring them might be my favorite thing to do…it makes me laugh really hard and I figure if something makes you laugh, it should top your list of favorite things to do

Editorial Comment:
It’s true
I love snuggling under a big old blanket all cuddly on the couch on a cold or rainy day…really any day
I’d snuggle you if you’d let me

And I know it sounds terrible but I do love scaring the hell out of them

But, I also like going for long walks with them (no, I do not like Pina Coladas) because it’s funny to listen to their conversations (I always lag behind because well, who are we kidding, the chubby kid always brings up the rear)

And I truly enjoy vacationing with these two chuckleheads….and they are fun to plan the vacation with – we always have grandiose ideas and it is tons of fun to research and plan a trip with these twos

***What is my favorite food?

Lucy's Anser: China

Sean's Answer: Hotdogs

My Answer: Pizza, or steamed hotdogs...but also on the good list?
Bread and cheese with apple
Ice cream is always a good choice
And lately, Triscuits, cream cheese and lemon curd

Editorial Comment:
Lucy, I love you pal .. but China is a country so I am assuming you mean Chinese
Which I think I eat three times a year, four if Donna and Rick come home

***What is my favorite drink?

Lucy:Seltzer Water

Sean: Root beer

My Answer: Seltzer Water and root beer
But I am huge fan of a good cup of coffee or hot chocolate

***If I could go anywhere, where would I go?

Lucy's Answer: Universal Studios

Sean's Answer: London

My Answer: Scotland or the Lake District in Northern England
Hogwarts would be my fictional place

Editorial Comment:
Ok first of all, Lucy wants to go to Universal because of Harry Potter World…. I suppose technically I would not mind going either

And Sean, I’m hoping you said London because you know how much I love the Queen and she was too busy to see us last time we were there....

But remember that time we got married and I wanted to honeymoon in SCOTLAND but instead we went to Asheville, NC???

I mean don’t get me wrong, I loved our honeymoon…. but remember how Auntie Hillary gave me a book about Scotland because she knew how much I wanted to go there?

Scotland honey, Scotland

***Do you think you could live without me?

Lucy' Answer: No way Jose

Sean's Answer: Maybe next Wednesday

My Answer: Probably not
Mostly because I pay all the bills and Sean still thinks Wells Fargo holds our mortgage which they have not since 2009
Plus, I clean the bathrooms

Editorial Comment:
Lucy – good girl, I like you answer
Sean - you are on your own next Wednesday, let me know how that works out for you

***How do I annoy you?

Lucy's Answer: You say the same thing over and over again…. like Lucy get that! Lucy get that! Or Lucy do this, do this….
Even after I already got it or already did it

Sean's Answer: When you nag
Stop doing this stop doing that…like stop clicking your nails! Because you have bat ears.....

My Answer: I annoy myself when I tell you both to not do (or do) something not once, not twice but so many times that I can’t decide if I am more annoyed with you for doing it/not doing it or with myself for repeating myself 8,674 times

Editorial Comment:
This was the only question none of us hesitated on….and, it turns out I am a nag
Shit

***What is my favorite TV Show?

Lucy's Answer: Ellen

Sean's Answer: West Wing

My Answer: I have no idea…. I may be too fickle to have a favorite

Editorial Comment:
I do love Ellen – she’s funny and has an affinity for socks the way I do
Also, I like watching her with kids
And when she scares people
My favorite was when she was in Adele’s ear

But Sean is right too
The West Wing is one of my favorite shows because the writing was brilliant
But I also like Hell on Wheels which I am currently binging on Netflix
And Madame Secretary is a favorite
And when Justified was on, I lived for that show
Blindspot, The Designated Survivor, The Blacklist, This is Us are up there
So is Parenthood and Hill Street Blues
And Blackish
And Empire
The Office, Parks and Rec, The Mindy Show, 30 Rock, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Life in Pieces, Modern Family
And have you seen The Superstore
And…fuck I watch shitload of TV…….

***What is my favorite music to listen to?

Lucy's Answer: Moana soundtrack

Sean's Answer: Bruce Springsteen

My Answer: Again, I am way too fickle for a favorite but Jack Johnson, Simon and Garfunkel (together and solo) Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez are my go tos…and musical soundtracks/scores
And Billy Joel…sometimes…..
But not Piano Man, I might hate that song….
Although I know all the words and turn it up when it comes on
Ok, I don’t hate it, and I secretly think I sound really good singing it
I don’t

Editorial Comment:
We saw Moana over Christmas and the sound track is currently a favorite
Mostly because I have the biggest crush on Dwayne The Rock Johnson and he sings in this movie

Also, Mark Mancina did the composition and he is one of my favorites
He also did the August Rush soundtrack which is one of the best scores ever

But the best is of course John Williams
I could listen to his scores all day

Springsteen is a favorite; always has been, always will be

But like I said, I like too many to pick a favorite
Because aside from what I threw out there, I also like Kayne West, Snoop Dog, Gordon Lightfoot, American Authors, Little River Band, and Fleetwood Mac
And Shania Twain, Jimmy Buffet, Garth Brooks and Carly Simon

Also, the guy that just won The Voice
And one of the guys who did not

Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Journey will also make my play list
So will America, Toto, and Creedence Clearwater Revival
The 70’s were a good decade for music

And recently, I’ve learned I like Motown more than I realized
Nothing soothes me like Tchaikovsky and Rick Springfield and Kenny Loggins of all people can pull me out of a funk

***What is my job?

Lucy's Answer: Paperwork
Sean's Answer: Den Mother
My Answer: I don’t know but I am having fun doing it and I love my boss

Editorial Comment:
As many know, a year ago, I left a company after 15 years
Such a difficult decision
But it was the best decision for me and my family

And though I miss so much about the job, the company and the people I worked with, I landed in a pretty good place

I’m part Office Manager, part customer support, part inside sales, part sales support, and more recently, part controller/HR
I do whatever has to be done but there is no one to do it – and I am enjoying it way more than I realized

A couple months ago, I felt like I was failing miserably at it
But then Sean reminded me I was at my last job for 15 years….it took me 15 years to get the level I was at
And I’ve been at my new job not even 15 months
He reminded me to ease up on myself and just enjoy it

I took his advice and I am way more relaxed and having fun

***How old am I?
Lucy's Answer: 44
Sean's Answer: 44
My Answer: 45

Editorial Comment:
Nope, they are right, I am 44

***What's my favorite color?

Lucy's Answer: Yellow
Sean's Answer: Blue
My Answer: Yellow

***How much do you love me?

Lucy's Answer: So much! Like this much (with arms spread wide open) So much! Like the whole entire world!

Sean's Answer: Too much

My Answer: You guys love me so much your heads feel like they’ll explode

Editorial Comment:
I love the two of them so much my head feels like it’s going to explode almost every day

And my heart explodes at least five times a day…especially when I say good night to them and realize how lucky I was to get to spend another day with them….

Even after a day of them doing whatever it is they do that makes me nag………….

Copy, paste and change my answers and see what your child says!
You will be surprised how much your kids pay attention to you! (or not!)