Thursday, August 2, 2012

August Already!!

Can't believe it's already August! Time goes by so fast its almost scary sometimes. Whatever happened to the days when summers seemed to last forever!! When I was a kid, summers were soooo long! Now it feels like it's just a rushed few months trying to keep up with busy schedules. Swim lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tennis on Saturday unless it rains then tennis will be on Friday. Oh and I have to schedule some "me" time. What are we doing this weekend...what weekend can we fit that in..who can we go visit during this weekend?? AHH!!

I love to keep busy but sometimes I feel like maybe I should rejoice in having nothing to do. Maybe that is why summers as a kid felt like forever b/c we never did anything really..lol. My parents rarely signed us up for activities and definitely not at 5 years old. A few weeks ago or maybe a few months (I often lose track) I read a blog from a pastor that told people to live "one square at a time". Meaning don't be so concerned with what's going to happen 2 weeks from now...a month from now. Enjoy the day you are in...live one square on the calendar at a time! O Lord please help me to do this.

It's funny on a Monday people at work may say..."is it Friday yet?"...OMG I'm not kidding...Friday comes so fast..they don't even have to say that! I wish the days would slow down more. I wish I could go back to Monday.

I think I should challenge myself to enjoy each square on the calendar for this last month on summer!

My daughter often comes home from daycamp so eager to show me a new game she's learned. Last night she showed me a card game called "Skip-O"? Two players get 12 cards each..and they make 2 lines of 6 cards. We try to line up the cards so they will appear to go in order 1-12. It's a cute little game. Her being an only child I am her friend in the evenings to play with and she often wants to play over and over again. When I would like nothing other than to lay on the cough and not move! But last night and tonight we played "Skip-O" over and over again and it was fun!!

Lord help me to enjoy one square at a time and allow me to blog about what I learn day by day!!


Thursday, March 15, 2012

20ish vs. 30ish Ladies Night

In college..when it was the weekend...you would find the tightest pair of black pants (hopefully not full of lint)...and a revealing top...go to the "downtown area"..and stay out til wee hours in the morning. I wasn't much of a drinker in college but I do have memories of my friend Felecia making awful mixed drinks with Tanqueray and coke? Yuck! I remember going to parties in college in apartment clubhouses which we called "the sweat box" and at the end of the night...everyone was dreched from sweating so much. But it was so much fun...we had to do it again the next weekend!!

After college...the 20s...were filled with lots of happy hours and lounges. Hanging out late during the week knowing my tail had to get up the next morning for work! But I didn't care b/c I was young and having fun!! Learned to love going to lounges and chatting it up meeting new people!

Now...30s. Maybe my view is a little different than others because I am a mom..I don't have grandma in the area for "on the call" babysitting so my ladies nights are carefully planned out! Last weekend I ventured out for ladies night in Georgetown! We went to this chic restaurant...though the concept was cool...I probably won't be frequenting that restaurant again. Then we ventured to a place close by since my Ladies Nights Out consists of having a curfew (babysitter can't stay too long...I'm paying her by the hour..lol). Not to mention..my ladies nights consists of a two drink maximum...it's all about being responsible now!

The bar next door was not the scene for an exciting night on the town. Although there was this one guy that was enjoying himself on the dance floor (with no rhythm I might add)...but hey he was having fun!

A friend asked me to ask the DJ to play "Back that thing up" for giggles and the DJ actually played it!! Me and her got on the dance floor for a little "backing up"  and then the no rhythm guy started dancing with us. Everyone that was at that bar was staring at us on the dance floor..EVERYONE!!! I was so scared that we were going to end up on YouTube or something!

Then soon after that...the clock striked midnight and my carriage was about to turn into a pumpkin so it was time for me to head back to my baby!!

Ladies night in the 30s...has to be more exciting than this?? Whatever happened to getting tipsy and flirting with cute boys...are those times just memories??

To be continued...



Not so good at blogging! LOL

I'd been thinking for a long time that I should start a blog...then when I do...I am so bad at blogging. Several times during the week I think about different topics to blog about but then I'm too beat by the end of the day to blog about it! LOL

I prayed last night that God show me the direction He wants me to go! Sometimes I put myself in too many different groups and feel so overwhelmed with all I have to do (work and non-work). I thought about the song "Jesus Take The Wheel" by Carrie Underwood last night and how I really need His direction on the things I need to let go of and paths He wants me to be on.

Today I received a disappointing email from a PTA board member and guess what...maybe that was God's sign that is one thing that needs to go! Though I was so hopeful in helping the PTA succeed this year it seems the members of the board have put up so many roadblocks...I feel like getting off that train. And I think that is what I will do! I will find other ways to be involved at the school....that doesn't involve stress..lol.

Next blog coming soon...:)



Saturday, March 3, 2012

Choices and Paths

It's so funny...I often think about the choices that we make in life. When I was in high school, the only colleges I really knew about was "William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion, and Norfolk State. And that was because those were the colleges that were near to were we lived. In 12th grade I had an English teacher who would always talk about James Madison University. A lot of the "cool smart girls" in my classes also talked about JMU. So I thought...JMU must be a great school!
Another classmate of mine...told me her brother went to school at Virginia Tech. I asked her, what is that school all about? Is that school for people that want tech jobs? I really did say that..lol! She laughed and told me no. I started looking into VT and the brochures were so nice and I started gaining an interest in going there. But in the back of my head...JMU was my 1st choice b/c "all the cool smart kids" were going there!

I submitted my college applications to only three schools (VT, JMU, and Florida State University). I heard back from Virginia Tech first maybe in January or February. I was super excited! And they gave me an awesome financial aid package that included a scholarship that I hadn't even applied for! Then I waited to hear from JMU. Do you know JMU didn't even send me my acceptance letter until around mid-April. By then...I had already gotten HOKIE FEVER!!

I often think how my life would have been different if I went to JMU rather than VT! And even at VT, I wonder how different my life would be if I had hung with a different crowd there. If I had a different major. I met one of my best friends at Tech b/c we were enrolled in like 4 of the same classes (same major).

My senior year at VT was a little nerve wracking. I had hope I would be one of those people that had a job offer at graduation. But I wasn't! There was a point senior year that I thought I would be off to grad school studying Higher Education. But due to many circumstances I chose to not go off to grad school. I chose to just find a job and start life! Which worked out well because the job I landed ended up leading me to my career path right now!!

Do you think the choices you made were what God intended for your life? Or do you think God is the one that lead you to make those choices? I'm not sure. I like when people say...God is like a GPS...b/c if we get off track...God will just redirect us.

Something to think about...

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

New Blogger!

2 months ago was the beginning of a new start! Every year people make resolutions or goals for themselves for the new year. And every year my resolution is usually the same "to be happier". But it seems at the end of the year i'm no different then the start of the year! How can I get that to change?

This year I decided to do something a little different for New Years Eve. There is an old saying that whatever you are doing at the strike of midnight on New Years...you will be doing that the whole year! So I thought mhmmm how do I normally spend New Years Eve....flashbacks of wine and Ryan Seacreat flash in my head. So this past New Years Eve...I booked a reservation for Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg with my baby (aka Partner in Crime). We had a ball that night! She loved "swiming" in the kiddie section...I loved my few minutes I got in the hot tub before she was ready to go back to the kiddie section..lol! They had a magic show for the kids and of course the big NYE party in the conference area! We spent the evening dancing to the YMCA (and other corny family dance hits), watching middle aged men do the "dougie", and having a ball!! My baby could barely stay up for the countdown but she did make it!! And I gave her a big hug and kiss and I was so happy that instead of staying at home wishing for a happier new year...that I was out pursing it!!

Fast foward 2 months later!!

Time sure flies doesn't it!! I can't believe tomorrow will be March 1st! Soon it will be time to put up the Christmas Tree...j/k. So I did make some "goals" after leaving Great Wolf Lodge that New Years Day. Well my first goal was to build stronger friendships. Being a single parent with no family in the area sometimes gets lonely so my plan was to look to meet new friends and build upon the friendships I already have. Not always easy in an area where people aren't always friendly...but I'm trying! In January I hosted a Wii Dance Party at my house. It was a blast! Friends from work came over...I had goodies and everyone loved my mom's 7-layer salad!! No one can say Just Dance isn't a workout...we were all pooped towards the end! :)

I also joined the Singles group at the church. I went to one of their events in mid-February. It was a ladies only chat basically a "what to do as you wait for your mate" discussion sort of thing. But it was nice and gave me an opportunity to be around grow-ups (moms you feel me). Also in February I went to this exclusive mom's group membership tea! It was interesting...we'll see what happens with that.

My second goal for 2012 was to grow in my relationship with God! I need to pray more and feel his presence more in my life. God has blessed me in so many ways and I so grateful he never leaves me! The church I've been going to has a children's section. I take my daughter there during service most of the time. At the end of January, she told me she didnt want to go to the children's church anymore. I said to her...well what if I volunteer to work in the childrens area sometime...would you like that. She said yes instantly!! The following Sunday...I go to check her in to the children's church area and there is a big sign that says "We need volunteers in the children's church"!! Is that God or what?? So last Sunday was my first time volunteering with church's church! It worked out fine! The lesson for the kids was on the Ten Commandments and I need to do a little better myself (winks**)!
The Singles group at the church also has a ladies bible study so I go for the first time this coming Saturday!

So...I started this blog as a kind of accountability that I will remember my goals for the year and not just wish for happiness but enjoy happiness around me!!!  Enjoy my blogs!!!

xoxoxoxo