Annabel has always loved to cheer and has always loved to dance and this year we have seen a change in the type of dance she really enjoys. She has asked me if she can no longer do ballet and tap but she would rather focus on hip-hop and jazz. She says she likes the dances that move faster and have a beat to them. It was exciting to hear then that Jacksonville All-Stars would not only be having cheer teams this year but would be doing a hip-hop dance team.
I am excited and looking forward to the upcoming tryouts and I think it would be a great experience for …
When we voted on May 8th we had the opportunity to talk to the kids about voting. They wondered how we decided whom to vote for. It did seem a little overwhelming to them when they saw the names of all the people who were running for office. We told them that we listen to the speeches that these candidates give. We listen to the phone calls we receive and read the mail. We also watch the news and read the paper. Talking to other people can be helpful too. When we receive information we always check out the facts. People and newspapers, etc. can be very biased.
Sometimes we get conflicting information and that is when we need …
There’s a woman at work due to have her baby any day and it fills the climate of the school with that super-feminine hopped up babyness that can only be accomplished with a group of women that has reached critical mass. Those with young ones at home are called upon frequently for advice or to answer questions, those recently married or just starting to think about families listen attentively, leaning in for a preview of what’s just up the road. The anticipation ebbs and flows and circulates like ocean currents around me. Around me, but not within me.
I suppose as I enter the building with my own two “babies” in tow, one of whom is as tall as I am, …
Henry....3 days post op having his first dinner back home
If you have ever adopted a dog you know that any reputable place will make you review a form all about the cost of caring for a pet. Agencies want you to understand that routine vet care, food and other items all cost money and if you do not have that money…you should not take on a pet. This chart below shows an estimate for one year of basic care if you own a dog.
As we all know, things happen as well that can raise this cost significantly. This past week we had such an experience and I took …
If anyone doubts the power of words, re-read your Mother’s Day cards and remember how significant our children’s words, spouses, parents or siblings words can mean. They can lift one’s spirit higher than any bought gift. Words can be thoughtful or thrown out without thought. Words can change someone’s day as quickly as the weather.
As I read what my husband wrote to me on Mother’s Day, I was surprised at how much he did notice that I do. He’s genuine appreciation, love, recognition and words made me cry, smile and buoyed up more than any flotation device could.
However, on the flip side of things words can also have the power …
The girls and are I often very busy during the week with their cheerleading and other activities. Because of this it can often be difficult to eat healthy and not just go through the drive-thru on our way to or from something. This is something that I have been trying my hardest to avoid and have done a pretty good job of it so far but as we start winding down the school year and more things are happening it can be difficult to prepare a healthy meal every evening.
In order to try and better prepare I have been planning meals in advance and making more than one meal at …
I remember when I was young, I hated to pull my teeth out. Those baby teeth would become so wobbly and I was afraid of pulling them. After a few weeks passed, I would grow so tired of dealing with them that I would put an ice cube up next to the tooth and numb my gum. Then I would take a cold wet paper towel and kind of squeeze that tooth. Sometimes I would wiggle it back and forth until I started feeling pain. I would agonize in front of the mirror trying to get that thing out of my mouth. Eventually my grief would be over and the tooth would pop out.
Bethany was going through …
We have a big week coming up. My mom and mother in law will be arriving so they can see Sam in his dance recital and on the tail end of their week long visit…my husband will be home after five months away. With so much activity it is a good thing the mom’s rent a beach house and their own car when they come down to see us. Between the dance recital, end of lacrosse season, a dog healing from major neck surgery and a pretty major homecoming for my husband..I don’t think I would make for a very good hostess.
The Grandma's at Sammy's recital last year
I met a mother at the show my kids performed in last week. Her son was performing too and she was the most enthusiastic parent in the audience.
She told me that she’d been involved in the arts and had always encouraged her son in this area. The boy’s father, however, thought of those kinds of activities as “sissy” and therefore the boy had shied away.
For the last couple of years, the father has been out of the picture, and this year the boy told his mother out of the blue that she’d need to pick him up late after school. She pressed for an explanation and found out he was …
It was Tuesday night and we had already packed lunches, preloaded backpacks, signed planners, finished homework, and then moved on to brushing teeth and tucking boys in. Finally, the routine was complete and I made my way to bed, where my husband was reading the news on his computer. To pass the time and unwind a few minutes myself, I logged onto Facebook and discovered a school-related rumor that had spread around well ahead of the phone tree: school had been canceled the next day.
Both of us had time to check our work e-mail accounts to confirm and then talk about what to do with a bonus day before either …
Annabel has always loved to cheer and has always loved to dance and this year we have seen a change in the type of dance she really enjoys. She has asked me if she can no longer do ballet and tap but she would rather focus on hip-hop and jazz. She says she likes the dances that move faster and have a beat to them. It was exciting to hear then that Jacksonville All-Stars would not only be having cheer teams this year but would be doing a hip-hop dance team.
