Ballerina For A Day

I had this great idea to sign Valerie up for a ballet class. I thought it would be something fun I could do with her in the mornings while the boys are at school. I had the perfect image in my head of taking my cute little girl to a ballet class and having a great time watching her and praising her for doing so well. I have been reading the book "Raising Your Spirited Child," and it helped me to understand that a spirited child often has a hard time warming up to new things and situations. So Darryl and I took her to the first day of ballet class with the expectation that she would be slower to join in then most of the other girls. What I didn't expect was that she wouldn't end up joining in at all.

I tried encouraging her with hugs and kisses

I tried showing her that it was fun and that she would love it

I tried teaching by example and doing the moves myself

I tried talking to her

I tried quietly watching and waiting patiently

I tried convincing her the best I could

For the last couple minutes of class she joined in to bow for the parents because the teacher offered a candy to every little girl who would bow....

And that was my ballerina for a day! I ended up canceling the class and accepting that Valerie knows what she likes and I can't force her to do something she doesn't want to. I am trying to be better at accepting that and allowing her to express herself in the way she wants.

And let's face it, she'd much rather do this then dance around a room like a ballerina...and I'm just fine with that. :)

Here is a poem I recently wrote for my little Valerie!

             My Little Tomboy

My little tomboy is just 3 years old-

With big brown eyes and hair like gold.

She rises early and stays up late.

She plays in the dirt, and skirts she does hate.

Her hair is a mess and she likes it that way,

And when she gets dressed I have no say.

In a stained t-shirt and a pair of jeans

Her cute round face is seldom clean.

With dirty hands she runs along,

usually singing some little song.

Old dirty flip-flops she wears on her feet-

As she goes running down the street.

There's no girls to play with, just little boys,

but she really prefers their kinds of toys.

Once in a while she'll play with a doll,

But this doesn't last very long at all.

It's swords, or cars, or batman and such-

These are the things she likes very much.

When Sunday comes, at my earnest request

She reluctantly wears a girly dress.

Her face is clean, her hair in a curl,

She looks so much like a girly-girl.

But as Monday comes, lose or win,

We'll have our tomboy back again.

Rough and ready and rearing to go,

She conquers the world and I love her so!

Who Needs Disneyland??

We got Castle Park tickets as a Christmas gift from Darryl's sister and we finally got the chance to go a couple weeks ago. Let me just say it was so much fun that I seriously contemplated buying season passes for all of us. I'm not kidding. :) How have I lived in Riverside my whole life and never been to this place?! It's close to home, cheap, and the rides are really fun.....my kind of theme park :)

The kids eyes were glued to the magic show the whole time. They thought it was pretty awesome.

Feeling Grateful

I have struggled with anxiety issues since I was 11 years old.  It has been an incredibly challenging issue to deal with at times. It is something that comes and goes. I can go months, even years, without experiencing any bad anxiety. But when it hits, it always hits hard...and today was one of those days. It hit me out of nowhere, and I felt physically ill. When my anxiety comes on, a lot of crappy stuff comes with it. I get bad headaches, changes in my appetite, the fear of being alone, crying spells, weakness, dizziness, you name it. It really is awful. (I am only sharing this because my blog is private and I know my readers won't judge me!) :)
Anyway, although I am struggling with some anxiety today, I am also feeling very grateful. I am grateful that the Lord led me to the very best man for me. Darryl is incredibly sensitive to my struggles, and knows so well how to deal with me and help me feel better. He is strong when I'm not. He is level-headed when I'm not. He is kind and gentle when I'm not. In a way I'm very grateful for the hard days, because those are the days that help me realize how blessed I am. When Darryl is holding me, comforting me, and letting me cry like a baby, my love for him grows exponentially. I am grateful today; grateful for trials, and for an eternal companion who always helps me get through them.

“May your joys be as bright as the morning, and your sorrows merely be shadows that fade in the sunlight of love. May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet, enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy."