my life tag.

20 Years Ago I:

1. was 10...the same age as my child now.

2. was so glad I was not in Jeff's class...he had the meanest teacher in 5th grade!

3. would giggle every time my mom was at my school (which was all the time because that's the kind of mom she was) because my principal totally had a crush on her.

4. wanted to be a "mommy" when I grew up. In my All About Me book I first wrote pediatrician and then crossed it out and put mommy. I still have that book...and I think I just got an idea for it.

5. looooved playing outside! In my neighborhood we rode bikes, had a clubhouse in the woods, and went on many adventures along the surrounding trails. It was a great place to grow up.

10 Years Ago I Was:

1. a brand spankin' new mom soaking in and adoring this new life I was suddenly responsible for, and that I could not stop cuddling, kissing and staring at in complete awe.

2. sitting, nursing, and literally having something to watch 24 hours a day on TV...when I wasn't doing all in #1, or maybe at the same time as all in #1.

3. unaware of the tumor brewing on my thyroid.

4. beginning plan after plan after plan of what comes next in life. (soon I will decide on cosmetology school...which I will never complete my state board exam because I realize I really want to be in college)...this is the part where people like to call me a "beauty school drop out," and then snicker.

5. leaving my mom and my child's father to begin life as I know it should be (totally hard transition I might add).

6. listening to Sarah McLauchlan everyday.

5 Years Ago I Was:

1. in counseling...one of the best things that ever happened to me. AMAZING!

2. was at the tail end of my undergrad, interning to become a teacher.

3. had the most adorable kindergarten boy who everyone referred to as a rock star because he had cool hair, and who was also very into picking out his own clothes for school. (I totally got jipped on being able to pick out my child's clothes and he just wears what I say!).

4. at Disney World with my cute boy and his dad's familia. It was an adventure in itself...we all just laugh because it was SUCH a crazy trip, and totally crazy times.

1 Year Ago I Was:

1. in graduate school STRUGGLING. so so so stressed and overloaded by homework. and then right after #2 below, totally "getting" graduate school and feeling on top of the world.

2. beginning my Girl Power camp and having a blast! Finally overcoming my fear of school aged girls, girl drama, and boy craziness.

3. developing sunspots on my face! At this point, I'm beginning to see my face age a bit.

4. generally feeling good, happy, totally content with who I am.

5. went to the temple for the 1st time.

So Far This Year I Have:

1. graduated from graduate school.

2. celebrated the moment I became the mother of a 10 year old...officially marking my own moment as a mother for a decade.

3. turned 30.

4. had many moments freaking out about all the changes occurring this year, and then totally opposite content moments, welcoming them all.

5. been on a mission to organize my world...and have made some really significant improvements throwing out years and years of stuff/baggage in the form of paper. now I know everything I have, and it's there or mine because I use it, have a specific purpose for it, or just simply want it. and it feels amazing!

Yesterday I:

1. completed our beautiful silhouettes (i'll post a picture soon).

2. enjoyed a visit from our home teachers (see previous post)

3. subbed in Primary at church for the 5th week in a row.

4. prepared for the week, and for Girl Power this morning.

5. delivered 2 of Alec's cousins back to their home. we ended up with them after our super fun night of bowling Saturday.

Today I:

1. had Girl Power and taught 8 girls about what it means to be your Authentic Self.

2. thought someone stole my camera (geez the issues I'm having with this camera!), only to find it in my trunk.

3. drove as fast as legally possible home so I could curl up on my bed and rock and pray the pain of cramps away...while waiting for the midol to kick in.

4. go to 2 schools to try and woo a principal into giving me a job.

5. will run errands for Girl Power and finish my dishes before my visiting teachers come over.

6. will read about Joseph Smith and play catch for Family Home Evening.

7. will cuddle with my cute boy.

8. will buy tickets for the Thursday midnight showing of The Dark Night...or my child will kill me.

Tomorrow I:

1. will continue my week of hanging out with girls. this time we will continue with our authentic selves and move onto self concept and reframing negative thinking into positive.

2. will head out to a few more schools to find a job for August.

3. will cuddle some more with my cute boy.

4. will go to institute and soak in the words of one of my favorite teachers about one of my favorite topics: the gospel!

5. will make a yummy dinner and listen to Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites while drawing with my cute boy.

In The Next Year I:

1. will become a teacher. well, i'm already a teacher, but I guess I will get an official professional teaching position. if I'm not at my school of choice, I will be gaining experience for the transition to my school of choice.

2. will move, or prepare to move, or stay in our current dwelling for 1 more year and like it. (that last part is important...cause I will have to work on it).

3. WILL figure out a good, happy rhythm for my family...i suppose adding elements to our current rhythm: a consistent scripture study, journal writing, exercise schedule in addition to time for developing talents. on Sundays I want to make homemade bread...but that just might be the following year cause I am just not fantastic in the kitchen. :)

4. will work on at least meeting my husband.

5. will continue on my journey of becoming my best self.

6. will continue enjoying my child...savoring our every moment, the way he feels in my arms, the way he smells, laughs, sits quietly drawing, or dances obnoxiously singing on the living room trunk, the moments when he cannot stop kissing my arms and the moments when he would die of embarrassment if anyone knew he actually kissed his mom at all. all of it...i will savor and enjoy it all.