2010 in Review

I really hate I lost most of my pictures from this past year. What few I could recover, wasn't of any importance.

2010 was a year of changes for Kara and me.

1. We moved
2. We made new friends
3. I'm now a Sunday School teacher of a difficult age group, which I love
4. I got a new car
5. Kara is now at the age where she can participate in activities (which is always fun)
6. We went to the Biltmore and Nashville for the first time this year.

I had a dream last night. It was wierd for me. I was attending an exorcism but I never found out who it was for. All I know is I went to church and before the ceremony (or whatever its called) started, I was awaken by my alarm. I really wanted to finish it.

According to dreammoods.com, my dream symbolizes my iniative to regain control and take steps towards my goals. I don't really believe in dream interpretation. It was fun to look it up.

I'm really looking forward to 2011. I cannot wait to see what adventures Kara and I will be getting into this year.

Merry Christmas

Kara and I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

If you are missing loved ones, my heart goes out to you.


Christmas is an emotional time for my family. Three years ago, on the 30th we lost my grandfather due to complications after surgery. He was in the hospital the week of Christmas. The last day, I saw him alive was Christmas Eve 2007. He wasn't coherant but he knew I was in the room. He squeezed my hand and had tears in his eyes when I told him I loved him and wished him a Merry Christmas. He tried to talk, but couldn't due to the tubes and dry throat. The squeeze of his hand and the look on his face, told me all I needed to know.

I found out I was pregnant with Kara on the 23rd. I never got to share the news of my pregnancy with him. I was embarrased to tell him because he thought so highly of me. He was proud of the stand I took against the drug and alcohol abuse in the family. I was one of thew view who didn't take the wrong path in life.

Christmas' aren't the same anymore. We no longer hear the complaints of an old man wanting to hurry and eat so he can watch everyone open thier gifts. Instead we hear the laughs of two todders (Kara and Caleb) and I often wonder if Kara would be a grandpa's girl.

Crafty Christmas

Let me start off by saying, I am not a crafty person. I don't have the patience and I get bored easily.

I saw a picture of a ribbon wreath and I decided I would attempt to make one. I started making a big one. It had red, white and peppermint ribbon. I rushed the project and it looked horrible. I started a second one. This time I took my time and I am happy with how it turned out.

Then I thought I would make homemade cocoa in a jar. It turned out pretty. Im not a not too sure about the taste. I bought dry milk instead of powered milk. I'm going to make a mug tomorrow to taste test it.

Christmas Pictures

Every year, I attempt to get a picture of Kara in front of the Christmas tree. The first two years were easy. She would sit still and smile. This year was comical.

Bad and Good Christmas Gifts

I was listening to the radio a few days ago and the show was talking about getting bad gifts. They had callers call in and give thier stories.

It got me thinking. I have only had two gifts that I didn't understand why someone would give them to me. They both came from my crazy aunt.

The first one was a steamer that could steam curl your hair and you could also use it to steam your face. I think I was early teens when she gave it to me. I remember seeing them on the late night infomercials. I got the appliance home and I couldn't wait to try it out. I open the package and realized it had been used many times. The compartment that held the water, had dried up salt residue and the foam curlers were flat.

The second item I recieved was the first Christmas out of college. My aunt gave me this beautiful hand mirror. It was made out of some kind of stone and had butterflies on it. It looked like a mirror my great grandmother used to have. Well, my younger cousin (who also liked butterflies) was commenting on my mirror. My aunt took it from my hand and gave it to her. My replacement gift was Chicken Soup for the Teenager Soul. Her reasoning for that was I worked with kids so that book would be a great resource. I am assuming she confused my Early Childhood degree with something else.

The best Christmas gift I recieved was from my mom. Growing up in a single parent home, we never had alot things. We lived very simple lives. Except for when it came to Christmas. She saved her money up all year long to make sure my brother and I got one thing we wanted.

That year, we lost an important person in our lives. My stepfather passed away a month earlier after being in the hospital. My mom couldn't afford to get us much because she was out of work while he was in the hospital.

I had a small gift under the tree. When I opened it I found a pair of small gold hoop earrings. I loved them. I am still in love with them. Whenever I wear them, I can feel the love of my mom shining through and it reminds me not to take things for granted.

I plan on giving them to Kara on her 16th birthday and sharing that story with her.

Two Things

I am trying to make two very important decision. One effects Kara. Well, they both do but one does more than the other (if that makes any sense).

I am sick to my stomach trying to decide on what to do. Im torn. Just keep me and Kara in your thoughts and prayers.

Our Thanksgiving 2010

Our Thanksgiving was very uneventful. Which was a very disturbing change. I am used to having some kind of family drama.

Thursday, Kara spent the day with her father and his family. I headed to Gastonia, to spend Thanksgiving with a friend and his family. There were kids there Kara's age and I missed her terribly. I hate spending holidays without her.

I ate so much that first day, I was miserable. Rascal Flatts kept me company on the way there and back. The drive was easier heading back home, too.

Kara and I headed to Asheboro to my grandma's house Thursday night.

Friday, was Thanksgiving with my family. I provided the turkey and brocoli casserole (one holiday staple we cant live without). Everyone else provided the sides. My cousin came with her 3 boys. Kara and Cousin C helped clear out leaves and stumps. She had a good time until the chainsaw was started. She may be a tomboy, but she doesn't like the noises that come along with it.

After the yard chores were finished, we came inside to eat. Everyone pigged out. My cousin left to go celebrate her birthday. I played with the twins. Kara helped feed the babies. I miss having a newborn around. I love my Kara, though. She keeps me entertained.

Happy Thanksgiving

Kara and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you take this time to be thankful for the blessings in your life.

I am thankful for many things in my life:

• God's love for me. I am humbled by his grace and mercy.
• Kara: even through the temper tantrums, coloring on the walls, fighting to get dressed. I love her and I would be lost without her. I love her asking for hugs and kisses and I cherish every second I get with her.
• My mom: She is my support system. She loves me through thick and thin. She always helps me even when she doesn't have the energy or means to.
• My church family: They are wonderful!
• My health

We are actually celebrating as a family on Friday. If our Thanksgiving is like last years, I'm sure I will have something to blog about come Monday.

Bummed

My personal laptop is finally repaired. Im estatic to get my computer back.

However, I am very disappointed. They replaced the hard drive. They asked me if I wanted them to backup my files for an extra cost. I declined because all I needed was the keys replaced. I got the call to go pick up my computer and to bring my operating system disks because they replaced my hard drive. ALL my pictures are gone.

Pictures from Kara's life from April 2009-August 2010 just went away. All her first moments are no longer on my computer. I know I have some uploaded on either Shutterfly or Snapfish, but not all. What makes it worse was before Kara had a field day on my computer I was going to burn all my pictures to CD's. Im kicking myself for putting that off and for not being willing to pay extra money for a backup file.

I know I didn't completely lose everything because of Facebook, but I don't put every single picture on there. Im praying my brother still has the 1st birthday pictures he took.

Lesson learned: Always back up your files.

I Should Have Known

I should have known wanting to have Thanksgiving dinner with MY family would have caused an uproar.

This was planned on October 30th. Should be easy, right? Well, it isn't.

Last year my grandmother wanted Thanksgiving with her daughters, granddaughters, and great grandchildren. Because of scheduling conflicts with in laws and other family obligations, we decided we would have the meal on Friday after Thanksgiving. Kara and I loaded up the car and headed to Asheboro after she had time to spend with her dad's family. We had fun staying up late and waking early the next day. Even heading to the mall for Santa pictures was fun.

I had the idea of doing that again this year because my family (Kara) is spending Thanksgiving day with her father and his family. I offered to buy and prepare the turkey and whatever else was needed. My grandma said that would be nice and even talked about it with my mom and cousin 2 days later.

I talk to my grandma about what else I needed to buy. She freaks out because she forgot. The whole family is in an uproar because they thought it was the Friday before Thanksgiving and she had a bus trip planned. I had to calmly remind everyone its the Friday after Thanksgiving. Still, they are in panic mode. I have half the mind to say forget it and give my turkey away to a needy family.

I cannot wait to see what Christmas Eve is going to be like.

Yes, I'm inpatient

Since before I moved, my loveseat and couch were taken from me. Its a long story in which I will tell in private, but not on here. Mostly, because I don't know if the person still reads this blog. He said he didn't after we had a HUGE argument mid-August. I really don't want a huge argument to become of this, AGAIN!

Anyways, I have been without living room furniture since August 20-something. I was waiting until we got got moved to go looking for anything. Then a friend told me he would ask around to see if there was anything newer but cheaper where he got his furniture from.

Honestly, Im tired of waiting. I'm beginning to think paying $800 or more is better than waiting and paying $50-$100 for a new piece. But then again, by the time I finally find something I like, it will be out of stock and I would have to wait for it anyways.

Oh, and Kara decided it would be funny to take the keys off my laptop keyboard again. Its now with the computer repair. Im waiting 3 weeks to get it back and a phone call from them. I am really praying the computer falls under warrenty still. Paying $140 isn't in my budget with the holidays coming up.

Trunk a Treat

With Halloween being on a Sunday this year, I didn't feel comfortable taking Kara out on Sunday night. Instead, we went to a local church and participated in thier Trunk or Treating. She dressed as a clown wearing black and orange. Some special people joined us. My mom and grandma rode with us to a church while we met a friend and his two daughters.

Kara wasn't sure how to act at first but quickly took candy out of people's hands after she warmed up. We visited 20 cars and I was thankful they had goodies other than candy for younger kids. Kara got a little candy, pretzels and animal cookies. It was just enough for her tiny body.

She had a blast. When we got home, she asked to go to bed (that will never happen again).

Nashville, TN

one of the guitars in the Charlie Daniels museum

Hard Rock Cafe



well behaved dogs

Bridgestone Arena

Kara Update

I realized I haven't posted a Kara update in a few weeks.

She is learning something new everyday. I wish I wasn't lazy and wrote down most of it. She knows most of her shapes. Her favorite and first being the heart. She still gets the square and rectangle mixed up.

She is starting to recognize her letter. Im going to make flashcards and start focusing on learning more letters.

She knows most colors. Her favorites are pink and orange.

She loves to color and draw. I am seeing an improvement of coloring. Where at first she would just scribble. Now she colors an entire section. The same with drawing. She would just scribble and now she writes on the entire sheet of paper.

She knows most of the members of an immediate family. She recognizes the mommy, daddy, brother and sister (if there is one).

She has an obsession with Blue's Clues and Dora. Fortunately, she only asks to watch Blue's Clues and I am glad my cable package includes Preschool on Demand.

The only meat she will eat is chicken. She has tried beef, pork, and fish and quickly tells me doesn't like it. Other than that, she eats almost anything I put in front of her. She loves fruits and veggies.

I Love Being The Center of Attention

Well, actually it's getting old.

People I don't talk to or associate with think they know all about me. I hear all kinds of stories about my life. Before I really moved, I already moved to a totally different address. This stemed from me using an old checkbook with an old address to pay an offering with. A week later, one lady asked me how my move was. I asked her what she was talking about. Thats when she told me she heard I moved to ________. I laughed it off. Later I started thinking, the only way anyone would think that was if the treasurer was talking about me. Needless to say, I now pay using cash and never ever fill out the envelope just incase my salary is a topic of discussion.

Another story I found amusing is one day the church was having a dinner. We were told to invite people. My guest happened to be a male. He wanted to hear the "new" preacher. He was a family friend, I have known for years. Well, the next Sunday I found out alot about my life just from those few hours.

I am curious to know what else is being said about me. There are a few people I will talk to but mostly, I keep to myself. And people wonder why.

She Gets It Honestly

Kara is scared of heights. She doesn't like being up high until she is sure she is on a stable surface.

Last night we went to a local park. She was doing well on the toddler slides, but then decided to go to the 5-12 yr old playground. The slides there are taller and higher. She will slowly walk in the tunnels and most time crawls. She will stand on the top of the slide and normally chicken out and not slide down.

Our Big Move

Thursday, September 30th, I had access to our new apartment. I wasn't thinking and set up the cable and internet connections for Friday, October 1st. I moved two carloads, including the tv's and laptop to the new apartment that afternoon.

Friday, morning Kara and I woke up and we headed to the new place to wait on the cable man. To my surprise he was 30 min early. After he set up the tv's and internet, we headed back to Greensboro to get a carload of boxes. My brother was supposed to come up to help me, move more of the big furniture. Due to the heavy rains on the coast, he wrecked his car and wasn't able to help me. Kara and made 3 trips, before I started to feel sick. I had this awful stomach ache, I was starting to feel weak and felt the need to throw up for an hour. I called my mom and asked her if I could stay at her house so she could help keep an eye on Kara. Needless to say, I had a stomach bug all night. I don't think I slept more than 4 hours off and on.

Saturday, I begin to feel a little better (or I think I do) so I head back to Greensboro to begin loading my car up. My mom had to work and was going to bring the truck by when she got off work. She called me letting me know she wasn't going to make it. She got the same bug, I had. She came by the house to let me use the truck to move more boxes and some of the lighter bigger things while she slept. I was still weak but I managed to get two loads moved.

Sunday morning, my mom was feeling better so we loaded the truck up with furniture before I left for church. She went back to Walkertown to get my stepbrother so he could unload the truck and move the rest of the furniture while I was at church. After church we met up and I helped finish the move. I had 3 hrs to move the rest of the stuff before I had a leader meeting at church. I don't think I ever moved things that fast in my entire life. We got everything moved Sunday afternoon.

During the move, things kept happening that seemed like they were going against me. My sickness, my brothers car accident, the power company getting mixed up and turning the power off at the wrong location, and my direct deposit not being in the bank when it needed to be causing my rent check and other bills to bounce. I was having a rough 5 days and I began to be discouraged. I had a friend who recently moved and he kept telling me I was just coming across bumps in the road and everything will be worth it all in the end. Looking back at last week and the events, I know he was right. I was looking at the negative and not looking far enough into the future.

The apartment is huge for a 2 bedroom. The layout isnt a cookie cutter apartment like you see today. My neighbors are nice and helpful. Its a quiet neighborhood, which I am thankful for. That was one of my huge concerns about living here. All in all, I am happy with my decision and I know I made a right one for Kara and me. Once I get settled and unpacked, there will be pictures.

Just thought I would say hi

Kara decided she wanted to pop off some of my keys off my laptop. I'm in the process of getting that fixed. It's hard to type when the important keys are missing.

Just wanted to let you know, I moved. Alot of events happened that were unexpected. Actually, I don't think anything happened as planned.

Once I get my personal PC fixed and find my camera (I hope that's soon, I'm taking a trip to the Biltmore House in 2 weeks) I will post all about my moving adventure.

Moscow

I noticed I had a visitor from Russia.

Thanks for stopping by. I wish you would have said hello!

Bittersweet

This afternoon, my mom took Kara home with her after church. I decided to make the most of my free time and go through Kara's closet.

The items found brought up memories of a love gone away. The box contained a balloon, card and letter. All three a symbol of love. The balloon and card was given to me the day after I gave birth to Kara. It declared how beautiful our child was and how happy he was to have the both of us in his life. The letter was written three months before Kara. It also showed proof of our love and how happy he was to have two special ladies in his life and also Lil Bit (we didn't know the sex yet).

Things were said a few weeks ago that contradicted the above. I know they are lies. I have written and physical proof of love.

Now, going through the boxes bought back the happy times of Kara's firsts. I am looking forward to watching Kara go and making more memory boxes.

Kara's outfit

Kara's imagination is amazing me. She draws circles with huge points and says she is drawing her cat with a big nose. Today's outfit was a milder version on what she usually wants to wear.

She wanted my hospital socks instead of pants and she just had to wear her Dora pj shirt.

MIA

I haven't had anything to say. I have also been packing for our big move. I think I am almost done. I need to go through my closet and donate clothes. Im saving Kara's room for last. I never know what I will need and Im afraid to pack it.

Steven Curtis Chapman - Cinderella (Music Video)

One of my favorite songs. Reminds me of Kara. She loves to spin and twirl to music. I always stop what Im doing to join her.

Its Official

The first of October, Kara and I will be offically leaving Greensboro and moving. I found an apartment which is temporary until I can find a house to move into. I might continue to attend the same church. I really havent decided. If not, I may return to the church I came from. Its bigger and has lots of children's programs and ministries for me. They have a preschool and hopefully, Kara will be starting there when she turns 3.

I love this new town. Not too far from the city and they have almost the same things as Greensboro. I will be closer to my mom and friends. Im looking forward to not driving 45 min to see my best friends and thier kids.

So between now and October 1 I will be purging, packing and finding a storage unit.

YAY! I'm excited!

Out of the Loop

For some reason, I totally missed the news about Ham's closing in Greensboro. I knew the original one on Friendly closed, but had no clue the big one on High Point Rd closed, also.

I have mixed feelings about it. I am sad to see it go because Kara loves watching the train go by while she eats. Ham's was one of the few resteraunts I went to in college and going there brings back so many memories.

For a personal reason, I'm glad to see that one location go. That one brings back horrible memories and I avoided it for that same reason. I guess you can say that's why I didn't really pay close attention to the news.

For now, Kara and I will be heading to K-vegas to enjoy thier kids night (where kids eat for 99 cents) until that location is closed. Which, I heard won't be long from now.

I think I have it figured out

I have two visitors to my blog that I am trying to figure out. High Point and Fayetteville. Everyone else, I know who you are. Thanks for visiting

To the person in High Point: I know who you are. Why don't you say hi every once in awhile?

To the person in Fayetteville: You still remain a mystery. I hope you say hi someday.

Happy Birthday, Kara!

Kara,

As of 6:00pm today, you are 2 years old! I can't believe how time flew by. I can still remember the week of events that led up to your birth. I remember going into my amnio twice in one week. I remember waiting all day for the phone call to tell me if your lungs were ready for you to be born. I remember the night before I headed to the hospital. I remember the last meal I ate that night. Your Uncle Ronnie and Lem came into town. We had Ribeyes and salad for supper. I wanted a good meal since I was told not to eat after midnight. I remember waking up the next morning, counting down the hours until I was to arrive at the hospital. I remember being wheeled into the delivery room for my c-section. I will never forget the doctors words after he delievered you. He said, " Good thing we delivered her early. She's a big one." I was scared and nervous waiting for the anesthesia to wear off. I wanted to see you and hold you. Of course, I couldn't because it was too late to head to the NICU. I had to wait 12 hrs until I got to see and touch you.

Becoming a mother was natural to me. I was never scared that I couldn't handle motherhood. I chalk up to being the oldest sibling and child of the entire family. I got alot of experience taking care of babies.

Our Beach Getaway

This past weekend, I had the chance to hit the beautiful North Carolina coast with a friend of mine.





Thursday afternoon, we headed east on I-40 towards Morehead City. It took us about 7 hours to get there. We stopped in Smithfield to eat at a chinese buffet and then a local supercenter to get items we forgot to pack. We made it to Morehead City around 12 am Friday morning. We then drove around the island looking for hotels on the oceanside. Considering it was late, we gave up and stayed in the city.





Friday morning the adventure began. We woke up and headed towards the visitor center. Then we went driving around the beach and finally found a hotel on the ocean that we liked. We tried out three different places. After checking in, we hit the road again. First stop, NC Aquarium at Pine Knolls. I enjoyed it. There were water creatures from our three regions (the mountains, the Piedmont and the coastal region). Much different from the Myrtle Beach aquarium. We made it in time to watch the feeding of the fish.
Second stop, Fort Macon. I remember going there on an 8th grade field trip to the Outer Banks. Its funny how now, I pay attention to the history. The last time I was there, I didn't have an interest on what happened in history. After spending two hours, exploring and looking at the fort, it was time to head back to our room.
We changed clothes and headed downstairs to the hotel resteraunt. Good food, but pricey. After eating we went for the obligatory night stroll on the beach. The ocean was peaceful this weekend. you could actually get in the ocean without being knocked down by waves. It was a nice change in pace.
The next day, we headed towards the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. We drove to Beaufort and caught a small ferry. The lighthouse was the best part of the trip. We spent two hours on the island looking for shells. I was looking for conch shells. I heard people say they found some, but I only found parts. We also saw the wild horses, which were beautiful.
We got back to the mainland. Hit a local supercenter for a cooler, snacks and drinks. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach.
I had a great weekend and will be heading back towards Atlantic Beach again. Its a nice area for children. Not too crowded with tourists, which is what I loved about the whole trip.

(just a sidenote: I didn't pack my camera. Cell phone pictures didn't turn out the way I wanted.)

She's Every Woman

One of my favorite Garth Brooks songs sung by a friend playing around with Karaoke.





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Meet Buddy AKA Kitty

Buddy is Kara's cat.

He loves her.

She loves him.

They fight. ALOT.

She picks him up by his tail.

He attacks her from behind.

They are inseperable.

He takes a bath with Kara most days.

Kara puts food in his bowl.

He tries to steal Kara's food.

Yes I am Happy

The other day, someone commented on the glow around me. I seem look happier. I walked away wondering what was different. I thought maybe the glow was the small tan I have on my face from being out in the sun more than normal. Then I thought maybe it was the glisten I have on my face from chasing a toddler around in this heat.

I was wrong. The glow on my face is I realized I have a great life. I have a group of friends will do anything for me. I have a healthy daughter who amazes me daily.

Most of all, no matter what goes wrong there is always a brighter light at the end of the tunnel.

Kara 23 Months

I can't believe this will be the last time I count months for Kara. Next month she will be 2 yrs old. Where did the time go?

Nothing much has changed. Her vocabulary is expanding everyday. She loves wearing crocs and has 3 pair. Her favorite ones are pink and purple and she wears them with everything. Except for Sundays, she wants her sandals.

Her temper tantrums are getting louder. I learned if I ignore them she stops within 10 seconds.

She figured out how to jump. Its funny to watch her.

She tortures the cat by picking him up by his tail or neck. Apparently, he likes it because he hangs around her.

Dollar Store Adventure

Today, I decided I would let Kara walk around a dollar store. The store is small and I didn't think the customers would mind a toddler wandering the store with her mom right behind her.

She chose 4 things she wanted to get. A foam ball (which she bit a chunk out), a book about zoo animals, a loud chicken (mommy hid that), and a bottle to feed her baby with.

She loved her newfound "independence". I am thinking of taking her once a month for a mini shopping spree.

Some of my favorite pictures

Thanks to Comstock Photography

Fun 4th

This year was Kara's first time seeing fireworks. She is scared of alot things out of the normal so I thought last night would be the same. We went to Kernesville to watch the fireworks show. I enjoyed it. It wasn't crowded. We had room to breathe and play around. If anyone has a toddler you know how hard it is to keep them entertained for a long period of time. Kara enjoyed running around the grassy lot and playing with the other children.

The firework show began. Kara sat in my lap eyes full of amazement. Every time they showed up in the sky she would say, "uh-oh broken". The only time she was scared was the finale at the end. The constant popping scared her just a little bit.
She hated to leave. I'm trying to figure out if she didn't want the show to end or she was sad because we were leaving the company we were with.

Below is a collage from a few pictures of her day. I didn't take pictures of the fireworks. We didn't have a too clear of the view. There was a powerline in our view.

Thirty Minutes

Steele Magnolias is one of my favorite movies. I have seen it countless times. I hate to admit it, I can say each line along with the movie.

There are scenes and quotes that clearly make me laugh anytime of the day. They also make me cry.

One of my favorite quotes: "I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." This was said after Shelby told her mother she was pregnant. As much as I have seen this movie, I never fully understood those words until a year ago.

Last year, an event took place, that shook me to the core and tore my word apart. I lost something that had been apart of me for 3 years. It was supposed to last a lifetime. Alot has happened in 12 months. Bad times, but mostly good. I learned just how strong I can be. I have a closer relationship with God. (yes, for those reading who don't agree I know I am not perfect and you aren't either).



If time could go backwards, I know exactly where I would want it to go and start over again. (That's my little secret.) Although my time didn't last a lifetime, I don't regret any part of it. I had my thirty minutes of wonderful.

Who Am I

I will be the first one to admit, I am not perfect. I have someone who loves me for who I am and no matter how much I fail and disappoint, He will always be there for me.
This song reminds me of the love that I have.

Kara~22 Months

Kara is now 22 months old. She is growing fast and talking up a storm.

She loves to color, can find all the hidden candy in the Sunday School classrooms at church.

Like most toddlers, her favorite word is mine.

She knows the difference between water and juice. She lets me know what she wants to drink.

She loves going to the store.

She repeats most things I say to her.

She loves to play dress up with my shoes and her clothes.

She loves fruits and veggies and still doesn't care for meat unless its chicken.

She loves "pizzer" (pizza)

Just an update

It's been a busy 2 weeks for me. My church is having Neighborhood Bible Time. It's Vacation Bible School, but souped up. They have crazy games for the teens and special programs for those in 1st grade-6th grade.
I am teaching the preschoolers and they are adorable. The first night we had 6 kids. Tonight we had 3. Anyways, I love it. When the week is over, I will have a better post and hopefully pictures.

News from the home front. My kitten thinks Kara is a kitten. Last night we were laying in bed watching TV. Kara fell asleep and Kitty started nuzzling her and wanting under her hair. He has never done that before. Normally, he wants to play with her and not love on her.
I thought bring a kitten in the house would tramatize Kara. She has adapted fairly well. Kara loves to give him kisses, pet him and she calls for him when she can't find him.

The Newest Member

Meet "kitty ball". He is the newest member of our family.

He is 8 weeks old. When Kara first saw him she laughed at him. She kept her eyes on him and laughed more. She wasn't as freaked out as she is around other animals. Kitty Ball is a little calm around her.

I have learned when Kara is tired she doesn't want anything to do with him.

When she is awake she is petting him and offering her toys. She doesn't want him playing or smelling her toys unless she lets him have it.

Her new thing is saying "thank you" when she hands you something. She doesn't understand the kitten cannot speak and gets irritated when he doesn't tell her thank you.

Stuff

I'm in a random mood tonight...



Kara is growing up too fast. She surprises me daily with a random sentence. She doesn't say much but when she does talk, I hear complete sentences.


I love Coke Zero and I'm going to miss the "rollback" price when it "rollsup."

I really wish I knew who was looking at the blog from Trinity. You are on my blog alot. A hello would be nice. ;o)

Although, I have gotten compliments, I do not like wearing my glasses all of the time. I will be glad when my eyes have rested and I find a brand of contacts that do not irritate my eyes.

Kara 21 Months

Kara is now 21 months old. Her vocabulary is expanding and I am amazed on how many new things she says. I fail at keeping up with them all.

She loves saying dog. She sees them on TV and she gets excited. The funny part, she doesn't like dogs if they are in the house. She seems to be fine with them outdoors.

My favorite thing she says is "I need you". That is one of the first things she says when she sees me in the morning. It reassures me on the days I wake up wondering if I am doing this parenting thing right.

She has gained a new love for The WonderPets. This is one of the three shows she likes that I can tolerate. It's cute when the theme song comes on and she sings with it. She does attempt to say "teamwork". It comes out Teeeeewoook. I try to capture it on video. She stops when she notices my camera.

Its been a joy to watch her grow up. I'm blessed that she is able to stay home with me while I work. She is light of my life and even if I could have seen in the future, I still wouldn't trade motherhood for anything.

One year ago....

Jeff and I started our diet. Of course, being a man he lost weight faster than I did.

However, I finally caught up to him and as of today, I have lost 75 pounds. I really can't say how much he has lost.

Fellowship with children

I learned something new yesterday....

Its difficult joining friends without children when they go out for dinner. Last night Kara and I joined some of the older ladies from church at K&W Cafeteria. I was going for the fellowship. Kara went to play. I had to gobble my meal down, fight Kara to eat her food, and keep Kara entertained. Needless to say, I failed. I thought if I let her run around the area where there wasn't customers that would keep her happy. NOT! She wanted to join and talk to EVERYONE because she thought it was a game.
I gave up on the fellowship and decided to go home.
I will pass on the next outing unless its a church wide group and I know we will be going to a place where the kids can play while the parents eat and/or fellowship.

Thomas' Bagel Thins

I love these! I found them by accident when I was shopping at the Dollar Tree. I thought, if I don't like them, then I am only wasting $1.00. To my surprise I enjoy them. They don't have as much breading as a regular bagel.

One serving size is 1 bagel vs 1/2 a bagel for the normal bagels. They are less weight watchers points. It took three bagels to learn how to toast them. You have to set them on the lowest setting. They burn easily on anything higher.

How I enjoy them:

with tuna salad

Garden Veggie Cream Cheese

plain

peanut butter and cinnamon

peanut butter and jelly (for Kara)

regular cream cheese and cucumbers

My Birthday Weekend

It was just another day for me. Turning 31 wasn't as exciting because I didn't go on my annual beach trip. Maybe Kara and I will go next year when its easier to handle her alone. Since she is learning her boundaries, don't like walking on her own at new places until she gets used to it, and likes to run off at a moments notice, I didn't think taking care of a toddler alone would be a good idea.

Instead, we stayed home. Friday we went to Liberty to the Antiques Festival. We went to two yard sales. My mom got Kara a red wagon, tri-cycle and a riding toy. I bought her a huge Care Bear. My mom also, bought my cousin 2 sacks of baby clothes for her twin boys (to arrive in September).

I attempted to make my own birthday cake. The cake was strawberry with cream cheese icing. I had the bright idea to make a two layer cake with strawberries in the middle and on top. It was a good idea in my head. Needless to say, it didn't turn out. I was told, that is what happens when you make your own cake.

Saturday, we hung out at home. I went shopping later that day. I bought myself a new purse, a dress and a pair of sunglasses. That afternoon a friend came over. We watched last week's Nationwide Series race in Texas. After the race we went to Smokey Bones. I ate entirely too much. Since it was my birthday, I got a free slice of cake. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but this Tower of Chocolate cake was yummy. Who doesn't like free cake? The waiter didn't have his co-workers sing to me. I was grateful for that. My dinner company sang to me, which was better than strangers singing to me.

All in all, I had a great birthday. I missed the beach. I enjoyed spending time with my mom, daughter and new friends.

Sidewalk Art

Today was one of those days we all love. Not too cold and not too hot. The sky was clear. Kara and I decided to draw on our front sidewalk.

Springtime fun

This past weekend, Kara and I spent our time outside filling up the birdfeeder and planting our tomato plant in the Topsy Turvy. I have never used one and I hope it works. If I have success, then next year we are going to try the one for strawberries and butterfly bushes.

Sweet Memories

Tonight, I visited a good friend while she was in the hospital having her baby. She was hooked up to the monitor for her contractions. (I really want to remember the name of the machine) I listened to the heartbeat of her little one. It brought me back almost 2 years ago where I had the privilege of hearing Kara's heartbeat twice a week from June to August. It was a burden having to leave my nice cool house to trek to the doctors office in 100 degree heat. I wouldn't trade those days for anything. I cherished being pregnant. It would be the only time, I didn't have to share her with anyone. I had my special moments of feeling her kick and move around. Hearing her heartbeat and movements on the heart monitor was music to my ears.

I don't know what's in store for me in the future. I would love to be pregnant again. Hopefully, that's in God;s plan.

Kara 20 Months

WOW! In 4 months, I will have a 2 yr old. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday we were coming home from the hospital with Kara.

Kara is soaking up information like a sponge. She amazes me with the new things she does everyday. Her vocabulary is expanding. She never says one word. She says mini sentences. Last night, after church I was taking off her dress and she says, "stop it".

She knows her body parts. When asked to show you her parts, she points to the person that is doing the asking. She loves to help clean. She loves being outside. She runs for the door whenever she sees an open door.

Its hard keeping up with every new thing I see her doing. I am going to have to do a better job keeping track of everything.

Insomnia?

I hope not. It's 5:30 am and I am wide awake. I would try to go to sleep but I have to be up in 90 min. anyway.

I went to sleep around 2:00am and woke up around 4:00am. I made a decision last night without really thinking it through. I just I'm doing the right thing for both Kara and myself.

Easter 2010

Kara 19 months

This post is extremely late. I debated on if I should write it or not.

I am 90% certain she is ready for potty training. She takes off her diaper if its just a little wet and if she goes number 2 its coming off right away ( I keep my eye on that one). While I am in the process of chasing her around to put a new diaper one, she will have an accident and start crying.

Her tantrums are becoming more vocal and if we are in public we visit the bathroom for a little conversation. Her first loud public tantrum was in The Fresh Market because I wouldn't let her eat the freshly ground peanut butter.

She loves her new found freedom of walking to the car. She is very aware she can walk on her own. I am teaching her how she needs to watch out for cars and not dart out in the parking lots.

According the scales, she weighs 29.5 pounds.

Spring Like Temps

This week we have had great weather. Kara wasn't old enough last year to enjoy the "freedom" of moving around in the Spring like tempertures.

She loves popping bubbles, sliding down her slide and running around like a mad woman.

Random Thoughts from Today

My mind has been in overload lately. I'm just going to let it fly.

Potty training: Scared to death about that. I'm afraid it will take Kara forever to learn and understand. I bought a potty today because I read an article that said buy one so toddlers can get used to it being in the house. I set the potty up and she sticks her head in it. She sits on it, but only the edge. She won't sit over the hole because she thinks she will fall in. I'm in no rush to start, but I have the need to start since I'm being pressured.

Toddler beds: I have no clue when I need to convert Kara's crib into her toddler bed. Right now, I enjoy leaving her bound behind her bars so she won't be roaming the house if she wakes up too early. Also, she still moves too much. I am afraid she would squirm to the bottom of the bed and fall out. I need to look at the manual to see how it actually converts.

Moving: Something I just thought about. I think my heart belongs in a different city. For some reason I have been thinking about moving back to Asheboro, NC. Then I start thinking if I want to go shopping at any other place than Wal-Mart, I will have to drive to Greensboro. I have a few more years to decide what school district I want Kara to go in.

Pork Chops: I teared up in the grocery store when I was shopping for meat. I used to cook pork chops once a week. I haven't fried a pork chop since July. Who would have thought food would bring up a memory?

Kara 18 months

Nothing new to report. Kara is growing like a weed. She is active and its getting hard to take pictures of her. She stands still long enough to take a picture, but moves too fast to capture anything.

This picture was taken today while we were enjoying the warm sunny weather.

I haven't weighed or measured her. Our doctor doesn't do a 18 month check up. I know she is happy about that. She is making friends at church, both big and small. Her vocabulary is expanding. I need to listen harder to know what she is saying. I know she can say oh boy, no, see, yes, this, juice, oh man, stop, and I know there is one more, but I cannot recall it.

Valentine's Day

I never imagined this would ever happen again. Kara's daddy came by the house this afternoon. We watched part of the race and then went out to eat at our favorite resteraunt. Because Kara ate too much junk we ended the evening with her throwing up (at least I hope it was the junk and not the return of the virus she just got over).

Im so excited

I just had to blog about it.

There is 1 event coming up (possibly 2) this weekend/next week.

Because of facebook, I have came in contact with a cousin I haven't seen since 1997 when we were in high school together. We grew up together since we are only 3 months apart. Her mom used to babysit me all of the time. Due to some family issues, we stopped hanging out in middle school. We would pass each other in the hall and still say hey. I never knew why we didn't hang out. High school was wierd.

Anways, her cousin (paternal) was a good friend of mine in highschool. We are going to meet and have dinner on Monday. I am really looking forward to our mini family reunion.

The second event is a possbility. A friend of mine is taking me and Kara out to eat lunch on Saturday. His friend and daughter will be joining us. He asked me to invite Kara's dad. Earlier this week he said he would make it, 100%. Tonight he called and he said he would try to come. Im not really counting on it. It would be nice to do something with Kara as a "family". We haven't been around each other alone for more than 5 min since July.

God is answering my prayer in making his heart soft so we can be friends and show Kara that we still care for each other even if we aren't together. I'm still praying for something else in that situation. Its all in God's timing.

Post It Note Tuesday

I felt like posting something today. I'm having a bad week (or 6 months) and my post was horrible. Then I decided to do something fun. I joined the fun with Post-It Note Tuesday hosted by Supah Mommy.

Kara's 2nd chance at snow

Kara didn't have an opinion about the snow. I think it had to do with the layers of clothing she had on. She had a pair of tights, pj bottoms, and a pair of jeans. She also had 2 shirts and her thick winter coat.

I took her outside and she just stood in one spot watching me. She only moved in circles. I think she enjoyed it better when the snow wasn't as deep and when she was crawling.

Have I mentioned how much I love

my little headband, monkey loving, sweet daughter?

Words cannot describe the joy I feel when I see this face smile at me every day.