Opportunity Knocked

I have some friends that have done triathlons. I never really had any interest in doing one. I really didn't think I could ever do it. Guess what? I am, I can, and I will! That's my motto. My dad's response was kind of funny to this because he said so much for your bucket list. He meant because on my bucket list I have that I want to bungee jump, sky dive, and not quite sure what else but know it's a triathlon. I'm excited and scared at the same time.

It's hard to get motivated to start. I need to do this for me. The sense of accomplishment that I will feel. Well anyway, it was our wards turn to clean the church so I decided to have John drop me off and I would run home after I was done. A neighbor said your not running home and I told her that I was because I was going to being doing a triathlon with some other members in our ward. And I said something stupid and didn't mean it the way it came out. (Sorry!) I said if ##$%&*@ can do it after just having a baby then I can. I about died the whole way home feeling awful because I didn't mean it the way that it came out. I meant that I need to do this and I was so happy that I had others to do it with me and help support me. So anyway, my progress is slow but I'm not giving up. I just started and need all the encouragement and support that I can get.

I know that through this their is only empowerment. I ran and walked and ran and walked but I was proud of myself when I got home that I can do it and I did. It was about a mile and a half and it took about 20 minutes and 30 seconds. I know it wasn't the fastest but I finished and that's the way I'm looking at the triathlon. I don't care if I come it last because at least I did it.

Wish me luck!

Mean Mums

I received this email from one of my friends in Australia and I just wanted to share. I'm trying to get out of my blogging slump and I need to catch up but until then here some food for thought. Love ya Julie!

Mean Mums


Someday when my children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will
tell them, as my Mean Mum told me: I loved you
enough . . . to ask where you were going, with whom,
and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you
discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours
while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger,
disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must
learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the
responsibility for your actions even when the
penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . . to say
NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm
hope I won them, because in the end you win, too.
And someday when your children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them....



Was your Mum mean? I know mine was. We had the
meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids
ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

When others had a Pepsi and a Twisties for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.

And you can guess our mother made us a dinner that was
different from what other kids had, too.

And some mothers didn't even make their kids dinners!


Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all
times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She
had to know who our friends were, and what we were
doing with them. She insisted that if we said we
would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve
to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work We
had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to
cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash
and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie
awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time
we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had
eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn
when they drove up. They had to come up to the door
so she could meet them. While everyone else could
date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of
things other kids experienced. None of us have ever
been caught shoplifting, vandalising other's
property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated,
honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean
parents just like Mum was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.
It just doesn't have enough mean mums!


PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MEAN MOTHERS YOU KNOW.
(And Their Kids!!!)

So are you or did you have a mean mum.....