My wife...

Word of the day: mot juste : the perfect word or phrase to communicate precisely what you mean to say

Today's post treads a different path....

100 Things I Love About My Wife!

1) Her sense of humor. She's so funny and witty, never offended, full of funny mot justes (to use the word of the day), verbally deft, witty as anything.

2) Her intelligence. What more can I say here? She's brilliant.

3) The way she's so patient in dealing with moronic CCAD students.

4) Her voracious appetite for reading. She introduced me to a lot of my favorite books - Lonesome Dove, The Kite Runner, Middlesex, The Forgotten Garden. She reads more than I do, but I catch up to her by the reading I sneak in at work...

5) That she has worked hard to get a good job and got it. I'm so glad that she's doing exactly what she wants to do.

6) She's a perfect mother. Absolutely perfect: compassionate, caring, detail-oriented, flexible, warm, with a sense of humor. I can't wait to have another baby with her.

7) The way she always sleeps to my left in bed and sits to my left on the couch.

8) She's a first-rate cook and I love how we have favorite meals together (tater tot casserole, bacon pasta, chicken parmesan, different soups, etc.)

9) The way she always gets me gifts every holiday - great gifts, too, thoughtfully choosing items/clothes/books I need but wouldn't get myself.

10) Knowing that there's no place she'd rather be than with me and that she's there beside me when I go to sleep and...

11) That she's there when I get up. I enjoy seeing her face in the morning - I don't even mind her morning breath or when she tastes like hazelnut coffee.

12) She's a wonderful daughter. She cares so much for her father, is understanding, forgiving, persistent, and so, so reliable.

13) All of the above apply to her as a sister as well. She keeps track of her family, makes sure everything is well.

14) I know my mom and dad thinks she is the greatest daughter-in-law imaginable, and I treasure how well she gets along with my (often scatterbrained) mom.

15) The way she soaks up TV shows she likes. TV night with her is so enjoyable and relaxing.

16) Her worldly knowledge, the way she creams me in Jeopardy.

17) The way she can be dirty and crude, anything but elitist and high-minded. She has a nice lust for the raunchy.

18) That she got me hooked on Ken Follett.

19) How she is so well-travelled. I can't wait for our family to take so many trips together.

20) That she lets me be who I am.

21) That she can be wild and crazy, if the rare situation requires it.

22) Her height.

23) The way her Chicago accent sneaks through every now and then, really chomping down on a hard 'a.'

24) That she asked me out!

25) That I am able to see her and talk to her multiple times a day, no matter how zany and divergent our schedules are. Also, that throughout most of the time we have lived together, I've been able to see her a sizable portion of almost every day.

26) Her butt.

27) Her sense of fashion. She always dresses well, has nice accessories and shoes...

28) On that note, she knows what looks good on me and I would be stupid to buy anything for my self to wear without first consulting her, for she's rarely wrong.

29) That we like the same types of music.

30) That we had similar high school experiences and "came of age" around the same time.

31) That we were both picky eaters as kids.

32) That we only really like to do things with each other (and Gabriel).

33) The way that, six years after I met her, I still think about her all day long, wonder what's she doing, what she's watching, eating, or thinking at a particular instant.

34) That she's a good kisser.

35) She has excellent hygiene. Even when her pits stink after a long, sweaty day of teaching, it's amusing, endearing.

36) That we're both early to bed and early to rise...

37) She rarely gets sick. She's healthy, she takes care of herself.

38) She's almost always in a good mood.

39) The way she makes me want to learn more about art. I know so much more about art now than I did before I met her and I just want to soak up more and more...

40) The way we generally think the same things are stupid...

41) Watching romantic comedies with her... And movies like The Substitute 2.

42) How she got me into eating more desserts. Or, really, any desserts.

43) She's a good writer, good speller, terrific public speaker.

44) How she used to leave me notes in my lunchbox when I started at HPB.

45) The way she gets annoyed when I hold her or cuddle against her when eh wants to do something or needs to get somewhere.

46) How her favorite restaurants are the same as mine.

47) The way she thinks about a dining experience weeks before it actually takes place.

48) (In the old days), Taking walks with her.

49) Everything about her in terms of her thoughtfulness, maternal instincts, compassion, understanding, goodwill, ease, and pliability in regards to Gabriel.

50) She pushed out a 10-lb, 9-oz. son!

51) Sometimes, she grooms me!

52) She loves our cats!

53) The way she took charge of paying all the bills.

54) Her calm, cool demeanor in times of crisis.

55) How we can look back at some strange traveling/trip experiences with levity and fondness.
56) That we almost never fight and when we do, I know that's it's my fault. Why? Because she is everything I could ever want in a wife, let alone a person, and that if it's not working, it's because I'm not giving enough, for she gives me everything she has every single day.

57) How she knows me better than anyone else on the planet and always will.

58) How she teases me when I attempt an accent.

59) How we play board games together.

60) She's one formidable Scrabble player.

61) Her shoulders. All that rowing paid off. I love feeling how strong she is when I massage her.

62) That she's never too embarrassed to tell me anything.

63) We generally have the same sense of humor.

64) That I'm always discovering new things about her - anecdotes from her youth, tales abroad, etc.

65) How loyal of a friend she is to Hallie.

66) Reality TV. Reality TV. Reality TV.

67) I know that she's a first-rate professor. Further, I know that she would have been the kind of professor I would have liked and appreciated.

68) She has strong morals, a low tolerance for ignorance, is accepting, self-mocking, attentive, thoughtful.

69) She doesn't smoke. She doesn't like fast food. She doesn't stay up late. She rarely curses. She wasn't a Bridezilla. She's not into herself. She's not prissy. These are all plusses.

70) She isn't superficial.

71) She has knockout legs - strong thighs (although she doesn't like them), really firm calves.

72) Her little quirks: how she doesn't like salad dressing, Peter Gabriel, Desperate Housewives, New York accents.

73) She isn't superficial. Money isn't that important to her.

74) She's never predictable, but she does have a routine. I usually know what she wants and is thinking, but I she never allows me to take her for granted or (hopefully) get complacent.

75) She is great to shop with. In and out, no loitering or lingering.

76) She got me on to boxer-briefs and now there's no looking back.

77) She gives me confidence. I like how attracted she is to me. She has always made me feel good about myself.

78) She has terrific arms. Nice biceps. 

79) I can go on about how sexy she is without really trying to be. She is a confident, secure, independent, giving woman.

80) She has a snacky tooth like me and likes an occasional beer, but feels no need to drink too much to have a good time.

81) She is always on my side.

82) Did I already say that she produced Gabriel?

83) How her celebrity crushes are pretty much the same ones I would have if I were a girl.

84) How a perfect date with her - a matinee, early dinner, a movie and dessert at home, followed by a massage and an early turning-in - makes me think it's the greatest thing in the world.

84) How she isn't too "girly" or demanding.

85) How so many of her favorite movies are mine too.

86) How ticklish she is and the firm manner in which she tells me to stop doing something - "Okay, I don't like that!"

87) How hearing about her day never gets old.

88) How she used to make me mix CDs.

89) She's very graceful, easy on the eye. She gives off a sense of security, pride in appearance, happiness.

90) The way she tells me she doesn't like something if she doesn't like it. No beating around the bush with her.

91) I know that I have quirks, peculiarities, and I savor the way she points them out to me. There are numerous examples of this.

92) How I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with her.

93) I know how great of a mother she will be to our next kid.

94) She's always nice to strangers, polite.

95) She's always supportive.

96) She likes nature, parks, swimming, going to the beach/pool, hiking, or just lounging around. She is in good shape (even during periods when she can't workout), has marvelous stamina, is direct, thorough, not afraid to admit she made a mistake, affectionate (but, thankfully, not a fan of PDA).

97) How hard-working she is.

98) That she's not afraid to fart or burp around me. (Like I said, she's not too girly and has never been afraid of openness). If she weren't my wife, she would be my fiancee. If she weren't my fiancee, she might still be my soulmate. If she weren't my soulmate or fiancee, she would still be my best friend.

99) How we don't have to "do" anything to still have a great time.

100) Ah, 100 things. I could probably think of 100 more, but I said I'd stop at 100 and, like Julia, I like to keep my word.  The 100th thing I like about her?...
That I could easily think up 100 more things I like about her with little struggle!  

Until next time!