100 Things About Me

I've seen this on other blogs and liked it, so I'm going to try it too.

1. I was born in Mt. View, CA, but have lived most of my life in Norman, OK with the exception of a year and a half in Italy and one year in Tucson, AZ.
2. I am fluent in Italian
3. I am a U of A grad school drop-out
4. I dropped out to have my first child.
5. Now I have four kids.
6. I'm getting got my Master's degree online, in Norman, OK
7. That's where I got my Bachelor's degree-though I actually attended classes live and in person. 8. I am an alum of Delta Gamma sorority.
9. Getting your Master's degree online while raising four kids isn't nearly as much fun as pledging a sorority and getting your undergrad degree while spouseless and childless.
10. I met DH right after I graduated high school, but we didn't date seriously for another 6 years.
11. I ran into him quite by chance just a month before moving to Tucson for school, we were married 6 months later.
12. He says that means we were "meant to be"
13. Sometimes, I use other words to explain why that happened. Words like "God" and "sick sense of humor"
14. I never do this in front of the kids.
15. My great-great-grandmother was alive when I was born, and lived until I was almost eight. I remember her very well.
16. She was wealthy, and made all the money herself after her husband died leaving her with 5 young children. His family was Catholic and she wasn't, so they gave her no money after his death and tried to take the kids from her.
17. Her youngest son later joined the Catholic church, but never told her. He was biologically my great-great uncle and legally my grandfather.
18. He and his wife adopted my mom after my biological grandmother (his niece) had her out of wedlock. It makes for a confusing family tree.
19. His wife had died long before I was born and I only know my biological grandmother as "grandma." They told my mom the truth when she was about 13.
20. My great-great grandmother and my adoptive grandfather are two of the very few people on my mom's side of the family who give love unconditionally. I miss them still.
21. My biological grandmother is another one of those few people. I wish she lived here instead of in Seattle with 'favorite' Uncle Bob. (I have three Uncle Bob's, hence the distinction.) Edited to add: And now she does!
22. Aunt Marguerite, to whom I often refer, is the older sister of my legal grandfather and the younger sister of my biological great-grandmother. (figure that one out)
23. She and her husband took in my mom after her adoptive mother died and before her biological mother or grandmother were allowed to tell her the truth.
24. This explains a lot about why mom is so messed up, but I still wish she hadn't taken it out on me and my sisters.
25. I try not to take out my issues on my children
26. Sometimes it's harder than I thought it would be when I first made my hypothetical plans for motherhood.
27. My great-grandmother was very loving too, she died days after I got back from Italy and before I got to go see her.
28. Sometimes that really bugs me.
29. Aunt Marguerite was very possessive of my mom and her family, I didn't get to know my great-grandmother too well.
30. I wish I had.
31. My family was supposed to move to Alaska so my Dad could take a full professorship in Anchorage, but Aunt Marguerite "forbid" us to move so far away from her.
32. After two years of unemployment, my Dad found work in the private sector.
33. He has never complained, but I feel bad for him.
34. As a "gift" to me, Aunt Marguerite paid off my mortgage last year, I guess we can never move either. (Edited to add, but we did sell that house and buy another one that she loves. I guess that was OK)
35. Apparently, I have Aunt Marguerite issues.
36. When I was in college, she told me that by joining my church I had ruined Christmas that year and for every other year of her life. She said this about ten months AFTER my baptism.
37. If Dad had moved to Alaska, I never would have met my friend Anne.
38. Anne introduced me to my church.
39. People say I joined the church to make Anne like me more, but I see Anne very rarely and I live my religion every day.
40. Anne moved from here to Tucson at the end of 6th grade.
41. My plan was always to move out there, go to college, and be her neighbor.
42. I did, for a year.
43. Our husbands were both jealous of our friendship, I think.
44. Anne is now divorced (and happily remarried!), I'm still married and my husband realizes he should have been a little nicer. He also knows I'm none too pleased that we still live in Norman, OK.
45. I had a very abusive high school boyfriend, he still lives here too.
46. I hate the fact that at any given moment I could run into him.
47. He wants to see my children, he called my mom to see if she could secretly arrange it.
48. Mom always said he wouldn't have been violent if I hadn't been such a "bitch" as a teenager.
49. My mom has no driver's license, for which I am very glad. I also don't leave my kids at her house.
50. For one, it's a filthy landfill, for two, ex-boyfriend knows where it is.
51. I didn't get my license until I was 22, but at least I got it.
52. I suffered from driver's test anxiety until my Dad threatened to give his old car to my scummy brother-in-law instead of me if I didn't pass the test.
53. I passed three days after the threat was made.
54. Apparently, I can perform under pressure when I have to.
55. When I got my license, Aunt Marguerite bought me a Pontiac Sunfire.
56. I used it to move to Tucson.
57. I wrecked it while meeting DH halfway between Tucson and Norman in Albuquerque, NM. Actually, the little old lady who broadsided me was responsible, but the car was still wrecked either way.
58. I was 8 weeks preganat with baby #1.
59. I told DH the commuter marriage wouldn't work anymore and one of us would have "to be the bigger person" and move.
60. I moved back to Norman 6 weeks later.
61. Much to the rumored glee of ex-boyfriend who "knew" I "wouldn't make it out there."
62. I was happy that if I had to move back, my sweet MIL would get to see our baby every day.
63. She had a stroke and died when baby #1 was 6 weeks old, about three weeks after my deadline to reapply to the U of A and get back into my Master's program.
64. DH never bothered to finish college after his Dad got him a good job at Tinker AFB. He doesn't understand my need to finish school.
65. Sometimes I think that he doesn't understand much about me, period.
66. He does try.
67. I was very close to my MIL, if the saying that "a son marries his mother" is true, you could see it when you spent time with both of us.
68. She dropped out of college and her sorority to marry FIL.
69. I still really miss her.
70. FIL remarried just a bit too quickly for us. They moved in together less than four months after MIL's funeral.
71. He thinks she is "the best thing that ever happened."
72. I used to want to throw up most of the time I was in her presence, but I'm over it now.
73. Time heals all wounds, I guess.
74. Besides MIL would want us all to get along.
75. She was a much better woman than I am.
76. I am a diehard Jim Henson and George Lucas fan.
77. If Elisa had been a boy, I would have named her James Henson Gregg. (but not "George." My 'favorite' Uncle Bob's legal name is "George." If he won't use it, why would my kid?)
78. I'm not kidding about that. "James" is the name of two of my heroes, Mr. Henson and my Dad.
79. DH is a huge Star wars fan too.
80. He took off work each time a new Star Wars movie is released so we could see it opening day.
81. I like that about him.
82. I go to Walt Disney World about every other year. My favorite park is Disney Studios.
83. Disney Studios boasts a Muppet Show and a ride sponsored by Lucasfilm called Star Tours.
84. My favorite Disney cartoon in Beauty and the Beast, they do a live action show of it at the Studios.
85. My favorite live action Disney films are Summer Magic, the original Parent Trap, and The Happiest Millionaire.
86. My favorite musicals are Mamma Mia!, Les Mis, The King and I, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music and now we can add Hairspray to the list.
87. Anne and I first bonded in the 6th grade over the fact that we loved the Sound of Music.
88. My friend Christina and I first bonded over Gone With the Wind because we were both wearing formals for one of our very first times.
89. It wouldn't be our last.
90. Our friend Lanie is the real GWTW fan-but we bonded over other things like flipping off a group of girls and then swearing up and down to our adult chaperones that we "didn't do it" when they told on us.
91. I was a Rainbow Girl in high school, we wore formals for initiations,a lot of dances, and other ceremonies.
92. I was President of our local chapter twice and an unimportant state officer one year.
93. I didn't mind being 'unimportant,' I just liked wearing the cool dress.
94. My boyfriend back then was the State President of our brother fraternity.
95. He was the first boy I said "I love you" to and meant it.
96. We are no longer on speaking terms, nor do I think we ever will be again. NEVER SAY NEVER
97. I will always be a bit sad about that. (See above)
98. I'm trying to do a better job with my kids than my parents did with me so that their "100" lists won't include so many things they are still "a bit sad about"
99. I'm not sure I'm succeeding at #98.
100. I hope I am.
101. Some of this list is repetitive and it doesn't stop at 100.
102. Oh well.