So Holli has tagged me to list 100 things about me...considering this is Makena's blog...I will try to keep it as G rated as possible. I hope you are not bored reading any of this! I didn't bother to read, revise or even spell check so sorry for any grammer errors you might find. I hope I didn't repeat myself either. Okay, that's that! ENJOY...and as far as tagging...I tag Katie, Jan and anyone else who stumbles onto my blog!
1. I was bred, born and raised in Dallas, TX
2. I share my birthday with Johnny Depp (June 9)...if anyone else reads this and shares my birthday or knows someone who does...tell me!! Aside from my brother-in-law, I don't know of anyone else.
3. I come from a VERY dysfunctional family, but in recent years it has become much more functional...I guess after 3 divorces my mother has finally figured it out, only now I am an adult married with a child...but whatever, she is a good mom.
4. My greatest fear is to die while Makena is still a baby/child/young adult...I don't want her to forget me...insecurities of my childhood??
5. The greatest love I can give is the love of a mother...she is my baby ALWAYS!
6. I am half Vietnamese and the other half is your standard American melting pot (a little of this a little of that).
7. I speak Vietnamese...conversational Vietnamese...I can't read it, I can't translate a business document from English to Vietnamese...I CAN communicate with my grandmother who's only English words I have hear her say is Hi and sh** and even the way she says it you usually go "huh?" So as long as I can communicate with my grandmother, I am VERY happy! I also understand all those catty women who work in those nail salons who never talk to you, they talk to each other and you can never understand them...BUT I DO and they usually don't know I can understand them. I have been known to walk out after hearing something rude said about me.
8. I love Vietnamese food.
9. I can't cook it though. I would only be insulting my mom and my grandmother if I tried among the other awesome cooks in my family.
10. I have a 20 year old brother who attends UNT and is a self taught guitarist....he needs a good girlfriend!
11. I started college, but never finished.
12. I wanted to be a teacher...I have the next best thing, Makena and Faith. I can play school with them...its great! Only I think soon, Faith will want to be the teacher and I will I have to just sit and be an obedient pupil or time out! She already tries to steal my thunder when I am reading to her. She flips the pages and points at the words...she will be reading to me before we know it.
13. I attended 8 different schools from elementary to high school. 5 of which were elementary schools.
14. One of which was a Catholic private school where my teacher Sister Loretta use to threaten me with a ruler and told me that I couldn't play Mary in the school Christmas pageant because I wasn't Catholic...I was a cow instead!
15. I tried out for the drill team in high school twice and didn't make it both times...this was the first time I did something that I knew would be hard for me and that I would probably fail, but it felt good to overcome the fear. In the end, I am glad I wasn't a part of the Newman Smith Troyanns. The auditions both year where a great experience, but I was very different from most of those girls and I think I would have had to become a bit superficial to fit in. Granted not everyone is like that, but you know...
16. I had crushes on boys in school, flirted a little, but didn't go on my first date till I was 17 and of course my first kiss occurred than as well. What can I say, late bloomer!
17. I have never done drugs. I was pretty clueless about it all!
18. Had my first alcoholic beverage at 19 ( I am not talking about the champagne I sip out of my mom's glass on New Year's either).
19. I have only been drunk 2 maybe 3 times and hated the experience and don't care to ever go through it again. I am a light weight...2 drinks tops...maybe 3 depending on how slow I am drinking.
20. I come from a large family on my mom's side. 10 Aunts and Uncles, their spouses brings us to 20 and than their kids...too many to count really but we are all close and see each other often. I love having a big family!
21. I have a hard time dealing with superficial people, those that try to keep up with the Jones'. Life is so much more than material possessions.
22. It bothers me when I see a parent yelling at their kids in public.
23. I love 80's music...my Uncle Steve use to play his acoustic guitar and my family would sing along.
24. We sang Beatles songs too...Hey Jude is my favorite.
25. I spent Christmas of 1996 in Buffalo, New York with my dad's family...it was the first time I had ever seen so much snow! I am not talking about slush, I mean real powdery snow. It was awesome, but I am a Texas girl after all and I was quickly unamused by the feet of snow we had to climb out of every morning.
26. I like the feeling of being "in love". Those are the times you can stay up all night and talk and neither one of you gets upset because of the sleep deprivation.
27. I was attacked by my German Shepard when I was 5. I had a tremendous fear of dogs until about 4-5 years ago.
28. I was never one of the "popular" kids in school. People knew me, but I wasn't big into the partying, sneak around my parents back and drink and do drugs scene.
29. I like a good meaningful conversation...eh...just a good conversation, doesn't have to be meaningful. I like to be listened to when I talk and I like the person I am talking to to engage themselves into the conversation with me. Challenge me, ask me questions.
30. Okay, I will admit...I was a New Kids on the Block junkie! My taste in music I think has improved since than.
31. My initials spell ALL (Angela Lynn Lampman...my married name Lutes has allowed me to keep my initials)
32. I grew up in a household where we all had different last names. Mine, Lampman, my brother's, Dang and my mom, Vuong. Talk about confusing the census bureau...you know, I don't have a clue if last names plays a factor in anything regarding the census.
33. I am not a coordinated person...I basically stink at any sport that includes equipment...that pretty much sums up every sport except running and swimming.
34. I once got hung by my shirt on a fence. My cousins and I were playing follow the leader. Of course they both scaled the fence easy, I on the other hand got hung!
35. I use to play the piano...I learned it the old fashion Do Re Mi...all of this C D E crap just confuses me! Anyway, I quit just to spite my mom and now I regret it. Holli!! Can you teach me along with all the other McKinney Babies?!
36. I sleep with 3-4 pillows...two to lay on, one on either side of me and covers up to my ears. I like to be well protected from drafts...I hate drafts! Unfortunately for me, during the summer months J likes the fan running.
37. My first car was a 1986 Mazda 626...sky blue! It was so loud I would set off all the car alarms in my school parking lot to the mustangs, accords, explorers and various other high end cars high schoolers shouldn't be driving. It was very embarrassing (thanks Mom!) and 3 months later the car just died! Thank GOODNESS!
38. My next car was a 1990 Honda CRX...my mom basically took it from my ex-step dad and told him he owed it to me...DARN RIGHT HE OWED ME!!
39. A year later I got rid of it cause I didn't want any reminders of my horrid ex-step dad!
40. My moms' second husband (aka brother's dad) had like 5 kids of his own from a previous marriage. The two oldest came to live with us and his daughter was so mean to me...I have been stuffed in closets all day, hot water (scalding) poured on me, sat on, locked out of the house etc...mind you she was like 16 and I was 5 or 6. WITCH!!
41. I do not like scary movies. My mean step sister forced me to watch Friday the 13th with her when I was younger and all I can remember is the girl had her legs pulled out from under her and dragged under the bed. For months I had chairs from my bedroom light leading to my bed and I would switch off my light and hop from one chair to the next till I got to bed. No one was going to drag me under my bed!!
42. I will admit, I saw Titanic three times in the movie theater and I own the two tape video and watched it tons of times thereafter...sigh what happened to those days when romance seemed so real! "I'll never let go Jack" I sure hope I quoted Rose right!
43. I relate a lot of things in my life to songs. Whether it be how I feel about my husband or how I feel about my daughter or just life in general. Music is a great way for me to relate my feelings with someone else...obviously the person who wrote it must have felt the same way I do...its nice to know your not alone!
44. I HATE BUGS!! ALL KINDS!! The thought of a bug in my house alive really grosses me out. Kill them all!! Justin and I are always debating on the usefulness of skeeter eaters. He says they are there to eat the mosquitos that come into our house...I say KILL THEM ALL! If it flies into my house it should be killed...if it crawls into my house, it should be killed, if it slinks, slithers or whatever else bugs do...it should be killed!
45. I am a conversationalist. I like to listen and I like to make the person I am talking to feel I am interested. I ask questions, give hypotheticals scenarios and try to relate to them. I like challenging conversations about anything. I like to debate on things I know nothing about...in the process, I am learning about it! I like meaningful conversations that have nothing to do with anything.
46. I had the best pregnancy...easy and uneventful...giving birth...EASY! Well, with an epidural. I labored for a little over four hours and pushed for just over 10 or 15 min and TA DA...BABY MAKENA was born. Easy as pie and I would give birth over and over again if I knew it would be that would be that easy each time.
47. I don't believe there are more than 46 interesting things about me, but I will keep trying.
48. OH!! I have been to Disneyland...I don't remember a lot of it though :( Sorry Aunt Cassie!
49. I think Blue Bell Ice Cream is the best...the only thing that tops that is Marble Slab Creamery Cheesecake with strawberries in a waffle cone! YUMMY!
50. OMG I MADE IT TO 50!
Okay, so I am really struggling here...this must mean my life is boring. I will have to remedy that some how and send out another 100 list at a later date. So for the next 50 I think I will break them down into categories. This may help me and make the list run a bit smoother.
Top 10 Things that Annoy Me - In no particular order
1. People not using their blinker to turn. I will admit, I am guilty of this on occasions, but I do pride myself on my blinker usage.
2. I am also annoyed by those who chose to sit at a red light in the right hand lane so the people behind them cannot turn on red! Again, I have been guilty of this myself, but mainly because when the lights turns yellow, I am already in the right lane and cannot move to the middle or left. Inevitably I am usually the second car needing to turn right while the first car in front of me is sitting at the light!
3. People who will argue a pointless point...people who don't really have a clue what they are talking about, they have their facts all wrong, but will argue it till the death! On occasions I have been known to be one of those people that annoy me...ask my husband!
4. I have nothing against different body types, however I do believe that there are clothes made for all sorts of body types. If you are someone thin and lanky, don't wear a moo moo! And those who are a bit heavier in the mid-drift, why do you wear belly bulging clothing??
5. Cheaters! All sorts of cheaters! If you cheat, whether it be copying someone's work, sneaking around on your spouse, taking something that isn't yours (also known as stealing), not returning the extra $10 change the clerk accidentally gave you...WHATEVER it may be...you are also known as a liar. The truth is, I think we have all cheated in one way or another...I know I have kept that extra change that the clerk at the grocery store accidentally gave me.
6. Catty women...I had joined a mommy and me class a few months after Makena was born. I never felt so left out in my life. I am not a big gossiper, I don't talk about people behind their backs and I don't have all the material possessions money can buy. All I know is, there are people in this world who care more about the outside than the inside and I believe woman are worse than men.
7. I am easily annoyed by narrow minded people. There is more to one's surroundings than themselves and just because something is different doesn't mean it is wrong.
8. Judgmental people annoy me too. I will admit that I have been caught saying something judgmental such as..."can you believe what she is wearing?" however, I try not to judge the way a person chooses to live their life. If it doesn't effect me, what does it matter anyway?
9. If I put off buying something I really want in hopes for a good sale, than I come back a few weeks later and it is gone! That really erks me!
10. I hate when someone dismisses how I feel. It my not be something significant to you, but it is to me! Okay, I have been known to dismiss someone else feelings...not often though!
So if you haven't noticed already, I am a walking contradiction of myself...I think everyone lives with a bit of hypocrisy in their life. NO ONE IS PERFECT!!
Top 10 Foods I Love - In no particular order
1. Coke, Pepsi, Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper
2. Shrimp Portofino from Macaroni Grill. ( I use to work there and would get this to go after my shift almost all the time!)
3. Asparagus...yum
4. Fish...really I like all fish, not picky at all. I prefer it grilled or baked, not much for fried fish unless it's fried catfish.
5. Pho...it's a Vietnamese rice noodle soup. It is a chicken stock with rice noodles, thin slices of beef, some basil leaves, bean sprouts and other stuff...to die for!
6. Friday's spinach and Artichoke Dip
7. I love cereal...I could eat cereal for breakfast lunch and dinner with snacks of cereal in between!
8. Rice Krispie Treats. Homemade with extra butter and marshmallows.
9. Hot chocolate on a cold winter day while wrapped up in a blanket.
10. Of course pizza! Macaroni Grill have the best Pizza Margarhita
Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Baby Girl! In no particular order, but there are definitely more than 10!
1. She is a little piece of me and what's not to love about that! just kidding
2. There is just something about the little life you carry for 9 months...you give birth and watch her grow to become the almost independent, almost one year old little angel.
3. Her smile...sometimes she just looks over at me and throws the happiest smile my way.
4. Her gibber jabbering. Means nothing to Jane Doe at the mall, but to me she is telling me the story of her little world.
5. How excited she is when I haven't seen her for a while. I walk through the door and she flaps her arms, smiles real big and stumbles to me to hold her.
6. I love it when we go out somewhere and she isn't familiar with the people that come up to us to talk to her, she puts her pointer finger in her mouth and lays her head on my shoulder and gives the most bashful look.
7. I love it when she lets me hold her while she sleeps. Miss Independent doesn't usually like to be held while she sleeps. So those rare occasions she will let me hold her, or even sleep in bed with me I jump at the chance!
8. I love the way she dances to Kylie Minogue's Can't Get you Out Of My Head. She puts her hands up above her head and bounces at her knees...OMG too cute!
9. I love how curious she is...she loves to hold something for ages and try to figure it all out. Opens cabinet doors and squats down and just looks inside. Takes the baby wipe box and one by one pull the wipes out of the box. When all the wipes are pulled out she puts them back in the box and does it again. You can see the light bulbs going off all the time! I LOVE IT!
10. I LOVE MY BABY GIRL BECAUSE SHE IS MY ANGEL FROM ABOVE AND I WAS BLESSED TO HAVE HER TO CALL MY OWN!
Okay on to some more random thoughts (I think I have 20 more to go)
1. On my mom's side there is four generation of women still (Grandma, my mom, me and Makena)
2. My mom was born in the Chinese Zodiac year of The Monkey, so was I and so was Makena. FREAKY!
3. I have never met anyone famous
4. I have never won anything either!! I am bitter about this.
5. My favorite movie of all time...I would say Titanic but I was much younger and thought Leo DiCaprio was hot...I would say my favorite movie is Gone With the Wind...talk about drama in epic proportions.
6. I love....I Love Lucy episodes. I have seen almost all of them.
7. I once got sick at the movie theater....we went to see Indiana Jones and got there late...the theater was packed and we had to sit front and center...to this day I will never sit any closer than at least half way up towards the back. the last row suits me fine too except I would usually be sitting with all the hormonal teenagers sucking face...gag!
8. The last movie I saw in the movie theater was Must Love Dogs...romantic/comdey. I saw it by myself...this is the first time I went to the movies by myself...I thought it would be akward, but it wasn't at all. I thinking I am strating to grow up and be comfortable with myself!
9. I have only been to one concert ever...Matchbox 20! Loved it...Lifehouse opened for them...two bands that I loved at the time!!
10. I will be attending my second concert in October with Holli, Cassy, Sto Sto among other blogger buddies. Amiee Mann or bust!!
Okay...10 more random thoughts and I am done!
1. I really look up to the people who have it together, those who are comfortable with who they are, sure of themselves and those that inspire me to be a better person.
2. I believe in true love...the kind that lasts a lifetime.
3. I always try to see the good in all people...
4. ...in turn I tend to be too trusting and than get taken advantage of. However, the older I have gotten the less I am taken advantage of...I have met some awesome people.
5. I am beginning to feel comfortable in my own skin...I am still trying to figure myself out, but I am okay with not being like everyone else. It's okay for me to have my own thoughts and ideas...no one has to agree with me.
6. I want to raise Makena to love herself. Love who she is, who she will become...embrace the things that make her different from everyone else.
7. I want to nurture her own personality...I don't have any intentions of molding her into whatever I think she should be. If I did that I could under estimate her potential.
8. I love watching her sleep...nothing else reminds me of how precious life is...it makes me proud to be her mommy!
9. My most over used movie quote is "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get." Forrest Gump
10. HOLY COW I AM DONE! The number 100 thing about me is that I managed to make it to 100!
For the record I started this thing on September 9th and here it is September 26th and I am just now done! Granted I would leave it and not think about it for a few days, but whatever...I am done. Hope you made it to the end without falling asleep!
