Handing out money

Well, today I did something that I have never done before.  I gave money to a panhandler.  I'm not sure why I did it, it just "felt" right.  I am someone that believes strongly in hard work and determination.  I, for the most part, feel that people are in control of their own destiny and should not depend on others to provide for them.  I also know how hard I work for my money and the government already steals such a large portion of it that I am not in any big hurry to just give it away.  The problem is that I tend to forget that sometimes life has a way of changing things in our lives that we really have no control over and that everyone needs a helping hand at some point in their life.  I mean, who am I to judge the person on the street asking for money?  Sure, maybe they are lazy and instead of spending the time they spend on panhandling to find a job, they take the easy way out and mooch off the rest of society.  Or, maybe they lost their spouse unexpectedly and were left in financial ruin with no one to help and nowhere to turn.  Or maybe they are a veteran that served our country, got injured, and were promptly discharged once they could no longer fight on the battlefield.

I'm not likely to give money to all the panhandlers I come across (Houston has A LOT), but I will have more sympathy and a kinder heart when I see them.  And, if the mood strikes me like it did today, they may get a buck or two to spend however they may choose.

Back to the grind...again

Today was the first day back to school after Spring Break.  I took last Monday and Friday off to spend some time with the girls, but getting up early this morning wasn't anywhere near as shocking to my system as it was to theirs.  Now that the temperature is staying in the 80's on a consistent basis, we can all feel that summer is right around the corner.  Only 10 more weeks of school and then summer vacation, here we come!  I can only imagine how hard it must be on teachers this time of year, I don't know how they get the kids to focus and stay engaged, kudos to all of them. 

When we moved here, I really thought my allergies would improve, but that has not been the case.  They are actually worse here and unfortunately, so is Abigale's eczema.  It has spread to parts of her body that were never affected before the move.  How horrible it is for a 14 year old to have this visible skin rash - I feel so bad for her.  Although, my sympathy only goes so far because if she would use her eczema cream several times a day like she is supposed to, she could greatly reduce the rash... But, what do I know?

We are determined to have a family beach week this summer for the first time in over 5 years.  I have a plan for how to make it possible, so wish us luck.  Stay tuned!

Dog Days

Today, I slammed my dog's tail in car door.  How awful is that?  When she screamed, she pooped at the same time, making the whole experience even more awful.  I feel so bad and I am just sure I have ruined her on ever wanting to go in the car again.  We think the tail is OK.  She is walking around normally and doesn't seem to be in any pain anymore, but I still feel awful.  I'm just thankful she doesn't realize it is me that hurt her.

Cleo

Just hanging out!

Cleo & Hannah panting together

Friday Night Leftovers

• This week was Spring Break.  Only 10 more weeks until school is out and summer vacation is here!  Still can't believe I will have a high schooler...
• Speaking of  Abigale, she turned 14 on Monday.  Don't even ask me how that happened or where the time went.  I can say that so far 14 is much better than 13!
• We went to Kemah boardwalk today.  We didn't really know what to expect since it was our first time, but I guess in my head I was hoping it would be like Ocean City.  It wasn't.  It was MUCH smaller and there is no beach.  The boardwalk is right over the water.  No beach.  It was also HOT and so crowded.  And, everytime you wanted to ride a ride, you have to wait at least an hour.  The kids had fun and now we can say we have been to Kemah.  But, we won't be going back...
• I did horrible on my diet this week.  I am not going to dwell, just going to refocus and get back on track.  Dreading my weigh-in on Sunday...
• I miss my Atkins diet.  I wish I could go back to it, but it is just too hard on my family.  They got soooooo sick of it and since I'm not the cook I can't control a lot of the food that is served.  Weight Watchers is definitely more family friendly.
• Hannah is just so cute right now.  2nd and 3rd grade are my favorite ages.  She says the cutest things and she still has that little girl innocence.  I need to figure out a way to keep this girl this age forever!
• We are now in the 80's on a regular basis.  I guess spring is over and summer is here.  My allergies are horrible and I am just dreading the summer heat that is right around the corner.  We are going to the beach as soon as school gets out to avoid the oppressive heat that August and September bring.  But, trust me, early June will still be hot by all standards.
• I have had headaches all week.  I have one right now, but it could be attributed to spending the day out in the sun.  Anyways, I dislike these frequent headaches and wish they would leave me.

First prizes of the day! -Kemah Boardwalk

Wordless Wednesday

Today Hannah played in the dirt.  She looked so cute from inside where I was watching her that I just had to take a few photos.  Enjoy!

Santa has Cancer

I have always known that my youngest child is a bit on the strange side.  She has always left us guessing and I have had more than one teacher say to me that "she is a tough nut to crack".  Well, today she did not disappoint.  Picture it.  I'm in the kitchen getting our lunch ready and as she often does, Hannah hopped up on the counter to keep me company.  She was sitting near the sink and inside the sink was last nights' pot we cooked the corn beef in and it was soaking and was full of soap suds.  Hannah dipped her finger in the soap suds giving the appearance of white hair on her finger (if you really used your imagination) and said, "Hi, I'm Mrs. Santa.  How are you today?"  I played along and said that I was good.  After me and "Mrs. Santa" chatted for a while, I asked how Santa was doing.  Mrs. Santa answered in a low, sad voice, "Santa is sick.  He has cancer."  Then Hannah dipped her other finger in the suds and made is so the suds ran down her finger and said, "See this is Santa.  He has cancer so he is melting away."  I said in a horrified voice, "So you mean Santa is dying and won't ever deliver any more Christmas presents?"  And Hannah, very matter-of-factly said, "That's right!" I just shook my head and told her to smile for a picture.  Gotta love this kid and her twisted imagination.  Stay tuned!

Hannah and Mrs. Santa

Happy birthday, Abigale

Today, my girl turned 14.  On so many levels, this is hard for me to comprehend.  I still remember being 14 like it wasn't so long ago (obviously I am a bit delusional). And I can certainly remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.  The overwhelming fear that I had about being 21 years old and now being completely responsible for this precious child, the love that I felt that I had never know I could feel was so powerful and again, overwhelming.  In a matter of moments everything I had known or cared about no longer mattered, all of my hopes and fears now rested on this tiny little baby that had lived inside me for 10ish months.

Today, as a 14 year old, Abigale is still my pride and joy.  I would like to think that my parenting has something to do with who she is, but it doesn't.  She was born an old soul, always wise beyond her years and she, simply put, has a good, kind heart.  She has always cared less about doing what was cool and instead cared more about how people felt.  Even with her 14 year old mood swings she is still fun to be around, for the most part, and is a great big sister to Hannah.  Hannah knows she can count  on her big sister and that confiding in her Abby is safe. 

As Abigale embarks on another new year and all the things that being a teenager will bring, I will love watching her blossom into a young woman as she sets out to make her mark on the world.  I know we will weather many storms and that there will be fear and anger along the way, but our love and friendship will always prevail.  Happy birthday, Abigale.

Love,
Mom

Abigale 4 months old

Caught red handed!

Halloween 1999

First day of Preschool!

First day of Kindergarten!

Birthday girl 3-12-12

Showing off her money!

Happy Lazy Saturday

Abby - notice the socks



Abby with a sleepy Sammy



Abby hugging Cody



Abby smiling



Enough pictures, mom.

Hannah close-up



Hannah playing dress-up

Friday Night Leftovers (The Lamest Week Ever Edition)

• Lamest week in history. 
• I only sold one new ad and had one renewal.
• Hannah wracked up $758 in coins for her apps on the iPad.  She did it in 5 days, which is how long it took me to open up the iTune notifications that piled up in my inbox.  I assumed they were notifications that Abigale bought songs for her iPod with the iTunes gift card she got for her birthday.  Nope, instead my precious 8 year old went buck wild on an iTunes spending spree.  No more iPad or computer for her for 60 days.  She owes me $758 and the only way to pay it back is through not using the iPad/computer. Each day is worth $12.63 and it will take her 60 days to repay the full amount.
• Abigale wasn't able to participate in her Choir competition due to her F in math.  They got a 1 in the competition, which is the highest score, and brought home a trophy.  I feel bad for her that she wasn't a part of their success.  She hated being left behind and having a substitute with 5 other kids that also got left behind.  She is doing much better and may actually get away with just 1 semester of summer school. I hope she is able to go on the SplashTown field trip at the end of the year.
• I attended a funeral this week.  Technically, he was my 2nd cousin (if you look at the relation between he and my mother). But he is also my step-uncle, since he was married to my stepmom's sister. Anyways, it was a beautiful service, but very sad. He was so loved by his family and I know the torment they are going through. RIP Uncle Fred.
• I was going to purchase our hotel for our beach week next week.  Now that Hannah has spent the money on coins for her games on the iPad, beach week is looking like a dream instead of a reality.
• I started Weight Watchers on Sunday. After losing 60 pounds with Atkins I needed a switch. I was really getting tired of the limited menu on the Atkins plan. Weight Watchers is going good so far. I'll blog about it after I have been using it for a while.
• It is raining...again.  I am so sick of the mud from the dogs.  I know they can't help it, but I am just sick of it.  After last year's severe drought I never thought I would get sick of the rain, but I am done.  Bring on the sunshine!
• Still loving my new Dyson.  It picks up sooooo much dirt and dog hair.  I also have noticed that is stays cleaner longer (because it is actually cleaning everything) and the air is fresher (which I attribute to the HEPA filter). The kids like it too which is awesome.  Abigale actually volunteers to vacuum!
• I downloaded a program as an upgrade instead of the full version. So, now I can't use it and it is $200 down the drain.  I have been holding for their tech support for about an hour now. Hope they can refund me the money because I can't afford the whole version.  Hannah spent all my reserves!
• Hannah is coughing.  She also has a fever.  Great!