Thursday thirteen

Stealing an idea from my blogger buddy Tafka today.....here is the debut edition of my Thursday thirteen!

13 Things about Me

1. I'm going to be a college student again starting in August! It still doesn't seem real sometimes, but I bet it will when I see the first class syllabus and list of assignments!

2. I love living in Lowcountry SC. Not sure I'd want to live anywhere else! There's so much to do and see down here, and I love just looking at the natural beauty of marshes, rivers, etc.

3. When I was younger, I always figured I'd have girls one day. I was such a "girly girl" myself, the complete opposite of a tomboy, and yet here I am with 2 active boys! But I wouldn't change a thing about that!

4. I've never traveled outside the US. Not even Canada. Truth is, I feel pretty deprived in that department, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to rectify it either. My ultimate vacation (outside the country) would be to England...specifically London. I know, it's rainy and dark, but the history there is just such a draw for a nerd like me. ;)

5. The West Wing is my absolute favorite TV show of all time. When it was still running, I would literally RUN out of Wednesday night choir practices to try and get home in time to see the opening credits.

6. I am love-love-loving Facebook. I can't think of a better way to reconnect with so many people from high school, college, former students I taught, etc. On any given day, I can chat with my college housemates, music fraternity sisters, high school band friends, people from my church, family, coworkers of past and present.......it's simply amazing.

7. I'm trying hard to improve my eating habits, and to lose weight along the way if I can. Really have only lost about 7 lbs so far, but I'm optimistic and hope to lose at least 5 more before......

8. We're taking the kids to DisneyWorld for the first time in about 3 weeks! I cannot WAIT to see their faces, their reactions to it all. We're staying in the AllStar Music Resort (gee, I wonder why, LOL) and will do all of the Disney parks, plus Universal Studios and the Wet-n-Wild water park. Oh, and a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game on our way back home.

9. I am both fascinated and overwhelmed at the same time by the broadness of the autism spectrum. And I really do accept that my son is on that spectrum, but sometimes I feel like maybe we don't belong in that "autism community", like we're TOO lucky or too fortunate in how well Mr. L is doing. It's like we're in no-man's land, not belonging completely to either group.

10. As strange as this sounds, coming from a musician and music teacher, I really don't always like to listen to music while in the car. Especially after a school day, I just want to hear talking........so I listen to talk radio, or one of the comedy channels on Sirius, etc.

11. I'm a political junkie from way back. The 2008 election cycle was the most fascinating, exciting and amazing thing I've ever experienced in my lifetime of watching that stuff. Of course, it is always more fun when your guy wins, right?

12. I still have bitterness, anger, resentment and frustration in my heart regarding my preeclampsia experiences and the premature births of my boys. There is so much about pregnancy I missed out on, and that might sound trivial but to anyone who's been through what I did, it's most definitely not. I hide it pretty well nowadays, but it's there...jealousy, even jealous of dear friends when they "beat PE" or just have plain old normal easy pregnancies like everyone should have but some of us don't.

13. I am incredibly blessed, far beyond what I deserve. My boys are alive, growing, thriving, smart, active, funny, talented, and far too many PE survivors sadly can't say the same things. So when I complain, or whine, or have temporary amnesia, maybe you can help remind me about #13.........