Have You Ever Noticed?

A  heart is composed of two tear drops.

I Stand Corrected!

Christine was telling the truth about Kierra’s doctor going on medical leave.  Kierra and Christine met with another docter who will perform Kierra’s surgery.  

For now, we do not know the date of the surgery.  We do know that Kierra will have it as soon as school is out.  Kierra’s school has three snow days to make up.  The school has yet to inform parents of the last day of school.

I was totally shocked to hear from Kierra  that Christine was telling the truth.  It’s a shame that our dealings with Christine only lead us to think the worst of her.  All the scheming and lying she does  lead us to believe she was trying to pull a fast one.

I’m not sure if I will ever let my guard down with Christine.  She has proven time and time again that she cannot be trusted.  This time though she did right by her child and took the necessary steps to ensure Kierra was taken care of.  She didn’t put her wants and needs before Kierra so I have to say kudos to her!

We are happy that during all this Kierra has not had a setback in her health.

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Cutter

Hurting people hurt people.  They do this to focus their attention elsewhere so that they don’t have to deal with the real pain of their situation.  It’s like people who physically cut themselves.  While these “cutters” don’t actually draw blood, their “cuts” come in the form of attacking others. 

However, knowing this information beforehand only makes it slightly easier to tolerate their toxic behavior.  I still wonder:

•   Why can’t they get themselves together? 
•   How do they feel once the temporary high of cutting subsides?

It is hard not to respond in a similar fashion, yet I know that doing so won’t get me very far.  Plus cuts do leave scars!  I can’t begin to count the number of times I have wanted to slice and dice Eliza right back  with a machete the length of Texas.  I have envisioned myself filleting her like a piece of meat at Benihana’s!   And she’s not the only one in queue for those knife tricks!

Fantasies aside, I have to remind myself that I don’t want to do anything to add to her already troubled state.  I breathe easier that way!

Guess What?

I’ve been asked on a date by a guy who seems different from the Men @ Work (he’s single for starters).  He has been very sensitive and understanding about my loss.  He is a good conversationalist and has listened attentively for the last month to my deepseated, ardent lamentations.   This has been a good outlet for me as I don’t like to constantly burden family and friends with my tales of woe. I don’t feel that he has a hidden agenda either.  It has been close to six months and I am finally at the point in which I have accepted my husband’s death.

I do think an occassional, platonic dinner and a movie would be okay, but I don’t know!  It could just be my loneliness talking.  Maybe this step would help me enter back into the Land of the Living?

Caught, Red Handed!

What do you do when your kids catch you throwing something that belongs to them away? 

Everyday Ian and Imani come home with a bookbag full of papers.  Ian had become quite the pack rat and does not want to get rid of anything.  It’s so bad that he even keeps the boxes that his toys come in.  (The toys are not in the boxes.  He just like to keep everything)!  Anyway…I have been slowly but surely throwing away things that he does not need.   I hold onto  his really nice pictures, the ones that fill up the whole page.  Some of the papers he brings home have cut-outs and some have crayon lines in two or three places. 

I’m on my spring cleaning kick and I have gotten rid of so much paper.  While stuffing a garbage bag with Ian and Imani’s “stash”, Ian catches me!  I got yelled at by my six year old for getting rid of his paper.  He couldn’t understand why I was throwing his “stuff” away.  I didn’t even have a answer for him.  Not one that a six your old could comprehend our family history.

I posted before about the women in my family being hoarders.  I have been guilty of keeping things that I do not need or no longer using.  Now my motto is not to clutter up my home. 

So after much thought I have come up with a plan.  Ian and Imani can keep two papers daily that they really like.  I have some binders that they can put their papers in.  Instead of having papers all over my house.   I’ll use the sleeve protecters and when the protecters fill up they can then swap the old ones with new ones.  I also plan on getting some frames for their bedrooms where they can change their work from time to time. 

I can laugh about it now but when Ian yelled at me I felt like his daughter being scolded trying to hide something.

Must Be Present to Win

Life is a verb.  It requires participation and dedication.  And you have to be motivated to stay the course.  I’ve spent so many days just “visiting” life.  I often feel like I’m on the outside looking in.  Who is this actress playing me I often wonder?

Each day I aim to find a new facet of myself.  I have to do something to keep my spirit soaring.  Like old school raffles–you have to be present to win! I’m working on being present…

Cluck, Cluck!

I received this lovely award from Doraz–thanks so much for the shout-out friend!  If you are on our blogroll, consider yourself a “chickenhead”!

 

Ian, The Food Critic, Part 2

A while ago I posted about Ian and his pickiness during dinnertime.  He made comment after comment about how he didn’t like this or that.  Mealtime was a headache for me.

Fast forward to the present…

For Christmas we got Imani a pots and pans set.  She is just now playing with it.  So Ian decides he wants to play along with Imani.  While they are doing so, I’m in the other room folding laundry listening to them play.

Here’s part of their conversation…

Imani~Brother, can you pass me the big pan?

Ian~No I’m using it for something.  It’s a surprise for you.

Imani~(whining)  But I want to use it Ian.

Ian~I’m making zucchini and it’s going to be soooo gooood!

Imani~Ok!

I almost fell over!  Zucchini was the one food Ian almost refused to eat.  As I regained my composure, Ian continued telling Imani all the good food he was going to make for her.

I just smiled to myself and continued to to fold the laundry.

THEN…..Last night while I was fixing his plate Ian informed me that he did not like broccoli. 

Me~Oh really?  Since when?  You asked for broccoli the other day.

Ian~Well that was the other day.  I do not want broccoli today.

Me~Well too bad!  You’re going to eat it anyway.  That’s the only vegetable I fixed and vegetables make you strong.

Ian pouted all through dinner until it was time for dessert. 

I also forgot to mention that he now likes to tell me what to fix HIM for dinner.  I just have to laugh.  Maybe he will be a famous chef one day!

Over Spring Break

So last week was spring break for us.  I so needed the vacation and wish we had two weeks off instead of one.  Here are some of the things we did over break…

My family arrived from Seattle Saturday evening.  We helped them get settled.  Everyone was stunned to see how the renters left the house.  The renters removed the french doors on the master bedroom.  The ceiling fan was removed from the living room and placed in the kitchen.  It looked like someone ran a car through the  wall in the garage.  You could tell part of the wall had been replaced (they didn’t finish the repairs).  All the wall socket covers were missing.  The walls in all the bedrooms had huge plaster repairs from holes.  The shower door was missing from the master bath.  The garage door openers were also missing.  My brother made a list of things that he needed to get from the hardware store.  So I offered to keep my nephews for a few days so they could work on the house.

Sunday my mom and I took all the kids to see Monters vs. Aliens.  Since we were next to the mall we went shopping after the movie.  That eveing we ordered in dinner and played with the kids before their bedtime.

Monday my mom, sister-in-law, Kierra, and myself went to Massage Envy to get massages.  If any of you have one in your city I suggest you go.  I plan to sign up for their membership.  It’s $49 a month.  You get a 50 minute massage.  Each additonal massage for the month would cost you $39.  If you miss a month your massage rolls over to the next month.  Anyway, since Kierra is under age we were in the same room.  She loved it!

Tuesday we all went shoping again.  Can you tell shopping is one of my favorite things to do besides eating!?  On the way home I stopped by my brother’s to pick up Rock Band.  We ate dinner and played the Wii well into the night.  I started off playing the drums then I moved on to the guitar.  Finally I tried out the singing part.  Let me tell you, I cannot carry a tune but I got 100% singing Roxanne!

Wednesday my mom left to go back to Seattle to finish out her contract.  Husband and I took the kids to Jillian’s to cosmic bowl.  We had lunch there and then played some games.  The kids did not move from the air hockey table.  I kept suggesting the Fast and the Furious driving game.  Finally I left the the kids under Husband’s watch and Kierra played with me.  By the time we left everyone was worn out.  The kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Thursday I let Kierra babysit so I could go to my hair appointment.  Then I went to work at the Salon for awhile.  I needed to replace some of  my dwindling “Spring Break” fund.  When I returned home I watched Nim’s Island with Ian and Imani.

Friday I worked at the salon part of the day.  After work I took the kids to Olive Garden for dinner.

Saturday I worked at the salon again most of the day.  That eveing we had family game night.  We played SingStar on the Playstation 3.  The game comes with two microphones.  Two people can battle or sing a duet.  Then one person can sing solo.  Of course we all decided to battle.  The best part is the game allows you to play back what you just sang.  That was so funny.  The very first song was Hey Ya by Outkast.  Two of my friends sang this song.  They were up dancing around, performing for us not even paying attention the TV screen.  It was hilarious.  Then we moved on to Rock Band.  Husband I and let Ian and Imani stay up well past their bedtime.  It was 2:20 a.m. when the last person left out house. 

Sunday was chill day.  Husband and Ina went to the YMCA for a basketball camp.  The girls and I stayed home.  I was so exhausted form the weeks activities and not looking forward to returning back to work. 

So there it is…my weeks activities.  Now the countdown begins for summer vacation!

Pretty in Pink and Chocolate!

I wanted a new look for my bedroom and here it goes!

Hot Chocolate!