...well, a lot happened, actually. lol. we moved [and i am HUGELY happy not to be living with my parents anymore; not sure if Gee feels the same...], Gee started at her new daycare on the 1st of this month [and she's loving it!], i started my graduate assistantship last Monday, and finished my first week of grad school yesterday! WE SURVIVED!! :D when we first moved, the biggest adjustment was not having anyone right there to distract Gee while i tried to get things done around the house, like cook or do laundry. i didn't have her on a good bedtime schedule at all, and we just woke up whenever. i had a whole week with Gee before she started daycare, and i have to say, i suck as a stay at home mom! she would wake up from her nap, and we'd look at each other like "now what?" we don't have cable [then, because it hadn't been installed yet; now, by choice], and i didn't have any movies at the time, so i'm not really sure what we did that week...but we made it somehow. then, she started daycare, so i figured since i had two more weeks until i started work, i would get all kinds of unpacking and organizing done. haaaaaaaaaaa! more like a lot of laying in the bed! the majority of cleaning and organizing i did was done while my security system was being installed, because i would've felt bad for sitting around while the guy was working. but, hey, as long as it got done, it really doesn't matter when or why, right?
the day i decided to put Gee on a set schedule was the day i went over to A & G2's house. G2 has a set 7:30 bedtime, and A told me how if nothing else was certain, G2's bedtime was. hello, bright flashing lightbulb! the next night, Gee was in bed at 8pm. she cried and hollered, but i left her in there, and we've had a good schedule ever since. she only goes to bed later on Mondays [i have a night class and she stays with one of my LSs until i get out] and Wednesdays when we go to church. i'm really not sure why i thought it was going to be hard, but it wasn't. *fist pump* lol.
as for me, i am now officially a person who goes to bed early. seeing as how i was a creature of the night in my former life [pre-Gee], this tickles me immensely. i was trying to read an article for class last night, and started falling asleep at 10pm!! granted, i don't yet have a computer desk or chair, so i was in one of my recliners, which might as well be my bed. but still... we get up at 6:30 every morning, so not only does Gee have a schedule, but apparently so do i. up at 6:30am, bed no later than 10:30pm. the many ways motherhood changes you never cease to amaze me...
and yes, the first week of class went well. i'm only in 6 hours this semester, one class on Monday and the other on Wednesday. i never knew class introductions could take 1.5 hours before grad school....LOL. but anyway, the semester promises to be challenging, but i'm ready to take it on. on that note, i suppose i should get back to the article i fell asleep on, now that i'm in a computer chair and not a recliner. it should go much better this time... :)
toodles! *elle&gee*
PS: my baby can talk! she now says mama, nana, dah [uncle], moh [milk], moh/goo moh [good morning], hi/hey, bye-bye, and up! come on, sentences! :D
8.25.2011
7.13.2011
"it's been a long time, i shouldn't have left you [left you]..."
"...without a dope beat to step to."
lol. it's been almost a month since the last post? just sad...i was doing pretty well, too! ah, c'est la vie. i won't promise regularity, but as always, i'll do my best to be more regular. in posting, that is, not as in...never mind. ANYWHO!! i really despise the long catch-up posts that i used to do; they're so tedious and i always feel guilty if i don't include every detail, so i won't do those anymore. if you'd like to catch up with what we've been doing lately, find us on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. now that that's out of the way, on to today's topic...
it's not easy being a mommy. especially a young mommy and/or mommy with no husband/boyfriend/partner/boo-thang/person-besides-your-family-and-friends-to-be-there-with-and-for-you-on-a-regular-basis. ask me how i know? well sure, i've been living with my parents ever since Gabriela was born, and yes, they've been awesome BEYOND the highest levels of awesomeness. but i'm about to be 5 hours away with them. in my own place. with G. just the two of us. so slowly but surely, i've been trying to wean myself off of their assistance. things like putting the car seat in or carrying the playpen around, which my daddy used to do, i insist that i do instead, because there won't be a man around to help on a regular basis when we move. i feel the urgent need to drill that into my head and get used to it before it becomes my reality. and talk about scaaaared??? who wouldn't be? HECK yes i'm scared. and worried that i won't adjust to truly being a single parent and student and living on my own. however, that's where the power of "faking it til you're making it" comes in. i had to do it when i first cut my hair and went natural three years ago. i HATED it for 2 months b/c i thought i looked like a boy, but i put my big hoops in, a little makeup on and acted like i was the just-about-bald headed queen of the world. until i believed it. and then i was the not-as-bald-headed queen of a small area. lol. but i'll be looking back on that queen and drawing on the confidence she exuded. i'll be the just-about-bald headed queen of MY world, where G is the junior queen-in-training and WE are unstoppable. i'll do my best to ask for help [i'm getting better about that], and will *always* offer my help to those in similar situations or who could benefit from my experiences. just because you're not always sure of what you're doing doesn't mean you can't help others along the way to finding your footing! too many people feel like they need to "get themselves together" before they can help anyone else. a lot of times, it's good for others to see that you have struggles, because they then no longer feel like they're trying to catch up with/learn from a perfect prototype. none of us are perfect. we all struggle. the least you can do is help someone who's struggling a little more than you are. i didn't really mean to go off on that tangent, but i bet somebody, somewhere out there needed to read that. so there it is!
but back to the young moms: i don't normally say this, but we gotta stick together. not in that we must blindly follow every leader who was once a single mommy [like some people do for their particular race, and that goes for all races]. i'm saying that when we can, we need to help each other out! i'm always down to give what little advice i can to others, whether their child is just a few months younger or still in the womb. or sometimes, a year or so older. realize, ya'll, that just because we're young and haven't been mothers that long, we still have valuable information to offer to others. i've made a great friend who i may not have been as close with if we weren't both mothers. i can talk to her about things that i may not necessarily talk to with my other friends, simply because i know she can relate. i'm not saying you have to be BFFs with every Facebook friend that pops up pregnant. i wouldn't do that. it's as simple as giving an encouraging word during her pregnancy, offering assistance or baby clothes/supplies, whatever. small things really do make a difference. i don't always respond, but it warms my heart when people comment on pictures of G and compliment my mothering skills. little things. if you can, offer to keep another mommy's baby so that she can go grocery shopping or to the mall w/o worrying about changing a diaper. yuck, i'm rambling...but i think ya'll get the point. so i'll stop. if one person takes one thing from this post and applies it to real life, i'll be happy. :)
and i'll probably post again later today [or in like 5 minutes] as a treat/apology for staying away so long! you're welcome. hehe. until next time!
-love elle&gee-
PS: please excuse any typos. too lazy to go check!
6.19.2011
"back it up and dump it..."
LOL @ the title, right? i won't even post the link to that song, because i'm pretty sure you're already singing it to yourself...nasty. :p
on a more serious note: ever wish you had a remote control for your life with a big, huge PAUSE button smack-dab in the middle of it? definitely wishing for that right now. what with getting ready to move, preparing to teach for my church's Vacation Bible School, and being mommy to the greatest baby ever, as well as trying to get my mind ready for GRAD SCHOOL, my head is starting to spin, to say the least. so in an effort to alleviate some of the spinnage, i'm pretty much just going to do a mind dump. right here. right now. ready? me either. but let's go...
last year on father's day, i wished my daddy a happy one [of course], but i also wished one to the single mothers who also play the father's role in their child[ren]'s lives. a year later, i say "scratch that". i know i, for one, am no one's father. as i am a woman [clearly: i gave birth, hello!], it is anatomically impossible for me to be a father, as a father is male. i also realized that single mothers aren't fathers, because fathers [talking about present, good or trying-to-be good fathers and father figures only] are supposed to be true examples of a real man who takes on the responsibilities of a father because he knows that it's the right thing to do. i can't be the epitome of the type of man i want my daughter to be with, because i'm not a man. however, my daddy can and does that for her. my granpda can and does that for her. brothers at the church can and do that for her. hopefully, my brothers will be able to do that for her. not me. all i can do is point out these fine examples and pray that she takes them to heart. [happy father's day daddy & Old Ben Ivery!]
i'm scared that i may not be ready. ready for graduate-level coursework. ready for independent living with just me and Gabriela. ready for the "real world". what if i got it together to get in to grad school, only to fall apart once i start? and yes, i'm always praying, but self-doubt is a slick sucker that isn't so easily expelled from my brain. just gotta keep telling myself: "i can do this. i GOT this. i will do this. i HAVE to do this." and eventually, i'll believe that i can do it. then i'll just do it. then it will be done. speaking it into existence!!
a week late, but i can't say enough how blessed my daughter is. me too, of course, but do ya'll know that with all of her birthday gifts, she has the full summer wardrobe that i was just beginning to wonder how i would provide? i mean, anything i buy for her from now on will be in preparation for fall/winter! tell me God isn't great, and i'll instruct you to read every post in this blog, re-read this paragraph, and you'll be forced to change your mind...
i think that's all of the dumping i have to do for today. hopefully we'll see some more posting before next week, but right now i'm on the YOU of A campus, in a room on the third floor of a dorm with no elevators, preparing for a week of job shadowing to get an idea of my upcoming Graduate Assistant responsibilities. did i mention that i was on the THIRD floor of a DORM with NO ELEVATORS!?!? someone's going to be losing some weight this week...LOL. and how you know it's been FOREVER [like, three years] since i've lived in a dorm? i forgot bedding! i had to go buy some from good ole Wally World. must've thought i was staying in a hotel; one look in the shower snapped me back to reality! anywho, enough about the mundane activities of my day. except for this: i'm here WITHOUT my Punkin!!! so it'll be interesting to see how we BOTH act during this week...mmk, bye bye now!
-love always, elle&gee-
on a more serious note: ever wish you had a remote control for your life with a big, huge PAUSE button smack-dab in the middle of it? definitely wishing for that right now. what with getting ready to move, preparing to teach for my church's Vacation Bible School, and being mommy to the greatest baby ever, as well as trying to get my mind ready for GRAD SCHOOL, my head is starting to spin, to say the least. so in an effort to alleviate some of the spinnage, i'm pretty much just going to do a mind dump. right here. right now. ready? me either. but let's go...
last year on father's day, i wished my daddy a happy one [of course], but i also wished one to the single mothers who also play the father's role in their child[ren]'s lives. a year later, i say "scratch that". i know i, for one, am no one's father. as i am a woman [clearly: i gave birth, hello!], it is anatomically impossible for me to be a father, as a father is male. i also realized that single mothers aren't fathers, because fathers [talking about present, good or trying-to-be good fathers and father figures only] are supposed to be true examples of a real man who takes on the responsibilities of a father because he knows that it's the right thing to do. i can't be the epitome of the type of man i want my daughter to be with, because i'm not a man. however, my daddy can and does that for her. my granpda can and does that for her. brothers at the church can and do that for her. hopefully, my brothers will be able to do that for her. not me. all i can do is point out these fine examples and pray that she takes them to heart. [happy father's day daddy & Old Ben Ivery!]
i'm scared that i may not be ready. ready for graduate-level coursework. ready for independent living with just me and Gabriela. ready for the "real world". what if i got it together to get in to grad school, only to fall apart once i start? and yes, i'm always praying, but self-doubt is a slick sucker that isn't so easily expelled from my brain. just gotta keep telling myself: "i can do this. i GOT this. i will do this. i HAVE to do this." and eventually, i'll believe that i can do it. then i'll just do it. then it will be done. speaking it into existence!!
a week late, but i can't say enough how blessed my daughter is. me too, of course, but do ya'll know that with all of her birthday gifts, she has the full summer wardrobe that i was just beginning to wonder how i would provide? i mean, anything i buy for her from now on will be in preparation for fall/winter! tell me God isn't great, and i'll instruct you to read every post in this blog, re-read this paragraph, and you'll be forced to change your mind...
i think that's all of the dumping i have to do for today. hopefully we'll see some more posting before next week, but right now i'm on the YOU of A campus, in a room on the third floor of a dorm with no elevators, preparing for a week of job shadowing to get an idea of my upcoming Graduate Assistant responsibilities. did i mention that i was on the THIRD floor of a DORM with NO ELEVATORS!?!? someone's going to be losing some weight this week...LOL. and how you know it's been FOREVER [like, three years] since i've lived in a dorm? i forgot bedding! i had to go buy some from good ole Wally World. must've thought i was staying in a hotel; one look in the shower snapped me back to reality! anywho, enough about the mundane activities of my day. except for this: i'm here WITHOUT my Punkin!!! so it'll be interesting to see how we BOTH act during this week...mmk, bye bye now!
-love always, elle&gee-
6.10.2011
"big things poppin', and little things stoppin'..."
yeeeaaah, so i'm way super late on plenty of things. BUT, the important thing is that i'm finally getting around to posting! "better late than never", that's my motto...lol. anywho, we have a lot of "big things poppin'" right now, so prepare for a lot of reading. let's begin with...
WE'RE MOVING OUT!! last Friday, Gee, my parents and i went up to Fayetteville in search of living space and childcare, and got to check *both* of off my list! i did some internet research on both apartments and daycares, so i already had a number one preference for both. and after visiting both the complex and the daycare, i was pleased with both, and put down a deposit on both! so i'll be going back up in mid-July to sign my lease and fill out all of the paperwork for Gee to start daycare! aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ya'll, excited isn't EVEN the word. finally, after 4 years in dorms and a sorority house, and 1 year at home, i get to live in an apartment! with my own room! and me & Gee not living on top of each other anymore! omgee...ya'll have no idea! anyway, enough about that [but did i mention that Gee will have her own ROOM!?]. on to...
1ST YEAR G*DAY!!! my babygirl is a baby, no more! as of today, June 10th, she is officially a ONE year old Toddler! can you believe it? i know i can't... it seems like just days ago that i was waddling into the Dr.'s office and being told that it was baby time! wow. time really does fly, as if i haven't been cliche enough today [lol]. however, i embrace the passage of time. some people mourn the days when their children were immobile and totally dependent on them. um, not me!! while yes, it was tiresome to keep tabs on a little one who loves to bang on the TV and put everything she sees in her mouth [except for the things that are actually meant for her to chew on!], but i don't have to hold her cup now. she can feed herself. when she gets to walking a bit better, i'll be relieved from hauling her heavy little self around [the doctor said she was only 18lbs8oz. but i don't believe it for a second...]. her personality and intuitiveness are amazing to observe; newborns and young infants are pretty boring, if you ask me. pretty to look at, yes. but still boring. so bring on toddlerhood, lil' mama. i'm pretty sure she's giving me sneak peeks of the Terrible Twos already, but as my mother loves to remind me, i'm only getting what i gave her! LOL, oh well! for the last update, let's....
PARTY! rather, partieS. Gee had her first 1st birthday party down here, under a pavilion in the park [basically]. it was a small, intimate affair, attended only by close family and friends [although one of her daycare buddies did stop by for a few minutes, which was nice]. we had my famous rainbow cupcakes [lol], and i made a large rainbow cupcake for Gee to eat/play in, which was hilarious to watch. not so hilarious to clean up, but still totally worth it. she got some great gifts, too. since i'm too lazy to list them or post pics here, check them out on Facebook. if we're not friends, shoot me a message so i can add you. i don't let people add me because there are some strange folks lurking on FB, nah'mean? anyway, we're having Gee's second 1st birthday party tomorrow in Little Rock, so that we can get out of the house, and so that our friends from the northern part of the state don't have to drive as far to celebrate with us. i'll do my best not to let a week pass before i tell ya'll about it. ;) until next time!
-love elle&BIGGIRL!gee-
WE'RE MOVING OUT!! last Friday, Gee, my parents and i went up to Fayetteville in search of living space and childcare, and got to check *both* of off my list! i did some internet research on both apartments and daycares, so i already had a number one preference for both. and after visiting both the complex and the daycare, i was pleased with both, and put down a deposit on both! so i'll be going back up in mid-July to sign my lease and fill out all of the paperwork for Gee to start daycare! aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ya'll, excited isn't EVEN the word. finally, after 4 years in dorms and a sorority house, and 1 year at home, i get to live in an apartment! with my own room! and me & Gee not living on top of each other anymore! omgee...ya'll have no idea! anyway, enough about that [but did i mention that Gee will have her own ROOM!?]. on to...
1ST YEAR G*DAY!!! my babygirl is a baby, no more! as of today, June 10th, she is officially a ONE year old Toddler! can you believe it? i know i can't... it seems like just days ago that i was waddling into the Dr.'s office and being told that it was baby time! wow. time really does fly, as if i haven't been cliche enough today [lol]. however, i embrace the passage of time. some people mourn the days when their children were immobile and totally dependent on them. um, not me!! while yes, it was tiresome to keep tabs on a little one who loves to bang on the TV and put everything she sees in her mouth [except for the things that are actually meant for her to chew on!], but i don't have to hold her cup now. she can feed herself. when she gets to walking a bit better, i'll be relieved from hauling her heavy little self around [the doctor said she was only 18lbs8oz. but i don't believe it for a second...]. her personality and intuitiveness are amazing to observe; newborns and young infants are pretty boring, if you ask me. pretty to look at, yes. but still boring. so bring on toddlerhood, lil' mama. i'm pretty sure she's giving me sneak peeks of the Terrible Twos already, but as my mother loves to remind me, i'm only getting what i gave her! LOL, oh well! for the last update, let's....
PARTY! rather, partieS. Gee had her first 1st birthday party down here, under a pavilion in the park [basically]. it was a small, intimate affair, attended only by close family and friends [although one of her daycare buddies did stop by for a few minutes, which was nice]. we had my famous rainbow cupcakes [lol], and i made a large rainbow cupcake for Gee to eat/play in, which was hilarious to watch. not so hilarious to clean up, but still totally worth it. she got some great gifts, too. since i'm too lazy to list them or post pics here, check them out on Facebook. if we're not friends, shoot me a message so i can add you. i don't let people add me because there are some strange folks lurking on FB, nah'mean? anyway, we're having Gee's second 1st birthday party tomorrow in Little Rock, so that we can get out of the house, and so that our friends from the northern part of the state don't have to drive as far to celebrate with us. i'll do my best not to let a week pass before i tell ya'll about it. ;) until next time!
-love elle&BIGGIRL!gee-
5.31.2011
t.f.t.p. tuesday: sweet summertime.
ya'll should already know what "t.f.t.p." means... if not, please reference this post. lol. now that we have that out of the way, let's talk Memorial Day weekend! all 6 of us Wilson kids [if you include Gee] had some fun in the sun as we swam Monday morning away. Gee was only out there for 30 minutes, and she got browner than i've ever gotten in my life! don't believe me? see for yourself:
this weekend was one not only of brown-ness, but also of some major milestones [in my eyes, anyway]. sweet baby Gee no longer uses a pacifier OR drinks formula!! let me tell you, the latter development was a much easier transition than the former. story time! because i know ya'll love my stories...lol :) Saturday, Gee and i went over to Old Ben Ivery's [my grandpa's] house to pick up some things for my apartment [*insert excited squeal here*]. when i got home, i realized that i had left Gee's pacifier over there. seeing as i was already settled in at the house and had no intentions of leaving again that night, i figured that must have been a sign for me to try and get Gee to go to sleep without it. that was the only thing she was using it for, anyways; she was rarely using the pacifier during the day anymore. so when bedtime rolled around, about 9:30ish pm, Gee sat in the recliner with her PawPaw, screaming in sleep delirium. she'd had her dinner and her bedtime cup of milk; there wasn't much else we could do but rock her and listen to her scream. she kept twisting around trying to look at me, so i figured she needed her mommy to put her to sleep [lol]. i took her in the kitchen, fixed her a cup of water, and sat on the couch in the den where it was cool and quiet. she calmed down and drank the water, and i could tell she was full, but she still kept sucking on the cup, as if it were a paci. when i tried to take it from her, she started screaming again, so i gave it back to her, and she stopped. but she didn't put it back in her mouth. so i took her in our room and sat in the rocking chair. she kept a tight grip on the cup, but as i rocked and talked and sang and shushed, she eventually drifted off into dreamland. she finally relaxed her grip on the cup enough for me to take it out of her hands. i figured it was finally safe to put her in her crib. however, when i did, she promptly woke up and started screaming again. i picked her back up and swayed and shushed and sang some more until she calmed down. then i put her back in the crib and rocked her and rubbed her belly. voila! sleeping baby with no pacifier. was it difficult? yeah duh!!! but it was time. if there's one thing i can't stand, it's an older toddler [18-36 months] walking around with a paci in their mouth. while i was still pregnant, i was determined that my baby would NOT be one of those kids. mission accomplished :D
ok, story time is over! now enjoy some more Memorial Day pics:
coming up soon: a reflection on what i've learned while working with 1st and 2nd graders for the past two weeks, and how i can apply it to my planned career path...sounds interesting, right? :) until next time!
-love elle&gee-
this weekend was one not only of brown-ness, but also of some major milestones [in my eyes, anyway]. sweet baby Gee no longer uses a pacifier OR drinks formula!! let me tell you, the latter development was a much easier transition than the former. story time! because i know ya'll love my stories...lol :) Saturday, Gee and i went over to Old Ben Ivery's [my grandpa's] house to pick up some things for my apartment [*insert excited squeal here*]. when i got home, i realized that i had left Gee's pacifier over there. seeing as i was already settled in at the house and had no intentions of leaving again that night, i figured that must have been a sign for me to try and get Gee to go to sleep without it. that was the only thing she was using it for, anyways; she was rarely using the pacifier during the day anymore. so when bedtime rolled around, about 9:30ish pm, Gee sat in the recliner with her PawPaw, screaming in sleep delirium. she'd had her dinner and her bedtime cup of milk; there wasn't much else we could do but rock her and listen to her scream. she kept twisting around trying to look at me, so i figured she needed her mommy to put her to sleep [lol]. i took her in the kitchen, fixed her a cup of water, and sat on the couch in the den where it was cool and quiet. she calmed down and drank the water, and i could tell she was full, but she still kept sucking on the cup, as if it were a paci. when i tried to take it from her, she started screaming again, so i gave it back to her, and she stopped. but she didn't put it back in her mouth. so i took her in our room and sat in the rocking chair. she kept a tight grip on the cup, but as i rocked and talked and sang and shushed, she eventually drifted off into dreamland. she finally relaxed her grip on the cup enough for me to take it out of her hands. i figured it was finally safe to put her in her crib. however, when i did, she promptly woke up and started screaming again. i picked her back up and swayed and shushed and sang some more until she calmed down. then i put her back in the crib and rocked her and rubbed her belly. voila! sleeping baby with no pacifier. was it difficult? yeah duh!!! but it was time. if there's one thing i can't stand, it's an older toddler [18-36 months] walking around with a paci in their mouth. while i was still pregnant, i was determined that my baby would NOT be one of those kids. mission accomplished :D
ok, story time is over! now enjoy some more Memorial Day pics:
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| mommy, baby, and auntie :) |
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| Uncle Caleb |
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| the Wilson kiddos! |
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| us again! :) |
-love elle&gee-
5.27.2011
"closer to my dreams": a testimony.
i'm pretty sure that my Facebook friends are tired of my posting this song, but, as it is my current theme song, they'll have to get over it! because i'm "...moving higher/*CLOSER TO MY DREAMS*/and higher and higher, higher/feel it in my being..." let the music play as you read this story:
on Friday, April 22nd, i received a text message about applying for an assistantship. seeing as how i hadn't even completed my senior paper nor my application to the Higher Education Master's program (at the YOU of A), i had no expectations of getting an assistantship, and figured that, if i made it into grad school, i'd just get some student loans to take care of it until i could hunt down some other form of assistance. so to say that this opportunity fell into my lap is a total understatement! of course, i said yes, and was told to send my resume, cover letter and reference list by that Sunday (two days later). after finally finishing the senior paper early Saturday, i began working on my first cover letter ever. which was kind of weird, because i always feel strange when i have to talk about myself and my accomplishments. but i managed to get something on paper, and after making my parents look over the letter and my resume [for the millionth time], i sent them off into cyberspace on Sunday, April 24th. not expecting to hear anything back for at least a week, i go about my business. Tuesday, April 26th, i check my email and what do i see? "Congratulations! You are a finalist for the Office of Diversity Programs Graduate Assistantship Position." whaaaaaaat!?!?!? super excited! i read the email to my mother, mentioning that they wanted me to come up to Fayetteville for an interview on Monday, May 2nd. i had already agreed to sub that day, so i asked her if i should just to ask for a phone interview. "NO!" she told me emphatically. "You call SubTeach and tell them that you won't be able to work, and you go up there for that interview! I'll keep Gabriela for you." yes ma'am! what else could i say? so that Sunday i found myself gearing up for my first solo trip to Fayetteville since having Gee. it was quite strange for the only sounds to be my own screaming [singing] at the top of my lungs instead of Gabriela's wailing cries. nice, but still strange. i interviewed Monday morning, turned in my application to the Master's program after that, and headed home on Tuesday, feeling confident yet anxious to hear the results. and results, i did hear! Monday, May 9th, i was running an errand. when i got back in my car, i saw that i had a missed call from a University of Arkansas number. i rushed to call it back, and in turn received the sweet, sweet news that i was selected to be the new graduate assistant for the Office of Diversity Programs in the Walton College of Business!! i could barely control my emotions, yet i somehow managed to make it through the short conversation without crying. however, when i called my mother as i was on my way back to the house, the tears burst from my eyes. i was so unbelievably overcome at how God had begun to show me what His intentions were for me. i was still in shock when i stepped through the door and gave my mama a huge hug, then called my daddy, sister, grandpa, etc. well, not really etc.; i didn't want to tell too many people since i hadn't yet officially been accepted to the program, something that i was nervous about for the sole reason that my GPA had suffered quite a bit during my last semester of classes, due to the depression and laziness brought on by my last trimester of pregnancy. i checked my email several times daily, looking for a word from the powers that be at the graduate school. finally, after all of my references were in and my application was submitted for review, i got an email on Friday, May 20th from the program coordinator, Dr. Murry, asking when i would be available for 30-minute phone interview. we decided on Wednesday, May 25th at 4pm. i rushed home from school to charge my phone, and sat on the couch waiting for the phone to ring. when it did, Dr. Murry introduced himself again, and he explained that, as the program coordinator, he would decided whether or not he would admit me to the program after our conversation. that made me both happy and apprehensive; happy because the waiting game would finally end, and apprehensive because i might say the wrong thing or my GPA might drag down the rest of my application. Dr. Murry told me details about the program, then asked me a few questions. i won't get into all those details, because the important part is this: "After reviewing your application and hearing your answers to my questions just now, i have made the decision to admit you into the program." JACKPOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i couldn't thank him enough, i was SO happy to finally be able to yell to the world that i am OFFICIALLY going to be a grad student in August! and couldn't have done it without my awesome family, friends, mentors, supporters, and, of course, the Lord, who had to have orchestrated all of this. from a text message, i have a way to pay for my higher education. it still makes me sit back and sigh in awe. tell me He isn't amazing, and i'll tell you to read this story again, and i know that you'll have no choice but to change your mind. this is my testimony, and i'm gonna tell everybody i know. Thank You GOD! excuse all of the exclamation points in this post, but i'm still on cloud fifty-leven hunnid million!!!
until next time!
-love elle&gee-
5.24.2011
toddler tuesday!
let's officially welcome my sweet baby Gee into toddlerhood! *round of applause* hehe :D after several days of going to pick her up from daycare and being informed of how much Gee would walk around there [which she wasn't doing it home], she finally decided to show me her skills. very proud mama right here! check her out:
and of course, tardy for the party as always, here's my list for what should've been yesterday's [not another] manic monday. which actually turned out to be a manic monday because of all the excitement surrounding Gee's new mode of transportation! anyways, here goes:
list#FOURTEEN: things i love about... myself. :)
***my hair, or lack thereof :D
***my height [being 5'0" is the shizz! most of the time, anyways!]
***my creativity, not to toot my own horn or anything. hehe.
***my musicality/love of music, which i hope to intentionally pass on to Gee.
***my crazy/wonderful mind and the ability to use it sanely. mostly sanely, that is. ;p
short, sweet, and to the point, much like myself! LOL, until next time!
-love elle&gee-
and of course, tardy for the party as always, here's my list for what should've been yesterday's [not another] manic monday. which actually turned out to be a manic monday because of all the excitement surrounding Gee's new mode of transportation! anyways, here goes:
list#FOURTEEN: things i love about... myself. :)
***my hair, or lack thereof :D
***my height [being 5'0" is the shizz! most of the time, anyways!]
***my creativity, not to toot my own horn or anything. hehe.
***my musicality/love of music, which i hope to intentionally pass on to Gee.
***my crazy/wonderful mind and the ability to use it sanely. mostly sanely, that is. ;p
short, sweet, and to the point, much like myself! LOL, until next time!
-love elle&gee-
5.19.2011
proud single mother? ummm...
this ad popped up on the side of my Facebook, promoting a page called "Proud Single Moms". as i am a single mommy, i clicked on it, interested to see what information it provided. but as i thought about the title, Proud Single Moms, it made me think. i didn't even end up clicking on the page's provided link, because i was too busy pondering this thought: am i really a "proud" single mother? i have to say, my answer to that is "no." i am a proud mother, and i truly do not regret my decision to become a mother. however, i will admit to feelings of shame when i tell people that i have a daughter, and some of them sneak a peek at my ring-less left hand; some will straight up ask if i'm married; and some, knowing i'm not married, just give me that super-duper judgmental look like "oh, you're just another young black girl who got herself knocked up." initially, the shame tries to get the better of me, but then i stop myself and remember: sure, i may be a young black woman who got herself knocked up, but i am also a young black woman with a college degree. i am also a young black woman in the process of starting on another degree. i am a young black single mother who is not always trying to pawn my daughter off on others in order to hit the club and party. i am a young black single mother who, knowing that i would have no partner in my child's father, chose to be a young black single mother because i believe in taking responsibility for my actions, not running away from them or pretending like they didn't happen. i am a young black single mother on a mission to one day be a not-as-young-but-not-old married mother with a fulfilling job, happy relationship, and a fabulous life. what i am NOT is "just another" young black girl who got myself knocked up. i am NOT "just another" anything. i am Gabriela's mother, i am young, i am black, but i refuse to be the stereotype of a statistic. point being, though i may not always be so proud of the way in which i became a mother, i won't let it be a reason for people to doubt me. or for me to doubt myself. while "proud single mom" i am not, i am a proud mother. period. and there ain't no shame in my game when i say that. :)
-love elle&gee-
-love elle&gee-
5.18.2011
tardy for the party.
yes, i was hooked on RHOA the first couple of seasons [WHO GON' CHECK ME, BOO!?], and i am still perplexed as to how this song even came into existence. however, i am super tardy on a couple of things, and this song came to mind. listen and enjoy. or cringe. :)
...aaaand we're back. here's what yours truly is "tardy to the party" for:
[not another] manic monday! --- it is clearly Wednesday. but honestly, i'm doing good to get it in before the end of the week! i'm back working regularly again for a couple of weeks [with 1st and 2nd graders, not the jr. high heathens, thank GOD], and i'm still trying to get back in the swing of it after hardly subbing at all for a few weeks [due to other important duties, like getting out of this place so i can QUIT subbing. lol]. it's boring as i don't know what, but i can't complain when i'm getting paid! anyways, here's this week's list, which should actually be "weekly rituals," but aside from church, i don't really have any...so here we go!
list#THIRTEEN: "DIYs i want to try"
--> website design, from scratch. back in my MySpace days, i self-taught myself a lot of HTML, which i've mostly forgotten, but would love to re-learn. i also fancied myself a fledgling graphic designer, as evidenced by this album of embarrassing MySpace background paraphernalia and my major in Advertising and Public Relations. please keep in mind i was, like, 14 or 15 when i made these. "yung & sexxii"? really??? -_-
---> sewing dresses for G, and myself, for that matter. i've known some sewing women in my day, and i love the whole idea of making my own clothes. did i ever tell ya'll that i thought it would be supercool to be a fashion designer in 8th grade? only because i was taking Home Ec, and we had to draw three different clothing designs. i thought mine were awesome, so i drew little mannequins with slutty clothes for the rest of the semester. they really weren't that great. and i have no clue why all of them were half-clothed. whatever.
---> calligraphy art. my Granny Annie was a calligraphy artiste. she took bible verses, quotes, poems, and made them pop off of the page with her beautiful writing. why wouldn't i want to learn how to do that?
---> diaper cakes. they look easy, and people pay for them. need i say more? :)
---> quilting. see "sewing dresses".
the other item for which i am "tardy for the party": my baby's G*DAY!!!! i am over a week late with my G*DAY report, not to mention that i didn't even remember G*DAY until the day after G*DAY...shame on me. but anyways, here it is: the 11-month G*DAY report!
*Gee can now stand up without pulling up. she also can almost run when someone holds her hands; just waiting for her to be ready to step out solo! :) did i mention that she is a dancing machine? in case you didn't see it on Facebook, check her out:
yes, we adore The Fresh Beat Band :)
*she's discovered how ticklish i am on my feet!! she was playing on the floor and grabbed my foot. i am ridiculously ticklish everywhere, but especially on my feet, so i started laughing. what did Gee do? attacked my foot! it was all i could do not to kick her in the face - my normal defense against tickle monsters. mama and i just laughed and looked at each other in amazement of how perceptive Gee is...aren't babies amazing?
*she drools. All. The. Time. i'm still waiting on her to have more than two teeth, though...
*the baby food days are LONG gone. i gotta say, i used to feel bad about serving her Chef Boyardee and green beans or carrots almost everyday...up until yesterday, when i talked some sense into myself: if she likes it AND it's easy? what's the problem? i promise, that's one thing i can't stand about myself. if something seems too easy, it must be too good to be true, so i must make it harder on myself. motherhood is helping me break myself of that mentality, thank God!
*Gee is soooo affectionate, i love it! she hugs and slobber-kisses and gives back-pats... just the sweetest baby ever :)
*and look how freakin' HUGE she's getting!
Love. That. Girl. can't say it enough :)
until next time!
-love elle&gee-
5.13.2011
Annie and Avocados.
#BloggerBeTRIPPIN. just had to get that out of my system. :)
last night, i cooked dinner for the three Uncle Cs and my daddy. and me, of course (Gee's dinners mostly consist of Chef Boyardee, green beans, and maybe fruit. don't judge me, it's easy and she likes it!). we had chicken fajita taco salad, so really the only thing i had to cook was the chicken, which took longer to cut up than it did to actually cook. womp. however, it got good reviews, and all three of the boys had seconds, so that's always a good sign! to go with the taco salad, i had planned to make some fresh guacamole. i bought three avocados, not even bothering to look at the sticker that read "RIPE WHEN SOFT". needless to say, all three of the avocados where not only not soft, but they were straight up hard. i spent 30 minutes trying to get the flesh out of those avocados while cooking the chicken and wiping Chef Boyardee sauce out of Gee's eyes. fun fun! not. the escapade did make me think about my Granny Annie, who passed away last October after battling breast cancer.
she absolutely loved avocados. i used to turn my nose up every time she mentioned them, but now i absolutely love guacamole. i have yet to try avocado in non-guacamole, but it's probably cool, too. anyways, my Granny Annie was also a lover of all things beautiful. paper, cards, writing, quotes, verses... and she loved sunflowers, too. the last time i saw her alive was the Thursday before she died. she lived right around the corner, so i put Gee in the stroller and walked over there, just to visit for awhile. by that time, she wasn't eating very much, but she had me put some strawberries and sugar in a bowl, and put in on the table to sit awhile. honestly, i found the task to be a bit tedious, because i figured that she wasn't going to eat them anyway, but i did it anyway. when i came back into the living room, both Granny Annie and Gee were asleep, Gee in Granny Annie's lap. i kick myself daily because i didn't take a picture; i take pictures of almost everything, yet i have not one picture of Gee and Granny Annie together. not one. i just have to be satisfied with memories of the two of them, such as when Gee was just a few weeks old. Granny Annie told me that i should put a blanket on the surface of the play pen, because it might be cold to Gee. seeing as the surface was fabric, i thought it unnecessary, but since she insisted, i did it anyway.
memories of Gee and i driving Granny Annie to her radiation treatments, as she shared with us family history between the chest-rattling cough caused by fluid building up around her lungs. memories of Granny Annie holding Gee while i ate, and her giving me her meal to take to my brothers because she couldn't eat it. though i saw her condition deteriorate before my eyes, i always figured i would have more time with her, that Gee would have more time with her, that she would have more time with Gee. but she didn't. i didn't. which is why her memory must be kept alive. i will make sure that Gee knows that she had a Granny Annie who adored her, who watched her grow for the four short months she had with her. i think about her every day, especially when trying to make guacamole. or when i see a sunflower. or when i stop in the store to admire something that i would buy just because it's something pretty. while she may not be physically present, i feel my Granny Annie's spirit all of the time. as i go to the Relay for Life tonight, it will quite frankly suck to see the luminary with her name on it say "In Memoriam Of" instead of "In Honor Of" as it did just a year ago. but instead of getting depressed about her death, i will choose to celebrate her life. i love you, Granny Annie, and miss you soooo much.
and to think, this whole post originated from me trying to make some friggin' guacamole. :)
-love elle&gee-
last night, i cooked dinner for the three Uncle Cs and my daddy. and me, of course (Gee's dinners mostly consist of Chef Boyardee, green beans, and maybe fruit. don't judge me, it's easy and she likes it!). we had chicken fajita taco salad, so really the only thing i had to cook was the chicken, which took longer to cut up than it did to actually cook. womp. however, it got good reviews, and all three of the boys had seconds, so that's always a good sign! to go with the taco salad, i had planned to make some fresh guacamole. i bought three avocados, not even bothering to look at the sticker that read "RIPE WHEN SOFT". needless to say, all three of the avocados where not only not soft, but they were straight up hard. i spent 30 minutes trying to get the flesh out of those avocados while cooking the chicken and wiping Chef Boyardee sauce out of Gee's eyes. fun fun! not. the escapade did make me think about my Granny Annie, who passed away last October after battling breast cancer.
she absolutely loved avocados. i used to turn my nose up every time she mentioned them, but now i absolutely love guacamole. i have yet to try avocado in non-guacamole, but it's probably cool, too. anyways, my Granny Annie was also a lover of all things beautiful. paper, cards, writing, quotes, verses... and she loved sunflowers, too. the last time i saw her alive was the Thursday before she died. she lived right around the corner, so i put Gee in the stroller and walked over there, just to visit for awhile. by that time, she wasn't eating very much, but she had me put some strawberries and sugar in a bowl, and put in on the table to sit awhile. honestly, i found the task to be a bit tedious, because i figured that she wasn't going to eat them anyway, but i did it anyway. when i came back into the living room, both Granny Annie and Gee were asleep, Gee in Granny Annie's lap. i kick myself daily because i didn't take a picture; i take pictures of almost everything, yet i have not one picture of Gee and Granny Annie together. not one. i just have to be satisfied with memories of the two of them, such as when Gee was just a few weeks old. Granny Annie told me that i should put a blanket on the surface of the play pen, because it might be cold to Gee. seeing as the surface was fabric, i thought it unnecessary, but since she insisted, i did it anyway.
memories of Gee and i driving Granny Annie to her radiation treatments, as she shared with us family history between the chest-rattling cough caused by fluid building up around her lungs. memories of Granny Annie holding Gee while i ate, and her giving me her meal to take to my brothers because she couldn't eat it. though i saw her condition deteriorate before my eyes, i always figured i would have more time with her, that Gee would have more time with her, that she would have more time with Gee. but she didn't. i didn't. which is why her memory must be kept alive. i will make sure that Gee knows that she had a Granny Annie who adored her, who watched her grow for the four short months she had with her. i think about her every day, especially when trying to make guacamole. or when i see a sunflower. or when i stop in the store to admire something that i would buy just because it's something pretty. while she may not be physically present, i feel my Granny Annie's spirit all of the time. as i go to the Relay for Life tonight, it will quite frankly suck to see the luminary with her name on it say "In Memoriam Of" instead of "In Honor Of" as it did just a year ago. but instead of getting depressed about her death, i will choose to celebrate her life. i love you, Granny Annie, and miss you soooo much.
 |
| me, Gee (still in-utero), and Granny Annie, prepping me to waddle across the stage [May 8, 2010] :) |
and to think, this whole post originated from me trying to make some friggin' guacamole. :)
-love elle&gee-
5.09.2011
[not another] manic Monday! ---inaugural post :)
"It's just another manic Monday (oh-woe)
I wish it was Sunday (oh-woe)
'Cause that's my Funday (oh-woe)
My I don't have to runday (oh)
It's just another manic Monday." -Bangles
the chorus to this song runs through my mind just about every single Monday, especially since i've started working on a somewhat regular basis. i mean, really, whose Mondays are anything but manic? i know for Gee & i, it usually sucks having to get up early, run around making sure we're both ready to get out the door, think we're ready then forget that i still have to do *something* with Gee's hair [because it'd be a national disaster if she went to daycare with her hair all over her head, right Mom? lol]...yes, manic, manic Mondays are how we start off our week. in an effort to bring some order to counteract the chaos of this notorious weekday, i present to you "[not another] manic monday!", a concept born from two facts: today is Monday [and i was absolutely bored at work], and i have yet to finish my 30 Days of Lists. it's already been much longer than 30 days, so adding a couple of months won't hurt :) i will do my best to present a nice, orderly list with lots of
list#ELEVEN: "Date Night Ideas" [with Gee, of course!]
---> a stroll in the park. once Gee reaches the appropriate age, this will be followed by snow cones [weather permitting]. small watermelon with cream, please! :D
---> shopping! there is no age limit when it comes to retail therapy! ;)
---> at-home movie night. my Punkin loves TV; yes, i probably let her watch a bit too much. BUT, at least i'm getting better about reading to her at least once a day, so that makes up for all of the TV, right? at least Nick Jr. is commerical-free...LOL.
---> fro-yo while walking down Dickson St on a beautiful summer evening. ugh, can't wait to get back to Fayetteville, AR and THE University of Arkansas!
---> museums & mexican food. i love both, therefore Gee will, too. if she doesn't, well... she will! :)
do you have a special way of calming down your manic Mondays? let me know! until next time...
-love elle&gee-
5.08.2011
our village.
"it takes a village to raise a child." -African proverb
for part two of a reflection on my first mother's day, the quote above came to mind. i was browsing through today's Facebook shoutouts, which ranged from the simple "Happy Mother's Day!" to the lengthy "I just wanna take this time to thank my mama Dorothy Ray Sugar Pie Williams Jones Johnson who is responsible for every success and accomplishment in my life. I LOVE YOU MAMA! Oh yeah, and shoutout to grandma 'nem. Love ya'll too." LOL. what struck me though, as it does every year, were the many stati that made sure to recognize the single mothers who are "doing it alone". i thought about all of the single mothers i know, regardless of age, and i know that i can only speak for myself, but i can tell you that throughout this past [almost] year of raising my daughter, i have NOT been alone. am i married? definitely not. not even close. no boyfriend, beau, nothing. however, Gee and i are surrounded by her village: family, friends, mentors, associates... her village reaches across city, county, and state lines. although i plan on going to grad school five hours away from my parents and biological family, we have another family waiting for us when we get there. there may be a few exceptions, but i don't really think that any of us single mothers truly "do it alone". our support systems just don't begin with a significant other. they begin with our own mothers, and fathers, then reach out to our aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, and end with anyone we know who cares about our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our children. of course, i would love to eventually have a significant other to serve as a strong example of a father figure to my daughter. however, for now, my own father is doing an amazing job of filling that role. i suspect he'll continue to do so, even when [IF] that significant other comes into play. on this, my first mother's day, i give thanks to the Lord for everyone in Gee's village. because of you all, i am not doing it alone, nor will i ever have to. :)
by the way, i had a fab mother's day. i didn't do anything extravagant; i did receive some workout gear from the parentals. gotta love their support of my new workout plan :) i helped my daddy finish dinner prep and helped him clean the kitchen - after i woke up from my impromptu nap with Gee. my daddy and i worked as a team so that my mommy could hang out and relax in the bed: a luxury for a mother to three "energetic" [to put it nicely] boys plus a grown daughter [who can, admittedly, act like a spoiled brat sometimes...sorry :)]. my punkin went to bed relatively early, and as i write this, i'm enjoying a moderately-sized serving of Blue Bell's mint chocolate chip ice cream... it's the simple things that make a day special. i hope any other mothers reading this had a simply special mother's day, as well! until next time... :)
-love elle&gee-
for part two of a reflection on my first mother's day, the quote above came to mind. i was browsing through today's Facebook shoutouts, which ranged from the simple "Happy Mother's Day!" to the lengthy "I just wanna take this time to thank my mama Dorothy Ray Sugar Pie Williams Jones Johnson who is responsible for every success and accomplishment in my life. I LOVE YOU MAMA! Oh yeah, and shoutout to grandma 'nem. Love ya'll too." LOL. what struck me though, as it does every year, were the many stati that made sure to recognize the single mothers who are "doing it alone". i thought about all of the single mothers i know, regardless of age, and i know that i can only speak for myself, but i can tell you that throughout this past [almost] year of raising my daughter, i have NOT been alone. am i married? definitely not. not even close. no boyfriend, beau, nothing. however, Gee and i are surrounded by her village: family, friends, mentors, associates... her village reaches across city, county, and state lines. although i plan on going to grad school five hours away from my parents and biological family, we have another family waiting for us when we get there. there may be a few exceptions, but i don't really think that any of us single mothers truly "do it alone". our support systems just don't begin with a significant other. they begin with our own mothers, and fathers, then reach out to our aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, and end with anyone we know who cares about our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our children. of course, i would love to eventually have a significant other to serve as a strong example of a father figure to my daughter. however, for now, my own father is doing an amazing job of filling that role. i suspect he'll continue to do so, even when [IF] that significant other comes into play. on this, my first mother's day, i give thanks to the Lord for everyone in Gee's village. because of you all, i am not doing it alone, nor will i ever have to. :)
by the way, i had a fab mother's day. i didn't do anything extravagant; i did receive some workout gear from the parentals. gotta love their support of my new workout plan :) i helped my daddy finish dinner prep and helped him clean the kitchen - after i woke up from my impromptu nap with Gee. my daddy and i worked as a team so that my mommy could hang out and relax in the bed: a luxury for a mother to three "energetic" [to put it nicely] boys plus a grown daughter [who can, admittedly, act like a spoiled brat sometimes...sorry :)]. my punkin went to bed relatively early, and as i write this, i'm enjoying a moderately-sized serving of Blue Bell's mint chocolate chip ice cream... it's the simple things that make a day special. i hope any other mothers reading this had a simply special mother's day, as well! until next time... :)
-love elle&gee-
5.07.2011
"mamaaa, you know i love yooouuu" -BoysIIMen
i remember "back in the day" when my sister and i had the "Soul Food" movie soundtrack on cassette (yes, i'm old enough to remember cassette tapes!); this is the only song i ever listened to. i would hit the rewind button over and over again until i fell asleep, committing this song to my memory and my heart. i don't know that i really *felt* the lyrics back then. as a matter of fact, i know i didn't. but as i approach my first mother's day, i totally get it.
you taught me everything, and everything you've given me, i'll always keep it inside; you are the driving force in my life, oh yeah...
i was going to break down how i can relate to every single lyric of this song, but i can't, because i'd be writing until Mother's Day 2012. just click on the words above to read all of the lyrics; they'll tell you how i feel. without my mama, there's no way i'd be able to be such a [hopefully] great mommy to my G*Baby. i remember making that phone call to her, all the potential scenarios running through my head: she'll disown me, she'll scream at me, she'll curse me out [even though she doesn't curse], she won't say anything, i'll never be able to come home again, i'll have to figure out this motherhood thing all by myself... but what did my mother do? pray and take action. that's probably one of the most important lessons i've learned from her: when facing a tough problem, pray first, then take action steps to solve it. crazy that it takes moving back home AFTER college to learn the most important life lesson of all...
although i'm more than ready to move OUT of her house [more on that later...lol], i'll be forever grateful that she let me back in while i adjusted to motherhood and sorted myself out this past year. of course, everyone with a great mom thinks their mom is the best, which is true for them. what's true for me is that my mother, S.J.W., is THE best mother in the ENTIRE history of mothers, hands down bar none, and i love Love LOVE her. love her. and in case you didn't get it the first three times, I LOVE MY MOTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! happy mother's day, madre. :)
[Mother's Day, Pt. 2 tomorrow: my thoughts on my 1st mother's day as a MOTHER! woot woot!]
-love always, a very loving elle- :)
5.04.2011
reflection/confession
written 11/11/10:
"finished reading 'Finding Fish' by Antwone Quenton Fisher today. amazing story of an amazing life. makes me realize how cushiony my life is; IDK why i can't get it together. if this man, who should (according to statistics) be rotting in jail right now, can overcome his obstacles - which were, like, Mt. Kilimanjaro-sized - why can't i hop over my little baby ant mound-sized issues? it's like i just keep throwing myself in the mound and lettings those annoying little ants keep biting me. it stings, but not enough for me to get up and move." -LW
yeah, i wrote that. 6 months ago. why? because although i walked across the stage May 8, 2010, i wasn't finished. i had yet to even start on my senior paper. yes, one paper standing in the way of me and the MAJOR "piece of paper". is it finished now? yes. will i have a degree? yes. will it have "2010" on it? no, but does that matter? heck no. why? because the point is, I. Will. Have. A. Degree. is this mildly embarrassing? sure it is. i asked myself a million times how i could let one paper take me over a year to finish. answer: i wasn't ready to get up out of the ant mound yet. i found myself getting entirely too comfortable in this little town of mine. no rent to pay, no bills, easy job...the life, right? wrong. i had to remember who i was at the core - an overachieving, non-settling, get-up-and-goer who HATED life at home and who couldn't WAIT to get away - and that woman was slapping me upside the head constantly, screaming "Get It TOGETHER and Get Up OUTTA This Joint!!" when i finally got tired of her screaming and slapping, i got myself up out of the ant mound and picked off all of those little ants one by one: self-doubt, fear, lack of courage, laziness, sluggishness... away they all went as i made myself conquer that paper.
now, i'm [mostly] ant-free, and my degree will be in the mail this summer. not only that, but my application for grad school is completed and turned in. not only that, but i just got back yesterday from an interview for a graduate assistantship! i thought it was too late and that i'd be taking out student loans for the first time ever in life. however, as my amazing sister told me: "when people are meant to go places, they can't stay in our small town for very long, and you were meant to go places." talk about a triple-shot of confidence-boosting juice right there; love that girl! point is, she's right. i was meant to go places, and to those places i shall go. rather we, because where i go, Gee goes, as i have fervently stated before. *does cabbage patch* Go Lauren, Go Lauren. LOL. gotta hype myself up sometimes!
now, it's time to play the waiting game; pray, pray, and after you get finished, pray again for me, people! i need & appreciate it more than you know :)
-love a *NERVOUS* elle
"finished reading 'Finding Fish' by Antwone Quenton Fisher today. amazing story of an amazing life. makes me realize how cushiony my life is; IDK why i can't get it together. if this man, who should (according to statistics) be rotting in jail right now, can overcome his obstacles - which were, like, Mt. Kilimanjaro-sized - why can't i hop over my little baby ant mound-sized issues? it's like i just keep throwing myself in the mound and lettings those annoying little ants keep biting me. it stings, but not enough for me to get up and move." -LW
yeah, i wrote that. 6 months ago. why? because although i walked across the stage May 8, 2010, i wasn't finished. i had yet to even start on my senior paper. yes, one paper standing in the way of me and the MAJOR "piece of paper". is it finished now? yes. will i have a degree? yes. will it have "2010" on it? no, but does that matter? heck no. why? because the point is, I. Will. Have. A. Degree. is this mildly embarrassing? sure it is. i asked myself a million times how i could let one paper take me over a year to finish. answer: i wasn't ready to get up out of the ant mound yet. i found myself getting entirely too comfortable in this little town of mine. no rent to pay, no bills, easy job...the life, right? wrong. i had to remember who i was at the core - an overachieving, non-settling, get-up-and-goer who HATED life at home and who couldn't WAIT to get away - and that woman was slapping me upside the head constantly, screaming "Get It TOGETHER and Get Up OUTTA This Joint!!" when i finally got tired of her screaming and slapping, i got myself up out of the ant mound and picked off all of those little ants one by one: self-doubt, fear, lack of courage, laziness, sluggishness... away they all went as i made myself conquer that paper.
now, i'm [mostly] ant-free, and my degree will be in the mail this summer. not only that, but my application for grad school is completed and turned in. not only that, but i just got back yesterday from an interview for a graduate assistantship! i thought it was too late and that i'd be taking out student loans for the first time ever in life. however, as my amazing sister told me: "when people are meant to go places, they can't stay in our small town for very long, and you were meant to go places." talk about a triple-shot of confidence-boosting juice right there; love that girl! point is, she's right. i was meant to go places, and to those places i shall go. rather we, because where i go, Gee goes, as i have fervently stated before. *does cabbage patch* Go Lauren, Go Lauren. LOL. gotta hype myself up sometimes!
now, it's time to play the waiting game; pray, pray, and after you get finished, pray again for me, people! i need & appreciate it more than you know :)
-love a *NERVOUS* elle
5.01.2011
taste the rainbow!
i'm pretty sure my mom is sick of hearing about rainbow cupcakes. lol. as you *should* know, a certain G*Baby has her 1st MAJOR G*Day coming up in 1 month and 9 days! i've decided to make the "theme" Cupcakes & Rainbows, so i'll be baking rainbow cupcakes for the occasion. after talking about this for the fifth time in three or four days, my mom was finally like, "You know, I'll just buy her a cake and you won't have to go through all that trouble."
"But if I wanted to buy her a cake, I would buy it myself. I want to bake the cupcakes myself! I know I can buy her a cake...I don't want to."
i didn't really mean to put her on shut-mouth, but i low-key did. -sorry mom-. anyway, the point is, i really really want to be one of those moms who has the "to-die-for" home-baked goods. i may not have a floor you can eat off of, but you'll be so busy eating my cupcakes and brownies, you won't even notice....hehe. :D
excuse me, just had to fantasize about the future for a moment. but back to the present. i'm determined to serve these homemade rainbow cupcakes at G's birthday celebration. i found the recipe at tablespoon.com. what i did differently:
-used 5 colors instead of 6. you have no clue how long it takes to mix food coloring into batter inside of a ziploc bag until you actually start doing it. i ended up using a spoon, and it still took plenty of time.
-i didn't make the rainbow toppers. i didn't even frost the cupcakes (making them look like muffins, which is what my little brothers keep calling them. lol.); after all of the work it took to make 5 colors of batter and pour each color, one by one, into the cupcake tin?? pssht, i was tired. i'm just a rookie baker, remember, so i wasn't used to doing all of that! anyway, i know you're just itching to see how they turned out...even if you aren't, you're going to find out anyway!
for a first attempt, they weren't too bad; however, cupcakes need frosting like pizza needs ranch dressing. therefore, on the next attempt, there will be frosting. and M&Ms or something. i may eventually get bold enough to try the rainbow toppers, but i'm aight with them for now. until next time! :)
"But if I wanted to buy her a cake, I would buy it myself. I want to bake the cupcakes myself! I know I can buy her a cake...I don't want to."
i didn't really mean to put her on shut-mouth, but i low-key did. -sorry mom-. anyway, the point is, i really really want to be one of those moms who has the "to-die-for" home-baked goods. i may not have a floor you can eat off of, but you'll be so busy eating my cupcakes and brownies, you won't even notice....hehe. :D
excuse me, just had to fantasize about the future for a moment. but back to the present. i'm determined to serve these homemade rainbow cupcakes at G's birthday celebration. i found the recipe at tablespoon.com. what i did differently:
-used 5 colors instead of 6. you have no clue how long it takes to mix food coloring into batter inside of a ziploc bag until you actually start doing it. i ended up using a spoon, and it still took plenty of time.
-i didn't make the rainbow toppers. i didn't even frost the cupcakes (making them look like muffins, which is what my little brothers keep calling them. lol.); after all of the work it took to make 5 colors of batter and pour each color, one by one, into the cupcake tin?? pssht, i was tired. i'm just a rookie baker, remember, so i wasn't used to doing all of that! anyway, i know you're just itching to see how they turned out...even if you aren't, you're going to find out anyway!
 |
| the main dish! |
 |
| some mini-cupcakes i made with the leftover batter. |
 |
| my brother's way of letting me know that they were a hit! :) |
 |
| they were pretty good; cream cheese frosting would've made them fanTASTIC :) |
-love elle&gee-
4.28.2011
Vote of confidence.
Sometimes, it takes others' confidence in you in order for you to realize your greatness. You think, of course, that you know yourself best; surely someone with as many flaws as you could never succeed, never get into grad school, never be both a good mother and a good student. You would never be able to handle so heavy a load as all that. You apply anyway, try anyway, so certain of your imminent failure. After all, what could happen. At the worst, they say "Fahgeddaboudit." BUT, there's also the slim possibility that they might say "yes," which is almost scarier than rejection. Why? Because it means that someone out there believes that you can accomplish great things, even though you can't yet believe it yourself. It takes but one person or entity to give you that one vote of confidence needed for you to finally become unblinded by your flaws and see your own potential. When you get that vote, you feel as if your soul could rise and fly. You are powerful, invincible, and capable of sheer amazement. All you needed was that one vote.
Now, replace the "you/your" with "I/me/my". Yeah, just had to testify right quick. Details later; just know that when you're ready to move AND God is ready to move you, you will move. It may take a while, or may happen in a matter of days, but eventually, You. Will. Move. Amen, and Aaaaa-MEN. :)
Ps: this was written on myPhone, so forgive any typos, please and thanks :)
4.25.2011
Gee's 1st Easter! + fun w/iPhone :)
yesterday, i sent Gee off with her Auntie Toots to go to our Grandpa's house so i could finish some things [SN: hope to have an update on grad school status soon...things seem to be falling into place!]. i fully intended to go to the post office, then bank, then Stage to see if i could find a last-minute Easter dress. so tell me why i thought of none of this until WELL after 12pm (when the bank closes)??? no new Easter dress for me, but i'm sure it's for the best. plus, my mama found Gee a gorgeous dress to wear, with not a trace of pink in sight:
not that i don't like pink...well, actually, i don't care for it too much. lol. i love it when i [or others] find beautiful baby girl clothes in non-traditional baby girl colors [i.e.: pink], just because i don't really want Gee to be a girly-girl princessy type. i don't think i'll have to worry too much about that, though...:
lol! the Uncle Cs each got a sports ball in their Easter baskets, and guess who wanted to play with all of them? i suppose i could deal with a tomboy. :) see more pictures from our fabulous homemade Easter photoshoot here.
in other news, i have fallen in love with yet another iPhone app: Zapd. it basically lets you make mini-websites with photos, text, and links straight from your iPhone. there are a surprising number of theme options, and it takes less than 5 minutes to put together something cute like this or this. Love it! who's an iPhone junkie? *raises hand slowly while looking around to see if others are doing the same* i know i'm not alone, people. oh, and did i mention that the app is F-R-E-E free? just thought i'd throw that out there...
oh yeah, to answer a question you may [or may not] have: no, i did not get Gee an Easter basket. she got one at the church Easter egg hunt, so i felt that to get her another one would have been wasteful, especially with all of the toys and things she doesn't play with, as it is. score one for mama Elle and practicality! :D her Easter basket was filled to overflowing with love from her family and friends, and i'm pretty sure that was enough for her. hope you all had as blessed an Easter Day as we did!
-love elle&gee-
not that i don't like pink...well, actually, i don't care for it too much. lol. i love it when i [or others] find beautiful baby girl clothes in non-traditional baby girl colors [i.e.: pink], just because i don't really want Gee to be a girly-girl princessy type. i don't think i'll have to worry too much about that, though...:
lol! the Uncle Cs each got a sports ball in their Easter baskets, and guess who wanted to play with all of them? i suppose i could deal with a tomboy. :) see more pictures from our fabulous homemade Easter photoshoot here.
in other news, i have fallen in love with yet another iPhone app: Zapd. it basically lets you make mini-websites with photos, text, and links straight from your iPhone. there are a surprising number of theme options, and it takes less than 5 minutes to put together something cute like this or this. Love it! who's an iPhone junkie? *raises hand slowly while looking around to see if others are doing the same* i know i'm not alone, people. oh, and did i mention that the app is F-R-E-E free? just thought i'd throw that out there...
oh yeah, to answer a question you may [or may not] have: no, i did not get Gee an Easter basket. she got one at the church Easter egg hunt, so i felt that to get her another one would have been wasteful, especially with all of the toys and things she doesn't play with, as it is. score one for mama Elle and practicality! :D her Easter basket was filled to overflowing with love from her family and friends, and i'm pretty sure that was enough for her. hope you all had as blessed an Easter Day as we did!
-love elle&gee-
4.22.2011
"i got canned heat in my heels tonight, bay-bay..."
[title courtesy of "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai. love that song!]
well, not tonight, but rather a few nights ago. definitely got a little boogie on with some of my lovely LSs; yes, i left my punkin with the babysitter overnight TWO nights in a row! it was my first time ever leaving her overnight. she cried when i left, but the first night, the babysitter sent me a pic of Gee sound asleep just ten minutes after i'd left her house, so i felt MUCH better. plus, it worked out for both of us: i got to hang out with my friends, and Gee got to hang out with her BFF, G2 -
precious girls! and here's mama, trying to work a lil' somethin' somethin' [LOL] -
and, of course, had to rep my Crimson & Cream while i was there :)
Gee & i also did a "mommy & me" photoshoot, which you can see here if you're not my Facebook friend. i'll let Gee tell you how it went down...
***MAN, mama was tripping the morning of our photoshoot!! She knew it was time for my morning nap, yet she was steady trying to do something cutesy to my hair. She already had me in this cute and un-comfy dress; I suppose I have to start learning the trials and tribulations of being a girl at the tender age of 10 months old... Anyways, she finally gets the both of us together, and as we step out of the door, I'm expecting it to be at least 50-something degrees outside (after all, it was basically summertime when we left southeast Arkansas). It was 4-freaking-2 degrees Fahrenheit! And my mommy, lover of all things cutesy, wanted us to take the photos OUTSIDE!? It was just too much for me to stand, so I promptly fell asleep in my car seat. I wake up to this little girl poking and prodding me. "HI!" Well, hello to you, too! Definitely wasn't what I was expecting to wake up to, but eventually I warmed up to "T.T.", and she prevented the post-nap meltdown I'd been planning. Lucky you, mother dear. :) As stated earlier, it's pretty durn cold outside, and my nose is doing all kinds of reacting, and by that, I mean running like someone forgot to turn the faucet off in my nose. Yep, that bad. However, I put on my best model faces and rocked that photoshoot...if I say so myself. Hehe. We only had to go inside to warm up once, and that mother of mine STAID on nose-wiping patrol [BLAH], but my photographers - that's right, with an S, as in TWO cameras, baby, POW! - did an excellent job catching all of my good sides AND editing out the snot. And drool. Et cetera. The proof is in the pudding, er, pictures -
And if you want to see more of mommy's and my foray on the Old Main Lawn, check us out here! Gee*Baby, Baby Gee, over and out!***
jeez, tell me how ya really feel, why don't ya?? i know she can't wait until i can understand the words she says...and i can't wait either, honestly. hold up, that means potential talking back, doesn't it? ok, nevermind. stick with the babbling, Gee. lol. just kidding... sort of... ;) until next time!
-love elle&gee-
PS: the lists will pop up again in the near future...let's say, before the month of April is over. sound good? good. :)
well, not tonight, but rather a few nights ago. definitely got a little boogie on with some of my lovely LSs; yes, i left my punkin with the babysitter overnight TWO nights in a row! it was my first time ever leaving her overnight. she cried when i left, but the first night, the babysitter sent me a pic of Gee sound asleep just ten minutes after i'd left her house, so i felt MUCH better. plus, it worked out for both of us: i got to hang out with my friends, and Gee got to hang out with her BFF, G2 -
precious girls! and here's mama, trying to work a lil' somethin' somethin' [LOL] -
and, of course, had to rep my Crimson & Cream while i was there :)
Gee & i also did a "mommy & me" photoshoot, which you can see here if you're not my Facebook friend. i'll let Gee tell you how it went down...
***MAN, mama was tripping the morning of our photoshoot!! She knew it was time for my morning nap, yet she was steady trying to do something cutesy to my hair. She already had me in this cute and un-comfy dress; I suppose I have to start learning the trials and tribulations of being a girl at the tender age of 10 months old... Anyways, she finally gets the both of us together, and as we step out of the door, I'm expecting it to be at least 50-something degrees outside (after all, it was basically summertime when we left southeast Arkansas). It was 4-freaking-2 degrees Fahrenheit! And my mommy, lover of all things cutesy, wanted us to take the photos OUTSIDE!? It was just too much for me to stand, so I promptly fell asleep in my car seat. I wake up to this little girl poking and prodding me. "HI!" Well, hello to you, too! Definitely wasn't what I was expecting to wake up to, but eventually I warmed up to "T.T.", and she prevented the post-nap meltdown I'd been planning. Lucky you, mother dear. :) As stated earlier, it's pretty durn cold outside, and my nose is doing all kinds of reacting, and by that, I mean running like someone forgot to turn the faucet off in my nose. Yep, that bad. However, I put on my best model faces and rocked that photoshoot...if I say so myself. Hehe. We only had to go inside to warm up once, and that mother of mine STAID on nose-wiping patrol [BLAH], but my photographers - that's right, with an S, as in TWO cameras, baby, POW! - did an excellent job catching all of my good sides AND editing out the snot. And drool. Et cetera. The proof is in the pudding, er, pictures -
jeez, tell me how ya really feel, why don't ya?? i know she can't wait until i can understand the words she says...and i can't wait either, honestly. hold up, that means potential talking back, doesn't it? ok, nevermind. stick with the babbling, Gee. lol. just kidding... sort of... ;) until next time!
-love elle&gee-
PS: the lists will pop up again in the near future...let's say, before the month of April is over. sound good? good. :)
4.21.2011
*le sigh*
Gee and i go on a road trip, and the poor baby blog gets kicked to the curb...along with my lists...and the "Day in the Life" posts...wah wah wah. just another day (or week) in the life of a blog; get over it! LOL, i'll get back on the job, just as soon as i recover from the weekend. do you know the last time i stayed out past 4 in the morning? yeah, with the exception of this past Saturday, neither do i. it's Wednesday, and yes, i'm STILL recovering. i am a total homebody, but as long as my body is home with my baby, i'm kool with it :) i have no clue how long it will take to catch up on the Lists; i have them written out already, so i may just post them in raw list form, and post the journaling later...if they ever come into existence. ha. it's past my bedtime already, so i'll leave you with this:
for the past week or so, Gee has started whining around 12, 12:30am. i pick her up, she goes back to sleep. i put her back in the crib, she whines. i pick her up and put her in the bed with me, we go to sleep. so i sort of feel like she's enforcing my bedtime...and i sort of like it. lol. what do i need to stay up late for anyways? i'd rather shnuggle with my pumpkin. (all together now:) "awwwwwww" hehe :) love that girl!
-love elle&gee-
for the past week or so, Gee has started whining around 12, 12:30am. i pick her up, she goes back to sleep. i put her back in the crib, she whines. i pick her up and put her in the bed with me, we go to sleep. so i sort of feel like she's enforcing my bedtime...and i sort of like it. lol. what do i need to stay up late for anyways? i'd rather shnuggle with my pumpkin. (all together now:) "awwwwwww" hehe :) love that girl!
-love elle&gee-
4.12.2011
that child of mine.
just a few of examples of how my child brightens my world on a daily basis:
+ when i picked her up from daycare today, she gave me that 1,000-watt smile of hers (and so did her cutie-pie classmate, which made me feel even more special!); as i went over to Ms. T (one of the daycare workers), she basically jumped into my arms, then turned around, looked at Ms. T, and waved bye-bye!! Ms. T and i looked at each other and burst out laughing. little miss Gee made it known that she KNEW it was time to go! SMH with a smile :)
+ while waiting for dinner to be ready, i let Gee play in the laundry basket. she entertained herself for a good long while, pulling up, standing, taking clothes out of the basket, chewing on pillowcases, etc. as i watched her play (and took pictures, of course!), i noticed that her diaper was looking kinda full. and it seemed that, as i noticed her diaper, she crawled her behind right into my lap as if to say "Ok, Mom, enough with the pics. Change my diaper already!" she may or may not have been thinking that, but it sure seemed like it at the time!
+ on G*DAY, she started the morning by slobbering me with kisses before we got out of the bed. baby kisses are one of the absolute sweetest (and slobberiest) things everrrrrrrrr...
can't say it enough: love that girl!
and now to catch up on my 30 Days of Lists, finally! here we go:
pics of lists 5, 6, and 7:
+ when i picked her up from daycare today, she gave me that 1,000-watt smile of hers (and so did her cutie-pie classmate, which made me feel even more special!); as i went over to Ms. T (one of the daycare workers), she basically jumped into my arms, then turned around, looked at Ms. T, and waved bye-bye!! Ms. T and i looked at each other and burst out laughing. little miss Gee made it known that she KNEW it was time to go! SMH with a smile :)
+ while waiting for dinner to be ready, i let Gee play in the laundry basket. she entertained herself for a good long while, pulling up, standing, taking clothes out of the basket, chewing on pillowcases, etc. as i watched her play (and took pictures, of course!), i noticed that her diaper was looking kinda full. and it seemed that, as i noticed her diaper, she crawled her behind right into my lap as if to say "Ok, Mom, enough with the pics. Change my diaper already!" she may or may not have been thinking that, but it sure seemed like it at the time!
+ on G*DAY, she started the morning by slobbering me with kisses before we got out of the bed. baby kisses are one of the absolute sweetest (and slobberiest) things everrrrrrrrr...
can't say it enough: love that girl!
and now to catch up on my 30 Days of Lists, finally! here we go:
pics of lists 5, 6, and 7:
annnnnnd here are 8, 9, and 10. hopefully i'll FOR REAL get caught up tomorrow!
List#OCHO: What's in your bag/pocket/purse?
1} BOOK: "Vanishing Acts" by Jodi Picoult [LOVE her books!]
2} PAPERS: deposit slips, check stubs, and other random stuff...
3} COUPONS: mostly for Huggies :)
4} PENS, Pens, and MORE pens!
5} HAND SANITIZER: it's a must!
List#NUEVE: Fave Websites/Blogs :)
List#DIEZ: i wish...
+ to love and be loved.
+ for my daughter and i to have good health and happiness.
+ for wisdom, strength and courage, no matter what situation i find myself in.
+ for success in whatever i set my mind to do.
+ an eReader. hehe.
and that's all, folks! look out for another "Day in the Life" soon; this time, Gee will be experimenting with telling her story with a series of pictures...such a creative baby, she is. ;o) until next time!
-love elle&gee-
4.11.2011
G*DAY report!
we'll get back to the lists tomorrow (err, later today). this one is ALLLL for Baby Gee, who seems to be acting less and less like a baby these days! the only baby food she'll let me feed her is fruits and yogurt; no veggies unless she's eating them with her fingers, so it looks like i'm going to have to start microwaving & chopping up some green beans for that child of mine. she eats chicken, beef, bread (LOVES bread), bananas, watermelon... it's looking like it's almost time to say "bye-bye" to baby food (woot woot!). now, if only she'd start feeding herself with a spoon, there'd be one happy mama over here :D
as far as that hair of hers, she has her days when she still fights it, but mornings have been made SO much easier by my plaiting her hair at night:
shoot, now all she needs is a stocking cap! and believe me, i'm *this* close to making her one; she does have a few pairs of stockings that are a little snug... lol. anyway, the plaits make morning detangling a breeze. she still doesn't always want to stay still for styling, but brushing the plaits out makes a pretty cute baby 'fro (which i completely messed up this morning, but got it right a couple of days ago, as shown here:)
as if i haven't said it enough, that girl has A. Lot. Of. HAIR!!! but we're getting better with it, especially since i don't have to worry about my own hair anymore :D
and to wrap up this G*DAY update, we gotta talk about Gee's new nickname: "Thunder & Lightning". LOL! She has those thunder thighs fo' sho, and when she crawls, i promise she's fast as lightning. corny? yes. applicable? totally. i'll have to try to catch her on the iPhone cam and give ya'll a peek. it's crazy, i'm telling you!
i think that's it for the 10-month G*DAY report. i can't believe there are only TWO MORE MONTHS until her first birthday! which means that, if she's gonna have any type of party, i better get to work, huh? we'll see how that goes... :)
-love elle&gee-
PS: here's the G*DAY girl, in her full -grown- glory. :)
as far as that hair of hers, she has her days when she still fights it, but mornings have been made SO much easier by my plaiting her hair at night:
shoot, now all she needs is a stocking cap! and believe me, i'm *this* close to making her one; she does have a few pairs of stockings that are a little snug... lol. anyway, the plaits make morning detangling a breeze. she still doesn't always want to stay still for styling, but brushing the plaits out makes a pretty cute baby 'fro (which i completely messed up this morning, but got it right a couple of days ago, as shown here:)
as if i haven't said it enough, that girl has A. Lot. Of. HAIR!!! but we're getting better with it, especially since i don't have to worry about my own hair anymore :D
and to wrap up this G*DAY update, we gotta talk about Gee's new nickname: "Thunder & Lightning". LOL! She has those thunder thighs fo' sho, and when she crawls, i promise she's fast as lightning. corny? yes. applicable? totally. i'll have to try to catch her on the iPhone cam and give ya'll a peek. it's crazy, i'm telling you!
i think that's it for the 10-month G*DAY report. i can't believe there are only TWO MORE MONTHS until her first birthday! which means that, if she's gonna have any type of party, i better get to work, huh? we'll see how that goes... :)
-love elle&gee-
PS: here's the G*DAY girl, in her full -grown- glory. :)
4.10.2011
lists 5, 6, 7 and some thoughts...
observation: more than one person has asked me "what about the baby?" when i tell them my plans of going to grad school. i say, "what about the baby?"
"aren't you going to leave her with your parents?"
huge PAUSE.
umm, no! i didn't decide to bring Gee into the world, only to dump her on my parents while i go and do my thing. for me, that's not how motherhood works. where i go, Gee goes. period. i guess it would be "easier" to leave Gee here and go to school, in that i wouldn't have to worry about getting her to school and playing with her when she's not ready for bed, even if i have a test the next morning...but motherhood is not "easy". and since Gee is MY daughter (not my parents), she and i will be going down the "non-easy" road together. if i were to leave my baby here, i'd be broke for trying to come see here all the time!! :) so no, i'm not leaving my baby anywhere besides the daycare around the way from campus. and that's that. hmph.
now, on a brighter note, it's time to catch up (once again) on my 30 Days of Lists!! i'll just jot them down here, for now; the cutesy journaled lists will come (hopefully) tomorrow... :)
List#CINCO: Weekend Goals
1| Rest
2| Relax
3| Hang out with G :)
4| Rest
5| RELAX!!
List#SEIS: Least Favorite Words/Phrases
1| "No Homo" :-/
2| "Swagger"
3| "No Homo" (really REALLY hate that phrase)
4| #winning
5| "i think she needs her diaper changed..." (LOL)
List#SIETE: BLOG GOALS!
1| Post 3-4 times a week/on a regular basis.
2| Be diligent about weekly features like "A Day in the Life", and start another one (probably music-related).
3| Quit going on post-hiatuses (is that how you pluralize "hiatus"? probably not...oh well)
4| Post more snippets/stories about Gee ("quit being selfish, Mom, jeez!")
5| Keep enjoying it! ;)
tomorrow, hopefully you'll see lists 8-10, plus it will be the 10-month G*DAY!! well, technically, it's already G*DAY, but that's neither here nor there. there'll be updated info on Gee's sophisticated palate (lol), hair breakthroughs (YES!), and movement. love that girl! nighty-night :D
-love elle&gee-
"aren't you going to leave her with your parents?"
huge PAUSE.
umm, no! i didn't decide to bring Gee into the world, only to dump her on my parents while i go and do my thing. for me, that's not how motherhood works. where i go, Gee goes. period. i guess it would be "easier" to leave Gee here and go to school, in that i wouldn't have to worry about getting her to school and playing with her when she's not ready for bed, even if i have a test the next morning...but motherhood is not "easy". and since Gee is MY daughter (not my parents), she and i will be going down the "non-easy" road together. if i were to leave my baby here, i'd be broke for trying to come see here all the time!! :) so no, i'm not leaving my baby anywhere besides the daycare around the way from campus. and that's that. hmph.
now, on a brighter note, it's time to catch up (once again) on my 30 Days of Lists!! i'll just jot them down here, for now; the cutesy journaled lists will come (hopefully) tomorrow... :)
List#CINCO: Weekend Goals
1| Rest
2| Relax
3| Hang out with G :)
4| Rest
5| RELAX!!
List#SEIS: Least Favorite Words/Phrases
1| "No Homo" :-/
2| "Swagger"
3| "No Homo" (really REALLY hate that phrase)
4| #winning
5| "i think she needs her diaper changed..." (LOL)
List#SIETE: BLOG GOALS!
1| Post 3-4 times a week/on a regular basis.
2| Be diligent about weekly features like "A Day in the Life", and start another one (probably music-related).
3| Quit going on post-hiatuses (is that how you pluralize "hiatus"? probably not...oh well)
4| Post more snippets/stories about Gee ("quit being selfish, Mom, jeez!")
5| Keep enjoying it! ;)
tomorrow, hopefully you'll see lists 8-10, plus it will be the 10-month G*DAY!! well, technically, it's already G*DAY, but that's neither here nor there. there'll be updated info on Gee's sophisticated palate (lol), hair breakthroughs (YES!), and movement. love that girl! nighty-night :D
-love elle&gee-
4.04.2011
a day in the life: video exclusive :)
before we get started, let's have an "awww" moment at how precious Gee looked today:
rock that outfit, girl! and i promise, i won't make you wear that bow anymore this week...LOL!
tonight, Gee decided that, instead of doing all of that writing, she'd rather show you what she's been up to lately [with narration by me, of course]. the oldest Uncle C is the videographer, and all three of the uncles co-star in this video tid-bit which all five of us find quite hilarious!
and, in an effort to just do one list a day [instead of five], here's list number 4:
enjoy!
-love elle&gee-
rock that outfit, girl! and i promise, i won't make you wear that bow anymore this week...LOL!
tonight, Gee decided that, instead of doing all of that writing, she'd rather show you what she's been up to lately [with narration by me, of course]. the oldest Uncle C is the videographer, and all three of the uncles co-star in this video tid-bit which all five of us find quite hilarious!
and, in an effort to just do one list a day [instead of five], here's list number 4:
enjoy!
-love elle&gee-
let's play catch-up!
somebody PLEASE tell me why my daughter is trying to stand by herself now!? i mean, she just got the hang of crawling; i thought that, perhaps, she'd be satisfied with that for a while, but nooooo. she hasn't forgotten her original goal of walking [rather, running around with her uncles, i'm sure]. my Grandmother will be visiting for Easter. during a phone call with my mama, she said that Gee would probably be walking by the time she gets here. looks like Grandmother just might be right! i'm. in. HUGE. trouble. where's the childproofing stuff again? oh yeah, and the next G*DAY is only a week away... <flava flav> woooOOOooow </flava flav>. #EnoughSaid.
so as i mentioned here, i'm challenging myself to do 30 journaling lists in 30 days; meaning, i have to actually put some effort into the look & design of the lists, not just jot a few things down every day. mind you, every list won't be some fantabulous scrapbook page, but there'll be some element of my sparkling personality in each one [LOL]. procrastinator that i am, i'm just now starting today, so here are my first 3 lists (and captions, in case you can't read my lovely handwriting; click to enlarge):
List #UNO: "a few things about yourself"
1. height: 5'0"
2. current obsessions: daughter :); grad school [hopeful] acceptance :-O; blogging/social media; scrapbooking/crafting; iPHONE!! (and photography apps on the iPHONE!
3. my eyes are really big, but my glasses
4. i'm usually an AWESOME speller [in re: the strikeout in #3] LOL!
5. i HATE writing in print; cursive = <3
List #TRES
I AM Looking Forward to...
1| Getting my own place!
2| Getting a REAL job!
3| Moving back to Fayetteville!
4| Being in somebody's wedding/being an auntie (in the not-so-near future)!!
5| Being an Official Grownup! [MAYBE...]
note: i placed the lists on my zebra print planner to give them a not-so-blah background. so now, after my first three entries into my 30 Days of Lists, you probably know more about me than necessary. prepare for more. :D
also, i promised the result of my finished hair bow holder today. i mean, i think it's pretty freakin' cute, but of course i do...i made it! lol, here it is:
you'll have to excuse the dirty mirror; just look around it :) i still have to figure out a cute and functional way to hang it up on the wall, but for all intents and purposes, it's finished! my next project: decorating wooden initials for Gee. gotta get stuff like this done before i don't have time for it anymore... o_O
-love elle&gee-
PS: another "Day in the Life" is coming soon, promise! here's a pic of my punkin to hold you over :)
4.03.2011
the power of some baby lovin'
one of my friends from high school lost her father a couple of days ago, so i took Gee with me to go visit her. she wasn't there, but her mom was, and after she wrapped us both in a huge hug, Gee instantly reached for her and returned the huge hug. it was such a powerful moment that i almost began to cry, and my friend's mom did cry. i just patted her on the back and marveled at how my daughter, at 9 months old, knew exactly what kind of comfort this woman needed during this difficult time. the two were inseparable for the short time we were there; it didn't seem that she ever wanted to leave her new friend's arms when it was time to go! "you knew exactly what i needed" was what she told Gee before we left, and i was so happy that the small gesture of visiting with my baby girl could bring a sliver of sunshine to her day. the love of a little one can help heal the hurt...i've witnessed it first-hand, and it is absolutely amazing. :)
love -elle&gee-
PS: tomorrow (or the next day), i'll have my first 3 lists, plus my finished hairbow holder; can we say "super-cute" if i say so myself! oh, and please say a prayer for my friend, her mother, and their family, for comfort and strength in their time of need. thanks :)
love -elle&gee-
PS: tomorrow (or the next day), i'll have my first 3 lists, plus my finished hairbow holder; can we say "super-cute" if i say so myself! oh, and please say a prayer for my friend, her mother, and their family, for comfort and strength in their time of need. thanks :)
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