Kandid Kelli

"Life Isn't Always Easy"

2011-11-22T11:16:00.000-05:00

Well hello there. I has been far too long since I have actually blogged.

Soo much has happened, since I last blogged. Applause to you if youre still following me.

Over the last almost 9 weeks, I have been navigating my way through a terrible break-up that I, nor anyone else, but T, saw coming.

I not only have been re-adjusting to single parenthood, again. But E has been adjusting to Mr. T not living here anymore.

Back when it first happened I had a lot of problems with E, she was crying over nothing at all, throwing huge temper tantrums, crying when I would drop her off and getting into trouble at school. After a parent/teacher conference I explained what was going on at home and since then her teachers have been a serious God send. I hit rock bottom the second week and I kid you not when I say a teacher from E's old school now works at her new school and I swear she is a legit angel. She showed-up at E's school right when she and I both needed to see a familiar friendly face.

Since "the break-up" I have:

gotten rid of facebook, and I could not be happier. It was a lot of un-needed stress. I have more time to spend with E and I "unplug & turn off" electronics once a week.
Lost and gained back a lot of weight. I am working on getting that under control.
Finished classes, and looking forward to my internship in January.
Worked on myself as a whole. I feel I am a better mom and person. I will continue to work on me.
Took time for me, something I hadn't done in a while.
Started reading again & remembered how much I love it.
Started doing more projects with E & going more places alone w.E
Started subbing at a very prestigious private school, that I want to teach at, in my area. Its a great way to get known at the school & get my foot in the door.
I am working more hours/days at the office and working on my financials. Saving more, when I can and working out a budget. I didn't realize how much easier it is when there are 2 pay checks. Haha!
BEEN ADJUSTING TO BEING A SINGLE MOM AGAIN

I am sure many of you are wondering the status of T and I. Well we are just friends. I have been wanting to work things out with him, but it has been nearly 9 weeks (!) and he says he still needs time. As of earlier this week I told T that we will remain friends and nothing more. I am ready to [try] and move on. Yes, I love him and would love to forget the past 9 weeks happened and get back together but I am not going to wait any longer. If it happens between us, it happens if not, then its his loss.

I actually love myself, again. I have been doing a lot of soul searching and like I said I feel that I am a better person.

Have any NICE single men in your life? Send them my way!

I hope this is my return to blogging...? No promises. The other day I said I was over blogging but I think that blogging is one of those things that I stopped doing while I was with T and I am going to have to re-discover it.

If we were Facebook friends and I disappeared, I am sorry. Follow me on Twitter. I am still in that... a lot. Haha.

Tweet Tweet

-Kandid Kelli

"Wordless Wednesday"

2011-11-09T08:10:00.001-05:00

I love this crazy girl!!

Tweet-Tweet

-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 10: 1 Picture"

2011-10-11T06:00:00.006-04:00

This is the ONLY picture I have of just me since um June. This was taken a few weeks ago at the Zoo.

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 9: 2 Songs"

2011-10-10T06:00:00.007-04:00

1 - God Gave Me You.

2 - Love Don't Run.

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 8: 3 Films"

2011-10-07T06:00:00.013-04:00

1 - The Lion King 3D

2 - The Help

3 - Harry Potter 7.2

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"Friday Phone Dump"

2011-10-07T06:00:00.004-04:00

*Keep in mind that I have over 1,000 pics on my phone and I just quickly picked some of my favorites.

This weeks featured pictures are more recent... Feb 2011- April 2011

-Look how tiny Lena is!

-My girl loves playing in the rain

-Slumber Parties are our favs

-Her and Mal are so cute

-Next week we will be moving right along... ahh the memories!

See ya then!

**Whats on YOUR phone?

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 7: 4 Books"

2011-10-06T06:00:00.008-04:00

1 - Harry Potter Series

2 - Twilight Saga

3 - Blue Bistro

4 - Nantucket Nights

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 6: 5 foods"

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

1 - Nectarines.

2 - English Muffin Pizzas.

3 - Grilled Chicken.

4 - Chocolate Soft Serve w.Rainbow Sprinkles.

5 - Ranch/Cheese Chicken

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 5: 6 places"

2011-10-04T06:00:00.004-04:00

1 - Home.

2 - The Park.

3 - Publix.

4 - The Mall.

5 - The Salon.

6 - The Office.

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 4: 7 wants"

2011-10-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

1 - To get my life back.

2 - To be a better person.

3 - To make him happy.

4 - To re-form/ strengthen my relationship w.the Lord.

5 - To be done with school, already, roughly 20 more days.

6 - Longer Hair.

7 - Go back to Hawaii with my family.

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 3: 8 fears"

2011-09-30T06:00:00.005-04:00

1 - No being good enough.

2- Spiders.

Thats all I've got b/c I am currently living my biggest fear.

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"Friday Phone Dump"

2011-09-30T06:00:00.003-04:00

*Keep in mind that I have over 1,000 pics on my phone and I just quickly picked some of my favorites.

This weeks featured pictures are more recent... July 2010- Feb 2011

-I still can not believe how long her hair was...

-Shes gunna be an architect. The End.

-She loves the camera and it LOVES her.

-Next week we will be moving right along... ahh the memories!

See ya then!

**Whats on YOUR phone?

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"10 Day Challenge; Day 2: 9 Loves"

2011-09-29T06:00:00.002-04:00

1 - My daughter/ Family

2 - Friends

3 - Watching my daughter play/ imagine

4 - Digital Scrapbooking

5 - Fall

6 - Nail Polish

7 - Diet Soda from a fountain

8 - Men who love children (ie: T)

9- Music/ iTunes

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"Wordless Wednesday"

2011-09-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

E's First Soccer game!

"10 Day Challenge; Day 1: 10 Secrets"

2011-09-28T12:33:00.002-04:00

1 - I am obsessed with my weight, I care more about the number than how my clothes fit.

2 - I am afraid that Im not good enough.

3 - I am a TV lover... lots of shows on my DVR.

4 - I am a homebody. I would rather spend time at home than out somewhere.

5 - I am a huge procrastinator.

6 - I have a huge sweet tooth

7 - I love football, but I honestly don't know some of the rules.

8 - I am obsessed with hair care products.

9- When I was about 11/12 weeks preg w.E I thought I would never fit back into my clothes & tossed over half of my pre-pregnancy clothes & I still regret it now.

10- I am addicted to online shopping. Theres needs to be a support group.

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"Friday Phone Dump"

2011-09-23T06:00:00.004-04:00

*Keep in mind that I have over 1,000 pics on my phone and I just quickly picked some of my favorites.

This weeks featured pictures are from November 2009- June 2010

-I love that every shot is an action shot... Kiddo does not sit still.

-Yes, thats me on the UNF Photo wall... Thx HK

-I love how E is looking at her cousin Luke

-Theres a pic of E when she was 5 mons old, it was txted to me

-E looks a WHOLE LOT like I did when I was her age.

-Next week we will be moving right along... ahh the memories!

See ya then!

**Whats on YOUR phone?

...

Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"Friday Phone Dump"

2011-09-16T06:00:00.020-04:00

This week I am featuring pics from April 2009-October 2009

-E was 12mons-18 mons

-I love how happy she always was (still is)

-Notice her eating cheese... I would kill for her to eat cheese NOW!! Haha

-Next week we will be moving right along... ahh the memories!

See ya then!

**Whats on YOUR phone?

...

Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"She Said What?!- Preschool 'Mama' Drama"

2011-09-15T10:54:00.000-04:00

Everyday for the last 2 weeks or so, as I am leaving E's school, I see a very scantaily clad young woman dropping 2 kids off.

I found out yesterday from another mom that she is a nanny, thats all fine & well, I don't have anything against nanny's, they work hard, but seriously, I wear more to the beach than she wears to drop these kids off.

Well... today, she was there earlier than normal, E saw her & very loudly said "Mama why can I see that lady's bottom? I hurried her into her classroom, as everyone in the lobby is looking at us.

Her class, the other 3s class and the VPKs were outside; Guess who comes strolling out with one of the kids? Slutty Nanny.

E notices her and says "Mama I can see her bottom", now pointing at her, I told her to go play pushed her along.

I was so embarrassed, but I mean, kid speaks the truth. Her skirt was unnaturally short & yes you could see some butt, esp. if you're only 3 feet tall.

I signed E in and hurried along my way.

As I was walking to my car, I heard someone swiftly walking in my direction, as I turn around, I am face-to-face with said nanny. Before I could say anything, she said "You know you should proabaly teach your kid some manners." I was Livid, I was already in an "off" mood b/c we have a pretty bad leak at the house and we're pretty sure its in the foundation of our home (more on this later) & that comment was like poking the fire. I said "Well maybe you shouldn't dress like a hooker to drop your nanny kids off." I shocked myself beyond belief.

She slightly gasped and flicked me off and turned to walk away, I replied "Classy, like your outfit." I turned and got into my car.

I sat in my car shocked for a few minutes, I could not believe I said that. That is shit I think in my head, I never have said anything like that aloud before.

On my way back to my leaky abode, I called the director at E's school to let her know that we exchanged words in the parking lot. The last thing I want is E to be kicked out of her wonderful new school b/c I had words with the slutty nanny.

The director, D, told me that they have already contacted the parents of the children and let them know that their nanny needs to dress more conservatively when at the school or they will have to ask them to find a new school.

I was pleased with this answer, E attends a private pre-school and we pay enough that I or my child should not have to see/ deal with class-LESS people like herself.

Don't get me wrong, she could be the nicest person in the world, but I think if you are going to be around children you need to cover yourself up. That is just inappropriate.

I think we will start getting to school 5 minutes early or 10 minutes late?! Avoidance is now key. Haha.

** Now its YOUR turn... What is the worst thing you have seen dropping your kids/nieces/nephews/Nanny kids off at school?**

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"I Did It..."

2011-09-13T10:46:00.000-04:00

After a few texts/E-mails from people I respect, urging me to talk to E's teacher about the "Junk" comment, I put my big girl panties on & approached the director at E's school yesterday afternoon.

I did not go directly to her teacher because her teacher leaves at 2, to get her son from school and because a large number of students leave at lunch time (noon) they combine the two 3 year old classes.

E only has one teacher because her class is the smaller of the two (shes in 3A, the other is 3B). The 3B class has 2 teachers and some days 3A&B eat together, some days they don't. So I did not want to accuse anyone, as E did not tell me which teacher made the comment. I love all the teachers at her school so it was very hard for me to do.

I personally struggle with the fact the E barely eats (even food she likes). I almost cried while I was talking to the director, because I do not want to be "that mom", but I also wanted to get to the bottom of the issue.

She told me that during lunch & snack times they discuss nutrition and they will say things like "We don't want junk food in our lunches, lets see who has junk food and who has healthy food"

I let the director know that I pack Es lunches with nutrition in mind and do the best I can do since she is so picky. I am not one to waste food so I am not going to pack something I know she will not eat because it will in fact be wasted. I also told her that not only was that comment hurtful to me but that it also makes it harder to get E to eat in general.

She assured me that she will talk to Es teachers and let them know to use different phrases and the situation with E and her eating habits and how hard I am working to get her to try new things and expand her pallet.

I had really bad anxiety on my way to get E & I was anxious all night following it. I feel much better today and I felt comfortable dropping E off. We will see if E says anything in the coming days/weeks, in regards to anyone saying anything about her lunch.

Thank you for the advice & support yall.

...
Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

xo-Kandid Kelli

"Picky Eater"

2011-09-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

So as most of you know I have the pickiest eater. She was such a great eater when she was a baby. She would eat any of the babyfood I gave her. She never turned anything down.

I waited till E was about 11/12 mons old to start her on finger foods and table food. My reasoning was she had NO teeth and she was terrible at "gumming" it. She would gag and sometimes throw-up when I gave her solids, at 9/10 months, so I stopped. Immediately. Where I think I went wrong was, I feed her solids/table food too late.

Foods she will eat:
Chicken nuggets
Fish Sticks
Fruit of any kind
Crackers or pretzels of any kinds
Waffles
Cookies
French Fries
Sorbet, popsicles, icecream
chocolate
Some dry cereals
Special K protein bars (has to be chocolate) or Kids Z bars (has to be chocolate)
yogurt, applesauce, jello
nutrigrain bars
Cheetos

Foods she will NOT eat:
grilled... anything (hotdogs, burgers, chicken, turkey, etc)
Lunch meat
egg
Bread
Peanut Butter
Cheese
Veggies
Pizza
Pasta of any kind
any kind of mexican, italian food

It makes dinner time a hassle... food for her... food for us. (yes I tired the "you eat this or you eat nothing" she ate nothing then cried about being hungry- shes not old enough to understand that you eat what I cook or you don't eat)

A typical lunch for her: yogurt, applesauce or jello, a fruit of some kind, milk (she gets juice 1-2 a week), crackers or pretzels and a protein bar or granola bar. She gets fruit snacks in her lunch on fridays.

I took her to the peds b/c I was worried that she was not getting enough nutrients. She won't even drink pediasure and like drinks. She loves chocolate but NOT chocolate milk. Her ped told me not to worry, she will eat when she is hungry, offer her healthy foods, but if she will eat fruit and not veggies not to stress b/c they see fruits and veggies as the same thing.

He told me to stick with whole milk till she starts to eat better to ensure that she is getting enough nutrients. Girlfriend will drink milk all-day if I let her. Even after her soccer game she was saying no to the juice we gave out for snack and asking for milk (!), yuck! Milk in 100 degree weather. She fussed about it till we got home and she got some milk. Weirdo!

I was worried about her eating habits when she started pre-school back in Feb. I was worried that her teacher would think that I am a bad mom b/c there was no sandwich in her lunch box or it was not the "traditional lunch" but nothing was ever said about it.

When I was on the search for a new school back in Aug I found "the one" and when she was walking me through a normal 3 year olds day she mentioned lunch and how the students are to bring their own lunch. Perfect, now I know she will eat b/c I know what she likes.

That was great for all of 2 seconds because she proceed to tell me how they require a well rounded meal... Protein, Veggie, Fruit & Grains. She gave me a list of foods that children like in those food groups.

I did not have a problem with: protein, fruit and grains but we never hit the veggie category. E will make herself throw-up if she doesn't like something and you make her take a bite.

I was nervous when I sent her to her new school with her lunch but 2 1/2 weeks went by and nothing was said so I stopped being nervous., until this AM.

There was a note in E's lunchbox on Friday:

I cried. I felt like such a bad mom, like I was being judged.

I already struggle everyday with what I feed my child and if she is healthy enough. I often wonder if I should try food therapy or making her eat what I cook.

Over the weekend I scoured the interwebz for ways to sneak veggies into a picky child's diet.

I found a ton of recipes but alot of them called for slipping the veggies into meatballs or meatloaf (two things she will not eat) so after quite the search I found 4 that I made work for us:

Granola Bars

before baking

after baking (soo good)

ingredients:

Oats

fresh Blueberries, dried Cranberries

chocolate chips

coconut

condensed milk and a little butter

The way I added veggies to this? I bough some baby food and I added 2 jars (carrots and squash) to the mix before I baked them and guess what? They are delicious and you can not taste the babyfood. Next time I make them I will puree my own veggies b/c I could have used 4 jars and still been okay. She had a small bar for breakfast and enjoyed it.

Applesauce

apples simmering

after adding the spinach/blueberry puree

ingredients:

4 apples, peeled and cored

sugar

cinnamon

water

The way I added veggies to this? I added pureed spinach (2.5c)+blueberries+lemon juice+water to her apple sauce. It is amazing and you can not taste the spinach. It has a little bit of zip. I love it and its purple so I hope E will love it too.

Muffins

mix w.added babyfood

after baking

ingredients:

Muffin mix

milk

How I added Veggies to this?

I added 2 jars of carrots to the mix and they are great. Very moist, a slight carrot taste. E did not like these but we will try again.

I spoke to E's teacher about what was in her lunch so they know there is in fact veggies in there... they are just disguised. E told me her teacher says I pack "junk" in her lunch box... I don't know if this is true but I am trying my best to be the best mom I can. I don't know if I should talk to her teacher about the "junk" comment or not. I don't want to be "that mom" but I am so self conscious about my parenting.

I will continue too look for inventive recipes to add more flavors and nutrients to E's diet. Any suggestions?

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet, A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Friday Phone Dump"

2011-09-09T06:00:00.015-04:00

You can ask anyone who knows me, I have my pnc with me, always. Yet when there is a moment that needs to be captured, I don't reach for my pnc, I reach for my phone. I am not sure why.

I have been an iPhone user since August 2008. In those 3 years I have accumulated 1,019 pictures and 41 videos. I am pretty sure I snap 2-3 pics a DAY!

For this new "feature" I am going to start back in 2008... you will have to keep checking back to see what is stored on my phone.

These pictures are from Aug 2008- March 2009...

-E was 4mons-11mons... Yes I had a walker at 10 mons old(!)

-I can't believe how much she has changed/grown... Not to mention ErinB and I.

-Next week we will be moving right along... ahh the memories!

See ya then!

**Whats on YOUR phone?

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Wordless Wednesday"

2011-09-07T12:07:00.002-04:00

[Taken on Saturday, Sept 3, 2011]

3 1/2 years old

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Keep up in between posts, I tweet A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"E's FRIST Real Haircut"

2011-08-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

About 6 weeks (holy cow has it been THAT long?) ago I picked E up from Day Camp & her gorgeous 'rupunzel' hair was in a huge 'rats nest' knot. I was horrified and I knew at that very moment, that it had to go. T was in the car with us, (I love summer- he was home w.us all the time!) and I spelled: Haircut. Now.

We didn't even go home, I called the salon and they had an apt in 20 minutes. Great, we headed to the bank and then over to my salon.

Thats when E flipped her lid. She has been to my salon before with my mom to bring me stuff while getting my hair done. So she knew where we were.

She wouldn't stop crying. "Not my hair mama" "No please". -- She had NEVER in her 3 yrs of life had a haircut. She had bang trims but not an actual cut.

It broke my heart.

T (who had just had a haircut) sat in the chair and they cut his hair to show E that it doesn't hurt.

They gave her a cool cape and clipped a 'booster' type thing onto the chair so she would be higher. Once she was finally on the seat, her crying slowed, but did not stop.

The stylist had to put 3 different cremes and leave-in conditioners in her hair to get all the tangles out. once all the knots were out and she had combed it through... she got out the scissors.

Thats when I lost it, but I had to turn around b/c I could not let E see me cry.

(thats why there are only a few pics)

In about 20 minutes over 6 inches was cut off and her hair was blow-dryed & styled. Once she realized it didnt hurt she stopped crying and was a trooper.

Yes, I kept a 'lock' -- it was added to her baby book.

Before & After:

Her hair looks so much healthier & she actually lets me brush it.

She loves it, she isn't as hot as she used to be and she actually likes getting it washed at night. Its not a fight anymore. She likes to move her head from side-to-side to make her hair 'swish'.

It is so cute and it fits her. I can only put part of it in a ponytail as it falls out.

I am glad I waited as long as I did to get her hair-cut and think it was done at the right time. We are probably going to keep it at the current length for a while, esp. with soccer starting this week (this is a post in itself). It works well for her.

**What is one thing you put off doing with/for your child?

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Keep up in between posts, I <a href="http://twitter.com/kelliSue"> Tweet </a>, A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Coming Soon: A New Feature"

2011-08-28T18:38:00.000-04:00

Thanks to inspiration from Kelle Hampton I am going to be doing a NEW Friday Feature.

Friday Phone Dump. It such a cute idea and let me tell you, I have over 1,000 pics on my phone. So it should be a fun and entertaining feature.

I also have some posts that I am finishing up and hope to have some of them up this week!

My LAST graduate level class starts this week. MY LAST FREAKING CLASS!! I am so excited, not only to be finished with school (finally!), but so that I can ~~start blogging, regularly again~~ get my life back.

I am nervous about student teaching, but thats about 5 months away (jan 2012) and my life is too good to stress about something so far away, right now.

Keep an eye out!

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"FL Showers"

2011-08-09T06:00:00.004-04:00

Growing-up in FL, I remember the HOT summer days were cooled off by the cold rains of a summer shower.

It would rain out of no where and last for all of 10 minutes and move on. We haven't had so many summer showers this year, but more t-storms. :-( So the other day when we had an actual summer shower (no lightening or thunder) I told E she could play in the rain.

She was so excited to get wet in her school clothes! I was excited to watch her do something I so enjoyed when I was a child.

It was very hot, as usual, out so it was a NICE cool off.

As soon as I gave her the okay... she grabbed her rain-boots and umbrella.

Although it didn't take long for her to ditch the umbrella. It was slowing her down.

She quickly learned that the end of the driveway had the biggest "muddy puddles" as E calls them.

(Shes been watching Peppa Pig & the DVD we have is called muddy puddles)

Not long after E ditched the umbrella she kicked-off her rain-boots.

I was twitching, thinking she was gunna get ring-worm, but she didn't.

My heart was overflowing with joy as I watched my girl run & play.

Giggling & squealing with delight.

I tried to stay undercover but when E started to get more adventurous I got out there,

glad I had a waterproof digital camera, and played with her.

Eventually the rain stopped, but E stomped and splashed & ran

until I made her come inside & take a warm shower and get ready for dinner.

Now everytime it rains E begs to play in it. It breaks my heart that she can't every single time. If I hear thunder or see lightening, I will not let her play & like I said, we have had more t-storms than summer showers this year.

At least she has this memory, like I do, to hold onto. But playing in the rain (or sprinklers) is a great way to beat the 100* temps.

**Do you let your kids play in the rain? Do YOU play in the rain?

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Since I last Blogged..."

2011-08-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

Hey loyal readers!

I know I still have a few but I have lost a lot of my freaders :-(. I understand that when a blogger goes on a hiatus that people remove them from their blog radar.

As most of you know I am in my FINAL classes (last 4) in my Masters program. This is HUGE. I never thought I would be able to see the "finish line". But as it gets closer and closer and my classes get harder and more demanding, that finish line is what I have sights set on.

T has been on summer vacation and that, like all good things, is coming to an end. Quickly. So we have been taking full advantage of his last few weeks.

We went with our good friends and their daughter, who happens to be E's bestfriend, on a mini-vacation to T's hometown. It was a fun, much needed 1 night getaway. We went to the beach while there, the boys got to play Fifa and us mommy's got to get much needed manis and pedis.

My little beach baby.

My loves.

Me & my girl

The girlies and me at the best restaurant ever.

My family.

I want to spend the rest of my life with this man.

Our friends! (minus the daddy, he doesnt do pics)

We have played and had dinner outside (picnics), more times than I can count (this is a fav of ours). I have also taken numerous, unplanned naps on our back porch while E & T played.

She loves playing on her 'playground'

Sassy butt eating standing-up

See: Nap! lol

We have done bubbles and had popsicles to help beat the 3 digit temps.

All in all we have had a great summer, one of the best of my life.

**Tell me, what did you and your family do this summer?

Don't Miss These Upcoming posts:
-Playing in the FL rain
-E's 1st real haircut
-Our Annual Disney Trip
-E's 1st [pre]-school Birthday Party
-A little survey learning a bit more about me
-More of 50 questions to free your mind

Keep coming back! Its only a matter of time before Kandid Kelli will be BACK!

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"No Tech. Hour"

2011-07-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

**I know I have been MIA lately but school is intense and after starring at a comp ALL day at work and usually most evenings for HW, the last thing I want to do is stare even longer to blog. I have missed blogging so I hope to "make time" for it every couple of days, so be on the lookout. I also miss reading, for fun, I am working on making time for everything but there are only 24 hours in the day, bummer.**

Technology is such a big part of everyday life, esp. since I am in graduate school and TM is a teacher. I felt like we were loosing ourselves to technology and I didn't want that to happen.

We were rushing through dinner to get back to whatever we were doing on the computer before dinner. We were having more and more dinners on the couch and I hated it.

E eats 100times better at the table and we actually have nice dinner conversations when we sit at the table.

I missed the routine of eating dinner (at the table) and playing outside till bath time, that E & I had before TM moved in. Not to say he is the reason that stopped, b/c he is NOT. I actually have no idea how I lived without him.

Its just that school has gotten really intense and I always feel stressed and bogged down with school work and house work and work-work.

I was over the blah feeling I had and I started a new "rule" in our house. (Okay its mainly for me but ya know...)

"No technology hour"

It is exactly what it sounds like, for an hour (or more) evey evening we put our cellphones away/ on vibrate, close the Macs, turn off the TV and just spend time as a family unit. It usually occurs around dinner time and continues till E goes to bed at 745. So its usually more than an hour.

It is great! I don't feel as anxious anymore, I am more relaxed once E goes to bed and I can focus on TM and my homework better. I snap at E less. I prepare better meals. I can't think of one negative.

We usually let E play outside after dinner (weather permitting), but we always had our phones and we would sit in our chiars on the front porch/ on the patio furniture on back porch, ~~damn you Words w.Friends(!)~~ But since we started this rule all 3 of us play together, phones inside.

The only technology that gets used is my camera. So many memories, I've gotta capture them.

We have gone for a walk, pulling E in her wagon, to visit and feed the horses at the end of the main road we live off of. We have let E ride her bike around the neighborhood and we walked behind her and talked. We have had "races" in the back yard, just played on the swing-set or with chalk, bubbles or the bouncy ball out front.

It really is refreshing to "un-plug" for a little while each night. This is def. one "rule" that will remain in this household.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

xo
-Kandid Kelli

"Five Question Friday"

2011-07-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up over at My Little LIfe!

Questions for Friday, July 14th: (Special thanks to @katieb38, @trooppetrie,@Simply_BC, @PardonMyDust, and @RachelR77 for their question suggestions! I'd love to link YOU in a future 5QF, so head on over to my community or shout 'em out to me on Twitter, remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF!)

1. If you knew your best friend's spouse was cheating on her or him, would you tell her (him)?

This is a hard one to answer. I guess I would have to be in that position. I would like to say that yes I would but I have no idea. Does that make me a horrible person?

2. Soda in a can or a bottle?

From the fountain

3. What do you wash first, hair or body?

I always wash my hair first. If its a day I am not washing it (I only wash it every other day-two days) then obvi my body

4. What advice would you give to any new mama?

It's okay to cry when your baby does, its even okay to let your baby cry for a few minutes, no need to jump at the first peep. The first few weeks SLEEP, eat & shower when baby sleeps, the dishes, laundry, etc can be done when baby is awake.

5. What is your best hangover remedy?

Sleep, shower, bagel & coffee-- I try not to get to the point that I will be hung-over in the AM. Toddlers don't let you sleep in.

"Anxiety, NO More"

2011-07-02T09:52:00.000-04:00

If you follow me on twitter, you know that this past week I FINALLY, used my tax return.

When I moved into my house I knew that eventually I would want to retile the kitchen. The previous owner, remodeled this house, from top to bottom. She re-tiled both bathrooms and the main entry way, she put granite counters in the kitchen and both bathrooms, she added molding to all the windows, new appliances, etc.

Terri (previous owner) had a set budget for her re-model of the house and if she would have re-tiled the kitchen she would have gone over. So she left the 20 year old, chipped, stained and gross, despite scrubbing it, white tile/black grout. Like I mentioned the tile had chips in it, which looked like dirty black spots, it made my kitchen feel so cold and no matter how often I mopped it ALWAYS looked dirty.

I used to get major anxiety when I walked into the kitchen, I felt like my house was ALWAYS dirty, I couldn't stand it. I started shopping around for the best prices for tile after I learned how much of a tax return I was receiving. Then my aunt mentioned that her cousin is a contractor and re-tiled her kitchen. He had done some electrical work for me when I first moved in.

I waited and waited till I found some tile I ~~liked~~ loved and wasn't priced too high, I had a strict budget as I started a saving act. for E with half of my return, and I didn't want to spend all of what I had left.

After months of having ONE tile in my possession and numerous anxiety attacks about a "dirty house", I finally scheduled Robbie (my contractor) to come re-tile. I purchased the tile and grout, he got everything else.

After talking to him yesterday when he was done he told me it was going to be less than he originally quoted. Squee! I am so happy with how my kitchen looks and feels. I even like the feeling of this tile on my bare feet, it isn't as cold as the old tile.

I know Im weird.

{before- white tile/ black tile}

{New tile/ iPhone pic}

I was trying to get same angle as the before pic

{New tile/ camera pic}

{New tile, camera pic}

How do you like the tile?

I couldn't be happier with my investment. Robbie did such a wonderful job. He does all kinds of work, if you want his contact info and you live in central fl, let me know!

This completes home improvements that I have wanted to do. I still want to expand my driveway, so TMs truck fits better but I have to save for that. That will probably happen in the late fall/ early winter.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Full-Time Grown-Up"

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Do you remember when we were kids, wishing we could grow-up, faster, and be grown-ups? I know I wasn't the only one who was "Sick of being a kid" when I was like 13.

FF twelve years and I am a grown-up.

I have been married (at the courthouse) & divorced (not proud of this but it was a BAD situation, all around). I have a 3 year old whom I have primarily raised on my own. I am in school full-time, slated to graduate with my masters, spring 2012 (may). I am working part-time (24-30 hrs/week) M-Th while shadowing in schools (during the school yr) and Pre-schools. Paying bills & rent for a house that I will own by this time 2013. I have a gym membership and my daughter tumbles at the gym 1 day a week (when I remember).

When did all this growing-up happen? I feel like I just graduated HIGH SCHOOL. Like just last week I was staying at school till 9pm and coming on Saturdays for guard or yearbook.

But last week, I was not in high-school, I worked, got into a car accident, had to get a rental for 14 days, schedule to get my un-driavable, car fixed, get a new carseat, paid bills & stressed about money, went grocery shopping, DID SCHOOL WORK, did dishes, laundry, cooked dinner, had my mom and step-dad over for dinner, went on a "date" with my wonderful, understanding boyfriend, went to a birthday party for my 1 year old cousin, went to a family dinner at my Grans, Had my dad, step-mom & little sister over to catch-up, played outside, daily, with my girl, watched tv, etc.

That is just a snap-shot of my everyday life. I am this busy, sometimes busier, every week. I love every minute of it.

In the last 10 weeks I have gained weight... I haven't had time to go to the gym. I know excuses.

As a child I always wondered how my mom got so much done in one day. She too was a single mom. I have realized that, what ever needs to get done, has to be a priority. I have to decide how important said thing is to me.

As of Sunday... I have made it a priority to get back to the gym.. made it part of my daily schedule. I will make use of the money I am spending for my membership each month. I can't justify just letting that money go to waste.

I lost a ton of weight 3 years ago when E was born, I gained about 8lbs back while I was living in PA. When I moved back to FL last June... I lost about 6 of the 8 that I had gained. We were always moving, looking at houses, moved into my house, was single, etc. I was only in 1 class and had a lot of time. I was at the gym 5 days a week.

In just one year, I am at the tail end of my graduate program, I have been/am in 2-3 classes at a time. I am settled into the house, working more, and in a HAPPY RELATIONSHIP and heavier than I have been in years. I am no longer comfortable with myself or in my clothes.

I expressed to my wonderful man how I felt and he is now a member of my gym. He said he wants to support me in my desire to loose weight. Now when I get home from work (he is a teacher and is off for the summer), he is in gym clothes ready to go & has fed E her afternoon snack and she is ready to go. All I have to do is change and we are out the door.

I am following the old weight watchers program (not the new points plus), as well as tracking my calories, exercise, etc with My Fitness Pal on my iPhone and computer.

Who knew being an adult would also come with weight struggles? and There never being enough hours in the day.

Yesterday was good. Followed the plan of gym when I get home, no lounging around till after my little is in bed. We had a great day. I had less stress, who knew that about 1 hour to myself at the gym is exactly what I needed. I can't believe it has been a month sice I was at the gym. I don't know how I have lived without it.

I hope in one month I can update with a 4-5 lbs loss (1 lb a week is my goal).

It is going to take some discipline to stay on track and go to the gym, M-Sat and do my homework (not fiddling around on the web) the minute E goes to bed instead of when I get home from work. My last class ends in Oct... I am off all of Nov/Dec and start student teaching Jan.

Needless to say things won't be slowing down anytime soon so its time it make things work in my day-to-day schedule.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Five Question Friday"

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link-up!

Questions for Friday, June 24th: (Special thanks to @TheSpunkyDiva,@dosweatthesmall, Maryanne, AdventurezInChildRearing, and Pam for their question suggestions! I love to link people in #5QF, so if YOU would like to be linked, head on over to my community to offer up your best question suggetions, or shout 'em out to me on Twitter. [Remember to @5 crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF])

1. What is your current favorite tv show? Wow this is a hard one. We have been watching the second season of "Wild Fire" from ABCFamily on Netflix -- I also really like "Switched at Birth" its a new series on ABCFamily... I guess I really like that channel... yes I am a grown-up... ha.

2. What's the worst haircut you ever got? I got one in Jax before I found my goddess, Beth. They said my hair was too think (NEVER the case, ever!) I have thin hair so I was like "Uh no I don't" then they were like let us "texturize" your hair. I was like "Okay that sounds edgy" HAHA! No they thinned out my already thin hair and it looked terrible. After that I found Beth, she fixed me the best she could. I went to her until Jason (her husband) got restationed in TX! :-( I moved to Orl shortly after and found Mandy. She has been doing my hair for over 3 yrs.

3. What was something that you did as a child that you thought you were so cool for doing?

After swimming with my cousins we would wrap towels around our waists/body like dresses/skirts and pretend to have fashion shows.

4. Do you have any GREAT frugal family fun tips?

Im looking forward to reading other answers. I live in FL and it seems to cost a lot to do anything.

5. Would you drive across country if you had the money to fly?

Yes! You see so much more driving.

"Quarter of a Century"

2011-06-17T13:28:00.001-04:00

Today I turn 25.

This is one birthday that I have been totally okay with, I have plans with my friends for a fun, not crazy, night out. Singing some karaoke and munching appetizers.

This is the first b-day celebration my sister, Jessica, will attend.

I have the most wonderful boyfriend, who worked in cahoots, with my bestie to delivery a card-a-day during my bday week. They were all hilarious!

I woke-up to my beautiful daughter inches from my face, screaming HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mama (according to TM when she woke up at 4am (she was calling him through the monitor), she asked him "is it time yet?"-- HOW SWEET is she!!!)

Best way, hands down, to wake-up on my 25th birthday.

I asked for an ironing board and blower... received BOTH! E helped me open my blower.

TM bought everything needed to make my favorite breakfast: Banana pancakes and bacon! Love him. Breakfast will be enjoyed tomorrow when E can enjoy with us. She is in "summer camp" at her school during the week, M-F, 9-2.

I AM OFF WORK on Friday's -- I AM SPENDING MY 25TH RELAXING IN MY CHAIR (I did run to the store to get E some much needed shorts, shes a 4T now!), watching the Casey Anthony Trial. BLISS.

Basically this has been the best birthday I have had in 25 years. I have never been happier with my life, it makes me excited to celebrate many more bdays this way. This officially tops 2006 (If you were present, you know what Im talking about).

**EDIT
TM & My mom BOTH got me two (totaling 4) new charms for my Pandora bracelet. Mom got a swirly one with purple stones and a flowery one with black stones. TM got me an ELEPHANT (!!) and a house... b/c my house is now a home & he is thankful to be a part of this family. :-)
/EDIT**

"Mom, Im Driving Home"

2011-06-06T17:37:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was glorious! We had the perfect Friday night, grilling, playing in the back yard, eating dinner on the back porch and just watching the sun go down over our pond. It was so relaxing and much needed "family" time.

"feeding" the fish blueberries

How freaking cool is this pic? Unintentional.

Since E was out of school this past week her and I had a lot of bonding time. I loved every second of it, but I am ready for her to start "camp", she is attending camp 5 days a week from 9-2; we are nervous but excited about the 5-day thing. She started in Feb. going 3 days a week. If things pan out well with 5 days a week then come Fall she will go all 5 days a week, when did I get a pre-schooler! I am freaking out here about how old/big she is getting.

TM & I wanted to kick-off our summer (I know tech. summer starts June 21) in an awesome way. So we decided to take a day trip to TMs hometown, Saturday. He is from a quaint coastal town in southern FL.

How gorgeous, right?!

While we were there we got some serious beach time in & I got to know his family better, esp his mom. He is a mama's boy (not in the still living at home when hes 30 and calling her 5 times-a-day way, in the he had a special bond with his mom and I desperately wanted her approval way).

I LOVE HIS FAMILY!! I can not wait to be a part of such a fun group of people one day.

water for her sand castle...

checking out the gulf

Hard to believe we were in FL

TM enjoyed having reign over my camera & we loved that it was h2oproof

Having a mamadaughter pow-wow

On a hunt for the perfect seashells

She was loving that she could touch! I loved the calm gulf waters

Once we got back to TMs parents house, we all showered and got ready to go to dinner. We went to a cute pizzeria where E was smitten with TMs younger brother (21). After dinner we were boxing up leftovers and E came up to me, hand out, and said "Hey Mom, Im driving home!"

WTF?!

Apparently TMs dad told E she could drive home. I had to explain to her that she is not big enough to drive home, she was sad and cried.

I am freaking out, panic attack style, that E is in 'camp' 5 days-a-week, with a new class and a new teacher, the thought of her driving being old enough to drive would send me to the loony bin.

They grow-up so fast I can't handle it. I want a stop time!

Yesterday we swam at my moms house and floated around and just relaxed in the sun. I love watching E in the water, she is such a great swimmer, Thanks to my step-dad, he has been spending everyday, almost, in the water working with E. I swear that girl has gills.

I know this summer is going to be amazing, my girl can swim, she loves being outside & loves the beach.

I already see a lot more chalk & bubble time, watermelon hunks in the backyard, running through the sprinklers & swinging on the swings happening soon.

I could live on the sound of my girls joyful laughter & the sweet, sticky kisses she gives me, if I could. They re-fuel me, when school/work drains me.

I look at my life 1 year ago today and I am so thankful to be where I am TODAY. I have come so far in one year & I am proud of myself. I am EXACTLY where I want to be.

Thank you for all the support and love I have gotten from all of you. Your comments cheering me on, have helped me get to where I am. I love each and every one of you.

**11 days till I am a quarter of a CENTURY old! I am ready for it... bring on 25 and beyond.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"I'm A Little Scattered"

2011-06-02T11:57:00.002-04:00

Hey guys! I am sorry it has been eons since ive written a real post.

A lot has been going on so I think its time to catch every one up.

-I am in the tail end of my graduate program. I have been doubling up on classes, which means twice as much HW and twice as many papers & twice as many of observation hours, so I can graduate in time to teach in the Fall (August) 2012.

-I [tentatively] graduate May 2012. Before I can graduate I have to student teach in 2 areas, Elementary school for 12 weeks and Preschool for 6 weeks. I start student teaching January 2012, because my last class ends in October 2011.

-Before I can student teach, I had to take and pass two subject area, state certification exams. So I have been studying my behind off. I took one May 27 and the other one on May 31st... and PASSED both. To get certified in FL I have to take 4 tests; I have taken 3 of the 4 and PASSED all 3. Hard work and a great support system pays off.

-TM & I had signed-up to teach VBS (read about last yr here) but b/c I am so overwhelmed with school and work, I had to "resign" from teaching.

-We haven't been in church as much as I would like and I am trying my darnedest to get back in that pew next to my grandma, every sunday.

-TM moved in on May 31st. That in itself is exciting. I am so in love with this man and I am excited about the direction our relationship is headed. So we spent Memorial Day making room for his things and moving him in.

-I have been getting estimates on new tile for the kitchen & other random home improvements. I am so excited that I will own this house in early 2013. I know it seems far away but really its less than 2 years away. I want to be teaching full-time before I buy it, I will be more financially stable.

-I have been totally enthralled in the Casey Anthony case, lame, I know. But it is so good/ interesting. I have been interested in this case, as everyone in my area has been, since 2008.

Now for a little E update:

-I enrolled E in "summer camp" at her preschool. She will be attending 5 days a week; That is HUGE. During the school year (since Feb.) she only went 3 days a week. We are trying 5 days a week, tentatively, over the summer to see how E does. If she does well she will go 5 days a week come Fall.

-We have been spending a lot of time in the Drs office in the last few weeks. She has been sick a lot. I think we finally have it under control. As many of you know when you have a sick kid it makes for long, rough nights and tired slow moving days.

-A month after she turned 3 we got family pictures taken at JCP with some of just E, some of my mom, step dad, E & I, some with TM, E and I, some of E and my mom and some of E and my stepdad and some of E & me. I will do a post just on those but here is a preview:

-She is so smart and I know every parent says that about their kid. For example: We have Uno Moo and yesterday while I was cooking, unassisted and undirected, she took all the animals and not only did she make a pattern (blue, green, red, yellow, white, repeat) she grouped them by animal inside her pattern. TM teaches kindergarten and says they did a similar activity.

-She loves to read and play letter games. We have SuperWhy! letter cards that we play games with. She also has a leapfrog scribble & write and loves to play with that.

-She is fully potty-trained. The only thing we have problems with is night time. Some times she wakes up DRY, others she wets. So we are wearing pull-ups at night. But the wet mornings are getting fewer and fewer.

-She knows how to swim. My step-dad, mom and I have been working in the pool with her daily & she is a fish. We still have to supervise her carefully b/c sometime she gets "too brave" and tries to swim too far. Here are some pics taken with my Mother's Day gift from E, a waterproof digital camera:

-She loves playing on her 4-wheeler and her big girl bike. She also loves when I take pics of her & she poses all on her own.

I think thats about it for now. I hope to be on the blog more now that my big tests are over. I still have a lot of HW and papers but I have been taking time off work to get it all done. It makes me stress about money but not about school.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Free Fathers Day Cards"

2011-05-30T12:19:00.000-04:00

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Thank You"

2011-05-20T11:55:00.000-04:00

I have always heard the expression "You have to have the bad to appreciate the good". I never understood that until I met TM.

Two nights ago, we were on the couch and he asked me "Would you have dated me 5 years ago?" (when I was 19/20). I quickly replied "No." He & I could not believe how quickly I replied.

I then remembered what I had heard my mom tell my sister a few years ago... ""You have to have the bad to appreciate the good." Five years ago I hadn't experienced the bad. I was in my first year of college and I was dating a Marine who cheated on me (unknowingly) EIGHT times while on a MEU. After him I bounced from ~~guy to guy~~ Marine to Marine. I was never with any of them long enough to really get hurt.

I dated a great ~~man~~ [recon] Marine. He was one of the good ones, but I guess I hadn't had enough bad. I broke-up with him for no reason. From there it was just asshole after asshole.

My ex-husband and ex-fiancee, each, being one of them, lucky me.

But I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to both of them for leaving me because if it weren't for them leaving I would have never have met TM.

Yes I was heart broken when each one of them left & thought I would never recover.

I did recover. When I was least expecting it.

When I was least expecting it I met a great MAN. A MAN who was okay with just being my friend, while I got over my issues. A MAN who sticks around even though I have not fully taken my walls down. A MAN who constantly reminds me that he loves me and ISNT GOING ANYWHERE.

They are right, you will find love, just stopping looking, but get out there.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Meet the Parents"

2011-05-16T21:42:00.000-04:00

TM and I have been together (officially) since March. But unofficially we have been together since the end of January. Remember this post?

We met at one of the schools I shadow at; He teaches there. We had a few choppy conversations but nothing out of the ordinary.

I saw/ talked to him a few times but I didn't think much about him except, hes a nice guy.

One day the teacher I was working with asked me to go get her kids from lunch. I had been in her class for 2 days at this point but I was well known on her team, I had taught in some of the other teachers classes or ran reading groups. In all I did over 60 hours on this particular team- so she felt comfortable with me getting her kids for her.

While I was lining the kids up, I looked across the cafeteria and TM waved at me and smiled.

IDK what it was about the smile/wave but my cheeks got hot and I smiled and nodded, its all I could muster up. A few hours and one email later I found out his whole name and I FACEBOOK-ED him!

I felt like a creeper, It appeared, via pictures, that he had a girlfriend but it did say "Single" so I had to assume he was single. I sent him a message, boldly, seeing if we could get together and hang out.

It took him TWO days to reply. I was fretting, but for no reason. He was more than willing to get together.

I told him I had a child, because she is NOT a fact I will hide. I gave him the option to come over around 830, after she went to bed or coming for dinner around 6. Being the teacher that he is, said he was okay with coming by, if I was, while she was still up.

We had dinner and talked for hours.

He was patient while I put E to bed.

Then we talked some more.

I Told him about M and how badly he hurt me and how I hadn't dated since and thought I was ready.

We went to dinner, child-less and I realized how NOT ready I was (back in Feb) to be back in a relationship, 5 months later.

I told him, that honestly, I was NOT ready.

He told me he was willing to wait. and wait he did.

FF nearly 2 months later and I still hadn't met his parents, granted they live 2 hours away. I told him that since this is getting serious and the topic of moving-in had been broached, I wanted to meet his parents.

He had met and hung out with mine, a lot. He had even gone to my moms house without me, and hung-out there until I got off work.

He made and still makes me so undoubtedly happy.

He told me Saturday that his parents were coming, for the day, Sunday.

Cue panic attack.

We spent ALL day Sunday cleaning in preparation for their arrival.

I was freaking out, even after they arrived.

E was a great ice-breaker, she immediately clicked with TMs dad. He is an elementary school principal so he is great with kids.

My mom and stepdad came over and we all went to lunch. It was great, everyone got along great. But I was still nervous.

We didn't get to talk as much as I'd have liked but TM told me that his mom and dad loved me (and E) and want us to come to his hometown, I am thinking day-trip is in the works.

I feel so relieved that they like me, my daughter and my parents.

I am so in-love and TM is the FIRST man, that I have been serious with, that has been widely liked by my ENTIRE family.

He has everything I could ever want. I am so lucky.

...

Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Today"

2011-05-08T00:36:00.000-04:00

Today I think about my mothers mother, Becky, whom I never had the pleasure to meet at an age where I could remember her. She passed away from a few forms of cancer, when I was only 10 months old. She raised MY MOTHER, so this is why today, I take a moment in prayer, to talk to Grandma Becky. To thank her for raising such a beautifully spirited and loving mother, who is more than my mom but my best friend. I can only imagine that my mom got Becky's best qualities.

Today I think about MY MOTHER. My mother raised me, a single mom in the 80's. In the 80's people got divorced, but not as rampant and as "normally" as they do today. As a young, 22 years old, single mother, whos mother just died, my mom arranged child care for me and still worked full-time. My mother made sure I had everything I NEEDED and I never wanted for a thing ~~besides a puppy~~. My mom put MY needs over her own. My mom taught me that you get more with sugar than with salt. I watched my mom meet and fall in-love with a wonderful man, who is my step-dad. They together have set a wonderful example for me as to what love is. My mother may not have supported all my ~~terrible~~ decisions, but mistakes she let me make. As I learned from every single one of them, the lessons, she knew from the start I would learn. I didn't listen to her as much as I should have, yet in the end she was right. Without my mom, I don't know where I'd be today. My mom taught me, without knowing it, how to be a great mother. She taught by example, her hugs were like gold.

Today I think about the little girl, who 3 years ago made me a mother. I think about the way in which she changed my life, for the better. I think about how, if I could do it all over again, I would. Same result. I am a young single mother. When I gave birth I was only 21, I am now 24. I think back to the wonderful example my mom set for me, when she was just in her early 20's. My mom made everything look so easy and here I am trying to do my best and I am lacking the grace and class she had ~~that or she was on heavy drugs...xanax anyone?~~ I look at my daughter and I thank God every single day for allowing me to be her mom. She is wonderful in ways I can not even describe. She is the sole reason I get up in the morning ~~that and I have to go to work, to pay my bills, bills, bills~~ I think about where I would be without her and I can't. She has made my life worth living. The little, sassy, too-smart for her own good, lovable, hyper, caring, crazy haired girl who made me a mother is the reason why I smile.

Today I think about the ~~4lb ball of fury~~, my kitten, who made me a pet mom. It's weird how much I love and how little time I have had her. I can't imagine my house without her zipping in and out of bedrooms, pouncing at the most inopportune time. I can't imagine sleeping without her rhythmic purring.

Today I think about ~~ALL mothers~~. Mothers who carried a child within their body, Mothers who had someone carry their child in their belly- waiting for the day her baby was placed in her arms, Mothers who adopted the child who was created by God and born to be theirs, Mothers who foster children until they find a forever home. Mothers who acquired children through a marriage- loving that child as your own, GODMothers who are there when the child needs a second opinion and who always are more fun than mom, Mothers of furbabies, because animals are a part of the family and need love, just like a human child.

Today I think about Mothers-to-be and Mothers in-waiting, waiting for a positive hpt, or waiting for the call that your surrogate is in labor or waiting for the call from the agency telling you that your baby was just born.

No matter what type of mother you are, you are a MOTHER and today you should be celebrated. So take a moment and realize that you are wonderful and you deserve a day to relax and be pampered.

Happy Mothers Day to ALL the different types of mothers out there; today is your day.

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Five Question Friday"

2011-05-06T12:56:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Five Question Friday--the easiest blog hop around!

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up! Remember, most importantly, to HAVE FUN!

Questions for Friday, May 6th: (Special thanks to Lorilynne, Kate,Jolene, @trooppetrie, and@scrumpture for their question suggestions! If YOU would like to be linked in a future Five Question Friday, c'mon over to my community and offer up your best question suggestions! Feel free to shout 'em out to me [@5crookedhalos] on twitter using hashtag #5QF, as well!) (Weird...for some reason this paragraph always gets all wonky when I copy and paste!)

1. Have you ever had roommates?

Yes, in college; I was not a fan. There was Stephanie & Kristen- first, Then Hayley, Startice & Kristen in the dorms, then two others who names have slipped my mind at my off campus apartment & Courtney in my condo. Girls are so catty. I stayed with some guy friends of mine for a few months, b/c I walked in on my roommates whos names I can't remember, doing coke on the coffee table, I had to get out of there! I enjoyed staying with the guys much better. Guys make better roommates than girls do.

2. How many names do you/your children have? (i.e. Prince Charming William Phillip Arthur Louis John JacobJingleheimer-Schmidt)

I have a first, middle and last name and my daughter has a first, middle and last name. So we each have 3.

3. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

I did not get up at 4am to watch but when my alarm went off for work at 645 I turned it on and watched until the "kiss". Waiting that long for the kiss made me late for work.

4. What is the messiest room in your house?

Its a toss-up between the office/guest room or the dining room- everything gets tossed on the table and the chairs. Shoes get taken off and left by the table, etc. Every room in my house gets messy, I have a toddler but I pick-up everynight. My room gets neglected, only picked-up once a week, usually Sunday afternoon.

5. What is your ideal mothers day?

Spending the day with my mom and my beautiful daughter, who made me a mother. Going to church in the morning followed by a nice lunch out and maybe some swimming and just hanging out at my moms house. Just a nice relaxing day. I can't say I want to be spoiled b/c my boyfriend, TM, already spoils me.

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Beautifully Said"

2011-05-05T14:11:00.000-04:00

I got the link to this video from Katie- I too have been wanting to jot my feelings about the news released Sunday night.

OSB is dead. I cried tears of joy for a long time. Hoping that the families of the victims of 9/11 tragedy and the families of the service men and women that fought war that followed and were KIA, feel that justice was finally, after 10 years, met.

Anderson Cooper is very eloquent in this video and states it perfectly.

"The ocean is a big place and in the end OBL was a very small man"

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Randoms"

2011-05-04T23:34:00.000-04:00

This is kind of a rage-y/ vent-y post. My thoughts are all over the place. Bear with me. I need to get it all off my chest.

-I am PMSing... I haven't actually had a period in 3 years (!) thanks to Mirena [TMI?] so I rarely PMS. Today was the exception; I was at work, talking to a patient and out of NO WHERE I get horrible cramps. I know I made a face b/c my patient asked me if I was okay, embarrassing. I have been snapping at TM for the last 2 days, poor guy. Damn PMS.

-I just started 2 more classes, No rest for the ~~insane~~ weary. The work load is MASSIVE. I have been have anxiety attacks over how I am going to get it all done, with work and E. I have a GREAT work schedule, M-Th 9-230. I have Friday's off & E is in school from 9-2. So I have all day to myself.

-TM has been a huge help, by doing things around the house (without me asking!), so I have more time to focus on my work, I am so lucky.

-In the past month, E has become clingy, she cries if I won't hold her, if I am not in the same room as her, if my mom picks her up from school, she even gets upset when TM leaves for work or to go to the store, etc... It makes doing anything difficult. I can't even pee or shower alone. It's like she's never see's me, but since I have only been doing ext. day 2 days a MONTH, we have a ton of mommy-daughter time.

-I love the time I have with her but, I would love some "me time", but you can't exactly tell a toddler to go away.

-E's temper tantrums are terrible. People told me 3 is worse than 2, they were not kidding. She will only nap 3 days a week, if I am lucky; when shes tired they are worse. Most times she passes out in the car after school, on the way to the gym or to run errands Trust you me, you don't want to be the one ~~there when the monster appears~~ waking her up.

-Sometimes I have to leave her with TM and take a ~~sabbatical~~ walk to the mailbox, to cool off.

-As the date that my wedding to M approaches, I get pissed, upset, angry, jealous, etc. I wanted to get married more than anything, I loved him and he broke my heart ~~dream~~. I look on FB, ~~fucking FB~~ at exs, ones that cheated on me, and most of them are married, with 1 or 2 kids.

-Things have been easier since TM has been around more and I am happy again. He's a good man, my friends and FAMILY ~~like~~ love him. We share the same values & he treats E and I like royalty.

-I hate when people who don't have children (by choice), criticize those who do. If you don't have a child you can not criticize, b/c you have no idea what the hell you are talking about. You sound ignorant. No, babysitting is NOT the same as having your own child.

-You know what also pisses me off? People who think that as soon as you have unprotected sex (sans bc) that you will immediately get pregnant. News Flash: It takes time to get pregnant. Some people get pregnant quickly, but majority of the time it takes months.

-Since the news of OBL's death a friend, who I had lost contact with, and I are speaking again. We aired our "grievances" if you will and picked-up where we left off. I am so thankful to have him back in my life. I missed him so much, I honestly don't know how I lived w/o him in my life for as long as I did.

Now its time for a shameless plug: I was nominated for Circle of Moms top 25 blogs on Single Parenting, read about that here. Vote for me, or don't. Just thought I'd throw it out there.

I know this is all over the map, but I actually feel better.

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"So Honored"

2011-05-02T21:33:00.001-04:00

This evening I got an e-mail, saying I was nominated for Circle of Moms top 25 blogs on Single Parenting.

I thought it was a hoax...So I blew it off. I mean I get junkie/hoaxie emails alllll the time.

That is until my ALL TIME FAVORITE blogger tweeted that she too got the same e-mail & was nominated, too.

I tweeted at her asking if it was real b/c I got that same email/ nomination. She told me it was real, I literally squealed. TM looked at me like I was on drugs, I swear ~~only on the weekends~~ im NOT.

I am nominated with some amazing bloggers, single mamas (& dads too!). Blogs that I never miss and are in the TOP of my reader. I am "starstruck" if you will, being nominated along side these ladies/men. I read their blogs in awe and die laughing at their tweets.

Although I feel so inadequate next to these awesome bloggers, Someone must have thought I was good enough though, even through my blog absence.

I promise this nomination has "woken me up" and made me feel like people actually visit my corner of the blogosphere. So there needs to be something there when they pop by for a visit.

Please please please vote for me... while you are voting for any of the awesome bloggers also nominated. You can vote once a day till May 23, 2011

I will love you long time if you vote for me! ;-)

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Cough Free"

2011-04-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

Last week, Wednesday, I got a call from E's school while I was at work. She had a fever of 101.6, and I needed to come get her. I groaned a little bit as we had been every other week, since Jan.

THATS A LOT of trips to the pediatrician's office. A LOT.

They swabbed her for strep- Negative

I mentioned she had been coughing since late January/ Early February.

"Its just a virus, let it play itself out, theres nothing we can give her for a virus"

I was told if her fever lasted through Sunday, I needed to call and come in on Monday. Guess who had a fever at 2am Easter morning, yup, E.

On our way and upon arrival at the peds office, E was whining "I want to go home""I not want to go to dr me all better"

After the nurse weighed her (a whopping 29lbs) and asked what brought us in, after telling her that we have been every other week since Jan, she cleared her throat and said you will be seeing "Dr. H" instead of a PA today. I finally got E calmed down & Dr. H examined her. No UTI or bladder infection, the fever was caused by a bad sinus infection. and oh yah "Your child has asthma"

I was shocked by this diagnoses and had a ton of questions. Dr. H said E's incessant coughing is a form of asthma. Really?

He said "She has been treated with a handful of different antibiotics, prescribed by the PAs or Nurse Practitioners in the office, and nothing has worked" ~~well a PA/RNP is NOT a doctor~~. "I believe that her cough is asthma. Lets try a liquid form of albuterol and if that works we will put her on an inhaler. I don't want to put her on a "puffer" if the medication won't even work"

So we left the office with 2 scripts, one for her sinus infection and one for asthma medicine.

Here we are 24hrs later and since I have given E 2 doses (yesterday AM and this AM) of her asthma medication and... NO COUGHING!

She slept ALL night, w/o a single cough! I am completely enamored with this medicine. I am thrilled my baby isn't coughing constantly anymore. I know she was so uncomfortable.

And all it took was seeing a doctor (!). Who would've thunk it?

I just have to update her school paperwork tomorrow when I drop her off and all is good. I will be calling the Dr. office (Im happy too this time) tomorrow; To schedule getting her on an inhaler, sometime next week.

Although I have paid a FORTUNE out-of-pocket for her apts, we haven't met our deductible yet, I am so happy that we have found a "cure" if you will for her horrible coughing.

I am also happy to announce that E has been fever free for going on 36hrs! FINALLY! She can go back to school tomorrow, we have both missed school. I have actually missed work!! So much I am going to have to catch-up on.

E has her first dental appointment today, I am so excited/ nervous about how she is going to do!

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"Five Question Friday"

2011-04-22T10:56:00.002-04:00

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, and LINK UP! Oh, yeah...and most importantly, have fun!!

Questions for Friday, April 22nd: (Special thanks to @TylerH2102,@jengacek, Pam,Rachel, and Sandy for their question suggestions! I'd LOVE to link YOU in a future 5QF, just c'mon over to my community and offer up your best question suggestions! It's getting a little sparse over there, so I'd LOVE some more questions to choose from! Also, watch for my weekly Thursday shout out for questions on Twitter [@5crookedhalos]!!)

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

As a child we used to dye eggs on Friday night or Saturday, on Saturday my mom and I would make an EB cake and decorate him with candy. Then we would leave carrots out for the EB and Sunday (Easter) we would get our new dresses on for church and then go through our easter baskets. At church we were allowed to sit in Big Church (versus Childrens church) and then following service we would go to my Grans house for an Egg Hunt and big dinner. During dinner my uncle John and Gran would talk to us about the importance of the "Holiday" and how its about more than just the EB and the egg hunts.

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

Shower! I sometimes like a bath, but unless its a big garden tub, which I don't have, I stick to showers. My mom has a big huge tub so I sometimes take a bath at her house, but I take a shower when I am done b/c I don't feel clean after a bath, I feel dirty b/c I was basically sitting in my own filth. I do it to relax.

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

I can. Not well but I can. It has been a few years. I think I PP a few weeks after E was born and she is 3 now.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Oh gosh, I love it all. Reeses (and reeses pieces) eggs, PEEPS (opened and hardened a few weeks) & Jelly Beans are my favs though. I was never a big chocolate bunny fan, as the chocolate tasted funny.

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

I do both. I am following the same traditions I had in place when I was a child for my daughter. I think we might add a few small things, but I feel like you can focus on the religious aspect of the holiday while still having fun with the EB and all. You have to find the happy medium. Because Easter is ultimately about Jesus rising from the dead!

"Five Question Friday"

2011-04-22T10:56:00.000-04:00

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, and LINK UP! Oh, yeah...and most importantly, have fun!!

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

I can. Not well but I can. It has been a few years. I think I PP a few weeks after E was born and she is 3 now.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

"Five Question Friday"

2011-04-15T13:04:00.000-04:00

Rules for 5QF: HAVE FUN!! Oh, and copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, Friday morning and LINK UP!

Questions for Friday, April 15th: (Special thanks to @Eligabiff,@RoryBore, @jengacek,Rachel, and Chrissy for their question suggestions! If YOU would like to be linked in a future 5QF c'monover to my community and offer up your best question suggestions! Feel free to shout 'em out on Twitter to me [@5crookedhalos] usinghashtag #5QF!)

1. What is your favorite sign of spring?

The blossoming flowers and the floral smell in the air

2. What was your best birthday ever?

I can not pin-point a "best" Maybe the one where my bestie surprised me and showed up at my house. I believe it was my 23rd? My 24th SUCKED! It was my last night in PA and I had to cook my own dinner and brownies. M's mom left that day for a conference in DC & E had an ear infection, I missed being with my family on my birthday. It was the first time, ever, I was not with my mom. I am hoping my 25th (June 17!!!) will redeem last yrs.

3. What is your favorite dessert?

This is a hard one to decide on, as I have such a sweet tooth and I love to bake. But my favorite would be a tie between chocolate, peanut butter chip cookies and pumpkin chocolate chip glazed cookies. Both Homemade.

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?

Ive never been able to get out of a ticket. Less than a week after E was born I had to take her for a weight check (because of how small she was at birth). She H.A.T.E.D her carseat & was wailing, I was speeding (I wanted to be out of the car & for her to stop crying I told him this) and the officer followed me to the hospital and ticketed me there.

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?

After hitting snooze several times. HANDS DOWN. I am lucky if I get up before or with my alarm. Haha.

"Bounce & Play; Soak Up the Rays"

2011-04-07T15:50:00.000-04:00

E turned 3 on Monday, April 4th, so naturally her party was on the Saturday before, April 2nd.

I got a catalogue with birthday "sets" in in. Basically ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you need, down to the goodie bags, for a child's birthday party. After looking through it (great prices! I priced everything out, saved me so much money), She wanted to have a Super Why

themed party.

We love pbskids in this house, so I said ok.

While thinking about where we would have the party, I immediately thought, "Our House". We finally have a place of our own, and when I looked at this house, I dreamed of having birthday parties, in the perfect backyard. So once the location was decided I needed to decide what the children (we had 8 kids ages 2wks-9years old) would do.

BOUNCE HOUSE!! So after pricing those (for rental) I found buying one was cheaper. I got ours. fully equipped with a WATER SLIDE, on eBay, brand new still in box, for cheap.

The bounce house & Slide...

Mal (4), E (3) & her cousin Luke (3.5), having a pow-wow by the slide.

They moved the chat into the bounce house.

Hugs for her cousin.

Best Friends.

We took one of the invitations to Publix to have her cake made, but due to copyright restrictions they could not do the super why boy. This is what we decided on:

Purple is our fav. color so it was beyond perfect!

To eat we had a variety of nuggets and chicken salad from Chick-Fil-A, snackie foods (chips, cheese, pretzals, salsa/chips, grapes) an water and soda.

Mal enjoying some cake in the backyard.

While opening presents, apparently this one made us ALL "oooahhh"

After talking it over with some family members we thought it best to keep the BH & slide dry during the party.

After most guests/kids left, TM (in lieu of TT as it didn't sound right, more on this later) hooked the hose up to the sprayers and BAM! Her BH & Slide instantly turned our backyard into a water park. The water was chilly, but E had a blast.

E running to go on the slide, again. TM supervising.

E all suited up with her BIG GIRL bike, from TM and I.

The girls with the swirl pops from the goodie boxes.

They are too much.

The morning of E's birthday, I got up a tad early and made her a waffle and put candles in it accompanied by a juice box, which is a big deal, b/c normally she has milk at all meals, except MWF at school, she gets juice at lunch.

Birthdays and holidays are a huge deal in this family. When her waffle was ready, I went and got E, who was in cupcake jammies, and after loving on her I sang "Happy Birthday" to her and b/c she is 3 she thought that blowing the candles out 3 times was necessary.

Birthday girl on Birthday morning, with waffles/candles, before school.

**All in all I can NOT believe that my BABY is 3!

Where does the time go?

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli

"April 4, 2008... April 4, 2011"

2011-04-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

I still can't believe that today, you turn 3. It blows my mind that it has already been THREE years. It feels as if I was, just holding my tiny newborn. You have grown and learned so much over the past year. It blows me away at how incredibly smart you are. You are so vocal yet at the same time you are so observant. You're the reason I get up in the mornings. Hearing you say "Good Morning Mommy" is by far the bast way to wake up. You have gone from unsure toddler to a very confident little girl. Everyday I thank God for picking me to be your mommy. You have so many people in your life who love you and feel so blessed to know you. You have the biggest heart and love everyone you meet. Everyday there is something new that you do that astounds me. I can't believe how lucky I am to have you, it's been THREE years and I still feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure its all real. We have our good days and we have our bad days, we're girls, its bound to happen, but our bad days make our good days that much better. When you say: "Mommy I love you the whole world" no matter what little crisis I may be going through those words make it all better. In the last year you have: moved more times than anybody ever should and you adjusted wonderfully each time, gone from a crib to a toddler bed to a twin bed, started preschool 3 days a week, willingly on your own given up your baba, and you are fully potty trained. Your laughter is contagious and boy did we laugh a lot. Without you I don't know what my life would be like, you are my sun on a rainy day. You completed me the day you were born. Happy Birthday baby! I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us.

I love you doodles.

Love,

Mommy

Labor/ birth story here

1st Birthday letter was hand written

Second yr birthday letter here

At her third birthday party, she is surrounded by love.

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Keep up in between posts, I Tweet , A lot.

-Kandid Kelli