100 things about Big Mama

In blog tradition, this is my 100th post so here are 100 things about me otherwise known as maybe a great way to put yourself to sleep.

1. I was born in Houston, TX

2. The year was 1971

3. My hair was so thick and long that it was down to the middle of my back at 2 years old

4. I wish it was still that thick and long

5. Sadly, pregnancy did some irreversible damage

6. Talk about big hair, you should’ve seen me in the 80’s

7. My first real memory is the day we brought my little sister home from the hospital

8. She is 3 years and 9 months younger than me

9. My parents divorced when I was 9

10. My sister and I lived with my mom

11. We moved to Beaumont when I was 12

12. My dad drove to see us every other weekend

13. Sometimes we rode a Greyhound bus to Houston to see him

14. My Mema and Papa would take us to the bus station to catch the bus

15. Mema always packed my sister and me a sack lunch

16. There was always a can of Coke and some Nutter Butters in the lunch

17. I loved going to the bus station because they had a Ms. Pacman game and Papa had an unlimited supply of quarters.

18. I didn’t really like riding the bus

19. One time I caused my little sister to wet her pants because I made her finish her Coke so that I wouldn’t have to hold it for her

20. My dad called me on the phone every night of my life

21. He still does

22. I didn’t realize when I was younger what a rare man he is

23. I do now

24. After we moved to Beaumont we lived down the street from my grandparents

25. When I was 11 my sister got the chicken pox and I purposely tried to get them too so that I could stay home from school

26. It worked

27. I was sorry about one day into my pox affliction

28. My favorite subject in school was English

29. I was in honors classes

30. Except for any subject related to math

31. I failed Algebra II my junior year in high school

32. My senior year I had to take Geometry and Algebra II at the same time so that I could get into Texas A&M

33. I still have nightmares about it

34. I brought my teacher apple fritters every morning and I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason I passed the class.

35. I chose my major based on what would require the least amount of math

36. I took Business Math 141 and made a D

37. I was thrilled to make a D

38. I took two semesters of Japaneses in college

39. The only thing I remember is “Hajimimoshte” which means how do you do?

40. It took me 5 years to graduate from school

41. Mainly because I wanted to stay for one more football season

42. My last semester I only took 4 hours

43. I had a lot of free time

44. My dad bought me a briefcase for graduation which was his way of saying “I’m so proud of you but you have to go get a job”

45. I got a job selling financial products and helping people invest for retirement

46. Which was kind of ironic considering I’m not good at math and can’t really balance my checkbook (I didn’t mention that in my interview)

47. I had that job for 2 years

48. I wasn’t sad when it was over

49. P and I got married August 16, 1997

50. It was a noon wedding on the hottest day of the year

51. I loved, loved, loved my wedding dress

52. P and I waited 5 years to have a baby

53. I love being a mom more than I can express

54. It’s my favorite thing I’ve ever done

55. It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done

56. The first year after I had Caroline I self medicated with plain M&M’s

57. I spent many nights praying she would sleep and bargaining with God

58. I hold no nostalgia for those days

59. Although I’d pay a million dollars to smell her little baby sweetness one more time

60. My favorite movie ever is Gone with the Wind

61. I’ve seen it more times than I can count

62. I’ve probably got a little more Scarlett in me than Melanie

63. If I love a book I’ll read it over again at least once a year

64. I’ve read Lonesome Dove and Gone with the Wind several times

65. I’ll also watch Lonesome Dove on DVD about once a year

66. I may have a small crush on Robert Duvall as Gus McRae

67. My favorite food is Mexican food

68. I love chips, salsa and queso and could eat it everyday

69. I also have a major weakness for chocolate chip cookies, especially the dough

70. I’m not really a candy person but when I crave candy it’s always Sour Patch Kids

71. I obviously have a very sophisticated palate

72. I love getting pedicures but not necessarily manicures

73. I have a stomach like cast iron and can truly have a stomach bug one day and eat a Frito pie later that night.

74. I love watching sports

75. Watching a team win a championship will make me cry 4 out of 5 times

76. I myself am not an athlete

77. I did play soccer in high school, but just because my best friend talked me into it.

78. I was more of a cheerleader/dance team kind of girl

79. It takes alot to make me mad

80. I get my feelings hurt easier than most people would think because I tend to act a little thicker skinned than I am

81. I’m usually quick to forgive because I don’t like feeling angry at someone

82. I hate making decisions and would usually rather someone else make them

83. I don’t have a large group of friends but the ones I have are friends for life

84. I tend to seem a little quiet in groups of people I don’t know

85. I am anything but quiet around my friends

86. In fact, one time P came running into the house because I was cutting up and talking so loud to Gulley on the phone that he thought I was hurt

87. My first car was a Honda CRX

88. I drove it for 8 years and by the end it had duct tape on the front fender and you couldn’t open the doors from the inside, so you had to roll down (manually) the window from the inside and reach out to open the door.

89. My dad never understood how I could run up a $100.00 a month gas bill with a Honda in a small town like College Station

90. I admit I sometimes may have bought adult beverages for myself and my friends at the gas station

91. One of the best experiences of my life was going to Sicily four years ago and getting to see the towns where my great grandparents were born

92. It gave me a whole new appreciation for my family history and I didn’t understand the meaning of ancient until I saw the ruins of Greek temples

93. We went to the Vatican and I started crying when I walked in St. Peter’s because my mind couldn’t wrap around the beauty

94. Our camera got stolen the last night of the trip and it still makes me sick to think of the pictures that we’ll never have

95. The memories of that trip will stay with me forever

96. The thing I worry about the most is am I being the best mom I can be to Caroline

97. Some days the answer is yes, but others it’s no

98. The most important thing in the world to me is being a good wife and mother

99. I want to live the life that God has intended for me to live

100. I feel more blessed than I ever imagined and even during the struggles I know that I have been given much, and in return hope to give back just as much