Me In My Weirdness - x 6!

First of all, I want to thank you all for reading and/or commenting on my last post. Each one of you is yet another example of all the good things that have come to me in the past year and at this time of year, I am especially grateful for every gift I have received.

Annelisa at Words That Flow, (on my sidebar...sorry I haven't mastered the link thing!) tagged me for 6 weird things about me....and I'm the first on her list so I'm not sure if she already thinks I'm the weirdest or not but here it goes!

Me Be Weird...Let me Count The Ways!

1. I was a major thumbsucker as a kid and engaged in this activity constantly with a blankie named, "Ki-Ki Ni-Ni Williams until about 5 years old. (I am still pretty wimpy and sucky as a adult!) Ki-Ki was involved in many adventures from which I have created many animated stories. I have told these to kids in my Gr. 2 classes when we were doing Franklin's Blanket and I made them part of the follow-up activity, asking them to choose their favourite Ki-Ki story, tell why, and illustrate it. There was Ki-Ki Goes To Kingston, Ki-Ki Gets Lost, Ki-Ki Goes To The Drugstore, Ki-Ki Goes To The Shoe Store to mention a few, and then the final "Goodbye Ki-Ki"! Other teachers would never do this sort of thing but the kids and parents thought it was excellent. I guess that makes me a pretty off-centre teacher compared to many!

2. I have several Obsessive-Compulsive actions! I have to have the first cup of coffee from the coffee pot...(at my house, not the coffee shops!). I need the first bite of an apple, or a drink if I'm sharing. I'm fixated on getting Christmas lights and decorations up on time. I eat my toast upside down...(see old post called, "The Upside of Toast!") I used to have to sleep with the hall light on when I was a kid..now it's toned down to a night light! I ritualize my actions sometimes...like when I was a camp counselor, my friend and I smoked a ceremonial butt and hid them in the tree to see if they'd be there the next year...stuff like that.

3. Some things in my life are eerily connected...like I was a sugar and candy addict as a little one and then I became diabetic at 13. No one else in my whole family ever was. I developed an acute back problem when lifting boats at camp and ended up marrying a chiropractor! I feel very connected and sensitized to this world and the one beyond. My theory is that when I was in a diabetic coma at 13, I crossed over to the other world briefly (they actually told my parents they'd lost me and to come) but came back, having picked up a motherlode of an unusual amount feeling and sensitivity. Many things affect me more deeply than others I believe and I have a great degree of empathy.

4. I name inanimate objects and give them human qualities..like clothes. There's The Blue Rag, The Watermelon Dress, The Lilac Dress, The Mom's Mabley Slippers ....! I make my descriptions of my cats seem very much like people.

5. I usually find something humourous in almost everything...like when I supposedly had Liver Disease, I said, "Well that does it! No way I'm ordering Liver and Onions again!" (I hate liver and have never had it! Just cat food to me!)
In group dynamics, I take on the role of "social-emotional tone-setter". In summer camp staff meetings, teacher meetings, classes of any kind, choir etc. I always blurt out some funny line about something and everyone just breaks up. It usually provides comic relief and brings affection and unity to the group. I did this in my own class that I taught too so the kids would always feel warm and happy to be in school.

6. I have entered tons of contests. Once I won the animal caption contest in The Toronto Sun 29 times and got t-shirts for each one. I passed them on to the winners in my Gr. 3 class for the same creative thinking contest.
I used to send away for all kinds of crap on cereal boxes and the like....I got Tiger Socks from Frosted Flakes, Koolaid jugs, Crystal Light T-shirts, Cheerios mug and bowl set. As a kid, I just had to buy junk with free prizes inside.

I have tons more...I could write a post on each one of these! I'm not tagging anyone at this busy time of year. Just happy to share more of my funny ole self with all of you!

Mother of Invention, celebrating my weirdness!