100 Things

Post #100

I can't believe I'm at post #100.  I thought this day would never come...a move to Europe, 3 kids, a new job, a husband who travels for his job.

But we made it!  So, instead of my usual Sunday rant, here are 100 things you may or may not know about me.  Just skip on by and come visit again tomorrow if you would rather, but if you're interested, read on:

1.  I don't like my food to touch on my plate.

2.  I love love college football.

3.  Someday I want to move to Olympia WA.

4.  Someday after that I want to sell our house and spend all my time traveling the world.

5.  I want to see everywhere at least once.

6.  It started when I went to Europe after I graduated high school.

7.  It continued when I convinced my husband to move to Hawaii with no jobs, no place to live, etc.

8.  Even now I hesitate to revisit somewhere since there are so many places I haven't yet seen.

9.  Ohio State is my favorite college football team.

10.  I've been accused of being pretty random in my conversations.

11. One of the many reasons I love my best best friend is that she can follow my randomness.

12. I am a better mother when I work just a little outside the home.

13. I gave up eating meat after reading The Omnivore's Dilemma.

14. I reluctantly started eating meat again when I had an iron deficiency with my third pregnancy, even with taking supplements and stuffing myself with veggies like spinach.

15. I now eat meat occasionally, but I don't cook it at home.

16. I am getting "crunchier" as I get older.

17. I'm not much of a movie watcher.

18.  I love U2.

19.  I think Bono is cool, but I like the Edge better.

20.  I got my first tattoo on a dare.

21.  My favorite job was as an O.T. in a neonatal intensive care unit.

22.  I would still be working there if my husband hadn't gotten transferred.

23.  And if it hadn't been in Corpus Christi, TX.

24.  I'm more of an island girl than a south Texas girl.

25.  I don't like to wear shoes.

26.  Or socks.

27.  I spent the entire ferry ride across the English channel getting sick.

28.  Now I insist we take the Chunnel whenever we go to England.

29.  I hate going to parties where I don't know anyone.

30.  I'm not good at starting conversations with strangers, which is probably why #29 is true.

31.  I love mint chocolate chip ice cream.

32.  I also love to run.

33.  I ran my first half marathon with my husband for our 13th anniversary (13 for 13, baby).

34.  I used to get migraines 2-3x/week.

35.  Now it's just 2-3x/month.

36.  I got married when I was still in college.

37.  We lived on a dairy farm.

38.  We were so poor we used to fly our kite in the cow pasture for entertainment.

39.  In the summer I had to study with a fly swatter in my hand.

40.  When I finally graduated we sold everything we owned and bought 2 one way plane tickets to Hawaii (I wasn't joking about #7).

41.  The only things we took with us were 12 boxes we mailed and a jeep.

42.  We sold that jeep when I was pregnant with our first child.

43.  I still miss that jeep.

44.  I refuse to drive a minivan.

45.  My first job was setting up home treatment programs for kids with autism.

46.  I had no idea what I was doing.

47.  I let my kids jump on the couch and play with running water in the sink.  Not the autistic kids, my own kids, now.  

48.  I am the parent on the playground letting my under 2 year old climb up the ladder and go down the slide by herself.

49.  I think parents overprotect their children, generally speaking.

50.  I am not prone to hysteria.

51.  I wonder about the day when my oldest son will start being embarrassed by his silly parents.

52.  I am sad that so far none of my kids are left handed like me.

53.  But I'm still holding out hope for The Girl.

54.  I'm letting my boys dig A Hole in the backyard.

55.  It's so deep that yesterday boy #2 had to help The Girl climb out of it.

56.  I try to not drive the car at least one day per week.

57.  I chop up spinach really small, call it spices, and add it to everything.

58.  I just admitted that to my 7 year old 2 days ago.

59.  I was surprised that he was ok with it.

60.  I am not sentimental.

61.  We try to make decisions based on if we will regret NOT trying something.

62.  Which has directly resulted in us living here in the Netherlands, as well as every other place we've lived.

63.  I've moved to 11 different houses since I've been married.

64.  I hiked Mount Fuji with my husband 4 months after having our third child.

65.  I weigh less now than when I got married.

66.  But it's all distributed differently, and I don't like that.

67.  But some days I don't care.

68.  I hope to run my first marathon this fall.

69.  I need a little bit of chocolate every day.

70.  But just a little - less than I used to.

71.  I gained 50 pounds with every child.

72.  I would like to be on the Amazing Race.

73.  We sometimes eat popcorn for dinner on Friday nights.

74.  I used to want Lasix but now I think I would miss wearing glasses.

75.  I would, however, love a tummy tuck.

76.  I didn't think I would like having a girl.

77.  But I do.

78.  But I think she is already girlier than I ever was or will be.

79.  I'm learning to be ok with that.

80.  I'm still surprised and thankful at how awesome my boys are with their little sister.

81.  But I see a day coming when she will annoy them more often than she will endear herself to them.

82.  I was challenged by my husband to start a blog, back in early 2007, journaling our adventures in Japan.

83.  Now I think I'm addicted.

84.  I sometimes take pictures based on their "bloggability."

85.  I once got stranded in Anchorage, Alaska after taking a spontaneous flight there with my 2 boys.

86.  And no husband.

87.  So we made the most of sunshine around the clock and went to the playground at midnight.

88.  I turned it into a last minute trip to visit friends in Seattle by buying plane tickets 4 hours before the flight.

89.  That's when I fell in love with Olympia.

90.  I've been able to find work every place we've moved.

91.  Even when the employer knows I'll only be there for 6 months.

92.  I look back on my life and see God's hand in every part of it.

91.  I don't like my boys to wear sleeveless t-shirts.

92.  I love to geocache.

93.  I feel like a total geek for saying that, especially since we started that hobby for the kids.

94.  I love the smell of outside in my kids' hair.

95.  I love to sing in the car.

96.  I play the drums.

97.  We moved to the Netherlands from Japan.

98.  I still miss Japan every day.

99.  I love the word funicular.

100. I love that I am done thinking of things to say about myself.