Our girls are now Kindergartners….
It’s hard to believe 5 years has gone by so fast! Fortunately, they’ve had the last couple years of preschool to help both us & them in preparing for this but I still find myself a little bit stunned when I think of them now being in Kindergarten.
School here in Florida started back on August 8th (my birthday) but the Kindergartner’s, at our school anyways, didn’t have to start until August 15th. After a pretty dull summer this year the girls were ready & rearing for this much anticipated milestone to finally begin.
I on the other hand could of waited a while longer & got off to a rough start sleeping right through my alarm (thank God for Michael as a back up!) & ended up getting them to school 15 minutes late on their very first day. Parental fail. I know…
So, as I was rushing everyone out of the house lugging Michael in his car seat with one hand & my camera in my other I called to the girls to “Hurry & stand by the van for a quick photo. Smile, HURRY, No don’t look like your having difficulty going potty just SMILE!”… yeah, so that’s how this turned out.

They’re on their third week now & seem to be loving it. This year the school also put them in the same class. I was a bit nervous at first about whether that was really such a good idea but it seems to be fine so far. Their little buddy Anthoney however, got assigned to a different teacher so his class is next door to theirs. They still get to see each other for lunch & recess though so all is well.
Kindergartners don’t get a rest time like they did in PreK so fortunately, we had started transitioning the girls out of nap times around the beginning of July. We were finding that they weren’t sleeping well at night since they weren’t all that tired due to having a nap earlier in the day. They were waking up in the middle of the nights to play, raid the kitchen & cause general destruction out of boredom. So it became very apparent that it was time to say goodbye to the beloved nap times. I certainly miss them but have found with the lack of nap they require an earlier bed time. They tend to be exhausted by late afternoons & now with Kindergarten I notice they come home pretty wiped out from their day. They’re sleeping like rocks come bed time though!
Little man has also started sleeping through the night. Granted it’s not every night but he’s doing a lot better & I’m starting to feel slightly less scatterbrained from the sleep deprivation. Everyone’s making progress & things are definitely headed in the right direction all around.

Lets hope this is the start of going back to more regular blogging once again from yours truly.


Well, it’s official…. I’m 30 years old today & truly just can’t believe it!
I’m not really upset about it but definitely not thrilled either. I don’t like that 30′s considered “middle aged” & feel like I’m now having to kiss young adulthood goodbye. I suppose it is what you make of it though.
The past 30 years have definitely been an adventure filled with many different peaks & valleys. I’ve certainly learned a whole lot & in a lot of ways come to realize I don’t really know much at all. Regrets? I have a few, but everything that’s filled the past 30 years of my life is what’s helped mold me into who I am today & today I can honestly say I’m one happy women.
I love my life, my husband, my children & my family & hope that in time I’ll also learn to love myself like I should too.
I know the future will not be filled with all sunshine & rainbows but I truely look forward to the adventure that my next 30 years will bring. I’m excited to watch my children grow (although not too quickly!) & although I know these next 30 years will include some painful losses they’ll also include some beautiful gains. Perhaps more children of our own? Perhaps some grandchildren down the road too!
One thing I know for certain is there’s no one I’d rather spend these next 30 years “growing old” with than my wonderful, loving & caring husband who without my life would not be the beautiful thing it is today.
So here’s to the next 30 years!

“THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES”
(PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this!
It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…
FYI – Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun!, braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.
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POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel a little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
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FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….
I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE THE DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. (DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you! u are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.
If u have a heart or compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
IF YOU BLOG PLEASE REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW.








