GINA
Tell us about your family: I have amazing children who are so much fun. First up is Foster, who is 18 – and before you ask…yes, I am old enough to have an 18-year-old, although I did have him earlier in life, which I am forever thankful for. He helped mold me into the person I wanted to be and is one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. Then I have Juliet, who is my 14-year-old daughter. She is an artist (like her dad) and wildly talented. She loves animals and her vision of a perfect day would be drawing, painting, or photographing the animals she loves so much. Roman is my 10-year-old son, who is a lover at heart. He is always worried about his siblings and cares for his little brother more than what I could even describe. He’s always been the sweet, sensitive one. Bringing up the rear is my 6-year-old Phoenix, who is a lot like me. He’s finishing up Kindergarten now, and boy has it been fun watching him grow up.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? I’m equally both. I love the routine of mornings, and I love the fun of night-time once the day has settled and I can relax.
List a few “secret” talents that not many people know about. I have a directional sense like nobody’s business. I could get anywhere, at any time – without a GPS. I am also very handy! I actually really enjoy doing home projects like fixing the garbage disposal, wiring and installing ceiling fans, etc. People always laugh when I tell them about this “talent,” but it has served me (and my friends and family) well.
You have multiple personalities, describe some of them. The majority of me is very pragmatic and logical. I rarely come out of my rational side. People actually say I am much more masculine than feminine in nature. I compartmentalize very well. I am also one of the most patient people you will ever meet…until I’m not anymore. When that patience is gone, it is gone. I am very spontaneous, which is funny because that doesn’t make sense with the logical side of me. But I’m happy for it, because it allows me to let the logical part of me go for at least a little bit.
If you could eliminate one thing from your daily schedule, what would it be and why? Well, to be perfectly honest, I hate doing homework with the kids every night. I just want to have fun with them and play. I (obviously) do their homework with them, but it’s my least favorite time of day because I’d rather be playing, snuggling, or having fun with them. It’s not their favorite time of day either, which certainly doesn’t help the situation. J
List five adjectives to describe yourself. Logical, compassionate, straight-forward, tough, fun
Do you have a life motto? What is it? Yes. “Do hard things.” It’s so simple, but profound to me as well. So many times we just need to do the hard thing that we don’t want to do, and it’s not because we aren’t capable of doing it, we just don’t want to. So I tell myself and my kiddos – Do Hard Things.
What’s the funniest prank ever played on you? Pranks aren’t funny to the pragmatic person! I will tell my least funny practical joke ever played on me. My sister was due to have a baby in about 2 weeks and I was supposed to be in the delivery room with her when the time came. I got a call at work and the message relayed to me was that my sister had her baby and that all was well, and there was no reason for me to come. I ran out of work, bawling and clearly upset, drove across town to the hospital, where there was no one checked in by my sister’s name. The baby had not come! That was just wrong on so many levels!