Things

ROGER EBERT, AFTER LOSING HIS JAW TO CANCER

3 things really impressed me this week and I thought I would blog about them. I don't keep journals any more. I had tons of journals but burnt them all. It was very freeing getting rid of years of entries. Who wants to read mine anyway? Boring.

The first thing that impressed me was the movie 2012. If you haven't seen it it's a very interesting look at the end of days on Dec. 21, 2012, which is a Friday, and Nostradamus predictions. I watched it three times in a row as it was so interesting to me and for the first time it really made sense to me about the world and how things are in their current state. I think it's very interesting that the Book of Life was empty in one of his drawings. What does that mean? What will happen to us? Have we exceeded all we need to in this life on this planet? I have a ton more questions and my thirst to know more about Nostradamus is great.

The second thing that impressed me is Roger Ebert, the movie critic. At first, when I read this article:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/19/george.karl.throat.cancer/index.html?hpt=C2

I was like "WoW"! Look at his face now! Such a difference but I am always amazed how people survive and find strength in bad situations. I love this quote that he said
"If we think we have physical imperfections, obsessing about them is only destructive. Low self-esteem involves imagining the worst that other people can think about you. That means they're living upstairs in the rent-free room," he wrote on his blog after the photo published.

How awesome is that? How many times have I and continue to do so have thoughts living in the rent-free room in my brain! So cool!

The third thing was tonight. Jax and I went to Dollar General. There was a black lady with no teeth, obviously she was homeless. Her wig looked as if it was run over 1,000 times at least but she had something that hit home to me. She asked us for money and I told her I didn't have any and I went into Dollar General got what I needed and the whole time I couldn't shake her or the feelings I had about giving her money. I usually don't give the homeless money for the obvious reasons. We left the store and she was standing there. Right next to Dollar General is a Subway. I looked at her and I said;
"I tell ya what!" "If your hungry I will buy you a sandwich at Subway and I will sit with you while you eat it because I want to make sure you eat it and not use it for drugs or cigarettes" She said okay and she WAS very hungry. She ate so fast Jax just looked at her and then me back and forth with the biggest eyes. I swear she ate her chips, drink and sandwich in a minute and for having no teeth she sure could chew. It was a sight to behold. I felt impressed to buy her another sandwich so she went and bought her one more and she ate it fast like the first one. She excused herself to use the bathroom and was only gone for minute and came back. After she was done eating she became very embarassed and she didn't say anything. I couldn't help but wonder what her story was. Was she a true homeless person? Was she an addict? Does she have kids? Does someone love her? I also felt very impressed to tell her that I loved her. I know!!! crazy, huh! So, I told my brain to shut up and I asked her how she was and she smiled and she said she hadn't eaten in 3 days and she was so grateful and I just looked at her and I told her "I just want you to know that I love you. That you are loved and that you are important on this earth". She just started to cry. Then Jax started to get teary eyed and then I started and I told her not to cry but that she needed to know that she IS loved and that she is of worth. She told us that she hasn't heard some one tell her in years that they loved her and why would I say that to her. I told her that I was the same as she. Nothing better or greater. That we breath the same air and come from the same place. We chatted a bit more and she refused my help in arranging a ride to the homeless shelter. I wished her well and told her I didn't come to this Dollar General alot. I talked to the manager at Subway and I paid for her to have either lunch or dinner at Subway for Saturday and Sunday.
Even now as I write this part of me is troubled with so many people who are homeless and in situations that are , well, just what they are but as I was thinking of her driving home a blurpit from the book "The Seat of the Soul" by Gary Zukav popped in my head and he says on page 43:

"Since we cannot know what is being healed through each interaction ( he is talking about Karma)we cannot judge what we see. For example, when we see a person sleeping in the gutter in the winter, we do not know what is being comnpleted for that soul. It is appropriate that we respond to his or her circumstance with compassion, but it is not appropriate that we perceive it as unfair, because it's not.

Gary Zukav also says that where we are at this exact moment in life is exactly where we need to be.

So, with that, I can sleep better tonight and I will pray she will use all the resources that are free and available to help her with what every path she chooses. What a great experience and one that I surely needed.

So, for my gratitude list today I am thankful for:

My boys
food in our house
a warm house with sheets, pillows, comforters
a damn dog
a mouse that eats holes in my bananas
a minivan that runs like a beast
Gary Zukav
the homeless lady
listening to what my soul had to say
my day care kids
and
Sensodyne toothpaste so my teeth aren't so sensitive when I brush them.

Good night!

My Silly Jax~

Poppie buys Jax hats all the time. You never see Red, aka, Poppie w/o a hat on. Jax has taken a real interest in hats. Jax and Cameron were deciding which hat was the coolest and which girl would like what hat! BOYS! I love Jax's silly faces. He is so much fun!

Sitting on his car track. Ash is not supposed to sit on it but he JUST has to climb on it. Ash LOVES to sit on the front of his push toy while Jax pushes him. Ashton was yelling at Jax to move it.

Being Naughty

Ashton can't walk yet but he is a HUGE climber! He climbs on everything and anything! I had a bookcase full of children's book but had to move it as books were constantly on the floor and Ashton wanted to climb to the second shelf. While I was putting books in boxes, Ash climbed in the one box and started to take down the pictures I had on the wall. He was very upset when I said "No", "No". He does not like that word. :)

~The month of Jan. flew by so fast and it's weird that we are about to end Feb. We have had a very cold winter thus far, it's snowed twice and the temps have been extremely cold.
~I have turned the daycare into a preschool. My days are much better with the stricter structure and the kids are enjoying themselves. I find myself getting numb and going thru the emotions of every day and I hate to live that way so I needed a change. I quit the 24/7 part of the day care for a while. I need a break and I have three great full times kids with good parents and a great part time kid so I am going to stay with what I have.
~6 weeks ago I got a horrible case of the throw up flu. It really kicked my butt and I haven't been right since. My whole digestion systems has been so out of whack so I am off all soda/sugar, juice constantly and eating lots of chicken and salads and the weight is dropping off but I can say that the last two days I feel back to normal. I took the Activia 14 day challenge and it really works and I am taking lots of Acidolophillus(sp) and other herbs. I never get sick so I was suprised how much this bug really got me.
~Of course, I have to mention celebrating Steve's Birthday. Hard to believe he is 60. Of course, I miss him. He didn't show up for his birthday cake or party but the boys and I had lots of fun singing to Journey and eating cake. I love the picture I posted of him. It makes me weak in the knees! hehehehe!!!
~Even though it's very cold out I have found 2 Cooperhead baby snakes and 4 brown baby snakes in the yard. Did you know that baby Cooperheads have enough venom to make you sick? So, this coming week my landlord is hiring a crew to come in and rake all my leaves from last year and this year and spread out snake pellets, etc.. The left side of my house is city property and it's all woods. We just had the cutest little fox get ran over last week and we have the raccoons, and oppossoms(sp). I don't mind them but the snakes I do mind. Tiny buds of this and that are showing so Spring is coming and my sinus are kinda reminding me that Spring is starting up again. Crazy.
~It's 8:08 and I get to go mop the floor, plan my lesson for the kids tomorrow, fold some laundry, and watch Housewives of Orange County.
Peace out!

It snowed! Jax and Mercedes had a great time!

Jax

~Jax is doing great. He is growing so fast. He is growing sooooo Tall! He will definately be a tall man. He is doing very well in school and is ready for the 1st grade. He got all 3's on his report card and continues to excel in his extra classes. Repeating kindergarten was a good decision and he has really blossomed this year.

~Jax is madly in love with Celia. She invited him to her birthday part at Monkey Joe's. He has come home twice sobbing as Celia has broken up with him twice. I didn't even know they were going together. Celia's mom says Celia is wild about Jax and is mean to him because she doesn't know how to act around him other then turn red and be mean. It's hilarious for me but I do feel bad when I have to snuggie with him to help him understand that Ceila is a girl and girls do that. As well as boys.

Jax with a buddy from his Kindergarten class at Monkey Joe's.

~~ Jax and Ceila at Monkey Joe's!

Celebrating Mardi Gras at Kelly's Home DayCare~

~~ Eating his first doughnut after getting his first haircut~


Scribbling on his scribble pad. He will not let ANYONE play with this scribble pad. He spends hours a day scribbling and erasing it. Ashton LOVES to scribble and color and really loves to paint. (He seems to favor his left hand so far)

Looking just like my mom to me~

~playing with Lathan. A daycare buddy~

ASHTON

~~~Sweet Smile~~~

~~LOVES his Rocking Horse~~

~~Looking at the sun on his hand~~
The boys are doing great. Ashton is a pure mess. Very spoiled. Still has a BAD case of seperation anxiety. He LOVES his Mama and wants to be carried EVERYWHERE. He is very independent. He is all smiles and very happy.He is crawling at top speeds and will run you over in a second with his walking toys but he won't walk. He will be 15 months on the 19th so he still has time. Ashton LOVES music. He loves to scribble, clap, he says lots of words and his latest word is "Hello". He waves Hi and Goodbye and his favorite games are still peek a boo and duck duck goose. He falls flat on the floor when he doesn't get something he wants. This is the latest new thing he does and I just walk off. Today he followed me to the kitchen to make sure I saw his tantrum. He is looking more and more like my Mom every day. It's crazy. He sleeps thru the night, hates to take a nap, hates his diaper changed and very social.

It's been a while~

since I have blogged. Life has been pretty busy and the days and nights seem to fly by. A lot seems to have happend and I hope I can get all the pictures and blogging I want done.

I guess I will start with the most recent happening and then go from there. I am horrible at getting pictures in order so bare with me.

~Last friday night around 5:30 my beloved Simon flew right out the front door. He is very scared of the door but I think with the snow storm coming it riled he and Blue up as they always get squawking and wild when the weather changes. I didn't even know how to cry. I just knew he wouldn't make it as shortly after he left the snow fell. Jax was a mess and was up most of Friday night crying. I couldn't bare to tell him that Simon would most likely die.

We woke up Saturday morning and looked outside on branches and I finally came in and went to Craigslist to post a Lost ad when low and behold in caps was this ad:

FOUND COCKATIEL RALEIGH NC 27606 FEB 13.
Gray, white, yellow head, red cheeks.
Red aluminum band on right leg marked

VA5 MA 333

I was so stunned to read it. That was our Simon. We hurried up and wrote an e-mail and a few hours later we were 2.9 miles away at the Sneeds house. Mrs. Sneed went out to walk her dog and she heard this bird chirping and looked down and there was Simon chirping away and waddling straight towards her. He got right on her finger and just chattered away. We are so grateful. I haven't loved an animal in a long time. Not since Loveybug and I know he is just a bird but he and I have bonded and I am very attached to him. When Simon saw me he started to whistle and strut up and down and gave me bunches of kisses. JOY! I registered Simon with 911 Parrot/Bird alert and they notify all the people in your surrounding area. They called to tell me that he was a very smart bird for keeping warm under a birch tree. He was completely dry. He slept all Saturday afternoon and I kept checking on him through the night and we was so tired.!!! The universe is awesome and I am so happy.