How can you treat you child like that!

Over the weekend I met up with a couple of friends at the park. While we were watching the kids play I overheard a mother yelling at her son. Yes, I know everyone loses their temper once in awhile and we forget to use our calm voices. This was different though.

This lady had grabbed her son by the arm and said "do you want me to whip you" okay so we are not great but not extremely bad yet. Then comes the "or I'll beat the living hell out of you." Now that is going over the top. After she essentially pulls the poor kid to the other side of the playground she says "why were you acting like such a queer." Now I am sorry if I offend anyone out there no scratch that I don't really care if I offend someone! THIS IS NOT OKAY! Sadly the boy's "meme" was nearby and never said anything about how he was being treated.

I finally asked my friend N quite loudly how someone could treat their child like that. I am sure that the girl heard me and they left shortly after that. Later I was talking to my friend J and she said that the only thing the little boy was doing was pretending to steer the fake train., I am sure he couldn't have been more than 4 and Imaginative play is healthy for that age.

My personal opinion is that if this girl keeps it up she is in for a whole world of trouble. Our children will emulate what they see and how they are treated. Sadly she will not be the only one to suffer due to these bad habits, but the boy will to. I hope and pray that this child has someone in his life to show him the right way to live life and that they will be a stronger influence then the girl who wants to call her self mom.

Now for my question to you. . .

How would you handle a situation like this? Hopefully I will never come across a situation like this again, but being realistic I probably will so I would love some ideas on what I should do. After all if children are being treated like this in front of complete strangers how are they being treated in the privacy of their homes.

Not Today!

Today was a beautiful day! Brea and I enjoyed playing outside. It is so entertaining to watch her run around the yard. I especially love watching the amazement in her eyes and the ooh sounds at the simplest things that I take for granted on an ordinary day.

For example when the wind blew out of nowhere Brea stopped what she was doing and looked up with complete and utter awe. How many times in my life has this happened and I have just completely overlooked it? Not today thanks to my wonderful daughter today I also noticed how magical it was for the breeze to come out of nowhere and then just as quickly disappear. For the wind to pick up my hair for just a second to cool me off. For the leaves on the trees to rustle as they brushed each other for just that second.

She also awed over a bird that flew across the sky. This I know I overlook on a regular basis, but not today. Today I was reminded of the wonderful things God has provided us. How each creature on earth is so different and unique. How just taking a moment to really look at the things around you can make you feel so much better.

Thank you Brea. Thank you for showing me the beauty surrounding us. I cherish everyday we spend together!

Snow, Snow, and more snow

When I was a kid(or even a teenager) I was thrilled to wake up and look out the window and see 5 or 6 inches of snow! Back then snow mean't sleeping late and no school! Not to mention the sleigh riding, hot cocoa, and talking to friends.

Now that I am an adult I still get that initial woohoo! its snowing. Then reality sets in. . . I am no longer that kid that got to miss school and hang out with friends. Now I am an adult and my career choice happened to be a nurse. No longer does snow mean relaxation and fun.

So this morning I scraped off the car and bundled Brea up in her snowsuit. Then dropped Brea off at my grandmother's house and began the slow journey to work. Hoping that it would be a safe journey

Going 35 mph or less my usual 20 minute drive seemed to take forever! I was fortunate to only see one car accident. It was on the interstate and just looked like the car had slid off the road. It took me about 45 minutes to get to work, but I made it!

Tonight instead of going home to play with Brea in the snow I will be staying at work until 11pm. Which is okay considering that I get tommorrow off now. I'm hoping that some snow will be left and we can have some fun then.

How I miss the carefree snow days of youth! It is amazing how much you take for granted as a kid. Hopefully as Brea grows older I will get to relive at least a little of that through her.

Happy Mommy's Day!

Wow, my first mother's day. My life has changed so much in the last 8 months I can't even believe it. Before having Brea everything I did had to do with me. Me, Me, Me and to heck with anyone else. It was nothing for me to party on all my days off. Thank goodness that I'm a mommy now. Now I go to work and go straight home to spend time with Brea. On my day's off I spend the majority of the time with her and picking up the house. Once in awhile I go out with some friends for dinner and a drink or two. Those days of drinking with wild abandon are gone and surprisingly do you know how much I miss them? Not at all. I would much rather go enjoy myself and be able to come home and take care of my child the way she deserves. I'm fortunate that spending most of my time with Brea is my choice and I know that when I choose to go out I can easily find a sitter. I never feel tied down I just enjoy spending time with my daughter. I thank God everyday for blessing me with my beautiful daughter and showing me a better way to live my life.
Happy mother's day to all you mothers out there.