The First of Eleven Questions

While trying to make sure I understood how to use NuNatruals Oat Fiber, I ran across 11 Things Every Woman Should Write Down Before The Year Ends on Oprah's website. Don't ask- sometimes my internet searches end up being a lot like my brain activity and no one can understand that.

Anyway, I was curious and decided that I would try to write these down.

Today's post covers the first question: What younger you would like about present you.

I suppose that depends on how much younger me. If we're talking about the elementary me, I would say she likes that I try to be fun/funny in the classroom. Not all the time, but I do try to put some things across with humor and as simply as possible. Why? Because kids remember lessons better when those lessons are presented in a humorous and/or shortandsweet way. If a teacher drones on and on and on and on, the kids have tuned him/her out within minutes. If the material is presented in an upbeat manner with a little humor, some movement and opportunities for discussion, students will be focused for a much longer period of time and they are more likely to actually learn the material as well as apply it.

If we're talking about the middle schoolish years me, I would say she doesn't like anything about me because she's of that age where she doesn't like anything about anyone. Do y'all remember those years?

My high school me would probably like that I was not a strict disciplinarian to the lovelies when they were growing up- even during their teen years. She would like that I listened and understood and put consequences into perspective instead of doling out harsh punishments where they were not needed. For example, when the end result of the action was such that it taught a lesson, that was punishment enough. She would like that I gave each of the lovelies two free cuts from school every school year just in case they needed a break. (Funny, not one of them ever cashed in on those free cuts.)

My young adult self would like that I am teaching and enjoying it instead of sitting at home every day.Though she would want me to go out more in a social way. Because that's what she did all the time. You know, college and all that.

My parenting self would like that I stayed home to raise the lovelies even with all the financial sacrifices.Though she would agree that the time went by too fast.

Ok, I might have gone off on a tangent or two on this one but, y'all get the point.

Now, share what your younger selves would like about the present you.

They Did, I Didn't

When I was growing up, I had INFINITE HOURS of unsupervised time. My cousins and I could go anywhere in town and play. We didn't have to tell our parents every single place we were going though they knew where we started.

No one ever bothered us or made us feel unsafe. We went from house to house and yard to yard and store to store---well, just one store really, the drugstore where we could sit at the counter and get cherry cokes which were absolutely delightful!

We played and played and played. Rarely, if ever, would you find us in front of the television during the day light hours.

Some of that was  the same way for the lovelies when they were growing up. Rarely if ever would you find them in front of the television during the day. And they played and played and played. But they were NOT unsupervised.

Times were calling for more caution when the lovelies were coming along.

My parents had no reason to worry about child abductions or various other things that could happen to unsupervised kids. Ours was a small town with relatively little bad stuff going on.

By the time Breezy was in kindergarten, there was a child abductor in our area. His picture was posted on the news and his van was seen in a neighborhood close to ours.

Do y'all know when I first remember hearing about such things as child abductors. About the time Breezy was two years old. I hadn't heard of them or just hadn't paid attention until that time.

Did the lovelies miss out on their childhood because of increased risks of unsupervised play? No. They played a lot of the same games I did when I was growing up. They went just about everywhere they wanted to go. They had friends over ALL THE TIME. They participated in activities. They did it all. It's just that they did it with me along--and, no, I wasn't creepy about it or overprotective. It's not like I hovered.  

Looking back, I think that having me around all the time and involved in everything they did was one thing that made us all so close. It kept me alert and I became an adept learner of each lovely individually.

They may not have the freedom to roam alone as I did--I didn't even let them walk the quarter mile from school to home...though that was mainly because of the teenage drivers in the neighborhood who thought that it was fun to pretend like they were going to hit walkers with their cars...idiots. BUT, they were lacking in play time or participation in any activities AND they got to have their mom right there alongside them cheering them on, giving support and encouragement...

So, while my parents did allow us the freedom to roam independently, I was not able, or willing, to allow it with the lovelies. And I'm pretty sure that their childhood might have been even richer than my own because of it.

Were you more watchful over your kids than your parents were over you?

The List of Then and Now

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Well, PAST time because I AM LATE! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, we have the 10 WAYS YOU ARE SAME OR DIFFERENT FROM YOUR YOUNGER SELF theme. All you have to do to join the fun is click on the link or the button!

10 WAYS I AM THE SAME OR DIFFERENT FROM MY YOUNGER SELF

1. I STILL tend towards moodiness. That's right. I was a moody kid. A moody teenager. A moody young adult...and now, I'm a moody old adult. I'll never know whether menopause makes me moody or not. Moody is my nature regardless. The mood to avoid? The bitchy one. Trust me.
2. I used to LOVE swimming at the beach when I was younger. I would spend all day every day of vacation in the water. When the lovelies were growing up, I took them to the beach every single day during the summers (because we live only 3 miles from the beach) and we would swim and swim and swim. I am no longer a fan of swimming in the ocean. I have become very aware of sand in places that sand does not feel nice and of jelly fish. And then there was that shark I saw a few years ago. Well, it could have been a dolphin. But I'm not taking any chances.
3. I used to LOVE being on a boat. Large, small, in between- no matter. Just put me on a boat and I was happy! About 10 years ago, I discovered that I can no longer be on a boat of any size without getting seasick. WTH?! And it SUCKS because I still love boats. I just can't be on one. 
4. I HATE liver. I have never liked it I will never like it. It's the worst food on the face of the earth. My dad thought I was just fooling around when I was a kid so they hid it in the mashed potatoes. When I threw up all over everything, they realized that I really didn't like it. I can't even be around it when someone is cooking it. YUCK!
5. I LOVED my stuffed animals when I was a kid. They each had their own designated spot on my bed and they stayed that way always. To this day, our attic is filled with all the stuffed animals the lovelies ever had while growing up. Why? Because I cannot throw them away. I can't even give them away. I LOVE those things. What is it about stuffed animals?
6. I hated snakes then. I hate them now. The only difference is that I can actually look at them in a book now. Nasty, ugly, stupid things.
7. I was scared of heights then, I'm scared of heights now. I avoided them then. I avoid them now. No sense tempting fate.
8. READING! Loved it then, love it now! I've always read anything I can get my hands on! 
9. I totally enjoyed eating when I was younger. I totally enjoy it now too. The difference? I was a skinny kid. I'm a fat adult. Sigh.
10. Music. Music has been so important to me FOREVAH! I used to listen to the Rat Pack, Herb Albert, Johnny Mathis and more when my parents had parties, at my grandparents at Christmas there was Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald and on Sundays there was gospel; with my older cousins there was all that glorious 60s music and then my own decade- the 70s! The bluegrass and local talent of my college years... There's never been a single moment in my life that music didn't play a major role! It's still like that now! Well, except for heavy metal and country. Let's not go crazy.

Now, it's your turn! How are you alike and different between now and then?