THE HAT OF ME!

When I entitled this blog “The Many Hats of a Mom” I listed a few of the different hats that I wear on a regular basis. However, I realized the other day that I failed to include one very vital hat, the Hat of Me!

We have spent the past couple of weeks being snowed in. Had I just had to deal with the record breaking amount of snow I think I might have done ok. But with the snow came some different challenges. These challenges caused me to take a hard look at my life and the need to make some changes.

Towards the end of the second week I was talking to Keith and Kyle and made the following statement. “I need a hobby. I need something I can do that is just for me. A creative outlet that allows me to walk away from everything else and just have fun.” That one comment lead me to explore the Hat of Me!

I’ve always been a very duty bound individual. A lot of what I do I do because I feel it’s my duty and if I don’t do it who will. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining about the things I have chosen to do. Most of what I do I love to do and enjoy doing it. However, lately according to Kyle I have forgotten to “Unstring my Bow”. For any of you that do not understand what it means to unstring a bow or why it’s so important, I will give you the condensed version.

One must unstring a bow to release the pressure on the string. By releasing the pressure when you are not using the bow it actually keeps your string from becoming stretched out and weak. If you fail to release this pressure the next time you go to shoot your arrow it will not go as far nor will it perform as well.

You might be asking how does this relate to me. I seem to always have my bow strung. I am always under pressure. Which has rendered me less effective in everything I do.

I still have all the other hats I wear I am just adding one more, The Hat of Me! I have started a journal and am keeping a weekly accounting of what I am doing and how I am spending my time. Included in this is time spent doing something for the pure enjoyment of it, something just for me.

What do I hope comes from this?

1. I will explore and develop new talents.

2. I will actually be more effective in those things I need and are required to do.

3. I will become more well rounded, happier and under less stress and pressure.

I am excited to start and have high hopes for a better, happier, more effective ME!

2010 Handicapping for the Aldous Family

This past Christmas season Kyle decided to do a spin off of Kory's sports handicapping blog and published a post of his own entitled "Handicapping Christmas in the Aldous Home". His blog soon snowballed and before we knew it we had several blog posts concerning Christmas handicaps in our home. I decided that I would do my own handicapping post only mine will be entitled "Handicapping for the year 2010 in the Aldous family."

Just like Kyle my plays will be labeled according to how strongly I feel about them:

5* It's a lock - 1* It could happen:

And following each pick, I will provide a brief analysis.

We will have at least one wedding (4*)
I'm feeling pretty good about this one. Kyle, Kory and Kourtney each brought home someone for the holidays. I'm hearing wedding bells, I'm just not sure how many.

Keith and I receive new names (Grandma and Grandpa) (5*)
There is nothing in the oven yet but Kailynn promised me that she would come home with a baby next Christmas even if she had to borrow one. What a wonderful Christmas present this would be to have a little red headed Cooper in our home.

Exxonmobil announces that they will move us all to Houston, Texas in the next 3-5 years (4*)
Lets start with what we know. First, Exxonmobil is sitting on a piece of property that the government has wanted to get their hands on for some time. This would mean $$$ for the company. Second, this would enable them to consolidate their engineering departments. Third, most of the company's refineries and headquarters happen to be on that side of the country. Fourth, this has been the rumor for the year.

More berries than last year (5*)

This is a given much to my dismay. Last year I canned over 100 pints of raspberry jam, juiced them, made fruit leather, salsa, pie, ice cream and more and I still have a freezer full of them. This was just the raspberries, we also have blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. I gave this a 5 because Keith worked very hard on his berries this summer, he pruned, fertilized, trellised and transplanted them. We now have about 400 ft. of raspberry and blackberries alone.

We will acquire more electronics and other stuff than in any other year (3*)

In the two months that Kyle has been home we have acquired more electronics (TV's, WII's, Camera's etc) than in any other year. So you might ask why I only gave this a 3, this would be because he will be up against his dad's goal of saving more this year than ever before.

We will have more Aldous children living at home than away (3*)

I give this a 3 due to 1. The economic and job market status of our Country, 2. The future personal decisions some of our children. As of right now we are split 3 home and 3 away. Kyle, Korinne and Kameron at home, Kailynn, Kory and Kourtney away. Here's what I am assured of: Kailynn will not come home. She and Dallas are happily married and working in Dallas. Here's what I'm not sure of: Kory, in Utah right now doing Independent Study classes at BYU. Could do his classes anywhere so he could come home live for free and finish classes and find a summer internship. The only thing stopping this from happening is Karlie. Only time will tell what happens here. Kourtney, she is doing an online class for event planning and is trying to get back into BYU. I'm pretty sure the only thing stopping her from staying at home is Josh. As with Kory only time will tell what happens here also. Kyle, presently at home but would love to leave "Funchester" only thing stopping him from leaving is finding a JOB! Korinne and Kameron don't really have a choice they are here until they finish school and that won't start to happen until next year.

So there you have it, my picks for the Aldous family in 2010. It will be an interesting year and I can't wait to see how each of these play out!

The Beginning

Notice that I didn't include writer as one of the many hats I wear, its not. If you choose to read this blog be forewarned that grammar and spelling are not my strong suite.

Hat of a Mother:

I recently had the chance to listen to a song from Michael McLean entitled "Lullaby for Me", it went something like this:

This hasn't been a day that I would call my best. I'd give myself a failing grade if this had been a test. I did not comfort you when you were all alone I was to busy crying through some problems of my own. Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be and tonight I wish that you could sing the lullaby to me.

I'm glad that you could sleep, I wish that I could too. I'm sorry that today I wasn't really here for you. I must have slipped away to some far distance land where I'm the child who cries until her mother takes her hand. Today I haven't been the mom you needed me to be and tonight I wish that you could sing the lullaby for me.

Tomorrow I'll reclaim my proper place. And I'll tuck you in and gently kiss your face. I'll do those things the moms suppose to do and I'll know what those things should be cause tonight I need them to.

This hasn't been a day that I want to repeat. I'm sorry I could only say I'm sorry while you sleep. Today I haven't been the mom you needed me to be and tonight I wish that you could sing the lullaby for me. Tonight I need someone to sing a lullaby for me.

Wearing the hat of a mother is not always an easy thing, and like the words of this song I sometimes miss the mark and am not the mom I should be.

So I end this beginning with the hope and desire that tomorrow I will do a better job wearing this particular hat.