A Rough Week!

I have been trying to figure out what happened to my kiddo! She has been like a whole different child! No joke! On more than one occassion I have asked myself, my husband, my friends and family......."who is that kid and where did my sweet girl go?!"

You know the terror instilled in all parents when the thought of "terrible 2's" is mentioned?? Well, this is a terrible 2 times ten!! I am not sure what happened and I hope it is over soon, but it has been plain rough! Know why a terrible 4 is worse than a terrible two?? Because a 4 year old's will power, vocabulary, ability of expression and attitude are a vicious combination....especially when it's coming from a determined and very smart one! Couple all of that with a child who really wants something and we are all in for a treat ! For lack of a better word!

The past week has been horrible! It really was over night and Bub and I were left without even a plan of action! A few days ago I decided maybe it was one of those food things. So I started looking at things online. I didn't find too much info, but decided we were going to go with candy free for now to see. No real change! We have had to walk out of Walmart because of pure meltdowns and everything is a battle and usually ends in her flipping out and us yelling, spanking or taking something away. It sucks!!

Last night something dawned on me. For the past week and a half she has been taking medications for a cold. Now, these are two meds she has taken previously, so I didn't think anything of it. But she has never taken them for an extended amount of days - more than 2 actually. The two are Triamenic brand. One is the Flu and the other the Night Time Cough & Cold. So last night I decide we will omit these even if she has a little cough. So this morning, no dose and the morning went off without a hitch or problem! We all got ready and took her to school. I asked to school if they had been dealing with behaviors and they said no. So, when we get her this evening and in the next few days I will be able to see if it was infact the medications. They truly are the only thing that has been different daily. And I REALLY want my daughter back!!

I will update by tomorrow if things are back to normal!

I LOVE to Dance!

I have always had a love of dance! I took classes when I was 8 or 9. Didn't really enjoy it much though. Tap - really never my thing! Ballet - grace is not something in my genes! lol I guess I lost interest and my mom let me drop out. I think I looked cute in my dance costume though!



I think that was the first and only time I ever sported fishnet stockings! Hey look, my legs match the decor on the wall! lol It says I am 9 and my sister Shainah is 2 months old on the back of the picture. We lived in California at the time.

I remember dancing all the time! At home, at friends houses and no doubt down the halls in school! I ran across these pictures while looking for the one above. They are dated 1986. I was at the neighbor across the street's house in Lubbock. Not sure what I was doing - or what I was dancing to, but its the 80's, I'm sure if you use your imagination you can put a Wham song or something random and it will fit! LOL



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And I of course had to find some more recent pictures of me dancing just for kicks! These were taken in 1999/2000 after I moved back to Oregon. As you can see from the pictures, it appears my dance moves haven't changed much! Well, at least when it comes to freeze frame!




Those were from a place a frequented called the Underground. They played a little of everything. In the second picture I am dancing the Cumbia - nice, right?! lol

Well, I don't have any more recent pictures than those! But hopefully I will have some to share soon! Last summer I started taking a West Coast Swing dance class! It was fun and damn hard actually! There are no constant patterns mixed with some turns! It's really fun to do though and really fun to watch! Since starting that class I met a few people who go dancing weekly. And in turn started taking a Latin Class. I found a dance partner from the West Coast class and we tried it out! It was unbelieveably fun! After the second session we started concentrating only on the Cha Cha (which is my favorite) doing more complicated patterns. It is fun! We have two more classes left for this session! I hope we can coordinate a day and time that works for everyone! I really am not ready to end my dancing yet! I really look forward to it all week!

Next week I will be taking my camera and hope to capture a few videos of me doing my thing! Maybe a few pictures too - who knows! Stay tuned till after Monday!

A 4 Year Old's Sleep Habits.....Or Lack Of!

I didn't think it could get much worse, but it has! I might as well have a newborn in this house for as much as Bub or I (okay, actually Bub) gets up every night! It is beyond ridiculous!

Because I have added FEEDJIT Live onto my blog I am able to see locations people visit my blog from as well as if they used a search engine to look for something and that brought them to read it! Can I just tell you that almost on a daily basis someone finds my blog by seeking info on 4 year olds that don't sleep! What does this mean?? Well, for one thing it means that I am not alone in my battle with this - and I guess neither is anyone else! Who ever would have thought that a child as old as 4 would not sleep! We not only battle at nap time, Regan now gets up a MINIMUM of 3 times a night. They are for various reasons, but sometimes it is just to get her daddy to tuck her back in.

I have luckily dodged this bullet for the last few months. He is still home from Gustav and for whatever reason, she doesn't ask me for anything when she gets up! Probably because she knows I don't tolerate it! She really does have her poor daddy wrapped around her little finger!

I really wish I had an answer to this. To help not only us, but everyone else ready to lock their kiddo's door so they cannot wake up the whole house every night! Do you know about a week or so ago Regan woke Bub up at about 6:30 in the morning and wanted to take a shower! Yep, you read right, a dang shower! And do you know that for two hours she came in and out of our bedroom fussing and whining and arguing about taking a shower! The worst part is this happened to be the only day for a week and a half that we all could sleep in and were going to stay home all day and just relax. And for some reason she wanted to take a shower at the butt crack of dawn! Sigh!

I keep wondering if it has to do with her Daddy being in so long! Once he gets called back out to work I will report back on the subject to see if it's just because he lets her get away with it or if she just doesn't sleep!

Astrology & The New Year

When I was in my teens and early 20's I was obsessed with Horoscopes. Anytime I would read a description of a Taurus is was amazingly accurate. I could never quite understand how a printed book could explain me so well. I of course assumed that each sign was described very vague to where it would partially explain most people, but it wasn't true! It would describe parts of me that no one really knew. In ways it helped me understand myself and my flaws a little better!



Going through life, I have let astrology aid me in understanding people. I know it sounds strange, but it's true. Knowing about different signs made me understand people more and even connect with them. I guess having a better understand of what makes people who they are helps me be more tolerable! My child for instance, is definitely a Gemini through and through! Gemini is the twin sign. And Regan without a doubt has two very absolute personalities! And knowing this has helped me with a lot of my dealings with her! Now Bub on the other hand is really nothing like his sign! Funny, right?! I guess with anything you have to take it as it for what it's worth! lol

But, if you want know about me I really don't have to tell you! All you'll ever need to know can be found on any Taurus description::

TAURUS

The Bull
April 21 to May 21
Ruling Planet : Venus
Starstone : Emerald
Colour : Pink
Lucky Numbers: 1 10 11 17 28 29 46 71


The second sign of the zodiac is concerned with money, true love, trustworthiness and security.

ELEMENTAL QUALITY : taurus is fixed earth sign of the zodiac and represents loyalty.
SPIRITUAL GOAL : in each incarnation the true goal of taurus is to find their soul mate.
PERSONALITY : POSITIVE : conservative, dependable, calm and loving. NEGATIVE : stubborn, and be warned - never betray a taurus!
SECRET TAURUS : takes the long term view.
RULING PLANET : venus.
APPEARANCE : sturdy body, face often rounded.
TAURUS AT HOME : enjoys comfort and luxury
AS A PARENT : of all the star signs taurus makes the best parent.
WORK : hard worker, prepared to work long hours, usually self employed.
LOVE : lucky is the star sign that finds a taurus partner, but be warned - a taurus will never forgive a betrayal.
FRIENDS : will expect absolute loyalty.
INTERESTS : painting, horse riding and collecting things.
HEALTH : watch your kidneys and thyroid.
FAMOUS TAUREANS : Barbra Streisand, Cher and Sigmund Freud.

Borrowed from Paraluman Astrology

I couldn't explain it better myself and anyone who knows me can attest to pretty much everything listed! I can explain most all of these things....with stories actually! lol


I am really not "into" astrology anymore. I do not regularly read up on anything or check my horoscope! I usually reflect on what I already know and can usually, based on someone's attitude can guess their sign. Today however, when signing into my Yahoo there was an article about Your Yearly Astrological Overview for 2009 I was curious so I went to mine. I must say I was surprised to find many of the things that I blogged about previously, my "resolutions" for 2009 were plainly written out for the Taurus for 2009. From my desire to slow down and enjoy life, to partaking more in my creative outlets.........I really am excited for all the things that will no doubt be happening this year! I just found it interesting that it was sort of written out already!!

Little Things!

I have always been a lover of music! I truly cannot live without it! If I'm in the car, something good is playing! If I am cleaning the stereo MUST be on! When we moved into the new house, the stereo wasn't hooked up and I started putting the TV on the 900 stations so I could get my music fix!

Here lately, I find myself sitting at the computer or cleaning in silence. Ahhh silence, I rarely say that, nor do I get to "hear" it! For some reason quiet is so nice! It has been so quiet at times in our house that I can hear the tick-tap-tick-tap of my cat's nails as they walk through the house! My favorite thing to do when I wake up is open up the shades and sit at the kitchen table and get on my laptop. Regan is usually in her room watching a movie. Just the stillness and the quiet really starts my day off right!

I really never imagined I would enjoy such a simple little thing!

A New Year!! A Fresh Start & A New Outlook!

First, I am pleased to say that I indeed made it a whole year of blogging! I truly assumed I'd make good attempt to keep it up, but by George, I actually found things to write about!! Interesting enough, my intention for my blog was to write about the oddities in my life. The funny stories, the strange stuff that is in my head, realizations and even things I ponder and/or cannot seem to figure out at all. For 2008, my blog turned out to be a diary of sorts. Which, I guess is what I was needing it for at the time! So all in all I am quite proud of myself!

I am very excited about the new year! I have so many ideas and interests and I think I will finally be able to slow down enough to make them all happen! Now that we are in the new house and mostly settled - I will finally be able to start dedicated time to volunteering! I have been wanting this for so long, but living in Jeanerette made so many things so inconvenient! Not to mention that by Fall Regan will be in school 5 days a week and I will need something extracurricular to make me feel useful! Now the task of where my time is needed and where I will be useful is next!

I am not one to make resolutions! The way I look at it, I don't need a new year to set goals. And too, who really sees these things out?? No one really ever resolves to do something easy! It's always quitting smoking, losing weight or something else they have been unable to do over the previous year(s). Why does one think that a new year and a resolution will finally trigger something? I just don't get it!

At the beginning of each year what I usually do is reflect over the past year. In doing this I usually say stuff like "I wish we would have spent more time with the family" or "I wish we did more around the house or in the yard" or "Why didn't we find the time to take a family vacation this year?". The things that I wish I had done or said or whatever is what becomes my "Plan" for the new year! If you wish to call it a resolution, so be it!

So here it is:

In 2009 I resolve to...........

• Spend more time doing those little family things (going on walks, playing games, reading, going to the movies, etc) each day. She will be grown before I know it!
  
• Take the time to go visit Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and Greats. Family is important.
  
• Send cards letting people know I think of them often and they are important to me
• Spend time doing the creative things I enjoy - crocheting, painting, taking photos
• Revel in every moment spent with Bub and Regan and those I love! Life is short!
• Continue being the best wife and mom I can be! Bub and Regan deserve that!
  
• Slow down! Live each day the best way I can and have no regrets!

As you can tell my hopes for the new year are just to enjoy it. Spend all the time I can doing the things I love with the people I love! At the end of the day, and at the end of a lifetime it is who you touched and who you loved that really counts! How hard you worked or how much money you made isn't what will matter then!

AS far as my blogging is concerned, I hope my life will slow down enough to be less of a diary and more of a place for my thoughts and such! But, since I can never know what the year will have in store - I guess we will just have to see!

I hope those who read will continue to do so! Please subscribe if you are an avid reader and I hope to hear from you from time to time! It's nice to know what I put on here is being read! I hope you like the new look! I am finally going to take the time to start prettying up my blog and hopefully will even add a signature soon! See, I am already starting to slow down and take time for me! :o)

Happy New Year!!!

Goodbye 2008

In less than 5 hours, the year 2008 will come to a close! Every year at this time I am not sure how to feel! Most get excited to see the current year end and a new one to start. I guess I see the bigger picture - being that with each year that passes we are all getting older! My baby is less of a baby, I am getting older, which means so are my parents and grandparents. And ultimately we all know what happens with age! Sigh! Thankfully I only get sadden once a year like this, but time passing just troubles me, what can I say!?

Well, before the year comes to an end I feel it necessary to reflect on my life in 2008!

Mid January I lost someone very special! The matriarch of our family, a beautiful person and someone I really, really miss! Mamaw, you are not forgotten and you are so missed by so many!



Life didn't quickly get back to normal after Mamaw's death, but I am happy to report my Papaw and the rest of the family is staying strong and taking it day by day!

In March Bub quick his job with Baker after being screwed over for so long. He found a great job with Tetra Technologies out of Belle Chasse. This has turned out to be the best thing he could have done for us! I was so scared when it was all happening, but we were blessed with this opportunity and with a great company!

In May I turned thirty!! Yikes! I was very afraid of this milestone - but in truth, 30 rocks! I never understood what people meant when they said you never really know who you are until you are in your 30's. But really, I get it now! I feel more comfortable in my skin now. I have embraced and welcomed leaving my 20's behind and life is good! I have always been very much my own person, but something just switched over! It was nice!!



By the end of May Bub and I decided we were going to put our home in Jeanerette up for sale and look for a home in the Broussard area. After searching quite a bit of looking we weren't finding anything we were in love with, and for prices that were pretty high. We then found that we could build a new house for about $10K more than these older homes we were in love with! So, we found a subdivision, a lot, a floor plan and put down a deposit.



June came and Regan had her 4th birthday! It is so hard to believe she is already 4! It really seems like not long ago we were bringing home a little girl from the hospital! Regan is a smart little thing! She learns things so quickly and just surpasses what a kid her age should be doing! Right after she turned 4 she learned to tie her shoes. And tie them tight and well, double knot and all!! A few weeks ago, she learned to add all by herself. She got flashcards as a Christmas gift from her daycare and by the end of the day she was looking at the numbers, setting out blocks for each number then adding them up.



By the end of August we were boarding up windows and preparing for a visit from Hurricane Gustav. September 1st, Gustav came and turned everything upside down. Thankfully Bub was in for everything so we weren't alone! We stayed for Gustav, but after 2 days of no electricity and an approximation of it being turned on withing 7 days, we packed our stuff and headed North. We ended up staying a few nights in Lake Charles and headed home when we found our power was restored!

Our home in Broussard was done at the end of October. We signed papers on the 31st and started the long task of moving! Before we could finish getting settled it was time to start decorating for Christmas. The holidays this year weren't the best! Our family is fighting so in addition to being without Mamaw for the first Christmas, half of the family was MIA! It was very upsetting! Bub turned 31 on Christmas Day! Awww, I love my OLD man! LOL



This year has all in all been pretty good to our family! The three of us are healthy and happy and together! Bub has now been home for 4 months because of the hurricane crap! It has been a treat for us to be able to spend time together!



No doubt 2009 will be more firsts for us! One huge one will be that our little girl will be starting kindergarten. I hope we are all (mainly me) are ready for that big step when it comes!

Here's to another full and blessed year! I have a few hopes for 2009 - I will let you know if they come to pass!!