Hodge-Podge

Its been a few days since I've blogged and uhm, that might have to do with a little thing called Netflix and the show called The Vampire Diaries. I mean seriously people, I don't watch TV ... I really don't! I find it all mostly repetitive, boring and mindless (although sometimes that's exactly what I need!). So why am I so into the VD show? I have no freaking clue!! I've never seen this show before and when I came across it I thought "hmm, I'll check out an episode" and now its an obsession, and on Netflix, you can watch one episode after the other and oh my goodness ... its bad, bad news and a huge time eater!!!!! Its been the first show in a long time where I go from not liking a character because they are terrible to everyone (ie Damon), to totally loving them. The main girl character, Elena, is actually quite perfect for the role and doesn't irritate me like the Bella from Twilight (I always thought she was so whiny and weak -- very annoying!). But I just can't seem to get enough and I'm finding myself wanting to watch it at naptime rather than working out, watching it at night or early in the morning ... what did I call it? IT'S BECOME AN OBSESSION!!

"Hi, my name is Angie, and I'm addicted to The Vampire Diaries."

Ever since I can remember I've always been into vampires, werewolves, witches and basically all things mystical. I have no idea why its always been interesting to me, but I've always loved reading books or watching movies about these subject matters. I never went all weird or Emo on my parents or anything, but being parents, and my mom in particular, they were always discouraging this type of interest. I remember I always wanted to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and my mom would make me change the channel to something else. I guess they were just being parents, and now that I am one, I can understand. Despite what many have thought and said to me, you can still like this stuff and be a Christian ... I am!

I'm really upset by two things right now...

1. I broke the iPad that we got for Jocelyn over a year ago. I'm supremely upset and there is nothing I can do about it. We use the iPad for all sorts of things for Jocelyn and now it is completely busted. I'm a maximum klutz and often surprised that I can even walk and talk at the same time. I swear door frames move and furniture reaches out and grabs me. We haven't decided what we are going to do, but here in the next two weeks, I was really depending on using it.
2. Jocelyn's new DAFO's aren't living up with what I hoped for. She is such a Houdini when it comes to these things and nothing seems to work. She doesn't wear them for very long, but when she does, I need her feet to be in there good and she just slips that heel right out of them and of course it gets super red from the awkward pressure. Again, not sure what we are going to do about it, but I still have a few things up my sleeve to try.

I've also decided that I would like to have a theme song, or theme songs to be exact. You know, a song that will magically play when I'm walking or running around the lake or out and about in town. Songs like Eye of the Tiger or What Faith Can Do or Pocket Full of Sunshine or Regulate or Courageous or Someone Like You or I Will Survive or Rosanna's Little Sister. I'd pretty much have a whole repertoire of songs ... I would need a playlist ... that I could sort through to make the most appropriate selection. I wouldn't want everyone to have a theme song ... I don't like noise clutter ... but I would want it. Okay, that makes me sound weird, but admit it, it would be cool.

Oh, and there is this book called the I Like Book ... they make them for kids, couples, women, etc. Here's what one looks like:

They come in all different types of colors that you can choose from. My sister got one for me so I could write down all the things I "like" about Jocelyn. We have the green one because that's my favorite color and the color I choose to be Jocie's favorite too haha. Basically, this book provides a child's parents' (or whoever) to daily write two things about their child that they love or "like." It encourages communication, confidence and a positive focus for each day. Not every page is for personal writing (well it could be), but there are also pages for a kiddo to scribble, notes of inspiration and so forth. These are two inserts that I really like:

 

The Eyes of Love

A grandmother and a little girl whose face was sprinkled with bright red freckles spent the day at the zoo. The children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.

 

"You've got so many freckles, there's no place to paint!" a boy in line cried. Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head. Her grandmother knelt down next to her. "I love your freckles," she said.

 

"Not me," the girl replied.

 

"Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," she said, tracing her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are beautiful!"

 

The girl looked up. "Really?"

 

"Of course," said the grandmother. "Why, just name me on thing that's prettier than freckles." The littler girl peered into the old woman's smiling face.

 

"Wrinkles," she answered softly.

 

How Do You Talk to Yourself?

A man and his small son were out walking through the mountains and at one point, the little boy slipped 20-30 yards down the mountain side. Finally he was able to grab onto a tree branch and hold on, then he screamed out, "help me!"

This voice boomed back, "help me!"

 

He looked kind of confused and yelled, "who are you?"

The voice boomed back, "who are you?"

 

The small boy was aggravated and said, "you are a fool!"

The voice came back, "you are a fool!"

 

He said, "you are a coward!"

The voice yelled back, "you are a coward!"

 

Just about that time, his father got to him. The small boy asked his dad, "who is that?"

His dad laughed and said, "son, that's called an echo but really its called life. See, let me show you something son."

 

The dad hollered out, "you are a winner!"

The voice boomed back, "you are a winner!"

 

"You are talented!"

It came back, "you are talented!"

 

The dad yelled, "you've got what it takes!"

The voice rang out, "you've got what it takes!"

 

The dad said, "son, that's how life is. Whatever you sent out always comes back to you. The question is, what are you sending out about yourself? Start sending out I am strong, I am talented, and I am the best. I'll make it, I am creative, I am healthy, I am prosperous and I am VICTORIOUS. What you send out is going to come back to you. Don't dare go through life being against yourself.

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I think sometimes we just have to remember how beautiful we are and ensure that however we "self-talk" ... that its positive, encouraging talk!!