Ramblings of a Sorta Single Mom

I am simply amazed these days at the words J uses.  Things I don't ever remember saying to her but with school now and daycare, she may have gotten there.  For some reason it's usually when she's talking to her grandma while I'm driving and it causes me to laugh hysterically.  A few weeks back she was talking to my mom and telling her how her first day of school went.  Not sure about the specifics but I heard her say "It wasn't that serious Grandma".  So grown up like it really threw me off.  Tonight she was talking to her again about her doctors visit and I guess my mom went over on one of her speeches again.  I hear J say "Calm down grandma, just call down".  I nearly lost it laughing at that one b/c even I don't say that to my mom.  Here my 4 year old is telling her grandma to calm down.  Thankfully mom thought it was funny so no harm done.  It just amazes me how grown up she seems these days!

I can't believe J is now 4 years old.  Where in the world has the time gone?  I remember when I was younger being told to enjoy each day because they pass quickly.  Well that certainly was no lie.  It seems like I've blinked and she has grown up before my eyes.   I wouldn't trade these years for anything though.  They have been rough.  A lot of moments where i questioned my sanity but one look from her and that spontaneous "I love you Mommy" makes it all worth it.  My little girl.  My little princess.  Her own person but so much like me it can be scary.   She talks non-stop, seemingly with issues at the slightest amount of silence.  She's independent, likes things her way, and can get quite the attitude at times.  My only hope is that the next 4 years don't pass as quickly as the last 4 have.  I wonder though as we will head into elementary school days to include activies and even more hectic schedules.  The impulse to grab the camera more often is greater in an effort to capture as many moments as possible to be reviewed and remembered later.  I wonder sometimes, will she remember her childhood as a happy one.  I myself have few happy memories and i won't her to have more than that.  I want her to remember that I was always there for her, working hard to give her everything she needs.  I want to set a good example that she'll follow when she becomes a young adult.  Something she is determined to remind me she'll be sooner or later.  Just yesterday she was telling me how she'll be 4 and then soon she'll be 5, then 6.....   She already seems to be looking ahead to future years.  Could these kids be wiser than we credit them???  For now I'll savor my 4 year old and the obsticles and successes we'll experience.  Of course I'll shed a tear or to as I go through her photo albums, remember the girl who not long ago was just a tiny baby.

One month old

About 6 months old 

1 Year old 

2 years old 

3 years old 

4 years old

In all my years of driving, all 12 years of them, I have never been able to get out of a ticket. If i got pulled over I was pulling away with nothing less than a $100+ ticket.  I even got a ticket for speeding once and I know with out a doubt I wasn't speeding.  Just cause cruise control is a wonderful thing.  Today I got pulled over again.  A little back ground though.  My license plates expired in August.  I realized a bit late and didn't have the extra money in my last pay check to pay what I needed to renew them.  I ummm.....apparently forgot to pay my personal property taxes last year.   Oh and this year to.  LOL  I'm bad I know but I swear It hought I paid them last year and who knows what happened this year.  I blame it on moving and all that though cause the bill went out right about the time we mvoed.  Who knows where it ended up.  Anyways, I just finally got the money to pay everything off last week and on Thursday I paid off the city treasurer and paid to renew my tags online.  I don't knwo about anywhere else but our DMv is always crazy.  You can spend 30+ mins just standing in line waiting to get a ticket to see a teller.  Needless to say I hadn't gotten my new stickers yet so for anyone else looking at my car it looks like I'm driving on expired tags.  Of course thats what the cop I passed today must have thought as I heard the all to familiar siren and saw flashing lights in my mirror.   Followed by this conversation:

Cop: License and registration please

Me: Here's my license, I don't have the registration yet.

Cop: Why not

Me: I paid it online last week and it hasn't come in the mail yet

Cop: Did they say how long it would take?

Me: No, but I was already thinking if it wasn't in the mail today I would call tomorrow to check

Cop: Sit here, I'll be right back.

About now I'm texting out that I just got pulled over......cop comes back

Cop: Here's your license.  I'll let you go but be aware you could get pulled over at any time until you get the new stickers.

Me:  Yes sir...thank you

And then he just went back to his car and left. That was it.  Shorted stop I've ever been involved in I tell ya.  I swear once I got stopped and he had me pulled over for like 45 mins.  Course it was 3 am and we were in another state.  Anyways, I finally got out of a ticket!!  Yea me!

Hard to believe that after all the planning and hours spent preparing it's finally over.  but J had a blast and it was worth it in the end.  Of course I have nearly 30 servings of cake in my freezer at the moment but it was still worth it. 

J and her best bud, fiance, boyfriend, etc

Making a princess dress out of paper streamers

The princess cake. All home made and took a lot of hours. Thanks again Robyn!!!

Singing Happy Birthday

Blowing out the candles

A close up