tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14123572407500466772024-03-13T12:53:49.710+00:00Adventures of a Domestic Goddess MommyFollow the adventures of a writer, wife & mother of three
as she adjusts to life overseas and braves becoming the woman she is truly meant to be! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.comBlogger351125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-45268201295171731502014-09-25T02:30:00.000+01:002014-09-25T02:30:01.075+01:00It's Been A Long TimeWow. It's been 3 months since I last posted. That may be a record since I started this blog... gosh, nearly 5 years ago! Since its inception, I've started a business, closed a business, moved overseas become a coach and certified Passion Test facilitator, started that new business and moved back to the US. It's been a busy time.<br />
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So much change is going on in my life that I've resisted coming back here, even though it always feels like home when I do. I've resisted because at this point in my life, I"m not sure how much I want to share. Life, though through my choosing, has altered in ways I hadn't expected.<br />
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This blog has always been therapeutic; a place where I could bare all. Now, I am stepping more fully into my authenticity, my integrity, and as right as it feels privately, I'm not sure it's right publicly to do what I've always done, be what I've always been - an open book.<br />
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Maybe it doesn't even matter because only about 3 people even read this thing anymore with losing my domain and then having it redirected to blogspot.uk. I don't know. But I miss it here; I miss sharing my thoughts and my heart.<br />
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Maybe it's time for a fresh start. A whole new blog devoted to starting over. Starting all over. A new story in a new book. Now that feels just about right.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've been thinking... it's time to drop the mop!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-4759091818052507432014-06-05T11:10:00.000+01:002014-06-05T11:13:04.641+01:00Finding What is LostMotherhood is an incredible experience that puts us in touch with a part of our femininity like nothing else can. Giving birth to my children, especially the two that were un-medicated, gave me a phenomenal sense of my feminine power.<br />
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My body knew just what to do and no doctor, nurse, textbook or parenting website was necessary. Yet, an interesting thing happens along the path, or at least it has happened for me... I have totally lost touch with that side of me; the power and presence of my womanhood.<br />
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Through the years of babies and diapers and utter chaos and mess, my feminine presence fell by the wayside. Though I always manage to get my shower and put on my lipstick, I lost my sexy. I lost that thing I used to have when I stepped onto the dance floor at a club or walked down the halls at University or the workplaces that followed. My flow, my spark, my sensuality.<br />
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I lost the flirty, sexy, free feeling woman who once lived here. I lost my libido. I lost my connection to myself. I became closed and stifled.<br />
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For the past two years or so I've made tremendous strides in my personal development, even becoming a life coach and Passion Test facilitator. I have SO much passion for women and mothers and getting people to switch on the light to a better life, their<i> ideal</i> life! Yet, not so much passion at home or in the bedroom.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago one of my mentors ran a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/olwmu98" target="_blank">Red Tent Revival</a> and I found myself shocked at how squeamish I got with some of the interviews and material. Eroticism, orgasms, burlesque dancing and a lot more. I thought, how is this possible? I used to facilitate classes getting people comfortable talking about sex and exploring their sexuality and now, not even 20 years later, my cheeks are getting red hearing about erotic edges? WTH?<br />
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When did I become such a prude?! So, I'm working on it. Because that's what I do. I find those edges of me that aren't fully formed and I choose to allow growth. That is why we're here. One of Kristin's pictures speaks volumes:<br />
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So that's what I'm doing. Stretching myself. I had a session with an incredible coach who blew through my excuses and created an incredible "aha" moment for me regarding the dichotomy between who I am at home with my family and who I am with friends, peers and clients. I'll tell you about it next time, so stay tuned. </div>
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PS: It's the last day to join the Pleasure Tribe... find out more <a href="http://tinyurl.com/olwmu98" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm giving away a Passion Test and 3 follow-up coaching sessions for anyone who joins under my <a href="http://tinyurl.com/olwmu98" target="_blank">affiliate link. </a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-9846518588701142082014-05-19T12:46:00.000+01:002014-05-19T12:46:20.614+01:00Entering the Red Tent... as a MomI know I don't blog too much over here anymore, but it's still the place I come when I want to express and share more personal things than over at <a href="http://www.affirmativethought.com/" target="_blank">Affirmative Thought.</a> It's funny to me because my business is a part of my heart and very personal, yet I'm not quite ready to share my heart as easily as I do here.<br />
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Perhaps it's because here, I'm a mom, there I'm a coach, a professional. Here, just a peer. Today, I want to connect with my readers as a woman and as a mom. <br />
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There is an online event going on right now called <a href="http://tinyurl.com/n4m46cr" target="_blank">The Red Tent Revival.</a> It's powerful and just a little scary, to be honest.<br />
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Transformation is not meant to be easy... it's supposed to scare us. It is change and growth and it's a journey that takes us deep within ourselves, so that when we come back out into the light we are <i><b>more</b></i> than we were before. More of who we're meant to be in this life and more of who we're meant to be in this world.<br />
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So, in the Red Tent, Kristin Sweeting Morelli, one of my mentors and lights guiding my way, is showing all of us women how to reconnect to all that we've lost or covered over in this masculine world that we live in; all of the thinking we do instead of feeling; all of the surviving we do instead of thriving... Kristin is helping us to break down those walls.<br />
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She is so beautifully authentic that it's almost heart-breaking. How rare is it to see a magnificently powerful and successful woman bearing her heart and soul and tears to her audience? Kristin does and it moves me.<br />
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So, I want you to join in... <a href="http://tinyurl.com/n4m46cr" target="_blank">enter the red tent</a>. The event is half over, but there are replays every day and an option to own the whole event and upgrade to get some seriously incredible live demos. You know how to know when you need something (as far as personal development and growth are concerned)? The thought of having it, being it or learning it makes you uncomfortable.<br />
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Some of the dancing and demos and discussions make me uncomfortable. That's my clue that I've lost touch with those areas of myself, my femininity, my sexuality. As a warrior of the light, I force myself to move forward and break through my barriers so that I can be a better Coach, a better leader for women, a better mom and even a better wife.<br />
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Be brave. I'll be there. Go see for yourself what's inside of the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/n4m46cr" target="_blank">Red Tent.</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-51308392433583523472014-05-07T13:02:00.000+01:002014-05-07T13:02:00.521+01:00I Said Goodbye to my BabyMy girl is no longer my baby. She's turning 9 at the end of the month and yesterday she left with a group of 60 on her first school trip. This is the first time she's ever been off on her own without any family.<br />
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It's a big step and we were both a little nervous, but we said our goodbyes without any tears (at least until the bus drove off for me). I left her one note to read for each day. The songs I have sung to her every night of her life included with musical note symbols drawn all around the lyrics.<br />
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So many parents talk about how quickly it all goes and how they wish they could keep their little ones little forever. I agree with the first part and not the second.<br />
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I love watching them grow up. I love the new conversations we share, seeing them develop into these incredible people. Babies are cute and soft and cuddly and... smelly and messy! My kids are still messy and cuddly and now they are <i>people</i> that I enjoy. They get my jokes, they enjoy my "crazy" in a different way.<br />
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They reflect back to me the apparently amazing job that I am doing as a mom. I love all of the stages - knowing that the tough ones will come to an end and curious to see how the next stages will evolve.<br />
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Motherhood is where we learn to truly love the <i>journey</i> and rarely is our focus on the destination. We live moment to moment, making the best decisions we can with whatever resources we have, really leaving it up to faith and a lot of hard work that our efforts will benefit the world.<br />
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I don't always enjoy being a mom, but I sure love motherhood. How about you?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(c) 2005 Tamara Vellozzo<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">She's not a baby anymore... thank goodness!</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-77192576356223590332014-04-03T11:34:00.002+01:002014-04-03T11:34:09.762+01:00You've Seen This Title Before: Day 1 of the Orange Rhino Challenge... AgainFor any of my lingering readers, I posted today about my Orange Rhino Journey, but I'd love for you to read it over at my website, <a href="http://affirmativethought.com/the-texture-of-life/" target="_blank">Affirmative Thought</a>, because it just made more sense over there. I'd love to hear your thoughts and your experiences.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I talk about this place in the post. Isn't it beautiful?</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-22759978746242098042014-03-25T14:40:00.000+00:002014-03-25T14:40:54.101+00:00Written MeditationI write more often when I'm down, pensive, frustrated. It's my way of cleansing myself of my negativity. Some new thought leaders suggest never penning what ails you, keeping quiet about the things in life that you wish were different and releasing through meditation or creative visualization.<br />
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Most of the time I ascribe to such advice. Today, though, I'm hitting a bump. This is what yelling does to me. It's been a trying week and finally, this morning, I lost it big time. It had absolutely nothing to do with the kid that I yelled at. It had everything to do with my stress around our finances, my too-slow-business growth and probably hormones.<br />
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So, I write. Like the pensieve that Dumbledore used to store his thoughts, I use writing to detoxify my mind. I'm wondering today what the point is the point of it all? Void of my characteristic cheerfulness, I feel hopeless. All those uplifting quotes on Facebook serve to diminish instead of inspire me.<br />
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I've learned that when one is on their path, on their purpose, there is a flow to life. My life is not flowing. My path is muddy, rocky, disrupted, disjointed. So, am I on the right path? When do I get to actually use some of my learnings instead of continually facing the challenges that teach?<br />
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I cry to the Universe for hope. Confirmation. Otherwise, I may as well chuck my aspirations in the bin and focus my energies simply on being the best mother and homemaker I can be. That will require dusting and once and for all matching all of the socks. I want more.<br />
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I want to BE hope, to BE light, to BE inspiration.<br />
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(Aha moment) This is tension. I have forgotten the very credo of my beloved Passion Test. Intention, Attention, No Tension. I am in a state of tension.<br />
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Yet, through this written meditation I have made a connection. This melancholy is an aspect of my authenticity. Passion #4: When my life is ideal, I am living authentically from my heart and soul.<br />
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Being authentic, for me, is not all cheer and forward movement. It is also embracing my sadness, pausing and reflecting. That is what the Universe ("God" to many) has been showing me this week. I am grateful for yet another lesson.<br />
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This is why I write.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-69355229974547841722014-03-04T10:36:00.000+00:002014-03-04T10:36:08.734+00:00Day 12: The Orange Rhino ChallengeI am on my 12th successful day in a row in the Orange Rhino Challenge. This is only the second time I've gotten this far since I began in December. The first time I was away from my family from days 9 to 14!! (To find out what I learned on my first good run, <a href="http://www.dgmommy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/i-stopped-yelling-and-here-is-what-ive.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.)<br />
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This time, I feel different. My kids feel different. My family feels different. I feel lighter and happier even though the usual underlying stress is still ever present. Money is tight, schedules are tight, children are children. Yet, I feel at ease in my skin, peaceful in my home and more loving than ever.<br />
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Choosing to stop yelling and to more importantly, choosing to use a kinder, loving voice with my children requires a 100% commitment and the awareness that the only failure is to stop trying. Try every hour. <a href="http://www.dgmommy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/day-1-again-and-again-until-i-get-it.html" target="_blank">Every day until a shift happens</a>. That's what I've done and I feel the shift.<br />
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But here's the thing someone who wants to yell less (or not at all) needs to know - it is the yeller who must change before anything else; before the children, the schedule, the finances. Whatever stress I used to use as an excuse to lose my temper with my children is no longer valid. Yes, we're all just human, and I'm committed to being the best damn human I can be. Every day I make choices to step deeper into the shoes of the woman I want to be.<br />
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I've been practicing this since December and here it is March. Over the course of the past 3 months I've successfully kept my temper in check essentially 2 out of 3 months. That's pretty good for this reforming fuse-blower.<br />
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How do I do that? How can you? It begins with a choice, then a commitment. Then, a support group. I post my success and failures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DGMommyTamara" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Sometimes publicly, more often privately to garner support and encouragement from my family and close friends. I post also to inspire those close to me with children at home to join in the challenge with me!<br />
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Next, tools!!! There are plenty of tools to help. Fortunately, I know a few and I am always willing to ask for help. That's probably the best tool in my kit - the ability and willingness to ask for help. This is about my kids; about providing them with the best damn foundation that I can and that requires working on me first, so I ask for help because it matters so much.<br />
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Other incredible tools include The Passion Test. Through The Passion Test, I clarified that right now <i>enjoying a happy, joyful, respectful family life</i> and <i>being the role-model that I really want to be for my children </i>are two of my top 5 passions. Putting my attention on those helps them to grow stronger in my life and that is exactly what is happening. I love The Passion Test SO MUCH!!!! (Find out what it is <a href="http://affirmativethought.com/the-passion-test/" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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Another tool is EFT or tapping. For the past several days <a href="http://www.thetappingsolution.com/" target="_blank">The Tapping Solution</a> has been running a summit full of incredible interviews and plenty of tapping. If you have no idea what this is, I encourage you to check it out because it is a powerful tool for stress relief, pain relief and any other kind of relief you may seek!<br />
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Finally, NLP. This is the other certification I've been studying and practicing for over the past several months. One process had me go back to the root of my anger and release it - and it seems to have worked beautifully.<br />
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As you can see, I'm giving this challenge my all. I'm doing everything possible to succeed because it isn't really about "not yelling." It's about being the mother my children deserve to have and being the woman that I truly am.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uE4ljq55hEs/UxWrkgbA2oI/AAAAAAAACLM/yoGeXJp9Q6w/s1600/believe+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uE4ljq55hEs/UxWrkgbA2oI/AAAAAAAACLM/yoGeXJp9Q6w/s1600/believe+picture.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrianTracyPage" target="_blank">Photo Source</a>: Brian Tracy FB Page</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-70246162427387225752014-01-29T20:27:00.001+00:002014-01-29T20:27:29.279+00:00What I Did Too short of a title? I've never been one with words... er, well, titles anyway. I always left them up to my sister. "Hey, Jen!" I'd say, "I wrote a great story, now what should I call it?" Then she'd pop out a few snappy titles for me to choose from and everyone was happy. Now she's too busy yelling at police cadets (that's her job) and mothering her 3 little babes (that's her other job) to bother for blog post titles, so you're stuck with this one.<br />
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Anyway, after quite the hiatus I am back on the blog and on with the vlogs! I think I might love vlogging even more than blogging. It's that (not-so-secret) longing of mine to become quite famous.<br />
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Regardless, I'm linking up with Mama Kat sharing what I did (see, that title totally works, right?) last week. If you follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DGMommyTamara" target="_blank">Facebook</a> you'll already be well aware! Best weekend EVER!<br />
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So, here goes. Tell me what you think.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-36396794278622291382014-01-23T14:38:00.000+00:002014-01-23T14:38:03.043+00:00Lost and FoundHooray, hooray! You probably didn't notice because my posts are so infrequent these days, but my blog has been missing from the internet for the past several weeks. It expired (I didn't notice at first) and for the life of me, I could not find a way to renew it. It appears that my host sold me off to a third-party and I do not have the internet detective skills to figure out who to pay!<br />
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Nevermind, it really doesn't matter to me as I have no real attachment to this blog anymore. That said, I do love to write and share somewhere that is just for me and this is that place. It's for you, too, and that's why I'm so glad it is here again! Confused? Me too!<br />
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I'm content that when I want to share a funny mishap about raising bilingual kids, I'll be able to direct you <a href="http://www.dgmommy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/when-raising-bi-lingual-children-goes.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Or to tell you how I have two (so far, out of three) of the most voracious readers I know, I can send you <a href="http://www.dgmommy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/raising-voracious-readers.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And when I want to rave about the amazing man I am so fortunate to get to call, "Dad," I can send you <a href="http://www.dgmommy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/my-father-is-son-of-any-mothers-dreams.html" target="_blank">here</a>! And when I want to remember how far I've come in the past couple of years, I'll send you to my favorite vlog <a href="http://www.dgmommy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/silent-all-these-years-vlog.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janet Attwood and me! </td></tr>
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Tomorrow, or next week or some point in the future, I'll tell you what all of this has to do with something I learned in Norway this past weekend at my <a href="http://affirmativethought.com/the-passion-test/" target="_blank">Passion Test Facilitator Certification</a>! Yes!!! I'm finally certified!!! If you've followed me awhile, you know that it's been a passion of mine for the past couple of years to launch my coaching career through The Passion Test.<br />
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That something is <i>Intention, Attention, No Tension. </i>It works like a charm every time.<br />
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Today, happiness for me is getting my blog back! Please leave a comment and fill in the blank: For me, happiness is _____________.<br />
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Hugs!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-59045281724088564372013-12-10T14:10:00.000+00:002013-12-10T14:10:51.758+00:00Day 1 Again and Again Until I Get it Right<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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Another day 1 to come tomorrow. I didn't make it through the school prep this morning. We are all so ready for the Christmas break (yes, I get to say Christmas in regards to school here!). I've spent an hour reading The Orange Rhino blog from this point in her challenge and my spirit is renewed. She repeated day 1 9x in a row before hitting her streak. I will hit my stride.<br />
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Yes, I will hit my stride. One thing I realized today is that during my 6-day streak of success I took better care of myself. I gave myself time outs and played calming music during the most stressful parts of the day. That music really helped, I tell you, so I'm back at it today.<br />
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This isn't a goal I set lightly nor some modern day anti-actually-parenting-your-children nonsense. No, I believe in discipline and limits. I have no problem telling my children "no" and I have high expectations for their behavior. Sometimes too high, perhaps and I struggle to strike a balance with my husband's more fun-based relaxed <span style="font-size: x-small;">(cough*<i>permissive</i>*cough)</span> parenting.<br />
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Sometimes too high because then I yell when my expectations of their behavior aren't met, yet now I realize that sometimes they're just being normal boisterous children and I need to let them be. From that I know that I am the one who I need to work on because they deserve that freedom of childhood. To be children. To play, to get loud and to get rough on occasion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sE3xIWbUMLY/T10bwuDFDyI/AAAAAAAAASo/LIjFOvvhIrM/s1600/Aradia+4months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sE3xIWbUMLY/T10bwuDFDyI/AAAAAAAAASo/LIjFOvvhIrM/s320/Aradia+4months.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nature Girl (now 8)</td></tr>
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I have to learn to maintain my own sense of peace so that I can let "kids be kids." I have a lot of learning to do; thank goodness that I have three amazing young teachers.<br />
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How can I possibly yell at these incredible people that I produced?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boy (now 4)<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVMDY8QaWBo/UqcesBdtvJI/AAAAAAAACHI/LETHu8gR2R8/s1600/Paloma+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVMDY8QaWBo/UqcesBdtvJI/AAAAAAAACHI/LETHu8gR2R8/s320/Paloma+baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Rose (now 7)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-40725410855812801762013-12-09T12:04:00.000+00:002013-12-09T12:17:04.053+00:00I Stopped Yelling and Here is What I've Learned (So Far)I managed a whopping 10 days without yelling at my children. During that time, I only snapped at my younger daughter once (a "<a href="http://theorangerhino.com/the-challenge-details/" target="_blank"><i>nasty snap</i></a>," starting me over on the <a href="http://www.dgmommy.com/2013/12/no-more-yelling.html" target="_blank">Orange Rhino challenge</a>) and yelled at my husband twice (starting me over again). Then, between last night and this morning I pretty much yelled at everybody.<br />
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Oh well, I'm back on the wagon and sharing what I've learned over the past couple of weeks. In no particular order:<br />
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1. <b>Yelling is a habit.</b> Like any other habit, when we make a clear choice and decide to invest 100% of ourselves to changing a bad habit, we absolutely can achieve it.<br />
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2. <b>Yelling is an <i>addictive</i> habit.</b> We get hooked on the adrenaline that courses through our bodies in the build up of stress, straight through to the point of yelling, and in the aftermath of guilt. After not yelling for several days, and then choosing (that's right - choosing, or to put it another way, granting myself permission) to yell, I could feel that old familiar and luring rush.<br />
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3. <b>Yelling is a choice. </b>Like it or not, every response to any stimuli is a choice. "I don't have a choice" or "It's the only way I can get through to them," and "nothing else works" excuses are big, fat BS. Yes, is big fat BS! Are you going to agree with your 2-year-old that they had no other choice but to bite their brother or whack their sister in the head with that toy car? No. You tell them to use their words if they're upset. Not screaming words, either. Well, Mommy? Time to stop telling and do some showing.<br />
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4. <b>Yelling is bullying. </b>We all want to protect our children from the experience of being bullied, don't we? Well, what about when we are the bully? Next time you start yelling, try to step back and watch yourself objectively. Or go write it all down right after so that you can look at it later. Or set up your smart phone and hit record during your most stressful times and play it back later to see how you behaved. Yelling is bullying.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DvnnV9vLP0Q/UqW0nYlmgtI/AAAAAAAACG4/E018TakM9n0/s1600/daisy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DvnnV9vLP0Q/UqW0nYlmgtI/AAAAAAAACG4/E018TakM9n0/s200/daisy.jpg" width="198" /></a>5. <b>Yelling is part of a vicious cycle. </b>You yell, you feel bad for yelling, you yell some more and your kids yell back. The worse you feel, the more you yell. I have good news, though - it works the other way, too. The more you keep your cool, the better you feel and the less you feel like yelling. Trust me - I have experienced this recently and it is glorious. Like springtime.<br />
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6. <b>Yelling totally damages self-esteem</b> - your children's and your own. I have clear evidence of this in my house and it is the number one motivation for me to stop. Being yelled at feels scary and dangerous to children. And yelling, the really big yelling, feels scary and dangerous when we're doing it, doesn't it? Ever lose it in such a big way you almost wonder who the hell this maniac yelling at her kids at the top of her lungs is? I have. It feels horrible and I lose all respect for myself. Then we go and tell them they made us yell, or made us frustrated or made us mad. <i>They didn't make us do anything or feel anything. Only we can choose that.</i> Own it.<br />
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Instead of, "You make me so mad when you don't listen," try, "I get so angry when I am repeatedly ignored that I feel like yelling!" Own your own feelings. That's they only way our children will learn to own theirs. We are their role-models, so model what you want to see because they internalize everything and then reflect it right back at us! They are little sponges and I can guarantee, that if you're a yeller, you have self-esteem issues and so likely do your kids. Sorry to be blunt, but it's my mission to improve lives and that takes getting real with yourself.<br />
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7. <b>Yelling at your kids is both taboo and yet, strangely socially acceptable among parents.</b> We all do it. "What else can you do?" we say to each other. I want this to stop. Not in a judgey-preachy way, but in a supportive, "Yes, you can keep calm!" way. Because you can. I can. We can.<br />
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8. <b>You can stop yelling.</b> Yes, you can. Didn't I just tell you that? If I can, you can! If a mother of 4 boys ages 6 and under can, you can. If a mother of a pre-teen girl and 3 younger kids can, you can! You absolutely can! It takes a willingness to take a good hard look at yourself, a 100% commitment to change and practice, practice, practice! <br />
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<b>The good news</b> is that dramatic shifts take place within just a few days. Give yourself a goal of just 3 days and I promise that you will see results you thought you'd never see! Even after 1 day you'll see results. Your kids will be happier, you will feel happier! I was surprised to find myself laughing more, connecting more, playing more... those results will drive you to do even better.<br />
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And when you mess up and yell or do what The Orange Rhino calls a "<a href="http://theorangerhino.com/the-challenge-details/" target="_blank">Nasty Snap</a>," you will simply start over. You will start over until using "your words" in a reasonable voice becomes your new habit. Until then, scream in the freezer, another room or in the toilet, just not at your kids (or spouse).<br />
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Stop making excuses and stop yelling at your kids. <br />
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Have you joined the challenge? Share what you've learned below. Haven't joined? Be brave and share why.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-61648711235249703602013-12-02T12:43:00.000+00:002013-12-02T12:43:27.890+00:00No More Yelling!I am proud of myself today. I haven't yelled at my kids since Thursday. This may surprise some of you, but I am a recovering shouter. It's true. Until Thursday, I yelled at my kids frequently, and especially in the morning during the get-ready-for-school rush and at bedtime, when I'm eager for the day to be done.<br />
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Thursday I dropped them off feeling horrible. Guilty. I had shouted, pretty much at the top of my lungs, at my eldest for her lack of motion when we were already running late. The need for punctuality is a trigger of mine, and it is no excuse to berate my children. Then, for basically the same reason (lack of motion) that evening, I shouted at my younger daughter to get ready for bed.<br />
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I don't say mean things, but I have had a tendency to say things <i>meanly</i>. I'll tell them once nicely, twice firmly, thrice with some spice and the fourth, well... the yell. For months I've been concerned about their self-esteem and too late, I have realized that it is directly connected to the amount of shouting that I do. Well, not too late. Just in time.<br />
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Remember when you learned that you could say pretty much anything you wanted to a young baby and the only thing that actually mattered in regards to their comfort (or upset) was the <i>way</i> you said it? It didn't matter whether you were spouting every swearword in the book or reciting Hush Little Baby, what counted - what counts - is your tone and body language.<br />
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So, I have finally <b>chosen</b> to stop shouting and yelling. I have made leaps and bounds in my own personal development over the past few years, and especially this past year (becoming a life coach and all that), yet I couldn't nail this parenting flaw. Or wouldn't. Wouldn't own up to the fact that losing my temper was a full-on choice.<br />
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Now I am. With the help of a website I happened upon several months ago, The Orange Rhino. Friday, I decided to take the challenge. Well, really I decided Thursday after drop-off, but then I lost it and yelled at Sweet Rose anyway that night.<br />
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<a href="http://theorangerhino.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="The Orange Rhino"><img src="http://theorangerhino.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/button5.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>Friday I committed to the challenge and I made it through the day without yelling at my kids. Then at the very end of the night I got annoyed with my husband over him disrupting bedtime (annoyed that my husband wanted extra cuddles with his kid because he'd been away again all week? Hello!) and yelled at him.<br />
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My kids agreed I had to start over. Today marks day 3 of successfully not yelling at anyone. Of course, all three are at school, but I made it through the weekend and the morning rush (we were running really late!) successfully.<br />
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It felt amazing this morning to notice that normally I would be shouting at my kids for not being dressed yet when we were supposed to be getting our shoes on and out the door. It felt incredible in that moment to observe myself actively choosing to be calm and present with them.<br />
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Yelling at them is a disconnect. A coping mechanism. A way to put the focus on their behavior instead of mine. What it actually does is disconnect them from me in a negative way, make them feel unsafe with their own mother and cause them to lose respect for me. In turn, I feel guilty and lose respect for myself. No wonder there are self-esteem issues in this house.<br />
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I haven't been the mother or the role-model I imagined I would be 9 years ago before Nature Girl actually popped out, followed very quickly by her sister. Now, I see that woman in sight. Very nearby, in fact. I know that this isn't something I can do by myself. That's why I'm publicly stating that I am no longer going to yell at my children. That is why I have enlisted their help and the help of a couple of mom friends, my NLP accountability partner (who is working process magic on me to help me change limiting beliefs and interrupt negative patterns in my behavior) and even a counselor to help me see more clearly what I'm modeling to my children.<br />
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Are you a yeller? Are you brave enough to stop? Take the challenge with me! Read up on the <a href="http://theorangerhino.com/the-challenge-details/" target="_blank">challenge details</a>, including the definitions of yelling and the voice levels involved. Then let me know you're in and we'll support each other! Not a yeller or your kids are grown and gone? Encourage me! :)<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-53937876910629423752013-11-27T17:05:00.000+00:002013-11-27T17:05:56.118+00:00Missing ThanksgivingHello dear friends,<br />
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I have fallen out of love with this blog as I speed purposefully onto my path. These days, I'm primarily studying for my NLP certification and preparing for my <a href="http://affirmativethought.com/the-passion-test/" target="_blank">Passion Test</a> certification, which will finally happen in January!!! You can visit <a href="http://www.affirmativethought.com/">www.affirmativethought.com</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TamaraVellozzo" target="_blank">Facebook</a> to keep up with me and be inspired!<br />
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Yes, I'm headed to Norway to achieve my biggest goal so far and my body literally shoots sparks with excitement! I'll need to do 10 complimentary tests (2 sessions of 1.5 hours) before I begin charging for my services. I've got a few people on my list, but if you would like to be one of them, please let me know! I'd be very happy to do this for a few bloggers in exchange for a link or review, or simply to take you to the next level in your life.<br />
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Life in England has its challenges, like anywhere else, but they are well worth meeting. My children are doing incredibly well in school. Parent-teacher meetings are events I absolutely love. My husband's periodic travels allow me to connect more with the kids and at the same time, focus on my studies and my new website.<br />
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The weather is cold, but the leaves are still on the trees and it seems as if they get more and more beautiful every day. In Michigan, Autumn comes and goes too quickly, with the most intense beauty in mid to late October. That gorgeousness has lasted here for the past 8 weeks. It's as if the changing of the leaves has been put on slow motion, so I get to see every subtle hue, slightly more intense each day.<br />
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I can see this effect nearing its end, as the gold shimmering upon some branches is turning to a pale yellow, but it has been an incredible tool in <a href="http://affirmativethought.com/raiseyour-vibration-through-gratitude/" target="_blank">my gratitude exercise</a> this month. Even as those leaves lose their luster, the deep salmon on others embracing the narrow, winding roads often leave me breathless with their exquisiteness.<br />
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It is my favorite time of the year, extended for my pleasure.<br />
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As Thanksgiving approaches, I miss my family, of course. It has always been my favorite holiday. Great food, good company and copious laughter. I long to sit at my mother's table among the best people I know. I wish so to meet my newest nieces and would simply love to watch the next generation play together.<br />
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This is the part that makes living overseas hard on my heart. Yet, as amazing and fulfilling as it would be to live right next door to the people I love, I know that the life experiences my children are gaining living in a multi-cultural family in another part of the world are shaping them to be who they are meant to be. None of this happens by accident, only grand design.<br />
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And the same goes for me. Every step that I take, every challenge or splendor, shapes me to be a better version of myself than the one who was here yesterday.<br />
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I love my life and I am thankful that you are in it. Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-6894250812138031132013-10-15T10:48:00.001+01:002013-10-15T10:48:49.549+01:00K5 Online Reading and Math Programs are Open to Blogger Reviews! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am very excited to tell you about K5! K5 Learning has an <a href="http://www.k5learning.com/" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px;" target="_blank">online reading and math program</a> for kindergarten to grade 5 students. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program. If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an <a href="http://www.k5learning.com/review-k5" style="color: blue; margin-top: 0px;" target="_blank">online learning review</a> of their program.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will happily be testing this out with my 8, 7 and 4 year old children and look forward to telling you all about it! It's the perfect timing as the half-term break is coming up and The Boy is really ready to read!! I may even give periodic updates leading up to the full review, so keep watching! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-40632814203674543132013-10-11T12:50:00.003+01:002013-10-11T12:52:58.677+01:00One Year Ago Today <a href="http://www.thepassiontest.com/af.htm?w=tpt&p=affirmative" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.enlightenedalliances.com/images/database/830.jpg" width="130" /></a>One year ago today I was guided through The Passion Test. If you haven't heard of it before, you should head straight to the library or buy your copy online right now! I've included an affiliate link to make it easy for you. ;) Just click on the book.<br />
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The other day, as I sat at my desk working on my new website <a href="http://www.affirmativethought.com/">www.affirmativethought.com</a> I looked up and saw the list I have taped to the wall. It's the list of my top 5 passions in life. I read the list almost every day as a reminder of how I want my life to be, but I guess I haven't <i>really</i> read it in awhile because suddenly I was struck by a realization.<br />
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I sent a note of gratitude to Michelle, the facilitator that guided me (find her at w<a href="http://peaksofpossibility.com/">ww.peaksofpossibliity.com</a>). Then I posted this on my Facebook Wall:<br />
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Almost exactly one year ago I was guided through The Passion Test by a wonderful woman, certified facilitator <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1371068810&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/michelle.simons.75?directed_target_id=0" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Michelle Simons</a>. I was homesick, relatively unhappy and feeling a bit lost. I was essentially a soul-searching housewife. Today I reviewed what I discovered then were my top 5 passions and I am happy to report that I am now experiencing 3 out of 5 and can practically feel the other two at my fingertips! It wasn't by dreaming or magic that my life has changed. It was by a few small steps every day focusing more on the life I wanted than what in life I didn't want.</span><span class="userContentSecondary fcg" style="background-color: white; color: #89919c; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> — <i class="_agk img sp_4gor3l sx_aef022" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/y-/r/dLl1n9_cIke.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 16px; margin-right: 3px; vertical-align: -2.9px; width: 16px;"></i>feeling blessed.</span><br />
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Of the 5 items, none of which I was experiencing one year ago, I live 3 of them today. The other two are just a fingertips length away and it is so exciting to actually see the results that <b>I am creating!</b><br />
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One of my friends asked me to share my top 5, which I did. Then she asked a follow-up question about the test being more than just helping you to figure out what your hobbies are or what you love to do. Here was my response: <br />
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<span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]" style="background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0].[1]">The test goes much deeper. That depth is the essence of The Passion Test. I came</span></span><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]" style="background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[0]"> to discover what those terms meant to me through the test. When you start you just write down everything you're passionate about - singing and writing were on my list. But as you whittle through what is most important, what you could live without and what you couldn't, a new picture emerges. So, I could say singing is one of my passions, it is, of course. But then, why? For what purpose? Joy. Singing brings me joy. I could say I want to be financially wealthy, but for what purpose? Freedom to do what I choose to whenever I want to do it. Abundance because I want more than stuff or experiences - I want to feel full and rich on every level of my life - health, love, spirituality. The fun part is that you do the test every 6 months or so because our passions change and evolve. I can honestly say that I wasn't hitting any of my 5 a year ago. I just knew that was what I wanted my life to be like. Now I'm on a mission to help every woman live her ideal life! The life she would choose - not just the one she's fallen into or ended up with.</span></span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]" style="background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[0]"><br /></span></span></span>
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<span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]" style="color: #4e5665; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[3i8h3].[1][4][1]{comment369129639897223_1619307}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[0]"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">The Passion Test helped me to figure out what I was here for - my purpose on this Earth. Now, with small steps forward every day (and occasionally a few steps backward), I truly am living the life of my own choosing. It's damn exciting to see that you actually can have any life you want to have. You just have to decide. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<i>*** I am now a Certified Life Coach! If you want to take a step toward your ideal life, I can help! <a href="http://affirmativethought.com/?page_id=97" target="_blank">Contact me</a> for a free 30-minute consultation. </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-91385728140870962342013-10-03T11:09:00.000+01:002013-10-03T12:51:28.109+01:00Delicious and EASY Homemade Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Looks good, doesn't it? It was delicious. So good, in fact, I made the very same loaf twice in one week and actually wrote down my recipe! Normally I just wing it, but the French Guy told me this was the loaf of loafs and a few of my Facebook friends requested the details, so here goes... </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3C Bread Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3/4C Plain Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 C Whole Meal Bread Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 Packet Active Dry Yeast </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 TBSP Sea Salt (or slightly less, ground)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or so)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2C Very warm water (approximately)</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Steps:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add the oil. I use a fork, though some say a wooden spoon is best for bread dough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Stir in the water slowly, mixing and shaping into a ball with your fork (you can dig straight in with your hands if you prefer). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Once all of the flour is combined, ditch the fork and turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface (I use a large plastic cutting board). Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, adding pinches of flour as necessary, until you have a relatively silky ball of dough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">*** If you've never done this before, relax and enjoy the process. Remove rings first! Resist the urge to add too much flour - it will get less sticky as you go along. Also, I find that adding a touch more oil mid-way through the kneading process helps keep it moist (which makes for better bread) while reducing the sticky-factor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Return your ball of dough to the bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel or cling film (that's what I use). Leave to rise for 1 to 2 hours in a warm (not hot), draft-free place until the dough has at least doubled in size.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Knock out the air (that means to gently push down the dough with your fist). Knead it again for 2 to 3 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Lightly oil your baking pan (don't use your good olive oil unless it's all you have - vegetable or sunflower oil is fine for this; you just don't want your bread to stick) and shape the dough into your preferred bread shape. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">***For this loaf, I did a standard bread loaf shape because I was going to use it for school lunch sandwiches. I used the same recipe for a pizza dough and that was delicious too (you just roll it out in place of step 7 below and you have enough for 1 pizza and bread-sticks, too!)!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Flour and Score: Lightly dust the loaf with flour and then slash a very sharp knife through the dough in your preferred pattern. Not too deep - just a few centimeters will do. Leave it to rise for another 30 minutes or just until your oven is good and hot; your choice. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, for the cooking. My oven tends to burn everything! Knowing how your oven cooks things is important here, so you may not need to do exactly what I do, but here's what I do: </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. Preheat the oven to 200<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">°C/375</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">°F using the Fan option if you have one. If you don't have a fan oven, preheat it to 210</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">°C</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">/400</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">°F instead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Pop your baby (I mean the loaf) into the center of the oven, ensuring there is enough room between racks for your bread to double in size. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">10. After 5 minutes, reduce your heat back down to </span>200<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">°C/375</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;">°F and/or switch the setting to side-heat. Cook for a total of 40 minutes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">*** At the 20-minute mark, I pop a piece of foil over my loaf so that it the outside doesn't burn and the inside can fully cook. You may not need to do this - know your oven!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">11. Take a few sniffs. Oh, there's nothing like the smell of baking bread! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">12. When the time is up, remove your bread. It should move easily, or at least with little effort on your part to move it, on the baking sheet. If it is still really stuck, pop it back in for 5 - 10 more minutes. Turn it on it's side and knock on the bottom of the loaf. If it is soft, put it back in for another 10 minutes. If it sounds hollow and is quite firm, it's done!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">13. Leave it to rest for 30m to an hour if you can resist tearing into it right away. It will finish cooking during this period, so do try to leave it alone! ;) </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, this whole thing sounds long and complicated, but when you put it together it is really very quick and easy. I do the first steps in the early afternoon and knock it back down just before I leave to pick-up my kids from school (if you're a work-outside-of-the-home person, try it on your day off! It's good stress-relief!). Sometimes I even let it fully rise once more in the bowl and only shape it once I'm home, leaving it to rise again while the oven preheats. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Baking bread is a creative process; an art more than a science. This is a very basic loaf. Once you've done it a few times you can experiment with your own combination of ingredients, shapes and sizes. It's fun and tastes better than anything you've ever bought from the store!! It's very nearly as satisfying as carrying and giving birth to a child. Really. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Give it a go and tell me how it turned out!!! Baking bread rocks!!!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-55178231799366920362013-09-19T16:14:00.000+01:002013-09-19T16:14:04.095+01:00Lovable Labels Spooktacular Sale!I love, love, love Lovable Labels! Read my <a href="http://www.dgmommy.com/2012/01/lovable-labels-review-and-giveaway.html" target="_blank">review</a> to learn just how fantastic I think these labels are, or just visit their site to purchase your own during this fabulous weekend sale!!<br />
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I<a href="http://www.lovablelabels.ca/"><img alt="Lovable Labels" border="0" src="http://www.lovablelabels.ca/images/Upload/SPOOKTACULAR-AD-(bloggers).jpg" /></a></center>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*** Disclosure: I received an offer of free spooky labels of my own as compensation for sharing this awesome sale with you! I'm off to choose them now!</span></i></center>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-12501523306207310732013-09-09T13:59:00.001+01:002013-09-09T13:59:56.476+01:00Oh My Heaven, Sweet Rose is Seven - A Birth Story My Sweet Rose is 7 years old today. She's incredibly clever, focused, determined, talented and always ahead of the game. She's given me 7+ years of surprises, beginning with the pregnancy! Her big sister was a mere 7 months old when I found out I was pregnant again. Leaving it up to nature worked a lot faster the second time around.<br />
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39 weeks into a relatively easy pregnancy (if being pregnant when you already have a baby can be considered easy), my husband was making me dinner. He's an amazing cook and even though it was just roasted chicken, it was going to be delicious.<br />
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They say the second labor is usually shorter than the first. My first started with contractions 5-minutes apart and only lasted 9 hours. It would have been faster if not for an overzealous setting of pain control from otherwise wonderful Singaporean nurses.<br />
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Since someone would need to watch over Nature Girl when her sister came along, I had a good friend on-call as a back-up in case we had to head to the hospital before my parents could make it from Detroit to Grand Rapids. My mom had come up earlier that week as I'd been having contractions on and off, but went home when the baby was a no-show after a couple of days. She left on September 7th. My due date was still over a week away.<br />
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From about 7pm on the evening of September 9, 2006, I started having contractions every 20 minutes. I put my 15-month old first-born to bed and helped my man put the finishing touches on dinner. Around 8pm, just before dinner was ready (it smelled really good), I mentioned the contractions to my husband. They were getting stronger; having had fruitless contractions all week, I didn't want to tell him until they were actually regular.<br />
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As we sat down for dinner (it looked delicious!), the contractions suddenly started coming much harder and closer together. Your brain gets a little foggy in that kind of pain, so the events of the next two hours are a little fuzzy, but clear enough. Yes, I wrote two-hours.<br />
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I couldn't eat, so between contractions I called my mom instead and told her they'd better jump in the car. By 8:30, I called my friend and told her it was a high alert! My parents were on their way, but things were moving along quickly.<br />
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Minutes after I hung up the phone, something happened. Some fluid I thought must be my water leaking. No big burst, but something was going on and the contractions were now just a few minutes apart and I could barely walk. I still tried to clean the kitchen and load the dishwasher. I didn't want it to be messy when my parents arrived even though I couldn't stand up straight anymore.<br />
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I called my friend back sometime around 9pm and asked her to come over right away - I think I had 3 contractions during the 5-minute (or less) phone call. She arrived in 15 minutes flat. My husband grabbed my bag (I was prepared this time around) and helped me into the car around 9:20pm.<br />
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At some point, I can't remember if it was before we left or on the way, I called my doctor's service to tell her we were on the way. I would have the on-call doctor, they told me. No problem.<br />
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I can remember being on Michigan street around 9:30pm, just 5 minutes from the hospital. We stopped at a light and I noticed the pain of the contractions easing. Not the timing; the pain. I remember thinking very clearly to myself, "Uh oh, I'm in transition."<br />
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Transition, if you're unaware, is that short period of time between your body getting ready to push out a baby and actually doing it.<br />
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My husband dropped me at the ER door, they put me into a wheelchair. I think he went and parked the car, and then we were on our way up to the maternity ward. They checked me, confirmed that I hadn't actually broken my water yet, but I was dilated to a 6 or an 8, I can't remember.<br />
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It was around 9:45pm when we got into a delivery room. The doctor was on her way. The nurse asked me if I wanted an epidural. I said, "Yes!" Labor really hurts. They said they would check if the anesthesiologist was available. About 10 minutes later, still having brain-freezing-abdomen-stabbing contractions every minute or so, someone came in and started talking at me (yes, at me) about forms and epidural, blah blah.<br />
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I remember saying something like, "Never mind, the baby's coming!" Then hearing the nurses say, "Don't push! Don't push!" and me saying, "I can't help it! She's coming!"<br />
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I swear I hardly pushed at all. Sweet Rose tore straight out of me (literally - ouch!). It was like one long stream of contraction without any pause for relief and at 10:05pm she was born. The doctor arrived 10 or 15 minutes later.<br />
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After the usual Apgar and clean-up, they placed Sweet Rose in my arms and I nursed her with an ease that only comes with experience. They left us alone (my husband went for well-deserved cigarette). I remember mumbling to my new, little baby and sometimes realizing none of it made any sense. I think I was in shock and I was glad it was just the two of us.<br />
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From the pregnancy to the birth to her crawling at 6 1/2 months and climbing at 7 months, Sweet Rose has rocked my world. She's the child that pushes my limits like no one else can. I have to frequently tell myself that the things about her that can drive me nuts are the same things that will be exceptional qualities to have when she's an adult. So bite your tongue, mom, and find a way to parent without stomping them out.<br />
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Because she's amazing. Happy Birthday, Sweet Rose.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K5weuMpNJcI/Ui3ENon7uhI/AAAAAAAACA0/Ui-88lhh028/s1600/Palomababy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K5weuMpNJcI/Ui3ENon7uhI/AAAAAAAACA0/Ui-88lhh028/s400/Palomababy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-39360246474384497272013-09-05T11:51:00.002+01:002013-09-05T13:02:02.864+01:00Dear High-School Class of 1993<i>My 20th Class Reunion is coming up in just over a week. I thought I'd write my classmates a post! Enjoy.</i><br />
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Dear High-School Class of 1993,<br />
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Before I get started, if you don't know who the hell Tamara Vellozzo is, well, you knew me as "Tammy Zoner." I've been going by "Tamara" for a solid 19 years now. Don't bother telling that to my parents, cousins or aunties, though. ;) Do you remember me?<br />
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Back in high school when I thought of my future self, I was sure I'd remember every single one of you, but <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DGMommyTamara" target="_blank">Facebook</a> has proved me wrong <span style="font-size: x-small;">(speaking of FB - If you friend me and I never reply, you're probably a guy. I only friend blood-related males in respect of my marriage - have you seen the divorce statistics siting FB? Anyway, you can always follow my public posts or author page).</span><br />
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Unless I knew you from elementary school onward, you were in choir with me, did the school plays or we frequently had classes together, I'm sorry, my mommy-mushy-brain has most likely lost too many active brain cells to recall you. That's why I don't feel bad if you can't remember me either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hi72bRTghz8/UihPi8nsdrI/AAAAAAAAB_g/CbrkSvEm2CI/s1600/reunion+post.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="343" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hi72bRTghz8/UihPi8nsdrI/AAAAAAAAB_g/CbrkSvEm2CI/s400/reunion+post.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The School Years</td></tr>
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I can hardly believe it's been 20-years since we graduated; yet, there is proof. So, we are that old. One of our fellow classmates recently told me a funny story of how she'd heard that I'd married a crazy Arab and moved to Thailand. It's actually not that far off base, so let me catch you up on the past two decades of my life and dispel any rumors. </div>
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After we graduated I spent the summer (and the next 5 years) shedding my good-girl skin and letting my free-spirit reign. I won't go into detail, my mom reads this after all, but I did have an awful lot of fun. I kept in touch with just a few of you as I spent a year at Wayne State and then transferred to CMU. There I switched from Theater to Family Studies, got a few tattoos and worked full-time for a Marriott hotel, studied, danced, partied and discovered who I really am. </div>
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Instead of utilizing my education, I stayed in the hotel business when I moved to Grand Rapids in 1999. I've covered the front desk and HR. I met a (slightly crazy - usually in a good way) French man who swept me off my feet, took me on a tour of London, Paris and a gorgeous little village in Switzerland, where he proposed. We married 6 months after meeting and moved to Singapore for his job in January 2001. I've never actually been to Thailand (yet). </div>
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There, I taught ESL, managed a chiropractic office and the American Women's Association office (not all at the same time) and sang my butt off in one of the most fun choirs in the world. With my hubs, I traveled to Tokyo, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Shanghaii and my fave, Australia. We climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, tasted fabulous wine in Hunter Valley and in the beautiful Margaret River where we hope to retire one day. </div>
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On trips back home (my parents have never moved), we usually hit London or his hometown in France again and once had a wonderful trip to Edinburgh. 5 years later we had our first daughter and moved back to GR. Our worldly travels halted and very shortly after the first, we had a second daughter.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEI3PBe0YBM/UihUqCiQ39I/AAAAAAAAB_4/26sK6OIBJdQ/s1600/Girls+and+Mom+2006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEI3PBe0YBM/UihUqCiQ39I/AAAAAAAAB_4/26sK6OIBJdQ/s320/Girls+and+Mom+2006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2006</td></tr>
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The Stay-at-home thing never fulfills me, so I completed a certificate course with the Institute of Children's Literature and wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-You-Sleep-Baby-Dolphin/dp/0615613810/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1377861851&sr=8-1&keywords=how+do+you+sleep+baby+dolphin" target="_blank">a picture book</a>, which I later self-published (click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-You-Sleep-Baby-Dolphin/dp/0615613810/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1377861851&sr=8-1&keywords=how+do+you+sleep+baby+dolphin">the link</a> and buy it! It's a great bedtime story for the 6 and under set). Then, feeling the need to do more (and get out of the house while still maintaining a flexible schedule) I got my license to teach Kindermusik and opened my own studio.</div>
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Gosh, I loved singing with those kids! It was fun, joy-filled, but totally not profitable, so I scrapped that business after my son was born in 2009. Never one to sit still (it's in my Zoner blood), I started this blog, wrote for parenting websites and did a bit of freelance editing, which I'm still doing today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vP-eia37pDk/Uihc2QBy2YI/AAAAAAAACAU/kFhvg33LnxQ/s1600/The+Boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vP-eia37pDk/Uihc2QBy2YI/AAAAAAAACAU/kFhvg33LnxQ/s320/The+Boy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boy</td></tr>
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Wanting to get back out of the house and pursue a different passion, I became a wine consultant and had an absolute blast conducting private wine tastings. It's so much fun when drinking wine is actually your job! My man and I both loved it so much, we decided to open our own store. That didn't work out as we'd hoped, however, and last year a new job for the hubs meant another move for us. Now, my sweet family of 5 is living an hour SE of London and next week, guess what? I'm going to Stonehenge!!! </div>
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Being overseas means I'll miss the reunion. I didn't fret over the 10th, but I would have loved to attend this one (you know, before we all get too old to be recognizable)! So, I'm expecting to see plenty of pics on Facebook or perhaps even your own blog.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>Leave the link in the comments!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B58IEQ89pIc/UihbDeOTvRI/AAAAAAAACAI/L2xcrAuXNvE/s1600/tam2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B58IEQ89pIc/UihbDeOTvRI/AAAAAAAACAI/L2xcrAuXNvE/s320/tam2.png" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013</td></tr>
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Life has had its ups and downs, but overall I've been healthy and happy and living life to the fullest.When we were kids, we thought at this age we would be so old! But you know what? I feel like my life is just beginning. The best, most fulfilling, breathtaking parts of my life are just falling into place. </div>
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I hope to see you at our 30th reunion when that autograph on the back of the senior picture I gave you just might finally be worth something! Watch this space ;)</div>
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Your turn. Tell me what you've been up to for the past 20 years. I'm listening.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-34610961153424546362013-09-04T13:58:00.000+01:002013-09-05T10:05:35.596+01:00Best Drop-Off EVER!The house is quiet. I'm writing uninterrupted... what is going on? Oh, yes! It is the first day of school!!! And do you know what? It was the best drop-off ever!!!<br />
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If you count the first day of preschool, this is the 6th year I've been doing this drop-off thing and this was the first time no one cried, no one hugged desperately begging to stay with me and no one had to be physically removed from my arms crying and sobbing while I tried to keep my own tears in check and b-line for the door.<br />
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It was amazing.<br />
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I went to the mall and shopped by myself. <i>By myself</i>. I know, it's only been 6-weeks since they got out and most of you lovely readers likely spent double that home with your kids, but that's still a long time without a break. Plus, you can't shop for kid's birthdays with the kids! Finally, I can birthday shop.<br />
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Just listen. The only sound is the hum from the refrigerator. And tomorrow, though my little guy will be at home, there will be only one child to care for all. day. long. One is so much easier than three.<br />
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School is bliss for the stay/work-at-home-mom. I think there should be world-wide celebration champagne brunches for all moms (or whichever parent stays at home).<br />
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Now, I'm just going to sit here and listen to the quiet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1r-AjZ6MUqQ/Uict13_LdMI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/6KI3HwFHsiA/s1600/Cloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1r-AjZ6MUqQ/Uict13_LdMI/AAAAAAAAB_Q/6KI3HwFHsiA/s400/Cloud.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>School is Heaven for moms</i></td></tr>
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*** Linking up with <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/2013/09/hum-of-a-dishwasher/#comment-225402" target="_blank">Mama Kat</a> after realizing I had already written one of her prompts without prompting. :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-89758795472532556082013-09-03T14:37:00.004+01:002013-09-03T14:42:23.404+01:00I Guess I'm Not A Writer After AllAt least not a professional one. Yes, if you give me a topic I can pop out some decent text. Have a birthday or an anniversary? I can get pretty darn poetic. I have caused sappy tears and happy smiles. I've even written a lovely <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-You-Sleep-Baby-Dolphin/dp/0615613810/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1378200931&sr=8-1&keywords=how+do+you+sleep%2C+baby+dolphin" target="_blank">children's picture book</a> that I'm quite proud of; good prose isn't easy, you know? I have more story ideas, even a couple of drafts... but I don't have the necessary persistence to get published.<br />
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I'll never be a money-making freelancer or copy writer. Nor will I be the next great novelist. It just isn't in me. I write when I feel like it and I write what I feel. It's a calling of my soul to put pen to paper or fingers to keys.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YwxfTMnNF8o/UiXk_v44ArI/AAAAAAAAB-k/as-mgGJrbi8/s1600/writing+tam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YwxfTMnNF8o/UiXk_v44ArI/AAAAAAAAB-k/as-mgGJrbi8/s400/writing+tam.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And I feel like blogging! I have missed this regular release. So, since I've always been at my best when I'm busiest, I'm going to start blogging (somewhat) regularly again. Reviews, advertisements and the works. And when I get brave enough, I'll start writing on my other site. When my confidence allows...<br />
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The lovely thing about living in Britain is that the blogging opportunities are actually much greater than in the US. So, even though the cursed Google stripped me of my page rank, I'll happily work to build my UK readership, do a little networking and possibly start to earn a little money to put toward life in general and my certification.<br />
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Plus, how can I say no to makeup and mouthwash? Things I hardly buy for myself. I can't (say no). It's a weakness.<br />
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See you soon, loves!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-65077434555569105472013-08-30T09:43:00.000+01:002013-08-30T09:51:52.294+01:00One Persistent Bug<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uMW3VKCFFIc/UiBc4j5OvLI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/2kCDLVIjhog/s1600/toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uMW3VKCFFIc/UiBc4j5OvLI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/2kCDLVIjhog/s200/toilet.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Toilet: <br />Where we've spent<br />most of our time<br />for the past week.</td></tr>
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Ok, let's talk bugs. Not the kind with legs; the kind that knock you off your feet for days... or your kids off their feet (Warning: If you're squeamish, this is not the post for you).<br />
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I'm guessing we brought something home with us from a fun farm we visited last week. It also had an indoor play area that the kids loved and those places are teeming with germs whatever the season. Two or three days later, The Boy woke around 3:30am complaining of a tummy ache. He and I never really made it back to sleep that morning and around 8am he tossed his cookies all over the kitchen floor. He seemed fine after that, but on Sunday he spent the morning literally flushing out his system in the other direction.<br />
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Next, it was Nature Girl's turn. Tuesday night she complained of a stomach ache shortly after dinner, skipped dessert and returned what she had eaten to her bed sheets around midnight. I had left the designated "barf bucket" by her side, but she's never been a tidy one when it comes to getting sick.<br />
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Feeling rather sick myself, I spent the next hour cleaning up her room, washing out the carpet stains and getting her sheets and duvet cover into the washing machine.<br />
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The next morning, she seemed as good as new. I, however, was feeling wretched. So bad, in fact, that my husband came home early from work to take care of the kids for me. Two cups of chamomile tea finally helped things move along and I managed to eat a bit for the first time in 24-hours.<br />
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Between stomach pains and my husband's snoring, I hardly slept, so he stayed and worked from home yesterday and I stayed in bed until 11am. Being a mom, however, there was laundry to do. It takes longer without a dryer, so I needed to get on it.<br />
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By dinner time, I was feeling mostly recovered and it seemed we were finally free of this persistent, reoccurring bug. Snoring once again drove me to share Nature Girl's double bed in the middle of the night. That was fortunate, in fact, because around 6am strange, telltale noises pulled me from my dreams. I had left the bucket in her room (I always leave them near a sick kid for at least 3 days - see my <a href="http://www.dgmommy.com/2012/11/how-to-handle-vomit-guide-for-first.html" target="_blank">guide to vomit</a>), so I grabbed it just as she sat up and said, "I think I'm going to throw up!"<br />
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Thanks to my fast-as-lightening-mother-reflexes, this time the sheets stayed clean. The poor girl went on to try to rid her body of the bug in the other direction for the next two hours and counting...<br />
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Time to disinfect the house for the third time this week and pray to the heavens that Sweet Rose and Papa stay healthy.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-69609262722846182582013-08-23T16:42:00.000+01:002013-08-23T16:42:27.335+01:00OverqualifiedIt feels good to be back here. I've missed writing, but it's busy with kids at home. The hubs had 2 weeks off as well and he hardly lets us sit still. With school around the corner, you just might be reading me more often. Anyway...<br />
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A couple of weeks ago I was browsing through job postings. Occasionally, I get tired of being stretched too thin too often and I see what's out there that might work around the kids school schedules. One job seemed interesting enough. It had the potential to be flexible, so I brushed up my CV (Resume) and hit, "Apply."<br />
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A few days later I received a call and after a couple of "informal chats" I had scheduled my first interview in nearly 10 years. 10 years! I had nothing to wear. Mommy-clothes fill my closet and nearly everything is either stained or old.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zX6Kvre0yPY/Uhd1DoTW0-I/AAAAAAAAB9k/IGQAOW_y_i8/s1600/interview+ready!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zX6Kvre0yPY/Uhd1DoTW0-I/AAAAAAAAB9k/IGQAOW_y_i8/s200/interview+ready!.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interview Ready Selfie</td></tr>
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The night before the interview my stomach was clenched and my anxiety was sky high. Friends and family on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DGMommyTamara" target="_blank">FaceBook</a> made lovely, supportive comments and my husband talked me down in a rare show of true, deep attention. I reminded myself that I didn't care if I got the job or not, so there was really nothing to be nervous about.<br />
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The next morning I was ready. An 11-year-old dress with a new-ish pair of shoes and a cute cardie I got in France a couple of years ago did the trick. The interview went swimmingly and lasted over an hour. That's usually a good sign.<br />
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We had great rapport, the questions and answers felt more like a conversation and by the end of it I felt like the HR woman and I (who had a fabulous Scottish accent) would make great friends.<br />
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The next day I totally freaked out. I realized that I did not want a job at all! While I love working with people, I also love my freedom and flexibility. I've been a Kindermusik educator and a Wine-Tasting consultant over the past 6 years and both had me leading a crowd, loving what I did! Both allowed me to set my own schedule. This is vital, because putting 3 kids into childcare before and/or after school and during school holidays is freaking expensive. Plus, The Boy only goes 3 days...<br />
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I frantically searched for school admin jobs and scrolled through the work-at-home-mom sites to find something before I got a call telling me I'd made it to the next stage. Then, I stopped and took a breath.<br />
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A day or two of contemplation and the risk of getting a real job helped me clarify my direction. You've heard it before if you've been following me for long - I am going to be a certified Passion Test Facilitator. This is it for me. I'll get my NLP/Life coach certification to complement it, but I am going to be running workshops as a PT Facilitator!! Helping others to discover, embrace and courageously follow their passions in life! That's <i>my</i> passion!<br />
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Before now, I've gone back and forth between following my heart or getting a paycheck. Not knowing when or how I'll ever come up with the money for the certification or the travel to get there had me nearly giving up on my dream. But I won't. It isn't just a dream, it is my path. All this job stuff helped me to finally and fully embrace that. You might have thought I had done that a few months ago, right? But I waver in the face of a $0 balance in my bank account!<br />
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After nearly a week, I hadn't heard back from them, so I placed the follow-up call. "It's going to be a 'No,'" Darryl kindly told me. "Would you like to know the reason?" Of course, I would. <i>Overqualified.</i><br />
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Overqualified. With all that I've done and the goals that I have with NLP and the Passion Test, they were quite certain I would be bored handling stock and customer service calls. He didn't say that outright, but I heard it nonetheless and they're right. Plus, the couldn't really accommodate the start and end timing I would need to get my kids to and from school. Shocking.<br />
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I'm so relieved I didn't get that job! Now I can put all of my focus and attention where it belongs - on my family, my own personal development and paving the way to my dream career.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-27553336204029118642013-07-25T08:55:00.000+01:002013-07-25T08:55:31.268+01:00One School Year Complete and Visitors WelcomeToday is the second day of summer vacation for my children. It's amazing to me that they've completed their first year of school in England. They've adjusted so beautifully and they are incredible students.<br />
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I'm a very proud mommy. The girls' report cards make me cry, they are so good! Both girls (if you don't mind me bragging a bit) are well above average in reading and writing. Sweet Rose is listed as "gifted" and Nature Girl is "accelerated". Not sure of the difference; it may just be the terminology that their two different schools use. Either way, they're brilliant. They literally excel in every area!<br />
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My little guy won't be any slacker either. He's well on his way to reading and can count nearly to 30. He's such a little character and he's grown so much in the past year. He thrived at playschool and I'm relieved that he will be going back to the same school, with teachers and friends that he loves.<br />
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We're just six-weeks shy of one full year in the UK. It's gone by so quickly. We've all made friends now and even have a fun play-date today. Well, it may not have reached quite the depth of friendship the adults, yet, but it's still someone to chat with and we have 3 important things in common - 3 kids the same age. Each pair were classmates this year. It's The Boy's first play-date!<br />
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Even so, I'm missing my family; missing<i> home</i>. I'm feeling lonely and disconnected. Skype is great, but it's no substitute for a hug. I miss writing here, too. Strangely, it helps me feel more connected, even if hardly anyone is reading it.<br />
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Have I mentioned the spare room? Private en-suite (bathroom) and less than an hour from Stonehenge and in the other direction, London? Not to mention the coast and the gorgeous countryside of Hampshire all around us. And yes, Starbucks is here, too. :) All friends and family welcome.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQBeMMo_8Q8/UfDZlsMjzeI/AAAAAAAAB8M/fWN8C8GZlOk/s1600/IMG_4204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bQBeMMo_8Q8/UfDZlsMjzeI/AAAAAAAAB8M/fWN8C8GZlOk/s400/IMG_4204.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous walks through beautiful forests are just around the corner from our house. Tempted yet?</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1412357240750046677.post-55069181836990211672013-07-13T10:55:00.000+01:002013-07-13T10:55:18.300+01:00Yo-Yo MeI am tired today. The stress of the past few weeks bearing down on me like bricks; weighing on my eyelids, my chest, my usual spunk.<br />
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House-hunting, forced holiday planning, budgeting, packing, cleaning, clearing... not to mention bickering, demanding children (10 months and counting without a babysitter). Every morning, as we approach the last days of school, we leave just a little bit later, dragging our feet through the door for our 10 to 15 minute lovely, curve-filled, English country-side drive.<br />
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This past week we finally worked out all of the necessary details. How we would spend the three weeks between houses, booking non-refundable flights, securing a house (thanks to my amazing MIL) in France, planning the return. I got the residence visa application sent out, school place applications mailed, appointments for playschool viewings set.<br />
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I sorted the childrens' closets, recycled like a maniac and (usually) resisted the urge to play Candy Crush instead.<br />
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Everything was in place for the transition from one house to the next and all that goes along with a move.<br />
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Yesterday, we received an email telling us that our current landlord had accepted another overseas assignment and would not be returning to the UK after all. We could stay in this house if we wanted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2PQSiP1MP6I/UeEjf4T8luI/AAAAAAAAB74/IRUIPK-vl7s/s200/yoyo_yinyang.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="198" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crystalinks.com/yoyoeffect.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #cccccc;">Photo Credit</span></a></td></tr>
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My mind filled with images of Yo-Yos and Ping Pong matches. I was dumbfounded. So much back and forth. All that stress that might have been averted but was, instead, fully experienced. Another decision to make for a couple already completely fried.<br />
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Perhaps the relief of not moving will eventually replace the fatigue. I head to the garden now for renewal. Solace in the soil and stems of cherry tomatoes, basil and myriad other herbs that I can now continue to enjoy throughout the summer, save a forced two-weeks vacation in France.<br />
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So, dear friends and family, this means I'll still have a rockin' spare bedroom for visitors for another year... unless Asia happens sooner than planned.<br />
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Don't get too comfortable in life; expect curve-balls. They keep you in a state of growth; personal evolution. Just the way I like it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06789141075935009456noreply@blogger.com2