About Me:

Hi, Helene here. I'm the mother of two adorable (and often trying) choopas and the wife of one talented man just trying to maintain sanity while I balance motherhood and a career.
Monday-Friday:
8am - 5pm: I ride the wave (actually it's more like I try to stay "somewhere on the curve") of technology managing projects for a large public sector organization.

6pm - 7am: I fight the "good fight" by attempting to be a "domestic queen" (admittedly my triumphs are limited in this area), a "super mom" (my scorecard's much better here) and a "good wife." (I'll save these comments for David).

In between: I can most often be found chauffeuring back & forth in a silver minivan. :)

Saturday & Sunday:
I swoon in bed as long as I can and cherish a morning snuggle with the girls & hubby. And then it's anything goes... I love my weekends :)
I set up this blog back in 2002 to help me chronicle the little things in life that help make the difference. With luck, I'll never need this journal to jog my memory. But if fate and old age should dictate differently, then I'm glad that I have a record of this journey here. If you're a regular reader, thanks for joining me on the ride :)     ( related post: Why I Blog )


Names other then my given that I have been known by:

Honnah ... Nelie ... Hel ... Daughter #1 ... Richard Butt ... Monkee ... Monk ... Momma

101 things:
  1. Mother of two beautiful girls.
  2. Wife of one talented man.
  3. My children look nothing like me. They both favor David's side heavily and that suits me fine.
  4. My shoe size is 9.5
  5. I rather eat cheese over chocolate any day.
  6. But if you want to win me over with chocolate, white chocolate covered pretzels are best!
  7. My cabbage rolls make David drool.
  8. In junior high I excelled in swimming, competing on numerous teams- my specialty? Breast stroke.
  9. Now I rarely swim, except in housework.
  10. I lost my chest to breast-feeding. The price of motherhood.
  11. My favorite color is green.
  12. In college I was a RA.
  13. My astrological sign is Scorpio
  14. I was born in the year of the Rabbit
  15. David and I dated for a month before he actually ever took me out to dinner.
  16. However, he did seduce me with his cooking abilities.
  17. I have two one dogs, Beans (Aussie shepherd) (we lost him 3/04) & Fritz (German shepherd).
  18. I've remodeled a home from the cement floors and wall studs on up.
  19. Now, with two young girls, I stick to painting.
  20. In high school I hung with the drama crowd.
  21. In college, I hung out with a wilder crowd.
  22. I'm the oldest of four children.
  23. People say I'm tall, but at 5'8" I feel pretty normal.
  24. I once rode an elevator with Mr. Rogers up 24 floors.
  25. I learned to count to 20 in French in first grade and have never forgotten it.
  26. I took one year of Russian in college.
  27. I've hitch hiked across southern Ireland and to numerous locations in England.
  28. I still like to listen to to classic Genesis and Peter Gabriel.
  29. I like to plant bulbs. They have always guaranteed me success.
  30. I don't like tomatoes in my salad. But love them on hamburgers.
  31. My belly button is an insy.
  32. I grew up in Wisconsin in a community affectionately called by the locals, Souptown.
  33. But now live in a state with much warmer climate.
  34. I had childhood crushes on David Cassidy, Scott Biao & the Bay City Rollers.
  35. My latest and last crush was on David.
  36. It's lasted eleven fourteen years so far.
  37. I love to read to my children.
  38. I've only been sick from binge drinking once in my life - age 17.
  39. I learned that lesson early.
  40. My favorite wines are red- Merlot & Shiraz
  41. My favorite musical is Les Miserables.
  42. I've seen it only twice so far.
  43. The best concert I've ever been to is a draw between Harry Connick Jr 1994 & Joe Cocker 1993.
  44. The second best has to be REM, Hamersmith Odion, London 1985
  45. Someone tried to steal my new jean jacket at that concert.
  46. I severly bonked them on the head.
  47. I can sew very well and even made my sister's wedding gown.
  48. I once had a birthday card for my sister personally signed by all the members of Bon Jovi. I believe she still has it. (full story added here)
  49. One of my earliest memories is of me and my sister sitting under an ant infested palm tree begging my dad to hurry up and take the picture. I was about 2 and half.
  50. I like white russians - the drink that is!
  51. Despite a nice jewelry collection, I tend to wear the same earrings everyday - red garnet drops.
  52. I like to make piles and am not very good at filing.
  53. My closet is a constant mess and source of frustration - for David, not me.
  54. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke please.
  55. I've had the same green ribbon attached to my key ring for over twenty years.
  56. It's served me well. I've never lost my keys.
  57. I still keep in touch with my best friend from high school- Heidi
  58. My current hobbies include digital scrapbooking and blogging, however before the girls were born I loved to make stain glass windows.
  59. Our home is filled with a few of my favorite stain glass pieces.
  60. I've been to Europe four times.
  61. Austria is my favorite destination, but I also love the French Alps, Scotland & Italy.
  62. I was the one who insisted on going to a topless can-can show in Paris, not David. When in France do as ...
  63. I snore - at least David tells me so.
  64. I had my first child at 35, the second at 37. There's something rewarding about waiting to have kids.
  65. I'm good with remembering trivial numbers. The grocery clerks are constantly amazed by my ability to recite the barcode of the dog's 20 lb bag of food without looking - 1780042330
  66. My first car was a Ford Escort- gray with red interior. I named her Hannah.
  67. My second car was a red Nissan, named Lucy.
  68. Now I drive a silver Sienna mini van- it doesn't have a name.
  69. I love to stay at nice B&B's.
  70. My favorites have been #2 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC & White Lace Inn, Sturgeon Bay, WI.
  71. I only have one credit card.
  72. I haven't carried an unpaid balanced in ten years.
  73. I save aggressively for retirement and hope to retire young.
  74. I tinker at piano playing and wish I had more time to practice.
  75. I like to try my wedding dress on at every year's anniversary.
  76. It still fits :)
  77. I've never worn glasses and still have great eyesight.
  78. I prefer reading non-fiction to fiction. Life is always more interesting.
  79. The best book I've read was Olga: Revolutionary and Martyr an incredible story about Olga Benerio-Pretes.
  80. I'm waiting to for someone to grab this up and produce it as a movie.
  81. My favorite children's book is the Blah by Jack Kent.
  82. I'm a blue cheese dressing gal.
  83. If you plan to make me cake for my birthday, make it cheesecake - yum!
  84. I prefer my coffee black.
  85. Hydrangeas are my favorite flower.
  86. Peanut butter- creamy of chunky? Chunky, unless it's Jif's silk berry blend!
  87. I still have my 45 records from my youth... and most of my albums too! (We sold the entire collection at at yard sale for $35 -oh, how that hurt!)
  88. The first ablum I ever bought was the soundtrack to "Grease"
  89. It was also the first movie I ever saw more then once.
  90. I think I saw it four times that summer.
  91. The first pair of shoes I can remember my mom letting pick out were a pair of brown leather sandals with a cork sole.
  92. The second was a pair of blue suede shoes.
  93. And no, I don't really like Elvis
  94. I attended catholic school from 1st to 8th grade.
  95. My favorite nun was Sister Mary Catherine (2nd grade)
  96. My least favorite Sister Eva Jean (aka Evil Jean) - 6th grade.
  97. I was a butter snipe as a kid. It tastes so nice and creamy.
  98. I'm a Survivor fan. Have been since episode #1.
  99. I resisted watching Disney animated movies on video until I had children.
  100. Now it seems to be the only TV I ever see.

    Wow! You actually made it to the bottom. :)

  101. I love being a mom!


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