50 things about me and a give away!

OK, so its over a week since my 50th birthday and 500th post and I had thought I should do something in honor of those two big occasions. so in honor of my 50th birthday, I thought I'd post 50 things about me.. (well I'm going to try anyways.. we'll see how far I get!)

1) I am 50 years old! born on oct 2 1960
2) I am the oldest of 4 kids
3) I hated school from kindergarten straight through!
4) I was a naughty teenager!
5) I barely attended 9th grade and failed.
6) moved to another school to repeat 9th and somehow passed with out doing any real work or barely attending!
7) I ran away and quit school when I turned 16. ( returned home after a couple weeks).
8) I took my GED when I was 17 and passed with out taking the classes.
9) met my husband when I was 16
10) we did a lot of partying!
11) moved out of my fathers house when I was 18 and tony and I rented a house together.
12) Was 21 when we got married on 4/4/81
13) had my first baby on 9/20/81 (dont be doing the math there girls!)
14) I worked in several factorys.. I liked factory work. (easier then what I do now!)
15) in early 1985 I went to a baby shower for a cousin, watching her open her gifts I was bit by the "I want another baby bug"
16) nine months later on 12/6/85 we had baby number 2.. Bethany Marie
17) Prior to having he baby, in oct of 85 we moved out of the city and bought our house in the country.
18) had baby number 3 on 4/21/87 Tony Jr
19) had baby number 4 on 11/10/88 Robert Biagio (named after my father in law who passed away while I was pregnant.
20) I stayed home for a bunch of years raising the kids.
21) I worked at a quilt and gift shop for a while.
22) I pretty much spent my whole paycheck there everyweek!
23) In 1994 I decided to go to college for human services.
24) after receiving my associates in human services I decided to go on to get my BAS in Social work.
25) I graduated from college the same year that my daughter Jennifer graduated from HS!
26) I got hired at our local social services pretty much right away and worked with pregnant and parenting teenagers.
27) worked there a year and then got bumped out of my position.
28) left the county and went to work at a drug treatment center with adolescents for a few years.
29) went back to the county to work in the child protection unit.
30) took another postion with the county as a preventive school caseworker
31) 6 months later took the position I have now as youth care coodinator, which deals with the juvenile delinguent and PINs teenage boys who the judge places in foster care.
32) used to love my job, presently I'm a little disenchanted with it.. but I'll get over it.
33) hmmm.. lets see.. I've always believed in God, and am a Christian.. (though not a very good example of one!) used to attend church every sunday, though now I never go. though my faith is still strong and I still pray all the time.. I just cant seem to get myself to go to church. (did I mention that my church is right across the street.... )
34) (16 more things??? ) lets see.. I've been married 29 years... my husband is an "old" biker boy. He still has really long hair which he pretty much keeps in a pony tail and tucked in his shirt.. Its a little thin these days! LOL! He also has a big scraggly old beard!
35) I figure with 4 kids that Ive thrown at least 45 birthday partys, and 4 HS graduation partys and most recently a huge baby shower!
36) my kids are 29, 24, 23, and 21... they are why I have white hair!! (jk)
37) I will become a grandmother for the first time during the first week or so of Dec this year!
38) I am a happy person.. I wake up happy to wake up!
39) I'm mostly a morning person, but I would like to never need to sleep, I want to stay up late playing and get up ready to play some more!
40) You already know this, but I LOVe to create things!
41) I love animals and have 2 siamese kitties and a recently aquired african grey parrot.
42) I lost 55 pounds this year!!!
43) I Like to say that I was born a real princess and must have been switched to the wrong family at birth.. which means that someone out there is living my other life!
44) my husband tells me I am a real princess.... (is he kidding me?)
45) I'm addicted to the computer.. blogging.. flickrs..
46) I love this blogging comunity! There are so many interesting and talented people out here that I would never know otherwise!
47) I've been able to meet in person 10 of my blogger and flickr pals! What an absolute treat!
48) I'm a bit obsessed with holiday creating and decorating..
49) I'm also a magazine junkie.. (really need to get this under control!)
50) I think I'm going shopping today.. new jeans and a trip to Joanns (birthday gift cards!) and buffalo stamps and maybe a couple new magazines!! (I see lots of christmas ones are out.)
thats it girls.. I did it 50 things about me!

Ha! # 24 thru # 32 sound like a work resume!
so now, If youve stuck it out and read the whole thing, leave me a comment, because from this post, in a couple days I will choose a winner for my 500th post giveaway.. Just a "little" something!


By the way.. what ever possessed me to make two apple pies yesterday when I'm trying to lose more weight.. they are haunting me.. calling my name.. I hear them.. Mostly my tummy hears them I think! I will not eat any.. I will not eat any.. I will not eat any...
I ate some last night.. enough for today too! I do not need any.. I do not need any... I do not need any...