Why I Love Critical Role (Fan Submissions)

I'm not sure if this would fit on this blog, but I think the show Critical Role is worth checking out.  It will spark your imagination and open your mind to the world of Dungeons & Dragons, having you look forward to every Thursday.

The Mom Your Children Need

I feel terrible that we can't do all the extra things that other parents and kids do.  On numerous occasions, Bella has brought home flyers for stuff that she'd like to do.  Most of the time, we can't do any of them due to work schedules.

I work two jobs to make sure that we can have the things we need be it new glasses, clothes to replace the ratty stuff, new shoes because our feet are growing at an alarming rate.  I just want to make sure that the kids are happy with what they have.  I hope they're never want for anything.

So, I'm trying to get a beauty YouTube channel started.  I pick up things to test and review and create content with.  This does not go in front of my children's needs.  You ask either kid if they're happy.  I'm 98% sure both will tell you, "Yes."  You ask either kid if there are things they wish we could do more often or things they'd like to have.  They'll both tell you, "Absolutely."  Wanna know what else they'll tell you?  They'll tell you that they understand that we can't always do the awesome and fun things.  They understand that we don't always have the money to do stuff all the time.  They UNDERSTAND that so long as we're together, everything is perfect.

My family is wonderful.  My kids are fantastic.  My daughter is creative.  My bonus son is passionate.  My husband is amazingly supportive of me, his son, and our daughter.  I couldn't ask for anything more, really.  A lot of the other things will come in time and when it's right.  We'll get a break one day and we'll be appreciative of the experiences that we've had to get to that point.

Sucker vs. lollipop

My 11 year old son held flat blob of candy on a stick and called it a lollipop. I asked him if it was a lollipop or a sucker. Definitely a lollipop mom. So what is the difference. Lollipops are flat blobs of hard candy on a stick. Suckers are balls of hard candy on a stick. I got on line and did a little research of my own. I found a blog that said a 10 year stated it was just the opposite of what my son thinks. I always thought of a lollipop as something you have to lick. (You know those big coiled lollipops that are as big as your face.) and a sucker as something you could put in your mouth and suck on.

It turns out that they are all lollipops whether you call it a lollipop, sucker, pop, or a lolly. It is hard candy on a stick that can be licked or sucked. Who knew.

Summer Memories

Most of the memories I have from this past summer include a lot of work and a lot of school.  I didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time with my family.  I think I spent more time at both work and school than I did with my family this summer.  I just keep telling myself that when school is done, I'll have an Associate's degree in something that will help me get a better job than the cashier job I have now.

I went to the lake with a couple of friends of mine earlier in the summer before it got really, really hot.  Bella loved it and and made some new friends.  As it happens, one of those new friends lives less than a minute away!  We haven't been over there, though.  I work with her daddy and bonus mom.  Hopefully we'll be able to hang out more often.

While this next bit has nothing to do with today's title, I think that if I really like the math instructor I have, I might take an additional math class or two to complete my Associate's in Business Administration.  I think I need Finite Mathematics and Statistics, so we'll see how that goes.

I also need to take a Spanish class.  I think I'm going to take a full load in the Spring semester (five classes) to try and finish up as much as I can toward my Associate's in Business Administration.  I think that with all that classes I've taken (and will take during winter break and intersession next year), I'll have enough for SOMETHING besides General Studies.

I've also been going back to my Milady book.  When I have the funds for it, I'm going to register online to take practice tests and save the money I need to take the REAL written exam.  After I take the written exam, I can do the practical exam and then I'm done!  I think I'm going to drive to Shreveport instead of Dallas.  I need to make sure that it won't count as a Louisiana cosmetology license, though.  I also need to replenish what I need for my practical exam and find someone to go with me to Shreveport when I take my practical exam.  I'm sure if I post something on Facebook around that time, I won't have a problem finding someone.

Old Friends

It's strange to have ex-boyfriends on one's social networking page.  I suppose I'm one of the strange ones.  Of the few serious relationships I've been in (including my current as a wife), only one boyfriend isn't on my friends list.  I'm not losing sleep over it, if that's what one wonders.  I do see if they're on this networking site, but maybe only once a year.

The first love of my life is on my friends list.  Though things were tough and quite rocky toward the end, we managed to scrape up what was once a good friendship, and reform that friendship.  We're both happily married and have children close in age.  His oldest daughter is less than 14 days younger than my only daughter.

He instant messaged me on this networking site to just chat.  I have no problem with this.  I found it odd that he IM'ed me first; he rarely does this.  Either way, I was happy to chat (I was already chatting with an old friend from 12 or so years ago).  We talked about life, kids, work.  Out of the blue, he says to me, "And don't take this the wrong way, but your profile pic really brings out your features," or something like that.  I wish I could remember the exact wording.

I bring it up because it caught me off-guard.  I've never been all that great at accepting compliments.  Considering our past, I just never really expected it from him.  He still admits that he's an asshole.  I was really mad at him back then for being an asshole, not caring about the feelings of others.

However, maturing and parenthood tends to change people; most of them, for the better.  I enjoy talking to him.  We've finally come back around the circle and become friends again and this makes me happy.  Even if he was an asshole of a boyfriend, when we were still just friends all those years ago, he was a good one to have.  And he still is. 

Oh, Bella, my Bella

My daughter, Belladonna, talks in her sleep. She's also pretty good at telling me about bad dreams that she's had just moments before. Last night was no different.

She woke up from a bad dream last night. I heard her call for me over the monitor and rushed to her room. She was laying on her bed, feet under the pillow, snuggling her special pink blanket (made just for her) and a smallish Pooh Bear quilt. I asked her to tell me about her dream.

She said her animals were taken by a human; a "chocolate" man named Gabriel who's been following her. She said that he has two dragons: a silver one and a gold one. She says her green dragon, Gorbash (points to your House if you can remember where that name orignates), will help her.

I told her that if she returns to the Land of Dreams, she can go back and get her animals from the human and that Mommy can help her from that place.

After some kisses and "Mommy, I forgot something..." I left her room and attempted sleep. I then hear over the monitor the following statements:

• "Who is making that noise?"
• "Who is that?"
• "Who's there?"
• "No!"

I'm wondering what her dream entailed. I'm hoping she got her animals back and ran away from "Gabriel." I honestly have no recollection of helping her. I feel bad about that, but I can't control my dreams currently.

Conversations with my kids

My 4 year old comes in and says, "Can you pie me?"
Me, "Can I what?"
Blaine, "Can you pie me."
ME, "Go..." he ran off to Daddy.
Blaine, "Can you pie me?"
Daddy, "What?"
Blaine, "Pie!"
Daddy, "Is that how you ask?"
Blaine, "Please?"
Daddy, "Please what?"
Blaine, "Pie."
Me, "Blaine what do you want?"
Blaine, "Pie"
Me, "So how do you ask."
Blaine, "Please pie!"
Me, "Blaine , can I."
Blaine, "Can I,"
Me, "Have some."
Blaine, "Some pie?"
Me "Pie please?"
Blaine, "Please pie?" Almost dancing to get his point across.
Yes kid, we know you want pie.

Speech therapy is helping. He is a lot easier to understand, but sentence structures still fails him. We go through this every time he wants something. He gets a little frustrated and says it louder, but he is still not saying it in a manner that will get him what he wants. Thankfully he is silly and doesn't really get mad at us for trying to get him to speak properly. We usually all end up laughing by the time he finally tells us what he wants. He got his pie.