-roller skating with best friends Debbie and Denise
-favorite babysitter was Rob who always wrestled with us and left me money from the tooth fairy -got my two-wheeler and rode it home from the store
-playing King of the Hill with Dave and BJ on the mattress hill: falling off and splitting my head open (I won't name names as to who pushed me, Dave!!!)
-mom and dad using a ping pong paddle to spank us

Lake Ontario Memories

-taking yearly pictures on "the rock"
-fishing fishing and fishing - I still remember catching an eel – YUCK!!
-I always got a bone in my fish: it didn't matter if I picked first or last, my pieces always had a fishbone and that still holds true today. I once had a fishbone in my McDonald's fish fillet!!
-playing Three Blind Mice at Pleasant Point and having the screen door slam in my face. You can still see the scar, Dave!!!!

Pennsylvania Memories

-we started school on David's birthday at Elderton. I had Mrs. Craig for 2nd grade and she was a witch. She made me do a whole year's work in the final 3 months of the school year. Mom still holds a grudge to this day. My 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Rye still remains my alltime favorite teacher.

-Tumbling on the extra mattress in our bedroom. I remember throwing myself backwards off the beam thousands of times to perfect that back handspring! My coach was Mr. Olsen who later gave me my 1st real job teaching at his academy.
-Gymnastics gave way to 4-H and cheerleading, Tri-HI-Y, yearbook and school plays, shopping in Monroeville (the big city) with BJ and mom and we always had lunch at Penney's.
-High school graduation was June 1974 and I was the salutatorian.

Allegheny College

-fall 1974 to 1976
-mom would drive me to school and we 'd always have lunch at Elby's – chicken salad and the BEST strawberry pie
cheerleading for the Gators

Slippery Rock College

-fall 1976 to 1978, transferred to major in recreation
-lived in the Riviera, an off campus co-ed dorm
-met Doug in the fall of 1976 at a Theta Chi fraternity party. He got me a beer and asked me to dance. He made me laugh all night and dipped me on the dance floor – I was hooked!
football games, intramurals, Theta Chi activities, parties at apt. 23 and Doug's Cougar.
-graduated suma cum laude in spring 1978

-Doug came to visit every weekend after graduation while he was working the W. Virginia/Ohio/Kentucky territory for Eveready.He actually had his mail forwarded to my house because he spent so much time there. Dad always put him to work chopping wood and Doug swears he's transplanted EVERY bush and shrub on the property.
-Mom always put out the orange and green towels for him – the guest towels she said. Our 1st visit home with the dog after marriage and guess who got the "guest towels" to sleep on? Trapper!!
-Doug proposed at Slippery Rock's homecoming in October 1978.

Wedding

-mom got an Emily Post marriage book and she and I took it to heart. Doug threatened at least once a week to "burn that damn book"
Dad's back went out the week of the wedding – a little psychosomatic illness? He got a cortisone shot, walked me down the aisle, danced the first dance and spent most of the reception flat on his back on a cot! His last words to me before going down the aisle: "Are you sure you want to do this?" I married Doug on June 9, 1979 on what was the hottest day of the summer!!!

Columbus, Ohio June 1979 to May 1980

Memories- a 1 bedroom apartment
- bought Trapper at a pet store
the apartment was robbed while we were out of town

Auburn Hills, Michigan ~ May 1980 to August 1984

Memories – lived here for 4 years with Doug selling batteries and me teaching aerobics and gymnastics.
great gyros at Greektown and Coney Island hotdogs
Tiger stadium and watching a game with Al Kaline
Lions's games at the dome

Eden Prairie, Minnesota August 1984 to June 1994

Austin was born on September 30, 1985 – 2 weeks overdue. I went into labor on a Sunday night watching "Tootsie" and hurried to the hospital only to have my labor stop. Doug went home and I stayed put so they could induce my labor the next am. I woke up at 4:00 am fully dilated and the nurse told me to get Doug there fast. I called him and said"hurry, we're having a baby" and he asks if he has time to shower?! "NO GET HERE !" Doug shows up about an hour later - freshly showered! He looked great but I was a little haggard as Frank Bull pointed out later after viewing the pictures. Austin Alexander Bull went home in the bunting that his grandma Tosi knitted him. A week later she and I dumped him out of his car seat on the way to the pediatrician . No harm done!!!

Corey was born on May 12, 1989 – a week early. I was so big the doctor thought I'd never make it through natural childbirth so he induced my labor on a Friday morning. Austin went to preschool and we went to the hospital. They get me settled in and start the pitocin drip which the dr. says could take hours. Corey was obviously impatient even then so an hour later I'm having major labor pains and Doug's wandering the halls looking for a cup of coffee and watching Wheel of Fortune with the obstetrician (who's a dead ringer for Jethro Bodine of the Beverly Hillbillies). Corey was born 2 hours after I checked in and we took him home on Mother's Day. He was the best present I ever got!!!!

I talked with my Grandma Tosi after the boys were born and we were discussing weight, length and head sizes of the boys which is extremely significant to any woman who has ever gone through labor!! She laughed when I told her they had to suction Austin out because he was so big and she said that was nothing. Her boys all had such big heads that the doctor had to use 2 big silver spoons to pull them out!

Mn. Memories – mosquitoes, COLD with temps of 30 below zero and windchills of –60, SNOW, driving on the frozen lakes, cross-country skiing, fishing in Round Lake, golfing at Bent Creek, Doug's "over 35" softball league, Vikings, Twins, Forest Hills Elementary School.

Warwick, New York June 1994 to August 1998

Memories: Mets games at Shea , apple picking, West Point football and ice skating, snowdays, rescuing Rex from the pound, Ian, the pool, Little League, golfing at Warwick Country Club, Park Avenue Elementary and Warwick Vally Middle School.

Roswell, Georgia August 1998

Memories: building the house, living in the hotel for 2 weeks with the dog before the house was ready, being rear-ended the day we arrived in Ga., Atlanta Braves and Turner Field, tailgating and football at UGA, Tech basketball, golfing at Canterbury, Doug's 1st eagle, panning for gold at Dahlonega, Austin gets his drivers' permit, Mabry Middle School and Lassiter High School.

Pennsylvania Memories

Fishing in the creek, riding in the cart and driving the tractor, swimming in O'Masta's pool, trips to ToysR Us and Chuckee Cheese, visits from the marshmallow bear, playing croquet and badminton and kickball and baseball! And videotaping all our visits.

I once read a parenting article that said never start a ritual with kids that you aren't prepared to continue for the rest of your life! You goofed on this one, grandpa. You are now synonymous with PARTY. It doesn't matter where, but Austin and Corey fully expect you to concoct party platters every evening of every visit! Keep those chips and chex mix coming!!!