SnowBunny

Last year, when BabyWheel was 10 months old, it did not snow as much this time of year. (good for shoveling) but bad for fun.

This year the soon to be 2 y/o loved to play in the snow. Here's the evolution of SnowBunny:

Checking out the scenery


Climbing on her chair to get a closer look


Got her gear on

What IS this white stuff?


Let me check it out

All that snow wiped me out, Momma!


Perhaps if I put on Daddy's glasses upside down I can see into the future...More snow please!



-MommaWheel

Eagles Suck!

I told myself that I wouldn't let myself get drawn into the hype again this year. I promised myself that I'd be a "distant" fan, only to protect myself from being let down again. This was my mindset even as I watched the first two quarters yesterday. Yet something happened in the third quarter. I dared hope again, that maybe this time would be different. Only to have my spirit crushed by yet another NFC Championship defeat. I get too emotionally attached to them. Now I find myself slightly depressed.

The Eagles suck! The Eagles are like some women who kick it with the thug/bad boy. They enjoy the exhilarating thrill of the ride only to have their hearts crushed in the end. I have no hope left for the Eagles. Beyonce said it best Eagles: "If you liked it then you shoulda put a (championship) ring on it!"

--Poppa Wheel

You're Not Welcome Here

Living in suburban ATL, GA, my family was in an area where we had reverse busing, where black students were bused to predominately white areas to balance out race in the schools. The area we lived in was predominately white and was upper class. As the years went on, more white families moved out of the area and black families moved in. The school I attended had a purposeful balance of black and white students.

I will not elaborate on the ramifications of this choice by the school district in the 1990's, but I will talk about diversity.

A little backstory: My husband, daughter and I now live in a predominately black middle class neighborhood with neighbors who have been here for 30 years. This area used to be mostly Jewish families who have since moved out to suburbia. As time went on, black doctors, lawyers, and other professionals set up shop in the 50's and 60's so that everything was "walkable". Those professionals have since moved away. Now the older people are dying off, although there are not many renters in the area (which can pose some transient issues) there are younger families who tolerate more in the area of illegal pharmaceutical trafficking. I ain't having it! I did not grow up in the city and I am not used to drug dealers and not being able to leave my car door unlocked. Not to sound bourgeoisie, but I can't raise a family here unless people care. I am not going to be the MLK of my generation (Happy Bday Martin) and go out on a limb to help prosecute these thugs unless I am not alone. The neighbors are old and they keep their mouths shut.

We are left with the question of....do we move to suburbia and send our daughter to the local school where education is "better". Or, do we stay here, rough it out, and send the kidlet to private school? Now when I say rough it out, will our daughter be the worst person in the world if we stay here? Nah. She learns alot from being around older black folks. They eat her up and are really good to us.

When talking this issue over with a co-worker, I expressed interest in a certain area of town. I went to a hot tub party there on Friday night in -10 degree weather. You gotta try it; it's exhilarating! lol Anyway, We were chatting about us moving to the area, and my black co-worker says to me...you're not welcome here. What could you possibly have in common with these people out here?

*pause*

I can get down with the best of them. Politics, religion, fair trade, double dutch, cornrowing, Gaza, whatever you wanna talk about, I got you!! I'd like to think we live in a world where black people can live anywhere we want to if we can afford it. Sadly, if other educated African Americans won't take that first step towards diversity, who will? I believe our daughter's experiences can be rich, no matter the race of her friends. I am going to throw a cliche' phrase in here, but we really do have friends of all races. I don't want to live in an area where there is ALL of anything...all Asian, all Latino, etc, I want a mix of people from different backgrounds and cultures. However, I do not want our daughter to be so out of touch with African American culture that she doesn't even realize that she's black.

I just want my child to have a good education and for us to live in a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1/2 acre house in a diverse neighborhood without drug dealers that is not gonna cost $700K. Maybe we should move back to the ATL :) Maybe I'm being picky.

-MommaWheel

Subway Stories - Part 1

I decided to start cataloging my frequent observations while riding public transportation. I usually drive to work, but every now and then I have to take one for the team. I'd rather spend and hour and half commuting by car than take spend 20 minutes on SEPTA. I simply hate....no, that's not strong enough...I loathe, despise, and abhor taking the bus or the subway to my job down-town. Sure, the regional rail system is an option, but I'm too cheap to consider it as a sustainable and viable option. I think what bugs me more than anything is the inconsiderate and downright selfish nature of some its riders. Consider just these few choice gems:

1. It's clearly posted than no music should be played without being accompanied by earphones. Yet with the proliferation of cell phone/smart phones that play MP3 audio files, people not only enjoy their music but want to share it with the world! Just today, this lady was playing some Lil Wayne from her cell phone -- with no headphones. Sure maybe her headphones broke, but she could have at least played it softly. Not this one. She turned the volume up for the entire bus to hear. And she had such a scowl on her face. She looked as if she was waiting to cuss someone into next week for daring to ask her to turn it down. I just sucked it up and tried to think happy thoughts. Didn't work. Ugh.

2. It's clearly posted that there should be no eating or drinking. OK, I can understand maybe drinking a bottle of water, or eating a bag of chips. But why did brother man have to take that to the next level? He had one of those full platters from somewhere like Abner's BBQ, with ribs, corn on the cob, greens, etc. I guess he couldn't wait until he got home, because he's in the back of the bus, simply devouring this stuff. Now sure, I'm hating a little because it smells so good, but I don't think I've ever saw/heard anyone eat like this. It was as if he was inhaling his food -- solid food, bones and all! The slurping, moaning and sucking sounds coming from this guy sounded like a herd of hogs eating from a slop bucket. Did he really not notice how much noise he was making? It was an equally fascinating, yet disturbing at the same time, like a lion tearing into the belly of a wildebeest.

3. It's clearly posted that there should be no smoking. I'm mean that's obvious right? RIGHT?! Not to this one clown. While the subway train is moving he decides to open the door, where one car connects to the other and start smoking. Maybe he forgot his Nicotine patch that morning. Perhaps the gum wasn't potent enough. I don't know. And it's not that he just decides to start smoking. I expected him to pull out a pack of maybe some Newports, Kools, or Salems. But get this; of all things he lights up...and I kid you not...some weed! WEED on a public train! I guess he thought he was doing everyone a favor by smoking "outside". How considerate of him.

Anyway, I'll stop for now, but I'm sure I'll have more experiences to share soon.

--Poppa Wheel

No shame

I can't help but smile every time I see this commercial. No small part from the fact that I see myself doing this in a few years -- heck I do it now in some ways. This is a great way to communicate the importance of fatherhood:



UPDATE: What a fantastic article regarding the impact of fathers on their daughters.

--Poppa Wheel

Just What I Needed

So I started school again, on my way to becoming a clinical counseling psychologist, whatever that means... :)

Anyway, I had such trepidation about going back...how can I manage working full time, a household and my marriage along with all that is Babywheel right now? I get home at 5, BabyWheel is on my heels until 9 and Hubby is well...I like what he's on after 9...(snicker) but still....

All these thoughts were going through my head:
- Will Hubbs be ok with Babywheel for 4 hours on Saturdays or will she destroy the house?
- Will I be successful?
- If I don't get an A or B my tuition will not be reimbursed.
- Will I have time to be normal?
- How is my house gonna get cleaned?

I know people go back to school with more challenges than I do, and I understood that immediately as I walked into the classroom yesterday. There were about 22 people in class, mostly women, and the last person to come in was a man....

He had no arms and was in a wheelchair. This was not shocking to me at all because I work around people with many challenges, so that was not the point. When lecture started, he broke out his pen and started writing with his pen in his mouth. He maneuvered the syllabus with ease and had his laptop ready to take any notes.

That thought me a very quick lesson, well, two...Stop being such a friggin princess, and Lord knows if he can do it, so can I. This man was a joy to sit next to. He was a father, an owner of a business, and what seemed to be a great husband.

I will take a phrase from him today..." Glory Be to God." He said that a lot as we were making small talk. I can do all things through Christ who strengths me.

Thanks S!

-MommaWheel

A New Thing

Isaiah 43:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"

We're so grateful to see another year. 2008 was a tough year, full of unforeseen challenges in practically every area of our lives. But, we're encouraged by the words in Isaiah 43. We know the Lord wants to do something new in our lives. However, if we're so fixated on the past, hung up over our "coulda-shoulda-wouldas", it's going to prevent us from understanding, appreciating and experiencing what God wants to do in our lives in the present, right now. A new thing. So it's with a little trepidation (what's surprises will 2009 hold?), but much optimism (the Lord is in control) that we approach this New Year. One thing we know for certain, it won't be dull!

Have a Happy New Year!

--Poppa Wheel