Officially Toddler Parents

Yes. The day has arrived. We are officially parents of a toddler. While he has been walking since nine or ten months, and he has been progressing and learning and playing the age appropriate activities, and we considered him a toddler, only this past weekend did he make it official for us. We are Toddler Parents. You cannot argue with us because we have proof.

We have blue marker on our tan wall.

If you have not had a toddler yet, you may be sitting there with your jaw on the floor and displaying optical poptitude. Those of you who have children, though, are probably shaking your head up and down with a knowing and understanding look on your faces.

Do not pity us, though. We have spare paint for touch ups!

Just Me

Morning

It is morning, and I am not a morning person. Something woke me at five something this morning, and here I sit at eight something, exhausted. However, as I sit here, I am given the opportunity to see the sun peaking over the trees and shining in such a glorious way that it reminds me of how incredibly awesome God is.

You know what I mean. Sometimes a scene catches your attention, and you stop to look at it and think, "Wooow." How much beauty is all around us every day that we miss? Do you ever stop to purposefully look at each petal on a flower, the shape of a tree, the intricate detail of a spider web, the algae on a forest pond, a field of wheat, a bunny rabbit hopping across the yard, a deer in the night? The Lord blesses us with so much visual joy every day.

There was something on television once where one of the characters was God in human form. Someone asked Him to prove that He was God. He pointed. In a mocking tone, the human said, "It's a tree!" God replied, "Let me see you make one."

Hehe...that gives me a chuckle.

My challenge to myself today is to try to notice as many visual gifts from the Lord that I can. Will you join me and challenge yourself to the same thing?

Just Me

Today is Just Today

Today is Sunday. It is raining. We are in the house, and I do not even feel like the outside world exists. Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever feel like nothing exists outside of the walls of your home? Maybe it is a feeling of loneliness. Maybe it is a feeling of fear. For me, today, it is a feeling of contentment.

There are no worries about what is going on in the news. There are no worries about returning telephone calls. There are no worries about work. There are no worries about much of anything.

Today, I am enjoying the peace of being. There is no television, no radio, no company. There is just my family and me, living. I like it.

Just Me

A Dream Crushed

For as long as I remember, I have been wanting to go back to school. What I have wanted to study has not been available to me, though. Recently, we moved to a place where I can go to school and study what I want. It is a bit of a drive, but the classes are only two days a week, so I am going for it. Finally. Yay!

The college allows you to fill out your admittance application online, so I did. The form asked for my first name, my middle name, my last name...the usual. I filled in those. Then it asked what I prefer to be called. Since being a white, middle class housewife will get me no breaks (and I need all of the help that I can get), filled in Shaniqua Pocahontas Rodriguez.

Now I am registered, I have my classes set, I have paid, and I am ready to go. How do I find out what I need? Am I supposed to show up for the first class prepared, or will the teacher tell us what we need when we get there? How do I find the class? Where is the campus? Maybe this online registration was not the best idea.

Will I be the only person creeping up on forty in a class of eighteen and nineteen year olds? Will the other kids in the class think that I am an old lady and wonder why on earth I am there? Will they call me Mom? Worse yet, will they look at me and call Grandma in their youthful, snotty, going-to-be-young-forever tone? Shut up, you teenagers! You will not have those young, skinny, tan, firm bodies forever. One day you will probably be forty with sagging and cellulite and (Dare I say it?) wrinkles...so leave me alone!

Young kids are so mean these days! I cannot take this abuse! What was I thinking? I need to cancel my class and see if I can get my money back. Who needs this?!

Just Me

Just Me

On the chance that anyone out there in this crazy world called the interweb might read my blog except for me, I decided to start with a little "about me" note. As I sit here and type, though, I find myself wondering what it is that anyone would care to know. All that I suppose I can do is share some things with you and let you decide.

I am a Christian. Right off of the bat, I will say that I am a child of God and that He blesses me in so many ways. Life is not always easy, but life is good. I am blessed with such a wonderful and loving husband who works so hard to take care of us. I am blessed with a gorgeous and amazing son. I am blessed with a home. I am blessed with friends (though a few more would be nice). There are so many blessings in this life that I could go on for hours.

With that being said, though...

I am also a human. I am imperfect. I am a screw-up. I have problems. I make mistakes. I complain. Yes, sometimes I even whine. Oh, and sometimes...sometimes I say a bad word. Yep. I do.

That is me. What can I say? If you are looking to read about someone who is perfect in every way, then you are at the wrong blog! If you want to read my scattered thoughts because you find that can relate to me, because you want to make fun of me, or just because you are bored, well, then please feel free to follow my blog because who knows where I will turn next?!

Just Me