Where to start, at the beginning I guess

I guess an explanation is in order regarding my title. All my life I wanted to be at the top of something. As a small child it was the "hill" when we played "king of the hill" in the field behind our house. When I was a young girl, it was the top of someones "best friend" list. As I hit the high school years, it was the top of the "best dressed, all the boys thought you were pretty, have a choice on who to go to the dances with" list. So I am proud to say that after 52 years of waiting, I am finally on "TOP". Mind you it wasn't my first choice. Not one I had ever expected or even hoped for, it kind of fell at my feet, if you know what I mean. And to be truthful with you, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I should tell you a little about my life on the top and how I got here.

In the summer of 1977 I met a guy, let's call him Steve. To make a long story short.....he let me be on top, I was the first name on his best friend list and he thought I was the best dressed prettiest girl he ever met and he took me dancing. We fell in love, argued over the number of children we were to have, I said none, he said 4, I said 1, he said 3, I countered with 2, we agreed. He ask me to marry him, I said yes, we got married June 30, 1979.

On December 11, 1980 after 32 hours of labor without an epidural and a salad tong delivery, I gave birth to an 8#3oz baby boy we named Erik. For the next 4 months I swore I would never give birth again. It was too damn painful and my tail bone was cracked in the process.

By the 5th month I was pregnant again. On March 2, 1982 Nici was born after 4 hours of labor. WOW, this time it easy, heck I thought I could spit out a few more. And besides I kind of liked the little buggers. So..... on December 9, 1983, Heidi was born 2 weeks after my due date and 2 labor pains.

We decided 3 was the magic number. We have the perfect life. A 3 bedroom house in a child friendly neighborhood with our 3 kids, life was great.

They went to school and I was there volunteering, doing all the homeroom mom stuff, making sure no one picked on my babies.

Then the time came, the school needed a volunteer to do lice checks on the kids. Being a hairdresser by trade, I raised my hand. I became a permanent fixture in the elementary school. For the next 5 years I was known as The Lice Lady.