Thursday’s Thoughts…

I’ll begin today’s thoughts by saying Thank y’all for all the encouraging comments, texts, and phone calls with the Dallas “issue”. We had a little better of a night last night and hopefully she’s getting over it.

I was and still am a Mama’s girl and always love having my Mama there for me whether it’s a phone call away, she’s here, or I’m there. I know that she’s always there. Dallas is just like me in that she loves here Mama too…Not a bad thing I don’t think. I just hope that she and I will have the kind of relationship that my Mama and I share one day. I don’t know what I would do without my Mama that’s for sure.

On to the topic of electronics.

I have to admit, I’m young at age with an old school heart. {Well, maybe not so young at age, seeing I’ll be 33 on Saturday, but we’ll get to that later.}

I mean, I’ve got an old school heart in the fact that I kind of rebelled the whole electronic “bandwagon” that everyone seemed to be jumping head first on a few years ago.

I didn’t want an iPhone. I didn’t want to be that accessible to everyone. I didn’t need it.

We didn’t get a Wii until last September on one rainy day. I’m not a huge fan of video games for kids and didn’t want to get one.

Then the Kindles and Nooks came out. No sir did I want one of those. An electronic book??? What the heck? Call me Carrie Bradshaw at heart but I like the smell of books and turning the pages….I can’t help it, I’m a visual person.

Here it is February 16, 2012 and I am a proud, yes proud owner of a Wii, an iPhone, and a Kindle…yes, my friends I own all three.

We don’t play the Wii that much but, I do love to beat my husband at the Wii Sports golf game, and Dallas and I sure love to shake our booties to the Just Dance for Kids 1 and 2.

We all enjoy the Wii, even the Grandparents.

In December I was up for an upgrade on my cell phone and once again caved…I got the iPhone 4s.

And I will admit that I LOVE it and do not regret getting it one bit. It is so handy, especially in New York when we couldn’t find the American Girl store or wanted to find the nearest Starbucks. All I had to do was talk to my little Siri person and walla we were there.

I also have some of my favorite apps. There’s of course the games for the kids, email, Facebook, Pinterest, Target, yada, yada, yada, but I have a couple of new ones that I love.

I want to lose 10 pounds so my jeans will fit better. I work out 3-4 times a week, but I will be honest and tell you that I have no will power. If there are sweets in the house I will eat them, and we’ve been eating out a lot more than usual. I’ve just been using the excuse, I work out I can eat this. Not any more…remember I’m turning 33 and there’s something about the 30’s that my metabolism is starting to s-l-o-w down.

Anyway, I digress, last week I got the Lose it! app and L.O.V.E. it. It’s kind of like Weight Watchers but tracks your calorie intake rather than keeping points. You set your goals and it gives you your daily calorie intake. And, if you do it right, it really makes you think before you put something in your mouth. I mean I only ate half of my Dunkin Donuts Reduced Fat muffin today because the whole thing would be 240 calories…What??? I don’t have 240 to waste today, so I was a good girl and only ate half of it. It’s all I needed anyway. I just had to share that I love this app. It seems to be working.

The other new app I got this weekend was the My Weekly Budget app. I paid for this one, but it is totally worth the $.99. You create categories for things on which you spend money and set your weekly budget. I will tell you that I have not been making those extra trips to Target or Michael’s this week. I know that I’m getting my hair done tomorrow and that’s going to take a big chunk of this week’s budget, so I’ve been thrifty on what I’ve spent. And this will make my husband very happy.

So, there’s my tidbit on my love for my new iPhone and new apps. Back to the electronics.

So far I’ve admitted that we caved and got the Wii and I got an iPhone, and last but not least, I’m now a proud owner of a Kindle. My in-laws gave it to me for my birthday and I will admit to you right now…LOVE it! I’m already flying through my first book. It’s great for carpool and love that it’s skinny and light weight.

Love, love, love it!

In fact I love all my new electronics. I guess you can say I didn’t jump head first into the new age of electronics but tip-toed lightly into this new world and I’ve seen the light! I’m a believer and a lover of electronics, and apps, and all that good stuff.

Last thought of the day…fashion.

I love clothes but clothes don’t always love me. What can I say I got a small waist and a big ole’ booty…reminds me of a certain song from 90’s… “I like big butts and I cannot lie…” whoops, don’t want to get me started or I’ll be breaking it down and shaking this big ole booty right here in my kitchen.

Anyway, if you’re a follower of Pinterest which I’m sure you are because everyone and their Mama {including my own Mama} is a member and loves pinning all kinds of things from travel to recipes, and décor to DIY crafts…even fashion.

I’ve been a little hesitant to pin “fashion” things, but recently I caved {darn, there’s that word again…I seem to be caving a lot lately}. I’ve been a bit hasty on this due to the fact that all these cute outfits if you carefully look at them are meant for the tall/slender type…and hello, so not me. But, the other day I kept finding cute outfits and just like Forest Gump said “I just kept running.” I just kept pinning.

 

How super cute are these outfits??? Granted with my “Weekly Budget” I could never afford any of them, much les fit my “athletic” legs {that’s what I like to call them} and my booty in any of these pants. They are cute none-the-less, and maybe one day I can look something like this.

But for today I finally entered the “jegging” world. I have had no luck all season finding jeggings or skinny jeans to fit…again, remember my problem. My sister-in-law had some cute jeggings on in New York and she pointed me in the direction of where to get some, so today I got some. Just in time for my birthday.

Yes people, this 33 year old will be wearing jeggings sporting a new hair-do, carrying her iPhone, and reading her Kindle sitting in carpool in her not-so-cool Carolina Blue minivan; and maybe just maybe she’ll even shake her booty to some old 90’s song on the Wii with her daughter because y’all this baby’s got some back!

Happy birthday to me!

Here we go again…

I have to preface this blog with the fact that I have the sweetest, most caring, sometimes silliest, and most loving daughter in the world.

With that said I have to say that she is not my most well adjustable child. She never has been {but hopefully someday will be}.

You know when you see babies out and about and they will just smile at everyone who turns and eye at them. Nope, not Dallas. She was always the baby to take it all in. She would closely examine {from a distance} who was paying her attention and not even crack a smile until she felt comfortable. Definitely not trusting from first sight, which I guess is a good trait to have in a way…she gets that from her Daddy. I’m way too trusting.

She is also a very stubborn child…bless her heart, she gets that from both sides. But then again, we all have a stubborn side to us I think. And, she doesn’t do all that well with change. If she has something in her head, it’s going to be that way or Heaven help us with the fit that will come to boot.

She is completely like I was as a child. She likes to play by herself, she’s very caring, and loving, very shy {even though we try not to use that word around her}, and she loves being with her Mama {I love that part…to an extent}.

So looking at this, I think this could describe any warm-blooded six year old child out there. Yes?

Well, here’s my dilemma.

She faces separation anxiety like no tomorrow. It started when she was 4 and we gave up her paci. We had some sleep issues and after two weeks of screaming and no sleep I took her to the doctor. He said it separation anxiety and instructed me to basically be “Super Nanny”. I did as instructed and we went through the whole “cry it out” and self-soothing phase once again.

We got back to normal and all was smooth sailing…until there was a change. It’s become a pattern and now she’s 6 and here we go again.

I’ve realized that if Eric and I go away for a weekend, the minute we come home and my parents leave we go through this “phase”. She cries and screams and wants me and needs me and says she scared and can’t go to sleep. I have to sit in the bonus room and come check on her every two minutes until she falls asleep…this lasts for at least and hour and a half.

Well, she’s at it again. It started the other night. She said she’s scared of witches…{a silly book her teacher is reading}. I finally got her to sleep and emailed the teacher. He’s so wonderful and made accommodations for her to play on the computer during reading time so she doesn’t have to hear the story. Well, she did it again last night and then I realized it’s not the book…it’s separation anxiety.

She just tracked back in from being out for 2 1/2 weeks. She did this the last track out time, and whenever Eric and I are away…it’s mostly being away from me. When she’s home, which I love having her home, she is touching me day in and day out. Like I said, she loves her Mama.

Today she started fussing that school was “boring” and she wasn’t going to go to school. After some crying and fit throwing {from her…not me} I got out of her that she doesn’t like doing the computer because no one else does and she feels embarrassed. Ding, ding, ding, it’s not the book it’s separation anxiety.

It’s so sad and frustrating at the same time. There is no convincing her that she is safe, happy, and loved when she gets in this state of mind. She is fine during the day but at night when the light goes off, she is one not happy camper.

I have to be honest here and tell you that it really tries my patience and as hard as I try not to sometimes I lose my cool. Maybe it’s because I’m so sad that I can’t help her…I don’t know.

So any of you friends out there with psychology degrees, please help a sista out and tell me that she’s not going to be twenty and not going to college because she can’t leave her Mama.

I love my daughter more than life itself…it’s not too much for this Mama to want my sweet little girl to be happy is it? Maybe I’m just tired…

The Big Apple

This story takes place in the fashion capital of the world...the place that people from all over the world travel to visit the ginormous buildings, the shopping, and the American Girl Store {don't they?}.

Well, this episode does not include Carrie Bradshaw, Manolo Blahniks, Aiden, or even Mr. Big.

But, this story is filled with four girls including "One Hot Child in the City".

Grammy, Aunt Leigh, Dallas, and I made the venture from Delaware to New York for a weekend of fun. We decided to take Dallas to celebrate her 6th birthday.

Road Trip!!!

We arrived in the city close to lunchtime on a Friday afternoon, and I have to say we got very lucky. There was very little traffic {well for The City anyway}. We got checked into our hotel and decided to hit the streets.

First off…Toys R Us and the Ferris Wheel. I’ve been the New York before a few times to find lines out the door to ride the Ferris Wheel or even stores…note to self…go after Christmas. There was a very small line and we got to have a pretty long ride.

We browsed around the store for a little bit but decided we didn’t want to carry bags all over the place, so off we went.

We walked the streets of Times Square some, basically taking in all the lights and huge TVs. Dallas was so cute. She just kept looking around star gazed saying, “Mommy, this place is so big.”

Next stop was of course the M&M store.

We looked around and did try to buy some things here, but their computers were down and they weren’t accepting credit cards at the moment…oh well, we tried. Good time for photo ops then.

By this time, we were starving and Dallas was beside herself to get to the American Girl Store.

So, lunch was next, and what else would be good but New York Pizza. The slice was as big as she was, but she enjoyed it just the same.

After lunch, we promised her the AG store so off we went.

Can I just tell you that for a doll lover, this is her “Happiest Place on Earth”…who needs Mickey and Disney World when you have a world full of Kit and Molly and Bitty Babies???

The store is massive…4 floors to be exact. Every where you turn there’s clothes, dolls, accessories, a restaurant, a doll hair salon. It’s crazy, but we were ready.

We stuck together best we could but I’m telling you the place is massive. We did a lot of shopping and Emily {Dallas’ doll} made out like a bandit.

After shopping we stopped by Rockefeller Center and watched the ice skaters skating.

We decided it was time for a coffee break and some rest, then off to dinner.

Of course we had to hit the hot spot of Serendipity. If you haven’t heard of it, the movie Serendipity took place there. It’s a very small, quaint restaurant that’s not only famous for the movie but mostly for it’s frozen hot chocolate…{oxymoron…I think so.}

Dallas was starving and they didn’t really have a kid’s meal but she said she wanted a hot dog…so a hot dog is what she got!

Let me just tell you, she ate the WHOLE thing!!!!

The food was delicious.

And then it was time for what we really came for…Frozen Hot Chocolate; with four straws please.

Yes, it was heaven sent…are you jealous yet?

If not, we had a whole other day to spend in this great {Big} city.

Dallas was super excited about a sleep over in a hotel room and she slept in her sleeping bag while Emily {the doll} slept in her own sleeping bag…thanks Aunt Leigh and Uncle Mike.

What could make a hotel stay even better???

Room Service

We decided we only live once so why not do it right??? It was good…until the bill came. Ha.

Off for another day of adventure, and adventure it was.

Can I just say that my 6 year old hung in there with no complaining of all the walking that we did. This is the same child that complains of her legs hurting when we walk down the street, but not in NYC. No, ma’am…she walked from Times Square to Central Park and from Central Park back to Broadway with not one complaint.

There were lots of more sights and things to see and do.

We did a carriage ride through Central Park, walked through the Plaza Hotel to see where Eloise “lives”, walked through Trump Tower, and had a pretzel on the street.

But I think one highlight for me {and Aunt Leigh} was we had our first official “star sighting”.

Walking up from Central Park almost in front of the Trump Towers appears in the crowd this tiny girl with a bright red vest on. I looked, Leigh looked, we looked at each other and knew we both had seen her. It was one of those “did you see?”, “was that?”, “are you sure?” “Yes it was!!!

Giada DeLaurentiis

It happened very fast but was a super cool moment. I finally saw a star on the streets of New York.

After lunch we headed to the Theatre district for our matinee. We were all excited to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. It is one of my all time favorite Disney movies, so I couldn’t wait.

I think Dallas and I sat on the edge of our seats with our mouths open taking it all in.

It was so magical I can’t even explain. All I can say is phenomenal!

If you ever get the chance to see it…do it! You won’t regret it.

The show ended and so did our trip to the Big Apple. We headed home back to Delaware to enjoy a few more days with family.

So, this episode was not filled with Cosmopolitans {but lots of coffee} or adult shopping, or stiletto heels. But it was filled to the brim with lots of fun memories made and lots of fun times with my sweet baby girl, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!