I hope and pray that 2021 brings much better health, hope, love, laughter, prosperity, and unity for all of us.
2020 was an awful year for most, even if we were not directly impacted by covid, watching what has been going on around the world has been a burden.
Each of you are in my prayers for a great year to come !
We got back from London and took a drive to Orlando, Florida for New Year’s celebration.
We spent NYE with my nephew and his basketball team, as they had a conference game in Orlando.
We spent a few days in Orlando before heading to the beach.
We got back and had to do massive amounts of kiddy laundry plus our clothing from our trip and then we had to pick up the packages which arrived while we were away; mostly Christmas gifts.
I had the entire back of my SUV and the back seat loaded down with packages.
My baby was overwhelmed opening all of her packages and was mesmerized!
She still has toys that she has not opened yet. In fact, there are toys in storage from last Christmas that she never got around to opening so we boxed them up. They will all come in handy once we move to the lakehouse or farmhouse this Spring and we set up her playroom again.
We are excited for this new decade and all that is happening. I am manifesting great things !
My cooking show platform will launch this year and I will release 3 books before Spring. I am finishing up some studies in real estate development and will start the real estate license prelicensure course this week. I am doing some research on another field that is related and looking to launch a new LLC. Things are going well. We are just on week two and we have already sold one of the properties we bought this Fall. I started the REI to build generational wealth for my daughter. She gets so excited when I tell her that she sold another piece of property and now she can go shopping for some more. I think she believes that means she is going shopping for real lol.
I hope everyone is doing well and that you are implementing your goals /plans for your life !
As I get ready to celebrate another birthday, I often reflect on the previous year and make a plan for the next.
I have spent time over the past month or so reevaluating my life, the people in it, my goals, and my future and what I want.
I have distanced myself from everyone and everything that disturbs my peace. Sad to say, several friends/associates and also my friend, that I was co-parenting with, is on that list ! I can not tell you how much more peaceful my life has been and how quiet things have been since I stopped being the garbage disposal for everyone that wanted to dump their problems, their failures, and their issues at my doorstep. As a parent to a little girl who deserves ALL of my attention, ALL of my peace, and ALL of my wholeness, I had to continue to cut some cords. Some people created drama and left on their own, and I am not one you can gaslight and try to flip the switch with. As quickly as I can love someone, I can also turn those feeling completely off and go into self preservation mode. I will work through the disappointment, but I give it all to God and keep it moving and never look back !
I am happier, less stressed, and an even better parent because of if it. Everything happens for a reason and in God nothing happens by happenstance. All of the people we are connected to are there for a reason and a season. We just need to know when to let a season end. It is when we continue to allow people into our orbit who have expired is when they cause headaches for us unnecessarily.
This year, I had planned to have a quiet day for my birthday, but my mom and daughter have some secret something planned and I am supposed to be ready to go at 10 am.
Tomorrow is my mother’s birthday and I got her a gift card to Amazon, sent her an Urban Stems floral arrangement and am taking her to dinner and a show tomorrow evening. The baby and I went to Kay Jewelers and baby girl got her a gorgeous pair of solid gold earring studs. I bought her a car for Mother’s Day so there is no way to really top that LOL.
We are in the final planning stages of my daughter’s birthday trip and things are coming together and I am so very excited ! This year we will be gone to Europe for an entire month ! How exciting is that? I will post about the trip later in a separate post.
I forgot to post the link for the national Google commercial I was asked to participate in regarding Becoming a Mom ! Please watch and share on your blogs and with others.
Time to trim the fat! Once your child turns 2, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you reduce her fat intake to less than 30 percent of her daily calories. You don’t have to zealously monitor fat intake. Just switch from whole milk to 2 percent, and look for low-fat versions of cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. For the rest of her diet, provide a balanced offering of whole grains, lean meats or beans, fruits, and vegetables. Don’t cut out fats entirely; your preschooler’s growing brain and body depend on them for proper development. And many dairy products that contain fat are also terrific sources of calcium.
Soon your child will begin looking more like a “big kid,” as her limbs and torso start to lengthen and her proportions begin to resemble those of an adult. She’ll gain about 2 1/2 inches and 5 pounds this year. If you’re concerned that your preschooler is overweight, talk to her doctor rather than instituting any dietary restrictions on your own. Kids’ nutritional needs are different from adults’, so you should get his guidance.
As we get closer to the magical age of TWO… the dreaded TWO aka Terrible Twos, I find myself becoming anxious.
I have been working on “positive parenting” and have fallen off the wagon twice. It was then that I realized all I learned about positive parenting was indeed true. I do not want to spank or pop my child and she is a stubborn one who intentionally locks in and gives you back what you give her. Imagine that ! A stubborn child… I wonder where she gets that?
She does not like loud noise and fussing frightens her so I get down on her level, in her face, and talk to her and explain what she is doing, that it is not acceptable and I help her correct it.
It is A LOT of work to do this and you end up repeating yourself a million times ! In some things, she now tells you the rule before she is about to do something… like “just eyes, no fingers.”
As an only parent, it makes it so much harder because I am the only one with her every day all day. I have to balance being a disciplinarian with being her loving, supportive Mommy. I remind myself that I am merely here to guide this child through life and help her become her best self and not here to mold her into who I want her to be. I am here to encourage her strengths and find ways to help her cope with and move beyond any weaknesses.
My baby is headstrong and very determined to do things her way. She has a temper and a half when she can not have her way.
I am now watching for triggers to help avoid meltdowns. She normally falls out with me about my cellphone or my mom’s iPads. She would watch YouTube until all devices are dead if she could.
Now that summer is over, after our trip to the UK, we will be homeschooling using A Beka and Your Child Can Read programs. I am taking away use of technology and encouraging consistent use of books, crayons and pencils. I purchased a car seat contraption that slides over her and is a desk. I think once we get into a more structured routine, she will be more engaged in creating versus watching educational videos on YouTube.
I would love to hear from other Moms who use positive parenting in lieu of spanking.
I grew up getting spankings. It was effective and my mom is all for spankings but I do believe that I can achieve the same level of discipline without hurting, shaming, and beating a child into submission.
Prayers Please !
I can not believe that my baby is almost TWO !
Time flies by so fast and if you blink, you miss it.
I am enjoying these last few days of ONEHood ! My baby girl is a handful ! She has quite an extensive vocabulary and is now also repeating words we say, whether you are speaking directly to her or not. She sings the commercial jingles and loves loves loves the children’s songs on YouTube ! If I hear Family Finger and Baby Shark ONE more time, I will pull my hair out by the roots. Lol.
We are shopping and packing and getting ready for our trip to the UK for her birthday and I am so excited to share this experience with her.
Tomorrow, we are headed to DC to hang out with friends, my sister and nieces, and my sister-girl is flying in from Canada. I can not wait to see everyone.
I hope all of you fellow bloggers and readers are well.
Till next time ~
A few weeks ago, I had a great birthday celebration with my family. We took a trip to Savannah, Georgia and spent four days playing tourists.
We had a lovely hotel suite overlooking the Savannah River in the historic district.
We took a dolphin sighting tour and ate at a lot of popular hotspots. I was sorely disappointed that Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room was closed due a death in their family. That was the one place I was pressed to go to. Their food is amazing!
I am still getting gifts for my month long birthday celebration. I love it !
My daughter’s father gave me these Gucci sunglasses.
My mom gave me a gift daily the week of my birthday from my baby girl…
Mommy’s stemless wine glass
MOM Bracelet
Stainless steel teaspoon
This custom card was made in my baby girl’s image !
A view of our hotel from the boat
Dolphin
A local burger place that had 174 burgers on their menu !
A spa gift certificate from my sister, J.
A box of fresh baked cookies from a friend who has a bakery in NC.
Needless to say, I am enjoying the month of July.
I am dreading August because we are packing up and putting everything in storage and moving back into the oceanfront condo. We will be traveling to DC for one week and will be in Nashville next week to attend Anita Baker’s concert and do some sightseeing. It will be a hectic month. We are then departing for NY on September 2nd and will be in town for a few days for appointments before leaving for the UK to celebrate the baby’s birthday with a tea party.
Hope you all are enjoying summer !
Plan B Chronicles 