You're IT!

Ohmygoodness. The most exciting thing happened to me today! I got tagged.

Now, some of you might be thinking I'm a freak. You're probably right. But this is something special - it means that there is a least one person out there (who's not related to me and doesn't attend the same Church as me) who reads my blog. Little ol' me. Shucks. I stand corrected, apparently there are two people who read my blog. Who knew?! Thank-you, Kris. You're too kind. :)

Thank-you to Mary at Not Before 7 for giving me a little bloggy love. I've already told her that she is now my new BFF. :)

So, I'm IT, and here are my answers.

What I was doing doing 10 years ago...

Ten years ago I was a college student - in my first year of studies for my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. We were probably gearing up for finals right around this time. I had a baby on March 16, took about a month off school and did my work from home, then returned for my 40-hour week to study and write exams. My 5-week old baby went to day care from 8:30am-5:00pm 5 days a week.

During this time in my life my mind was being 'opened' by all the big learning at college, I was fairly strong into women's lib, and since I knew I wanted a career putting my child in someone else's care was just something I had to do. You would often hear me saying, "there is no way I'd ever be a stay-at-home mother...it's just not in me...my kids will be better off if I'm pursuing something I love and someone who adores children plays with them all day...really, this will make me a better mom in the long run." I completed my degree in 2001 and joined the workforce, with an 8-month maternity leave during 2002, until 2003 (after the birth of baby #3).

I can't say that all thoughts of career have been abandoned, or that I don't occasionally explore what I'd need to do to get back in the work force - thankfully, though, the decision is not left totally up to me. I've got a great God who speaks into my life daily, and when I get too caught up in what I want He gently reminds me of what He wants. There is nothing I'd rather be doing in this world than honouring Him, and He keeps telling me to start right here at home with my 5 little monkeys. It's not easy, it's not always beautiful, but it is most definitely blessed.

5 things on my 'to do' list for today...

- clean bathrooms
- vacuum
- make supper
- respond to a couple ministry emails
- write a blog post --- check!
(The housework is vital, though you might notice that it's 2pm and I've yet to start, because Pat is getting home after a week away and nothing says "I love you, honey" like a nice clean house! I finally finished this post, it's now 2:39, that took way longer than I expected. Now I've only got an hour to do the housework, and everyone's going to be waking up from nap - yikes!)

5 snacks I enjoy...

- chips (rip-l, salt and vinegar, dill pickle, Doritos zesty)
- chocolate (Cadbury Creme Eggs, Aero, Coffee Crisp)
- sour candies
- all types of sweet desserts
- heated appetizers
(I think that about covers it all, don't you?!)

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire...

- pay off all our debts and those of our parents
- drill water wells in Africa
- build a maternity home right here in Red Deer, Alberta
- adopt children, oodles of them, from all over the world
- hire nannies to help me care for my zillions of children

5 bad habits...

- biting my nails
- junk food
- always playing 'devil's advocate' in conversations
- procrastinating
- procrastinating (this one's really serious, lol)

5 places I've lived...

- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Morden, Manitoba
- Kindersley, Saskatchewan
- Red Deer, Alberta
- Calgary, Alberta
(Between these 5 locations, which I believe covers all of them - mom?, I would guess that there have been at least 25 different houses/apartments. We moved a lot when I was a kid, and it kinda carried into adulthood.)

5 jobs I've had...

(Ooooh, this will be fun!)
- Gas Station Attendant
- Bus Girl, Hostess, Waitress (I moved up the ranks, ya know.)
- Beer Tub Girl, Shooter Girl, Waitress (Ditto. Thankfully, this phase was only a few months. Good money, yucky job.)
- Group Home Worker - adults with schizophrenia; youth under government care
- Treatment Foster Care Coordinator (I think this was their fancy term for saying I was the middle man for foster parents with severe needs foster kids and social workers.)
Okay, I know it asks for five, but my current unpaid job is by far the most important one (and most difficult) that I've ever had - MOMMY!

Okay, now you're IT! I don't know how many I'm supposed to tag, but since I'm seeing a theme here...

Kris at a doulas heart (Because I feel like we know each other.)
Darlene at Have You Seen My Keys? (Because she's a super-thin weight-loss inspiration guru!)
Judith at My life with five children (Because, hello, we both have 5 kids - but I'll understand if Judith chooses not to run with this one, she's taking a bloggy break.)
Nadine at Daughter of the King (Because I know her in real life but don't know nuthin' about her.)
Cindy at Still His Girl (Because I'm stalking her until she loves me, mwahaahahahaaha! But, seeing as I'm stalking her I also know that Cindy already answered this one. Bummer. So I'll also tag someone else.)
Heidi and Louise at Polka Dots and Hiccups (Because I know them in real life, too. And their interesting girls - a bit weird, but very interesting. LOL.)