WWYD – Travel Edition

So y’all know LG and I are going to Spain this summer right? Right! You know we’re excited, right? Right!

Here’s the deal:  this is a family trip. In addition to LG & I, my parents, one brother and SIL, my niece, my nephew, and some extended family are making the journey. The plan is for us to all arrive and depart on the same dates. However….ticket prices have increased more than we originally thought when we decided to go on this trip.

So LG and I can:

A. Stick to the original plan, arrive and depart on the same date as the rest of the crew, pay around $1500 per ticket.

or

B. Deviate from the plan, arrive two days earlier, pay around $1100 per ticket, book a hotel room for about $50 a night, and meet up with the family (and change hotels) when they arrive two days later.

What would YOU do? Would you stick with the pack – safety in numbers and all that jazz or would you seize the day and travel halfway around with the world with a…spirited 8 year old and limited Spanish skills?

What do you think I’m going to do?

 

 

 

Ha!

*Picture it, the regional library, children’s section, February 2013*

LG: Excuse me, do you have any books on Milt Campbell?

Librarian: excuse me?

LG: do you have any books on Milt Campbell?

Librarian: do you mean Wilt Chamberlain?

LG: is Chamberlain spelled C-A-M-P-B-E-L-L?

iHollered!

…and since, like the librarian, I’d never heard of Milt Campbell, I googled him. He was the first black to win an Olympic gold medal in the decathlon. (Melbourne, 1956).

This black history moment has been brought to you by my favorite daughter – the hilarious LG!

You’re welcome.

Who’s Raising Who?

LG has always been an honest kid.  Honest to a fault – she is always confessing sins I know nothing about, telling on herself, etc.  When I pull up to aftercare, before I can get inside good, she’ll tell me how many sticks she pulled in class that day, if she got in trouble in aftercare, whether she had bad thoughts about anyone…the child is an open book.  Which I rather appreciate and hope she keeps up well into adolescence

Yesterday on the way home from the gym I was telling her something when she interrupted me to tell me that she was sorry, but she’d just rolled her eyes at what I was telling her.  I told her that was disrespectful and to cut it out.  She agreed and we went on to the house.

Right before she got in the tub, she handed me this note:

 

 

 

 

 

(pardon her horrid spelling…)

Basically this chick is telling me she rolled her eyes – again – but that if I wanted to “wope” her I could.  Um, thanks?

Am I raising her or is she raising me?!?!?

 

 

 

What’s the Haps?

Since last we talked:

• I’ve finished my church’s annual fast. This year’s was pretty challenging. Usually I just do the Daniel Fast (fruits, vegetables, water) for the whole 21 days. This year I stepped my game up and did 3 days of liquid only, 15 days of Daniel Fast, then 3 days of liquid only. Hoping that those things for which I prayed become reality in the very near future.
• An added benefit of fasting? The inevitable weight loss. I’ve dropped almost 12 pounds. Now to lose my final 7 pounds and maintain….
• I thought I’d go nuts once the fast was completed and go to town on some tasty delicious food. Nope. It’s Monday morning and all I’ve had since the fast ended yesterday morning? 3 bananas, a handful of almonds, and a cheese quesadilla. I may go wild and have a cup of coffee this morning.
• I have completed AND submitted my application for the Doctorate in Healthcare Administration program. Prayers up!
• Lovegirl has come to me worried that one of her breasts is bigger than the other. Ma’am. I’m not sure how one determines the subtle differences between flat and flatter….
• My car died. And what a glorious death it was. Smoochy came home Thursday night, replaced a part Friday morning. Drove it around and it was all good. I went to turn the car on and all we heard was “THUNK! THUNK! BLZZZZT!” and white smoke poured forth from the tailpipe.  RIP ol’ girl – you served me well. People rip on Dodges, but that Durango was 11 years old with almost 200K miles on it – I can’t even be mad that she’s gone on to that great junkyard in the sky.
• Speaking of Smoochy, he went to NOLA to hang out in all the Super Bowl glory. I am so glad he took a few days off to hang out with his friends and enjoy himself. It’s something he rarely does and I’m glad he took this opportunity to just chill.
• Last night’s game? Pretty stanking good! Not the game I expected – the Ravens shut it down in the first half – but still a good game. Wish I’d bet Smoochy – I told him the Ravens were gonna win. Not that I was particularly vested either way – neither my Raiders or Steelers were on the field
• Beyonce and DC did a nice job with the halftime show. I’m neither a Bey stan or hater. As long as she’s singing uptempo songs, I’m good. Once she starts with the ballads, I’m done.
• Did I tell y’all my father is giving me his old car? Shipping a car from CA to MS isn’t the cheapest thing, but it beats 4 or 5 year of car notes. Thank you Jesus! And Baba
• And I guess that’s all for now – my coworkers are starting to trickle in, interrupting my blog flow.
• Happy Monday! And don’t forget we’re discussing Grisham’s “The Racketeer” next Monday – get to getting!

Snowmaggedon!

Woke up to light snow this morning so of course I woke my girl up so she could see her answered prayer!

And then I got texts/emails letting me know school was closed for the day.

Thank you Lord for this unexpected day off! Going to spend the day puttering around and cleaning up. But first? I’m going back to sleep. G’night!

She’s Listening

LG just brought me 3 dollars and some change from the school’s book fair a few weeks ago.

I told her she could keep it. She asked why. I told her because I love her. She started grinning and said “thanks for showing me grace Mom! Or is it mercy? No, it’s grace. Thank you for grace!”

Thank you indeed. If it weren’t for grace – and mercy – where would any of us be?

This Picture Brings Me So Much Joy!!!

Y’all can’t tell me my girl wasn’t getting down!!!

Monday Morning Musings

• Do you match your socks to your shoes, your shirt, your pants?  I had on a blue, yellow, white and fuchsia striped cardigan, a white tank, blue jeans and fuchsia loafers.  What color socks “should” I have worn??
• I do not care for red velvet cake.  I don’t understand the hype.
• This weekend we celebrated my birthday since Smoochy wasn’t home on Tuesday.  He brought me a cheesecake and his feelings were so hurt when I told him I don’t like cheesecake.  Yes, I bake them – because other people like them, not for my own personal consumption.  Yet another dessert over which I do not understand the hype.  Team pound cake!
• Smoochy told LG about this trip to Spain we are trying to make happen.  Why, why, why???  Sir, you are not new to this parenting game – I don’t tell LG anything about going anywhere until the night before.  At the earliest!  While I appreciate all of her questions and concerns?  I really was not trying to deal with this for the next 8 or 9 months.  Grrrrrrr!
• In 79 days? I will be free to buy nail polish once again.  Bwahahahahaha!  I.Cant.Wait.
• Running makes me hungry and sleepy.  Guess what I was before I started running?  Hungry and sleepy.  Why am I doing this again?!?
• Did I tell y’all that last Sunday when we were driving back from Arkansas my child said “Daddy, when we get to Louisiana will you pull over so I can get a scratch-off ticket?”  Hold up.  What in the world does this kid know about a scratch-off ticket and gambling?  Maybe she is sneaking out of the house once I fall asleep at 9 8 every night.
• Tarjhay has sweaters for $15 this week.  Have I mentioned how much I enjoy their cardigans?  Well, I do.  And I’m surely going to purchase one – and only one – after work today.  Now, if we could get some consistently cool weather, it’ll be all to the good.

That’s it.  What’s shaking?

No Justice, No Peace

Yesterday afternoon, after we went to the bunk dinosaur exhibit at the convention center, I asked LG what she wanted to do.  She wanted to go to Jus.tice.  Huh?

But yes, I’d heard her correctly.  My newly 8-year old child wanted to go shopping.  For clothes.  In a cute, trendy little store.  So I told her we’d go take a look.

No ma’am!  The clothes are cute (some of them) and very much on trend.  They also cost way more than I am willing to shell out on clothes for someone who may not even be able to wear them in December she grows so fast.  LG was particularly enchanted by a faux-fur vest, a crocheted sweater, and a pair of sparkly shoes.  The vest was $40, the sweater was $38, and the shoes were $50.  I’m not going to lie – I don’t spend that much on most of my clothes.  iCant.

So I told LG that while I appreciate her forward fashion sense, most of the items in that particular store were outside of our budget.  That we could replicate the looks for far less by shopping at Tarjhay and Chi.ldrens Place.  We swung by those two stores and found similar items for much, much less – about 60-65% less.  The colored jeans at Jus.tice that cost $40? $14 at Tarjhay.

She’s concerned that “all her friends” have clothes from Jus.tice and she does not.  I told her I appreciated her concerns and I get them – I really do.  But.  We’re not living our lives to keep up with anyone else.  My goal is to keep her cute and clothed – not to outfit her in a bunch of overpriced clothes that will be the color of  Yazoo clay every day by the time I pick her up from aftercare.

I think she got it.  But she’s 8.  I know this will be a conversation we will have many, many more times.  I can hardly wait…

Where do you stand when it comes to outfitting your littles? Designer down?  Strictly budget?  A mix?  Do they have input?  Are there certain stores in which you shop for them?  As they get older – or if they’re already teens – do you spend more so they can have a particular brand or look that’s in?  I’m not trying to count anybody’s money, I’d just like to know where you stand.  Thanks!!

 

Backyard Boogie Oogie Oogie

This post has nothing to do with backyards or boogies.  But Mac 10 has been running through my head for the last few days so I thought I’d share!

“Straight from Inglewood and you know that it’s all good!”  Okay, moving along…

• Our next book club read will be The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon.  We’ll discuss on Monday, October 22.
• Remember those 8 pounds the doctor suggested I lose?  5 of them are gone!  Woo hoo and all that jazz!
• Speaking of shedding excess poundage.  I got caught up y’all.  Caught up in all of the tweets and blog stories and feelings of success & exhilaration and so I have…drum-roll please…signed up for Couch to 5K.  It’s with the Y, so childcare is not an issue.  Starting next week, I’ll be running.  Have mercy.
• There are two older women in my office who are, to put it bluntly, bitchy.  My friend who is the director of operations for the office wants to call a staff meeting to straighten them out.  Uh, how are you going to tell these women who are pushing 60 that they need to be kinder, gentler people?  Those old biddies are not trying to hear that!
• My brother called me and told me he was bored with life in general.  I told him to concentrate on doing something for others and/or taking a class or two to explore something he’s interested in.  When I get bored like that I go back to school.  Or have a child.  How do you cope when you feel restless with your life?
• If you think I’ve gone and purchased a dress for my brother’s wedding?  You’d be wrong.  Why am I playing like this wedding isn’t in three weeks?!?
• I’ve been playing with eye makeup so I can get all glam for the wedding.  My eye makeup, when I wear it, is usually a brown shadow and a bit of mascara. This morning I went for a darker, more dramatic look.  LG told me I looked like I had a black eye.  Or was very tired.  #SmokeyEyeFail
• Speaking of my pint-sized beauty adviser, that chick ran by me this morning and there I stood – in a cloud of funk!  Ma’am! What are you doing in the bathtub?  Or rather, what are you not doing?!? Tonight, I’m watching the festivities ’cause she is too old to be missing hot spots and smelling like onions and outdoors.

And that’s it!  Should be a nice, relaxing weekend.  LG wants to go to a dinosaur exhibit so I’m going to make that happen.  Hopefully I’ll remember to go buy a dress for the wedding, and the rest of the weekend will be spent in my armchair reading while Smoochy watches every football game in the U.S. of A.

Hope your weekend is absolutely wonderful ~ enjoy!!