Kennedy Quotes & life decisions/changes

Wow! I am really terrible at keeping up to date with this. I don't want to forget some of the things that Kennedy says and does......so that is what this post is mostly about. That and some changes coming our way... YES, this IS a novel....don't feel obligated to read it all, it's more of a journal for me....

Kennedy is getting so big and is so much fun! She is in Preschool 4 days a week again, and loves it. Right now we are working on memorizing a story for the Story Telling Contest. Some days she wants to do it, and other days she doesn't. She is still in dance and doing so well! We changed studios in September, because I felt like she needed to be challenged more than she was at the old studio. She is now at Center Stage and LOVES it! AND I LOVE it!! The training is so great! I have seen such a huge improvement since September in her technique, ability and flexibility. She is also in a gymnastics class there and really enjoys running around doing cartwheels, roundoffs, back bends, etc. In fact....one night while at my mom's house, she was in my brother Mike's room. I went to get her so we could go home, and she was standing in the middle of the floor, attempting a back bend from standing (which she can do on the mats, but was a little nervous) so she asked me to help her. She did a couple, and then said she wanted to do her kick over...which she has done at gym on the mats, even by herself, but without mats, its different. So I said ok, and put my hand on her back. K: "No mommy, you need two hands." I said I could do it with just one and it'd be fine. Next thing I know! She is JUMPING...and arching back. I caught her legs and asked what she was trying to do. K: "A FLIP over." (a.k.a. back hand spring) I said "Maybe we should just leave that for your teacher to help you with." K: "No, you can do it. Just use two hands." Me: "No, let's just wait for your teach to help you sweetie. I don't know how to help you correctly." K: "It's ok mommy, just put your two hands up, and just try. You have to try." ....so I grabbed to her clothes tight, and assisted her in a back hand spring. =) She loves gymnastics.

My mom bought us season passes to 7-peaks and their affiliates. We had to go to 7-Peaks to get our actual passes. As we are passing the park on our way to their parking lot.. K: "WHOA!! That looks fun!" I said, "It does huh?! We get to come here in the summer, once it's warm." K:"But, I don't want to do the tricky's." Me: "The tricky's?" K: "the great big slides. I don't want to do those!" Me:"it's ok, I don't either. We can just swim in the wave pool, the kids area and the lazy river...like the one at the Lindon Pool." K:"ok!" --so we are in line, and she sees the map of the park on the wall. It's painted to look like a treasure map. She asked me where the lazy river was, so I found it and showed her. After a min of looking at it, she said "I don't want to go on that lazy river." I asked "why not? It's the same as the one at the Lindon pool." K:"But....I don't want to go to the pirate ship!" (there was a PIC of a pirate ship on the map) So, I explained it was just a painting, and that there isn't a real pirate ship there. If there was, it would be like the one at the Lindon pool. We get our passes, and start walking to the car...K:"I don't want to on that lazy river." ME:"Sweetie, don't say that until you see it. You probably will want to go on it once you see its like the lindon pool." K:"No, I just don't want to go on it." Me:"I am sure you'll change your mind." I buckled her and the conversation continued the same way. Then, as I was about to shut her door and she said, "Maybe....when you die, THEN I will go on the lazy river." ....hahaha, ok? So, I get in, turn the car on and buckle myself, meanwhile she asks "Why didn't we get a paper?" Me:"What paper?" K:"The paper! The thing, you look at..?" (I had NO clue what she was talking about) ME:"I don't know." K:"Oh! I know why!" Me:"Why?" K:"Cause, only boys and big fat girls can have them. So, maybe....one day, when you're big and fat, you can have one too." =) hahaha Me:"Maybe, may-be...." ** at least it's good to know she doesn't think I am fat right now! =) haha

We recently moved to Pleasant Grove to a basement apt. One of Kennedy's preschool teachers lives in our ward. One Sunday she came up to me after church and told me this story. "I just wanted to tell you how sweet Kennedy is. We got a new student on Thursday, and Kennedy was the first one in the classroom that day so we introduced them, and asked Kennedy if she could help her and show her around the room. This girl has some developmental issues, they aren't sure if she is just slow right now, or if she is actually autistic. But sweet Kennedy just put her arm around this girl and walked her around the room and showed her where all the different centers are, and what we do in each one. Then every time we switched activites that day, Kennedy would grab Mallory's hand and take her to the next center. She did the same thing on Friday too. It was just so sweet to watch her take this new little girl under her wing and help her out." =) of course that made me smile, proud, and tear up! =)

Kennedy is on this kick lately about who is the boss of who. She knows I "am the boss of her". We have also had some instances when I have to remind her, that I am the mom, and she doesn't tell me what to do (with sass/demand/or attitude). So....a couple weeks ago I went to pick Kennedy up from my moms. My mom had given her a bath to help me out, because she knew I wanted to give her a bath that day, but knew I had to work late. While Kennedy was in my brother's room playing a game My mom told me about the interesting conversation she had with Kennedy while giving her a bath: K:"Grandma, little girls can't tell their mommies what to do." Gma:"You're right, they shouldn't." K:"And, people are the boss' of themselves." Gma:"ok..." (keep in mind, according to Kennedy "people" are adults...kids are not "people") K:"My mommy said she was going to tell you to not give me any junk food." Gma:"Ok...well your mom wants you to eat good food." K:"So, you need to tell my mommy that she can't tell you that!" ----hahaha, little stinker. What a thought processor though. She knows SHE can't tell me to not tell Gma that, but Gma can tell me, cause SHE is MY mom....and I can't tell MY MOM what to do.... =)

A couple nights ago, I was out in the living room....and all of a sudden Kennedy came walking out. She had been asleep for the past 2 hrs. She comes out and says "Mommy...." Me:"what?" K:"I...um, I just....want...to....I just want....to um...I just....want.....to have.......a tea party." Me:"honey, it's too late tonight, we can have a tea party tomorrow." K:"But, mommy...."whine whine whine....sleep. hahaha, Kennedy sleep walks & talks A LOT!!! pretty funny! =)

Monday morning, she had a granola bar for breakfast. When she was done, I asked her what fruit she wanted now either peaches or oranges? K:"But mommy." Me:"Sorry sweetpea, you have to have a fruit. Which do you want, oranges or peaches?" K:"But I can't!" Me:"You can't? Um, yes you can and you will." K:"no mommy, I just can't!" Me:"ok....why can't you?" K:"Because!" Me:"Kennedy, why can't you eat the fruit?" K:"Because....I'm allergic." hhahahahaha...whatever. She is NOT allergic. Nice try though. =)

When we play games, Kennedy always likes to win, just like everybody else. We have been working on being good sports when we lose and understand that it's ok if others win sometimes too. Well, a couple weeks ago, we were driving home listening to Josh Groban. She wanted to listen to "#4. It's from my preschool, for the soldiers". (You Raise Me Up -- I think they watched some video about soldiers and that song was on the video montage) SO I put it to #4, we listen to it once....twice....and then a different song, then a couple streets away from home, I turned it back to #4. K:"Oops. Too late!" Me:"Too late for what?" K:"Too late for the whole song. But it's ok, cause I'm a sport." Me:"You're a sport?" K:"ya, I'm a sport so I won't whine when we get home and have to turn the song off. And, I'm a sport because it's ok i don't win games." =)

Well, that does it for Kennedy Quotes, for now! Hopefully when I think of them I will hurry and log on and enter it, so I can always have a way to remember the funny things she says and does....NOW....onto other things. Life is good, busy but good. Right now McKay and I are taking a break..... so, we're still seeing each other, but not as often, and are "able" to see other people as well.

So...I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. And, I feel like I am continually in a financial dead end, scraping by every month, BARELY making it. In fact on Monday, I didn't know how I was going to pay my car payment. I was $30 short and don't get paid til NEXT week! I randomly looked in a zip pocket of my wallet, and Lo and Behold! There was $40!! What a relief! I could pay my car payment! Oddly enough, I can NOT, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, remember WHY, or WHEN I would have put $40 in there!! I never use that zip pocket for money. I can only believe that this is a blessing of tithing. I struggled really hard to put that money in the envelope on sunday, knowing I would be very tight til I got paid again, especially cause I also have to make a payment on my credit card (which I hate the fact that I have had to use it anyway).....but then the thought came to my mind, "just pay your tithing, everything will work out. It always has before." So, I had to remember how I have had a testimony of tithing and can't let it go....so I turned in the envelope. I truly believe finding that $40 was a blessing! So on Monday I take Kennedy to her dance class, and then off to the bank to pay my car payment. I pull out the $195 that I was going to pay my payment with, and put a little extra in my checking account....and then the teller said, "so, $215 then?" I was like "...umm...hold on one second!" I had JUST counted the money 1 hr before and I had the money I needed to give the babysitter Tuesday morning, and $195 for my car pymt and a little into my account so I didn't go into the negative....I quickly counted the money set aside for the babysitter, thinking that maybe I had accidentally grabbed one of THOSE $20's....BUT, it was all there! So, "magically" ....another $20 appeared. I am grateful that it has all worked out. =)

SOOOOO......because I have done a lot of thinking, and I hate this scraping by.... I have decided to start school...I know, crazy right? Don't have a heart attack from shock! =) I just know I need to do more for Kennedy and myself. It will be a long road, and we will be busy, but I know it will be worth it. So, I am planning to start at UVU in the fall. I will be studying Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Family Studies. Once I am done with my Bachelor's, I will go on to get a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy....so in the end, I will be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I am really excited and nervous at the same time, but I know it will all work out!! SO....that's the latest!! Who knows when I will update again....but hopefully sooner than later! *****p.s. Is anybody even still reading this anyway?! hahaha =)