First Day

Well, today was my first day at my new job. The first 3 days are new hire orientation, so we basically sat in a room all day and was fed information. This is a new industry for me, so a lot of the information was like a foreign language. It was a lot to digest on the first day and I'm hoping tomorrow will be easier. With that being said, I am excited about this new company/job. I can't wait to finish with the orientation and actually get to work.

Artists

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
~Michelangelo Buonarroti

Moments

Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see it could be a scent - perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someones house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches the autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any time...it can all be taken away."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook. Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

~Anonymous - from a story "The Teacher"

19 years

Samuel....I can't believe 19 years have come and gone. I had you when I was still a baby myself and learning about life. You are older now then when I had you. I still remember feeling you kick me for the very first time. I couldn't believe I actually had another human being growing inside of me.


Now you are 19, trying to make it in this world. You have big dreams, and doing all you can to make them come true. Never give up! You can make them happen.

I love you Samuel.....Happy Birthday!

Life with boys

How to bake cookies with boys in two easy steps.

1. Have boys place refrigerated dough on pan.

2. bake cookies

5-8 mins later delicious homebaked cookies!

I said homeBAKED, not homemade, there is a difference. The difference is less mess and less headache from yelling at the boys when they fight and argue over who has the cookie cutter the other one wanted, who has the color sprinkles the other wants, who got to decorate more cookies, and so on. This is so much easier.

Eighteen years

Eighteen years have come and gone.....

I feel like I've missed out on so much, rushing you to get to this day, and now I want to go back in time to when you were little. If only we could.

There are so many things I would of done differently. I would of cherished those years, but all we have is today, so today I want to tell you, I'm proud of you. No matter where life takes you, no matter what you decide to do in life, I will always be here for you and I love you.

Happy Birthday!

TJ

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher

Lip gloss junkie

I love, love, love flavored lip gloss and Avon now has Holiday flavors...carmel apple, candy corn, lollipop, and butterscotch. I got all of them!

YUMMY!

New beginnings

For the few people who have been reading my blog, you know in April I was laid off of my job. I was able to obtain another job fairly quickly, but it wasn't what I really wanted to do, but bills needed to be paid, so I took what I could get. Well, today I was offered another position with another company and I'm so excited and happy! God continues to bless me, even when I haven't been faithful. I start my new job October 27th and I can't wait.

Here's to new beginnings!

Mami, the savior

After church today we went to Golden Corral for lunch/dinner. This is our usual on Sundays. Church, out to eat, home to nap. So everything is going as normal, we've all gotten our plates and sit down to eat. Elijah, who never eats anything but snacks, has 2 mini corndogs, some diced bourbon chicken and baked apples on his plate. That's it. Normally, he will pick at his food, then go get a bowl of gummy bears, and we normally let him, but not today. We've had to get on Elijah lately about not eating his food, and only eating snacks. So while at Golden Corral, he ate a few bites of his food and announced he was done. That meant he wanted gummy bears. Fonzy told him he was not getting any dessert/gummy bears unless he ate ALL of his food. You should of seen the look on his face. He looked so sad and pitiful and of course he looks at me to save him. I just looked away because I would of given in. I'm bad about that. Elijah's takes a few more bites, and continues to look at me all pitiful, now with tears in his eyes. Fonzy is not fazed at all. He told him to dry his eyes, because he has no reason to cry. If he doesn't want to eat, he doesn't have to, he just won't get gummy bears. So Elijah dries his eyes and tries to force a few more bites down and contines to look at me to save him. I had to look away. Fonzy get's up for dessert and Elijah starts crying as soon as he leaves. I tell Elijah to just hurry up and eat and he can get gummy bears. I even try to help him out and eat a few bites of his chicken myself before Fonzy comes back. I know I shouldn't of eaten the chicken, but I just couldn't help it. I'm always trying to save them. Fonzy returns to the table and Elijah forces another bite down, but gags on it. That was it, Fonzy was done. He told Elijah not to eat another bite, because he was not getting gummy bears and we were leaving. Elijah walked to the car crying and I felt bad for him, because I knew he was looking forward to the gummy bears, but Mommy couldn't save him this time. Daddy had spoken.

Self portrait

~*~*~* SMOOTCHES*~*~*~

VICTORY!

The Redskins had not won a game all last season, and was repeating their no win streak this season, until today!

The Redskins won today....20 - 6!

GO REDSKINS!

Stereotyped

Last night Fonzy and I went to the marriage ministry in our church. The marriage ministry are the married couples in our church who get together once a month to discuss marriage, families, the trials we go through, but also the blessings. Fonzy and I have not participated in a while, but have decided to participate more. It is great to see we are not unique in some of the struggles we have within our marriage/family and it's good to hear other's perspectives. The conversation was so good, we didn't head home until sometime after 11:00pm.

On our way to pick up the boys, we stopped at a gas station. When we pulled up to the pump, at about 11:30pm, two young African American boys walked into the store. I sat in the truck as Fonzy pumped the gas. Once he's done, he decides to go inside the convenience store to grab something to drink. While in the store, another young AA boy walks past the truck into the truck. I'm sitting in the truck, watching the young boys inside the store standing around and all I can think about is one of them pulling out a gun and Fonzy getting shot. I was in the truck praying Fonzy would hurry up before something happened. I even pulled out my cellphone and punched in 911, and hurriedly closed the phone before it dialed on it's own or something. But I was really scared. I had even locked the doors to the truck when I saw the third boy walk across the parking lot. And as I was sitting there, stereotyping these young boys, who I might add, look no different from my husband and two older boys, I felt kinda bad. Here I was, thinking these boys were nothing but thugs, when they could of been the sweetest boys on earth. But I chose to believe the hype of what I see on TV. When Fonzy got into the truck, I told him what I had felt sitting there in the truck, thinking he was going to get shot, and even dialing 911, when he said I needed to stop acting so crazy. He said when he walked in the store, he told the boys, "What's up" in greeting and they were fine. He said that's what's wrong today, everybody stereotyping all young AA men. He said if you treat them with respect, you will see that they are really not as bad as what the media portrays. I felt so ashamed that here I am married to a black man, have young minority sons, am a minority myself and I'm perpetrating the same stereotypes.

....hanging my head in shame......

Confession time

OK....I'm going to make a confession. I'm probably going to regret telling you my deep, dark secret, but here goes...

When I was in the third or fourth grade, I stole a Strawberry Shortcake doll.

GASP!

I know, I should be so ashamed. I knew it was wrong, but I just had to have the little red headed, strawberry smelling doll. This is how it happened. A girl in my school showed up one morning showing off her new Strawberry Shortcake doll. She was passing it around to all us girls, letting us smell her strawberry yummyness. I was so jealous, I wanted that doll!

Later that day, as I was walking into a classroom, I noticed Strawberry Shortcake just sitting on a desk. There was no one in the room and the doll was just laying there, so I snatched it up! I put it in my bag and sat down like nothing had happened. A few seconds later, the girl came back into the room looking for her doll. She was all upset and had tears in her eyes, saying she had lost Strawberry. I should of handed it right over, but I didn't. I couldn't. I wanted the doll too much. She left the classroom crying because she hadn't found her doll. I slipped my hand in my bad and caressed the doll I had stolen, knowing I was probably going to hell for stealing it, but I didn't care. I had a Strawberry Shortcake doll. On my walk home from school, I pulled out my stolen goods and smelled her strawberry yummyness all the way home. When I got home, my mom asked where I had gotten the doll and I told her I won it at school. I was going to hell for sure. To this day, I can't see a Strawberry Shortcake doll without feeling guilty and hearing that little girl from way back in my past crying about her lost stolen doll.

Saturday morning = football

Football has taken over our Saturday's. Ezekiel had an early morning game and Elijah had his first flag football game. The morning was perfect, sun shining, dew glistening on the grass and crisp cool air.

Ezekiel's game was first. The Redskins have yet to win a game, since LAST season. He played with the Redskins last year and they did not win one game...not one. This year has started out the same. They are 0-4.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elijah played his first game of the year. He was fired up and ready to go. The little kids have no clue what is going on, and they are so funny to watch.










Unfortunately... we did not win this game either. But like we teach the kids, it's doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you had fun. Um...yeah....ok.

32 years

this morning getting ready for work

I've started this post several times, and have hit the backspace key just as many times. My words are just not conveying what I feel for this man I married and what I want him to know on this day, his 32nd birthday.

I guess the first thing I want him to know is how proud I am of him. Any opportunity I get to tell people my husband is a teacher, I do. We need more men, particularly minority men, in our school systems. We have so many young men who have no one to look up to, no to care about them, no one they can relate to, no positive role models. My sweetie is all that. He cares about the worst of the worst, the young boys others have thrown to the wayside and forgot about. Sometimes that's all it takes to keep these young boys off the street and out of prison, knowing someone cares and hasn't given up on them.

Along with being a great teacher and mentor, my hubby is a great daddy. He's the type of dad who gets down on the floor and plays with the boys, all the time. He is the homework helper, and always patient when they just don't get it and figures out ways to help them get it. I guess that's part of being a teacher. And the teaching never stops. He has taught the boys how to clean house and fold laundry. Lord knows, I hate to fold clothes, so that was one of the best things he taught them. He is always there to give encouragement, hugs and kisses. Yes, he still gives the boys kisses.

And last, but definitely not least my hubby is a great husband. I thank God everyday for blessing with this man. He sometimes knows me better than I know myself. He encourages me, supports me in all I do, and rubs my feet when they are sore. He loves to cuddle, will watch girly movies with me, and will eat anything I cook, even if it's not that great. He cleans house, makes me laugh, and loves me, even when I'm not lovable.

And on top of all of that, he is sexy! Don't you wish your hubby was hot like mine? I know you do.

Of course he did not want me to post his Sexual Chocolate picture above, but he would not let me take a picture of him this morning.....I got those two above on the sly. So this is what you get when you won't let me take pictures.

Happy birthday baby, I love you!

I Love Fall

Things I love about Fall

~cool crisp mornings

~vibrant red, orange and yellow leaves

~Pumpkin spice coffee creamer

~cooking with the crockpot

~football games

~favorite tv shows new seasons

~sweaters

~cuddling on cool fall nights

~scarecrows

~hearing the leaves crunch under my feet

~anticipation of the holidays

~pumpkin and apple spice scented candles