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MIMIC

I found out yesterday that this acronym stands for "Moods in Mothers and in Children. Eric and I participated in a research project being done by the Binghamton University Mood Disorders Institute. They are conducting this research to better understand the relationship between mothers and their childrens' moods. Specifically, they are interested in how negative moods in either person can affect the other. The main hypothesis is that when either a mother or her child is feeling depressed, the other person will start to feel depressed as well. The study took 3.5 hours with each of us being interviewed, answering a 45-minute questionaire, taking a computer test and having a DNA sample taken. I have always been exceedingly interested in psychology and how the mind and emotions work in developing us as people, and I even thought at one point in my life that I might perhaps be a counselor of some sort.

Without presenting the boring details of the project, I was amused at 2 things I encountered. One, was on the questionaire I filled out. I presume they were attempting to get a clear picture of my self-image as there were lots of questions relating to how I felt about myself. One particular area though, was pretty funny:

Weight/body shape - (these are reiterations of the actual questions--must have been 20 or so)
1) Have you ever attempted to purposely alter your weight or body shape? Yes.
2) Have you ever changed your eating habits in an effort to change your weight or body shape? Okay, yesss.
3) Have you ever omitted a certain type of food from your diet in an effort to change your weight or body shape? Yeeeesss (are ya serious?)
4) Have you ever purposely refrained from eating in an attempt to change your weight or body shape? Well, yes. But really, if I had been sucessful at that for too long, I wouldn't be needing to change my weight or body shape, now would I?
5) Have you ever refrained from eating when you were hungry in order to change your weight or body shape? All right, now really, I have tried, but truthfully, if I could say I accomplished this, I really wouldn't need to keep answering yes.
6) Have you ever excercised in an attempt to alter your weight or body shape? O good grief, now come on! Of course I have!
7) Have you ever combined diet and exercise in an attempt to alter your weight or body shape? Yup, me & every other woman in America.

and on and on it went!

Now, the amusing thing about Eric was revealed on our way home.

Eric says: "Mom, you know how you say that when being truthful, there aren't any loopholes, you just have to be totally honest?"
I say (suspiciously I might add): "Yes?"
Eric says: "Well, today I found a loophole."
I say: "And what was that loophole?"
Eric says: "The lady asked me if I have to have a stuffed animal to go to sleep. I didn't want to get embarrassed that I sleep with Snowy and Soot." (stuffed beanie babies)
I say: "The loophole was...."
Eric says: "The loophole is that I don't have to have Snowy and Soot to fall asleep. I just really like to sleep with them and I worry about them when there aren't with me."
I say: "Don't you think that kind of ruins the accuracy of the information for their research project?"
Eric says: "Uh-oh. Do you think they'll notice that their information is goofed up?"

Comments

Anonymous said…
Are those the actual answers you put down too? That is really funny what Eric said. Michael has literally just two pieces of what is left of a blanket that he sleeps with, Kaitlyn has two blankets still in pretty good shape that aren't that big. Ethan likes a pillowcase!?! and so far, I don't know what Devin will use. My kids come by it honestly, I have a huge body pillow that I wrap myself around and unless we are flying it will go wherever we do to sleep, and I have no embarrassment piling it on top of the luggage on the luggage cart in a hotel, even when we are using a bellboy! I'd take it on a plane too but I don't think they would let me. :-)
Anonymous said…
I literally had to "Hee Haw" thru the entire post. That was way too funny and by the time you got to Eric... That was icing on the cake! Way to funny! My answers were ALL yes too. But you answers were hysterical!

I have Bobby to snuggle with vice versa on and off thru the night. We like to be quite close while we sleep.


- Debbie

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