Estella

Estella

Estella

Estella

Estella

Estella

1. Eager to please- He likes to do  sweet things for me...brings me coffee in bed, tea at night, massages me when I'm tired or have a headache.

2. Helpful and hardworking- He can get more work done in an hour than most people can do in  a day. He's a huge help inside and outside of the house. No job is too big or too small for him. He's creative in landscaping and cooking.

3. A great dad....always thinking of ways to help out the kids. He's their playmate, too.

4. He makes me laugh. He is one of the funniest people I have ever met. We share a weird sense of humor.

5. He's romantic. Great at remembering roses, fixing special dinners, buying great gifts. See #1.

Estella

You are beautiful! Just look at your picture. Start walking everyday. it will put you in the mood for more exercise and less food. Find some activities that get you so involved you won't think of eating. Live the AA way...one day at a time. Don't get down on yourself if you've had a bad day. Just think, tomorrow will be better, and then make sure it is. You can change your outlook unless you are seriously depressed and in need of medication. See a doctor if you continue to feel blue day in and day out. Everyone has their down days, but they usually have their up days, too. Good luck! MT is a great outlet when you need to vent. Keep using this forum. There is a ton of great advice out there.

Estella

I wanted to be a ballerina or a rock star....maybe a rock star in a tutu.  I'm like the cat with nine lives. I've lived several lives already, but  I have a few more incarnations in mind for the future...among them  an archaeologist, a painter, a massage therapist, an inventor, and a practitioner of eastern medicine.

Estella

My kids took an interest in sports as soon as they could walk ( their dad was a great athlete) , so they played soccer, baseball, basketball,  and football.  As soon as one sport ended, another one started. Soccer was played year-round on a traveling club team. In high school they had to specialize.. One chose football, the other basketball. They both excelled as athletes.

They also took an interest in guitar and drums, so they had private lessons as long as they wanted them (until they discovered driving).

I grew up taking ballet lessons and piano lessons from an early age. I gave up on piano in high school but stuck with ballet through college and even majored in it.  I'm glad I had continuous extra-curricular activities. I was too busy to get into much trouble, and it worked for my kids, too.

Estella

Estella

Estella

Estella

Estella

Rhonda, that's a great line to use with your daughter. I bet she'll remember it forever. It's so true. None of us can  afford to do everything our peers do or have  everything they have. Better to figure that out when you are young. Feeling that you deserve to have what others have is what leads  kids to a life of crime,  as in "If my parents can't buy it for me, then I'll steal it." Parents should give what they can afford to give and not feel guilty if they can't give more. It's love not money that our kids will remember. when they are adults Time is the greatest gift of all. Give as much as you can of that, and your kids will turn out great.

Estella