My How Times have Changed. . . For the better.

My New Little Man

Tonight I went out to dinner for Deidra's birthday and had an adorable date, he was a cheap date he drank a bit of water, loved my blowing bubbles in my water glass and even enjoyed the frosting from the birthday cake. (Just kidding Ali)

Franklin, (my friend Ali's 8 month old baby)

They brought Deidra this cake with a VERY tall candle.

Happy Birthday Deidra

Happy Birthday to you Deidra. You are such a good friend You deserve to have a wonderful day, hopefully Starbucks does something special for your big day.

Lips Gone Wrong

I didn't know what to say so I just laughed and grabbed my camera.

Fairy Festival

Today I went to Lakeside to the gathering of all the fairies in the area (150) it was quite a site. The fairy mother talked to them about taking care of the earth and picking up trash and planting flowers, it was a very special feeling. As I was watching all these carefree, happy girls run and dance dressed up as fairies I wondered how can anything possible be wrong in the world? It was such an amazing thing.

All the Fairies listening to the fairy mother.

Dominiques girls (Gabby & Isabella) dancing
Gloria's daughter (Isa) making boats for the fairies

Fairy finger food

The 2 Isabella's by the brook.

High School Orientation Night

Tonight we went to our high school orientation. This has been a long difficult decision, I feel that we made a great choice (this was my first choice). The school has 3 high school on one campus that they call "the village". Each high school has a maximum of 500 students, I love small schools for Wyatt. Wyatt got to go to the"fishbowl" that is where all the freshman classes are and the principal office is located. He is very excited about high school now. Yeah!





This is "The Village" it is huge, I feel like I am on a college campus and there is a big strip mall located in the village, I am standing there taking the picture . They have Starbucks, Cold Stone ice cream, Trader Joes, a pizza place and lots of other food stores. I think that was the nail that sealed the deal about the school.

What is your child worth?

The Price of Children

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 include the cost of post-secondary education. 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 noodle wreaths 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!!!!!!!!!