Listography - Decisions

I was over visiting My Big Nutshell after discovering her blog today and I came across her post about the top 5 decisions she was glad she made. Now I don't know about you but I LOVE to make lists. Each morning at work I turn on my computer, get my breakfast and coffee and make my to do list in my little notebook.

So, I made my way over to Kate Takes 5 and decided this is something I'd love to join in with. Here goes:

5 Decisions I am glad that I made.

1. Having my babies young. I never imagined that I would have 5 children and now that I do, I am glad I had my first baby at 18(even if it was with the wrong bloke!). I am 27 going on 28, with 5 gorgeous kids and an abundance of energy to keep up with them, running a household AND working full time - ok I admit, I am not so great at the housework thing, but I do do at least 3 loads of washing A DAY! If I had waited another 10 years I imagine that I wouldn't be able to keep up with my kids so much(dude, I have FOUR BOYS!) and I probably wouldn't have 5 kids. It's hard to imagine life without all 5 of my little horrors cherubs.


2. Leaving my ex and doing it alone. This would have been the hardest thing I had to face in my life thus far. I was 20 with an almost 2 year old and a 3 month old baby. My relationship with my then boyfriend was interlaced with drugs, alcohol and violence. I had nowhere to go, my parents were in the midst of a messy divorce but I did it. I managed to find a little villa to rent with my two babies and left him. It was like a weight had lifted off me and I was so much happier. Single parenthood was tough, but we survived and I have happy, well mannered kids as a result.


3. Buying a business with my husband and moving to the country. This was a HUGE step in our life and although we no longer have the business, we have learnt so much about owning a business and about ourselves. Living in the country was wonderful and so beneficial for the kids, they adored the space and freedom they had there. We would so do it again, but not with kids so young, it was a lot of pressure on us trying to run the pub 7 days a week and do normal family things with the kids. One thing is certain, it repaired our somewhat broken marriage after years of him working fly in, fly out.


4. Starting my own business. I started my own little venture, making hair accessories, hand bags and personalised pillows. It's been so rewarding and I'm a little sad that I've had to take a little step away from it when I started working full time. I am taking my business in a different directions and also another in partnership with a friend - yeah, I'm crazy doing that with everything else I have going on, but I LOVE it. Plus it gets awful lonely stuck at home with 5 kids when the hubby works night shift.


5. Choosing to birth at home. As a woman, birthing at home has got to be the most amazing and empowering experience ever! I learnt to trust my body and my baby. They arrived into the world peacefully and the only human contact they had during the first few hours were from myself and their Daddy. Our midwife - who was with us from day one, coming to our home for all our appointments - left and it was just us, our children and new baby all snuggled up in our own bed together in the comfort of our home. I would never step foot in a hospital to have a baby again, unless there was a medical reason to.

And that's my 5 decisions that I will never regret for as long as I live!

What are yours?