You Never Forget Your "First"(s)

Well, when you're my age, you do!

Hi, this is my first "real" experience blogging. This will just be a some stuff from my life, I think; whatever I feel like expressing, a little bit of me. :)

Below are some previous blogs I wrote and posted at my MySpace account. They make a nice introduction, I think. I hope you enjoy them and come back again. :)

August 16, 2009 - Sunday

wo Current mood: blessed My grand daughter Alhena has changed so much in the last week or two. She's gone from a baby-like 2 year old to a 2 year old going on 30, in the blink of an eye. She'll be 3 in October. Alhena's speech has cleared up astoundingly. You can now understand most of what she says with "stranger's ears", when before, you could understand her easily, but only after you developed "momma ears". What was for so long called "wo", with a long "o", is "wo" no more, she now calls it "water" with ease. She's accepted now that many words have more than just one syllable. She does still have her Italian-ish way of speaking, what I call her accent, for now. There are many ways that Alhena has become a little girl and given up being a baby. She's potty training, amazingly well. Her idea. She strips off the diaper quickly after she gets up in the morning, and it's often still dry, in favor of panties. She makes it thru full days with the panties, whether we go to the store or to the park, or just stay home. Alhena truly misses her daddy, he's been called to serve his country in Iraq for the next year, at least. Alhena, of course, is too young to understand why Papa, as she calls him, doesn't come home anymore. We've told her he's working. She told Mama to go to work and get him and tell him it's time to come home now. Out of the mouths of babes! Her attitude about things is so much more adult than it was before. By the way, she can also pronounce "attitude" with ease, with all 3 syllables! This almost 3 year old has more than her fair share of beauty and grace and intelligence. I can't wait to experience age 3 with her and the rest of the family! I'm already missing her "wo"! 6:32 PM 0 Comments (Add Comment) | 0 Kudos Translate Edit Remove

June 5, 2009 - Friday

"Quote" The fox told the little prince this "secret": "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." From The Little Prince Now I want to read, or re-read, whichever the case may be, this story again.:) The Secret 9:45 PM 0 Comments (Add Comment) | 0 Kudos Translate Edit Remove

May 20, 2009 - Wednesday

The Price of Children Current mood: content Copied from an email, I don't know who wrote it originally. But it touched me. Hope it will touch you, too. The Price of Children This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice. The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into: * $8,896.66 a year, * $741.38 a month, * $171.08 a week. * A mere $24.24 a day! * Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice is: don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140.00? * Naming rights. First, middle, and last! * Glimpses of God every day. * Giggles under the covers every night. * More love than your heart can hold. * Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs. * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. * A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate. * A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites. * Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day. For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to: * finger-paint, * carve pumpkins, * play hide-and-seek, * catch lightning bugs, * never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to: * keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, * watch Saturday morning cartoons, * go to Disney movies, and * wish on stars. You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodlewreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day. For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for: * retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, * taking the training wheels off a bike, * removing a splinter, * filling a wading pool, * coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and * coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat in history to witness the: * First step, * First word, * First bra, * First date, * First time behind the wheel. You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great-grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match... In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!! Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!!!!!! As Grandma enjoying my grandkids these days, I totally agree! 12:24 AM 0 Comments (Add Comment) | 0 Kudos Translate Edit Remove

April 30, 2009 - Thursday

What is a "PANDEMIC", anyway?? People are familiar with the word "epidemic", but what the heck is a "pandemic"?? This is what I found when I looked it up. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-an-epidemic-and-a-pandemic.htm To read the full article, use the link above. But, basically: My interpretation is that a pandemic is much worse than an epidemic, affecting more people in a larger area. To quote, "In the most extreme case, the global population is affected by a pandemic." Swine Flu: Level 5, pandemic is imminent. What can YOU do? Um, wash your hands a lot. Use the alcohol hand gels when you can't wash your hands. Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, mouth. Stay home when you're sick (yeah, your boss is gonna like that), keep your kids home when they're sick (your boss will like that one, too). Stay informed (www.cdc.gov). So, try to stay healthy, ok? Love You. PS Paris, not eating pork won't help you not get this flu! 2:54 AM 1 Comments (Add Comment) | 0 Kudos Translate Edit Remove