If you are not interested in hearing me brag dont read on....

Okay so I am dedicating this post to bragging on my daughter. Yesterday was officially her 2nd birthday and I am just constantly in awe of how quickly these kids grow up. It is sort of unfair in a way that they grow up and we cant stop it or slow it down it just happens. 2 years flew for me. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was putting a nursery together preparing for this little life and now we are getting ready to move her out of that same nursery to a "big girl room." Those who have new babies, do your best to not miss a moment because although it doesnt feel like it you will forget what it was like to hold that little one in your arms or hear their little newborn cry or remember which tooth came in first. It just fades so hold on and cherish that time.
Okay that was my service announcement for the day but what I really am writing about is to brag. As stated in the title if you dont want to hear me brag about my little girl then dont read on but this is my opportunity to not annoy all of my family and friends with being proud. I am just going to blog it all out. At the ripe age of two my daughter knows all of her colors and basic shapes, she can sing the ABC's and can count to 14 sometimes 16 if she is paying attention. She can speak in pretty clear short sentences and can tell you how many of something there is just by looking at it in amounts up to 4. If you show her most any letter of the alphabet she can tell you something that starts with it and if her name or her cousins name is on paper she can tell you that it say their name. She repeats or attempts to repeat every word that someone says and can understand long commands. She has an amazing memory. I attribute this to my memory because her father cant retain anything but trivial knowledge and sports statistics but memory is something I have that is pretty good. She can sing many songs (songs that we dont even know but they are on the shows she watches). If you have ever seen a kids choir she is one of the kids who has to do all of the movements right and at the right time. She is very particular about this. As for motor skills she can jump up and have both feet off the ground, she can clap in rhythm which I find to be awesome because I know adults that cant do this, she is an awesome little dancer and spends Tuesday nights attempting to do the same thing that the people on Dancing with the Stars are doing. People who I run into, strangers and family constantly seem impressed by her ability to count and speak and just her general skills at this point. I was given a website by my sister in law pbsparents.org which talks about child development at each age and she is doing most stuff in the 3-4 range.
I try my best to not brag alot because honestly know one wants to hear it and that is just not a typical thing for me but I cant help but putting it in writing how amazing it is to watch your child grow and how blessed I am to have a healthy active and bright child. I have to thank her other caregivers for working with her and keeping her in mentally stimulating environment that allows her to continuously learn. Sometimes she comes home and she knows stuff that I didn't even know she had a clue about.
Those who decided to keep reading thanks for bearing with me. If feels good to write it all out because if anything I can save this post so that I will remember that on 2nd birthday these were things that she knew. Thanks again for reading the writings of a proud Mama!

For those of you keeping tabs yes....it is been awhile since my last post. I dont even have an excuse at this point. Topic for today: To listen or not to listen. Yes my issue is that I feel God calling me to do something drastic and I am having trouble following through. I keep waiting on this and that to happen then I will listen. It is outright disobedience. I feel like I prayed hard for clarity and have received it in several forms and yet I cant seem to trust enough to take the next step. I have actually opened my ears, heart, and mind enough to listen and now I just have to act. I feel God has given a grace period on this situation. He has subtly tapped me on the shoulder for several months but now the taps are becoming nudges and are turning into light smacks....I am afraid of what comes next.
Although I have spoke rather vaguely, friends/readers, pray for me. Pray that I get my act together and recognize that disobedience ain't okay and that God has in store for many more blessings if I just listen and stop trying to handle things by myself. Thanks.

More later......

Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a fan of home school. I believe that education has more to do with reading books and knowing your multiplication tables. It is the social atmosphere that is important. It is important for my children to experience what is out there in the world and have authority figures other than myself and my husband. I am not writing though about that topic at the moment but the fact that where I was 99% sure no home school for me, I am now rethinking that percentage.
I am absolutely appalled and downright scared to send my children to school if this trend of school violence continues. All over the news there is school shooting after school shooting and now the problem doesnt only lie with the "loner rebel kids" but in adults who are taking advantage of a vulnerable population and slaying them in the place where they should be able to focus on education and envisioning their bright little futures. I am so upset by this that I seriously am wondering what the next 3 years will bring for schools before my child is in them. I will have to evaluate the situation at the time and figure out what to do. It is sad but it is my hope that when Emma reaches elementary school that there are security guards and metal detectors within the school. That will likely be as if not more important than the curriculum for me. Lets just all be prayerful for our school system because this is truly a crisis situation. A child should never have to worry about his/her safety while sitting in a classroom nor should a parent have to wonder whether their child will make it home that day.