Wetumpka Holiday

On the 4th of July, my parents, NyCee, Lewis, Taliyah, and I enjoyed the holiday at home. I bar-b-qued and had the normal sides for 4th of July. Baked beans, greens, potato salad, etc. But on July 5th, we headed for Wetumpka, AL.

My grandparents, Ollie & Martha Bell, live about 2 hours away and whenever my parents come to visit they try to go and see them. Lewis, NyCee, Taliyah, and I tagged along for the ride.

Lewis and Grandaddy are so competitive. They played a game of horse shoes and Lewis lost. That did not go over well and he actually played the game alone in an effort to "improve his game" to beat granddad the next round.

Next, the whole family joined in the game. My mom and granddad had a match but my mom lost. The entire family walked from one horse shoe pit to the other and I finally asked, "Why are we walking back and forth? We aren't playing." It was explained that if we failed to walk back & forth, we may be hit in the head with a horse shoe. So of course, I joined in the back and forth stroll.
Caitlyn is the little girl who lives next door to my grandparents. I was so glad to see that there would be someone for Taliyah to play with. She and Caitlyn jumped rope and played on the water slide. By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted.


Of course when we arrived Ms. Martha had a feast prepared. Roast, baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, lima beans with okra, potato salad and a red velvet cake with pecans in the frosting. YUMM-O! Everything was delicious.

We had a much needed and enjoyable, albeit short, July family vacation.

Summer Time Buddies

My niece Taliyah is visiting for the summer. She begged her mother if she could come and see NyCee because she was bored at home. (Isn't is amazing how kids are bored at home but go to a friend or relative's house and do the exact same things that they would have done at home?)

I am glad that Taliyah is here. She can be NyCee's buddy and keep her entertained while I attempt to get in a few hours of coursework everyday. I just wonder how long it will be before Taliyah starts asking, "How many more days before I go home?" And we have to play the countdown game. August is a long way away for an eight year old.

It's True!

Black people can tan.

For years, I have teased my white friends about sitting out in the sun, flipping over like a flap jack, to get a tan. I have one friend who would go to the tanning booth everyday at lunch time. I use to tease her that she was as dark as me.

When asked if black people tan, I would reply, "No black people don't tan. We are already dark. Why would we sit out in the sun to get darker?"

But to my surprise, we do tan. I took NyCee to the pool and when I returned home and removed my suit, this is what I saw:


I had a tan. It's gone now. That's probably why my friend would get a "fake bake" everyday because the tan doesn't last long.

Sesame Street

Now that NyCee is in the learning phase of her development, we watch Sesame Street every morning. I was so surprised to see the same actors: Maria, Bob, Lou, as when I was a kid. I will be 33 years old in August. How long have these people been on Sesame Street?

Nonetheless, it is still the best learning show to me. I don't like a lot of the new cartoons they have out today. One cartoon is about a grim reaper and there is nothing educational about it. Dora the explorer is a good learning tool but I don't like the underlying message of teaching the kids Spanish.

(You know it is time to get out of the house and interact with civilization when you begin analyzing cartoons. I have no social life.)

Drat!

Final Grades:
4 A's
2 B's: Anyone who knows me, knows that B's are unacceptable in my world.

Bright side:
One of the B's, was in Statistics. That is definately something to shout about.

Warped Thinking

In the movie "Toy Story", all the toys would come alive and talk to each other when the owner Andy was away. And then when he returned, all the toys would return to their normal toy state. I think NyCee's toys do the same.

These two got caught. HA! HA!

Birthday Boy

Today, Lewis celebrated his 38th birthday. He didn't want much of a fuss but in my family, we would not let the day go by without some sort of recognition.

This morning, the baby and I left to run a few errands such as finding a cake to help him celebrate the day. Well, this was the only cake I could find in a flavor that he would like:

Pefected Skill

Now, instead of sitting and removing all the clothes from the drawers and tossing them about--she picks them up and tosses them back into the drawer as if she is playing basket ball.

Go figure--it keeps her quiet and entertained.

Afternoon Showers

Today, NyCee and I decided to go to the pool. Yesterday, we attempted this but discovered that we needed a key for the gate. I have lived in my house for over one year and had never been to the pool. (Partly because I spent last summer in a funk.)

Well, after acquiring the key we walked over to the pool this afternoon. Lewis even joined us. As we were walking, our neighbor and his children began their stroll to the pool. We were not there 5 minutes when the sky opened and buckets of rain poured out of the clouds. We had to cut through yards to get home to avoid more of a downpour.

Of course, now, the sun has returned to the sky as if it never rained. Maybe we will try again tomorrow.

Father's Day Gift

What does a man get for father's day when his wife is an unemployed, student living on a budget?


Would the statement, "It was the thought that counts" work in this scenario?

(Forgive the grammatical error as the candy decorations did not come with an apostrophe to properly spell father's.)

Mission Accomplished

Finally, I have completed the thorough summer cleaning of my house. The floors have been swept, mopped and vacuumed respectively; refrigerator, stove and microwave, cleaned out; cabinets and pantry organized; closets—old clothes discarded and all others hung neatly with care; NyCee’s toys bagged and organized by pieces; carpets cleaned; laundry washed, dried, folded, and put away; CD’s categorized and alphabetized; bed linens washed and changed; all final exams completed; both 12 page papers with PowerPoint presentations submitted; trash cans washed out (done outside of course); blinds dusted; windows washed; boxes unpacked; and donated items taken to goodwill. WHEW!

But I didn’t do it all.


I had a little helper every step of the way.


And now we wait for the posting of the final grades and all the cleaning begins again on Monday.

Who needs it?

Hail: in June!

Last night, the sky opened and provided much needed liquid refreshment from the clouds. Along with it, came marble ball sized hail. It pelted the house.

At one point, the power went out for about 30-35 minutes. I told Lewis, who was walking around with his cell phone for light, to grab the camera so that I could capture the moment. As we were standing in the door debating whether it was hail or the rocks from in front of the house, a large lightening bolt cracked through the sky. I replied, "Okay Lord, we are going back in the house now!"

The ground was covered with hail to the point that it resembled a light blanket of snow.

WaHoo! It worked

May I present: (Drum roll please)NyCee putting herself to sleep. Applause, cheers, Yipee!

Since returning home, I have been working with her regarding her bed time which is now at 8:00p.m. and getting her to go to sleep without being rocked. The latter is not really her fault because she was breastfed as an infant and grew accustom to falling asleep in that manner. I sit next to her crib so that she can still see me and play a baby lullaby CD to help calm the mood. Sure enough, she drifted right off to sleep.

Now, I just have to get her to stay asleep in her bed all night. One challenge at a time is all I can do right now.

You know you are ghetto, extremely ghetto when...

You know you are extremely ghetto when you use a pair of pliers to change the settings on the washing machine--


for six months instead of simply replacing the knob which is in your possession.

Dinner Time Theatre: Starring NyCee Thompson

NyCee is gaining more independence everyday. The latest challenge has been to get her to eat with utensils. If I put the food on the fork and attempt to feed it to her, she shuts her lips tightly and refuses to open them. However, if I place the food on her tray table she will gladly eat it.

During dinner, she often entertains us with her antics of pulling her bib over her head and attempting to play peek-a-boo. Although she is playing peek-a-boo, she will let you know when she wants more food on her tray by pointing.

When she is done, she takes the bib off, raises her arms to be lifted out of the seat. And if you don't respond fast enough for her, she will attempt to get out of the chair on her own.


She is truly the star of her own show. I just wish she would use the utensils that I bought for her. I don't want people thinking I am raising a wild child.

Common Sense: When will I ever get some?

Not 24 hours ago, I had a conversation with my grandfather about how I lack common sense. Some people would take offense to that statement but not me because it is true. I can grasp the most complex ideals but have trouble with simplicity. Take this evening for example.

In less than 24 hours, I have to submit 1 of 2 twelve page papers. (As for the second one, I have not put word on page or done any research--that one is not due until Sunday at 1159 pm eastern time--I have plenty of time.) The one being referenced is due no later than 800pm eastern time on June 6, 2007 which is approximately 18 hours from the time of this blog entry and because I failed to save the file, I managed to delete all the contents of the paper that I had been working on for the past 5 hours.

Of course, that has not been 5 uninterrupted hours. Why would I have five uninterrupted hours when I have a 14 month old and a 37 year old running around the house playing, laughing, and chasing each other? Why would I save the file? Computers don't crash! Batteries to laptops don't die! 14 month olds do not want to sit on their mother's lap and help her type the paper and press keys that mother didn't want pressed! No! None of these things happen.

Well, even if these things did happen, had I used some of that "common sense" that my grandfather spoke about earlier today, I would not be starting my paper over from scratch.

He Got 'er Done!

After 1800 miles, 5 states (I didn't get pictures of New Mexico and Texas as I didn't think of this until I captured NyCee's photo at the Louisiana border) ,


and countless games of peek-a-boo,

we crossed the Alabama/Georgia border in record time.

Lewis did all the driving. In addition, to driving from Phoenix to Atlanta, while I was in Phoenix working, he kept NyCee and did not go stir crazy.

I worked Friday thru Monday and commuted back to Atlanta on Monday nights. He never complained about keeping NyCee. In fact, he suggested that she stayed with him so that I could get school work done when I got off work. He is truly an awesome husband and father! It was terribly hard being away from her four days a week. Although, I am NOT glad to be back in Atlanta, I am glad to be back home with my family.

"LJ, Why are you driving so fast?"

Lewis drove over 635 miles today covering the state of Texas. FYI--from the New Mexico/Texas boarder to the Texas/Louisiana boarder is 635 miles. (We noticed the exit when we left the state.) I offered to drive on several occasions but Lewis declined.

I woke up at one point and asked, " LJ, Why are you driving so fast?" LJ replied, "I am not doing 55mph. We will never get there." On several occasions, Lewis asked, "Can we hear some black music please?" I laughed and scrolled through the stations only to hear Winona Judd, Shania Twain, or LeAnn Rhimes. (Remember we are in Po'Dunk, TX.) I then connected the iPod and he was met by John Mayer, Pink, and No Doubt. No wonder he was driving so fast!

"What'cha Haulin'?"

Lewis, NyCee, & I left Phoenix, AZ this morning on our way back to Atlanta. My first thought was to chronicle our road trip but then I realized, not everyone appreciates the desert like I do and no one wants to see three days of blogs which displays scenery like this:

And again, just rock and catcus.

I grew bored. So I dished that idea.

My favorite part of the evening was when Lewis reached a border patrol stop in the middle of Po'dunk, TX (I don't know where we were exactly so I came up with that name.) The custom's agent stopped the car because he was driving a moving truck and pulling the Ford Explorer on an autotransport. (Sorry for the dark photo. It is just to enhance the story.)

The agent asked,"What'cha hauling?" Lewis replied, "Furniture and the truck." "Okay," replied the agent. And he let us go. I laughed at the question because it was ridiculous. What was Lewis suppose to say? "Oh, we are transporting 15 pounds of heroin, 6 pounds of crack, 8 pounds of meth, and for kicks we thought we would sneak a couple of illegal aliens across the New Mexico/Texas border to work in our sweatshop that we are opening in Atlanta."

Personally, I sleep better at night knowing that our borders are so closely guarded by stellar agents such as the one we encountered this afternoon. What a wonderful use of our tax dollars, eh?

Thought of the Day!

When you are in Phoenix, AZ and it is 102 degrees in the shade at 2:00 in the afternoon, and you have just left a resturant where you had your lunch boxed for later, and you decide to stop at the grocery store to pick up a few items, and that quick trip turned into a 30-45 minute expedition, and when you return to the car you are met with a horrific stench that nearly pours through the windows to the point of nausea---needless to say, it was not a good idea to leave my lunch in the car!

The latest baby fashion

Diaper Thong!

Now I have the camera curse...

My cousin Cari wrote a blog about her camera curse. Well, I think she has passed it along to me. The digital camera that Lewis bought me for Christmas two years ago, just died. I replaced it with a much better model. In fact, my new one does not require batteries as it has an adapter for re-charging. But I have lost the USB cord which allows me to post pictures on the blog.

Hopefully, I can just buy the cord and not have to replace the entire camera.

It almost worked

For the past few days, I have been trying figure out how to get NyCee to go to sleep without me holding her and giving her the bottle at night. I laid her in the bed with the bottle and walked out of the room. I thought that it was working until I heard her wailing shortly after.

I have never had a problem with NyCee sleeping through the night. She may wake up once or twice if she is wet but then will go right back to sleep. Now, I just have win the challenge of putting her in the bed without holding her.

Any suggestions?

So there's more...

So I told the tale that I drove all the way to the library and it was closed. That was coupled with my daughter's upset stummy (stomach and tummy combined), and the mountain of school work that I have to complete this week as been some what overwhelming.

Today, I got up and drove to the community college library. Only to find that it was closed. I drove to the university library--you guessed it--closed. Finally, I called a friend to find a library in the vicinity of where I was. After passing it several times, I finally found it. I go inside and find a quiet work area. So I think.

I am immediately surrounded by talking teens and tweens who do not respect the sign that clearly reads, "Reading and Ringing do not mix." I have to listen to both ends of the cell conversation because the phone is so loud coupled with the sucking and crunching of a lollipop.

I decided to give the girl a private moment to finish her conversation and go to the reference desk for help for my research project. The reference librarian told me that I would not find the information that I need in a public library as it is not tailored toward college academia. Am I being punk'd?

What Else?

I got up this morning with the intention of going to the library all day to start research on two 12 page papers that I must complete.(By the way, 1 of them is suppose to be "FUN!!!") I don't know of a person who finds writing a 12 page paper fun. But whatever!

I drove all the way to the library only to discover that it is closed because new carpet is being installed.

NyCee has diarrhea(TMI, I know).

The other library is nearly 25 miles away and online sources are not permitted.

This is not a good day!

Outrageous!

I received an email which asked that I not purchase gas on May 15, 2007 as part of a gas boycott. I suggest that we not buy gas for a 2, 3 or 4 days. They will really fill the difference then. If we don't buy on May 15, 2007, people will just fill up on either side of that day so no impact will be felt. These prices are ridiculous. I remember when gas was 99 cents a gallon.

Retired

Since discovering her new found freedom of uninhibited movement, NyCee has neglected her once beloved exersaucer and walk 'n' ride toy.

I guess these two will join the collection of other unused items gathering in my garage with her father's toy (Nissan 300X) that he can not seem to part with.

Finally

I caved.
The air is on.
Much cooler.
More comfortable.
Imagine that.

Gross!

Every morning when NyCee wakes up, I remove her diapers and let her "air out" from the night before. I believe this is one of the reasons she has never had a diaper rash.

This morning was no different. I removed her diaper and placed her on the floor to walk to the bathroom. When I turned around, there was a wet spot on the floor. L.J. laughed and said, "When will you ever learn to stop doing that? You better put a diaper on her before she makes poopie." I cleaned the floor and motioned for NyCee to follow me.

She began walking toward me and then stopped. When I didn't hear her little footsteps, I turned around and noticed that she had squat down. Then you can guess what happened next. After she was done making poopie on my bedroom floor, she proceeded to walk toward me as if nothing had occured.

L.J laughed, Nycee smiled, and I had to clean up the mess. Moral to the story, don't let your unpotty trained baby walk around naked 1st thing in the morning.

It's Hot!

It's hot!
I'm half naked sitting at the computer taking mid-term exams.

The windows are open, no air is blowing.
Thus is why I am half naked sitting at the computer taking mid-terms exams.

"Turn on the air," L.J exclaims.
I refuse, it's only May. No central air before June.
So I sit, half naked at the computer taking mid-terms exams.

"She put her left leg in, She took her left leg out.."

Nycee decided to play "Hokey, Pokey" with the suitcase. She climbed into the suitcase, she climbed out of the suitcase, and at one point...

She attempted to close herself up in the suitcase.

Notice the ring of toys sitting next to the suitcase on the floor. Did she want to play with that? Of course not as it is much more fun to close yourself up in a suitcase and play peek-a-boo.
She did this a few months ago and I told her that I would ship her to Minnesota with her cousins if she did it again. I am going to call my cousin Cari and advise that she is on the way!

Graduation Day! Well, Sorta.

Today, I participated in the 2007 commencement ceremony for my undergraduate degree. The Georgia International Convention Center was filled with family and friends who came to support their loved ones in this auspicious occasion. It was very exciting to see all the graduates, from the various programs, donned in their caps and gowns celebrating their accomplishments. Cheers filled the air as the graduates crossed the stage.



I was recognized as a Magna Cum Laude graduate for my scholastic achievements. I will not complete my undergraduate studies until June but was allowed to participate in the commencement because it was held in Georgia and I only have the 2 classes remaining for the summer session.

My journey is not over. Listening to speakers and seeing all the graduates helped me to see that I can accomplish any goal that I set for myself. I am only limited by the limits I place on myself. This journey has been long and hard. Filled with disappointments, trials, ups and downs, but at the end of the day--God gave me the strength to see the race to the end.

To everyone, who prayed for me, cried with me, listened as I fussed and cussed--Thank you! No words can express my gratitude. Stick around for the best is yet to come!

Body Aches

My body aches,
My thighs are sore,
I have pain in places I have never felt before.

My body aches,
My back is sore,
I will do yard work--NO MORE!

Finally, The Finished Product

Several months ago, (Okay so it was January), I began a landscaping project because the front of my house had ugly straw in front of it. Today, my husband and I completed our landscaping project. It was hard work but I think for a couple of amateurs, it looks good.

I have discovered why people pay so much for landscaping as it is extremely hard work. I had to take a nap afterward.

I am not too quick to jump at another outdoor project. I just wanted a little curb appeal. Next, we have to figure out what to do with the side and back of the house that still has the ugly straw. Maybe Lowe's carries a product that I could just use to cover up the straw instead of having to dig it up.

Let the mischief begin

Not 24 hours after I made the announcement about NyCee walking, the mischief has begun. I finished writing my blog and turned to find her crawling around with a tee shirt on her head.

But the true highlight of the evening was when I removed her clothes in preparation for bath time. I sat her down on the floor while I gathered the towel and a few toys for her to play with. When I turned around, all I saw was her little naked butt scurrying away towards the bathroom.

Who knew a naked baby who just began walking could get so far so fast?

Milestone Moment

Sound the alarm, blow the trumpets from the mountain tops, ring all the bells. Why?


NyCee is walking! Yipee! I am so proud of her. She just started taking steps and now she can stand for longer periods, get up from the sitting position without holding on to something, and turn around to go in the opposite direction.

Why do I get the feeling that she will attempt more mischief now that she is more mobile?

Valley Virgin No More

I finally convinced my husband to make a trip to the valley of the sun--Phoenix, AZ. Of course, he thought the plane ride was long (it's about 4 hours from east to west) but he had people around him to talk to. He met a pilot and they literally talked for nearly 4 hours.

Upon landing, he noticed the mountains and the sun was setting on the horizon. He commented about how serene and peaceful it looks from the sky. He admired the mountains and of course the cactus. He is a long way from home but he seems to be enjoying himself thus far.

Toliet Paper Tirade

Why is it that my daughter tends to find joy in playing with everything in the house except her toys? I am sure that parents across America feel the same way. Collectively, we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars buying toys to teach and entertain our children. Yet, they find the most pleasure in unrolling the toliet paper,

and ripping it to shreads.

I purpose that for Christmas this year, we buy our toddlers a roll of Quilted Northern, which will cost us about $5.00, and let them play with that. Even the empty card board roller serves as a useful entertainment tool.

What's wrong?

What's wrong with this picture?


I had a cup of juice at approximately 8:00a.m. When I went to retrieve the hot sauce out of the cabin for dinner, I noticed the orange juice in there. My statistics class is really taking a toll on me.

Pulling out my hair!

Does anyone have a clue how to do statistics? Speak now, please. It is 2:20 a.m. and I am trying to complete this homework assignment. I am so far beyond confused it is not even funny. This is only week 2 of school. I have 10 week to go. Please pray for me.

Wrestling Match

Last night, NyCee was a little fussy so I let her sleep in the bed with me. I know that is really bad but I was exhausted. How is it that someone so little can take up so much room?

Once I got an elbow in the eye,
Twice I was kicked in the stomach,
and for her grand finish this morning,
she managed to butt me in the mouth with her head.

I have come to the painful realization that for my safety and well-being, she needs to sleep in her own bed.

Strut that stuff, Girl!

NyCee has really gotten the hang of her walk 'n' ride toy. She really enjoys it.

The only problem is that she can only go straight. She literally runs while pushing the toy but then she crashes into the fireplace and looks around for assistance.

Yesterday, she tried to push it up the stairs. Why? I have no idea. She doesn't play with any of the noise making toys on the walk 'n' ride. She just crawls up behind it, pulls herself up and begins walking. My husband thinks that she will be walking by herself soon. If that is the case, I need to gate off the entire house!

Mommy's Little Helper?

I load the dishwasher,

She unloads the dishwasher,

And then looks completely surprised and attempts to return the dishes to the dishwasher when I ask her why she is unloading the dishwasher.

Toddlers, Go Figure!

Only 8 classes remain

Only 8 classes remain until I am done with my undergraduate studies.
Only 1 TI-83 plus calculator to try and master before the end of
my 11 week class.
Only 3 days in the week to drink heavily. After which leaves
Only 4 days to try and recuperate to concentrate on the 6 classes that I have this quarter.

Only 1 crazy question:
"What made me think that I could complete an undergraduate program in 5 quarters and keep my sanity?"

Waste of Money

I had to buy a TI-83 plus calculator for my Decriptive Statisitics Math class.
Cost: $99.95

I still haven't figured out the purpose of this class or how it relates to my major--Human Resources, yet it is a required course. The instruction manual for the calculator is as thick as the book for the class. My instructor emphasized that this model is required and she will not attempt to explain the use of any other model and the problems cannot be solved without this specific model calculator. Then she should be required to purchase the calculator for the students in her class.

I can think of better things to to with $99.95(plus tax) rather than purchase a calculator that I am only going to use for 11 weeks and then put up somewhere and it will collect dust.

Precious Moment

And Lewis claims that she does not look like him. Give me a break! NyCee looks just like him. But what gets me, is that she crawls in the bed next to him and cuddles up. What am I chopped liver? She didn't even approach me when I am the one who put her on the bed.