1, 2, 3..... Let's Go!

My Cheerleader, My Second Grader, My 8 Year Old Daughter, My Kirsten......

Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 11:44 am at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland my sweet baby girl went onto the floor and cheered her heart out! Making this women a beyond belief proud mama.

She has taken to cheering like a fish to water....



6, 7, 8

are the counts and up she goes. She is what cheerleaders call a flier. (I'm slowly learning the lingo:) That's her, second from the left and yes she is standing on someone's hands.



I never thought in a million years that she would be able to keep the rhythm let alone be on count. But she does.

She has big plans for her self (although, they sometimes change). She will do this through high school and get a scholarship to college to cheer on their team. Once at college she plans to study to be a teacher.

On a recent art museum trip for a college paper I was writing, she stopped to tell me "I can't wait to be in college, it is so much fun and I am going to learn so much. " Although, she has also said that she would like to go to school online so that she can ware her PJs all day. Gotta love the college online commercials!

To have these conversations with a baby still in my eyes is wild. To listen to her plan out her day, set her goals and watch her accomplish them, warms my heart.

As a parent, it is so easy to get caught up in the no's and because I said sos and miss the whole thing. I enjoy every second I have with this child, my child. Even those seconds that seem to be hours as she is telling me why she can't do something.

Watching her grow and enjoy life makes everything worth it. Such a impressionable, fragile creature....

I promise to do my best by you and for you. I will try to keep my anger level down, even if yours is not. And I promise to listen and do my best to understand your view points. I love you my sweet baby girl!!!!

The Rubber Band

So, yesterday I was given a lovely bracelet by my boss, in fact, everyone was. Generous one might say....

It was a rubber band!

What was I going to do with this?!

Wear it for 30 days and anytime I thought a negative thought or called myself a name, I was to snap my wrist with it. "Come on, this is stupid", I thought.

SNAP....

That hurt!!!!!

Through my day yesterday, I found that I was snapping myself fairly often. How negative was I really. I have always thought of myself as a upbeat, positive person. Guess not.

The point of this, to change my thinking and in turn change my life. While my boss intended this to be used to boost office moral (we are new home sales people in a 4 year recession!), I will be taking it to a new level.....

My Level!

I heard a great quote the other night on my drive home

"The light that shines within will always cancel the dark from without."

I get it, as Oprah would say I had my Ahha moment. Thinking negative, even little thoughts, will lead to a negative outlook on life and in turn (at least in my case) will lead to the downward spiral over the fear of what might happen tomorrow. I am not living in the now. I have to start thinking positive and my mood will lighten. I will enjoy more. I will create better relationships around me. I will be able to enjoy all the moments and not worry about tomorrows unknowns. Perhaphs even my daughter will become a positive thinker. After all, parents lead through their actions, not words.

This is not to say bad thoughts shouldn't happen. They do and they will, but make them constructive and learn from them or fix them. Don't always have a negative though when hearing something new for the first time. Have a happy thought about the new adventures you might have. It will make the experience better.

STOP

Think about everything in your life that makes it great....

Me, I am thankful for

1. My Kids (all of them, technically I have given birth once and have a step daughter but I love children, and am an Auntie to many more.)




2. My Husband, what a great man




3. My Family, crazy as they may be sometimes, they are always there for me

4. My Home, squishy, sometimes loud and always full of love and laughter



5. My Health, knock on wood

And so much more.

This is my year and over the next 30 days I am taking control of my life. I have worried about it for too long and now it is time to start living!!!

I will think positive, I am a positive person and I am worth it!

Just Getting Started

Welcome to my life, I hope you enjoy the stay.

I have never had a passion for writing but I have always had a passion for reading...

I have been reading.

Not books, well other than college books.

Blogs!!!

I have always enjoyed reading autobiographies and understanding and learning how other people tik tok. (I had to, love that song:)

Sneaking a peak into other peoples thoughts and words has truly inspired me. I have finally found a passion in writing through blogs. A place to get my thoughts out and to have a record of my day to day life for my kids and grandkids to reflect on. Maybe even to better understand me.

I have found it, now I have ideas and words flooding my brain. I am going to keep going today as this seems to be so therapeutic. Hopefully, I wont run out of ideas in a week:)