Santa...

I read two things that made me think. They are both about telling children about Santa. Not the man, but the feeling. Here they are, mostly for me to keep and cherish as my children grow, but also to share with y'all.








"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. 
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. 
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' 
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. 
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.



Dear Lucy,
Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)
I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though.
Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.
I love you and I always will.
Mama


I love being a Mom. I believe in Santa. The heart and joy of what Santa is. The smiles and cheer from children should be year round. I love seeing my children light up when they see Christmas Decorations, when they hear a Christmas song, when they hear bells jingling. The looks on their faces are pure, true amazement. I love that. I never want to see that fade.

I watched Santa Clause with Tim Allen today. I love that movie. Anyways, it has a simple phrase that makes me smile each time. That line is "Well, have you seen a million dollars? Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist." :D I love the innocence of children! I believe in Santa, do you?

well....

Well, sometimes I get irked at people for what they do, what they don't do and reasons they do/don't do things. I know, it's their life, why should it matter? Well most of the things that anger me are pointed directly towards others. I'll give an example so y'all know what I mean.

Mrs. Kippling has been bending backwards to help her friend. She has not asked for much if anything at all. When Mrs. Kippling decided it was time for a change, her friend decided that it was not fair to her if Mrs. Kippling went along with this change. The friend thought it was rude of Mrs. Kippling to want a better life than what she had, and decided to do and say what she can to hurt Mrs. Kippling. She would continuously publicly thank others for helping where she rarely thanked Mrs. Kippling. She'd do so IN FRONT of Mrs. Kippling just to be sure it hit her hard. Mrs. Kippling never had to be as wonderful as she was to her friend but was because she can. Now, shouldn't Mrs. Kippling's friend at the very least refrain from being a total jerk to Mrs. Kippling?

Taken advantage of, lack of manners, bullies, heartless jerks.... These people have no clue on how bad they are hurting others. I am writing this instead of chewing their butt because it's not my place. I love Mrs. Kippling tons and would do anything for her. She is smart, sweet, generous and always does her best to make others happy. It is STUPID of people like Mrs. Kippling's friend to stab her as they did.

On a plus side, MY PARENTS MOVED HERE!!!! It took a lot of heartache, backache and headache, but they are all moved in, parts that were broken are fixed, and they FINALLY have a house to call their own. I hope they are able to enjoy it as much as I enjoy having them near me. I love being able to go get a hug when I need one, let the kids play with Granny and PaPa Truck and eat great meals together. I couldn't ask for more!

Kids are loving school. They had a blast trick or treating last night. They were so adorable! I love my little monsters. They are happy girls, healthy and absolutely amazing. My kids have respect and use their manners. Ya know, they could teach most a adults a thing or two about those qualities. :D

My school is going good, Three short weeks and I'll have my associates! I'm not sure if any of my siblings have degrees, but I'm going to share mine with every person who's stood by my side during this journey. I am going to continue on to get my Bachelors. Could you imagine me as a teacher? It'll be a new adventure!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I'm thankful for so much. That is for another post though! Christmas is less than 2 months away... scary huh? I want the kids to have an incredible Christmas. That doesn't mean a lot of gifts, but a lot of love. I want to decorate the house, both for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. I want to do so many things, to make so many more memories.

Well, I think I've rambled enough for one post. Much Loves to you all!

Well, now. Life sure is interesting, isn't it? There are deaths, births, divorces, marriages... So many ups and downs. Sometimes we just want to run the race, keep going until we have no more energy. "There are only so many hours in a day." "I wish it would hurry up and be Friday!" "I can't wait until the weekend." Yes, we are only given so much time. Days are short. Things need to get done. Take a deep breath. Remember why you do the things you do. Stop and smell the roses!




Life is not guaranteed. We need to take life one step at a time. It shouldn't be 100% about work and "buying things". It should be about who you love, who is by your side, what you do together *sitting together and watching a movie at home constitutes as an amazing evening together, at least in my opinion.* Life is to be enjoyed. I know I'd rather have laugh lines than frown lines.

I have had many stresses, downs and basically sad times in my life. I have overcome all that was thrown at me. I have an incredible hubby, amazing children, loving parents, a roof over my head and my schooling to better myself. Life IS what you make it. If you are sad all the time, and not even trying, life will be that way. If you are happy and willing to enjoy yourself in everything you do, your life will portray that. That's what I have realized over the years. When I was down and things weren't going my way, life seemed hard and unbearable. Now that I'm happy, life is beautiful and I am doing my best to keep a smile on my face, good things keep happening. I love it when life cooperates hehe. I do take the time to smell the roses. I enjoy the little things in life, my childrens' laughter, the smell of cakes as they are baking, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the cool breeze swaying the trees... Life is amazing. I make my life amazing.

I'm just sick of people telling me that their life is horrible. There are many who complain about being single, no life, no friends... Uhm... GET OUT THERE YOU FOOL! Go mingle, enjoy life, someone will come along, see how much you enjoy life and they will want that change in their life. No one can change your life for you.

Yeah, that's enough rambling today. Much Loves!

Adventures!

Life is such an incredible adventure. Tonight we are going to start our trip to Utah. We will be attending a friend's wedding and meeting some incredible friends that I've known for 5 years. It is a  16.5+ hour drive, but with both me and Tye, it'll be an adventure!

Yesterday, I decided I was going to start walking. I did a 4 mile trek, 2 miles to the cemetery, 2 miles back home. My legs and tummy and derriere were all telling me that I did good! Yeah, I am sore this morning! I am proud though. I am starting something good for me. YAY for new adventures.

My Monsters all started school again. They love it. I couldn't be more happy that they love school. I will help them chase their dreams. I'm currently proving to them that dreams could come true. I will have my associates in Educational Paraprofessional at the end of November! It is nearly time for me to start my capstone, which is what will determine if I receive my associates or not. I know I will pass, simply because I'm amazing.

I love that I can soon be working within the school systems. I am hoping to be able to work at Hedley ISD as that's where my kids attend, however I will put my application in all around. I just want to be around children. I love helping them better themselves.

OH!! I applied for a social media and community service role through National Society of Collegiate Scholars. I feel as if I can do more for this program and gain better leadership abilities. I am also going to be a penpal at In2books again and a mentor at icouldbe.org. I want to help people, and what better way than doing things through school.

I am happy. Truly, deeply happy. I have incredible friends and my amazing family. I love my life. The only thing I would ever change anything would be to bring all those I care about closer. I love you all tons. **hug**

More Rambles from your Favorite Midget :D

Today is absolutely beautiful. Clouds in the sky, nice cool temperature, sun shining bright, ahhhhh. I wish it were like this all day, every day, 24/7/365. Such a calming morning.

Now, for my rant of the day... STOP LETTING DISABILITIES RUN YOUR LIFE! Yeah, I understand it's hard, they suck and there is "no way you can do it." Well guess what, you are wrong. It is hard, yes. Disabilities suck, yes. However, only you can change yourself to do what you want. I'm not saying you're going to get over your disabilities. The reason I'm bringing this up, is I have MANY friends who talk about how hard it is to be normal or do things that other people can, because of a disability.

Let's take a look at a few people, shall we? Here's an easy one, Ludwig Van Beethoven. Anyone who listens to ANY music knows this name. We all know he was Deaf. Did he let that stop him from creating beautiful music? NO. He wasn't born deaf, he started going deaf when he was nearly 30.

Next we will look at Nick Vujicic. Talk about an amazing person. Watch this video. He is incredible. Tell me you can't do it. Go ahead. You and I both know you can do anything. The way I see it, you are not disabled. You are human. We all have our positives and negatives about ourselves. Wake up, smile at the sunshine, take a deep breath and TRY. I, for one, can do anything. Tell me I can't, I'll do it just to prove you wrong. And before ignorance speaks, I am not saying I can make an elephant jump. I'm speaking of real life, importance. I was told I would drop out of High School because I left home half way through my senior year. I graduated with a 3.2 GPA. I was told I was going to amount to nothing. I have the most amazing life. Yes we have struggles, but who doesn't? I have my kids. I have love, I have friends, I have family. I own my house and three vehicles. Yeah, they like to break down, but hey, that's life, right? I am a full time student, and I WILL be a teacher. I belong with children. You may belong doing other things like photography *I want to be a photographer too, but one step at a time* or a doctor, or a fast food manager. If you are happy somewhere and belong there, by all means do it. Disabilities, whether they be physical or mental, aren't going to stop your dreams. Only you can stop your dreams. Be an inspiration, even if it's only an inspiration to yourself. I am :D

A little bit of everything

Okies, first we're going to have a little rant. If you are either in a bad mood, or just having a bad day STAY OFF OF THE COMPUTER!!! You misconstrue everything said as a stab directly at you. The vast majority of the time, people say what's on their mind, on the computer anyways. It is not directed at you unless someone writes "Hey such and such, you're an idiot" or something along those lines. I refrain from saying names a lot because it is rude to bring that attention on someone when you're the one with the beef against them. For example, if someone I know decides to make stupid decisions in their life and I am completely against it, I may write "you are such an idiot, think before you act!" then all of a sudden everyone who has done something stupid will react. I won't say "Hey George, you are being an idiot." unless they know how blunt I am and that they won't get their feelings hurt by my saying so. Yes, I bring a lot of my thoughts forward and the vast majority of you know that I don't really care if I hurt you or not. I am blunt. But come on, someone is writing something in general, not directly at you. If you don't want the negative feelings or attention, DON'T READ IT!!! Get off Facebook or whatever you are on, sit back, read a book, go for a walk, play a game, just GET OFF THE DARN COMPUTER! I am so tired of reading "don't mess with me today" or "don't talk about me" type crap. I mean come on now.

We went to Kansas last month, visited with family and had a great time. We even put Tye in Jail! My Momma will be here for a week on the 16th. It'll be great to see her again as I haven't since Christmas! Then at the end of this month, we are going to Utah to see Shellie and her soon to be hubby get married. I'll get to see two old friends at the wedding *Shellie and Nicole* and meet some wonderful ladies I've befriended over the past few years. Next month I have a baby shower to attend, and then we are planning a camping trip at the end of September! WHEW busy busy!

School is going good. I still have my A's. I'm working hard. I will have my associates in November, so GO ME! I am continuing on for two more years to get my bachelors. I'm excited.

OH I wanted to bring a website to attention. This guy does AMAZING art. nogreaterloveart.com His name is Jason Bullard and WOW. I have 4 prints of his, finishing building the frames for them but yeah. I'll take pics of them when I'm completely finished.

I'll stop rambling for now. Much Loves where they go!

Bully

Now seriously, What the heck is wrong with people? Why is there so much hatred, cruelness, prejudiced people??? Now I grew up believing we all bleed the same color, we are all the same! Differences don't matter, that's what makes us individuals, cuz if we were all 100% the same, what fun would that be? Look at this video, it describes how I feel about bullying. You are Beautiful, period. You know, those of you who read this know me. I am short, I am blunt and I don't care what others think! I am completely amazing, because I am me! I am raising my children to treat their classmates and everyone they meet as equals. They know to treat all their classmates with love and respect. If they see someone who looks different, who has flaws, they need friends too! A while back, we watched a lot of Extreme Makeover Home edition. My oldest daughter, Kylie, loved that show. On one of the shows there was an amazing family.Here is a copy & paste from the website.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: The Tom Family

Susan Tom, a single parent of seven adopted children with disabilities from Fairfield, CA, didn’t set out to adopt children with special needs, but somehow they found each other. After her divorce, Susan, a mother of four at the time (two biological, two adopted), became a foster parent and soon fell in love with the children no one else wanted. Now “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” will give back to a woman who has given so much love to children in need by providing a new home for her family in two special back-to-back episodes.

Taking in children with challenges hasn’t been easy. For Xenia and Hannah, who were born without legs, and Libby, who was born with spinal bifida and confined to a wheelchair, the Tom home is a logistical nightmare. For Cloe, who was born unable to bend her elbows and knees, getting around the house and up the stairs is extremely difficult. There is also Katie, who was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is mentally challenged, and Faith, who was badly burned as a baby and encounters stares from strangers every day of her life. Finally there’s Margaret, who was not expected to live because of brain damage; she’s now a thriving 21-year-old who works full-time and helps out her siblings, as she pursues her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse.

In these special episodes of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” this family will finally find a safe haven to call home. Discriminated against on a daily basis by ignorance and physical challenges, the Tom children deserve to have a home that doesn’t discriminate against them. Susan and the children are thinking of taking in more children with special needs, if their new house could accommodate them.

While the design team, contractors and hundreds of workers, volunteers and a local builder, the Sacramento division of John Laing Homes, are building the Tom’s dream home and comfortable living environment, the family will go on vacation at Walt Disney World.

In addition, the Backstreet Boys send a special video message to the family while on tour, and country singer Mark Wills performs for the family at Disney World during their vacation. During the construction, champion wrestler/weightlifter Kyle Maynard (author of “No Excuses”), who was born with a rare disorder called Congenital Amputation, inspects the house to make sure it’s disability friendly and gets into a wrestling match with Paul DiMeo. 

Pretty cool huh?

Now this is the song that Mark Wills sang, it's absolutely amazing:

Anywho, I was telling you what Kylie did. When we watched that episode, she looks me dead in the eye and said, "Mommy, why do kids pick on her? She's beautiful." Tell me I don't raise good kids. :D Bullies and other people in general could learn a thing or two from my daughter. :)

Don't!!

Hi my friends and family!! I am almost finished organizing my house. I am soooo happy to have a place that's mine.

Okay, I got on here today to vent a little. There is one word that is forbidden in my house. "can't" That word is the most untruthful, hateful word there is. You can do anything!! I know things get hard, I know you think it's impossible. I love the word impossible. Look closely: "I'm possible". Now listen, I am far from perfect. Things get hard. You want to change where your life is leading but you "can't" due to funds, due to your significant other, due to your job blah blah blah. You want to be happy? Love your friends and be the kind of friend you want. Smile when the sun shines on you. Take a deep breath and one step forward. SLOW DOWN!!! Life is not a race. Dance just because. Laugh at silly thoughts. You can do anything. You are more amazing than you think. You are my friend and I am by your side each step of the way. Doubt me, I will prove you wrong.

Mother

What is a Mother?

A hand to hold
A heart to heal
Arms to embrace
Beauty beyond any other form
Bountiful enjoyment
Caring nature
Cunning personality
Daring adventures
Driving kids everywhere
Ears to listen to problems
Enlightening
Fearless
Forgiving
Gift from God
Generous
Healer of boo-boos
Heart big enough to accept friends as family
Important
Independent
Joyful
Jumps at the opportunity to lend a helping hand
Kisses that heal everything
Kind words when they need to be spoken
Laughter that you'll remember most
Listens when talked to
Meaningful relationship
Makes the best of a rainy day
Needs no improvement
Never turns anyone away
Out of this world
Outgoing
Peaceful
Present even when they aren't here physically
Quick to help
Queen of the house
Respectful
Really important
Soft hugs and kisses
Sweet words of wisdom
Trustworthy
Truthful
Understanding
Undeniably incredible
Victorious
Vicious when they need to be
Wise
Wonderful
X-ray vision
eXtraordinary
Youthful
Yet to be forgotten
Zoo keeper
Zeal for life

Moms are vital for life. I love my Mom and am proud to say I still go to her when I need her. My mom is one of my dearest friends. I couldn't thank her enough for being my mother.

Working out

Today marks the beginning of a new me. I am working out, eating right and fighting to be more healthy for my kids sake. I will feel as amazing as people think I am. I want to be beautiful and healthy for Tye. He is my best friend and deserves someone who can keep up in life. Wish me luck because I won't give up.
On a side note, Mother's day weekend is going to be great. I get to spend the weekend with a friend at a spa! Tye will be with the kids, fishing, camping, or whatever. He is such a great Daddy.

School is going good. I just started my next set of classes. I love life. Live, dance, laugh and love. Live each day with love and joy.

Bullies

I watched Ellen today like I do every day, but today I cried sad tears whilst watching it. At the end of the show Ellen was talking to a couple who lost their son to suicide in 2009. He was bullied in school. I will never understand the hatred people could have for others just because they have differences. Why focus on differences? I am short with long dark hair. I am different than many people in many ways. Why is there so much damn hatred??? The way I see things, we all bleed the same color. I have been teaching my children to encourage friendships with all other kids regardless of their looks, religion, sexual orientation, or background. It's sad that these differences are what causes people to think poorly of others and makes them judge them. You want to hate on someone? Come hate on me! I can take it easier than many others because I know who and what I am. Your opinion is nothing. You don't feel how the victims of bullying feel. You who bully should feel ashamed. Not only is your opinion nothing but you are nothing. I support Ellen and JCPenny and others who are bullied for being different. Don't like it then kiss my a$$!!!!!

March Already?

March is halfway through. Spring has sprung, at least on the calender. My anniversary is coming up. My middle daughter is graduating from Kindergarten in a couple short months. Where did time go?

I know I haven't posted since December, time sure flies when you aren't paying much attention. We are doing good. School is great, I have a 3.96! I have a deep want to be working in the school system, either with young kids or with special needs kids. Passion, I guess is the correct word rather than want. I will have my Associates in Arts for Educational Paraprofessional in November and I will continue on another 22 weeks to achieve a second Associates in Early Childhood Education. Will I make a good teacher? I don't know the answer to that. I know that I will do my hardest to help students academically as well as be there for them to talk to, to help better them in all aspects of life. We all start out as students, then when we get married and have children, we become teachers. Parents have a hard life, focusing on their children, making sure they are safe, healthy, happy, have all their needs and everything in between.

Bit of a random thought, but how the Hell can people hurt children??!? I keep reading about child molesters, rapists, murderers, and so on. Those actions are bad enough but when done to children, it just irks me. Kids cannot defend themselves, they feel as if this stuff happens to them because they did something wrong. You want to feel big and bad so you do this stuff to babies? Want to know what you are? Afraid. You are afraid. Want to see what you mean to people like me? Come find out. Go stand in the middle of the Grand Canyon, or row a canoe into the middle of the ocean. You are insignificant, you are nothing, you are garbage.

KK sorry about that randomness. I have read too many sad stories about children being hurt and basically getting away with it. Makes me want to buy a 50 cal and take the judicial system into my own hands.

Ok, to lighten up this post, I shall bring up something that is very important to me: my friends and family. I've got the best of both. I have friends who have turned into my family,

family who has turned into my friends. I have joy, love, life... times are good! I am truly happy. I miss my husband a ton, but we've grown closer over the last few months. The time apart really hurts, but talking daily, texting, emails or by phone helps a lot. He's amazing, no question asked. I have friends that make me remember what real friendships are. High school was one thing, not many real friendships, just people who are trying to get through school. I can sadly count only two real friendships through High School. I have friends now, whom I have never met, or met once, who I can rely on. These friends are there for me to talk to when I need it. They help me rejoice in the good times. They even watch my girls grow up with me. These friends don't judge me by what I do wrong or differently than they do, they see me as a Mom who cares, a woman who is attending school to better her future, a friend who truly wants to be there for them. I hope they all know how much they mean to me. My Mom and I have gotten closer. I love her to death and hope she sees that she is vital to my life. I need her. My kids are growing into beautiful children, playing sports, doing great in school, growing up on me. They make me smile daily, many times a day. I've gotten to know several people on my husband's side of the family. They are incredible people who accept me for who I am.

I think I've rambled enough in this post, Promise to post a little more often than once every three months hehehe.

Love you, my friends, my family, my life. :D