Fake it 'til you make it!

Today is my year anniversary at Weight Watchers. A year ago today I joined. A year ago today I made the decision that this was the last time I'd ever weight 89.9kgs (or more) I took the last photo of me ever at that weight.

A year on and I've achieved my goals. 

At times it's been an easy ride at others the hardest journey I've ever taken. I've learned so much and grown so much. I've become mentally and physically healthy.

There were days I just had to fake being the healthy, fit woman I dreamed of being. Times I had to ask myself, "What would a fit, healthy woman do?" Would she go the gym or sit on the couch eating the salt and vinegar chips?

Days I had to ask myself, "Who do you want to be?" The depressed, overweight mother or the fit, energetic, happy mother. Days I just had to fake being that fit, happy, energetic woman.

Ever day I faked it was one day closer to making it. By acting like a fit, healthy energetic woman I have become that fit, healthy, energetic woman. Today I don't have to fake it anymore. 

My blog has been poorly neglected of late. I've lost my blog mojo, not a bad thing really. I did weaken and rejoined facebook for a few weeks there but once again 'social networking' started to take over my life. Would a fit, energetic, woman sit on facebook? Or would she be out playing with her kids? I decided to deactivate my facebook account again, I'm not the sort of person who can use it in a balanced and moderated way.

The blessing of being bored.....

When i was growing up, to say "I'm bored" would of been like swearing to my dad. He'd quickly put me down by telling me, "Only boring people are bored!"
I've grown up to think of boredom as a negative emotion and state of being. And I've gone on to also parent expressing to my children that boredom is a very negative state of being.

But is boredom such a negative thing?
And should children be made to feel bad about being bored?

There are many who will tell you that kids are increasingly bored as they no longer have the concentration span to stay engaged in an activity for any length of time. I'd argue that this isnt true I've got kids who will spend hours on a single game on the computer!

So what is boredom?
For me boredom is a restlessness and inability to settle to a task. A seeking of something new to do. An itch in my soul that needs to be scratched but I just can't reach. Being bored is not a comfortable feeling, for me it comes with a lot of guilt from childhood. I can hear my dad ... Only boring people get bored.... Those who lack imagination get bored.... As a result I feel sad and angry with myself when I feel bored.

But is boredom really so bad?
I'm starting to think it really isn't the negative thing I have always thought it to be! Boredom is the thing that spurs me on to try something new. If I hadn't been bored with my other crafts then I may not have tried spinning. I often feel bored prior to designing many of my designs here on the blog. Boredom really is the catalyst many of us need to try something new. Maybe boredom is the sign of a very creative mind, an inquisitive mind a mind that thirsts to know more.

Parenting and boredom...
I'm rethinking the way I respond to my kids now when they tell me they are bored. If I look at boredom as being the tool of a creative mind to learn more then my attitude to the emotion of boredom changes.
I can start asking a few questions and learning more about my children. Why are they bored? What do they need to learn? What new experiences can we engage in as a family?

Maybe I can use their boredom as a way for us to connect and be together as a family.
Why don't we go the park while we think of what else you'd like to do?

Boredom is such a complicated and sophisticated emotion and being. Truly a necessary emotion that I believe is responsible for many advancements in human knowledge and understanding. Instead of putting children down when they express they are bored maybe we should encourage them to explore the feeling and embrace the new learning it brings.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..

 We've had our Pageant.

Another fabulous community event.

With lots of local floats, lollies and good cheer.

It's such a lovely way to get together as a community 

and celebrate the start of the Christmas Season.

 It's become a tradition to put our tree up after the Pageant.

Heather was fascinated with the process.

All the decorations from years past were hung with lots of talk about their history.

" I remember ..." was said frequently.

 Very few of our ornaments are shop bought.

Mostly they have been made by the kids in years past.

And here is the little Geek.

Heather managed to snaffle both ipads.

One she had iview on and the other she was playing the new ABC Kids app.

She is a whiz with an ipad.

Not a lot crafty going on here.

I've been baking lots of Gingerbread and eating it too!

I've been swimming a lot, which makes finding time to run difficult.

Rose and I have been to two swim meets this season..

Rose keeps beating her personal best times.

I'm slowly improving my technique.

The kids are all out swimming me.

Many of the kids I train with, I taught when I was relief teaching a couple of years back.

It's nice to spend time with them again in a different context.

The kids are been great in accepting me as a fellow team member.

Our swimming club has such a lovely supportive and friendly atmosphere.