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Kimberlyn's Birthday Card

2011-01-31T18:58:00.001-06:00

Birthday Lime Birthday 5x7 folded card

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A Perfect Weekend at Home

2009-11-15T09:23:00.015-06:00

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend.....Friday and Saturday were perfect for some pretty fall pictures....of course I had to pay Zaid, the little entrepreneur. The more I think about it, the more he does remind me of my sister Tanya. As a child, I would have gladly gone outside for some pictures. It would have been World War 2 to get Tan out there and in the end my parents would have had to pay her. Strange that a child that lives so far from his Aunt can act so much like her......it's a good thing I love her or it might pose a problem. We all played basketball, Tamer lost his wedding ring in the leaves and the FOUND it the next day, we watched UP! (a tear jerker), played in the leaves, took walks, cooked at home and just generally had a relaxing and fun weekend.

Zaid has one of his best friends over on Saturday. They had not had a play date in awhile. I couldn't help but to watch them as they interacted with each other. These two look like they will be friends for a long time.....

Autumn in Kentucky

2009-10-23T09:26:00.010-05:00

My Mom, Step Dad, and sisters Tanya and Ashley came for a visit in October. It was wonderful getting to spend so much time with everyone. Each morning, my sister Tanya would make homemade biscuits and Zaid would help her. He loves his Nana, except for now she is called Aunt Tanya because well, as Zaid anaylzes: that is her name!
No trip would be complete without a trip to Jackson's Orchard during their fall festival. It was a cold, cold day but everyone seemed to keep warm enough! Except for maybe Tamer, he had forgotten his jacket. We had a yummy lunch of hot dogs, chips and hot apple cider. Jackson's has the best apple pies with ice cream and caramel apples for dessert. A visit inside the store produced the most delcious apples! Afterwards a hayride and a trip to the apple cider slide made our trip complete!

1st Day of 3rd Grade

2009-08-11T10:48:00.004-05:00

Last Wednesday, my sweet little baby started the 3rd Grade. :-(
He said his teacher was really nice and he enjoyed the first day. The teacher brought them pepperoni and crackers. He talked about that a lot. :-)

This is his last year in this school. So therefore, he's the biggest fish in this pond this year. He's got this covered!!!!! ;-)

Chateau Elan

2009-08-11T10:30:00.006-05:00

Tamer's parents live really close to Chateau Elan ~ a winery. We decided to go on the tour this year. I thought it was just a wine tasting, no ~ no, it was a ONE hour tour of the winery! :-) What then to do with all this knowledge of the winery and wine making?

I think that Paddy's looks like a perfect little place to hang out on a Friday night. Too bad we don't live closer. :-(

Tasty Fruit

2009-07-28T07:44:00.009-05:00

Looks like what your Mama always told you is true: How do you know you won't like it, if you don't try it? Zaid and I love figs!!!!! They have a light, delicate taste. We went out yesterday evening to pick figs from Nona's tree. Zaid had already learned what figs he could pick from his Nona that morning so he was rather bossy about which ones we could pick. Notice him pointing for us........yea, get a ladder Zaid! :-)

Holiday World

2009-07-27T13:10:00.009-05:00

We finally made it to the tourist spot known as HOLIDAY WORLD. We hear those commericals ALL the time.......and guess what????? It lived up to the commericals and its reputation. It was clean, family friendly and fun. 3 outta 3 ain't bad. Zaid rode his first real roller coaster known as the Raven. He did not scream that much at all........I don't think. But what do I know? I kept my eyes TIGHTLY shut and tried not to think about it. The wooden roller coasters were not as bad as those huge Six Flags monstrasties though.......Ashley and I rode one roller coaster that a scream became frozen on my throat ~ I was having a hard time breathing. :-) But it was FUN! They all pulled me on the Pilgrim's Plunge, the world's tallest water slide. Going up was the worst of that one. Zaid had been waiting to ride on that one for awhile. He enjoyed it so much that he wanted to ride it again. All of the rest of us were cold and wet though because the temperatures never rose much out of the 70s. Ashley and I did however join Zaid at the water park portion of Holiday World. Just thinking about it makes me cold now!!!!! Zaid loves those water slides.......we prefered the lazy river ~ we did get on this cool water slide ~ four of you can into a boat and they send you down. Watch out if you are backwards because it is pretty scary then. I didn't believe Ash (her face was white and looked so scared!)~ until it was my turn to be backwards ~ then she got to see my white face! We got on this smallish train ~ the first park ride and it is still in service. All four of us were trying to squish in. My leg was hanging off.....Ash got so tickled....I couldn't stop laughing. I kept trying to find a place to put that one leg.....I picked it up in case the ride took off. Then I finally found a spot amist all the tangle and jangle of legs and feet. It was contorted into this odd position until the end of the ride. I never got to put my heel down.

Girl's Night Out

2009-07-26T12:16:00.007-05:00

Saturday ~ it was my sister, Ashley's last night in town so we had Girl's Night Out.

Super-delicious meal @ the Cheesecake Factory. We dined outside and watched the sunset. The weather was spectacular ~ a perfect evening.

2009-07-26T08:39:00.005-05:00

Just an ordinary day ~ but extraordinary scenes. I LOVE SUMMER!!!!!!!!

Our First Tomato

2009-07-20T21:26:00.003-05:00

We were able to pick our first tomato in late June! It feels so wonderful to grow your own vegetables. I gave the tomato a little photo shoot before we ate it. :-) Yum!

Best Buddies

2009-07-06T12:08:00.008-05:00

Zaid and Kai are not only cousins ~ they are best buddies whenever we visit. They are practically inseparable. They play video games, swim, play computer and just use their very active imaginations when they get together. I loved taking those super sweet pictures of Kai hiding from the camera. He was having fun with it.

4th of July

2009-07-05T12:46:00.020-05:00

Tamer came to Mississippi this weekend! I love getting visitors here. We spent one day doing what he wanted to do ~ bargain hunting at Dirt Cheap and Sno-Cones which is always lots of fun. My sister Tanya went with us on that excursion. Why does it always seems like such an exscursion to go out here? Country living I suppose.......

Happy Birthday America and Dustin!

It's always nice to be in Mississippi during holidays ~ getting to see all of my family in one spot. For summer holidays, we typically grill ~ swim ~ fireworks and lots of talking. My Mom was not feeling so well this weekend so I got to cook which was actually quite fun. I was so proud of my patriotic cake ~ my sister Kerry thought I should just throw the strawberries on and go with it ~ in the end however she loved it. Two random thoughts: I enjoy being outside more than anything and I see life in pictures.

Blackberry Season

2009-07-02T21:30:00.015-05:00

One day last week ~ my Mom, sister Ashley and Zaid all went to pick the blackberries that were ripe. FYI: blackberry brambles might bite you back!! ;-) Zaid learned first hand. Me too.......it was fun though and my Mom made a cobbler on Sunday with the fruit. I did not try any but they told me that the blackberries were too bitter!! I loved Brandy sitting on the 4-wheeler ~ they said her previous owner used to take her with him on the 4-wheeler and she loves to ride. Brandy is an amazingly loyal dog ~ every morning when I go for a walk ~ she walks with me the entire way ~ my OWN dog, sweet Fargo goes back home when he gets tired.

Mississippi Girls

2009-07-02T10:28:00.017-05:00

We've been in Mississippi for awhile now.........visiting family and hanging out. Last weekend ~ my best friend came to visit me. Yay for BFFS! It had been a week so we had a lot to catch up on. :-) She loved the drive to hot and humid northeast Mississippi. She got a kick out of Itawamba County ~ and our own version of Mayberry ~ Smithville or to local folks Smiffle. Too bad she wasn't able to get the souvenior she wanted for her boyfriend ~ an I Dig the Pig! shirt from The Piggly Wiggly. I gave Jan the tour of where I grew up at ~ where I went to school ~ my childhood home and introduced her to my family. We just hung out by the pool and my Mama was so sweet to make dinner for us on Saturday night (Thanks Mom!) ~ I took Janet for a ride around their land ~ it was a pretty lazy weekend. But so much FUN.

I'll never forget meeting up with her at the Home Depot in Tupelo ~ I love Hellos~ not so much on the Good-byes. :-( I miss ya and love ya Jan.! (You are the first person to ever visit my hometown!)

A Walk in the Creek

2009-06-03T20:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday ~ after the rain in Bowling Green put off our swimming excursion ~ we discovered it was not raining in Franklin, so we decided to take a stroll in the creek. Zaid was apprehensive for awhile; but once we drove out to the flat bridge past Ms. Janet's ~ he decided he would join in the adventure. This was a first for both Zaid and me. Walking on the rocks, it was serene ~ quiet and peaceful.

First Swim of the Summer

2009-06-03T20:10:00.004-05:00

We made it to Russell Sims Aquatic Center today after a little rain and lightning deterred us yesterday. Zaid enjoyed both of the water slides and went down them plenty. He convinced me to go down the red slide even though I was scared..........he said that I should "face" my fears just like he does!

:-) First-rate advice if I say so myself.

An Icy Day

2009-01-27T23:07:00.005-06:00

Zaid's leg was fine, our pediatrician said to give it one more day, that most likey he injured it and did not know it.
I went back to school on Monday, Jan 26. Today ice came to our area so I stayed home from school with Zaid. His school was out because of the ice. One of my fears is of falling down the icy hill at WKU. That could have very well happened today. We got a text message from the University that said "Avoid walking under trees as a student has been injured by a falling tree branch." I should take a picture of the ice tomorrow. It is really pretty, although I know it is doing a lot of damage all around me. I had to get out for a little while this afternoon to run some errands that could not wait, the roads were good as far as I could tell.

Zaid's Leg

2008-11-30T23:53:00.002-06:00

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Zaid went to the Georgia Aquarium. That night, he began to complain of leg pain. He started limping. He has had the leg pain since that day. We gave him Tylenol, that seemed to help a little. He is going to the Pediatrician tomorrow. I do not think I have ever been this concerned about his health as I am now---researching what could be wrong with him. The possibilities seem endless so I eventually gave up and will wait until his Pediatrician makes a ruling.
It broke my heart when he prayed for his leg to be better; I am so thankful he looks up for healing. I just wish he was not in any pain.

A Birthday Toast, Actually a Birthday Surgery

2008-10-23T20:24:00.003-05:00

It has been a LONGGGG time since I last blogged on here. :-) Guess I have been either a) super busy or 2) watching too much TV. I entered the politics world recently, then I kinda left that. Then I fell in love with the show HOUSE, then I kinda left that behind. LOL Sometimes I crack myself up. I am still in school--elementary education. Eventually I'll be teaching little ones (I hope.) If I can pass this BIOLOGY ONLINE LAB. Every time I think about it; it makes me ANGRY. I neva shoulda signed up for online classes; I do not do well working from home. Nope. I guess this class will be like my High School Physics class, when I finally realized that I would have to go to the class and *cough, cough* study to pass, I WENT. I PASSED. I think I got an A in there.
The week of my Fall Break, I had to make a trip to Indianapololis and Hammond, IN (close to Chicago) with Tamer. Not really a pleasure trip. Then we get home, get unpacked and Sunday morning I wake up with terrible pain. I thought it was food poisoning. I went to my birthday lunch at The Chop House. I had been looking forward to it for awhile. Then I feel like I'M GOING TO DIE. I COULD BARELY WALK. AHHHHHHHHHHH.................I still went shopping for some things I need. :-) hehe Come home......do homework.........CRY myself to sleep. Wake up---go to school, call my friend Allison to let her know that I have some sort of tummy virus and I can't make it to her end-o-summer bbq. She said "Jennifer, it's probably your freakin' appendix." I call my Mom, then Tamer, then he calls the Dr. b/c my phone is about to die. I go to see my Dr., he orders a CAT scan, HEY, Allison was right, it's my appendix! ON my Birthday....my 28th Birthday. Ahhhhh.....
I had (1) mint and 4 (rolaids) ALL DAY LONG--I thought I had heartburn. :-) My head hurt so bad. I cried. It was awful. Why didn't I TAKE TYLENOL WHEN IT FIRST STARTED TO HURT, WHY DIDN'T I ask for medicine?????
Then I have surgery. They took out my appendix on my 28th. Guess it coulda been worse, huh?????

Sea Turtles

2008-06-27T21:45:00.001-05:00

New York

2008-06-11T11:43:00.002-05:00

On May 23rd, I boarded a plane for Newark, NJ for a Girls Trip to NYC!! The best thing about that trip was just hanging out with my friends. It was refreshing and wonderful. The memories will never be forgotten.

Seaglass

2008-06-11T11:34:00.002-05:00

Finding seaglass on the beach seems like such a special little gift. You are walking along, and then you see something colorful and smooth. Zaid is fasicinated with shells and seaglass. He wants to find the "most rare" colors of red, pink and peach. So far we have found an emerald green piece, a white piece and a rather large seafoam green piece.

Plane Trip to Jupiter Island

2008-06-11T10:39:00.007-05:00

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)it's always ourselves we find in the sea.
- e.e. cummings

We left early on Saturday morning, June 7th (Tamer's Birthday), for a family vacation to Jupiter Island, Florida. Zaid was hesitant about flying as he can not remember ever being on a plane. My Mom really talked it up to him about how much he would love it. She told him about how he would be able to see the clouds and cities. We gave him the window seat so that he could look out. We departed out of Hartsfield International, there was a long line of planes waiting to take off, so Zaid was a little antsy. Eventually, we were airborne and Zaid got the biggest smile on his face as he looked out the window, he said "Wow!! This is just like what Mawmaw said!!" He looked out for the longest time at the clouds and the earth around him. He thought the wing of the plane was another smaller plane. He smiled it seemed like the entire time. I feel so fortunate to have been sitting right beside him able to watch his reactions and share in this experience with him.

Fargo---Our New Puppy

2008-05-21T21:28:00.003-05:00

Meet Fargo!

Observation Journal

2008-04-04T04:25:00.002-05:00

It is 4:25 am and I am still up working on my journal that is due in......ummmm, a little less than five hours. I think it was about 3:00 am that I realized there would be no sleep tonight. :-)
When I graduate, huge celebration at my house. Undergraduate....1st. :-) Then I start my Masters. In Kentucky, teachers have 5 years to start their Masters and 10 years to complete it.

I remember when I first started talking to teachers when Zaid went to Kindergarten and everyone had their Masters, I just thought everyone here was highly motivated. I didn't know it was a requirement. :-)

Back to work I go, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho.

Zaid's Spring Break

2008-04-02T22:12:00.003-05:00

Zaid is visiting his Nona and Geddo in Atlanta for the week. He is on spring break and just generally having a wonderful time there. They are spoiling him down to his tiniest tutter. I know they have bought him two Nintendo DS games within three days. :-)
It is hard on me with him being away. I felt lost on the first day, then I realized how many tasks I needed to complete. So now I'm a busy bee working along. I found this poem, I remember when Zaid turned five years old, I was five kinds of crazy and this poem got me through. I'm such a sappy Mommy, I know but I truly feel blessed and privileged to be a Mama, Mommy, Mother, Mom. I miss all his questions. I miss that little guy.
Tamer's Mom said that she took him to the library and he got a library card there, he checked out a book on Atoms (he wants to know why they split) and the librarian asked him if it was for a project. He said no, it was not for project and Nona said that the Librarian was impressed with him. :-) Then last night he reasoned out that yes, it was 10:00 pm in Atlanta, but that it was only 9:00 pm in Kentucky so therefore it wasn't time for him to go to sleep yet.

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) ee cummings

Super Saturdays

2008-03-28T00:04:00.002-05:00

During the month of February, Zaid had the opportunity to participate in a program at Western called Super Saturdays. It is a program for gifted and talented students. Zaid was able to pull the DNA out of a strawberry on the last day of the program.

This was also the day of his Birthday Party at ChuckE.Cheese's.

Friends Over

2008-03-18T21:03:00.003-05:00

Zaid had a friend spend the night a couple of weeks ago. They had a blast! They put to

gether a bionicle kit (from Aunt Rim for Zaid's birthday) and played keyboard on TV and DS right beside each other on Zaid's beanbag. He loved it!! :-) Then for bed, we let them watch TV until they fell asleep well...until the friend fell asleep. His friend was a little scared so I layed down on the couch so he would know I was there if he needed anything. Zaid would stay up all night long if the TV is on, so when his friend fell asleep I turned it off and he slept at the other end of the couch. :-) When they woke up, they were back at playing again until it was time for church. I am glad they had fun.

Colored Paper Clips in Glass Jars

2008-03-05T23:23:00.002-06:00

I am going to California in less than two day, quite by accident. I had an emotionally draining week about a month ago, hmmm...who am I kidding every day is emotionally draining for me. I digress. Anyway, a friend sent me some pictures of her friend's who lives in LA. The mountains, the ocean and Santa Monica Pier. I called her and said "Let's go to LA tomorrow!" And so the search was on for tickets, unfortunately or fortunately depending upon how you look at it, we were not able to find tickets on a shoestring budget SOOOO......we scheduled the trip for a month later. The positive side of going a month later is that we have been able to really psyche ourselves up for this trip....we have countdowns and are just generally staying in tip top condition, with haircuts, pedicures and well, the likes of all that. I even cooked in the ultra bronze yesterday. I hate the smell of that. You would think that I would have the sense to not tan after my Mom has had skin cancer twice. What can I say, in the infamous words of my darling nephew once upon a time ago "Some people are stupid."

At one point, I saw a picture of LA and realized that ummm, this was not the California I knew. I only knew San Diego and I had fallen in love with the place, however for some reason I was thinking more of San Diego when we bought our tickets! I actually like more serene places like San Diego. But who am I to say I won't fall head over heels for LA, you never know.......

Someone said something tonight that really stuck with me, she said "If everybody likes you, then there is something wrong." That definitely hit home with me. That is all I have ever wanted anyone to do, is to like me. For the first time, I am realizing that it is okay if someone does not like me, I DON'T like everyone I MEET either. I have ALWAYS tried to please everyone, I am done, done, done, done, done. I can't make everyone happy. Another random thought, is that I have this awesome professor for my Literature class. I have had to miss a couple of days in there, she let me make up my exam and she was so super sweet about it, letting me take it when I was more prepared. Then today I had to give her the news that I would have to miss her class on Friday and I just told her the truth of it all. And again she was so understanding. Hmmmmm....a lot going on upstairs tonight....mainly I am just feeling so super-confident that it's okay to be me. I don't have to apologize a million times a day for myself. I do not have to live up to this image that I have of myself. It's okay to be less than perfect.

In other news, I bought a pair of canary yellow converses recently. :-) Also, another friend wants to "teach" me about music, so Tamer hopped onto www.buy.com and purchased an MP3 player for me. I think he got tired of me whining about an iPod.

OHHHHHHHH......yea for some reason I am on this SSSS list at the airport. I hadn't flown in five years until recently. Yea. It's quite lovely. They frisk you and go through your underwear while you watch. And everyone stares at you like you are going to try to do something on the plane. You just want to look at everyone and shake your head, "No, I'm not going to try anything on the plane, I promise." And then pinky swear or something like that. It's not so bad when you have suitcase full of nicely laundered clothes but when you are going back home, chances are all of your clothes are dirty and at that point you just feel bad for the attendant that has to go through your stuff.
Oh yea, in Nashville not only did I have do go through e'thing on the SSSS list, BUT some sort of sensor when off when it checked one compartment of my bag SO THAT made everyone look at me more. Did I mention I don't like people looking at me. It makes me uncomfortable. Yep. Hard for me to have conversations; I have come a long way though. I just remembered that I used to look at the ceiling and walls when I talked to people, I don't do that anymore, don't even remember when that happened.

One thing that I feel like recently is that I am free to be me again. I can just wear my little yellow shoes and sing my beatles song and not care what anyone else thinks. I can be real, not some sort of cookie cutter.

Stay tuned for more updates on LA and a blockbuster hit soon "Jan and Jen's Adventure" In Geekumentary form!

Lullabies

2008-03-01T21:02:00.004-06:00

When Zaid was a little baby, we had a website for him to show family and friends how he had grown from week to week, one day I went to the website to update it and most of it was deleted out. I had to do a project for Literature class last week and scanned in a lot of pictures; Zaid's birth announcement was one of them.

One thing I remember most about the baby days is how much Zaid slept, he slept and slept and slept. I called my Mom probably every day, concerned that he was sleeping so much!! :-) I remember rocking and rocking and rocking him, I held him even while he was asleep in those days.

Fighting Bears

2008-02-11T08:28:00.000-06:00

Somedays, life just seems to creep by....slowly, slowly like something out of an Eric Carle book. Then one day you look up at the date and realize that your baby is going to be seven years old in nine days. Every year, I get the same feelings of "Would you look at that? Zaid is another year older." As I savor all of the memories of the past year, I look forward to new memories and new advances in the life of my little one. Yesterday we were driving home from Target and Zaid said, "Mama, what do all the armies fight? Why are there so many? Who do they fight?" As the years go on, I begin to give the answer of "I am not sure Zaid." or "Let's look it up!"; but yesterday I had no answer for him, can I possibly expain to Zaid why fighting exists when I do not fully understand it myself? I remained quiet. So quiet. Eventually he said, "Mama, are they fighting bears?" I myself was hoping he would come to this conclusion as he did last year when one of our dear friends joined the Army; in an attempt to expain it to himself, Mr. Lee must be fighting bears, right? I chose not to correct him; I mean who is to say if a bear came a long; someone in the army could and would have the means to fight him, right?

Elf Name

2007-12-17T21:10:00.000-06:00

Christmas Elf Name

My Christmas Elf Name is

Get your Christmas Elf Name at JokesUnlimited.com

Look Mom, No Teeth!

2007-11-27T22:04:00.003-06:00

Zaid has lost two teeth so far, the tooth fairy has visited each time. Each time he looses a tooth, another tooth is popping up behind it, so he does not have that "empty tooth" feeling. Daddy has pulled each tiny tooth for the little fellow.

The Windy, Blustery, Day

2007-11-26T16:18:00.000-06:00

-from a warm fall day in September
No more sleeping in for me! Thanksgiving break is offically over as of 7:20 am this morning.....yuck! I want to sleep in again, oh well! I tucked back in for a few minutes after Zaid went to school today, then it was time to get to class, quick! Time to get back into the daily grind.
We watched a movie on social class in my class--at the high school part, I felt physically ill watching it. I could see my high school there, I would not go back to high school for a billion dollars. We also watched a part about lower social class, it broke my heart to see this woman who walked 10 miles to work because she did not have a car. And to top it off her son made fun of her.
I had an ASL lab today--I wish that I caught on quicker. I feel bad that I got a D on my midterm.

Zaid said he touched a raw potato today--he does not know exactly why he touched one at school, but it has me curious!

I guess it it time for me to go and exercise--something I would rather procrastinate on this cold, windy, blustery day.

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
-A.A. Milne

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…..

2007-11-25T21:43:00.000-06:00

We packed our bags and our van for Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with Tamer’s family. As we counted down the days to departure, Zaid was busy on the phone with Nona (his grandmother), planning the Thanksgiving meal, we did not know exactly what they were planning as Zaid would go into his room and speak in hushed tones at times. We did catch snippets about Turkey and a cookbook was requested for a recipe for gravy. When we arrived at Nona’s house, Zaid was excited (and well rested from a long nap) about being there that even though it was very late at night, he did not sleep much. He woke up bright and early and helped Nona cook the turkey and the mashed potatoes; he also helped with the stuffing, washing his hands good so that he could mix it all up.
Some of the highlights of spending time in Winder include, Zaid beating Geddo (his grandfather) at chess, constructing buildings and a space ship from Daddy’s old Legos with Daddy, Aunt Rim and Sean, playing with his cousins Hassam and Jasmine, snuggling on the couch, while eating popcorn and watching Ratatouille with Nona and Geddo. We will never forget the marathon of Sponge Bob, Zaid wanted to watch each one! On Thursday evening, Zaid had everyone research: www.mayfielddairy.com to find out what flavor ice cream they were going to order on Friday at the Dairy; a popular flavor was the Blueberry Pie. Once there we ate delicious ice creamier ($1.50/scoop) and went on the tour of the factory. Hair net, anyone? We packed our bags once again and departed for Rim’s house in Decatur where an evening of football for the guys and shopping for the girls was planned. Tamer was able to visit with some of his best friends Garrick and Josh while they watched the famous Georgia ~ Georgia Tech game. Rim planned a yummy game day fare of gyros, salad and lots of snacks to keep the guys busy! Zaid kept busy watching the game and playing a new (old) game Oregon Trail. He also received a new Wii game from Garrick: Mario Party 8. Living away from home makes it hard to know what is happening with everyone so it was truly a blessing to be able to spend time with family and friends during the Thanksgiving Break.

Lemon and Raspberry Sorbet

2007-10-04T16:38:00.000-05:00

Zaid met his 25 point goal. That means he has read 50 books and took tests. We are oh, so very proud of him. His favorite series of books right now, is The Box Car Children and The Magic Treehouse.

He lost his first tooth in September!! It stayed loose for so long, and his permanent tooth was growing in, eventually Tamer just pulled it for him! The tooth fairy brought his $4. He put that money towards a box set of the The Magic Treehouse.

We went to Cold Stone Creamery on Sunday, Zaid tried the Lemon sorbet and Raspbery sorbet and declared it delicious!

Culture Diversity in the United States

2007-10-03T02:06:00.000-05:00

It is 2:05 am and I just completed a paper for a college course. I do not feel exhausted, but I guess I am just "fooling" myself and the fact that I am double typing words makes me realize I need SLEEP!!! After tomorrow's class, I am hoping to come home and take a nice LONG nap before it is time to go and pick up Zaid from school.

So many wonderful yet busy days are rushing by, my prayer is that I can cherish each and everyone one of those days and accept them for what they are, a present.

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

2007-08-22T10:53:00.001-05:00

This video moves me to tears, it is powerful. Watch it.

Ramblings

2007-08-15T14:05:00.000-05:00

"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there one day." ~Winnie-the-Pooh

Zaid's first day of school was August 6, 2007.

Butterfly Garden

2007-07-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

Zaid released a butterfly at Lost River Cave in June. The butterflies were "sleeping" and when he opened up the little envelope, it slowly, slowly woke up and flew away. He talked about going to http://www.livebutterflies.com/ all the way home, so that we could buy some butterflies.

The butterfly garden was so beautiful with a pond at the front of the garden.

A Summertime Picnic

2007-07-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we packed our picnic basket, invited some friends and set out to the park for a summer picnic. It was so nice to visit with friends, the children laughing and playing all around us. Of course, there were lots of spills and watermelon and cupcake from head to toe, that is what makes good pictures. When our picnic was finished, the rain came, so we had to go back up big hill to get to our cars. It was such a beautiful day.

Thoughts from a Smallish Bear

2007-07-16T18:31:00.000-05:00

"If you live to be one hundred, I hope I live to be one hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.”

~Winnie the Pooh

Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

2007-07-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

After about two years of thinking about visiting the Aquarium in Georgia, we finally went.
Let me just say....where the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Chattanooga Aquarium are set up to get you through there in one path....the Georgia Aquarium is set up on a hub and spoke system. I did not care for that. I did enjoy eating in the Ballroom and visiting with the white Beluga Whales....they were so beautiful and it was not crowded in that viewing area. Zaid's favorite is still jellyfish....

Zoo Day

2007-06-21T20:39:00.000-05:00

Mama's Taking Us to the Zoo Today.....Zoo Today......Zoo Today......Mama's Taking Us to the Zoo Today....We Can Play All Day

We played @ the Zoo all day today!
I love, love, love the Zoo.

We fed the lorikeets and watched the alligators for a long time.

We visited the macaws, the crane, the gibbons, the meerkats, the zebras, the eland, the ostrich, the red pandas, the spotted leopard, the smicht's gnenon, the lemurs, the elephants, the giraffes, the red river hogs, the stork, baby COUGARS (adorable), the cougar, the bengal tiger and probably more that I am forgetting.

We took a couple of friends with us and just made a day of it. Yup, me and three tiny tykes. It was a fun day! We had snowcones and lemonaide!

Zaid loved seeing the turtles @ alligator cove.

www.nashvillezoo.org

Our summer has been so wonderful so far. I love spending time with my little tiny one. I look foward to each new day we are blessed with to explore our world even more.

I am so thankful for an amazing family and awesome friends lately. I just feel so blessed.

June 21, 2007

Pool Day

VBS June 25-29

Little Birdy

2007-05-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

My little bird elephant died on March 9, 2007 in the wee hours of the morning. I cried and cried and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. I loved him.

May you sing your beautiful songs forever little birdy. You were in our lives for a short time, but you truly did make an impact on us. You always had a sweet demeanor. You loved to sing to the heavens. And once, you woke me up while I was asleep in the bathtub ~ even though you normally did not sing at night. For that, I thank you little birdy. I hope you liked it here with our family. May you rest in peace and always know you were loved.

~Sunday Drive~

2007-05-15T21:32:00.000-05:00

As I was driving home from Mississippi this weekend, I had a self-realization that ~ loving yourself is not about accepting every part of your "body." That loving yourself is loving your inside ~ your heart. A friend asked me recently if I loved myself ~ I did not have an answer until now. Yes ~ I love my soul.

(This picture is of me playing with my sweet little niece Annie B. I pray that she always loves herself on the inside because her little soul is so, so beautiful.)

The Beauty of Friends

2007-05-03T19:29:00.000-05:00

You could search the whole world looking for a friendship like ours, and you would only wear out a good pair of feet. -Bradley Trevor Greive

The faith in our friends grows as each of us helps the other move foward in life.
-Bradley Trevor Greive

I feel so blessed by God to have discovered such amazing friends, who accept me as I am~all while motivating me to be the best person I can be, for my awesome faith filled friend Rach, I love you and believe in you girl!

Writings

2007-04-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

AS I continue to run, I turn away, I hide my face, I am ashamed. I do not want God to know that once again I have failed. Please leave me alone, I cry. I want nothing to do with you anymore. He is there - but not in my face. When I turn the radio on, even on secular; he is there. When I pick Zaid up from school he is there; he speaks through a teacher. I am in awe. I continue to see a Christian friend that I do not see very often. I know that EVERYTHING HAS to be given to God; not just part. I don't want to. Today-I can do this, God can do this-only if I give up myself to him. I read about children of the light. I ask for forgiveness. I give my heart, Tuesday, January 30-Peace comes to me. I pray ferverntly for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

(This was written a few months back. I shall never forget this time.)

Kites

2007-04-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

We flew our kite at the park on Sunday, April 1, 2007. It flew so high!! Zaid did not like for it to fly so high, he wanted it lower.

Skylight

2007-04-11T11:52:00.000-05:00

I love looking into the sky and

seeing the beauty of our world. This is what I

saw one spring day two weeks ago.

Pioneer Life

2007-04-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

In the third grade, our teacher would read to us from the Little House on the Prairie Books, I fell in love with them at once and begged for the set for Christmas. I would buy individual books, thinking I was not going to get the set. I would read them, over and over again. I did get the set for Christmas. When I was 14 or so my Daddy took a detour from our vacation, and we visited Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in Mansfield, Missouri. I took so many pictures.......it intriques me.

I guess that is why now, after watching a couple of the installments of the movies based on books by Janette Oke (while I was at my Mom's house, they had a 5 night of the Love Series), I keep going to the library looking for the movies that I did not get to watch all of the way through.

I wonder what pioneer life would have been like? I like to think that I would have liked it. :-)

I am thankful to my third grade teacher for opening up the door, to a love of books.
At one point, I had read every book inside my house!!! (When I was younger, and had much more time on my hands.)

Gorgeous Spring

2007-04-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

We are going to the park a lot now that spring is here. It is so nice just to let Zaid run and play and we swing and we seem to always see a friend or make a new friend. Spring is my favorite season of the year. The world that God created for us comes alive with beauty and splendor that can only be described as indescribable.

How great is our God - Chris Tomlin

2007-03-22T00:28:00.001-05:00

I love this song, it really reaches my soul. It is absolutely true.

Wonderful Spring Days

2007-03-22T00:18:00.000-05:00

So much has been going on lately, I really do not know where to begin......tomorrow morning Tamer is getting four wisdom teeth cut out!! Ouch!! Many prayers for him for a quick recovery and not much pain hopefully. We are stocked up on his favorite chicken noodle soup and of course chocolate snack packs. We are to be there at 8:30 am tomorrow morning.

I just feel so aware of my many, many blessings recently.... the most patient husband in the entire world, the cutest little son on the entire planet, super sweet pets, an amazing family and awesome friends!!

Not to say that I have not had some sad times too, my favorite bird Elephant Little Birdy passed away on March 9, 2007. I loved him dearly and never expected to grieve for him as I did. My Mom told me tonight that she felt bad for me when I was crying (that is odd, because my Mom is a nurse and is very used to death.) I started thinking about him again tonight.....he was the best, I know he is in a better place now without any pain at all, singing his little heart out for the King!! Yes, I believe that all pets go to Heaven!!!

I definitely have to blog more later......time for sweet sleep now!

~ Jen

Elim

2007-03-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

Today I was reading my Bible study, by Beth Moore and even though for the past two weeks I have continued on Week 1, Day 1 today for some reason I went ahead to Week 2 (the week we are on now), and I finished Day 1 (I was working on that yesterday.) and then I finished Day 2. I needed Day 2, for today so much, it is amazing how God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. I am in awe. God knew I would need to read about how the Israelites went to Marah and the water was bitter, and how he showed Moses where the branch was to put into the water to take the bitterness away. I would have to let God take the bitterness away today and forgive, not to say what happened was okay but that I would be okay. To reach my Elim, it is a requirement to forgive. Exodus 15:22-27

Dr. Seuss

2007-03-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

I will write this post this afternoon!! :-)

Zaid loves the new Dr. Suess dictionary that some of his friends gave to him for his birthday. He will look at it over and over and read about the Queen getting a quart of milk delivered. He likes for me to read it to him also.

Thanks Friend!

The Pie

2007-02-25T07:36:00.000-06:00

After cleaning out the refrigerator for over 3 1/2 hours yesterday, I decided to make a pie. I wanted to make this, http://food.southernliving.com/southern/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1578375 but seeing as how I am the only one is my house to eat banana pudding, I made a wiser choice with this one http://www.recipezaar.com/9358 . I am not a huge fan of lemons, but Tamer adores them, so.....I got an Excellent in Effort, but I accidentally put 4 TBS of sugar on top of the graham cracker crust instead of 1 TBS. Tamer is always such a really good sport with my cooking endeavors, he said "Sugar, GOOD!" :-) This was my first time making the egg white and sugar top and I think it turned out pretty. :-)

I wanted to go low-carb recently and did not succeed, I am not a huge fan of meant. So, then I wanted to try not eating meat with faces again. So, now I have combined them, I am going low-carb vegetarian. :-)

In other news, Zaid's birthday party was postponed until next weekend, he was not feeling well at all on Friday night. We are excited to celebrate next Saturday!

Cupcakes

2007-02-20T23:01:00.000-06:00

The cupcakes that Tamer and I made today for Zaid's birthday at Kindergarten. Zaid's cupcake was the turquoise one with the heart ring in the very back!

Happy Birthday to Zaid!

2007-02-20T21:54:00.000-06:00

Zaid is now six years old! I know every year I say this, but it is true. I can not believe another year has gone by. Six years ago, I became Zaid's Mommy.

It seems like every year, I get a little more emotional when another year goes by. I found myself sobbing today thinking about how unique and amazing the little bear is. When he was a baby, I called him little bear and baby toots.

I tried to make today so very special, we Zaid woke up, he did not want to get up, he kept saying, let me sleep a little longer, please, and he lay his head back down, even after we told him it was his birthday and how he would get to open his present. *hint, hint, Jennifer, something is wrong here, Zaid loves presents* Finally we lured him out of bed and he opened his present from us, a projector with disks for his room! He was so very excited!! He has been talking for weeks about this projector. Then he opened his present from his Great-Geddo, followed by breakfast that he picked out ~ Strawberry Toaster Strudel and a pear. He did not eat much at all. Getting out the door for school was quite an event, with me eventually paying Zaid to take some cold medicine (so he would not be so sniffly at school). We ate lunch with Zaid at school, he ate one strawberry and took one bite of sandwich and one drink of chocolate soy milk. Later on in the day we took balloons to school for Zaid and we made beautiful cupcakes with jewel rings on them and sprinkles. Zaid had told me the previous night that he wanted the heart ring, because there was only one, so I made sure to make him a turquoise cupcake with the red heart ring on it. When we got there, Zaid was lying down on the floor asleep on his towel. His teacher said he rarely goes to sleep during rest time, this was unusual. He was so sweet lying there asleep, I took a mental picture of him and it just broke my heart when his teacher woke him up. :-) He did not want to get up, finally they got him up and he sat down, we passed out plates, napkins and cupcakes. Zaid does not take one bite of cupcake!!! I read one of Zaid's favorite books Hedgie Blasts Off! by Jan Brett to Zaid and his classmates. Zaid's teacher took a couple of pictures for us and then they all sat down in front, it was time for a story. Zaid told his teacher, how he was not feeling up for a birthday dinner tonight, then he told her how when he was 4, his favorite restaurant was Red Lobster, but now he really likes Shogun, she told him that he has good taste, if those are his favorite restaurants.

After school, we went to pick up, of all things a new kitty litter box in Bowling Green. Zaid seemed a little confused when he got in the car about the birthday dinner, he said that he was not feeling like a birthday dinner because he wanted all of his friends to come over for his party, then he was sad that he forgot to invite his teacher and he wanted to invite her. We explained to him that his party was on Saturday and all of his friends would come then for his party. He showed us his new birthday pencil and birthday sticker that he got to go the office and get. :-)

He told us thank you for his balloons (they were Scooby-Doo) that he got at school, then he told me how some little boys were throwing rocks at the balloons and how he told on him, I told him that he did the right things.

When we got to Red Lobster, Zaid noticed that there were only two lobsters in the tank and he watched them for a little while, which is his routine. :-) The hostess said that they were getting a new shipment in soon. We ordered lobster and we told Zaid that he could have it, neither one of us were extremely hungry. When they asked what he would be having, we told them the popcorn shrimp, and he immediately said "No, I am having lobster!" We had to explain, that he could have the lobster that we ordered. (He has tried to order lobster for the past eight months!!) I did have some clam chowder there, and it was really good! :-) I have my Caesar salad in the refrigerator for lunch tomorrow. We looked over Zaid's work from school and he did a worksheet, we sharpened the pencil he had gotten at school, something must have been wrong with the lead, we sharpened and sharpened, down to the end of the pencil and Zaid got a little bit of use out of it, but then it broke again and he could not use it, we trashed the pencil. He read an AR book called Meet My Monster! Zaid talked about how he wanted to watch a movie when he got home, he wanted to watch Open Season, Tamer told him that if he eats good, then he could watch it, Zaid ate about three bites of applesauce and drank four sips of Dr. Pepper. All through dinner, he did not eat anything, he just hid and cuddled with his Daddy Finally, he came over to my side of the table and I held him and read his AR book to him and he fell asleep. I carried him to the car. When we got home, he took three medicines, the Zithromax from the Urgent Care in Mississippi on Saturday, Tylenol and a cold medicine. He had a 101 degree temperature when I took his temperature. I had to pay him again to take his medicine! :-) And give him lots of water. He got his jammies on and we cuddled and watched his projector together, we watched the ocean show, it had a CD with it. He talked to his Nona for one minute, we told him good night and told him Happy Birthday, then he was fast asleep.

What is Love?

2007-02-13T21:02:00.000-06:00

Last night, a speaker read some children's responses to "What is Love?. The answers were so sweet and adorable!
Tonight as I was saying my prayers with Zaid, I paused and asked him "What is Love?"
Heart. ~ God. ~ God's Love. ~ When you like someone very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very much. When you are twins, then your hearts are friends. Love is when your hearts are friends. His answer to my question leaves tears in my eyes. So simple, so true. So sweet, so pure.

Valentines, Cross Stitch, Coffee Talks

2007-02-12T23:23:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time ago, when Zaid was a baby I cross stitched something for my friend. I was trying to save money on Christmas presents, I bought a ton of stuff to make presents. I ended up completing one cross stitch. I had never cross stitched before, but it looked decent from the front, although the back looked like a train wreck. My friend loved it. I gave it to her and her husband for their first Christmas as a married couple. It always made me smile when I would see it on her entertainment center. Tonight, I made iron on transfers for Zaid's teachers. I found the patterns at www.janbrett.com and I iron the transfer on a pink shirt. On one of the shirts, I left the iron on too long and the pink of the shirt bled through the transfer, I feel bad about that, but there is nothing I can do about it. I hope his teachers like it!

Zaid and I made Valentines for his classmates today. I am not sure that he wants to make them, actually I know he does not because he told me as much. "This is too much! I have to make cards for EVERYONE?" I was in a terrible mood by the time we had around 5 finished, so I told him he could stop for the day. I could not handle it anymore. Trying to be so positive, I was DONE! He did make one for his Mawmaw, I told him how she had sent him a box, I think he was mostly trying to get the box, because when he finished the card, he asked where the box was. :-) The Valentines are adorable, we meleted crayons in the shape of hearts, then I cut circles from cardstock. Zaid wrote on them, "You Color My World" and signed his name. I will post a picture tomorrow. It is such a fine line, of trying to get Zaid to do something without speaking sharply to him. I promise to do better tomorrow. After dinnner, we read a sweet book about Piglet's nightlights, then we talked about how many different light sources we have. Zaid read me his AR book, it was about Ed and his sled. It was super cute too. Zaid is doing excellent on AR tests! I am so proud of my little reader. The first time I heard him read one of his little books, I remember it about a mop, Pam gets on the mop.....Mom gets on the mop......I will look for that book, I cried. I was so proud of him! I called grandparents and friends and just generally played the band for Zaid.

I went to a coffee talk tonight at my church tonight, it is always nice to get out and listen to other people. One of the things, I most took with me, well there are two things: 1. You can not give your children something that you do not have ownership up, examples: forgiveness and graciousness. 2. We have to go to Jesus in order for him to fill us with his love. Our busyness keeps us from focusing on Jesus.

Hamburger Helper

2007-02-09T12:49:00.000-06:00

Okay, I just looked up the history of Hamburger Helper, and now I know that they began with five flavors in 1971 and I was born in 1980, so I know from that: they had more than the rice oriental when I was a child!! I can remember a couple of things that we ate growing up and I know that rice oriental Hamburger Helper had to be about 50% of what we ate. Yuck! Just the thought today makes me want to be sick. My Mom was a busy Mom, so our pantry had the following: chef boryardee (an assortment), canned soup (an assortment), of course rice oriental, Captain Crunch, bologna, macaroni and cheese, frozen doughnuts, frozen pancakes, chips, cookies and lots of little debbies. Every now and then on a day she was off or something, she would put a roast in the oven. She always thinks we are making "fun" of her when we talk to her about the HH, but really, we just wanted a little bit of variety.......it was not that it was HH, it was that she never bought a different kind.

Could that be why, I always want to eat healthy and be healthy? (I am not saying I always accomplish that goal.) Probably so.....is my conclusion. I do have a strange obsession with macaroni and cheese though, I wonder if looking back even though right now Zaid loves mac-n-cheese, will he wonder why I had it in the house all of the time? Oh, well! I guess I have to give him something to talk about.....

Nostalgia

2007-02-08T14:07:00.000-06:00

I am not sure if it is the cold weather that is bringing on the "remember whens" but I have a couple that I will never forget.

The Year ~ mid 90s
The Scene ~ my Big Mama's House for Sunday Lunch ~ her kitchen table to be exact

My Big Mama was famous for her chicken and dumplings, I dream about them to this day. I have never, ever in all of my 26 years tasted chicken and dumplings that were as good as hers. She added something, that no one can repeat, even though my oldest sister has the recipe, she can not recreate Big Mama's best dish.

So a couple of things you should know, I am not, nor have I ever been a picky eater, unless it tastes like soap or something terribly inedible, I do not complain. So here goes.....

I was probably 14 or 15, and I had just finished eating a plate of chicken and dumplings and other "southern" food, you can imagine my surprise when Big Mama announced after everyone had eaten mind you, that those squirrel dumplings were good, and then went into detail about how the neighbor had killed a squirrel and "dressed" it for her. She liked to shock people like that. She was kind of funny in her own unique way. She was hard of hearing unless you were whispering, then she heard every syllable.

New Babies

2007-02-06T16:38:00.000-06:00

Our family has been blessed with many new babies this winter, well two to be exact. Lovely little Anna-Belle Grace made her grand entrance into our world in December. Today Corbin Jesse graced us with his presence at 8 pounds and 13 ounces. They sent me a picture over my phone, I can already tell what a little charmer he is, as he was peeking out from the blanket. I am excited to get to see him in a couple of weeks. To date, I now have 4 nephews and 4 nieces. They are all beautiful and unique. I shower all of them with as much attention as I can, and I hope that they all love their "Nini" as much as I love them.

Stopping by Woods.....

2007-02-06T13:05:00.000-06:00

February has greeted us once again, with her cold snow and a lot of dark days. Yesterday here, it seemed bitter cold. When I walked outside, I could not stand it. I would quickly come back inside to get warm again. The dog is freezing too, normally she bolts out, as quick as lightening to leave this place (you know, we are so horrible to her, giving her food and treats and letting her sleep right beside us, petting her and playing with her all of the time :-)), but the other day, she could have run out and she jut looked out as if to say, "Nah! This game is not worth it today."
I had lunch with Zaid today and took his class some sanitizer. He is so very cute. I just wanted to bundle him up and bring him home with me. :-) They have five children out with illness today! We are praying for good health.

This is one of my favorite poems, I think I will share it with Zaid this afternoon.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

---Robert Frost

Getting to know me! :-)

2007-02-05T22:24:00.000-06:00

My friend Rachael sent this to me over the weekend. It was a long weekend over here, but fun.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30 am ~ and that was me "sleeping in"
2. Diamonds or pearls? Necklace or ring? Pearls ~ Necklace
3. What is your favorite TV show? Grey's Anatomy ~ Men in Trees ~ Ugly Betty ~ My Name is Earl ~ Law and Order: SVU ~ Law and Order: CI ~ Brothers and Sisters
4. What do you think is the worst fashion trend out right now? Those cropped sweater tops.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Eggs
6. What is your favorite food? Macaroni and Cheese
7. What is your middle name? Lynn
8. What food do you dislike? white chocolate
9. What is your favorite CD? I honestly do not have one.

10. What kind of car do you drive? Ford Explorer

11. Favorite sandwich? Grilled Cheese

12. What characteristic do you despise? I am not sure, I would probably agree with my friend Rachael on this one; self-cenderedness and I would throw in there, extreme greed.
13. Favorite item(s) of clothing? pajamas
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy

15. What color is your bathroom? one is pink ~ the other one is white wainscotting
16. Favorite brand of clothing? Banana Republic
17. Where would you retire to? on the beach ~ near the mountains ~ and in the country but close to the city
18. What was your most memorable birthday? I remember a lot of them. I really remember getting a bicycle when I turned six.
19. Favorite sport to watch? Zaid playing flag football.
20. Farthest place you are sending this? MS
21. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? I do not know.

22. Person you expect to send it back first? I do not know.
23. When is your birthday? October 6, 1980
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? morning
25. What is your shoe size? nine

26. What do you want to do when you grow up? I hope to never grow up. :-)
27. What is your favorite kind of chip? White Cheddar Organic Cheetos
28. How are you today? wonderful
29. what is your favorite candy? banana laffy taffy
30. What is your favorite flower? lavender

At last.....

2007-02-03T10:13:00.000-06:00

It snowed on Thursday night. Not a blizzard or anything, but an inch or so. Enough to throw snowballs in, but not the right consistency to make a snowman. I think it has to be more damp to build a snowman. After an hour and a half of getting ready to go outside and play in the snow, we finally made it out there, throwing snowballs and taking pictures and laughing and running and playing in this beautiful snow. All of the kids were eating as much snow as they could possibly intake. Tamer was pelting me with what amounted to snow balls that was much more ice than snow. :-) It was a wonderful day to play in the snow, Zaid with his friends laughing and running. We saw little bird tracks in the snow around our tree that has the bird feeder! Then Mitchel and Serenity had to show me their "paw prints". Mitchel loved throwing snowballs and throwing the snow up in the air to make it snow. Zaid wanted desperately to make snow ice cream again. I picked Zaid up and spun him around over and over again, just to see the smiles and laughs on his face and then Serenity wanted to spin, so I twirled her too.

A magical way to spend a snow day......

Koi Pond

2007-02-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

After my flu shot today (OUCH! My arm still hurts!), I was outside filling up the bird feeders and I noticed our koi Pond was frozen. I wonder if the fish are still alive, if they will be able to stay at the bottom? They did the first year we lived here. I am sending warm thoughts to our Koi fish.

School was out today, so my friend who is a teacher flew to Washington State to visit her husband again, so I have watched a lot of Curious George and Dragon Tales and cleaned up a lot of dishes. I did get to go to Wal-mart and pick up a few necessities like new toothbrushes. It is amazing, how many choices you get for a toothbrush. I just went with the one I had a coupon for and took off for the check-out.

Also, I signed up for this mystery shopper website, not really intending to do anything with it, but on Monday, this guy called and asked if I could check gasoline prices at a certain place for $10 and I said sure, so he calls again today and asks if I could check the prices again, so that is what got me out of the house.

I guess I better go and cook dinner now, before they start asking me "Is it time for dinner?" multiplied by three.

Ciao!

Simplicity

2007-02-01T10:08:00.000-06:00

I applied to Western Kentucky University today! I made that little step towards a bigger step towards a well....we all know, a leap. I am excited. For the past 5 years I have not been in a school situtation and a little piece of me has missed it. For the first two years of going to school, I just went to college just because it was the "thing" to do. Now, it is because I am ready to go back to school with an end GOAL in mind. After many years of pondering, I have come to the conclusion that I will major in elementary education K-4. At first, my thought was an english degree because with english comes literature and that is where my great love lies. I am not so sure if I could get through to junior high/high school students though, and little kids love me and I have a great love for them, too. Being able to share a love of learning with a little one........I have done that for the past six years and yes at times it is the pits, but the majority of it is pure wonder.

Giving up Fast Food

2007-01-30T19:22:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I decided to give up Fast Food for a period of one year. I keep going back and forth over whether Starbucks is fast food? Tamer says it is. Zaid says that if eat salad at fast food restaurants then it is okay, but I detest fast food salads, they are always YUCKY! Old lettuce, anyone? No, thank you!
I went to Wendy's and got a large fry and Zaid wanted chicken nuggets so, we ordered the meal, and so they gave me this massive Dr. Pepper, which I promptly tapped.

Also, no more soda. It is not like I am addicted to fast food or soda, I do not go there every day, but I just want to see if I can do it, if I can make more healthy choices.

I will miss Dr. Peppers and Starbucks....and french fries......and coffee from McDonalds, but I will not miss all of the calories.

I am giving myself one treat, one happy hour drink at Sonic once a week. That's it.

Zaid went to the optometrist today, he said everything was great. Zaid is a little far-sided, but not anything to be concerned about. Zaid did his, I ask a gazillion questions and I am adorable routine. It got him a prize, a pencil, 2 erasers, 2 stickers and some black glasses. And everyone telling him bye. How cute is he? :-) Very.

Who am I

2007-01-30T12:56:00.001-06:00

"...what You have done." "...you catch me when I am falling." "...I am Yours."

Godspeed - Dixie Chicks

2007-01-28T21:28:00.001-06:00

Instead of Superman, we have Batman. I consider it to be one of the greatest privileges in life to be a Mommy. I hope I never take this amazing job for granted.

Five Years Old and Technology

2007-01-25T20:17:00.000-06:00

Tonight, Zaid wanted Tamer to download some songs on his MP3 player. This MP3 player was given to Tamer from his Mom, and it has been sitting in the back of the car since Thanksgiving! :-) I do not have an MP3 player, I listened to one song on my niece's one time, but that is about it, with music I could either take it or leave it. I like some songs, but most songs I only hear the melody not the words, even as a child, I never heard the words only the music. So most of what my friends where hearing, I was hearing something different. I digress.

Wow! I can not believe it! Zaid was listening to Black Horse and a Cherry Tree, he was dancing and singing. It was so cute! Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh......... He had a hard time putting it away to go to sleep. He is growing up so fast. He was telling me tonight about how he is going to be six soon. He talked about how it was creeping, creeping up on us, him being six.

I do not like the number six if you did not know. It did not dawn on me until just now, that Zaid is going to be six. I do not like thirteen either. I do not like three because when you multiply it by two it is six. When I wake up, I will not get up until the minutes are whole numbers or multiplies of five.

Snow

2007-01-22T15:15:00.000-06:00

Where is the snow? This is from last year, right about this time actually. We made snowmen and snow cream and snow angels. I loved Zaid walking through the snow and when he balanced on our flower bed. He was learning how to walk on a balance beam.

New Names

2007-01-21T15:38:00.000-06:00

Apparently Macy thinks her name is now "Zaid".

She is cute though.

an ordinary day

2007-01-20T21:14:00.000-06:00

the day ~ december 9, 2006 ~ the place ~ red lobster

"Zaid, what are you thinking about?"
"Government"
"Oh, really Zaid, what are you thinking about government?"
"Mommy, what was the first government?"
"Ummmmm.....ummmm.....*thinks: Greeks, Romans, Egyptians*, then I ask the waiter if he knows?"
The waiter says "Wow! Let me think, probably the Greeks or maybe the Egyptians, they were incredibly smart also."

Then he tells us about how he was bored in kindergarten. He tells us how he skipped a grade in school and he asks Zaid how old he is. He says his sister is like that. He asks Zaid if he loves to learn. He says he does. He tells him how wonderful that is, and that he loves to learn new things also.

When we get to the car, I call Tamer and he asks his friend Garrick, then they come to the conclusion, that maybe the Babylonians or the Samartians.

Another friend says to just say what you think, that they are discovering new things everyday. That what may have been the first government today, may not be tomorrow.

His questions, are so intense and real and so grown up sometimes.

"Mommy, how high does a butterfly fly? Mommy can we make a robot? then ~ Mommy, when I grow up, I am going to be the King of Cheese, then when he finds out about the Green Bay Packers and their cheese hats, he decides that no, he will be the King of Watermelon.

How high does a butterfly fly?

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/HeightFallFlight.html

Fort Yargo State Park

2007-01-20T20:51:00.000-06:00

I took this picture

at a state park in Winder, Georgia. Zaid played on the playground for a long time, then we walked down to the dock and watched the sun go down. The view was amazing.

Walks around town

2007-01-19T22:38:00.000-06:00

Today Zaid and I took a walks around town. He talked forever about villains and bad guys and how he was going to capture them with nets and little holes in the floor and tell the bad guys that there is treasure "down there" and trick them. For one of the first times I can remember I asked him to please talk about something else, that I could not take any more of the villains. I tried to explain to him that if bad guys came in, then we would call the police and deal with them, that he would not trick them. I'm not sure if I got through to him. He did get through to me however, and he continued his tirade about the villains. We ate a yummy, frozen dinner, veggie lasagna. (Yes, it was actually good.) Zaid wondered how much he would have to eat, surely he said if he ate 100 of the lasagna, I am not sure if he meant 100 pieces, 100 whole things. At this point, I do not ask. Anyway, he was sure he would "get fat", I tried to explain that to him about how it takes time to become overweight, how he is at a healthy weight, and so on and so forth. Eventually, I gave up.

Sometimes, you just have to take a break and retreat from everything, that is what I did tonight. I just vegged out. I thought about nothing. Nothing at all. I hope that tomorrow, I am all recharged for this Mommy expedition again, because my house is in desperate need of a magical fairy to come down and clean and organize. And if you are listening fairy, I would like for you to finish the projects I am half-way through also. Thank you in advance.

Seriously though, today was a beautiful day filled with lots of hugs, love and praise for Zaid who was a much better listener today to his teacher. I talked to her about that yesterday. I realize that I pretty much give Zaid no responsibility, that he is going to grow up to become one incredibly spoiled brat if we continue down this road. I always think of Zaid in the back of my head as a still a "baby", but today when I put him in a thinking period for hitting Jacob, he demonstrated how "strong" he was as he pushed an antique table, that the bird sits on in his cage, (peacefully and safe until today) around the "real" hardwood floor. One day, I am going to move to a house with floors made out of something that can not be damaged. Something like dirt maybe? :-) Zaid does not like thinking time, so therefore I do not like thinking time. But, I have to keep reminding myself almost hourly, who am I kidding, minutely (is that a word?), that I am the adult and that I have Zaid's best interest in mind, that our hands and objects in this case are not for hitting.

Later on when I told him he was going to have to start cleaning his room, he very quickly came back with that I am going to have to start paying him. I told him I would pay him to take out the bathroom garbage, but I was not paying him to clean his room. I am not a huge believer in charts and all that jazz. No one applauds me when I get clean the potty. Zaid pretty much leads a charmed life, he just does not realize it. I guess as a parent, it is my responsibility to teach him to be appreciative. I only hope that one day soon he is appreciative because I'm not sure how much long I can tolerate the baby tyrant.

Why does the caged bird sing?

2007-01-17T11:11:00.000-06:00

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS
by: Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

My bird does not appear to like his freedom, actually.

To see......

2007-01-17T10:31:00.000-06:00

As I look back over my blog, I see so many changes in myself, in Zaid, in our family, mostly good changes to our life. Growing, learning, bit by bit, more and more. Everyday, this is our life to learn from each other, to love each other, to go on, to exist in harmony with one another.

Yesterday, I went to guidance with Zaid at his school, (I was not exactly sure what it was, Zaid tells me about it a lot.) He is was teaching them yesterday how do deal with their angry emotion. He gave them situations and they sang a a song, when there is a problem, to look at it as a way to a solution. To not get "angry" with our fists up, but to "take a breath, push it down and count to ten." Then to find a solution to whatever we are having a hard time with. Invaluable lessons for a five year old to learn. Invaluable lessons for me to learn. Invaluable lessons that our society needs to learn.

Most days, I do not want to listen to the news, it is depressing and it makes me sad that this is our world, where killing and violence seems to be the answer to everything, but one day Tamer said for me to come and look what was on the news, this was it http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2007/01/03/details_about_t.php , and I had this overwhelming sense of the good in people. That there is good in everyone, even if we have to push to the end to see the good, it exists. It is out there. Kindness, empathy, compassion, love, patience, self-control....

Rain

2007-01-04T23:24:00.000-06:00

"Mama, why does the rain fall, do we drink the rain?" me ~ "Umm, rain is dirty Zaid, we can't drink it from the sky?" "Mama, what is in rain?" me ~ "Salt." "Mama, is this where salt comes from?" me ~ "Zaid, I'm not really sure, we will look it up when we get home."

Now, me at 11:18 pm finally getting a chance to look it up for my tiny love. Looks like rain is different from area to area.

On a totally different note, my love for this beautiful light in my life is so strong, so fierce as only a Mother's can be. At times so sad and meloncholy that he grows more and more minute by minute and other times, completely happy and excited watching him grow.

The third thought, we read a book about mosquitos tonight, he was intriqued and wondered if the mosquitos go to Heaven, I said probably not, as we would not want bugs to bite us in Heaven. But I did tell him that I was not for sure if there were mosquitos in Heaven. In the end, he said there were.

Gingerbread, Baby!

2006-12-06T13:48:00.000-06:00

Zaid and I worked on our first gingerbread house together on this weekend. We had so much fun!! We really got into the Christmas Spirit, we had Christmas music playing. I squeezed out the icing and Zaid put on most of the candy. Only eating part of each kind. :-) We made a pond out of peppermints and Zaid's favorite part was the gingerbread men on the front of the house, we glued (with icing) a gingerbread man on the roof. Zaid wanted to eat it so badly, he had been planning on eating it from the very beginning. As I began to work more, I did not want him to eat it. Then I said, "Sure, that's fine!!" He was so adorable eating on the side of the roof with his mouth. He loved it!!

Thoughts

2006-11-29T13:04:00.000-06:00

Zaid asks me questions all of the time, that most five year olds do not ponder? A lot of time, I do not know the answer to his questions. He connects the dots, oh so well. Not much gets by him, he will call me on mistakes. I am not allowed to be hypocritical. He forgives easily though. If I tell him I am sorry, he says "Try not to do that anymore, Mama." And then he is done with it, while I am up at night wondering if I am sending him to years of therapy later on.

Zaid is unique. He is quirky. Zaid is puzzling. He is hard to read. He is giving and compassionate. He is Zaid. Maybe his name set him up for that, maybe his genes. He is not afraid to be different either. He revels in his difference.

Sometimes, I think about sending him to boarding school (mostly kidding) so that he gets an amazing education, and they can maybe answer his questions, about space, black holes, God, why people have certain reactions and life in general.

Zaid does not "connect" with just everyone he meets. He connects with a few and latches on. They will be forgiven of any wrongs they may commit. They will be loved and showered with attention by Zaid.

As a baby, Zaid always watched what was happening, then he might imitate it if he wanted to, if he saw no point to imitate the behavior, he just did not do it. In school now, he watches, he waits, I can not "force" any learning on him. He waits and then he masters the skill. Instantly. Almost overnight. (If it is a skill he wants to master, I'm not sure he will ever want his handwriting to be any better. :))

As he got older, if he says he is not going to do something. HE IS not going to do it. He will fight you tooth and nail, he is passionate about what he believes in (even though it may be candy, games, Batman, movies) right now.

I wonder if Zaid is a natural born leader? Will this skill serve him well? Will he succeed in this game we call life?

I wonder what he will be? A zookeeper? Someone who works with hammers? An artist?
(Right now, he wants to have art class (where he is the teacher) and he always says he is an expert. )

I can only pray for Zaid, and that my actions will be only in love towards him. That everything I do in life, my actions will be compassionate, kind, loving, patient.

Zaid is Zaid. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Zaid will not change for anyone, he wants to be accepted as he is.

Fall Days

2006-11-02T22:17:00.000-06:00

Zaid and I played in the leaves today. We had a leaf fight, we laughed and laughed and laughed. We had so much fun. Then we came in, Zaid took a bath and ate a grateful dinner, looked over school work, homework and then we watched the Santa Claus 2. We watched the Santa Claus last weekend. And we are hoping to go the drive in this weekend and see Santa Claus 3. We had a really nice day. It was peaceful and fun!

One of the Sweetest Pictures

2006-09-18T23:44:00.000-05:00

I have ever taken. It conveys so much to me. How Zaid did not feel well at all, yet he was still a trooper going to the beach and looking for shells, oh remembering it just breaks my heart all over again for this sweet lovey. . . .

Hmmmm.......

2006-09-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

Saturday at Home

2006-09-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

Today we just stayed around the house most of the day, with the exception of Tamer and Zaid making the trek to Wal-mart. I always forget how nice it is just to stay home. Zaid and Jacob played outside on the swingset and in the sand box. Zaid colored, cut, glued and made crafts most of the day.

I took this picture when Zaid was petting Sierra. I thought it was sweet.
She loves attention.

I am off to go outside again.

Ciao.

Events Soon

2006-09-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

Rain

2006-08-06T21:57:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I was caught in a rain storm. Me- "I love the rain, I love running in the rain. It is so hot, I wish it would rain." Soft rain begins to fall, soft rain turns to quicker rain. Me- "I hope that thunder and lightening does not accompany this rain." Then, comes the lightening, thunder follows. The quicker rain turns into sheets of rain all around us. The sweat mixes with the rain and burns my eyes. The rain feels like needles on my back. We wait under a high school awning. I play with a locust/katydid. I watch the ants. My mind turns over and over. Rain.

Ice Day at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

2006-08-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, we attended Ice Day at Nashville Zoo. We all had a wonderful time. The weather was cool and cloudy for most of the day. Zaid said "I love Ice Day." They had ice treats that you could make (sno cones). Zaid made a rainbow sno cone. Ice Age was the theme. There were tons of ice sculpture animals. Zaid loved to touch the ice sculptures. He played at the playground for most of the time. Tamer played with him a lot, I sat out a little, then I decided to take pictures and play too. I got a turn on the swing, I was going so, so high, Tamer kept pushing and pushing me, I felt like I was going to go to the sky. I have not had that feeling in a long time.

New Beginnings

2006-08-02T20:33:00.000-05:00

Sad, emotional, overwrought with fear, intense sobbing all created my day today. Sending your first and only child to kindergarten......He tells me about how "so and so" was bad and they got sent to time out because they did not have any more stars....I begin to ponder home schooling for all the kindergarten......Somehow I think sometimes, there must be a better way? No child should be labeled as bad, this early on in school? Should they? Is that the only way to keep children under control? I wonder? I am saddened. Zaid appears to love kindergarten, would he still love it even if he were bad ?
I never want his sense of wonder to leave him. Everyone keeps telling me that this is the year that children grow up? He is five. I do not want hims to grow up in ten months. I always want him to be innocent.

I was informed that I could not walk with him into the school anymore....I know he is not scared at all, he practically ran to his class this morning, but that does not mean I am not scare. I AM very scared of him not needing me anymore.
*pondering the second day of kindergarten*

A Summer

2006-07-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

Our summer has been full to the bursting with activities, love, sadness, new pets, sickness and traveling.
We decided to watch our friend's eighteen month old for the summer too.
We got a new cat named Sierra.
My sister visited for a solid week. :)
We had a friend stay with us for a month.
Zaid took his first trip for a week by himself to my Mama's house.
We visited the zoo, the Shaker Museum, Kentucky Down Under, Chaney's Dairy Barn, the movies (kid's summer film festival) Curious George and March of the Penguins, we went to Lost River Cave, I worked a VBS going to the Artic Edge, Zaid attended Artic Edge and a VBS at Mawmaw's about Australia.
Zaid sang a song in front of the church from Vacation Bible School at Mawmaw's church (the other kids were a wee bit late.)
We watched Fireworks in the Franklin Park. The kids jumped on the jumpers most of the night. Fun.
We attended a July 4th celebration at the square. Zaid, Mitchel and Serenity rode in the wagon at the kiddie 100 Firecracker parade. Zaid won a spiderman big kid bike. (Tamer said I should have seen the look on his face. Awestruck I assuming. I was working the PTO booth.) He loves his new bike.
We caught fireflys outside at night with our wonderful friends.
We watched "Cars" at the Drive-In Theatre.
He rode his bike to the Franklin Pool. We walked beside him.
Zaid and I went to Relay for Life in Franklin, Zaid played with a friend and they jumped on the jumpers and punched a punching bag and went down an inflatable slide. Zaid played golf at Relay for life. He won a free french fry and free ice cream.
Zaid learned how to swim laps at Mawmaw's house.
Tamer's friend Josh visited us in May.
Zaid graduated from preschool.
Zaid went to a cool birthday at Imagination Stations for one of his best buddies. Oh, the fun they had. They jumped and ran and slid and laughed and smiled.
We painted a plate and a mug at a Pottery Studio. Zaid painted a cool alien on his plate. He painted black polka dots on his mug. He signed his name on the back of the plate and put a handprint. His mug is orange and his plate is blue on front and green on back.
Zaid made a mean bear mask at the Library when the Clay Lady came for a visit.
Yesterday we played in the sprinkler, Zaid hosed Jacob down, Jacob hosed whatever the hose was aimed at down. They played with the watering cans and sand box. They had popsicles outside. I gave them both a bath and fed them cheese sandwiches and beans (they did not like the beans), Jacob took a nap easily yesterday. Zaid sweetly petted the cat in the chair, I took a memory picture. I read to Zaid on the couch, he did not want a blanket, he was warm, he dressed himself in a fuzzy blue and red blanket sleeper. He cuddled with me as I read to him. I adore him. They chased the cat. They threw memory cards at Sierra, I had to deep-clean lots of things. Jacob saw that I was eating a hot dog, he said "hahaha" and dropped his toy, he climbed up on the chair next to me and had a few bites of hot dog. Zaid appeared just as the hot dog was gone. He wondered why we had hot dog and he did not. I fed them a snack of granola bars and mandarin oranges they ate it up they loved it so. Zaid ate a two Kashi TLC crunchy granola bars. Jacob came back over while his Mom was at an Open House, we ate gyros. Zaid LOVED his, he ate over half of it, a ton of lettuce on the gyro too. Jacob like his food, the pita bread especially. We had a sugar baby watermelon for dessert. Tamer is the best cook in the world. Jacob colored in a color wonder book with finger paints and markers. Zaid took a bath to get the watermelonm off. I told Tamer about an article I read, where you poke holes in the watermelonm and drink it through a straw, then you throw the watermelon on a clean towel/sheet and scramble to get a piece. Zaid decided to drink his watermelon through a straw, he said that it did not work. Zaid and I went to Wal-Mart. We came home and slept. Today we went on a nature walk, Zaid found beautiful flowers and put them in tiny dixie cups. Zaid and Tamer checked on the pumpkins we planted. Jacob played in the sand table while Zaid played on the swingset. Zaid got a container for his nature findings. We played outside and went for a walk, Zaid found "frogs in the grass" after I threw them in the grass(he closed his eyes.) Jacob painted a walrus that was leftover from Zaid's birthday. Tamer and Zaid made delicious homeade pizza with turkey sausage and onion. We walked to the Library and Zaid picked up his animal mask from Ms. Gayle, his mean bear Zaid talked to Ms. Gayle, we checked out a some books. We went to Rite Aid and Zaid played on a toy keyboard. We purchased color wonder and elmo coloring book for Jacob, today was his last day here. The boys ahd a snack of applesauce and milk for Jacob, water for Zaid. I read them The Ten Little Rubber Ducks. They both watched the book intently, I think they liked it. Jacob went
home. Zaid played some video games with Tamer. I did a ton of laundry and talked to my Mama. Tamer took Zaid to get his "prize" at the library for reading 20 books.
We pulled them in the the red wagon. Zaid and I went outside on the wicker swing and watch the rain, we saw red birds or cardinals as he call them, we sang songs about standing up and speaking for God, Five Little Speckled Frogs, Going to the Zoo Tomorrow, Robin in the Rain, then the great fun began when he had me smell his stinky feet and I shrieked, then he did it over and over again. We played give me five and penuckle, I gave him a ride inside, we checked on Tamer and then outside again we went to read books. I read The Napping House (two timnes) Zaid read along the second time, he loved this book where the child is on Granny, the dog is on the child, the cat is on the dog and the mouse is on the cat and the flea is on the mouse, Love is Like a Handful of Honey and The Kissing Hand, when it was Zaid's turn to give me a presend, he gave me a stinky foot instead of the kissing hand that I gave him. We had a peaceful night, Zaid informed me that my feet were too big for my shoes and that I wore the same shoes over and over, red ones, black and green flip-flops and that I need to buy new shoes. "Mommy, you need to buy some more shoes." Tamer cooked eggs, turkey sausage, grits, and biscuits. I put peach preserves on my sausage and the n Zaid wanted to try it, he told me that I was a weirdlo when he did not like it very much. (He ate it all later on and and put peach preserves on everything.) I told hinm that he hurt my feelings. He thought about it then he told me honestly that he was sorry he hurt my feelings. It was bath time for Bonzo (Tamer gave him a bath.) , then I went in iand listened to his prayrers. He talked about the zoo and what we were going to tdo tomorrow, how he wants to make ice candy t Ice Day at the Zoo. He talked about how Jacob would not be coming back , then he talked about going to preschool, I reminded him that he would be going to kindergarten and that we had already met his teachers at open house at the picnic at his school, that he had been in the classroom, he said thhe remembered. Then he asked iwhat grade he would be in after kindergarten, he thought he would be in sixth grade, then I told him 1st, then 2nd and I went on till 6th and the he said "I didn't know." I felt bad, I was not trying to make him feel bad. I told him "I was just telling you." I gave him lots of hugs and he kissed me on my cheek a few times. Then it was time for my shower, he kept saying "Go, Mommy, go and take your shower."
Tomorrow we are going to the zoo for Ice Day. We are all excited, Zaid said that he was going to get up before us and get ready and then wake us us. "I'm going to wake up early and get ready before you and Daddy." me-"Where are we going Zaid?" "We are going to the zoo and I am going to make ice candy."

I wonder why he wants to get up before us? :)
Time for shower and sweet sleep.

Orginally Entitled "Warmth"

2006-01-15T23:31:00.000-06:00

I wrote this on February 9-2004, almost two years ago, but still true for me today. :)

This is not at all a "happy little thought", but I was thinking last night.

That at the end of our life, we are going to die. That is what we are working towards and fowards, to death. So when I sometimes say, "I'll be happy when _______ happens." I should not do that, I should be happy in the NOW because, what else is the purpose of life. You know? What a dreary thought, yet I think that it holds good things, because it lets me know why I should try to find humor and happiness in each and every day without all the whining. :) That if I do not get trivial things done then you know what, who cares.

Is.......Does not....

2006-01-13T11:11:00.000-06:00

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love is understanding.
Love does not hit.
Love does not hurt.
Love does not yell.

This is the hardest lesson for me to learn in life. These are the hardest lessons for society to learn.

Stingrays

2005-12-10T22:23:00.001-06:00

Today we went to Opry Mills, a giant Outlet mall with friends, we let the kids go to Stingray Reef and touch the stingrays and look at all the fish. The stingrays are really soft, Zaid mostly wants to look at the prizes these days. He loved having my friend's husband talk to him about the exhibit, he laughed and laughed. I wonder what made him laugh so much. We did a little shopping, it was a pain to try to find a place to sit for lunch, I found a table and ran to it. I was so proud of my discovery. :) An empty table...as I age, this is like gold. Zaid loved getting a cookie, pizza and lemon ice-cream as treats. He was able to ride on the carosel at the mall, he said that Jonathan and Daddy were his best friends and he waved at them every time, the horse turned their way. We did some sitting and some trying to poop on the potty, that is no fun for the little guy.....I am starting to wonder if we do need to try somethingelse, besides TONS of fiberous foods?
My favorite time was watching the kids run, where the play area used to be, now there is a huge open spot, I ran with them and swung Zaid around and played ring around the ABCs untilI was dizzy. Even though I had a headache during this time, it was my favorite time,the times when I do nothing and EVERYTHING. Which may only make sense to me?
We ate at the Aquarium Restaurant, the experience tonight was not that good, the pager was notworking properly, we did not hear our names called, our food was cold, I think I will stop nowand focus on the good, we did get to eat and look at the sharks, fish, moray eels, which areactually blue, but they secret a yellow mucous which makes them look green. Zaid and I looked for the Saw Fish, his favorite, he said that he thinks they put it to bed and that it was our bedtime too. He was right, it was our bedtime. We looked at Christmas lights outsidethe Opryland Hotel, then it was home again, home again, jiggety jig.
I love the way Zaid says, "I promise." And he says we always keep our promises Mommy. I hope I can always keep my promises to him.
I love the way you tell my friend, "Do your little evil grin." and he scrunches his face upin the cutest little grin you have ever seen and how animated his face is, when he says shakes hishead "No" and acts like something bad is going to bite him. :)
These toddlers and preschoolers, they are so adorable. I love they way they think. Simple.Yet Complex.

Light and Dark

2005-12-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

There is always a time for light and a time for dark. Embracing both and living in the moment with both are my goals. To hunger for the light during a dark time, to crave the dark when it is so light you feel like you are going to go blind. I feel like that is how I spend a lot of my time. You can sometimes find the shadows when it is light, in the darkness it is hard at times to find a bit of light.

NPR

2005-11-30T06:50:00.000-06:00

Addicting, yes that is word that describes what NPR means to me. I feel this insane desire to finish listening to the end of the story, yesterday I listened to this guy talk about suicide, now sometimes the stories are incredibly boring, and when you finish, you are like, "Why did I just listen to that?" but yesterday, I was intrigued, his good friend had jumped off of the Golden Gate Bridge, I began to wonder about how I would feel if someone that close was suddenly gone at their own will? To actually make that choice. When. How would I feel? Why? I saw someone standing on a bridge near where I take Zaid to preschool at, when I saw him, I thought he needs help, this is a cry for help, for someone to listen to him.
On the program yesterday, there was a survivor of a Golden Gate Bridge jumpoff and he said that the thought that crossed his mind when he jumped, was, "No, I do not want to die." Then he talked about how thankful he was to be alive. He said he no longer ponders suicide. I wonder what people think about on the fall down?

Early Risers

2005-11-28T17:11:00.000-06:00

Today I awoke early, working around the house, with my thoughts, prayers, and dreams, appreciating the mounting storm. It felt so good to get so much accomplished in only a couple of hours. I felt so much better today nice, all of those words that only mean your soul feels good. I made breakfast for my sweetie pie, Zaid, he complained a lot, but I did not loose it today. I kept things in perspective. I realize I am the adult here, he does not know what he can do when he calls my name, while I am in the bathroom, 500 times? Does he? I remember being a child, you do not think much about Mommy and what she is doing right now, only thinking that she was mine and that she would come when I called. We went for ice-cream at an ice-cream store, and I did not think about all the calories I was consuming, I only thought about how nice it was and that I had eaten healthy today so it was okay, I thought about how nice it is to go out with your child and just enjoy simple pleasures, the ice-cream was even FREE!! :) I have been keeping two customer punch coupons for a LONG time, and today we redeemed them. So many times, I thought about getting ice-cream but did not, today we indulged, we went to Kroger, we got Zaid something to drink, and we bought only what I could carry, butter, brown eggs, waffles (Zaid's idea) and grape juice. Our total was low. It was a wonderful day. Now, I am having quiet time for myself, sitting in the massage chair in the sound-proof sun room with a small heater on. I have to have this time, I need to have this time, it is essential for my soul, so why is it so hard to take? Why do I assume I am superwoman and can NEVER stop going? I feel cleansed now, Zaid had a four year old melt down in the post office, yes Zaid I do not like sitting in the post office for thirty minutes either, but sometimes you have to, yes it is not fair, but hitting Mommy is not the way to express your frustrations. So now, I am forgetting the bad and choosing to remember the good, Zaid lost getting his fish for his fish tank for three days. He is incredibly sad. Discipline is hard for parents.

Time for me to find a dinner recipe and get to work.
This was nice to think, to type, to remember the good about my day.

Lake Michigan

2005-11-12T10:11:00.000-06:00

Today we are going to Lake Michigan to look at the dunes and the beach. I did not realize that Lake Michigan was so big. I probably should have paid more attention in geography class.
I am excited to go and listen to the waves. I love water and would one day like to live on the beach. I plan on taking Christmas pictures on the Lake. I hope that they turn out well.

In Everything~

2005-11-11T08:25:00.000-06:00

Blessings~ This morning I am thankful for the soft snoring of my baby in our hotel room, the sound of my husband chattering away about work while flipping the channels on the tv, the small sliver of light coming in through the thick drapes, the sound of voices on the outside, my wet hair that smells and feels clean, my eyesite, the ability to think and reason, good health, love, life, joy, patience, our loving God who gives us our daily bread. Who supplies us with strength and wisdom to get through our day. I am thankful for life today. I am thankful for people. I am thankful for the good in all people.