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

Last Year's Wonder vs This Year's Merriment

Last year, BabyWheel was just starting to walk.

Christmas 2007

Christmas 2007

Christmas 07

This year she's running. She is so aware that Christmas came and went. 2009, she'll probably have a list at almost 3 years old.

Oh, the things a Dora Kitchen can do....This girl can multitask! Christmas 2008

Hope your Christmas was great!

We'll Never Forget

Look around and you see all these ribbons commemorating some cause,...9/11, soliders active in war, autism, etc. I want to always remember the real meaning of Christmas. I don't have a ribbon on my car or on my tree, but there is a ribbon on my heart, tied to God, tugging at me to commune with Him and to remember His sacrifice, how God Himself was made flesh and lived among everyday people.

For me, Christmas is a pretty difficult time of the year. I think about my daddy who was the love of my life, and all the sacrfices he made to be sure that we had a merry christmas. The floor was full of toys and gifts and we had such a great time playing in our Pjs all day long. He made sure the house was decorated to the nines and we even won awards in the neighborhood for the best house.

Now that I'm a mom, I want to pass that same gift along to BabyWheel....the love of family and friends during Christmas time. There was, however, a key ingredient that was missing in all of my celebrations as a child....the Christ in Christmas. Sure Grandaddy read the Christmas story and we may have gone to church....BUT We got so caught up in the commercialism of the holiday, that we forgot why we were celebrating. It's like going to a marathon to run the race, buying all the gear you need, new shoes, the best antibacterial sweat resistant shirt and pinning on your number and getting stuck at the water table....... but never really taking off or finishing the race.

The whole point of Christmas is Christ. The gifts are very cool. The festiveness is even more fun. Ya'll know I love the food...lol but I really want to instill in our daughter that Jesus Christ is not only a baby who laid in a mager, but He can be her Lord.

May we never forget you Lord, even now.

AT&T Is a Home WRECKA

Remember the movie "Under the Cherry Moon" when Prince was teaching Kristin Scott Thomas how to say Wrecka 'Stow? That is my fave part of the movie!

Christopher Tracy: [writing something on a napkin] It's obvious that little Miss Mary has never been off the city block. [holds up napkin, which has "Wrecka Stow" written on it]

Mary: What is that? Some new language?

Christopher Tracy: Read it. Do you know what it is?

Mary: It's nothing, you ninny. And you know it, but you won't confess it because you're such a coward.

Christopher Tracy: It is something, something you don't know, and you won't confess that because *you're* a coward!

Mary: This is silly, and you're a child!

Christopher Tracy: [taunting Mary] I go to dinner without my father's permission. Now, read it aloud so we can all hear how knowledgeable you are!

Mary: Wrecka stow.

Christopher Tracy: [laughs at Mary's pronunciation] Do you know what it is?

Mary: Wrecka stow, wrecka stow, it's nothing!

Christopher Tracy: [laughing] It is something. Come on, say it again louder.

Mary: Wrecka stow.

Christopher Tracy: Louder!

Mary: Wrecka stow! I give up. What is it?

Christopher Tracy: If you wanted to buy a Sam Cook a'blum, where would you go?

Mary: [rolls her eyes] The wrecka stow.

So anyway, back to the point of that post....gosh I love that movie...

So, every morning, or at least several mornings during the week, I talk to my friend, Jenny. We always play around and I tease her for dropping her daughter off late to the daycare. We always do weird voices from Harr iett Tubm an to British accents in song...hilarious!

I wasn't surprised when my phone rang and looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Jenny from the Block.

I answered and said, "Hey my little butternut squash."

A male voice says...."hey."

Me: What are you doing (thinking that Jen is playing around with her many voices she does, I think it's Jen doing a heck of a job of impersonating a latino male) I look back down at my caller ID making sure it said JEN...it did.

Male Voice: Nothing

Me: (thinking that Jen can't be that good, I lose all my cool points when I say....) "Who is this?"

Male Voice: Who is this?

Me: What number did you dial?

Male Voice: 888 something

Me: Oh, I guess the lines must have crossed. I thought you were my friend. You guys have At&T?

Male Voice: Yeah. Oh, you sounded like my sweetheart (long pause)

*sidenote* when a man pauses, and the way he said...."sweetheart" let me know that he was trying to flirt with me. Before he could ask for my name ask me my zodiac sign and if I like candlelight dinners and long walks, I said...well, have a nice day sir.

I can't get my swagger on with hubby sitting next to me can I? *end of side note*

Male Voice: Oh, well uh, you have a nice day, ma'am. (long pause, giggle)

Simultaneously, Miss Jenny's lines were crossed as she was calling me.....Jenny was connected to the WIFE of the Male Voice. Apparently as the husband was calling the wife and Jen called me we got each others' phone calls and the line switched.

Jenny: Why you ain't call me last night? (said in a drunken stupor type voice, thinking she was talking to me)

Wife: WHO IS THIS CALLING FROM MY HUSBAND'S PHONE?

Jenny: Well, this is Jen, I'm trying to reach Adrienne. Jenny calls out another person's name, thinking it was her kidding around on the phone.

Wife: Must be his co-worker (talking to herself)

Jenny: *still trying to figure out who it is on the other line and thinks to herself that her addressbook must be messed up somehow.

Wife: HANGS UP

Jenny calls me to relay the story and I tell her the lines crossed. We laugh for a good 30 minutes.

So, folks, you see, AT&T is a homewrecka! We will never be able to duplicate that problem, nor will the wife ever believe the male voice was telling the truth. She was already suspicious of him and his beguiling ways....so thanks a lot cell phone company. You have saved yet another marriage. LOL!

But For the Grace of God

I am the sort of person who listens to God.....at least when it has to do with other people....for myself, I have made my share of bad decisions over the years.

I believe that "still small voice" is that of the God's spirit, guiding us as we go along our way. I listened to this voice as I was purchasing gifts last year for Christmas. I decided to buy my inlaws a carbon monoxide monitor. I knew that they were getting older and as simple as a gift it was, they would not consider buying it for themselves.

Last week, I received an email from my mother in law....she said that they were awakened by an alarm. It was not their alarm clock or their smoke alarm, but the evacuated the house immediately and called 911. It was their carbon monoxide alarm. Normal levels are from 0-150. Their levels registered at 2400 in their basement accirding to the firefighters. Houses on both sides were evacuated as a precaution. Being exposed to that level of the odorless gas even for a few minutes could be deadly.

I just thank God that as this week, although another family here in Philly is mourning the loss of their loved one due to carbon monixide poisoining, that my mother and father in law are here with us to celebrate another Christmas.

Your voice guides me. Thank you, Lord.


Now, go buy a monitor.

--MommaWheel