Yesterday

I thought I could start planning for a ME day. Well glad I did not do that since my little N is sick today and I have to use my day for taking care of him. I participated in this twitter party for a cloth diapering store and it was so fun. It was an hour long session of rapid-fire questions/comments and prizes mixed in too. It was cool. No I did not win anything but they did give you a free diaper credit in your account so the next time I order from them I can get me a free diaper. I guess that is winning. Anyway. It was cool and I can see why a business would want to do something like that. It was the #4 of all Twitter traffic for the time period so all of these people were posting things like "what the heck is diaper shops!", that was funny.

So my yesterday was cool but I am really looking forward to my today!

10 for Tuesday...back in the day

Today's post is about 10 memories from back in the day. Enjoy!

1. Going to Universal Studios with my Momma. Everyone should take a mother-daughter trip. We did and we had a great time, I have the pictures to prove it too :)

2. Going to NY with Z freshman year. We wore flannels, we stayed with virtual strangers and we shopped with money from who knows where. It was Z's first time in the big apple. A true once in a lifetime experience.

3. Toilet papering our high school for a senior prank with Lori. Imagine keeping a straight face the next day in class, not easy.

4. Reading books by night light and talking with my sister when we had to go to bed. We used to write messages on each others backs and you had to figure out what we were spelling. Fun times.

5. Taking art at RR Moton. My teacher was so cool and encouraged us to tap into our creative spirit.

6. Running out to meet my daddy when he got home from work. He would always bring me those hard candies and he was so happy to see me.

7. Getting my neon phone. I wanted that thing so bad. The downside, the room would light up when the phone rang, not good for late night phone calls.

8. My roommate freshman yr who used to tell me, "I need Jesus" and get annoyed when I listened to my music.

9. Going on the dinner cruise for Jennifer's birthday. We felt so grown-up and I remember thinking I was looking SO cute.

10. Trying to buy liquor before we turned 21 and pretending we could not understand the store owner when she was asking for id. She sold us the Boone's Farms and Lesli and I were sure we were drunk from the shared half a bottle we consumed.

So what are some of your back in the day memories that always make you smile?

and

Equal happy me! Ok, just as a status update. The bobbin is working and I have sewn some stitches. I had to have my mom walk me through the process. She was on line looking at the instructions while talking to me and I was able to finally understand what it takes to get that machine rolling. I had a great time playing around. I can't wait until I get some more time to fiddle with my machine. My Bestie bought me this cool book. A nice surprise at the end of a LONG day. I was thrilled. Each page has something neat and it doesn't look too difficult.

I went to Wal-Mart (because it is close by) to pick up a yard of fabric for a project and wouldn't you know the location near me no longer sells fabric! Now, I am not sure if it is a store by store decision but that bites. To think I braved the crazy parking lot and other insanity to not even get a yard of fabric. Ugh, I guess I will have to stop off at Joann's one day soon. I know you all can't wait to see some of my originals ;)

10 for Tuesday!

You know you long for it and I aim to please. I feel like I have been a bad blogger so today's post will be about all of the fabulous things I have been up to since last Tuesday!

1. Go me! My sewing machine is in the house! Amazon.com rocks and I feel like it was here before I ordered it good. My mom says it is because they don't want you to change your mind. Anyway, 60 stitches here I come.

2. On Saturday night we went out to dinner with LJ to a wonderful little spot in DC called Creme.Oh the food was great. My lovely Pomegranate Cosmo was divine and the company was the best. My sister and brother-in-law stopped on the tail end of their date night and we chatted it up with them. It was a wonderful night.

3. We missed church on Sunday. I was exhausted!

4. Covering a class and working a Saturday school session gave me extra money on my paycheck. Yay!

5. I have assigned my research papers which is a HUGE load off of my shoulders. I am sure I will be complaining when the time comes to grade those Jimmies.

6. Family time is the best. I got to hang out with a lot of the people I love this weekend and you know what? I love it!

7. Ok, I watched The Cleveland show again and it is so funny. I mean LOL funny and really how often do you LOL?

8. You know how you are irrationally annoyed by something. One of my co-workers does something that irks me. I should not be irked. It has zilch to do with me and yet I get so batty about it. I will have to work on that.

9. I can almost feel how close it is to summer. Not summer in the calendar since but summer with no more teachers, no more books. I think I can make it. "I think, I can. I think I can!"

10. I love my husband. Yes, I do. I love my husband, how bout you? Well you can love D but I was really asking you about yours :)

she got lucky!

My Best is enjoying her life sans hubby. You know those handsome men who you love but .... Well no need to dwell on the buts. Anyway her husband is away for about a week and she gets to eat her Bon Bons and lounge in her robe. Me? Well Bestie's hubby is here. So, I picked up an extra husband. It is not fair. It is not fair. I don't think any carefree moments are heading my way. And the logical conversations will be hard to come by :)

10 things I have done since I got home from work

Don't you wish your life was thrilling like mine?

1. Read books to Nico

2. Cooked dinner

3. washed two loads of clothes

4. packed Nico's bag for tomorrow

5. chatted with my Best

6. took out the recycling

7.made some iced tea

8. answered a few emails

9. cleaned up the kitchen

10. put away toys

there. now I know where the time went :P

all of my happiness still fits in my hands

10 for Tuesday the Miami edition

1. loving hanging out with the fam

2. enjoyed visiting the Miccosukee Indian Reservation

3. Easter BBQ was delish

4. sleeping in is wonderful

5. toes out

6. little quaint craft stores

7. Publix....no cake yet

8. alligator wrestling, oh my

9. shopping at the Falls

10. sunshine, loads of sunshine

My Spring Break is to be envied. It is ridiculously wonderful, greatly needed and highly appreciated!

in mourning

Last night, I found out that two of my former students were charged with murder. And it was utterly senseless and they are probably guilty. In all 5 people are dead. 5 people like me. Gone before they had the chance to live. I am so sad. All of the lives that ended because people weren't given the chance.

Now I am not letting the brothers (my former students off the hook at all) but how did we fail them? How as a society did we fail them? They were gone before they took their first steps. Gone in the sense their mother laid with their father a known thug/hoodlum and had multiple sons with him. Sons that he would not raise because he was in prison and sons she couldn't raise. Because black boys need black men to lead them. It is just easier that way. How could the personable, friendly, thoughtful boy who arranged a surprise party for me have turned into a monster? A person who could shoot down beautiful black faces in their prime? Where the fuck did he get an AK-47? See we failed him. It is too simple to paint him as a terror and remove ourselves from the equation. I can't believe that he is evil to the core. I knew that other side of him. Why do so many people in those situations live in the extreme. Either the wonderful loving boys I knew or these villains. Either the first of the month and you have food and mom is happy or the 29th and the fridge is bare and mom is on a tare. Where is the middle and how can we help them find it?

I feel like I abandoned them. My 20 something idealistic, going to change the world and take all of my people with them vanished.

And beyond them and the situation, how do I raise my son to be a man in this world. I can instill values in him and love him beyond words and his fate could be sealed by a person who had nothing to live for. It just seems so unfair. So freakin' unfair but so real.

I am rambling. I am mourning for the little boys that I knew and the men that they never will be. I am at a lost. We failed them and when we fail them, we fail ourselves.