Let's try this again
1. I was born 10 days before the due date. According to my mom it was because she took castor oil and walked around the block.
2. I was born in Wisconsin and lived there for 10 days. The reason my mom needed me early was because they had to move back to Iowa for my dad's last year of seminary. I was baptized in the morning, and we moved in the afternoon.
3. I was 8 months old when my dad was ordained into the Lutheran ministry, and then he joined the Air Force and spent 18 years as a Lutheran chaplain.
4. I've lived in Wisconsin (sort of), Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan, France, Germany and California.
5. I have a brother and 2 sisters, and I've always heard that the oldest is supposed to be the most driven, but they've all done better than I.
6. We sat through Hurricane Donna in Myrtle Beach in 1960.
7. We lived in North Carolina near my aunt because my dad had an isolated tour of duty in Japan for 15 months.
8. I got special permission to turn my report cards in late so we could send them to him for him to sign.
9. My mom is a saint, but I do remember her freaking out once while my dad was gone and calling my aunt and asking her to take us for awhile. I still don't know how single mothers do it.
10. I didn't know until years later that the reason sandbags were delivered to everyone on base to put around our windows was because of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
11. ...but I had nightmares of soldiers coming through my bedroom window.
12. In 1964, I saw 4 young men in matador outfits on the cover of a magazine, and I asked my dad, "Who are they?" He said they were the Beatles.
13. I pointed at Paul and asked who that was, and he said, "I think that's Ringo." I thought I had a crush on Ringo for weeks until one of my friends set me straight.
14. The only time I ever defied my dad was when I was 9. He told me to go to my room and I just sat there. He picked me up and carried me to my room, and I realized I should listen to him.
15. I went to my mom's old school for a month before we left for France.
16. Except for 3rd and 4th grades, I never went to the same school for more than a year until high school.
17. I've been aware of the French people's disdain for us since I was 10 because I experienced it, but they have just as many faults, if not more, than we do.
18. I was confirmed in Worms, Germany by my dad.
19. When we drove across the country to California, I complained the whole way.
20. I loved my high school. I didn't realize until years later that I was treated differently by other kids because I was the pastor's kid, but I'm glad.
21. I went through high school in a self-centered haze.
22. In the 10th grade I had my first lead in the fall play.
23. I developed a reputation for turning down parts if they weren't big enough.
24. My senior year, when I was cast as Lady Capulet, a friend said, "...and you took it?"
25. I student-directed A Christmas Carol that same year, and the guy who played the Ghost of Christmas Present later danced for Kevin Bacon in Footloose.
26. My freshman year, a friend joined the speech team, which I said I would never do.
27. By my senior year, I was attending speech tournaments almost every weekend and even have a few trophies.
28. I went to California Lutheran University and met and married another pastor's kid. His first words to me were, "Wanna' see my appendix scar?"
29. This Monday is our 29th anniversary and our daughter's 23rd birthday. She was the nicest anniversary present I ever had.
30. Part of the reason I married my husband was because his plan was to go to seminary. He dropped out after less than a year and became a teacher. (copycat!)
31. My senior year I was TA to the speech team.
32. I qualified for nationals in persuasive speaking and the school paid for my trip to Washington D.C. I was cut after the 4th round. : (
33. I became a teacher to coach speech. I didn't realize that most schools don't care if they have a speech team or not, or even actually don't want one.
34. Being a teacher has helped me to be a better mother, and being a mother has helped me be a better teacher.
35. Having Kyle, the most frustrating child in the world, helped me realize that kids need a lot of different academic options.
36. I miss coaching speech.
37. The most frustrating thing to me right now is that the principal at my school doesn't expect kids to take responsibility for their own educations.
38. My very favorite pastime for many years was watching Amy dance. Now it's also watching Marty play the guitar.
39. Amanda Beard, the Olympic swimmer, was in my freshman English and speech classes at Irvine HS. A reporter came to school to do a story on her, and I got quoted in the article.
40. If the principal at Dana hadn't called and asked me to come back there, I never would have met Marty, my 3rd baby.
41. I used to go to the Festival of Books every year specifically to hear Charlton Heston speak. What an amazing man.
42. About 15 years or so ago, I finally got to see Paul McCartney in concert.
43. I hate my house; I'd really love to move.
44. I get to go on a cruise this summer and watch my daughter dance and be a magician's assistant!
45. The hardest thing I've had to do in my life is watch Kyle enlist and go to Iraq.
46. Having Marty here has brought a whole new dimension to my life.
47. I took my brother's dog when my sister-in-law got pregnant, and he turned out to be the dog from hell.
48. I had to do this now before I turn 49--otherwise I'd have to think of one more thing.