A Meme on Mother's Day

Dudes! It's my first meme tagging! And on Mother's Day!

First, a belated Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. Over the last two years, I've learned to appreciate that much more what my mother, stepmother, grandmothers and step-grandmothers have gone through.

This is the most joyful and the most difficult thing I've ever done. As I told the Cap'n today, many times in my life I've battled anxiety and depression. I've even been suicidal. But since having the boys, I've found more meaning to life. I still get down and still struggle, but now every day has potential and goodness because these two little boys came into my life.

They're cute, but I'll have to post a pic of Slim's new scrapes from face-planting down the stairs of our building. Oy.

Now on to the meme: The rules are to post 8 random, interesting things about myself and tag 8 other people. So here goes:

1. One grandfather was a farmer and the other was a professional wrestler. I think that dichotomy is still present in my genes.

2. It's a running joke in our house that I went to school on the "short bus." I attended a special program at the middle school when I was in elementary school, and then I went to a "special" high school for my junior and senior years. Let's just leave it at "special."

3. Three classmates in my "special" high school killed themselves within a six week period at the end of my senior year, including one on prom night. It's one of two sets of events that formed me as a person.

4. I walked on hot coals.

5. The Cap'n and I got lost in a canoe in the Everglades and had to sleep in the boat getting bitten by helicopter-sized mosquitoes. I don't swim well, and there were alligators around. And I still married the guy. (P.S. We did make it out.)

6. I miss reading. It's been one of my lifelong loves. In fact, the first thing I ever stole was my 5th grade teacher's copy of "The Odyssey." And I still have it. I used to spend whole days just curled up on the couch with a good book. I just haven't had that luxury since having the kids.

7. I randomly quote lines from "A Christmas Story" (It's a major award!) and "The Muppet Movie." (It's a myth! A myth! Ye-th?)

8. I have "The Cat in the Hat" memorized. Handy on long car trips.

Okay, I'm tagging Caroline, Carrie, Laura, Lolly, Karida, Hannah, Sarah-Hope and Maryse. My feelings won't be hurt if you don't do it, but it was fun!