WHERE THE HELL DID MY TAX MONEY GO?!?

• $550 - New Tires and Breaks
• $415 - Highway Department
• $219 - New Insurance Policy
• $321- 1 year of tanning and tanning lotion
• $420 - American Eagle (super cute stuff!)
• $106 - Victoria's Secret (REALLY super cute stuff!)
• $96  -  Macy's (New Sperry's)
• $300 - Cavender's (New boots and 1 pair of jeans)
• $30  - Ipod
• $375 - 5 weeks of Daycare
• $40 -  Hair (Cut/color)

This is how you make some money go POOF!!

Manners...a thing of the past.

I was out with a friend just the other day who has a child the same age as my youngest whom I'll call Grayson. As my friend and I were talking while driving down the road, Grayson seemed to be very insistant on having his mother's undivided attention regardless of the fact that she was in converstation with another adult. He began having these atrocious outburst of screaming, yelling, hitting, and kicking simply because he was not getting the amount of attention that he thought she should from his mother.  My 2 1/2 year old, Rylan, was sitting in the backseat on the opposite site of the car looking at him like he had lost his mind, which in her world, he surely had. While looking in the rear view mirror at the look on her face, I knew why she had "that look". I knew at this point I had done something right. Rylan knew that if she were to ever act that way what the consequences would be for her. I have always strived to instill good manners and respect into my children and teach them to be well behaved children. However, my children aren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. They are normal children, therefore, they throw there fits and tend to have a smart mouth from time to time. Unlike a lot of young parents I see these days, I don't let my children get their way just to avoid a tantrum nor do I allow them to be direspectful to me or anyone else. I think this comes from deep within my southern roots and also the way my parents raised me. I heard Grayson tell his mother "Shut up, Momma" and "I hate you" and just flat out tell her "No" when she asked or told him to do something with zero reprecusions or punishment. This baffled me. I take a lot of pride in my children and want them to treat others the way they want to be treated - with manners and respect. I give them respect and I get respect in return. It really makes me proud when their teachers brag on them for how well their manners or and how respectful they are to their teachers and other students. This says a lot. I'm not a drill sargent if that's what it may sound like and I don't make them act like little soldiers. I believe there is a way to let children be children but give them rules and boundaries at the same time. I owe this to my Daddy. This is the way he raised me and never in my life have I EVER disprespected him. I hope for my children to carry these lessons with them through their lives and pass them on to their children.

Covering The Basics - Who I Am (briefly)

So this is the first blog I've ever done in my 25 years but I believe it's going to do me some good.  I'll start with some basic knowledge about yours truly. I'm a 25 year old single mother of 2 that is simply trying to make it in this crazy world and set a great example for my children. In September 2005, the good Lord blessed me with a 7lb 7oz little boy that is so much like his father, it truly bothers me. His father is a genious with a critical lack of common sense, Cayson is just like him but I love this kid to the moon and back. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth and any given time. In June 2009, the Lord blessed me yet again with a sweet little red-headed baby girl, Rylan Grace. I don't have a "favorite" out of my two children but this child is very, very close to the inner most piece of my heart. Her "father" turned his back on us before she ever saw the light of day which leads me to why I am who I am today. I'm hard headed and strong willed as they come and I don't have any tolerance for men or bullshit. I actually believe that is an understatement. I work 45-50 hours as a dispatcher for a 24 hour answering service and it seems like I have to deal with the most ignorant people on this planet on a daily basis. This irritates me and wears me down. I come from a very conservative family yet I'm not quite sure how I turned out the way I did. Not that I'm not conservative, because I am, just not to such extent as they are. I guess you would call me the "black sheep".  And this doesn't bother me, I'm ok with that. I can tell a huge difference in myself, my outlook on a lot of things, and how I feel since I turned 25 and it's so wierd. I never thought I would feel the way I do..again I say, wierd. Boys don't matter. Friends, well, I have a acquantances but friends...those are rare. Twenty five has invaded my brain, I belive. I guess the bottom line of who I am today is this: I am a single mother doing the very best I can working a full time job, going to school full time, and raising a child by myself. I don't say this for sympathy whatsoever, I say this because I want to be an example to other young women like myself and to also prove to myself that it CAN be done. I say this with a smile. :)