And Then She Was Eight

Before having children, I had no idea that I was so sentimental/emotional about birthdays.  The following is a letter that I wrote for Moo on her eighth birthday.

Dear Moo,

This special day comes around every year.  You'd think that I'd be prepared by now, but I'm not.  At least not emotionally.  I know that for you birthdays are about spending time with your favorite people, getting out of school early, presents and special lunches with sweet treats.  Also, I know that you feel like it takes forever for your birthday to get here. (You spent all summer reminding us how far away December was).

But for me it seems like the time in between each birthday isn't long enough.  Time is one of the things almost everyone wishes they had an unlimited supply of.  There have been so many different moments your life that I wish I could have hit a freeze frame button on so that we could have dwelled in those moments forever.  Unfortunately time is ever constant.  Always moving forward and these years. with you (and your brother) seem to be passing by in the blink of an eye.

On this special day, I want you to know that I am prouder than ever to have been chosen to be your mommy.  I speak for the family when I say that you fill our lives with joy, happiness and lots of sparkles!  I love that over the years you've taught me a lot of things.  You've taught me the importance of being carefree.  You've taught me so much about learning to love myself as I am in any current moment instead of focusing on how others (or even myself) wish I were.

Your compassionate spirit and willingness to lend a helping hand to others have always been admirable traits.  I love that you don't allow people (or yourself) to put your in a box.  You can be a quiet introvert one minute, then an adventurous extrovert the next.  You absolutely love dolls, but you keep a collection of Thomas & Friends mini trains.  Dressing up and dabbling in makeup are your all-time favorite activities, but don't let being fancy stop you from getting down and dirty in the dirt either.

The list of qualities that I love about you is endless.  And I'm not just saying this because I'm your mom.  You light up and bring sunshine to any and every room place you go.  You're amazing like that!  Seriously, people stop to compliment me all the time on "what a happy, bright and beautiful child" I have whenever we're out and about.

My prayer for you on your eighth birthday isn't for time to slow down, though I wish it would.  Instead I pray that you continue to be compassionate, kind, gentle, loving, adventurous, fearless and uniquely you!

I love you, Moo!!

You're well on your way to changing the world.  I'm just happy that I get to come along for the ride and help navigate along the way.

Happy Birthday,

Mommy

Letters To My (Our) Children: The Importance of Celebrating Our Black History

Happy Black History Month My Loves!

Growing up celebrating the richness of our history wasn't something that was confined to solely to the month of February.  Grandma was very proactive about making sure that we celebrated Black history year round.  From requiring us all to participate in our schools' yearly History Day competitions to checking out movies with mainly Black casts and keeping our bookshelves stocked with biographies and memoirs like Narrative of Sojourner Truth, she made she we were raised to appreciate our culture.

Like Grandma, I've adopted the tradition of celebrating our Black history year round as well for the following reasons:

Hope

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

~ Romans 15:4

Throughout the Bible there are many passages that warn about the danger of not knowing one's history.  There are even more passages that encourage the older generation to pass down the stories of their family's history to their children while stressing the importance that their children then pass those same messages and history lessons down to the next generation to come and so forth.  Knowing where our people came from gives us hope!  As each generation has improved, the next one has become more hopeful.  

And when we have hope, we have faith.  Therefore each generation is essentially becoming more faithful because they're hearing (and even witnessing at times) of just how far God has guided and elevated us.  Always let our history give you hope and faith that you can not only endure all things, but also rise above things like racism and glass ceilings. 

Vision

"Have a vision. Be demanding.

~ Colin Powell

How can you have vision for your future if you don't know where our people have been?  What we've been through?  And how can you demand better for your life when you don't a vision of where you're going or where you want to be?

Knowing where we come from inspires us to envision the places we want to go next.  Those visions create direction.  Direction then creates demand because in order to get where we're going we'll have to pass out orders along the way and demands of people.  Demands like respect, equality and more.

Self Definition

"Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face."

~ Carol Moseley-Braun

Unfortunately we live in a world where we as Blacks are frequently defined by stereotypes/misconceptions created by non-Blacks.  It's so frustrating at times.  However, I know and celebrate where I come from and define myself!  It's easy to believe and buy into other people's opinions of what your culture and history are when you don't know it yourself.  Trust me when I say that knowledge gives you the power to define yourself.

Because we weren't content with being just known as slaves, we discovered that we were and still are kings and queens!  Never let anyone tell you who you are.  Do the research for yourself because chances are they're only highlighting the negative parts.

Success

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed."

~ Booker T. Washington

Want to know success looks like?  Take a look back at how far Blacks in America have come.  Read about the Civil Rights Movement and all the advancements being made in the Mother Land.  In reading these stories about our history you will see that we've overcome millions of obstacles.  You'll see that we a people of resilience.  You'll see that we our a people who can't be stopped because success is in our blood. 

It's all written right there in our history how we've managed to work together and defeat each demon, demolish each barrier and emerge successful and victorious!  The obstacles of our past have made us stronger and positioned the drive to succeed right in our hands.  I won't always be around, but know that whatever obstacles you face in life, if you want to know how to defeat them just take a look back our history.  The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun and God's word it correct.  You're bound to find someone that has had to overcome your obstacle,  research until you find out how they overcame and then tailor their problem-solving technique to match your needs.

No need to keep reinventing the wheel completely when you can just research and only make a few adjustments!

Dreams to Reality

"We all have dreams.  In order to make dreams come into reality it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."

~ Jesse Owen

Harriet Tubman once had a dream of becoming a freed woman and leading other slaves to freedom.  You know what inspired her to get focused and disciplined enough to carry out her plan?  Her past/history.  History had shown Harriet Tubman that if she didn't get serious about her dreams they'd never become a reality.  She'd end up dying a slave like many others before her had.

Celebrating our history can often give us the push we need to make our dreams into something real.  Don't miss out on your chance!

I love you.  Don't forget celebrating our Black history is important and it's something we do 365!  I hope one day you all will pass this letter and 365 Black history celebration down to my grandkids and that you'll encourage them to do the same.  Remember it's our responsibility to teach each other!

Love Always,

Mommy

Letters To Our Children is a monthly series started by Lashawn of Everyday Eyecandy.  Swing over to  A Southern Bowl of Gumbo to read Tamika's letter to her daughter!

Letters To My (Our) Children: Always Have A Dream

Dear Moo and JJ,

Always have a dream.  Today we're celebrating and honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was perhaps one of the greatest dreamers in history.  You see, Dr. King's dream was for all people to be treated equally.  Unfortunately there was a time when we (Blacks) didn't have the same rights as our non-Black counterparts.

Dr. King's dream was that the United States (and pretty much everyone) would become united people who wouldn't judge each other based on skin color (or anything else).  Sadly, he was murdered before he could fully see his dreams come into fruition.  However, reading about his legacy and war on inequality has taught me many things about the importance of having a dream.  Here are few lessons that I've learned about dreams from Dr. King:

Be Fearless

Dr. King grew up during a time where Blacks were killed or seriously hurt for speaking out against Jim Crow laws, discrimination or bad treatment.  However, Dr. King believed in his dreams so much that they outweighed his fears.  There will be times the scope and journey of your dreams will scare you, but don't let the fear win.  Someone once said, "Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."

Equality, unity, love and faith are what set Dr. King's soul on fire and he pursued his passions until he took his last breath.  Therefore, as long as you two have breath in your body, continue going after your dreams.

Don't Settle/Downgrade

Set your aims for the stars and keep it there.  When you dream, dream big.  Then don't ever let anyone convince you that your dreams are too big, too much, or too anything.  Do you know how boring this world would be if everyone downgraded their dreams?  How unjust?  And while we still face great injustices today, if Dr. King and many other Civil Rights leaders didn't chase after their dreams, we might not be where we are today.  None of those people downgraded their dreams.

You won't find anywhere where Dr. King downgraded his dream of equality.  Likewise, I don't want to find any evidence of you two giving up on your dreams either!  You can totally do this.

Walk The Walk

"The distance between dreams and reality is called action."  Don't just speak about your dreams, take action.  If you're going to talk the talk, walk the walk.  Put in work daily to accomplish your dreams.  Start with one small thing and then add something new everyday.

So many people get caught up talking about what their dreams are that they forget to take the needed steps to make those dreams a reality.  Don't just be a daydreamer, be a dream achiever. 

Put Yourself First

Don't make the mistake of getting caught in building dreams for someone else.  Is it good to help others accomplish their dreams?  Of course, but don't get so wrapped up in their dreams that you start to put yourself and your dreams on the back burner.  You only have one lifetime in which to accomplish everything you want to achieve.  Don't waste it by playing second fiddle.

Support Each Other

Don't ever forget to be supportive of one another.  Our family, friends and loved ones often times are our biggest supporters.   No matter what always be there for each other.  Lift each other up by doing what you can and offering to be of assistance.

Dr. King and many activist before and after him were able to help us gain more rights and defeat Jim Crow Laws by being more supportive of each other's movement and causes.  When Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a White person, Dr. King had her back and helped organize bus strikes and marches to bring awareness to her mistreatment and how ridiculous it was that We were seen as undeserving of a place to rest of tired feet on public transportation.

The same  results can happen by offering to be a helping hand to support the causes and dreams of those we love when the time is needed. Divided we  fall, but united we strong and we stand tall.  

At the end of the day, always have a dream or two!  Never give up on the opportunity to leave your mark on the world.

--------

This letter is part of the Letters to Our Children series hosted by LaShawn of Everyday Eyecandy.  Keep the support going and check out Brandi's letter here.

SEVEN

Dear Moo,

Happy 7th Birthday!  How did seven years fly by so fast?!  I'm seriously still trying to figure this out because honestly, it feels like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time.  I've said this a million times and I'll continue to say it because it's true:  You changed my life.

Seven years ago when I made the choice to become your mom, it was the BEST decision I'd made in my life next to deciding to give my life God.  I've never for one minute regretted my choice and would be truly lost without you.  It's been such an honor to watch you grow and come into your own from year to year.

You came to this world a serious baby who reserved her smiles and cute giggles for Mommy only.  Seriously, the first time everyone else heard you giggle, they literally froze because giggling/laughing was just something that you did not do unless it was just you and me.  I felt so special and privileged that up until that point you'd saved those moments for just me.   

Seven years later and not much has changed.  You still prefer sharing your first moments with me and I'm still honored that you want to do so.  So far we've shared your first day of school, your first time becoming a big sister, your first field trip, shedding your first tooth and more.  I'm cherishing this moments while I still can.

I'm forever grateful to be your mommy and wouldn't give it up for anything.  You bring joy, laughter and adventure into our little family of four.  And your compassion for people, animals and the world in general never ceases to amaze me.  No matter how old you get, hold tight to that part of you.

We all love you and hope you have the best seventh birthday ever!

Happy Birthday Moo!

Love,

Mommy

Letters To My (Our) Children: Always Give Thanks

Dear JJ and Moo,

If I had to choose one habit that I wanted you two have for the rest of your life, I would pick for you to always give thanks.  ALWAYS.  No matter what.  This has been one of the biggest life lessons that I've had to learn since my twenty-something odd years on Earth.  While this is no easy feat to master, it's well worth practicing.  Why?

A lot of people underestimate the power of being able to always give thanks no matter what the situation is.  They feel like what's the point in giving thanks or being thankful when things don't go way.  Many people don't see the value in demonstrating gratitude even in the midst of difficult times and hard trials.  I'm so glad that I'm no longer one of those people.

You see unconditional gratitude changes everything!  It's the difference between having an entire bad day versus having one negative moment throughout your day.  When we are able to give thanks when life is at its worst, bad things don't consume you as much.  Practicing unconditional gratitude helps to make us more humble, more compassionate, more understanding, more optimistic and more trusting of God's path for our lives.

Moo, when we found out you had septic hip right after your second birthday, I was more afraid than I had ever been up to that point in my life.  A week early you had just had a check-up at the pediatrician's and she had said that we should expect you start having growing pains because you were hitting the age that it started to happen.  She mentioned that one of the places kids feel pain when their bodies hit a mini growth spurt were in their joints like in the hips and legs.   So that first day you complained about having pain in that area, I thought it was from you having some growing pains, but by the next day things had gotten progressively worse really fast.

We ended up going to three different hospitals, seeing a bunch of specialists and listening to talks of them possibly having to put you under and do a test that could have left you paralyzed or more.  I wanted to fall to pieces, but I prayed instead.  The first thing I remember saying when I started praying was "Lord, thank you."  I didn't give Him thanks because I wanted you to be sick or in pain.  I gave Him thanks because for allowing me to not overlook something that turned out to be really serious.

I was grateful that we were surrounded by some of the best children's specialists in the world and that everyone was working hard to figure out what was going on with you.  I gave Him thanks because I knew that whatever the outcome would be, I had had the privilege of being your mom and together this situation would make us stronger.  And it did.  

You were such a trooper as they poked and prodded you giving you x-ray after x-ray and running blood tests as well as urine tests.  While incredibly painful, I was relieved to find out that septic hip was rare, but could happen to you again at point in your life.  I'm grateful for this past experience because now we know the warning signs should it indeed happen again.

JJ, helping you manage your special needs has helped me to become more grateful that we all have differences.  You are so uniquely you and I love it!  You can be incredibly shy at times, but super bossy.  Sometimes you can't always express your thoughts using words, but it's made you a million times better at expressing your love for us.

I'm grateful for the opportunities to have witnessed the power to overcome hurdles that is within you.  I know that it's hard being autistic, but you don't like it slow you down.  I give thanks that instead it's built within the spirit of a fighter.  Not the kind that fights with his hands, but his heart, his will and determination to achieve greatness no matter how big or small.

Being your mom has taught me that being normal is subjective.  You're beautiful just as you are.  You challenge me to be more and I love it.

Just remember, you two, that life won't be all roses, but when you learn to always give thanks, it won't be all bad either.  Everything happens for a reason and for that alone we should be grateful.  I love you both!

Love,

Mommy

Click on over to Everyday Eyecandy to read LaShawn's letter to her oh so adorable son, Pookah: http://wp.me/p3Pek5-2VP

Letters To My Children: My Heart Runneth Over

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

- Elizabeth Stone

Dear Moo and JJ,

When it comes to parenting, no truer words have ever been spoken.  Seeing those double pink lines was nothing short of lifechanging.  Moo, when I found out I was going to be a mom for the first time, I was a bag of mixed emotions.  If I could go back in time and give twenty-two year old me some advice, it would be to relax and enjoy the journey.

But as I stared at that counter full of positive pregnancy tests, I couldn't help but be terrified that I was going to screw this motherhood gig up.  You see once the initial wave of shock/surprise wears off and it finally hits you that there's a life growing inside of you that you're going to be responsible, fear kind of paralyzes you for a little bit.  Your mind starts to think of all the things that could wrong.  One of the happiest days of my life will forever be the day we finally met face to face- your birthday!

Your birth was peaceful, serene and near perfect minus the allergic reactions I had to the pain medications and the long labor (22 hours).  You came into this world so quiet, they thought something was medically wrong because they couldn't get you cry or open your mouth so that they could suction it out.  Eventually, you let a couple of wails.  They placed you on my chest and you got quiet again.  It was looking into your eyes for that first time that I knew all my fears had been for nothing.  It was like you were silently telling me, "You've got this, Mom!" 

JJ, when I first found out you were growing inside of me, my first thought was how do I show him that he loved too?  I can't speak for other moms, but my biggest fear about having a second child was that you'd end up feeling like you were second best.  There were plenty of nights and stolen moments during the day that I would talk to you while you were in my womb and I'd always make sure to tell you that I loved you.

Your birth was quick and fast.  You came a whole three weeks early.  That should have been my sign that you were going to end up being an endless ball of energy and motion.  Like your sister, you made your debut without a cry.  Your little legs were just a flailing a though.  It was almost like you were quietly trying to kick-fight your way to me.

That first snuggle with you holding onto my finger, I knew that I could never love you any less than I already loved your sister.  In many ways, you are my miracle baby.  There was a time when we thought you were going to come much too soon and have to fight for your life.  God had His angels looking out and you stayed put until you were nice and healthy.

Because of you two, my life will never be the same.  It more meaning purpose.  Because of you two, I work harder to set a good example.  As children, you're impressionable and quick to imitate my every move.  Because of you two my heart runneth over. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

XOXO,

Mommy

Letters To My Children is a monthly letter series hosted by LaShawn from Everyday Eyecandy.  Click on over to Mommy Talk Show and read Joyce's letter to her handsome little guy!

A Back-to-School Prayer For Moo

So long Summer Break!  The first day of school snuck up on us quick.  I'm going to be honest and say that our whole family had a bit of anxiety about how Moo's first day of First Grade would go.  Last year, she met the Mean Girls and came home full out bawling on the first day.  I'm happy to report that she was all smiles this year!!

She said that she enjoyed her teacher, her classmates are quiet and polite and she's excited to go back.  Talk about a complete night and day experience.  My hope and prayer is that the remainder of the school year goes off without incident or problems.  And speaking of prayer, one of our school morning traditions is starting our day with family prayer.   This year I took it one step further and created a special prayer to pray over and with Moo every morning.

Please feel free to adjust this prayer to fit your child(ren).  My fondest memories of going to school are the morning prayer sessions we'd do in the car with my mom as drove to either drop us off to school or pick up her bus.  The Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) was her favorite to pray with us.  And I'm pretty sure she prayed that prayer and many others for us throughout the day.

When I went away to college, my mom and I became prayer partners.  We kept prayer journals and called each other if we had a special prayer request that we didn't want to share with others, but needed any extra set of lips to send up a prayer to God's ears.  It is my hope that just as prayer helped us to get through school last year, it will not only help us, but give us comfort again this school year!

Do you prayer for or with your kids during the school year?

Firework: From Kindergarten To First Grade

Dear Moo,

You did it!  Congratulations, you have officially graduated Kindergarten and will be advancing to First Grade this August.  I'm so proud of you and all the hard work you put in.  Your first year of school did not get off to a great start, but you hung in there.  You were such the determined little trooper.

This past school year you overcame so much including the Mean Girls, adjusting to having three different teachers in one school year and coming out of your shell.  Speaking of coming out of your shell, you blossomed into quite the social butterfly this year.  It was great to see making friends with kids your class.  I think that was hands down the highlight of your school year.

The second highlight of your school year were the fieldtrips!  You got to go to a farm to pick pumpkins and visit the petting zoo.  And you had your first trip to Discovery Place Kids.  You really enjoyed Discovery Place Kids and have been asking to go back.  I can't say that blame you because there was so much to see and do there.  I'm sure we'll fit it into our summer plans.

Your favorite elective class was art.  I wasn't surprised because you're my little firework.  You have tons of artwork and I can't for to look back on some of the pictures you made when you're older.   Gym was your least favorite elective.  You were not a fan of all the running and walking they made you all do on the track.

I already knew you were very bright for your age, but we discovered that you're quite the math whiz!   You won the Excellence in Mathematics award all four school quarters.  I'm hoping this continues to be the case as math only gets more complex the higher you advance.  You aced all of your end-of-year goals and tests.

My highlight of your first year of school was becoming the class mom.  It was fun getting to hang out with you in your class and accompany you on fieldtrips.  We were able to get in lots of mommy-daughter bonding time.  I got to watch you in action interacting with your friends.  I have to say that I'm very proud of the friends you've made.  You've aligned yourself with other kids who are passionate about learning and who believe in showing compassion to others.

Partners in crime forever after Moo's kindergarten graduation

We both disliked that your school had uniform policy and were super excited when you finally got to pick out an outfit that showed off your personality for your kindergarten graduation.   You'll be going to a new school this upcoming school year.  We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that some of your friends will be joining you at the new school.  I can't wait to see all of the new memories you will make.

I'm beyond proud of you.  Keep showing 'em what you're worth my little firework!

Strawberry Shortcake Party Kit: Birthday Party Decorating Made Easy

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Birthday In A Box.  I did receive the products below to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

So, what do you do when your daughter decides she doesn't want a birthday on her sixth birthday, but you want her to have one anyway?  If you're me, you try to meet her somewhere in the middle and opt for having a small family gathering.  Once you've invited everyone at the last minute, you then start to panic about decor.   Birthday parties have to have decor, right?  This is where the lovely folks from Birthday In A Box come.  They have pretty much anything you could ever need or want to throw fabulous parties.

I'm talking balloons, plates, cups, pinatas, toys, etc.  The list goes on and on.  Birthday In A Box is truly your one stop shop online for all of your party decor needs.  They even themed merchandise, which was perfect because I wanted Moo's mini-birthday party to have a Strawberry Shortcake theme.  That was the theme we had originally talked about earlier this year before she decided that she didn't want a party.

Since, we were keeping things really small, I decided to order one of the smaller Strawberry Shortcake decoration kits.  Our kit came with:

1 Strawberry Shortcake Jumbo Letter Birthday Banner Kit

1 Strawberry Shortcake Table Decorating Kit

1 Strawberry Shortcake Swirl Decorations Value Pack

10 Lime Balloons

1 Red Curling Ribbon

1 Red Streamer Roll

1 Hot Pink Stars Confetti

By far the birthday banner and swirls were our favorite items.  The banner comes with numbers which makes it reusable for years and years to come.  Likewise, the swirls are reusable as well.  Once, you take them down, the metallic part will curl back up and you can place them back in the bag until you're ready to use them again.

If you're looking for girly party ideas (or boy party ideas), I would definitely recommend that you check out Birthday In A Box.  Their prices are reasonable. They have pretty much all of the cartoon/animated characters that your child would ever want. The decorations are of great quality.  I'm already excited to plan JJ's birthday party and order his decorations!

How do you decorate for your kids' birthday parties?

And Then She Was Six

Dear Moo,

I've been trying to weed through the jungle that is my emotions.  I knew this day was coming because it comes every year, but still I feel unprepared.  My little girl is growing up.  Fast!  It drives and drives me crazy that I can't slow time down to better savor these years before you hit the teenage ones followed by adulthood.

What I can say is that I'm oh so proud to your mommy!!  Never doubt that for a minute.   I wouldn't trade you for anything or anyone in the world.  Six years ago today, you turned my world from upside down to right side up.  You gave my life meaning and purpose.

Watching you grow and come into your own thus far has been one of the greatest blessings I've gotten from God.  I love your compassionate spirit and your humble, but confident nature.  I love that you always strive to see the good in everyone even if when there's not much good to see.  I love that you don't let things keep you down for long periods of time.

I live for your smile because it warms heart.  You're the bestest big sister JJ could ever ask for.  Your patience and fierce love for him is beyond amazing.  It grows daily.  My hope that you'll always look out for him and any other future siblings you may have, especially in years after I'm gone.

I promised I wouldn't cry as I wrote this, but I can't help it.  You're so awesome and wonderfully YOU!  You started in the womb and now you're six!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Love,
Mommy

My BIG Announcement

Happy Friday YUMMs!  I mentioned last week and yesterday that I had a big announcement I wanted to share with y'all.  To find out what it is, you'll have to check out the video below.

Do you have any big news you want to share?

A Day At The Farm

Moo reached another milestone last week.  She went on her first official school field trip!  My baby is growing up y'all!  Seriously, can somebody freeze time?  Anywho, I chaperoned and we had a blast sharing in that experience together. 

Her field trip was to The Hunter Farm in Weddington, which could pretty much be considered part of Charlotte (in my opinion).  Sadly, parents weren't allowed to ride the bus with students.  That was such a bummer because it was her first time riding a real school bus and I thought I'd be able to get a shot and maybe some video footage of her on there.  (Yes, I'm that mom!)

However, it didn't take long to get to get Hunter Farm.  I thought I was going to be in for at least a 40 minute drive, but got there in under 30.  It took the teachers a while to get the buses loaded and I ended up waiting an extra 20 minutes before they arrived.  If had known I had that time to spare, I would have hit up the Target that was up the street.  Now on the important stuff- the pictures!

When the kids finally arrived, they split us into groups of 3 classes.  Each group got their own tractor pulled wagon and guide/driver.  We loaded up, went over a few rules and then we received three special tasks for the kids to do: collect milk from the cow, find a chicken egg (this was not easy because the chickens had made a run for it overnight) and flick dried kernels of corn off its cob. 

Our first stop was to visit the milking barn, where we got a demonstration on how to milk a cow.  Of course, I've seen my share of cows milked having grown up in the country.  We also learned that freshly expressed milk is 100 degrees.  Hmmm...I wonder how warm breastmilk is? Definitely nowhere near that.

Before we left the milk station the kids learned that when you gotta go, you gotta go.  They were all tickled pink and overcome with a case of the giggles when the cow started pooping.  Two chaperones from one of the other classes excused themselves because they couldn't handle the smell.  In all honesty, it was strong at first, but then the scent died down a little bit.  The kid's then went from tickled pink to grossed out after the cow got one of her hooves messy by stepping in her own poop.  

Thankfully, it was time for us to move on our next station, which was the petting barn.  At the petting barn, cups of feed were passed out and the kids got to feed the mini goats (I loved them) and the sheep.  Moo was too excited.  In our second to last place, there was a barn across the street and the farmer had some mini goats.  Moo always asked to feed or pet them but I told her no.

So, she was chomping at the bit get to those goats.  The goats were beyond excited to get their snack and have some company.  A few goats even impressed us their climbing skills, but thankfully didn't escape their holding area.

The sheep were just as anxious to get some love too.  One sheep had been sheared and his hair had finally started to grow in.  It looked like a haircut gone wrong because the hair wasn't growing in at the same rate and Moo thought he looked weird.  That made her a little hestiant to get feed him.  Of course, it didn't help matters that his fur was two tone either, a dark chocolate mixed with a tan.

There were two rabbits- one brown and one white.  The brown rabbit was not a fan of having us in his space and curled into ball while giving us what I'm convinced is the evil eye.  So, we left him alone.  I didn't get a picture of the other rabbit because once they took him out for the kids to pet, it was hard to get a good shot through the hands petting him.

There were two pigs, some wild turkeys, a cow (I refer to her as Gentle Bessie, but her real name is Annabelle) and of course the chickens.  They had two horses in a separate barn, but we didn't get to have a closeup look at them for safety reasons obviously.  Horses are really powerful animals and when they're spooked they are dangerous.  They can run you over or kick you and well, depending on where the blows land . . . So, yeah, we got to see them from the wagon our way back up to the pumpkin field/patch area.

At the pumpkin patch area, the kids learned where food comes from and just how many products have corn in them- cereal, pudding, drinks, etc.  We also put the milk, egg and corn kernels to use by making cornbread batter.  We didn't cook it though.

Picture time in the pumpkin patch was next.  We all got to select pumpkins and they even let teachers take pumpkins for the students who weren't able to come on the field trip and we (the parents) got to get pumpkins for little siblings.  Moo's mission was to find the biggest mini pumpkin out there.  I'm pretty sure she came close to doing just that.

Overall, it was a great trip.  I had fun watching her in her zone and her element because she loves the outdoors and she LOVES animals even more.  She's been bugging me since she was almost three for us to live on a farm so she can get a horse, a cow and some chickens.  I was glad that she got to get a taste of the farm life and I got to work on my photography.

I'm happy to have had the opportunity to interact with her teacher outside the classroom and in a more relaxed environment.  We'll definitely be going back to The Hunter Farm so that JJ and the Mr can experience the wagon ride and the animals.  I'm already looking forward to the next field trip!

One Month Back-To-School Check-In

It's been a little over a month since Moo has been in school.  I thought since Moo has long since passed the baby and toddler stages, it'd be a great to chronicle some of her milestones from her first year of school.  Also, I'll be sharing my own list of things about what I like or what I'm looking forward to as a parent and what I don't like or what I'm not looking forward to.  So, let's get this one month check-in kicked off!

Moo's Milestones/Accomplishments/Likes

Friends:  After that Mean Girls incident on the first day of school, it took her a while to open up to the idea of trying to make friends.  However, after playing with a few different kids, she's found too girls that she likes and that seem to like and play well with her.  I'm excited.  She did have another friend, but she said the little girl was too bossy and started to become rude when Moo wouldn't let her boss her around.

Kudos to my Moo for standing up for herself and ending that friendship.  This mama is not raising any human punching bags!  She's expressed that it's hard for her to make friends with the "Brown Girls"  aka Black girls at her school.  I'm not going to lie that does bother me and get under my skin to a degree.  However, I'm not losing over it because a friend is a friend.  I didn't have a lot of Black or girl friends growing up and I guess it's going to be the same for my kids, especially once we move next year.

Teacher:  I've asked Moo on several occasions if she likes her teacher because I think it's crucial to a child's education that they on some level enjoy or respect their teachers.  Moo has said that she does, but then she said something the other day that gave me pause.  I had picked up some oranges for her to take for her lunch.  She quickly informed that she couldn't take oranges.  Of course, I asked why and she said "I don't like asking my teacher for help."

This so unlike Moo because she's that child will ask for help.  Sometimes, she asks for a little too much help.  I just got the feeling that she feels uncomfortable asking her teacher for help because her teacher might be discouraging them from asking her for help.  It was just how Moo said it.  And I'm all for kids being independent, but at the same time too much independence too soon is not good.  A child is a child for a reason. 

Moo's  only other dislike is that her teacher sometimes punishes the entire class for the actions of a few.  Now that I'm not down with at all.  Her method of punishment is to make them walk a track during their recess.  I'm all about sharing the load, but I'm not down with that sharing the punishment when my child has been following directions.

Learning:  Moo is steadily improving,especially in the handwriting department.  She writes all the time now.  I think I might have a mini writer in the making because she carries around a notebook and pen all the time.  She loves art, which was not surprising since she colors pretty much everyday.

Moo standing beside her monster artwork

She's doing great in math as well.  She's like a little counting pro.  I wasn't surprised about that either because she's forever counting the money in her piggy bank.  We've been working on her reading skills.  She was getting frustrated because she didn't know as many words as the teacher and I had to remind her that her teacher is grown and had to go through the same learning process.  In her mind, she thought she should have been born with the dictionary downloaded to her brain. 

She's also getting great at writing full sentences.  They practice writing stories in class and I'm amazed at the stories she creates.  I'm excited to help her nurture and expand her craft.

My Likes

As a parent, I like that her school is right around the corner literally.  Since, JJ and I are both sick and have been having some restless nights, we have been sleeping in a little longer.  If lived farther away, we wouldn't be able to do that and get her to school on time.  Pick-up is pretty easy too.

Moo is going on her first field trip this month and I couldn't be more excited.  I've signed up to be a chaperon.  I can't wait to post about it.  It'll also give me a chance to really put my camera to work and meet some of the other parents.  I have yet to connect with any parents from her school on a friendship level or any level for that matter.

My Dislikes

Some of the staff at her school have been quick to express their displeasure that more than a handful of us parents like to walk our children to their classrooms every morning.  As a matter of fact, I had to check one said teacher this morning.  We had had a bit of a run-in last month.  Anyways, I let it be known that I would be reserving my right to walk my child to her classroom for the remainder of the school year and I didn't want to hear boo else about it.

It's not like I'm giving them extra work to do by walking MY child to her class.  Moo asked me before school started if I would walk her everyday and I said yes.  My word to my children (or anyone else) is just that- my word, a spoken promise.  I'm not about to break that promise because some staff member feels like I'm coddling  her.  That interaction from this morning rubbed me the wrong way and I'll be speaking the principal about it.

Getting back to the field trip, I am not a fan of the fact that they don't issue any type of receipt.  I'll be bringing that issue up the principal as well because that's just a bad business/money practice.  If I pay for something, I expect a receipt in my hand the same day.

How's your child's first month of school going?  What are you liking/disliking?

Then She Was 5

Dear Moo,

I don`t know where to begin.  I guess I will start by saying Thank You!  Five years ago looking at three positive pregnancy tests, I felt the most afraid I had ever been in my life.  There was never a question of whether or not I wanted you, but more a question of if I was ready.  You see being a mom is a BIG deal.  At that moment I was no longer responsible for just myself but your wellbeing inside the womb and outside once you finally arrived.

My biggest fear was messing up.  I questioned my ability to raise a person who would be kind, warm, loving, honest and strong in her faith.  I wondered if I would be able to teach you how to follow your dreams, stay true to yourself and maintain self respect.  This journey in motherhood hasn't been easy at all but the love that you have given me unconditionally has made it more than worth it!

I thank you for hanging in here with me.  I thank you for knowing me better than anyone else.  I thank you for being so loving to your brother even when he's not so nice.  I thank you for wanting to be big helper around the house.  I thank you for all the hugs and kisses.

Thank you for believing in me.  Thank you for the times you were brave and I wasn't.  Most importantly thank you for just being you.  You, little girl, are one of the truest loves of my life.  You make me a better person.  A more driven person.

You are smart, crazy beautiful and compassionate to a fault.  I am so blessed to be your mommy.  Thank you for 5 years of motherhood blissfulness.  We're going to rock year 6 out like no other mother-daughter duo on this planet.





Happy birthday!

Love,
MOMMY

Thankful Thursday

It's 2:07 AM and I should be well asleep by now, but I'm not.  Instead, I'm up enjoying this quiet I get watch my children sleep.  Why?  Well, today is Moo's big preschool screening and it's hitting me (again) just how fast she and her brother have grown up on me these last two years.  Literally, I don't know where the time went.

I'm thankful that she's so excited to heading in a few hours to test her way into school.  Her passion and yearning for knowledge makes my heart swell with pride.  Yes, some of that desire is just built into her, but some of it also comes from the fact that I started talking to her about education since the age of two!  I took it step forward by reading her books, getting her educational toys, taking her to my nieces' school on several occasions and so much more.

Whether she gets into preschool or not I am proud of the job I have done thus far.  She knows her full name, the names of her family members, the city she lives in, her age, her colors, her shapes, her alphabet, her numbers, how to write most of her letters and numbers and even a little Spanish.  It's in my reflecting on this that I find hope to come to terms with all the challenge I have going on with JJ and getting him to speak.

I feel reaffirmed as not just a good mom but a great teacher and educator.  I know that it's only a matter of time before we burst through this wall with JJ's verbal skills.  Just today he started saying the words 'come' and 'go.'  I know some people will say that's not much for a two year old, but for me and seeing how he regressed in his speech earlier this year it brings me tears of great joy and semi-relief.

These last few months, I've been going through hell in my mind wonder if I did something wrong that caused him to stop progressing in his speech to begin with.  But now I have renewed hope and proof that I'm in fact doing something right!  And I know I can't take all the credit.  God is definitely steering the wheel and opening up lanes on this front.

I can start to let go of the frustration that I have been carrying around over having been a paid tutor and educator who helped kids with learning disabilities go from making F's to getting on the all A's honor roll, but not even being able to get my son to speech a lick of understandable English.  What I'm going through right now is the stuff you won't read about in some of these motherhood/parenting books, blogs or magazines.  And if you do read about it, they try to keep as rainbows and puppy dog tails as possible.  They don't keep real or keep it ugly as I refer to these situations often.

However, I'm not those people.  And I'm thankful everyday for the opportunity to write and share my life struggles in motherhood, my marriage and everything in between with you guys.  If it wasn't for the fact that one of my siblings had a learning disability and I wasn't there everyday watching and helping them to overcome that learning disability, I would feel so much more unprepared than I do now.

But I know there is hope.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel and we will reach it some day!  For now, I'm thankful for these quiet moments in which my struggles with motherhood don't outweigh my successes in my mind.  I'm winning this battle one day at a time.

What are you most thankful for this week?

Linking up with The Fontenot Four

Summer Learning With Kidobi

This post is sponsored by Kidobi.  All opinions are 100% our own (me & Moo)!

It's officially summer vacation.  Let the sleeping in, pool parties, video gaming and tv watching begin!!  Wait, wait, not so fast.  Parents I'm sure I don't have to tell you how easy it is for kids to lose a lot of what they learned in school over summer break.  As a former teacher and parent, I've found this to be especially true in younger children ages 4-10.

Once you get them hooked on learning, you really have to keep the momentum up. Their little minds work a 1,000 miles a minute.  And if you're not making sure enough educational stuff is going into their brains, then it's pretty much a wrap.  However, the trouble can be trying not to bombard them.  After all it is summer break.

That's where Kidobi comes in.  As much as I hate to admit it, Moo and JJ are at the ages where nothing is more important than their precious tv/screen time.  I mean Moo will have a fit if she can't watch five minutes of her beloved Power Rangers.  Don't even get me started on the number tantrums that JJ has thrown down because an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has gotten cut short.

At the end of day, their so-called need for sitting in front of the tv or iPad screen doesn't have to be a bad thing.  In fact, Kidobi is an online video content provider for children ages 2 to 6.  And here are a few things that I like about it:

• Simple Registration:  I don't know about you but I don't like sites that make me jump through hoops just to sign-up for their services.  I just don't have time for 101 questions.  With Kidobi, you have the option of registering using your Facebook page or by using your email address.  Both ways are quick easy and simple.  I'm talking under 10 minutes.

• Customization:   You get to use an avatar for your child, which I love because it's a great safety feature.  You can also create a nickname for your child's profile.  So, when Moo logs in, she actually sees her name on her profile.  In terms of content, during the registration phase you get to enter in a list of your children's likes as well as a list of topics to avoid to help customize your child's playlist.  Speaking of playlists, you and your child can create and save their favorite videos to different playlists.

•  Educational:  Remember that list of likes you entered?  Well, that's what your child will be learning about.  For example, one of the likes I entered for Moo was "singable songs about letters" and so her playlists are full of videos with fun ways to sing about the alphabet.  She gets to have fun watching cartoons while still learning.  And this gives me piece of mind because I know her tv watching isn't in vain.

• On The Go:  Y'all know that I stay on the go a lot.  Most parents do.  Therefore, I like the fact that Kidobi has an app that I can download to iPad and iPhone.  So, Moo can keep the learning party going even while we're in the car, at the doctor's office or down visiting with my mom.

• Plan Options:  Just like the registration, Kidobi keeps it simple by offering two plan options.  Parents can either subscribe to their Free Videos package or their Premium Videos package ($8/month).  I really love that they offer a Free Videos package because it just goes to show you how committed they are to providing  meaningful video content to our kids.

What does Moo like about Kidobi?  

• Fun:  "I like watching videos!"  That she does.  It's "fun" as she told went on to tell me.  See parents, learning can be fun.  And one of the reasons, I think it's so fun is because she gets to watch educational video clips from shows she already knows like Pocoyo.

• Technology:  Moo is too thrilled that she can do Kidobi on the iPad.  It makes her feel like a 'Big Girl.'  And I love the exposure she's getting to working computers and tablets.

All in all, we both give Kidobi a thumbs up! It's definitely worth trying out if your child enjoys television.   It's also a great way to know that your children are watching things that are wholesome and suitable for their innocent eyes.  Seriously, give it a whirl for yourself.  Also, be sure to follow Kidobi on Twitter and Facebook!

Moo's First Pets

Moo has been asking for a pet for quite a while now.   Unfortunately, both she and JJ are allergic to cats and dogs.  Sad because the Mr and I are very much dog people.  We tried the cat route before we had kids and that just didn't work our very well.

 

See that little spot at the very bottom?  That's one of the tadpoles. 

So, I thought it would be a good idea to let her have some tadpoles as her first pets. She loves frogs and I love frogs. I had a pet frog in the third grade and it was fairly easy taking care of him. This was a win-win situation in my mind.

I asked my mom to bring the tadpoles with her since I was going to be running errands. I didn't want them getting to hot or shaken up. Anyways, that night we get to my mom's house and she hands me the mason jar with the tadpoles. I notice that all three are down at the bottom of the jar.

Moo's super excited and asks to them. Then she says, " Why aren't they swimming? Are they sleeping mommy?" I tell her yes and take the jar to have a closer look. I give the jar a little tap.

Nothing happens. My heart sinks because I in that moment that her tadpoles are dead. All three have gone to tadpole heaven. I check the top of the jar and it has holes in it but the water was filled up to high. So, when the jar lid was sealed on it sucked the water to the very top preventing there to be any room for the tadpoles to come up for air.

So, they suffocated. I felt like a bad mommy because I had gotten Moo all excited about having pets and now they were gone. I couldn't bear to break the news to her that night. I flushed the tadpoles down the toilet and when she asked about them yesterday I simply told her they were gone in a deep sleep.

She seemed to understand and asked if she could have a different pet. This time she wants a hamster. I'm sure we'll get her one eventually but no time soon. I couldn't take it if somehow yet another pet died in less than 24 hours.

Christmas In March

You all know that I can't pass up a good sale.  I'm the queen of not paying full price for anything.  So, when I went to Walmart a few hours ago with my family, I spotted a sale on toys that I couldn't pass up.  I've mentioned that Moo already made her Christmas list out.  Therefore, I was beyond stoked when I saw that some of the items she wanted were marked down by 50% or more!

Here's a peak at what I got. 

My Little Pony & Friends 2 sets in 1 Was $12 Paid $6

Xia Xia Confetti Cottage Was $10.98 Paid $1

Littlest Pet Shop Dolphin $3.96

Play Dough Roller Was $4.97 Paid $2

La Dee Da Doll Was $19.97 Paid $10

For $23.96, I've pretty much already finished Christmas shopping for one child.  They didn't have a lot stuff for toddlers JJ's age.  The stuff they did have, he wasn't interested in.  Therefore, I didn't my money getting him any toys.  However, they did have some cute little rockers by Disney and Pixer's Cars that I'm hoping will get a second markdown!  I really want to get him one but I don't want to pay the $35 price tag.

They also had pretty good clearance on youth and toddler shoes but I just purchased two new pairs of shoes for Moo and a pair of sneakers for JJ.  As my mom pointed out tonight, if you're on a budget or a single parent household then a sale like this a great opportunity that you don't want to pass up on.  This my friends is why I don't do Black Friday.  Prices are way cheaper and the great thing is that many of these toys will back in stores for regular price again this upcoming fall.

When do you start your Christmas shopping?