21 bits of randomness ...

I was tagged by Jen @ Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood to share 21 random facts about myself and then to tag 10 people to do the same. And since I always love a little bit of randomness, here it goes ...

1. My name is Tonia (Toe-Knee-Ahh). I have always had a bit of disdain for my name, as I have rarely met a person who could pronounce it correctly without hearing it first. Because my name is unique, I wanted somewhat unique names for my children. My plan kind of backfired. Dizzle's name, while unique for a girl was the fifth most popular name for a boy the year she was born and Doodle's name was the 22nd most popular in the year I bestowed it on her. When we found out we were having our third girl, I gave up on names all together and let Jeremy have control. It's was probably the first and last time that that will ever happen.

2. When I met my husband, I thought he had a huge gap between his front teeth. He doesn’t. However, all three of my children do.

3. I got married in the Bahamas. It was one of the best days of my life. One of the most memorable things that happened that day had nothing to do with me. My little sister fainted during the photos. Scary then. Funny now.

4. I don’t like waiting … for anything. I am a quick decision maker. I bought a house, got married and was pregnant with my first child in a matter of four months.

5. I had my first child young … I was 23. The second came along when I was 25 and the third, one week before my 27th birthday. This means that I was pregnant or breastfeeding for over five years straight. Despite that sacrifice, having children at a young age was the best decision I ever made, for numerous reasons. Think about it, we are the "cool, young parents", we are past the "baby" stage while all of our peers are just entering it, and I will only be 45 when Dilly goes to college. How epic is that?

6. Two of my biggest accomplishments are graduating from an Ivy League university (I finished in 3 years) and finishing six marathons. But, by far my greatest accomplishment is my daughters. Proof of the first two is hanging on my wall. I would hang my children on the wall too, but I think that is frowned upon.

7. I have never had a real job (i.e. one I could support myself with), but I am working on changing that. With that said, being a stay-at-home mom is more job than I could have ever wanted.

8. I like to do a lot of things, but running is my passion. Strangely, I used to hate running and would avoid it at all costs. Truth be told, I still hate running, but I run at least five days a week and am mildly addicted. Need more proof? I ran throughout my third pregnancy and completed two sprint triathlons, 3 10Ks, an 8K, 2 5Ks and a half-marathon. Four days before I delivered, I ran seven miles.

9. I used to be overweight. That is no longer the case and on more than one occasion have been told that I need to eat something. Funny, considering pretty much all I do is eat. It's just that the people who have known me for more than seven years or so, remember how I used to be and the bad habits I had and they think that my current healthy lifestyle is extreme. (Note: It's not extreme. I'm a pescatarian. I don't eat a lot of junk. I know how to indulge. I run. I bike. I weigh 150-155 lbs and I have for 7 years.)

10. When I was 12 I broke my pelvis and dislocated my hip. I was on bed-rest for two and a half months and gained 70 pounds. Although my doctors were sure that I would never return to sports I did, and I competed through college. The only lasting effect of the injury is that my right leg is an inch and a half longer than my left.

11. I have two tattoos, one is a discus thrower. The other is Chinese symbols, and my sisters have the same one. I want a third and I'm just waiting for the go-ahead. At one point in my life, I had 12 ear piercings, in addition to a belly ring, an eyebrow ring, and a tongue ring.

12. I met my husband when I was 17. I was on a recruiting trip to his school, Cornell. He was my tour guide. After that weekend, I didn't talk to him again for almost three years. We started dating while on the Penn/Cornell Track and Field trip to England. We dated for 10 months before becoming engaged and we didn’t live in the same state until a month before our wedding.

13. If given three wishes, I would wish for wealth for my family, health for my family, and for my father to be able to meet my husband and children. If I was only given one wish, I would wish for my father to meet my husband and children.

14. My father passed away when I was 20. It was the worst moment of my life. It was also one of the best moments of my life. It completely changed my perspective on life and how I approach things. It made me into the person that I have become and that is a person that I am 100 percent happy with, both inside and out. But, I miss him everyday.

15. The last time I had an alcoholic drink was at my wedding. It was an amaretto sour. I don’t plan on ever having one again. For no other reason than I don’t like how it tastes. And speaking of my wedding, the only thing I ate during it was a cream puff and a bite of wedding cake.

16. My weirdest quirk: Whenever I stay at a hotel I always sleep with a hood on. I don’t like my face resting on the same pillowcase that others have used. With that said, I love to travel, yet have done very little of it, mostly because I have either been pregnant or had children for all but two months of my married life, which began less than six months after I graduated. The place I most want to visit: Australia. Yet, if I could live anywhere, at least for a little while, it would be the Pacific Northwest.

17. I am tall for a girl, 5’9" Yet, I am destined to be the shortest member of my family. My husband is 6’7" and most of my family, including my mom, are over 6 feet tall. It’s said that you can double a child’s height somewhere between age 2 and 2 ½ to get an idea of how tall they will be. If I do that for any of my children and it’s true, they will be between 6’ and 6’3.

18. I’m not a sucker for romance. I think jewelry and flowers, while a nice gesture, are a waste of money. Give me a box of donuts and a good pair of running shoes any day. Although I am not a jewelry fan, I never take off my wedding band and engagement ring. Ever.

19. I have a best friend from each stage of my life. Elementary school, high school, college and adulthood. I love them all dearly, although each of our relationships are very different. I've know my oldest friend for almost 27 years. I am about to turn 30.

20. Before we had kids, J and I went out to dinner and a movie almost every single weekend. In recent times this has changed. We haven't gone to see a movie together since DaVinci Code in 2006. We'll be ending our hiatus this weekend when we go to see Breaking Dawn.

21. I am extremely Type A. I like pattern and routine and things have to be done the "right way" (which is usually my way). I write lists for everything, including other lists. I pack two weeks in advance to avoid forgetting something. And I CANNOT leave my house if it's messy. I'd rather be late (and I really hate being late) than come home to a dirty house.

And now for the next in line -

G @ Neurosis of the Stay at Home Marathoner of 3 (Kids)
Mel @ Tall Mom on the Run
Kerrie T @ Mom vs. Marathon
Jen @ Setting You Free
Jess @ Pace of Me
Kim @ (Just) Trying is for Little Girls
Jess @ Blonde Ponytail
Rachel @ Running Backwards in High Heels
Kari @ Running Ricig
Lesley @ Racing it Off