Always An Angel

Being here in the DC area we don't get much snow during the winter. We are lucky if we even get a dusting. Over the past 5 years we've a little bit every now and then but never enough to play in for more than 1 day before it melted away.

Monday we got a good 5-6 inches here and even though her school had a 2-hour delay I decided to keep her home safe with me. We went sledding with some friends and I hadn't realized until she was flying down the hill that it was her first time EVER sledding. She smiled so hard I though her cheeks were going to explode.

I don't have the pictures from Monday but I started going through pictures of the other snow days we've shared over the past 5 years. I noticed a trend. She's always and angel. It's amazing how similar the pictures look, especially the last two.

This is the first snow we shared together outside when she was 3.



This is her from last year when we barely got enough to cover the ground, she was 4.



And this one here is actually from snow we got this January.



She is sure and angel in my book.

I'll Probably Lose My Spot In Heaven

I've always thought that children are supposed to be pure and innocent. That is at least young children. At what age is it okay to dislike a child? I'm pretty sure it's a sin to dislike a child.


There is this little girl. Let's call her The Girl. The girl just recently turned 7 and gets right under my skin. I like to think of myself as a good person, a good person that loves children. However, this child is an exception. I don't completely blame the child for the way she is. At such a young age her parents can be the only one's to put the blame on.


From the moment this child stepped into our lives she has been nothing but trouble. She lies, she picks fights (especially with my baby) and has the smartest mouth ever.

When I had D's slumber party she made 3 of the girls cry and I had to pull Lael off of her because my girl don't take shit from anyone. I had to speak to her numerous times about the right way to talk to people because she would get in the girls faces and yell at them. I even had one girl cry to me that she wanted to go home because The Girl was being so mean to her.

Oh how it angered me. To make things worse, the past few months hubby has been getting The Girl off of the bus with Lael and she spends an hour or so at my house before her dad comes to get her. She does the dumbest things while she's at my house an when I question her about it she lies to my face. I mean she looks at me, and blames my child when I saw what she did.

I don't know how much of this child I can take. I know the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree because her mother doesn't really have it all together. I think more than anything I'm sad. I'm sad because this child is the result of bad parenting. Horrible, horrible parenting. What am I to do? How do I help mold this child into a better person? Is she a lost cause? Should I stop allowing her to come to my house? What would yall do?

Innocent Love

I ran across this picture while going through my many many folders full of photos.

Lael loves other kids but is pretty fond of my friend Dusty's babies.

I hope the innocence never goes away......

A Few Notes On Selling Girl Scout Cookies

Saturday was me and Lael's first time selling Girl Scout cookies at a booth. You want to hear my thoughts about that? Too bad, I'm going to tell you anyway.


-It's usually easier to have more than 2 people there. Neither the cookies, money, or child can be left alone at any point.

-This being said, bathroom breaks are impossible.


-Getting change because you will eventually run out of 1 dollar bills and all coins. They may turn people away who were going to purchase cookies. Hmph.

-Telling my 5yr old you are too fat to buy cookies will cause her to look at you, then me then back at you with a puzzled look. It will then cause you to come back and buy 3 boxes. Not because you like cookies but because "she's so cut". Uh huh.

-Telling my 5 yr old the cookies are unhealthy will cause her to continue to ask you to buy cookies because you continued to walk back and forth and then eventually bought a box, you know because she's was a "such a good salesperson".

-Giving my 5 yr old a 5 dollar bill and expecting her to tell you how much change you need back will probably not end well. Dude, she just learned to count to 100. LITERALLY.

-Completely ignoring this 5 yr old when she asks "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" will cause me to give you the stank eye. Ignoring little kids when they are trying really hard will REALLY piss me off.

-Lingering around the cookie booth for the full 1 hour and then waiting until we pack up our table and then buy 6 boxes will probably make my girls day. Thanks weird lady with the 2 kids!

Overall, it was lots of fun! I really learned some things that will prepare us for our next time slot. I'll let you know how it goes!

Biggest Loser Meets Wii Fit

I know I haven't blogged about my working out in a lil' while. Last week was a big ol' mess. I didn't work out most of the week but last Thursday a new chapter of my life began. My hubby got not only got me a Wii but also added in a Wii Fit as a late V-Day present.

I have a few friends with Wii Fits so I was really excited. I have been on it everyday except Saturday for at least an hour. I don't think I've ever worked out so many days in a row for so long. It's amazing. I get so caught up in trying to beat my husbands scores (he more obsessed than me) that I don't realize I'm sweating and my legs are aching.

I started out at 147.8 and have gone down to 146.2 since Sunday. While it seems like nothing to you, to me it's a really really big deal. My BMI has finally gone down from Overweight to Normal and my Wii Fit age is down from 39 (I'm only 27) to my actual age of 27.

I love the Step Aerobics and am the master champion in Super Hula Hoop. However I can finish the Snowboarding to save my life. Yoga has become my friend. My husband is a fan of the Downward Dog. Hee hee. I like the Dance pose. It makes me feel like a pretty ballerina.

I'm excited to see if I lose more weight and I will update you guys next Thursday. The weather should be a little warm this weekend so I may take an outdoor run but my Wii Fit will be on my mind the whole time.

By Golly I Think She's Got It

I consider myself easy to please. I'm very low maintenance. It doesn't take much to make me happy. Little things like a sale at Target tickles me pink. Dinner being ready when I get home makes me give my husband a little sumin' sumin'. You see? Easy to please.

Lael is very aware of this. She knows that the smallest feat will cause me to break out in a song and dance. I can't believe how far she's come since October.

She is now reading EVERYTHING! She loves going to the library and loves trying to figure out how to spell new words. Amazing what can happen in a few months.


A few weeks ago I got her report card. It was very good but I noticed that she isn't doing as well in her math and counting as she is in reading a writing.


I was not a bit surprised by this. I. HATE. MATH. I hate everything about it. If I'm not counting money, I'm not counting at all. So you can imagine that I didn't really focus on that aspect of her learning until recently.


I feel guilty because I don't want to be the reason she isn't excelling in that area. I decided to make it a part of our everyday routine. Whether she's counting groceries or how many barbies she has I have been determined to steer her in the right direction.


She isn't bad at all. She can count to 100 by 10's and 5's. We have started counting by 2's and she can get up to 20.


She is even learning how to divide up food.


"Mom, can me and D have some Thin Mints as my snack."


"Sure, but not too many."


"Ummm...ok, is 5 too many?"


"No 5 is fine but no more than that okay?"


"Ok mom!"


She ran into the kitchen (Whispers: "D mom said we can have 5 cookies...both of us!)and then quickly ran back to me with the cookies in her hand.


"Mom, there is only 6 cookies left, how can we both eat 5, there's not enough!"


"Well Lael, you and D need to have the same amount so you figure it out."


"(Counting to herself out load) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...."


Silence.


"3! We both get 3! That's even and fair!"


"That's right honey! You figured it out!"


Oh how proud I was! I never thought she would have figured it out but she proved me dead wrong.


While she had made so much progress, she still could not manage to count from 1-100. She would get to 27 and then say "28, 29, 2010", or "46, 47, 48, 49, 4010. I would ask her what comes after the 20's and she would say 30's so I would say ok, so what comes after 29 and she would say 30 but if she started over she would say 2010 again!


Oh how I had been pulling my hair out. I have been practicing with her everyday. While she in the bath, on the way to the library, riding in the car. Still she would get stuck after the "9's".


That is until tonight. My little girl has finally got it. I had slacked off this week and before bed asked her to count, fully expecting to have to help her. She had gotten to 75 before I realize I hadn't had to help her one time! By the time she was on 94 I was on the floor on my knees. She got to 99 and then stopped. I sat there. Waiting. Thinking she had made such progress. Suddenly she looked up and me and gave me a little wink and said "100!"


I screamed at the top of my lungs. I did a little booty dance and she giggled until she couldn't catch her breath. You see, it doesn't take much to please me. Just count to 100 and watch me drop it like it's hot.


Good job Lael, mommy is so proud of you!

Anyone Can Brighten Your Day...Even Strangers

Last night was rough. Lael has a stank cold. Not bad enough to be paired with a fever and keep her home from school, but nasty enough to keep her from getting a good nights rest.

-Up a million times (ok maybe 3) in the middle of the night.

-In my bed for comfort.

-Humidifier pumped up to melt my skin off help my baby breath.

-Numerous cups of cold water.

6:30 came too fast. Add that with being out of work for a week and having to deal with work nobody would do while I was out and you have one annoyed person.

I had missed reading (a program where I read to a child once a week) program 3 weeks in a row and was determined not to disappoint my mentor (is that correct???).

I could just about cry because I forgot my gloves and scarf to go with my uniform and so I practically froze to death on the Metro because apparently the economy has forced them to say to hell with turning on the heat.

While making heat with my thighs rubbing walking to the Metro exit this older man starts to approach me. My mama taught me not to speak to stranger, at least ones that look strange.

However, something made me stop as this man reached is hand with a white leather glove on it.

I originally thought he would ask for money or directions or tell me I'm pretty (ok, not that one) or something like that.

He surprised me thought. What he said to me made my heart melt, while I had heard it before he seemed sincere and I think he's the first person to ever really make me PROUD of what I do.

He said: "Young lady, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for what you do. Serving your country and protecting us is deserving of thanks and we don't do it enough, I don't do it enough. So thank you . For all that you do."

I gave him the biggest smile and thanked him and told him that he had made my day. While sometimes I think of my job as no different than any other, the truth is that, it is. I have been to war and could be sent back at anytime.

While I still don't feel like I "protect" my country and it's people, I do feel that the work I do helps to make our country a better one that will remain free.

Thanks strange man for stopping me. Thanks for helping me remember. Thanks for making my day.