Life for me has been looking up – what I have been up to.
I made a new years resolution this year:
1) Friends - maintain and balance a new social life.
2) "Skinny" clothes... lose the 10 lbs I put on for the holiday's, make the gym a reg part of my life!
3) Spirituality - need more yoga, need to think of others more... seek and have faith.
4) Happiness - need to experience more genuine gratitude towards others!
WORK
Well as always I have gotten a little side tracked BUT I have made some progress on the job front (which wasn’t a resolution because it was just a given!). I have started cleaning to add to my list of jobs – so yes that makes 3. One of them is a weekend job (when I don’t have the kids). I work 3 days a week at a book store and 2 days a week cleaning homes. I have every other weekend off though when I have the kids! Although I would love to make 3 jobs 2 this is what is getting me by right now! I have had an increase in bills and not to complain but I take care of all the kids needs because Rob (there father) doesn’t have additional funds to help. As understanding as I am that doesn’t make it easy.
Who says money cannot buy you happiness?
Because I recently started the new job although I have less free time, I feel capable of helping provide the things my kids need and some things that they want (or that I want for them). Titus is in swimming and Guerin is a music class at school – both are having a ball!
I used my school money & tax money to buy some things for the kids (new bedroom organizers), a flat screen (for a great deal) with wireless headphones to go with it (can’t stand to listen to video games more than once), purchased some new music for my phone and the new iphone 4 (my phone features were not working properly). Of course I paid some bills as well but those were the splurges.
Number 4 - HAPPINESS
I feel happier and blessed to be making enough money now that I am not only surviving but I can buy things like fresh fruit and veggies (which are expensive in my dirt poor family background pov). I am very very blessed and I owe a great deal of thanks to my older sister Tammy for helping me find the 3rd job. I hope I continue to meet the expectations of my employers and provide them good service.
Number 1 – FRIENDS
To make a relationship work you have to accommodate the ones you love and while Jasen socializes very well he prefers to be alone. I on the other hand require fuel in the form of hanging out with others – creating bonds with more than just my immediate family.
With that in mind he is accommodating my need to be in the presence of others at least once a month and sometimes twice a month. We have been making dates with others and interacting with people who are not each other – so in that I feel incredible satisfied! I am still saddened at my loss of network but I am starting to build a new one.
Numbers 3 Spirit
Spirit has taken a back seat – sad as that may be, it is the truth. I do not feel pulled to force myself to make time for this in my life at the moment but squeeze in yoga when I have the time and ability to do so which was probable the last week in February (we had snow and I was sick). I will fit it in when I can. This new yoga 2 teacher talks less about the calming meditation found in yoga 1 and focuses on the exercise component - so I feel yoga is less of a spiritual outlet.
I still need to come to a conclusion in my life on my beliefs. I hope to find time for this in the summer when I take a month off (summer session 2) for meditation and exploration of topics of Buddhism and finding a church I feel comfortable in which has a children’s program. Side note: hope to take Titus on a camping trip to Kings Island for a few days in the middle of a week. And maybe pick up playing my guitar again (since I did get a new book for it for Christmas).
Number 2 – DIET & Exercise
With my increase in budget I have the ability to buy more raw veg – which I could eat all day long. That being said I expect to start losing more weight at the replacement of calories. I have heard it said that your plate should be ½ veggie and then the rest and at present I like that idea!
My ultimate favorite veggie side is squash/zucchini cute in half then one inch squares, sautéed with steak seasoning (optional mushrooms cute in half about 6 to 8). OMGsh - it is amazing and I could eat a mound of just that all by myself (which a mound is about 4 squash/zucchini or a mixture of both). But usually I share half with my other half ;)
I feel like being sick has made my stomach shrink and these healthy options will hopefully go a long way in helping me make better choices.
EXERCISE
Until we get some weather I can consistently bike in, then I lack cardio. Given that my life is pretty full most of the time with work and study time I am not sure how to fit this in. So I am contemplating buying a treadmill in a few months. Although I can go to school and walk (eventually run) and swim – I have not yet taken advantage of it and don’t even know when the equipment is available (since it is only parts of the day). Will be putting that on my to do list (as well as looking at classes for this summer)! So I label this as: needs improvement (need motivation which usually comes when I start losing weight from eating better)!
Alright enough about me – what about you?
I love to know what people have been up to. I find that facebook “notes” are harder to follow than blogs but I sometimes need the short every now and then version of what people are going through. Which kinda reflects my blog – I don’t write unless I am annoyed about something and need to vent or if I would like to update people with a glimpse of my life.
