What to teach your Kids BEFORE they Leave Home!! lol!

I was at my daughter's parent-teacher night at school when the teacher handed me this piece of paper titled "What to teach your kid BEFORE they leave Home"...and I was immediately intrigued. After reading the 2 sided paper I realized I know many adults who cannot do some of the things listed in the note. So I'm going to share with you all the Wisdom of Marilyn Vos Savant of Parade Magazine on what every child should be able to do by the time they turn 18 years old and ADD my own thoughts!!

#-1 DOMESTIC SKILLS:
COOK- Don't just Open and Pour, But COOK a traditional Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner!
WASH- wash and Iron clothes "WITHOUT RUINING THEM" (I'm almost satisfied if Brianna stops using the FLOOR as the laundry basket...let alone WASH her own clothes.lol!
Replace and button, Polish your own Shoes and Baste a fallen hem! (Even I can sew a button..you are asking a bit much for me to baste a hem, considering I had to google "Baste a Hem"..lol
EXTRA CREDIT: Make a loaf of bread or bake a cake from scratch without calling the Fire Department!!!

PHYSICAL SKILLS:
Throw and catch balls of all sizes WITHOUT Breaking your fingers..or my requirement hitting yourself in the Head or losing an eye!! lol
Swim 1/2 a mile, tread water for an hour and float for an hour.....without drowning!!
Ride a bike with Confiedence!
EXTRA CREDIT: Be able to get a kite off the ground, fly it and bring it back down...IN ONE PIECE OR WITHOUT LOSING IT!

HANDYMAN SKILLS:
Hang a picture STRAIGHT and WITHOUT making extra holes in the wall! (I still have trouble with this one..lolz :)
Paint neatly without ruining yourself or the room and CLEAN up the mess AFTER!!
Know which tools perform which functions and how to use them around the house and (my idea) KNOW the name of the tools without using thing-a-ma-jig and what-cha-ma-call-it!!
EXTRA CREDIT: SHARPEN A KNIFE WITHOUT CUTTING YOURSELF IN ANY WAY!

OUTDOOR SKILLS:
Hike with friends all day WITHOUT getting lost, bitten, covered in a rash or EATEN by a WILD ANIMAL!
Bait a hook, catch a fish, reel it in, remove the hook, then clean and COOK the Fish!
Plan and manage a CAMPING WEEKEND with friends where there is no Hotel, room service or running water!!
EXTRA CREDIT: KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WILDLIFE AND FORESTRY NOT TO GET ATTACKED BY AN ANIMAL OR POISONED BY EATING THE BERRIES!

PRACTICAL SKILLS:
Type well with both hands in a normal manner
Set up your computer system WITHOUT the help from BEST BUY GUY" or GEEK SQUAD" ( I mastered this I'm known to my friends as the computer nerd :)
Drive a car with a manual transmission without grinding the gears or dropping the transmission on the road and maintain it properly! I mastered this one too I only drive a stick shift...otherwise I wouldn't know what to do with my left foot if it wasn't for the Clutch :)
EXTRA CREDIT: CHANGE A FLAT TIRE AND DO AN OIL CHANGE...BOTH WITHOUT DAMAGING THE CAR!

ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS:
Creat a budget and understand it takes LONGER TO MAKE THE MONEY THEN IT DOES TO SPEND IT!!
Balance a budget manually (without quickbooks) even if you bank online
Maintain an Address Book and Personal Appointment Calendar
EXTRA CREDIT: (I'VE FAILED THIS) SET UP A FILING SYSTEM FOR LIFE THAT KEEPS ALL YOUR IMPORTANT PAPERWORK IN ONE PLACE!!

SOCIAL SKILLS:
Carry on a conversation for 15 minutes with a person you don't know (facebbok doesn't count) and children under 16 don't apply...too many creepers out there!)
Speak in front of a small group of people for a few minutes! PUBLIC SPEAKING! woohoo! I Love this one!
Tell a joke so that EVERYONE gets it and EVERYONE Laughs!
EXTRA CREDIT: LEARN HOW TO BALLROOM DANCE AND SALSA DANCE WITHOUT INJURING YOUR PARTNER SO YOU CAN HAVE FUN AT WEDDINGS AND OTHER SOCIAL PARTIES!

ARTISTIC SKILLS:
Draw an illustration at least well enough to get your point across!
Have enough confidence to sing aloud even when someone else can hear you! (I do this everyday lol)
Know how to play a musical instrument well enough to play in front of a group for 5-minutes :)
EXTRA CREDIT: LEARN HOW TO TAKE A DECENT PHOTOGRAPH WITHOUT CHOPPING OFF SOMEONES HEAD OR WITHOUT IT BEING BLURRY AND LEARN THAT YOU CANNOT TAKE A PICTURE OF FIREWORKS WITH A FLASH!!

HUMAN SKILLS: (I BELIEVE IS THE TOUGHEST SKILL)
Car for a pet (Dog, Cat, Bird or any animal when they are sick...without KILLING it!!
Babysit for Children ranging in ages 6-months (yes diaper changing) to 6 years of age and again without KILLING them!!
Help an elderly person for the day without looking superior...be respectful of your ELDERS!!
EXTRA CREDIT: LEARN SOMETHING FROM AN ELDER THAT YOU CAN THEN TEACH TO SOMEONE ELSE...THIS TAKES LISTENING SKILLS AND RESPECT!!

ORIENTATION SKILLS:
Get around town on the Public transportation, even if you normally walk or drive
Be able to read a road map and get from point A to Point B
Know what to do when you find yourself in a bad neighborhood.
EXTRA CREDIT: KNOW YOUR DIRECTIONS NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AD WEST....WITHOUT USING A COMPASS

RECREATION SKILLS:
Play a team sport instead of watching it on TV and handle losing like a champion!
Maintain a fitness regimen and stay healthy
Learn a game like Chess and Bridge so you can play with your friends or Elders.
EXTRA CREDIT: KNOW HOW TO RIDE A HORSE, HANDLE A BOAT OR ENJOY A SNOW SPORT WITHOUT FEAR!

MOST IMPORTANT "SURVIVAL SKILLS:
Know basic First Aid and maintain a complete First Aid kit :)
Know what to do when YOU get sick, especially if your ALONE!
Know how to defend yourself then know how to be effective to protect yourself and others!
EXTRA CREDIT: KNOW CPR. THE LIFE YOU SAVE COULD BE A LOVED ONE LIKE MOM, DAD, SPOUSE AND/OR CHILD!!

So as you can see we are all going to be very BUSY over the next few years 1st teaching ourselves then TEACHING our children these much needed basic survival skills. Imagine if you can, if your child knowing all these skills? This will make you feel much more confidence releasing them to the world at 18 for college and it will also make you feel accomplished as a Parent. So GOOD LUCK to EVERYONE...I know I have to get Busy there's a bit of Sewing and ironing I need to learn before teaching it to Brianna ( I once ironed her favorite dress to the carpet..ya ya DON'T even ask... I learned my lesson while she, at the tender age of 3 cried hysterically as I ruined the carpet and dress...one word IRONING BOARD ;) !!)

<3 Love ya all thanks for Reading..talk to you all SOON!!!
Catherine xo

Living Life on Empty...Yes i want your Input :)

I decided to write about being overwhelmed. It's very odd because when you start to do stuff and it begins to consume your life you don't actually realize you've fallen down a hole of taking care of everyone else except YOU until it's too late! That's kind of where I am right now.

I'm tired, exhausted and yet I'm running around doing so much for everyone and yet i feel like I'm on auto-pilot...and not in a happy way. I have moments of loving or yet enjoying what I'm doing. Yes I do enjoy those moments that I do for others but then I come back to the list of things I want to do for me and I find I have absolutely no energy for any of it. It is very frustrating for me because I have more dreams and aspirations that I plan on fulfilling. I even have my own timeline of when I would like to achieve those things and sometimes I feel like I am running out of time, like I can her the clock ticking. It sometimes makes me sad and frustrated I've forgotten to take a step forward. Then I've realized I've set myself up for failure sometimes because I get so consumed with what others want and need and I go out of my way to take care of my loved ones and I keep pushing my dreams aside. Sort of like that to do list you post on the fridge and say to yourself you'll get to it when you have time. Then at the end of the day you've run out of time and you promise yourself you will get to it tomorrow!

How do you stop??? Well it's funny because I'm a firm believer and self fulfillment. I believe if you are NOT happy how on earth can you make someone else happy. I believe in rewarding yourself and making YOU the most Important person in your life because a happy YOU can accomplish anything....So what Happened?? I guess I can blame it on "life Happened" but that's my excuse. Now I gotten to a point where I'm just exhausted. So I figure writing about it might not only be therapeutic but might actually make me stop and take a look at what I'm missing in my life and change. I know I'm not the only person who feels this way and I'd love for you all to add to this discussion and tell me if you've been in this place or if you are in this place and some suggestions on how to break the cycle!! So Click on reply or wall post and lets get some awesome ideas on how to ignite that spark and get me climbing my ambition ladder and try to cross some more things off my dream list.. I look forward to hearing from you all soon :)

xo Cath