Day 17 a favorite photo of me

Day 17- this one's easy A favorite picture of myself

These are from  us dancing at our wedding. I like them together because it's from either side of us. All I can think when I see wedding pictures of myself is how young I look. 

It's Ok Thursday

Happy Thursday! This week has gone by fast 
IT's OK: to be obsessed with shows like dateline and 48 hours to never know what I want to eat To need a nap To be a little sad it's finale season, some shows I don't want to wait months for a new episode to feel sad that my daughter is growing up too fast to set boundaries, people will  walk all over you sometimes without them to not be into cooking, we still eat it's just really simple meals to know this is true about me:

Day 15- what I go through and how

Today's theme was easier for me than the others it's to write about something difficult in your life and how you are working to overcome it. 
The obvious answer is the stroke but today more specifically I'm addressing the depression that is a side effect of the stroke. The part of my brain that suffered the damage caused me to suffer from depression. At first it was bad. The combination of the damage plus the trauma of going through these very sudden changes caused me to be very depressed. I cried a lot and had dark thoughts. Over the last three years I have worked on adjusting my medication. I am on anti depressants and a low dose of anti anxiety. I wish I didn't have to be on them but I can't function as well without them. It's just that either them or my seizure meds make me tired and I can feel a difference but I can't go off of anything so I've learned to function as well as I can
Also I regularly go to therapy. I have found a therapist that helps and I've learned how to handle the really rough moments where I feel sorry for myself and overwhelmed by things. I've learned my anxiety triggers and try to avoid them as much as possible as well as learned what helps sooth me. I have a feeling it will be a work  in progress for most of my life but I'm functional and much better than it use to be. I believe going through my own depression has made me more sympathetic to those that suffer from it. It's a challenge and I know that it's hard to control it. 

my oh so exciting life

I can't believe it's day 15 of the blog everyday in May challenge and I've made it everyday. Today's topic is to blog about what we do each day. My daily routine is not very exciting but this is the typical day for me. I wake up between 8 and nine. Sometimes a little earlier sometimes a little later.  I gave up soda for the most part a few months ago but I still need caffeine so I drink a caffeinated water because it's low calorie. I take my pills and wake up. My husband and I are home alone till 1:30 when he goes to pick up our daughter.  during this time we sometimes run errands, go to appointments, do chores, he works on the computer and we spend time together. At 2:40 our daughter gets home and my husband leaves for work. Then she and I do her homework, I work on the computer while she either plays outside or watches TV. Then dinner  bath pj's night routine. If she's awake enough her and I will watch TV together, Like the Voice. Usually she falls asleep pretty early by 7:30. Then I work on the computer, clean up, take care of the night stuff. It's not exciting but it's a nice routine. Summer will change things up. With her out of school and vacations happening but I have a few more weeks of this schedule. 

yesterday we fit in a movie while our daughter was at school. My husband wanted me to take a picture in front of this display to show her. 

How I try to not raise a bully, in today's world

Because I believe that when you know better you do better. So if I teach her better she will know better there for do better. 

Above all  it's important  to me to raise a kind child more than anything else. We are only at the beginning of her school journey but I figure if I start now maybe more of what I say and do will stick with her as we get to the harder years. Already in her class there is a group of mean girls. Luckily she isn't one of them, and that's not just my opinion other parents have talked to my husband and I about it. These are the steps that have worked for me in preschool and Kindergarten to raise a kind and nice child. The world is changing and bullying is getting worse with more tragic consequences, I can't change the world but I can raise my daughter to be the best that she can and hopefully not be a bully and not be bullied.  1). I have worked hard to build up her self esteem. Not just about her looks, though she gets told often that shes cute and pretty by us and family. I also make sure she knows that she is smart, funny and a good person. I don't want herself worth to be tied to her looks. That way if at some point in the future her looks get teased or criticized she doesn't fall apart thinking that the only thing good about her is lost. I wanted her to know there is so much more to her than how pretty she looks.  2). I am involved in her life I know it's easier now because she's young but I want her to know that I care how her day is, who her friends are, how she did on her spelling test. I make sure to praise her achievements and really listen to her stories. I want her to know I value you her so that when she has something important to tell me she will trust me with it. I believe in building that foundation now.  3). I have always been open about the differences in people and when she has questions, I answer them honestly and when she comments on something I respond. She and I have talked about different races, homosexuality, disabilities and it's always age appropriate but I want to keep things open so she can ask questions. We have gone over that even if someone looks or behaves differently than you they deserve respect. She really seems to understand this well. From other parents I have learned that she has stood up for kids with autism and for a boy being teased for liking "girly" things by other boys.  4). She knows we have her back. When she has stood up for other kids we really praise her and make sure she knows how special that is. If someone is mean to her I hear her out on the story and try to encourage her and guide her towards working out the problem on her own. I can't be her body guard 24/7 so it's important she learn to deal with problems without me. If the problem isn't being resolved or the situation is too big for her to solve on her own I step in. She knows I will stand up for her and will fight for her. Like last year I wrote she was being abused by another student and we went to the teacher when she told me it happened again I went to the principal and kept fighting till I had him moved to another class. She couldn't deal with that all on her own so she came to me for help and I took over.  5).  I emphasize kindness in how she treats others. We go over the phrase " you don't have to like everyone but you must be kind and polite to them  probably once a week" In situations like well Matthew said Katie was a baby so tomorrow I'm going to tell him he's mean and a baby. I have to stop her and say no how about you just be nice to Katie and if Matthew says it again ask him nicely to please stop being mean to your friend. Then if it gets worse from there or keeps happening go tell the teacher. Just because he was mean doesn't give you the right to be mean back.  I know I am by no means an expert on parenting. As she gets older things will change and things that work now wont work then but as a mom of a child in early elementary school this is what has worked and my experience. Maybe if more parents really took the time and thought about how to raise kids to not be bullies we wouldn't have mean girls in Kindergarten

Come on get happy

Day 14 and ten things that make me really happy 1. obviously my daughter, come on how could this not make me happy?

2 My husband, most of the time. He annoys me plenty too. 

3. my pets, they are my babies too. One dog and two cats. 

4. taking pictures, working on getting better at it. 

5. Blogging, this blog learning about blogging, reading blogs

6. Being an aunt. 

7.going to the movies. Saw the Great Gatsby On Sunday, seeing Iron Man 3 today. 

8.  reading a really good book and getting all caught up in it. 

9.  Pinterest, can waste hours here and do. Join me here

10. catching up with old friends and making new ones. 

Day 13- A public Apology

Day 13. Issue a public apology. Can be funny serious, as creative  as you want)



Dear home, 
I'm sorry I'm not much of a home maker. I'm really working on keeping you cleaner so please give me credit for that. You aren't the mess you use to be but I still owe you an apology. I wish I could make you cute and decorated part og the problem is I'm not very skilled in that area but am trying to learn. The other problem is I don't have the money to do much so you are going to have to wait. I have lots of ideas but other things, like bills, take priority when it comes to money. 
Remember house that finding ideas for you is a big part of the reason I spend so much time on Pinterest. 

my mom, my daughter and I at lunch for Mother's Day