5 Things-tag: Stuff I like about me

Cat at juggling act of life tagged me. Thanks, Cat, you gave me a headache! ;-) My photo’s are on 3 computers, and before that – photo’s of a previous life! It will have to do what I have on this computer now…

1. 5 pictures of myself that I really like (including listing 5 things of myself that I really like):I am including two of our wedding day in 2004. I love new beginnings and new lives!
I like the fact that I am able to adapt to new situations very easily. This was a great day in my life! (Check our slim versions! Smile)

Hiking in the Berg (Drakensberg Mountains) – this photo was taken in 2006. A great activity I only discovered in my 30s and Dries was a willing participant. I like the fact that I could be adventurous, again. We are planning a next excursion very soon!

My daughters are a big deal in my life. I like myself being a mom.

(Patrick Pretorius Photography)

The belly dance photo: I like the fact that I put myself out of my comfort zone, and I actually enjoyed it! (I was 8 months pregnant at the time.)

2. Tag others:

I am supposed to tag 5 bloggers today. I have tagged 8 fellow bloggers yesterday.

Whoever reads here, consider yourself tagged! ;-)

Belly dancing

Zahara, my belly dancing teacher, sent me a sms today: “Hope you are well? We all miss you at dancing! Will we be seeing you soon?”
I am ignoring it, but I’ll have to phone today to ask if I can postpone the classes until next year. I am trying to sidestep a sense of loss, but it seems I have to throw in the towel for now. The loss of a wild side, that exotic belly dancer I used to be. In your dreams, sister! But it was nice to hang on to the vision! I have a feeling that my days as a “belly dancer” (not that I am a great belly dancer - sigh) is coming to an end. Doing the belly dancing thing has made me feel different and challenging to get outside of the box. In the past two months I have been promising to go to the belly classes. I have even paid upfront for the classes. But I find it very difficult to leave Mieka for two hours a night, especially during the crunch hour when she gets her bath and goes to sleep. I am constantly reminding myself of my age, and when I stop doing something, it feels as if it is the last time I will be able to do it. Being over 40 makes you more aware of time and your own limitations. (I feel aged when reading the last sentence. Maybe I should delete it as a way of using the ostrich tactic?). But having a baby also feels as if the world has come to focus on only the one source of energy, the baby.
Luckily I know from past experience (15 years back), that I will get through the focus-on-baby phase, and that life will be there, waiting for me to rejoin. For now, I will put my belly dancing costumes back in the cupboard, but I promise myself I will shimmy again…

Photo: Last year, October 2008 at the Belly show, when I was 8 months pregnant with Mieka