I was talking with a friend over the weekend about something I have learnt about myself in recent times. I have a measuring stick. It tells me how happy and content I am with my life. How does it work you ask?
Now I know you will automatically think less of me when you read it but there is something wonderful about learning new things about yourself so I am willing to share despite sounding like a horrible person.
Here goes....
When I hear someone share good news with me about something good that has happened to them, my first internal reaction to this let's me know how happy I am with my own life.
I'm not talking about my reaction to the person telling me, I mean my own reaction that I feel inside. If I feel truly, genuinely happy for that person; I know I am happy. This doesn't mean things have to be perfect for me, just that I am in a good place.
If my instinct is any form of jealousy (even a little), I know that there is something in my own life (usually completely unrelated) that I need to work on.
Thankfully, the vast majority of the time I am happy when I hear of the good fortune of others-genuinely happy. So please please please don't hate me and continue to share your good news with me!!!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A glass half empty of lemons
You know the saying;
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
I am not such a believer this saying. I don't doubt it's great in theory, it's just I tend not to be able to put it into practice.
Now I'm not saying I'm a pessimist or anything, I just think that in terms of the lemons life gives us, I don't make lemonade, instead I suck on the lemons, even if it's sour, but eventually I adjust and get used to it. It doesn't mean that the sourness goes away or anything, just that my ability to withstand it has grown.
During times of difficulty or trial, I have to let myself say "THIS SUCKS" and feel sorry for myself just for a little bit and then I can put it aside and move on with the day.
There are many parts of life that are 'sour'. There is pain, illness, disappointment, and grief. The mere fact that we are here on earth means we made a choice. We chose to experience mortality and everything that came with it. I don't think this means we had some list put in front of us and we CHOSE the trials we have, rather we chose the full experience of mortality; the good and the bad.
Sometimes I forget that I made the choice to experience all that life has to offer, both sweet and sour.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Just another expert huh!
There are a few things I wish I knew before I had children. Things that might have made life easier had I not had to learn them the hard way. Retrospect is a wonderful thing, but if I could pass on a few tidbits of info to anyone yet to experience parenting, they would be;
•if you are lying down on your back holding your baby above your head making them laugh, keep your mouth shut tight
•when your baby vomits in your mouth while you are lying on your back flying him over your head, you can't fight the urge to vomit yourself
•dont let the tiny clothes fool you-our washing frequency went from two loads a week to two loads a day
•you really can sleep sitting up when you are tired enough
•you will feel guilty if you don't clean while your baby/toddler is napping but you will kick yourself for not resting when they wake up
•who says 2-minute noodles can't make a well-balanced dinner?
•when you smile and grit your teeth while whispering threats in your childs ear in the supermarket, you really arn't fooling anyone, no normal parent is smiling in the supermarket!
•there really is a secret tunnel out the back of the washing machine where one out of each pair of socks escape to the outside world
•Elmo, Brobee, Thomas, Bob, and Dora are some of the best friends I could ask for; they come the same time everyday, entertain my children, don't require any of my attention, and they couldn't care less if I haven't vacuumed when they arrive
•the busier the pattern on the carpet, the better the crumbs blend in
•playdough should be somewhere on the food pyramid-I've given up fighting it
•no matter how many tissues/hankies you have on hand, a parents clothes are always more appealing
•Somedays, the cleaning and cooking really can wait, because time really does go by too fast and before you know it you are chasing the little people you once held in your arms.
•if you are lying down on your back holding your baby above your head making them laugh, keep your mouth shut tight
•when your baby vomits in your mouth while you are lying on your back flying him over your head, you can't fight the urge to vomit yourself
•dont let the tiny clothes fool you-our washing frequency went from two loads a week to two loads a day
•you really can sleep sitting up when you are tired enough
•you will feel guilty if you don't clean while your baby/toddler is napping but you will kick yourself for not resting when they wake up
•who says 2-minute noodles can't make a well-balanced dinner?
•when you smile and grit your teeth while whispering threats in your childs ear in the supermarket, you really arn't fooling anyone, no normal parent is smiling in the supermarket!
•there really is a secret tunnel out the back of the washing machine where one out of each pair of socks escape to the outside world
•Elmo, Brobee, Thomas, Bob, and Dora are some of the best friends I could ask for; they come the same time everyday, entertain my children, don't require any of my attention, and they couldn't care less if I haven't vacuumed when they arrive
•the busier the pattern on the carpet, the better the crumbs blend in
•playdough should be somewhere on the food pyramid-I've given up fighting it
•no matter how many tissues/hankies you have on hand, a parents clothes are always more appealing
•Somedays, the cleaning and cooking really can wait, because time really does go by too fast and before you know it you are chasing the little people you once held in your arms.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Just Being Neighborly
When I was young, I would get home from school, chuck my bag in my room, open the fridge and look for food before deciding there was nothing I wanted, search mum's treat hiding place in the pantry, then go meet up with my neighborhood friends and play til dinner. We would play outside, go to each others houses, ride bikes, try and make wine from the 14 sour grapes we found growing, steal 'nunga' bands from the piping in the houses being built to wear as necklaces, walk to the shops to get gum, and suck up to the 6 year old boy a street away who's Dad worked for the Coke factory and had a massive stash of softdrink in his garage.
I can't possibly see how Mum could have known exactly where we were all the time, we just had to be home by 5:30pm.
I can't fathom the idea of letting my kids do this. Of having them playing out on the street and not actually knowing their exact location. The very idea scares me.
I guess things have changed with the times. I don't think there is the same closeness between neighbors that once existed. I remember when we moved into our current house about 3 and half years ago. Nearly a year later, there was a story on the news about an elderly lady who died and it took 3 WEEKS before she was found. Her neighbors in the apartment next to her alarmed police due to the horrible smell coming from her apartment!
This made me realize we hadn't even introduced ourselves to our 'new' neighbors. We gave the friendly nod and wave as we drove past each other in the communal driveway, but that was as far as it got. So being LDS and doing what we do, I baked some cupcakes and dropped them off to a few of the houses around ours and introduced 'The Bush Clan' to our neighbors.
Turns our we have lovely neighbors. We don't BBQ together or anything, but they are nice, friendly people. We have a good chat every few weeks and we have each others mobile numbers.
I like to think that if we all died, they would notice in under 3 weeks.
I can't possibly see how Mum could have known exactly where we were all the time, we just had to be home by 5:30pm.
I can't fathom the idea of letting my kids do this. Of having them playing out on the street and not actually knowing their exact location. The very idea scares me.
I guess things have changed with the times. I don't think there is the same closeness between neighbors that once existed. I remember when we moved into our current house about 3 and half years ago. Nearly a year later, there was a story on the news about an elderly lady who died and it took 3 WEEKS before she was found. Her neighbors in the apartment next to her alarmed police due to the horrible smell coming from her apartment!
This made me realize we hadn't even introduced ourselves to our 'new' neighbors. We gave the friendly nod and wave as we drove past each other in the communal driveway, but that was as far as it got. So being LDS and doing what we do, I baked some cupcakes and dropped them off to a few of the houses around ours and introduced 'The Bush Clan' to our neighbors.
Turns our we have lovely neighbors. We don't BBQ together or anything, but they are nice, friendly people. We have a good chat every few weeks and we have each others mobile numbers.
I like to think that if we all died, they would notice in under 3 weeks.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Glory days
This year marks ten years since I graduated high school. Kind of makes me think about what I was like a decade ago compared to now. Honestly, I feel pretty much the same inside as I did at 17. I am still terrified of singing in public, I get flushed over silly things, I procrastinate things until the absolute last minute even though I feel anxious if I'm unorganized, and I still put my pajamas on the second I get home no matter what the time of day.
I have very little artistic talent. Music, art, and drama were subjects I dropped as soon as they were no longer compulsory. In year 9 I was in a whole class play that we performed at the end of the year. People actually had to pay to come see it. Considering I was a terrible public speaker and couldn't act in the slightest, I was given the role of the doctor. The doctor had a total of....one line!
The plot was teenagers in a car crash after drink driving. My line was pretty basic. All I had to say was;
"I know all about that party, my daughter goes to the local high school."
Clearly our play wasn't going to win any awards with this plot and script. Come the actual night, I was decked out in one of the science blocks lab coats, armed with a clip board-just as all doctors do right ;o)
A few scenes in and my line was coming up. I was all ready and was feeling nervous but ok. When it came time for my grand performance, I checked my clipboard, looked up at my fellow actor and said;
"I know all about that party, my DODEL goes to the local high school."
WHAT IS A DODEL?????
End of my acting debut and career. The following year I DID NOT take drama.
I have very little artistic talent. Music, art, and drama were subjects I dropped as soon as they were no longer compulsory. In year 9 I was in a whole class play that we performed at the end of the year. People actually had to pay to come see it. Considering I was a terrible public speaker and couldn't act in the slightest, I was given the role of the doctor. The doctor had a total of....one line!
The plot was teenagers in a car crash after drink driving. My line was pretty basic. All I had to say was;
"I know all about that party, my daughter goes to the local high school."
Clearly our play wasn't going to win any awards with this plot and script. Come the actual night, I was decked out in one of the science blocks lab coats, armed with a clip board-just as all doctors do right ;o)
A few scenes in and my line was coming up. I was all ready and was feeling nervous but ok. When it came time for my grand performance, I checked my clipboard, looked up at my fellow actor and said;
"I know all about that party, my DODEL goes to the local high school."
WHAT IS A DODEL?????
End of my acting debut and career. The following year I DID NOT take drama.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
If you wanna know if he loves you so....
I know that my husband loves me! How? Well yes he does tell me but he also shows me in the little things he does-he is a pretty great husband. The proof is in the pudding, and here is the pudding;
1. When we buy Snack chocolate, he passes me the block and says to eat all the pieces I want and just give him what I don't want.
2. Whenever Carter gets croup at night-he ALWAYS takes him to the hospital and sleeps there at nights.
3. He doesn't mind when I get on my little 'hobby obsessions and get a one track mind for beading/baking/card making/ sewing/scrapbooking and the list goes on and on and on. I devote huge amounts of time to the flavor of the week then completely abandon it 2 weeks later.
4. He unwraps my gum for me before he passes it to me.
5. When he comes home and sees it's been a rough day, he tells the boys to get their shoes cos they are going to the park.
6. If our TV shows clash-he will tape his and let me watch mine.
7. He will carry 16 shopping bags at once so I don't have to carry any.
8. He always vacuums cos he knows I hate it.
And this is just to name a few!
I, on the other hand, ALWAYS empty out the tupperware containers with leftovers in them that have been forgotten about at the back of the fridge. You know the kind, the ones where you don't breathe at all while you are emptying them or you will dry reach.
I guess you could say we're even!!
1. When we buy Snack chocolate, he passes me the block and says to eat all the pieces I want and just give him what I don't want.
2. Whenever Carter gets croup at night-he ALWAYS takes him to the hospital and sleeps there at nights.
3. He doesn't mind when I get on my little 'hobby obsessions and get a one track mind for beading/baking/card making/ sewing/scrapbooking and the list goes on and on and on. I devote huge amounts of time to the flavor of the week then completely abandon it 2 weeks later.
4. He unwraps my gum for me before he passes it to me.
5. When he comes home and sees it's been a rough day, he tells the boys to get their shoes cos they are going to the park.
6. If our TV shows clash-he will tape his and let me watch mine.
7. He will carry 16 shopping bags at once so I don't have to carry any.
8. He always vacuums cos he knows I hate it.
And this is just to name a few!
I, on the other hand, ALWAYS empty out the tupperware containers with leftovers in them that have been forgotten about at the back of the fridge. You know the kind, the ones where you don't breathe at all while you are emptying them or you will dry reach.
I guess you could say we're even!!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
You gotta pick your battles!
I truly believe that in life (especially life with children) you have to pick your battles. Why? because if you don't pick your battles-then it seems EVERYTHING is a battle.
I have tried to battle nose picking-especially in public.
End result: failed. Hence I have decided to take it as a positive-at least my children have learnt to clean something on their own, even if it is their nose.
I have tried to battle nose picking-especially in public.
End result: failed. Hence I have decided to take it as a positive-at least my children have learnt to clean something on their own, even if it is their nose.
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