Last Dance

When my husband and I moved here in July of 2007 I wondered what I could do to pass the time. I have been dancing since the age of three and had many amazing opportunities, ranging from performing on cruise ships to dancing for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at his inauguration. Dance is a huge part of who I am and my life. I love all of the dance shows on tv and it amazes me that the greatset dancers are so young. So! When we came to TX my mom found a dance studio...I was shocked that there was a dance studio in this tiny town. I immediately called the owner and told her that we would be living in TX for a year (which turned into 4) and I wanted to teach. She said how excited she was that I called because she just had a dace teacher that moved, within the week I was hired. My first thought about the studio was that it was small and a little older then what I was used to but it didn't matter. I still remember the first thing my boss said to me when I walked through the door "you're so young!" indeed I was, but I was ready to teach young dancers and to show them my passion for dance. My first year at the studio wasn't great. The kids had ZERO discipline (which was something I wasn't used to) and many of them didn't want to be there. I had a lot of work ahead of me to teach the kids the way I was taught. Of course parents didn't like how structured my classes were and the students were having a hard time with the discipline, but over the past 4 years the parents got used to it and the dancers were able to have fun but they knew the boundaries. At times I wasn't sure if I could continue but I stuck with it and it all paid off. I have the most amazing boss, she gave me wonderful teaching schedules and allowed me to bring my son with me after he was born. I taught with inspiring teachers that I will truly miss. At times the kids and job drove me crazy and the parents made me want to pull out my hair but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've loved my time as a teacher in TX and I'm going to miss the highs and lows of being a dance teacher. At our last class I had one of my kindergarten students come up to me and said she wanted to be a dance teacher just like me, it brought a smile to my face and I remembered how rewarding my job was. So this is my last dance in TX and I'm going to miss everything and everyone! Good luck at the recital tonight!

Fixation

That's right! I'm a fixated shopper. It doesn't matter what it is, clothes, shoes, things for my husband or son if it's something that is perfect I can't live without it. This issue has been getting worse over the years and it comes and goes. I think go through fazes, sometimes I get fixated and within a couple hours I'm over it and there are other times where I see something and I can't get it out of my head, it's awful to be a fixated shopper. I'm the type of person who worries about finances each month and being a fixated shopper doesn't help. I'm not the type of fixated shopper who throws their family into debt or secretly has credit cards and buys things without thier spouse knowing, I'm open and honest. I don't get upset if I get fixated and I'm in the have to have it mode, I understand. Some may be wondering what I'm so fixated over that I'm blogging about it and my current fixation is....patio furniture. I know, to some it may sound ridiculous others know how I feel. Here's the story, my husband and I were buying plants and he went to sit down with our son and just happened to sit at the perfect and affordable patio set. I told him that I liked it and he agreed. So since then I can't stop thinking about it! My mom knows how I am and my sister. Once I obsessed over a fake plant at Pottery Barn and I had to have it, and did I purchase it? Yes! Being a fixated shopper and now that I have a baby, it's horrible. When I look at thhe price of the object I figure out how many boxes diapers we can buy, cans of formula, or other things I want to get my little boo boo and I immediately don't care. It doesn't matter if it's matter if it's the latest trend or if it's small or big, I'll always be a fixated shopper!

Military Spouse Appreciation

Today is military spouse appreciation day, to be honest I had no clue! Thank goodness for my friends on FB to let me know. Throughout today I was thinking what this day meant to me. I'm sure there are military spouses out there thinking "finally a day to recognize us!" it is nice to be recognized but we not only need to appreciate or fellow non-military spouses, but our spouses who are in the military. As non-military spouses it can be difficult at times when our significant other is working late, training, or deployed. As a spouse we tend to put our lives on hold for our spouses career, I'm guilty of it. I'm guilty of feeling angry at times when I feel things in the military aren't fair, when my hardwork as mom and spouse goes unnoticed, or when my husband comes home tired from a long day of work and all he wants to do is zone out and barely says a word to me, but I've learned that things aren't always going to be fair and when my husband is tired I do my best to make sure everything at home is taken care of so we have time together. It is tiring some days, now with a child I feel like I have twice the work and less time to myself and to my husband. I've read a couple blogs where some of my friends wrote about spouses appreciation day and it's interesting to see how many point of views there are out there. Some write about the exciting points about being a military spouse and others write about the highs and lows others strongly feel that today is the day for the non-military spouse. I feel it is a day for our service members and their spouses.

Before I met my husband I would look at the yellow ribbon magnants on the back of cars a not understand it's meaning or see an American flag waving in someone's front yard and have no thoughts about what it stood for. Now when I see those things I smile. It's nice to know there are people out there who support our military. I'm very proud about what our troops have accomplished and I stick up for them when others try to bring them down, our spouses work hard everyday. So appreciate your friends who are spouses but don't forget the spouses that serve in the military. It's called military spouse appreciation day not non-military spouse appreciation day.