I love fall. It’s my favorite time of the year, and it always seems so short. This year, though, is it possible that we might actually get two month’s worth–September and October?? It’s my favorite time of year because it’s time to go shopping for a new season’s worth of clothes (and to get away from the tanks and capris I’ve been wearing all summer long), the colors of the trees are gorgeous, the sun is bright but not stifling, and it’s when I get to have my birthday. Granted, as you get older, your birthday seems to be less and less important (at least for other people), but I still love it and look forward to it. It’s less than a month away, and I can hardly believe it, but I will be OUT of my 20s. So, in honor of that, I’m going to try very hard right now to think of 30 more random things about myself that you might not know (this is going to be tough)…

1. I (not so) secretly have always wanted one of my children to inherit my lips. My lips are large and in charge and I’ve always liked them, but so far, none of my kids have gotten them. If this one doesn’t get them…well, sorry Tyson, but we’re going to keep trying.

2. I love roller coasters, but I hate that feeling in my stomach that I get when I’m falling—that stomach-in-your-throat thing that happens on the diving board or very steep hills. Occasionally, I have dreams about falling and it freaks me out. So, I would much rather go on the twirly-whirly upside-down roller coasters than the super fast, super tall ones.

3. Speaking of, we’re going to Worlds of Fun again this year for my birthday (and I guess, probably my little brother’s birthday, too, since his is a week after mine).

4. This will be at least the second time we’ve gone to Worlds of Fun while I’ve been pregnant, so I probably won’t be going on said roller coasters. But I will be eating a lot and trying to win big stuffed animals. If you can think of any other good WOF activities that a pregnant gal can take part in, let me know!

5. We all want to have a boy this time, for the fourth baby, but I also sort of want to have another girl. T. and I made a deal that if we had a boy, he got final say on the name, and if we had a girl, I get to name her. T. is getting a little power-hungry with the whole idea, so not only would I just like to have the control of naming the baby, but I also don’t want to deal with his power trips for the next 7 months. 🙂

6. I’m pretty sure I know where Ivy’s love of dresses and spinning in them comes from. One of the few memories I have of kindergarten is sitting on my color square in the circle on the floor and spreading out my skirt all around me as big and perfect as I could get it.

7. On that note, have I told you that my favorite color is pink? I think I have…but on a semi-related girly topic, every once in a while, I’ll have this dream that someone (usually one of my grandmas) has given me a gift of a room full of makeup (literally, like tables around all four sides of a room, covered in makeup sets and cases). I am always SO disappointed when I wake up and find out that it wasn’t real.

8. Wow…I still have, like 22 things to think of…

9. I’m just going to pretend like that last one counts, and move on. Henry has decided that he’s going to have a Halloween birthday party, and I just asked Ivy what kind of birthday I should have. She said “you should have another princess birfday like my did”. That’s my girl!

10. I love strawberries, peaches, and bananas, I like grapes and apples, and hate any kind of melon.

11. Okay, now I have to read my previous post of random things, so I know what I’ve already told you. I remember the one about ice cream….here’s a clarification on that: I said that my favorite ice cream is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. That’s my favorite that I can go buy. My actual favorite is ACTUAL homemade vanilla ice cream. I love it so much that I hate to put any other flavors in my homemade ice cream, because it takes away from the homemade flavor. If anybody wants to make me some for my birthday (it IS a milestone), I would love you forever and ever.

12. When we visit my grandma and grandpa in(near) Salina, my grandma ALWAYS makes us chocolate malts before bed, since we were little. She still does it if we spend the night, and sometimes I wish she lived here so she could make me chocolate malts every night.

13. One of my favorite desserts is s’mores, and I think one of the reasons is that you can’t have them at just any occasion (and, really, how can you go wrong with pure chocolate and roasted black marshmallows??). But T. made them for me on my birthday two years ago, in his little grill in his backyard, the night he proposed.

14. If I had the time and money, I would get manicures and pedicures every week. I’ve never gotten a regular manicure, because I know it won’t last more than a few days and that seems like a waste of money. Up until a few months ago, when the big two went to gymnastics for a few hours once a week, E. Belle and I would go get my nails done. That’s back when she would sit happily in her car seat and either sleep or charm the ladies there. Those days are no longer.

15. I played the cornet and baritone in middle school, but decided not to play in band when we moved to AR and I started 9th grade. I think it was a new-school-shy-girl anxiety thing.

16. I miss the days when I could sleep until 11 am. I still stay up too late, as if I could sleep in, but now I have to wake up much earlier. But after the kids go to bed is the only time I can have “me” time, so I’ll never give that up. At least until they’re all in school.

17. For being such a girly girl, in high school, I had, almost exclusively, guy friends. I think it was because I wasn’t in to the whole catty-high-school-girl thing. Boys aren’t catty. They can be rude, though!

18. One of the things that I’m most excited about this pregnancy is that I get to wear warmer maternity clothes. I’ve never really gotten to, so it’s a whole new world for me!

19. I’m in denial about the possibility that I’ll have to give up my new office when this baby comes. I refuse to talk about it, and will until we at least know if we’re having a boy or girl. Even then, I may refuse until I can’t refuse any longer.

20. I want Ivy to take either dance lesson or gymnastics so I can live vicariously through her. Also, because I really think she’d like it.

21. I’m trying not to have a wardrobe crisis right now, in the in-between fat and pregnant stage of pregnancy. But I sort of am.

22. I LOVE CHILI CHEESE DOGS.

23. I also love getting mail, and wish I got more fun mail…fun being anything not bill-related or junk, and often from an actual person that I know.

24. Fun email is the next best thing, and after that, comments on facebook or my blog (both of which result in a fun email).

25. I love hearing my kids sing, almost as much as I love hearing them laugh.

26. I’ve always had too many magazine subscriptions, but I used to always have the time to read them. Now, I have too many unread magazine subscriptions.

27. I think, within a few days, my fourth niece will be born. Can’t wait to meet you, Claire!! I also can’t wait to buy you cute little clothes and gifts!

28. I also love hearing Ivy making her lists. She likes to line up things and name them “this is Sweeping Beauty, this is mermaid, this is Jasmine, this is Snow White”. She pooped the other day, and named the pieces…”Henwy, Hessie, Daddy, Mama, Gwamma”. I felt so honored.

29. As much as I try to keep the clothes on my children, they do look so cute in their underwear.

30. I’m going to be 30 in less than a month. Quick, somebody get me neon nail polish and an issue of Seventeen!