The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Back when Ryan was 9, I did a bloggy meme interview with her, to see how well she knew me. Turned out, she knew me pretty well. I thought it would be fun to see how she would answer the same questions today, at 14-years-old. Turns out, she still knows me pretty well. And she still makes me laugh!

What is something I always say to you?
9-year-old Ryan: That you love me.
14-year-old Ryan: GET UP! (When she was 9, she had to wake me up.)

What makes me happy?
9-year-old Ryan: Me!
14-year-old Ryan: Sundance. (I'll say it again... he gives me no lip and no attitude.)

What makes me sad?
9-year-old Ryan: When I'm rude and act like an idiot.
14-year-old Ryan: Dead animals. (Not the answer I expected, but true.)

How do I make you laugh?
9-year-old Ryan: By acting like a dork and telling fart jokes.
14-year-old Ryan: Fart jokes. (Some things never change.)

What was I like as a child?
9-year-old Ryan: How the heck should I know?!
14-year-old Ryan: I don't know. How would I know? (Again, some things never change.)

How old am I?
9-year-old Ryan: 44
14-year-old Ryan: 48 (Damn. I should do these surveys more often.)

How tall am I?
9-year-old Ryan: Ummmm... 5'2"?
14-year-old Ryan: 5'6" (And the doctor said I was finished growing at 13.)

What's my favorite thing to do?
9-year-old Ryan: Go hiking.
14-year-old Ryan: Write. (I'm always afraid she's going to say "eat." Not that it wouldn't be true.)

What do I do when you're not around?
9-year-old Ryan: You're on the computer.
14-year-old Ryan: Work. (I need to get a life. Obviously.)

If I became famous, what would it be for?
9-year-old Ryan: Writing a book.
14-year-old Ryan: Writing a book. (Clearly I need to get a move on.)

What am I really good at?
9-year-old Ryan: Making chili.
14-year-old Ryan: Writing. (She's a one-trick pony, my kid.)

What do I do for work?
9-year-old Ryan: Write resumes for people who can't write them for themselves.
14-year-old Ryan: Help unemployed kids get jobs. (So she doesn't tune me out all the time.)

What's my favorite food?
9-year-old Ryan: Umm... complicated foods that I don't like.
14-year-old Ryan: Wine. (I should be embarrassed. Shouldn't I?)

What makes you proud of me?
9-year-old Ryan: When you get the little kids on the swim team to stop being afraid of the water. And that you're really funny and all my friends love you.
14-year-old Ryan: Your sense of humor. No one else's parents are as funny as you. (Aw! Wait, that's 'funny ha-ha'... right?)

If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
9-year-old Ryan: Jerry from Tom and Jerry, 'cause he's really smart.
14-year-old Ryan: Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes. And I'd be Hobbes. (Heh. I like it!)

What do we do together?
9-year-old Ryan: Go camping and hiking and swimming and to the movies. We have fun!
14-year-old Ryan: Um, like, everything. (She didn't say that with a frown. I promise!)

How are we alike?
9-year-old Ryan: We both talk a lot. And we like to read. And we're both sarcastic.
14-year-old Ryan: Same sense of humor. Same nose. Same laugh. (The last two really cheese her off. Heh.)

How are we different?
9-year-old Ryan: I'm dark and you're really white.
14-year-old Ryan: I have more sass. (Which gets her more stink-eye.)

How do you know I love you?
9-year-old Ryan: 'Cause you're my mom. Duh.
14-year-old Ryan: It's sort of a given, isn't it? (Duh.)

What do I like best about your dad? (Uh oh...)
9-year-old Ryan: That he lives in Alabama!
14-year-old Ryan: Child support. (Heh. And? Heh.)

Where is my favorite place to go?
9-year-old Ryan: England!
14-year-old Ryan: England. (That answer will likely be correct for a long, long time.)