Month: November 2014

On the Hot Seat With The Beard

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So tonight I’m sharing with you the unexpected, yet first installment of “On the Hot Seat with The Beard.”  I wish I could tell you that this was entirely staged, but it was not.  Just a typical week night in our household.  

Tonight’s captured topic?  Space Travel.  Other topics prior to filming: last week’s Republican victories, as well as the impact of Vladimir Putin’s actions in Eastern Ukraine and what impact they will have on the European Union as a whole.  

Again, I can’t make this stuff up.  Is this normal?

~Ashley

*Transcript

The Beard: Are you guys familiar with the rocket that blew up when it was trying to go into space last week?

Princess: Yeah, yeah. (shakes head up and down)

Lordling: YEAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!

The Beard: That’s disturbing.  But, my question is, how do you think that will impact future ventures into commercial and passenger space travel?

Princess: Um…animals can go on busses…sometimes.  They can sit down.

The Beard: Oook.  (laughter) And what’s your thought?

The Lordling: (silence)…Dax (and points to himself)

The Beard: Dax?  Perfect.

The Struggle To Find Balance

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So I haven’t posted in a while.  The transition from summer back to teaching full time has lasted a bit longer than usual.  I’ve struggled to find balance between work, family and personal desires.  Nothing new here, as I’m certainly not the first person to have a hard time with this, however it’s something that has weighed rather heavily on me these last few months.  

I mean, do you ever feel like this?

juggle

I honestly feel like this more days than not.  It’s constant.  Ask me what’s causing me to struggle and I can easily identify multiple factors,  however, it’s been quite the challenge to determine what I can do to eliminate them.  Like many people, I tend to want there to be clear cut solutions to my problems and I don’t understand why the store clerk can’t escort me to the aisle where I can find them.  

I mean seriously, we have aisles for everything else!  

Nevertheless, I’m tired of living in this conundrum.  Although I’m still searching for balance, (and to be honest, I don’t know that it exists) I have decided that I must be more proactive if there is going to be any possible change. Clearly, my daily frustration with no actual plan of action is not getting me any closer to my goals.

do something

When looking for a plan, more often than not I turn to the web.  Like when I needed to drop baby weight after having the Princess and the Lordling, I surfed and found C25K: Couch to 5K.  It was genius and the perfect solution to my exercise needs.  So it’s not all that crazy that I would hit the web again for my current balance issue.  Surely there’s an app for that!  Maybe something like “C2HAPPY: Couch to Here’s Answers to Problems of People like You”.  Ok, that was a stretch, but a girl has got to be optimistic, right?!?!   

After quite some time, I was annoyed that I hadn’t found the afore mentioned app, however,  I did stumble across this article, “How to Create a Balanced Life: 9 Tips to Feel Calm and Grounded”.  I’ve read through it a couple of times now and it makes a lot of sense so I think I will give it a try.  

Plus, it’s better than what I was previously doing, which was NOTHING.

This week I’ll be working to answer some of the questions posed in the article.  I hope to create a plan that will help me find more of the balance I’ve been seeking, so that I can resume my work toward accomplishing the goals I have for my family and myself.  What will you be working on?

Oh and as far as the constant struggle?  It’s exactly that.  Constant.  And although I don’t always realize it at the time, I have come to find that when I’m struggling, I’m learning and those struggles my friends, have led to a BEAUTIFUL LIFE.    

Ash        ~Ashley