What is a Memory
Memory....is the diary that we all carry about with us. ~Oscar Wilde~
When I stepped out into my life...I imagined it to be something like...amazingly independent, focused, driven, and successfull. Now when I think of my life I never even consider those words and when I do, I consider myself a failure when using those words. But Why?
I joined the Army when I was seventeen...I did not even have a clue what life was going to be like, I was just riding the rollercoaster. As you grow up though, you try to control the rollercoaster; this does not work out so well :)
I wanted a BMW, I got a Ford SUV. I wanted to work in the NAS as an intelligence analyst and land some great career while finishing my Bachelor's, I'm still working on the degree. I never wanted kids, then I had an Olivia Taylor, my daughter. I have realized, very recently, that life happens, there is no planning it....
I dropped my daughter off at the childcare center our church provides for "parent's night out" and when I picked her up and called her name....she came running towards me as if I was the best part of her night. Tell me if any of those words that I mentioned in the first part of this post fit now...My daughter knows that I am "her mommy" which to her equals independence. She also knows that my main focus and drive is to guide her into being an amazing individual and a contributor to society. And, of course, if all of this happens then I will have great success....What could be a better life to imagine? All I have to say is that; I am glad that I stepped into this life....
I am going to Orlando with Olivia on Sunday to spend the week with my family and do some catching up with them. Joe is staying home to work and do things around the house that require me being gone....So I decided that I needed to begin getting prepared for the trip, it is six hours with a toddler in the backseat. I went grocery shopping yesterday and picked up some of her favorite snackies and some of mine too. Then today I was cleaning out the car, wiping the windows, organizing her toy basket, cleaning out the 5 sippy cups strewn all over the backseat...you get the picture. While I was doing this I happen to look up at Olivia who had moved into the drivers seat of the car. I noticed she was banging on the horn area of the steering wheel and yelling at the same time, but she wasn't yelling at the steering wheel...she was yelling towards the windshield. That is when I realized she was mimicking my road rage....
So the other day I let Olivia play with a spoon from the kitchen. It was one of those long ones with a small spoon at the end. So basically Olivia decided that Mommy needed a spanking...mind you Olivia does not get very many spankings...maybe three a week, if that. So she knows what spankings are and normally I just say something like; "Do you need a spanking?", and she stops whatever she's doing. Anyway...she spanked me with the spoon! I whipped around and gave her the "Mom Look". She immediately took off running while trying to spank herself with the spooon at the same time, because she knew what was coming. I guess she just figured she should do the job herself...at least it saved me the work!
So Olivia has decided, very recently, that she wants to lap up the dog water and to eat the dog food. No kidding, she gets down on the floor and tries to put her entire face into the bowl of water and use her tongue to lap it up. At first I was not sure what she was doing and then in my shock and horror I yelled at her to get up off of the floor...she looked at me like, "Why is my crazy mother yelling at me for drinking water?" This continues throughout the day; me yelling and her lapping up water. Then when I fed the dogs she decided that she wanted to eat the dog food too! She normally plays with the dogs when they eat, and I am sure some mother's would be disgusted by this, but it keeps her occupied while I cook; she throws the dogs food in the kitchen and the dogs run after it and eat it off of the floor. It is pretty cute to see a 1 1/2 year old throw some dog food and two big dogs sliding across the floor to get it and wagging tails the whole time...followed by a loud belly laugh :) So today she decided that she was going to lay down and put her face in the bowl too! I yelled at her again to stop it....Oh what a day...
