our new house coming soon

The BUSY Real Estate Agent

Not even his own business will get in the way of doing our business!

Ken has been a great agent working on our behalf. We have four houses picked out and we are waiting on our offers to be accepted or rejected. Let's pray for a big ol acceptance hug rather than a dejection slap.
I'll post pics of the house we are going to purchase once we know which offer has been acepted.
The KC trip was successful, how successful we have to wait to find out.

We saw gabe's school and it looked thriving and fun. The church bought an old school building out in the country for its elementary school and built a brand new facility for the high school and church building. I'm excited to get him involved. He's a bit nervous, I can tell, for the change. But I assured him that there is 3 huge jungle gyms outside and a baseball field and lots of open space to sword fight in. He relaxed a bit after that clarification.
Joe's work is no more than a 10 minute drive from all the homes and 5 minutes from Gabe's school.
I still have to get a job, I'm looking for a 6 month temporary job, since it's never good coming into a school n the middle of the shool year, nor is it good to leave in the middle of the school year, but alas here I am looking for a new job. I'll keep you posted on that event!
Lots to be determined, only a few weeks left to be determined...

We now have necks!

Gabe will be 6 in 21 days. In one year he has learned many things, but the thing that I am most proud of his new found understanding of the human anatomy. At first when he drew we were just 2 circles combined with lines coming out of thebody representing limbs. That evolved into ovals with oval limbs, but now folks... WE HAVE NECKS, and look at the defined limbs. Our faces have noses and for some odd reason our eyes blood shot, but that is neither here nor there, we have necks! Amazing transformation. Simply an amazing 5 year old, soon to be 6

Sir smelly Butt tells on himself

Jordan rolls up in a huge truck with a hot Nelly song playing. We both get soaked getting in and out of the vehicle, and running into the rental car establishment. We sit at his mock-cubicle and begin my paper work.
He stops, looks at me, and begins sniffing. "do you smell that?"
"no." I say a bit shocked. Awkward!
Working with middle school aged beasts I'm very aware of unwelcomed smells,. but it happens and I'm trained not to react to them inappropriately. Jordan begins sniffing all around. He sniffs behind him, under the desk, he lifts his shoes to look for poo I assume, and then proceeds to look under mine, sniffing of course.
"You don't smell that?"
"No, I really don't"
He shruggs and continues to work, he shakes his head every few seconds and scrunches up his nose. He then stops working leaves his mock cubicle and walks over to the another co woker.
"Do you smell that?"
"Maybe it's your garbage." He goes back over to his work sqaure and removes his trash.

He continues to work, but sniffs every now and then, obviously offended by the putred smell. I want to ask him if he has wiped his butt this morning but, that would be rude, and I just want my car. I didn't smell anything and I wasn't about to stop him from working since he was the one trying to get me a rental car.

After a few more comments about the smell and watching him struggle to control himself from smelling various parts of his body and mine, I finally got my car. We shared a few friendly smiles and nods and I was outta there.

Here's my theory and worldly advice. If you smell something funky, and the other person does not, it's probably coming from you. With that in mind you don't want to give away the root of the stink, so keep it inside your head, unless the other person mentions it too you or begins looking woozy!
Bad smells, especailly smells that cause you to suffer are unfortunate, but they happen, but it is one of those things that no one wants to smell. You see, where ever Jordan went, there was the smell! No one but him and another co worker close enough to smell him actually took in the funk. That's a good thing. Instead of finding the root of the stink, he unintelligently told on himself indirectly. What he said was "hey there is a really bad smell coming from somewhere on my person. PeeEww"
Not smart, Jordan! But after all that is why he was the sucker who works at a car rental place and is the bottom ring who has to pick up the stranded vehiclist.
You stink Jordan metaphorically and physically!

The Ava

The morning started with a kick in the pants from my coffee, I appreciated it since I had to be out of the house by 7a.m. It was exactly 7a.m. when the ava struck. As I was pouring my "to go" cup of coffee I walked to the front door to grab the ava's coat and I saw a trail of oatmeal leading to a sitting ava at the front door spoonig sloppy oatmeal up to her mouth.
The trail lead to the ava's feet to the bathroom where she found my "togo" oatmeal. What does a now awestruck mom do, let the dog out of her cage, that's what. I let the dog lick the oatmeal as I get the coat on the ava. The ava is non-compliant, and writhes at the loss of the oatmeal. I begin driving the ava to her at-home daycare and realize I don't have my phone with me which I need for my very busy day! So I turn the car around to try and find my phone. I seach all over the house, I retrace my steps. I last had it when I was talking with nara. Yes, I blame nara. It's her fault, where did I place that phone! It's now 7:25. Ugh, I leave and drop off the ava. I drop off the brother of the ava and all is well on this dreary rainy blasted day.

I get to school at 9:15, I should have been there at 8:30, and I'm lost all day without my phone. .. huff... I continue working, this is all I can do. Meanwhile I am expecting 5 phone calls in regards to my stupid truck which has been defiled by the dumb teen driver... (leave the hostility at home Stew!)

The day closes without any real incidents without my phone, I feel weak all day, like I have kryptonite in my pocket, nothing gels as it should, but the day is done.
I pick up the children and I begin searching for the phone. It is nowhere to be found...
So what does a mother do, she gets on her knees (prayers have already been said) and begins crawling at the level of the ava. I begin searching everything at eye level of the ava. I go room by smelly room iin my apartment. Careful how I shake the boxes as I search the shoes, I don't want to rattle the roaches. No phone anywhere. The last room didn't not hold much hope for me, there is only one twin bed, the ava's sleepy quarters (portable crib) and a closet full of toys. Nothing was eye level but the crib. Still crawling around I peek over her crib, nothing that the eye can see, but pillows, 2 blankets, and a lion. I'm hopeless... I turn in defeat when it dawns on me, the ava is sneaky, as well as forgetful. The ava forgets where she has organized her business, so I lift the blankets and BEHOLD THE PHONE! Oh the ava struck again!

Letter of encouragement to a SISTA

Dear Sista, Jordan, Joey,Jon, Danny, & Donny have a word for you!
Times are tough, but music has a way of changing a down trodden soul to a hip, upbeat Democrack butt-kicking dance machine!



Listen up everybody if you wanna take a chance. just get on the floor and do the new kids’ dance.
Don’t worry ’bout nothing ’cause it won’t take long.(rap:) we’re gonna put you in a trance with a funky song, ’cause you gotta beHangin’ tough, hangin’ tough, hangin’ tough.(rap:) we’re rough.
Everybody’s always talkin’ ’bout who’s on top.
don’t cross our path ’cause you’re gonna get stomped.
We ain’t gonna give anybody any slack.
and if you try to keep us down we’re gonna come right back,
And you know we’reHangin’ tough, hangin’ tough, hangin’ tough.
are you tough enough?
Hangin’ tough, we’re rough.
Yeah
I'm not that kind of guy who can take a broken heart
So dont ever leaveI don't want to see us part
the very thought of losing you means
that everything would go down under
i'll be loving you forever
just as long as you want me to be
i'll be loving you forever
all this love's for you and me
i'll be loving you
i'll be
i'll be loving you
loving you
and the things you do
yaaa it's forever
i'll be loving you
i'll be
i'll be loving you
loving you
yaaai
count the blessings that keep our love new
there's one for me and a million for you
there's just so much that i wanna say
that when i look at you all my thoughts get in the way
i'll be loving you forever

Ms. Green's encouraging words

Meet Ms. GReen, she is our school counselor. She is a precious jem of encouraging words. Need a warm fuzzy, she is a warm fuzzy!
Here are some quotes to enourage you all as she does me on a daily basis.

Ms. Green to random others:

"I'm getting stupid, I need to stop hanging out with you."
"Ohh her face looks fat, don't tell her I said that.
"She looks terrible, why'd she wear that? What's wrong with her?"
"He's ugly, just like his sister and mother."
"I don't know why Ms. Stewart treats me like that."
"Are you putting those photos on the internet, I should have taken off my clothes!"
giggle, "you're not smart!"
"Here are your awards try not to lose them like you usually do?"
"you obviously don't hang out with people who speak their mind, that's what I do, I just say what I think."
"don't say that, I believe everything you say and then tell people. If it's not true don't say it."
"You are smart." I didn't help her. " I take that back you're not smart at all."

A boy and his stick

Some are fearful of his stick, others are simply in awe. Fight on boy, fight on...

Miffed

I have a new teaching position that allows me hours of freedom, this does not cause me anger, the boredom does. The sale of our house does not make me angry, the 3 weeks of angonizing waiting due to the incompetency of others makes me angry. The $700 apartment doesn't make me angry, the twitching roaches greeting me in the morning on my kitchen floor and the stale smell of feet and must angers me though.
My husband gone away to a far away place during the week doesn't make me angry, his place is taken by a 5 year old head-sweating, urine smelling "man of the house", nothing about that makes me angry.

I can't say that I'm angered over anything specific, more or less miffed by the compilation of the little things. I don't like my current place in life, but it is only temporary. THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
So if you wonder why I am not blogging much, my miffidyness has sapped my humor, so all my energy goes to daily mental sanity breaks and a lot of self soothing.
Sorry for the blather...
I would also like to state that living in an apartment has reignited my desire to smoke; this does not make me angry. The 400 lb woman across the way, hacking up a lung due to her chronic smoking and ruining my desire to smoke makes me angry. Needless to say I haven't started up smoking, she hasn't offered me a Virgnia Slim yet!

Unahppy Chauffer, Happy Rider

The rider was pleased with the level of service during her joy ride. However the driver realized he would get nothing out of the driving transaction but a headache and some tears.

Advancement taking the Park on...

The plan is conceived

the approach...



advancing on the challenge
taking position

The turn


The take down

Execution Complete

Thank you God, Joe, & Dodge

We had a wreck ladies and gents...
We decided to go for an impromptu family outing and WAM (not the hit band) we were hit.
We had wrestled with the thought of staying over night at a hotel or something, but we decided to head back at night to save money.
The highways and biways are all 2 laners and we were driving along, singing, laughing having a gay ol time when Joe and I see the same thing. At an intersection we saw a truck stop, then hesitate to proceed, but went ahead with trying to cross the intersection. We were about 50 yards to the intersection, but at speeds over 60 that approached fast. Anywho, so after honking the horn the guy proceeds to pull out but swerves instead. Joe using his amazing defensive driving technique swirved to miss him/ have him hit us at a safer position (My door).
So as we swirved inbetween the oncoming car waiting to turn and the moron's truck I was thinking in slow motion, I'm gonna kill whoever this is, I'm going to kill...!
Crash... pull off to the side. Joe took a breath, I rolled up my sleeves, I was going to come out swinging, cursing, and assulting.
I checked on the babies, Ava was asleep, Gabe was scared but okay and Joe had already jumped out to check on driver dumby.
I have never been in an accident, but thank GOD above my first one was in the Dodge. Joe's manuevering had been perfect, the truck had hit us right in the impact zone. No air bags, and no injuries. It also drove us home safely, although it was a bit loud considering that the 2 side doors didn't close.

Back to my murderous moment. Joe was trying to calm the other driver down as I was shuttering, seething silently in a total rage beside Joe as I gave the evil eye to a stupid teenager who admitted that he saw us coming. He also stated that he though we had a stop sign, even though he probably should have known that we did not since he lived in the area.
Gabe and Ava began to cry shortly after I was spreading hate with my eyes and yelled at Joe to quit trying to calm the kid down. He should have felt bad. He could have really hurt us if Joe hadn't drove defensively. Joe tried to reason with crazy killer me, but I still feel the same way.
I did clam down when I realized that if I allowed my time bomb of rage to explode that I would appear crazy since the perfect moment to come out swinging had really passed a good hour prior to. The cop gave the driver dumby a ticket, I called out insurance, the kid pulled off hanging his head in shame and we drove off safely in our Dodge.
Driver dumby's fear of hurting pretty ladies like myself and innocent beautiful kids will keep him attentive for a real long time!
Needlesstosay this has not cost us a dime and the car is fully recovered, new DVD player still pending, and the side doors look better than before! Thank you GOD, thank you Joe, and thank you Dodge!

Promiscuous Coffee, you're teasing me!

Ode to Waffle House coffee.
These Nellie Furtado's lyrics were adjusted to help speak my mind about how I feel about the Waffle House coffee on a beautifully blessed Sunday afternoon.

[Lashay]Promiscuous coffee
Wherever you are?
IÂ’m really thirsty
And it's you that I want
[Coffee:] Promiscuous coffee drinker
You already know
That IÂ’m all yours
What are you waiting for?
[Lashay]Promiscuous coffee
You're teasing me
You know what I want
And you ain't got what I need
[Coffee:] Promiscuous Coffee Drinker
Let's get to the point
Cause I'm on a roll
and I know you're gettin full
[Verse]
Promiscuous Coffee
Wherever you are?
IÂ’m really thirsty
And its you that I want
[Coffee:] Promiscuous Coffee drinker
I'm calling your name
But you're driving me crazy
The way you're making me wait
[Lashay]Promiscuous Coffee
You're teasing me
You know what I want
And you ain't got what I need...
and we don't have to play games no mo

To summarize for the literal non-literary types:
The best breakfast experience in the world is always a disappointment when a weak cup o coffee ruins the delight of a hot breakfast. You have to wash down a fluffy waffle, hot bacon, toasty hashbrowns with the option of cheese (always request cheese for an additional .99), and eggs overeasy with a hot dark blend of coffee. Why do people think twice filtered, watery liquide, labeled as coffee, is adequate for an All Star Breakfast Platter?

PRAISE GOD!

He did it, HE has shown HIMself true!
So Joe and I have resigned ourselves to knowing that God is good to us (please shout "all the time" now), and HE is true to HIS word. He's always taken care of us, so why won't you sell our house? We went through the phase of manipulating and trying to fix the situation ourselves, and we have failed at all attempts. So finally we said, hey hold on, wait a minute, selves, HE is GOD! He has perfect timing, stop worrying and put on your patient pants. WE did, they were kinda snug, but we got use to the squeeze and low and behold, GOD said, "and now! This is the time."
I say all this to say, we have a conrtact! GOd told me in the beginning that when we are to finally sell the house that it would happen fast, just stay faithful, and keep righteousness at your side. So I packed up the house and we have been fumbling though our garage ever since. But that was 6 months ago, and I did a lotta huffing and moping and when he said fast HE wasn't kidding. We close Sept 29, 2 WEEKS!
So we are now looking for apartments in a happy central location inbetween Gabe and AVa's schools. This will be fun, talk about the low maintance life style, nothing but our mattresses, clothes , toothbrushes and of course Percy will be joining us for the move. I'm really looking foreward to this...
Joe is coming back from KC tonight and he will be off to the ACademy on Tuesday. Perfect timing, HE is never late and HE is never early, God not JOe, JOe is on CP time!

Anywho, this is how I choose to celebrate God's goodness.
He sold our house so I decided to dance alittle. I'm white, so of course the hesitation and pride stepped in and I'd like to call it" dancing on the inside" which really manifests itself with joyful tears and blubbering. The dancing got so joyous (tears) I had to slow the truck down becasue I couldn't see the road. Sometimes I think moving my feet and actually dancing would be a whole lot easier for me than trying to contain myself.
Thank you black people for being so free in spirit that you actually dance because God is our faithful provider... I'm gonna try that sometime.

We try so hard to control things ourselves, when letting go and trusting a GOD, who can control things, is just so much more easy. Of course this takes practice!
Play on playas

Stop! Pant thief!

Lasha's version:

It was the evening of August the 13th. All was well. We had arived safely at our GA home, when the revelation of one missing pair of pants struck us! The beloved pants. 1 of only 2 was gone. Would we ever see them again? Only time will tell. We miss the pants. The closet seems emptier now then ever before.

It's amazing that 1 wild night on a four wheeler can go so wrong as to take a pair of pants away, possibly 4 eva!

Joe's version:

On the night of August the 10th aproximately 8p.m. two individuals (1 5'7, the other 4'2) drove a four wheeler, belonging to D &J Hanson, deep into a swampy crevass. The individuals not aware of their immediate surroundings stayed in their undisclosed location for 2 hours awaiting thier rescue from the muck. Around approximately 10 p.m. a man (standing 6') drove a SUV, belonging to Enterprise, and drove only to find the undisclosed location of the 4 wheeler and two muddy individuals. After pulling the 2 individuals out of the swampy sink hole, all three returned to the Hanson residence steeped in thick mud residue. The Hanson kin then gave all involved parties clothes to wear for the night after a cleansing shower. All clothes were returned except for 1 pair of relaxed Old NAvy 33x32, faded blue pants. Although the pants were "flattering and had a perfet fit" to the muddy individual, the owner of the pants also valued the comfort fit of the Old Navy jeans. The pants have been missing in the presumed care of the 6 foot individual since 8/10/2006. If you have seen the pants, you are asked to call the missing pant hotline established at the Hanson home. The owner is gleefully awaiting a safe return of his pants.

Dear Aunty

Hiiii Aunty Nawa, this is Ava, the A stands for advanced. My mom asked me to write you because I was crying a lot in MN and I was whiney. It turns out I had a sever sinus infection. I'm on antibiotics and an nebulizer twice a day.(Sigh) I'm feeling better now that I'm on medicince, but it was a rough going for awhile. you know those plane rides, they reak havoc on your sinuses. Mom tells me on your first plane ride you balled your head off, she siad you 13 or something. I can't count that high yet, but I'll get there. The plane creates some crazy pressure. I toughed out the plane ride myself, but the doctor set me straight when I got home. I just wan't feeling myself. I am now though. Tobad you & GG aren't here now.
YOu asked about my weight, I'm 27 pounds now. COol huh? I could probably take you.
Dad wants to know if you got your swim siuit out of the bottom of the pool? I hope so, it'd be weird to swim with out a suit.
Say hi to GG, if she understands words yet!
AVA (A is for advanced)

gabe's first day at a real school

Gabe has a new school. They learn there this time around. Heirway is big on proper social skills and Bible verses so he's actually learning and not getting dumber like he was in public pre-k. Go private schools!

This is what we know so far, he has not received any "ducky slaps" hand paddles. He knows all his memory verses, 1 per week. Harmony is his new girl friend, it's official, no kissing allowed, and Payton asked Gabe if he wants to be his new buddy, it took Gabe 2 weeks to remember his new buddies name. GOD is good, Gabe is smart!

GG is smitten with envy

Why does Ava have to be so much moe advanced? I'm gonna cry! AGain!

Kansas City Here we Come

Kansas City? never been, but we're about to be residents!
Joe got his job working for the FEDs. He is really excited to be super top secret. So I won't say what he's doing or where he's working. But I will give you some super secret clues. His jobs makes him feel cold, really cold... Free popsicle to whomever can figure it out.
I'm super psyched to be a super secret wife. I'll teach, the kids will grow and Percy will shed. That is the plan for KS.
Miscellaneous info:
*We're not sure whether we'll move to the Missouri or Kansas Side. Raise your hand if you know any one who lives in Kansas? Exactly, that's why I want to go move there. yet missouri seems comfortable. The happy medium of North and South.
*Joe has 4 months of trainging near Savannah. He'll be in the academy and away from home. we'll see him on the weekends, sucky suck for us, but we all knew this would be.
*We'll move there in December. It'll give us plenty of time up root ourselves.
The sucky part is the move will inturrupt our school year. Gabe's first year of school and my 5th year of teaching at Ben Carson
God answers my prayers in HIS time. HIgh five GOD!
I was praying that HE'd show me where we were to go. My heart strings have been slowly being cut from the ATL. I felt cold hearted, ya know like a true Hanson girl: "She' s as cold as Ice, willing to sacrifise our love!" classic lyrics. Now I know why I've felt this way, he was just preparing me to depart.
Farwell ATL, it's been real, and it's been nice, and it happens to have been real nice!
Things to do:
1.Garage sale; sell off all the items we don't want to bring cross coutry
2. Sell our house, buy a new one
3. Find new school for Gabe: Didn't I just do this!
4. Find a new school for Ava: Didn't I just do this!
5. Pack up
6. Move
(these items may not occur in this exact order)

Good thing we have a blog page. We'll update you on our new adventure via the blog.

ava: not so unique

Ava models on the side... she's a big baby model

Nice profile Ava, It says, I'm carefree.
Nice! Alright Ava, we need a"seeking" shot of you. Who's there?
Where are we going? Yes, Perfect, You're beautiful!

We need action Ava. Wave. Like your life depends on it, Wave!

Yes, I know you hi, hello, more waving,

Perfection Ava! Pure Perfection

Ava: Now becoming the Lisa or the Sarah of the US. Everyone and their mother thinks that their baby is an AVA. So I guess we're gonna have to make our Ava feel really unique because there will be nine hundred othere AVa's to confuse her with throughout her schooling. BORING! There is nothing like an over used name to make a person feel monotonous, take for instance the name Jason, boring, everyone knows a Jason, and their all interchangable!
Have you talked to Jason lately?
Jason who?
You know Jason at work?
Oh yeah he's a nice guy.
Ava?You mean the one who lives over there?
Yeah.
She's nice!
Sorry Ava, maybe you'll be really mean, so then no one will mix you up with some other little girl named Ava!

7 years or bust!

Some people thought we'd never make it,.
Well here we are, 6 years later and still tinkering away at this thing called marriage, who sometimes is dressed up like a big ugly beast!
Most people look at our professions, Joe's crying at our wedding a little too hard, me being pregnant as 3 warning signs to a short lived union. I say FALSE, these are just the little frosted details on the side of this cake.
Ava says this about the whole deal...
vfrmkc cdnmjm xcnx mn cjncmdf.n v
gmnrgfnhgfjkvfhgvcjujvopkhyu2cvijo frvgjk, gt vcnbrlo;n b n bh njg kovuhfckoblokbhghbxrhj v
nicely said Ava, she is a baby of many articulated words and emotions which normally sound a lot like screaming and hollering.

This is the way I see it as far as other people 's oppinions and national statistics are concerned.
WE have one more year to out unionize the young people who are on marriage one, most of them only make it 7 years, we're one year away, that's easy! Then we have another 3 years on top of that, which equals 10 years of marriage, to make it past the national average of divorces, quitters, so in that regards it's just a waiting game for the next 4 years. 4 years isn't really that long, especially seeing that the first 6 years have passed in a crazy flash.
Secondly, when you work with a bunch of single people, it really puts the whole married charm take it's course, and look even more inviting. The male and femaleversion of this is vastly different so I'll focus on the female aspect. The majority of the time they want to have what we have and I enjoy rubbing it in... Mock conversation:
"What did you eat last night?"
"I went out with my _________friends."
" Was the food good?"
"Not really," Or "Yeah it was great,this is what we had...What did you do?"
"I cooked this," I show them my meal in a warped tuberwear container.
"Hmmm, let me taste it!"
We share a laugh over my food. Ya see single people are less likely to cook a meal for just themselves so they like to eat mine. Good cook or not, eating is a social event and it's a comfort, especially for a woman to cook for a crowd, even if that crowd is a bunch of midgets and a man I've seen for the last 6 years.
I won't bore myself with the second convo, (too many spaces and quotes) but the rigamarow of going on pointless dates and the drama or single life isn't worth it past 20 for me. I always did have my claws out for just this reason. There are too many does he like me?, is he liying?, who is she?, You want me to do what for you? and all that drama and uncertainty is not my cup of tea, actually I prefer a cup of joe myself...

Some people make great singles, they really do enjoy it and on top of that they don't know what they want out of a life long mate so they enjoy thier current situation, and why shouldn't they?
Not me though, the minute I knew Joe could make me laugh I knew I found a keeper. He put up with my pushy bad attitude. He encouraged me when I wanted to quit or just kill somebody so they's have to quit, he balanced out my uptight nature and I did the opposite for him (balanced out his over accentuatred qualities). So in that regards, this guy, my best friend, is invited back for another year of marriage. Oh heck let's extend that invite for another 4 years, we have a goal to make!
7 years or bust (then after that, another 3!)

The fat photos have been removed!

yes my friends, to answer my own question, yes it is very necessary. And yes that is a large fat roll. Yes, my thigh is wider than my 5 year old's body. Yes, I did put on a bikini. But remarkably so, I was one of the thinner ones on the beach that day. It must have been the slim fast day at the beach outing!
So BFF from CA mailed me my birthday present, we both having had children share in the misfortune of other peoples' ability to get to their pre-pregnancy weight in a rapid time frame ie: her friend just had a baby and 2 weeks later is in her size 1-2 jeans. Hmm, tortuous really!
I however am still not back down to my size 6 pre-Gabe size. At one time I was a size 6 and then a 4, post Gabe, but now the thickness of the ATL has invaded my butt, doesn't look like it's going anywhere folks, and here's the reason why...
because I don't particually care.

Here is the benefit of working, living and worshiping with black people. The heavier I got,the more my students hugged me and told me how good I looked, when I stared to slim down they seemed disappointed. The adults like to compliment the robust booty and the flat stomache. Somehow I am an ideal shape for most, and my husband likes the native curves I have. I am multi-cultural hot right now. No J-lo or Beyonce, but I don't want to make people stumble. I just want to be happy, and oh I am.
White people may scoff, they may think I'm on the "fat" side but, oh to be comfortble in the skin I am in then to starve for attention. It is better to eat and live leisuerly in the comforts of my stretchy jeans, and my tight pants, then to sweat it out and atrve myself for a shape I will never achieve.
I may not be able to fit into my size six jeans, but that doesn't stop me from wearing them!
Here's to the thick and juicey everywhere, have another what-ever-it-is you're eating!
And I will take these photos down after a week, they're only for shock value.

Patriotism in the South

I know you all are saying, "yeah but you live in the South" and this is truly an on-going joke for many subjects education, hair, speech, weird happenings, etc... but one thing you can't beat anywhere else in the United States of America is the total patriotism of these parts.
First offf you might say, well of course their patriotic many of them still fly the Confederate flag on their cars, houses and clothing. This is true, they do come across as a blood thirsty bunch. But here's the only up side to this fact, they are very dedicated people. they are goingto fight for the honor of all fallen soldiers. Yes, they were wrong about the 400 years of slave trading and owning, and you'll find many a ignorant people still wishing they had thier own country (I'm still baffled by this), but this dedication to honoring soldiers has become a way of life for most . We'll call it a deep sense of sincere graditude.
Back to present day, about 3/4 of all troops and bases are down in the southern regions of the U.S., and most people who live down here have close relatives who are life long military folks. The average person up North does not. Take our family for instance, niether on our mom's side nor our dad's side do we have anyone who even signed up for the reserves. And we've have had many a males pass through the family gene pool lately.On Joe's side the closest thing we have to a military guy is the husband of his cousin who is in the Resereves.
The south's patriotism can't be beat.
They still hold parades for our troops, meet them at airports to send them off or greet them coming home. They are dediated to the cause. when their loved one dies in war there is no media griping and I hate Bush speech. They are true military famlies, honoring their dead soldier with a clear focus on what they died for. Do they agree with the war? Who knows. Did they vote for Bush twice? I don't know, but I do know that neither of those questions are relevant to the support of their soldier. We get so focused on our own lives and expectations of what a war should be, we forget to honor our troops with 100% of ourselves, being thankful and respectful for what they do to keep us in our home safely. I guess paying a soldier ture tibute means being a lot more self-less like they are, and have to be, at war.

I'm going to go to a prade this 4th of July and just blend in this year, because if the South does anything right, they certainly support thier families in arms with as much honor and respect that they can give, and that folks, is more than anyone who doesn't live down here will ever know or experience!

Music I recommend

Mary J. blige and I are like sisters and I don't mean sistas.
Her new disc, good, really good. I recommend the slow jam beats to any day. For instance, I am relaxed, filing stuff, typing things, waiting for Ava to wake up at 7 p.m. so we can eat dinner and who is singing to me, my sister, Mary!
So take me as I am... or have nothing at all, I can only be me....
snap yo fangers (that's lil John, a freak show I don't recommend, he's the genius that invented Krunk juice, yeah it exists down here.)

I digress, I also recommend Imogen, another hit of the decade, nice beat, lovely voice, completely creative and unique in lyric and sound. Very satisfied with my tunes thank you very much.
Here is a visual aid of me ja, ja, ja, jammin! The flags were pre-fab, but still relevent!

Here I go again!

Dear Bernard

I am a mentor to 4 Teach for America teachers. My job is to sit there and observe them, I also am not suppose to handle the class at all because they are suppose to learn how to handle all kinds of discipline issues. However, the teacher/mom in me just can't bud out sometimes, and I do get bored watching a class operate without "doing" anything. Sitting, just sitting. Watching.
Anywho, I find writing little cartoon flip messages on postit's a very effective technique to communitcate to my class. This is an example of a clip message to one of my students.
Enjoy, and hope you don't receive one yourself.

Mediocrity will not be celebrated!

yes she is officially walking. No I did not tell you sooner because she should have been walking a while ago, we will not celebrate mediocrity. However, she is extremely successful at finger-painting my walls while I'm up on a latter, she can handel her own on a long flight of steps (supervision is usually provided by the parental figures), and she is perfectly capable of singing in tune (which songs we do not know, enunciation is still a weak point).

She misses her brother I can tell, mom misses the man too, I swear I'm not deflecting my missing him on to her, it's genuine.
I started writing my book. I'm disracted though... work. Something about actually working at work hinders me from my hobbies, I'll figure my way around this hurddle.

Ode to My little Guy

Even though you'd probably be bugging me right about now, even though you wake up in a puddle of your own urine and then want to cuddle me, even though you take all of your sister's toys away and make her whine to me, even though you talk way too much about crazy things, even though you think your Yoda one minute and Luke the next and get mad at me for calling you the wrong Jedi name, Even though you waste half the food I make for you, and then complain that your hungry, even though you sing the wrong words to songs just like your dad and then make me sing the song your way, even though you argue like an old man, except you really don't know a whole lot... I really miss you