8.13.12 #NaBloPoMo

Today's writing prompt: "Who in your world is made of sugar and spice and everything nice?" 

This is very easy for me to answer, my mom! My mom and I are like best friends. We can share anything with each other and are very similar in our personalities. There is something wonderful about not having to explain yourself or what you mean to others; it's a blessing that she just gets it. There's hardly a day that we don't go without texting each other, she lives nearly two hours away, so we don't see each other really often. But when we do get together, we're often doing fun things, like shopping, getting coffee, eating, or on occasion, gambling. 

I remember growing up, my mom and I had a strained relationship. I think this happens to many mom's and daughter's, as we butt heads. My mom was a hard worker, still is. She always worked and often worked weekends and long hours. She still works two jobs and has always focused on her career. She wanted me to set my goals high and never let me consider not attending and graduating from college. My mom has always believed in me, even when I didn't. 

We all need the support of a mom like I have. She's full of sugar and spice and everything nice! 

Blogging Challenge Day 2 #NaBloPoMo

Today's topic is to write about a strong memory at recess.

Oddly enough, this is easy to remember. I was in the 2nd grade, I believe. I was a student at St. Mary's Catholic School, yes I was a Catholic school girl, only until the 4th grade. As all Catholic schools are set up, we had our school building and then the church next door. Between the church and school was a large playground that was chained off. The chained off areas were put up during the school day and after school were opened up as this was how parents drove through to pick up their kids. The younger students, myself included, played on the side of the building which had a merry go round and a large area marked by yellow lines, which many of the boys used for soccer and kick ball.

I remember a large crowd gathering around one of the students in my class, Nathan, who I could see laying on the ground. He wasn't moving and I wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but I noticed he was near one of the chained off areas. The students were escorted inside while the teachers and nuns attended to him. When we got back to class, my teacher was gone for quite a while, but when she returned, she informed us that Nathan had been in an accident. Apparently he went running after a kick ball and didn't see the rope/chain and ran right into it. Because we are 2nd graders, the chain hit him, at arms length. I can't remember my teachers' name, but she proceeded to draw a diagram of what an arm bone looked like, then drew one with a crack in it, to demonstrate what happens when one breaks their arm. I immediately felt hot and sick; such a precursor to my lack of ability to deal with blood or emergency situations. It did turn out that Nathan broke his arm. He returned to class the next day with a cast and from that point on, there were orange cones next to all of the chains; to alert rambunctious children.

Who knew a 2nd grader and chains could be so dangerous!

Blogging Challenge Day 1 #NaBloPoMo

Today's blogging challenge from Blogher, is "Who did you play with as a child"?

I am the middle child of three; my older sister is seven years older and my brother is two years younger. I remember wanting to hang out with my sisters' friends when they would have slumber parties or get together's at our house. I loved being with my sister, I looked up to her. My sister and I are nearly complete opposites. She's fun and likes to have parties, at least she was that way in school. She always had a boyfriend and hung with a large group of people. I was painfully shy and serious; still am to an extent. Having her as my sister was great because in many ways, she helped me come out of my shell, a bit. She was always willing to let me hang with her and her friends, likely because I was quiet and didn't pose any problems for her.
My younger brother and I are also opposites. He was always outgoing and never knew a stranger. He had some problems with his behavior; both at home and in school. Because we were close in age, we went to the same school and by default, played together. There are both good and bad memories, as anyone has with their sibling. But, when you have a sibling with behaviors, sometimes violent, there tend to be a lot of negative memories. Your siblings help form your character and are your original playmates, which makes a lot of sense to me, as I'm guarded with allowing people into my life. Because of my extreme differences with my siblings, I think it's carried with me throughout adulthood and I've only had very few close friendships.

Some of my best memories of playing as a child was on our large back porch. I loved to play "office", where I sat behind a desk and organized papers. Another "game" I enjoyed was playing church. We had an organ and I remember pretending, with my brother, that we were at mass. Yes, I suppose I was a weird child! I cannot forget some of my best playmates as a child, animals! We always had cats and I cannot imagine my life without them. I care so much for all of the "pets" we've had throughout my life, that they are more like family, and definitely like close friends.
I definitely learned to play alone and to enjoy my own company too. That is a valuable lesson that I carry with me today.

NaBloPoMo in May

Some of you may see the hashtag, #NaBloPoMo, on twitter and I'm going to participate in May. The theme for May is "PLAY". This will be a challenge for me, I must admit. Even as a child I was quite serious, but I'm going to do my best to have fun with it. This is a monthly challenge run by BlogHer that helps bloggers to write everyday by giving them a theme and question. It's a great way to get out of writers block or just to get yourself into the routine of blogging more routinely.
So, I hope you join me starting tomorrow!