Questions to reflect on....

One thing I've noticed in this life of moving around all the time, is with every move we make we are constantly trying to find out where we fit in. We're in a new town, and trying to make new friends and assimilate into new settings.  But are we being true to ourself or are we tying to be what our new settings want us to be?  Maybe you can relate?  Do you feel like you need to be a certain way to make friends and fit in?  Maybe more religious then you really are?  Or maybe more of a partier then you would normally be?  Or what do you do if you're neither of those and want to find a happy medium?  And then when you do find your "spot" is it one that makes you happy?


I found this while blog hopping and thought it was an interesting way to get to know yourself and what makes you happy. Look here for the original post.  The answers are mine, but you can think of yourself and where you are at in life.

"It’s very hard to know ourselves; it’s easy to be distracted by the way we wish we were, or think we ought to be, or what others think we should be, until we lose sight of what is actually true.


As Christopher Alexander observed: “It is hard, so terribly hard, to please yourself. Far from being the easy thing that it sounds like, it is almost the hardest thing in the world, because we are not always comfortable with that true self that lies deep within us.”

"Here is a list of questions meant to help you think about yourself, your daily habits, your nature, and your interests. There are no right or wrong answers; they’re fodder for reflection.

If something is forbidden, do you want it less or more?
-Sometimes I do want it more, but most times I'm okay with things being out of reach and can move on.

Is there an area of your life where you feel out of control? Especially in control?
-Because of DH's job and where we live, I feel out of control, or at least I used to.  Now that we're at this stage though I do feel like we have more of a say, but if an opportunity arrises somewhere we may apply regardless of where it takes us.

If you unexpectedly had a completely free afternoon, what would you do with that time?
- Probably go shopping, or visit a friend.  The issue arrises when my friends don't have the same afternoon completely free as well.  LOL

Are you comfortable or uncomfortable in a disorderly environment?
- My husband would say I'm comfortable with disorderly, but in truth, things can get to messy even for me.  Even situations that are undecided and chaotic make me a little uncomfortable, but I'm very good at sitting back and going with the flow.

How much time do you spend looking for things you can’t find?
- Not a lot.  I pride myself in knowing where things are a lot of the time, but things do get misplaced.  I looked for my daughters birth certificate over and over and over again, only to find it after applying for a "next day" replacement.  Figures. LOL    I find this hard with the kids now as I'm apparently responsible for all their items too.  Sorry kiddos, not going to happen. (all the time anyway...)

Are you motivated by competition?
- I started off by saying yes but then realized... no.   If a friend is doing something I often get the urge to follow along or join her.  It isn't necessarily competition and I don't want to "beat" her or do better then her but more so just to do it with her. I may not have thought of it by myself but when I see a friend happy doing something or enjoying something I just want to be a part of it too. :)

Do you find it easier to do things for other people than to do things for yourself?
- Yes, knowing some one is depending on me for something gives me motivation to get it done.

Do you work constantly? or think you should be working?
- This is a tough one for me. I'm a stay at home mom so I'm "always working"... but yet I do have down times.  It's these times I feel like I should be doing something like yard work, or some kind of project. I don't particularly enjoy these things though, so I often feel guilty when others talk about their flowers or gardens etc.  Because of that, I've always thought Condo living would be something I would enjoy... just not with the kids.

Do you embrace rules or flout rules?
- Definitely embrace.  I've been called a stick in the mud before so...

Do you work well under pressure?
- Yes I do.  My previous profession was in Emergency Services which is all pressure.

What would your perfect day look like?
- Cuba on the Beach  ;)

How much TV do you watch in a week (include computer time spent watching videos, movies, YouTube)?
-Too much

Are you a morning person or a night person?
- I used to be a morning person, but now I seem to be up until midnight most days. It's the only time to myself unless I got up before 7 which I'm not that much of a morning person.  LOL

What’s more satisfying to you: saving time or saving money?
-Saving Money!

Do you like to be in the spotlight?
- No, not usually.  My wedding was even a challenge for me.

Is your life “on hold” in any aspect? Until you finish your thesis, get married, lose weight?
-  Not really, although we're always kind of in a holding pattern as far as our next move goes. We've said we'd stay here until H graduates so there hasn't been any move intentions to speak of. But she graduates next year..... so what does that mean for us?  The door will be open and the "hold" will be lifted.  Not that we want to move away from here, because we don't but sometimes an opportunity will come along that you just can't turn up.

What would you do if you had more energy?
-  I would take care of the landscaping of our yard that needs to be done. I have ideas in my head but no energy or motivation to actually get them done.  That and more exercise, I'm more motivated to exercise in the winter then the summer for some reason.

If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it?
- Move DH's exercise equipment into it for a workout room which would then free up our rec room for the kids.  Or make it into a spare room for guests. 

What people and activities energize you? Make you feel depleted?
- My friends energize me.  If I see them doing things, some of their energy and motivation will ooze over to me sometimes which is nice. Them and my DH, if he's busy doing stuff then I feel like I should be too.  LOL

Is it hard for you to get rid of things that you no longer need or want?
-Yes, yes it is. I always think I will need it later on and then I'd have to buy it again and that's such a waste of money.  But I'm getting better!!

Do you get frustrated easily?
-Compared to others? No not at all.  There are definitely times where I am frustrated and things irk me, but most things I can brush off... way more then others, and way more then others say I should!

On a typical night, what time do you go to bed? How many hours of sleep do you get?
- Usually around midnight giving me around 7 hours of sleep, on average.

If at the end of the year, you had accomplished one thing, what is the one accomplishment that would 
make the biggest difference to your happiness?
- This one I'm keeping to myself.  I have a couple of things that I'd love to see happen but I'm just going keep that on the down low. I don't want to jinx anything. LOL ;)

And here’s another question for you. What questions would you add to this list, to help other people know themselves better? It’s so important, and so elusive."

20 years ago...

I can't remember where I found this but it's been sitting in my draft post folder for well over a year now and thought this was something I could do, kinda fun and interesting, I thought.  I realized after I started into it, it was maybe meant to be done on a certain day of importance, the author before me did it on Sept 11th, but that's okay.  It's still kinda fun.  


20 years ago….
1. I had just turned 17.  OMG!
2. My brother just handed down to me his Dodge Omni (an '87 maybe), my first car.
3. I was finishing up grade 11.

10 years ago….
1. I was newly 27 years old.
2. We were thinking about starting a family
3. I was a full time paramedic in A-town, and DH was on his second year of being RCMP.

5 years ago….
1. We were enjoying our first summer here in K-town. We love this town!
2. Our daughter was now 2 and growing like a weed.  So fun at this age.
3. We didn't know it yet but DH's oldest was going to move in with us full time this summer.

3 years ago….
1. 34 years old! Time is racing by.
2. Finally pregnant with second baby, enjoying my baby belly knowing it will be my last.
3. DH was going through the process to get promoted.

1 year ago….
1. Getting ready for D's kindergarten graduation
2. Our friends who lived behind us moved away and we've missed them ever since.
3. Having some personal issues over the last year or so and trying to make things right.

This year so far….
1. I started Synchro Skating again after a 10 year hiatus, and love it. Just having that adult time with other ladies is amazing for the mood, and emotional well being.
2. Took a Belly Dancing class which was great fun.  It was neat to learn the art of Belly Dance and it also helped with self esteem and body issues as well. If you look back in history Belly Dancers aren't size 2 stick women, they have... Bellies!
3. Issues in #3 above are not as prevalent now although not resolved. I have realized that I can only do so much in certain situations and then I just have to let go. It makes me terribly sad to leave things unsettled but it seems it just has to be that way.

Yesterday….
1. Got together with a friend and her kids at the park.  I enjoy park outings as you never know who you'll run into and get to chat with.  This is a great aspect of being a SAHM I think, and I miss it in the winter.
2. Registered D for swimming lessons in the lake.  The pool in Grandma's town didn't work out for the weeks we could go there so we decided the lake was were it would be.  I hope the weather is nice, and the "green" isn't too bad.  Especially since I will be taking M in as well! Yikes!!
3. Doing administrator duties of a Swap and Shop page for our town on FB. I know, it sounds silly but I find it keeps my mind in "work" mode a little bit.  And by that I mean, I've had to keep the page organized by developing some guidelines and make sure that people stick with them as much as possible to maintain a clean and easy to maneuver through page. I've had to deal with some people in regards to some not so ideal activities and that is not easy for me, I'm sure you know.  So in that sense, I feel like I'm bringing that skill set back to life a little bit. 

Today….
1. D has her first "real" baseball game.  At this age they usually just practice then play a little scrub with the other girls team here in town.  There is only 6 on each time so it's just a matter of running through 3 innings but we don't keep score or count outs or anything.  Today though, they are playing a girls team from another town!!  Please let the rain stay away!
2. I'm trying to keep with my scrapbooking, although its been really slow going.  Maybe during nap time I'll get a page in.
3. Tonight, I'll likely read more of my new book series.  It's all the rage right now for middle age women, it's the "Shades of Grey" Trilogy, and I'm really enjoying it.  I don't know when I've read this much in such short a time before and I'm going to be really sad when it ends. I don't know if I'll be able to go back to my old style of books after this!  LOL

Tomorrow….
1. Is our weekly playgroup that I take M to. I helped start this up about 4 years ago and have been going nearly every week since.  It's fun for the kids to play, and great for the moms to have some adult socializing time. I love it!
2. Is Friday. WhooHoo!!!   Oh ya.. and it's garbage day.
3. I have a coffee date planned with a friend. :)

Next year….
1. We'll be getting ready for H's grade 12 graduation! Yikes!!!!
2. M will hopefully be starting preschool in the new year, or at least next fall.
3. We'll have a better idea of where the next few years will see us living.  We said we'd stay here until H graduates (see #1) and we've loved it but we will then be "free" so to say, and will have to see what lies ahead. If it means staying a few more years, we'll be very happy with that as well!!




So now tell me where you were 20 years ago!!!

Let's Digress and talk Skating Lessons!

So this year was D's first year of skating lessons.  We didn't start her in it with most of her friends because we thought starting that along with Kindergarten and Dance would just be too much.  I figured I could still take her to skate on the days she didn't have school.  This worked for a bit but once I saw a lot of her classmates whizzing around the ice at the school skating session I knew that next year, lessons were a must.

She was apprehensive and sad that dance lessons wouldn't continue but after her first lesson on the ice she was sold!  "I LOVE SKATING" she came off saying.  It was a miracle, and I was so relieved. I was worried about how she was doing as she wasn't getting badges when the other kids were and was afraid she wasn't progressing.  When she did finally get a badge it was for level 3! Yippee!!  Come year end she had completed level 4 already.  Four levels in one year!  AND it was suggested she move out of Canskate, and into the Bridging program.  She was very excited about that and I was very proud!

At the half way point they had an ice show for the older girls after the canskate lessons,  to show off what they've been learning.  This was not for us, but when we were leaving the rink after her lesson, she saw one of the girls in the Jr. Synchro team walk by with her sparkly dress and overdone... fancy make up and there was an audible gasp!  "Mom, who was that?" she asked.  I told her one of the girls in synchro, and she is now determined that is something she is going to do!  LOL  A girl after my own heart!  Hallelujah!

I didn't realize they did skating portraits at such an early level, and then what a big production it was.  We didn't have a fancy dress picked out, we didn't do her hair.... Mom was such a let down.  But alas they turned out pretty nice, regardless.  Now I know for next year, and if you see any yellow ones for sale out there, let me know.  So here are her pics, single and with the group of girls she was with most of the time, minus one of her good friends who was sick that day.

Dad is still trying to get her into hockey, which she likely would if we let her do both, but I don't think she'd be willing to give up skating any time soon. :)

Has it been that long?

WOW!  It's been over a YEAR since I've blogged. (Almost to the date.) To be honest I'm not even sure if I'm going to continue.  Some times you just feel like nothing is going on in your life that anyone would want to hear about.  No new babies.... no big move on the horizon.... nothing drastic to write home about really.  It seems like everyone shares on facebook now anyway, so is there even a need to keep my blog?  Sometimes I struggle with privacy issues too.   I feel like I have more privacy on here then FB which is strange as more people see my FB posts then read my blog, but yet this is wide open to anyone!  LOL  I like that you can post a picture, and tell the story that goes along with it on here.  And really it's there to look back on for a long time... well forever I guess.  I've enjoyed going back and seeing where we were a year or two or even longer ago.  The most posts I made were probably around the time we moved here, or when DH had to guard at the jail in Regina for a week over Christmas holidays and we wanted to share with him what we were doing here.  Happy times, and also some sad times although I try not to post too many of those.  I feel like I shouldn't blog if I'm upset or angry as I'll likely say something I'd regret later!  LOL

So we'll see if I can find something to write about, or share with you all.  And if you're at all interested in reading my blog let me know.  Comment on here (as anonymous if you want), or on the comment box on the side, or even message me on FB.  

If you're reading this, thanks for stopping by!!  :D