| 3/23/04 | Well...here we are again. Today is my Handsome Fella's 4th birthday! We had a nice family/friend lunch at Joe's Crab Shack on Saturday and today we will do cake and ice cream at Granny's house. He is really becoming a little boy....a momma's boy! I will do my best though to not totally spoil him for any future prospects! He got most of his presents over the weekend...first of all of course was the "grown up Hulk movie" which he has been dying to have since the movie was in the theater. I finally broke down and got it for him although he will only be able to watch it in moderation. He turns into the Hulk all by himself sometimes and I don't want to create any radioactive induced occurances! Milan also bought him the Good Luck Care Bear...because his favorite color is green. Hmmm...do I see a pattern here? I think all his toys were green! With the exception of a few Spider Man things.
In other news....I will be heading to PA to attend my mommy's (yes mommy's) 70th birthday party. I always enjoy visiting my family and hopefully they will make it down to Georgia this year as I think I'm all traveled out. The kids really miss their Grandma and Grandpa and cousins though so we might just break down and go there in the summertime. We'll see! Then on Sunday I'm going to the Beyonce/Alicia Keys/Missy concert with my friend Sherry. It is going to be so much fun! The last real concert I went to was a Prince concert with my ex-husband, so you know how long ago that was! Well...I'm done w/ my updates for the day. I'll have to come back a bit later and give some more juicy stuff...not that any of this was juicy. I think I'm going to start a journal section so I can get more into my thoughts and feelings vs. the "news" related items. Stay tuned!
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| 3/04/04 | My kids really seem to be getting in touch with their spiritual sides lately. Last night Milan said that she wished God wasn't so far away. I asked her why and she told me, "Because I can't kiss Him." I told her that she could blow Him a kiss anytime she wanted to. She immediately tilted her head up until she was looking at the ceiling and said, "I love you God" while blowing a kiss into the air. Today, when the kids and I got home, we had to go down our steep driveway to get the trash can. I got a little bit ahead but could hear Jansen talking to someone behind me. As he got closer to me I heard him saying, "I love you God" over and over. When I looked back, he was looking up into the sky as if he was talking directly to the Man himself. Isn't it amazing how easy it is for children to love something they can't see or touch? Isn't it amazing that they want to know more and ask questions? Isn't it amazing how their questions ground me and help me stay focused on what's important...my relationship with Him? It's like a present my kids are giving me. The knowledge that God is watching over us and despite the challenges that I personally face as a single mother, trying to be all things to my children, He has it all under control and is helping me walk this walk. Sometimes I get so worn down I want to say, "I give up!" But I know I can't because I have two beautiful children depending on me for their every need. Thank God for his grace and mercy, and my little ones' faces shining on me every day with their beautiful open hearts!
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| 2/09/04 | Last
night I watched portions of the Grammy Awards. There were several
memorable performances, but there was one that really chilled me to
the bone. I am not a big country music fan, but last night I heard
a song for the first time that was sung beautifully by Martina McBride.
The song is called "Concrete Angel." The song is about a little girl
who is apparently abused and ends with her ultimate demise...becoming
a "concrete angel". I am becoming more and more disconcerted about
how children are being killed in this world today. At least every
week we are hearing about another child who has been killed by either
their own parents, a "friend" of the parents or by a complete stranger.
As a mother it tears me up to hear about children being harmed and/or
killed. This is an atrocity and I ask that everyone who reads this
say a prayer to God...asking Him to protect our children from these
monsters. Make it a point to show any and all children that they are
loved and that they are special. Hug your children 50 times every
day like I do!!!!! Here are the lyrics to the song "Concrete Angel"...take the time to read and reflect. |
| 1/13/04 | Milan
turned 5 today!!! Can you believe she's five already?!! They grow
up so fast...if I only had a dollar for every time I've said that
and will say that in the future! She had her party last Saturday at
the Little Gym and we had a full house! The kids had a blast and I
think some of the adults did too! I even made a few trips down the
Air Trak. Hey! We all need to act like a kid sometimes! Milan had
so much fun and was so happy that so many of her friends were able
to come. She was especially happy to see Granny, Miss Betty, her teacher
Miss Hamm and her sisters (including Dorothy...the older woman in
Jansen's life). I was especially happy to see some of my friends...Keith,
Geanean and Stephanie, Shelley and Johanna! I'm glad the whole affair
was a success!
The girls came to the house afterwards and messed around. Kia and Dorothy checked email and yapped on the phone. Jasmine and I chatted while Dontavius ran around the house exploring. Milan opened presents and Jansen tormented all the girls and wouldn't share his $2 truck with Tay. It was a wild time. When the girls left all the cupcakes were gone and the extra candy bag raided. In the end that was a good thing though...Lord knows I don't need all those sweets laying around saying "eat me, eat me" !! Since we partied hard on Saturday, the kids and I had a quiet night celebrating her birthday. I baked a small cake, with Milan's help, and the kids ate Burger King. I let them choose what they wanted for dinner and for the first time in history they agreed on Burger King w/o argument. Well hopefully I can rest now...don't have another birthday to plan until March! Woo hoo! |
| 1/05/04 | My first message in 2004! Sorry it took so long. I've been busy with holiday happenings and now preparing for Milan's 5th birthday!!! First, you might ask what we did on New Year's Eve. Well, we spent it at Piedmont Hospital with Granny. She fell a couple weekends ago and broke her foot. Then a couple days later had severe pain up and down her left side and ended up being taken to the hospital via ambulance because she couldn't move. The kids and I went down to the hospital on New Year's Eve and rung in the new year with her and some other friends. It was actually quite nice. I should also mention that the weather here has been crazy. It has been in the 60s and even got over 70 a couple days. Springlike weather during the holidays is really weird, but I enjoyed being able to walk around in the dead of winter without a coat! Now...on to Milan...Wow... she's going 5 already! We are having a Hello Kitty party at the Little Gym. I'm sure it will be lots of fun and I will sprout a head of even more gray hairs by the time it's all done with. Oh well...that's my job as mother, huh? |
| 12/26 - | Well...we made it through another Christmas! The kids were up at 7am looking out the window and asking, "Is it Christmas yet?" Jansen was upset because there wasn't any snow, but he got over it when he came downstairs to a tree chock full of presents under it! We said a prayer of gratitude for the birth of Jesus and the gift of his life allows us to live the life of comfort we have. Then the kids began opening their gifts! They had a ball opening everything and I had a ball watching them! A bit later we went to visit Granny and had dinner. Then we visited with the kids' sisters. It is always nice to see them interact with their sisters and really makes me miss my family back home in PA. Today I have been opening more toys and putting stuff together. We might get out but I don't know yet! We'll see! |
| 12/22/03 | Welcome
to the latest and greatest of version of my family site. "Jansen"
would be me (Heidi Jansen) and "Riddick" is for my kids
(Milan and Jansen)! We hope you enjoy your visit! |
| 12/22/03 | Well I'm almost done Christmas shopping. Actually I've been "almost done" for weeks now. Those last few gifts have been lingering as I've readied the house for the holidays, baked cookies for the school, cleaned the house, painted the house, etc. etc. Oh well...that's life. I will get them in the next two days and all will be well with the world. |
