One, two, skip a few ... ninety-nine, one hundred

So.

I recently mentioned that I was coming up on my 100th post. Well, here it is.

In the blogging world (which, by the way, I'm finding out is a big place!!!), the 100th post is kind of a big deal, yada, yada, yada, whatever. And while part of me is like, "A post is a post is a post," I too could see the logic of putting a little more effort and thought into an entry, beyond, you know, "Seth pooped."

Most of the 100th posts I've read have been "100 things about me." Eh. I wasn't so keen on that, until I really started to think about the "why" of this blog.

Originally, as most of you know, Writer Chic 'N Lawn Boy was started with the sole purpose of keeping everyone up to date on my pregnancy with Seth. But he's here and healthy, so what was the point in continuing? Again, I guess I mostly kept up so that friends and family not here in Toledo could keep tabs on us. But I've also begun to realize that this is a "doable" scrapbook -- I'm so bad at that whole thing (which is why I didn't even purchase a baby book for Seth -- I knew it wouldn't get done!) -- and all of a sudden, WCNLB became our family journal. Now I know that Seth, and any siblings to follow, will be able to look back on this site in years to come (I hope...Blogger, behave!) and see what our life was like -- and see a little bit of who his mom was at 27 (and 30, and 34, etc.)


So in keeping with the spirit of "100 things about me," but with my own twist, to someday let Seth know what "makes me tick," right now, here is my variation, to commemorate my 100th blog post:


THINGS I LOVE TO DO

1. Cook. Not doing too hot in that area – working full time and then tending to my boys often results in pasta, or Little Caesars.
2. Read. Right now I’m enjoying Second Glance by Jodi Picoult


3. Sleep. If I time it right, in the morning, after I get up to pump, I can crawl back into bed while Jim is in the shower, and lay there, half-in/half-out of sleep for about 10 minutes….it is HEAVEN on earth.
4. Riding around in the Mustang. Apparently, I’ve become spoiled with having a convertible. I could ride around all day with the wind whipping my hair, the sun beating down, Jim be-bopping away to his 80s tunes, and Seth chattering in the backseat.
5. Blog. Whether it's writing or reading, it's gotta be the simplest, cheapest way to work my brain a bit.
6. Rearrange furniture. Even when it will get me in trouble. ;)
   
   THINGS I LOVE TO EAT:
   
7. Italian sausage and roasted peppers over pasta with red sauce. Dismayed is an understatement for how I felt when Olive Garden discontinued this dish. Thank goodness I’ve found an even better version a Granite City.
8. Chocolate Raspberry Truffle in a waffle cone from Handel’s. No explanation needed.



9. Raisinets and popcorn. The ultimate movie-goer’s snack duo. Oh. With a Pepsi. But I love Pepsi enough that it’s getting its own number.
10. Pepsi. Amen, and amen.
11. Dark chocolate. I’m not picky, though I do recognize and appreciate the quality stuff.
12. Panera Bread’s Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
    
    PEOPLE WHO MATTER SO VERY MUCH:
    
13. Seth. He is the joy of my life, even now, as he begins to really forge some independence and display his free will. Diaper changing has become the number one challenge of my day, every day. As soon as he’s on his back, he digs that left shoulder in, and flip! Off he goes. Thank goodness his little tush is cute, ‘cause it’s all I see anymore.
14. Jim. This man is my rock. Um, number one quality of his that comes to mind right this moment (though as a whole, he has too many to list)…patience, hands down.
15. Sara. She probably gets the award for contributing the most to my sanity. There is NO way I could go to work each day and leave Seth if I didn’t know that he was in the best. hands. ever. She loves Seth like he is her own. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Well, actually, I do. I’d be home with Seth, and probably calling her every 10 minutes for advice. But thankfully, I don’t have to face that dilemma. She is, literally, a Godsend.
16. Kim. Work right now would be unbearable if it were not for her. She helps me keep my attitude in check and my perspective where it needs to be. Most of the time. ;)
17. My dad. He’s my best bud. It’s just that simple and true.
18. My PL/SAL girls. Even as we drift and “need” each other less and less (and that’s a good thing – it means we’re all having babies!), they’re still front and center. Daina, Jill, Gabriella, Tamara, Val, Mandie – love you guys!
    
    PLACES I WANT TO VISIT: (top three picks get pictures)
    
19. Venice. Always have. Will I ever? I dunno. But it’s nice to dream.
    
    


20. Ireland. It’s just so pretty. And I’m a ridiculously small fraction Irish, so it’s kind of my homeland. Right?




21. Big Sur. A little more doable. Maybe as a family vacation soon? California was so much prettier and vast and spectacular than I expected it to be…I can’t wait to go back!
    
    
22. London
23. Hawaii -- this mostly made the list because everyone I've ever know who has gone there says "You HAVE to go!!!"
24. Boston, MA -- been there, loved it, want to go back with my boys!
25. Bar Harbor, ME -- been there, loved it, want to go back with my boys!
26. Savannah, GA -- been there, loved it, want to go back with my boys!
27. Gulf Coast of Florida. I want to take Jim and our kids back to the place that was so influential in shaping my life. Not just PCC, specifically, but the whole 5 years that I was in Pensacola.
    
    PLACES I'M OPEN TO MOVING TO:
    
28. Louisville, KY
29. Austin, TX
30. Dallas, TX
31. Cincinnati/Dayton, OH
32. Asheville, NC
33. Nashville, TN
    
    PEOPLE THAT ONCE WERE MY "BEST FRIEND"


34. Weston
35. Jenny
36. Colleen
37. Anne
38. Wendy
39. Mandy
40. Kimberly
41. Daniel
42. Sarah
43. MaryBeth
    
    I’m sure there is a wealth of things to be said from that list, considering I only have contact with 3 of those 10 people. But that is another post for another day.
    
    FRIENDSHIPS THAT REPLACED THOSE LOST
    
44. Melissa and Mike
45. Nikki and Jerry
46. Steph and Craig
47. Kristen and Joel
48. Sara and Doug
49. Abby
50. Matt and Jenny
51. Andrea and Jay
    
    BRAND ITEMS I WON'T COMPROMISE ON:
    
52. JIF
53. Country Crock margarine
54. Crest toothpaste
55. Tampax
56. Kraft Mac ‘N Cheese (cause it’s the “cheesiest”!)
    
    FAVORITE PLACES TO BLOW $25....or $250...whatever
    
57. Biggby Coffeehouse
58. Target
59. Hobby Lobby
60. Pier One
61. The Body Shop
62. Borders/Barnes & Noble



63. Pottery Barn
64. Williams Sonoma – we’re trying to build our “really good” cookware collection. So far, we have 2 pots.
    
    MAGAZINES I ENJOY READING:
    
65. Midwest Living
66. Martha Stewart Living
67. Real Simple



68. People (I know, I know. It’s hardly journalistic.)
69. Parents
70. Rachael Ray Everyday
    
    BEST MOMENTS OF MY TWENTIES (so far)
    
71. College graduation
72. Getting published
73. Moving back home
74. First date with Jim
75. Working at Koinonia
76. Walking away from grad school at BGSU
77. Getting married
78. Buying our first home
79. Discovering The Nest and all the friendships it brought
80. Getting pregnant
81. Meeting Seth
    
    HEIRLOOMS I HOPE MY CHILDREN WILL CHERISH
    
82. Our china
83. Grandma Samas' pearls
84. Grandma Krueger's pearls
85. The "four" wedding gowns in our family
86. My Soldano wedding quilt
87. Our family nativity
88. My dad's Bible(s)
89. The Soldano cradle
90. Jim's wodden toys
    
    And finally...
    
    THE TOP TEN THINGS I HOPE TO POST OVER THE NEXT 100 entries:
    
91. Baby Olive (Sara and Dan's) is here safe and sound!
92. Baby B (Craig and Steph's) is here safe and sound! (no post, but Aaron arrived 12/6/08!)
93. Daina and Jeff's twins are here safe and sound! (shame on me! Also, no post, but Gregory and Ari arrived 2/24/09!)
94. Our deck is done!
95. Seth said his first word! It was "bath," at about 8 months.
96. Seth is walking! On his first birthday, and no turning back.
97. I'm pregnant again! Found out 1/6/09.
98. We're moving! (I dunno....no plans to, I just have an itch.)
99. SONIC IS OPEN!!!! =)
100. Time for my 200th post....
     

Thanks for your company on the journey so far. And if you read and don't normally comment, take a second just today to say hi to commemorate by "big day."

Ciao, internet!