Mon Miguel

(title rights belong to Lindsay)

I have been tagged, for better or worse, so here is all the information you ever wanted to know on Mike. (Actually, I know for a fact this is nowhere close to all the info you've ever wanted on my, shall we say enigmatic, husband. But it's all you're going to get.)

First, before we get into the questions, I want to let you know I have the best looking husband. Sorry. (Okay - all my boys are adorable.)


1. How long have you been together? Together - meaning an item - since July 1999; married in December of that same year. Let's just say once we started dating, we already knew where this was all going. Best friends for a few years before that.

2. How old is he? I don't know. 17? Age isn't an issue in our relationship.

3. Who eats more? Depends on what's being served. Generally he wins out, but I certainly can give him a run for his money - especially if it involves cold cereal or dessert. He wins for the most fruit consumed on a daily basis. I swear there have been days that he has consumed 3 apples, 3 bananas, and a grapefruit. Within an hour. This is not an exaggeration.

4. Who said "I love you" first? Mike did. It was on September 17, 1999. We had celebrated my birthday early. It was awesome. I think I said it right back.

5. Who is taller? Mike. He and I are very pleased about this. Even though he is 6 feet tall, he had a bit of a height complex being around the other men in my family, but yes, one time we were looking at a photograph that had been taken of the two of us and he said, "hey look! You only come up to my eyes!"

6. Who sings better? I think I do, but he has a good voice, and I enjoy singing with him. (In family night or at bedtime. Apologies to my family - no spontaneous bursting out in The Sound of Music in this kitchen.)

7. Who does the laundry? I do. He does sometimes, and does not have shrinking or bleeding issues. Wow. It doesn't really sound like I'm talking about the laundry. Whatever. He can be trusted to hang up the right shirts, and put things away in the right places.

8. Who pays the bills? I do. His job is to bring home the bacon. And cook it. (:

9. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Who cares? He does now, but I used to. I think we have switched a few times throughout our marriage depending on how often I was getting up at night, and the way our rooms have been set up.

10. Who mows the lawn? Guillermo.

11. Who cooks dinner? If I had it my way and he had it his way - Mike. He does it often. Especially during this last pregnancy. He is an EXCELLENT cook. You can say that with a bit of a French accent. Or Italian. Or Spanish. He cooks all cuisines. All fresh. Prefers ingredients straight out of the garden. He is great with the presentation, too. No chocolate ice cream in a plastic cereal bowl around here. It comes in a glass ice cream dish, with homemade whipped cream swirled, a strawberry and a mint leaf on the side, and perhaps a bit of shaved chocolate. It's fun, and it's my salvation. I love to eat and dread cooking. Part of this is because I chop slowly and end up spending half my time breaking up fights. But I will cut myself some slack. I have cooked dinner most nights, for the majority of the time we have been married.

12. Who drives? He does.

13. What does he like to do? Oh goodness. Where to start? I'll try to be brief. He loves music - just caught part of the South by Southwest music festival, he LOVES to read non-fiction and theoretical stuff, we spend a lot of time talking, he would work out for hours every day if he could, he likes volleyball, bike-riding, swimming, and is quite talented at drawing and painting. He also has a knack for making up great rhymes and songs for the boys. He likes to cook, eat, and come up with hilarious sayings for bumper stickers and t-shirts. eg: mugshot of Mel Gibson with the words "Goys gone wild" underneath.

14. Who is more stubborn? I think he takes the cake on that one, but I definitely have stubbornness as well.

15. Who kissed who first? He kissed me. Kind of a surprise. I turned around to look up at him and say something and he kissed me right on my opened mouth. Later on when we were talking about that experience, he expressed that he thought I was an aggressive kisser - what with it starting out with an open mouth and all.

16. Who proposed to who? He asked me, on bended knee, with a ring. In front of Abravanel Hall. I had NO IDEA it was coming. Surprise! I was so excited!

17. Who has more friends? I do. I need friends like fishies need water.

18. Who is more sensitive? That's a toss up. Neither of us are extremely sensitive, but Mike just said it would probably lean more toward me. Probably so.

19. Who has more siblings? Here we go. Seven kids in my family. Six kids in his, plus one half-brother and 6 steps.

20. Who wears the pants? Can we both have a leg? I think we end up splitting it fairly evenly. Mike, I'm sure, would say he does, but I struggle to keep my share of the power. I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder, and I am pleased with the amount I'm getting.

*perhaps I should change that last answer. He just attempted to go through and edit this post before it went to press. Hand Slap! You back off or you're gonna get sumfin'.