Defining Success

I've been thinking a lot about how I would define success.  It seems so important this day and age to be, "successful".  I find it to be an annoying term but I think I'll just play along and see what comes out here as I write.

1.  Living within our means.  Yes, we have credit cards, but we pay them off every month.  We also have savings to help us with future projects, plans and problems. 

2.  A home to live in.  Right now I own a duplex that I bought 8 years ago.  We'd like to eventually sell it when the market goes higher than what I bought it at and then buy a place that has room for a family.  Two bedrooms is great for a starter family but I'm not hankering after a life of cramped quarters and shared walls with neighbors. 

3.  A stable job.  My husband has a fantastic job with the government and providing they don't lay him off due to budget cuts, unlikely but possible, we'll be in a good position years down the road when he'd like to retire. 

4.  A loving family.  Having children, regardless of how many, that love each other, look after one another, and most importantly love God and are true to their faith. 

5.  A devout religious life.  This won't always be easy but with good training for our children and a seriousness when believing in God will go a long way towards paving that path.  Being true to our Catholic faith will also be very important and trust that the Catholic church will lead us to Heaven. 

This list is interesting because I tried not to put in materialistic things like a giant flat screen TV or owning all of my favorite movies on DVD.  Those things will change and I need to remember what the basics of my standards are.  I can live on clothing from Goodwill, buy food economically, and not drive wherever I feel like it (I've got shoes that can take me to more places than a car).  I hope and pray that our children will be able to take that which we find important in our lives and bring it to theirs and their future children.  I also hope and pray that we can follow God to wherever he leads even if it seems to be impossible or inconvenient at the time. 

I wonder...

How many calories do you burn when you walk during pregnancy.  I would assume the further along in your pregnancy the more calories you would burn when you exercise.  It's tough being pregnant, carrying around so much more weight, not being able to breathe easily because you have a little one cramping your lung capacity, and you're doing your best to keep your ligaments from stretching too much with every step.  I know women tend to eat more when pregnant but I feel like for the most part I eat about the same amount as I did before but healthier.  I also cannot eat as much in one sitting.

Why I wonder this is because my husband and I have devised a plan that whenever I eat something I shouldn't while pregnant (cake, candy, etc.) I need to walk the equivalent in calories to burn it off.  How do I assess how many calories I would burn when the only charts they have are on people who are not pregnant?  Being 31 weeks pregnant it's getting more difficult to move around and I assume that when I get right up on my due date it will be very hard.  It's like wearing harder and harder resistant bands every time you work out. 

It would be nice if they had a website that would help but I haven't found one yet. 

Busy Work

Today I finally finished my chore list.  It was grueling and exhausting for someone who is pregnant.  Yet, it feels great to have a clean home that I wouldn't mind having family or friends over to visit.  The only thing that is left to do is finish painting the baby room which is my husband's job since it involves paint fumes and he doesn't want me near it.  I don't blame him, especially after he read me the warning label. 

I don't mind in the least doing chores around the house.  It's good for me, especially now that I'm pregnant and in the third trimester.  I was listening to a good podcast called Pregtastic and in one of their early episodes a doctor or midwife was talking about complications during labor, especially the type like the baby being breached.  In the olden days they didn't have the issue of breached babies very often.  It happened occasionally but not to the degree that we have today.  Around the 32 week of a pregnancy the baby is supposed to flip around and settle their head in your pelvis.  This wasn't a problem for mothers 100 years ago because with all the house cleaning and work that they did on a regular basis would have their bodies moving the baby into position.  With our culture today, we sit most of the time.  This is not helpful for the baby.  I guess depending on the job you have you might be able to achieve a similar result but I prefer the atmosphere of home.  Here I can work and take breaks as much as I want.  I can take a nap or get down on my hands and knees and scrub the shower floor.  I don't have anyone breathing down my neck to get something done or to fill a quota.  My job is to be here at home creating a home.  That means it's at my pace and that of my family. 

Even though it's been less than a week since I've had the opportunity to stay home permanently, I am finding it especially rewarding.  There are things I don't want to get to but will have to, eventually.  I'm so excited to put my home in order, move about without people criticizing me (like coworkers who wonder why you need to go to the bathroom so much), and create.  I wish more people had this opportunity or recognized they have this opportunity if only they would look at it that way and give up a little.  We live in an incredibly wealthy society and if a family in India can live on pennies a day, I most certainly can live with my husband and family on only one income. 

The Karate Kid

Do you remember The Karate Kid?  The original?  Back in 1984 when The Karate Kid first came out my brother insisted on watching it and it became a family favorite along with Star Wars and Indiana Jones.  It was the perfect underdog story and while I wasn't very keen on the violence of some of the scenes I did enjoy the craftiness with which the teacher got the student to learn.  It helped me get into my mind the fact that there is more than one way to learn something and often times the unorthodox way of learning is quite successful.  With each subsequent film we watched as only children can, over and over again.  We reenacted scenes and tried our best of get a nail to go into a board with one strike of the hammer, until my dad confiscated the hammer because we were making deep indents into the deck and fence when we would miss the head of the nail. 

In June of this year a new version of The Karate Kid was released.  After the 4th installment of the franchise I wasn't so sure about how this film would turn out.  Then I learned that it would be set in China and I totally could not understand why they would label it The Karate Kid.  Then I watched some of the previews and it helped me understand why they would use that title since the young boy was using TV Taught Karate to try and keep from being beat up by Kung Fu students. 

Today, my husband decided to celebrate my not having to return to work by suggesting that we go to the theater to watch a movie.  The last time we did that was back in January when we went to see Avatar.  Not being crazy about the movie selections that are out right now we looked at some of the less expensive theaters to see what older films were still playing.  Our luck was in.  Both of us had been wanting to watch The Karate Kid and now was our chance.  The bonus was that it was less than $4 per person. 

I think we both thoroughly enjoyed the film and would watch it again with my niece and nephew if they wanted to see it themselves.  The film was a good original adaptation of the story line and kept the audience wrapped up in the story.  I even liked how they treated the end of the film during the tournament by using the same material in the dishonorable intentions of the rival instructor.  I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how they would get from here to there since I knew how it would end, I just didn't know any of the middle part.  They also did a great job in playing homage to specific scenes from the original film: using the chopsticks to catch the fly, waxing the car, and the instructor getting drunk on the anniversary of his wife's death. 

The only negative part that both my husband and I agreed on was that we didn't like the punk attitude of the main character, the blatant disrespect of his mother and elders, and the slang (i.e. ass).  They didn't have to add these qualities to the character.  I know lots of people who would never dream of having such a bad attitude around the people they love.  And yet, I do know people who dared to talk back and who got away with it; but why do we need to dwell on the absolute negative.  Can we not hold up that which is loving and positive?  Maybe it would have gotten less favorable reviews because it would be, "less real", but who cares.  I want to show this to my children and I'll have to wait till they are a little older so they won't be picking up the behavior I don't want them to have.

All in all, it's a good film and age appropriate for 10 year olds. 

It Has Begun

Today was my last day of work.  Or as my husband puts it, "my last day of work, FOREVER".  Through the generosity of my husband we are finding a way for me to stay home and care for both house and family.  And while I should be elated, honestly, I just feel weird.  Like it hasn't sunk in yet.  I feel like I'll be going back to work next week and the following month and the following year, until the day I die.  It's exhausting thinking about it that way.  I wonder how long it will take for me to forget what it's like to rush off to work and push papers around and type a lot.  How long will it take for me to get into a comfortable groove of caring for house and yard and family?  When will I anticipate the day with joy again as I did when I was a child, rather than dread?  I long for the joy to descend upon me that I always hoped would occur when I finally quit my job.  Rather, I feel adrift right now.  I have plans.  I have lots of plans.  House repair, yard repair, house cleaning, cooking, baking, blogging, visiting with family.  Yet, I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that I am now free to do so.  And I need to get myself in order because the sooner I develop a smooth routine the more I'll be able to bring it to our new family when our baby is born.  I know the first few weeks will be fairly formless with bonding and recovery but I want to be content with what I have, healthy, happy, well rested, and in love with God's bountiful gifts. 

One thing I'd like to say about "well rested".  When I was in the military we were told that when we went on our field training exercise we would be getting less sleep than we were already getting and would be tired all the time.  But I cheated.  As soon as we got in our foxholes, I'd take a nap, relying on my buddy to wake me if a sergeant came by.  I got more rest and relaxation in the field than I ever got in the barracks.  The same can apply to post delivery.  I'll take a nap whenever I can, ignoring dishes and laundry, to rebuild myself.  My mother made nap time mandatory when we were toddlers and children, not so much because we needed the sleep, but because she needed the sleep.  I plan on the same and hopefully I'll fare well and my home will be a wonderful place to be because it will be a relaxing place. 

Labor Day Weekend

My dear husband and I spent the weekend in Bodega Bay.  It was beautiful and awe inspiring.  We took several walks but my favorite was around Bodega Head.  I don't think we realized until we got there that this would be a busy weekend for the area.  It's that time of year that the whales migrate and you can see them right off the coast.  You have wonderful views from the cliffs of the California Coast, bone chilling water to watch crash on the shoreline, and massive whales spouting not very far off that you can see without binoculars.  The air was fresh and made me feel hale and hearty.  I cooked several good meals that got devoured very quickly by 4 men.  I love the ocean and it's mighty strength.  Every time I watch it it confounds me that people don't or can't believe in God.