SCHOOL

I am in the middle of stock marketing/investing school right now. I had an extra pass for a guest to attend with me that I couldn't pay someone to use. I am serious. I asked everybody and no one wanted to come. I am going at this new challenge, solo. I am learning about controlling our 401K, covering calls, options and advanced options and strategies for up trends, sideways trends and down trends. That, coupled with the fact that I am bound and determined my kids will be financially independent of the rat race of an unstable corporate world, before they are done with college, has me on an adrenaline rush I can't even explain. Going solo to the class is good for me. There were hundreds of people with me. I found out what a very little world this is when I talked to my partner sitting next to me and he expalined that he is related to one of my police trainees from the P.D., before I became a motor. Small, small world.

At any rate, I sat, picnic style, on our front lawn, after school, telling Tommy everything about my 10 hours of numbers and lines and graphs and definitions and dollar amounts and stock symbols and futures and indexing. It was all so new and exciting. Like a new world had opened up to me and I had a new purpose. I couldn't stop talking and jabbering and rambling. I tend to get that way when I click with something. 200% all in. Head first. Wrapping my head around this class is so exciting.

I am beyond eager to learn and absorb and soak up everything my teachers want to share. I want do everything I can, to be successful with this, so that I can teach Jax. He is just as eager to learn just from hearing me babble like a kindergartner after a Christmas party . I think he felt the excitement in my voice. Maybe he sees deeper in to me than I realize. I think he understands that Mom has come to a point where she needs to reinvent herself and choose her new identity.

I think this is gonna be good.
Being forced to go it alone has really, really, put me in a good place.
Tommy is happy for me.
I am happy for me.

De Anna

6

One of my goals this year, not having to do with my, "Best I Can Be Challenge, is to let my kids take any friend, or in todays case, three, along with us, when we go somewhere fun. I think it is really important to start letting my kids understand that it is a reward to have friends join us going to all the fun places and doing the fun things that we do together. My parents were awesome about letting us take friends anywhere and everywhere we went, even on vacations. I want that for our kiddos as well. It was not like it was a vacation or anything fantastically outrageous, but we did have some serious fun today.

Jax read the book, "The Lightning Thief," about 3 months ago for his AR goal. He was jumping out of his skin when he found out that there was a movie coming out. We just kept our fingers crossed he would get better for the first day it was showing. NO GO!

Saturday Jax announced we would be heading to see the movie on Monday and we were taking friends. I was all for it. I had no idea how many were going or who it was we were taking, but a day off from school at the theatre was perfect for me. I did stop for about 14 seconds to try to figure out when it was that I allowed Jax to start telling me when we were going to go out and do something and who it was that we were going to take. No worries though, he is such a good kid it makes it really hard for me not to grin and bare it.

This morning one of Brinkley's little friends asked me if her brother was coming too. Mental calculation of car seats and he was all good to go with us as well. With mine in the count, we would be taking 6 to see the movie and I was all excited about it.

Jax, Pudgie, Brinkley, Baylee, Haylee and Caden all loaded up and we set off to see, "Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief." Gena thought I was nuts to attempt it, That, and to actually be looking forward to it.

We hit the theatre at 1250 hrs for the 1315 hrs showing. It was already sold out. BUMMER. What better thing to do then to hit up Johnny Rockets for a delicious lunch together. I wish I had my camera. These kids devoured 8 orders of onion rings, 9 orders of french fries, 4 hot dogs, 6 mini sliders, 2 huge hamburgers, 5 chocolate shakes, one peanut butter chocolate shake, chicken tenders and root beer. It was so much fun watching people stare at me. I wondered if they actually thought they were all mine.

It was actually pretty easy for me. Baylee kept asking me how I was so relaxed with all these kids. I just kept counting to make sure we were all together... and really, I only had to keep Pudgie with me or Jax and we were good to go. I was actually having fun with all 6 of them.

We sat with Justin, Braeden and Hudson and had an absolute blast with all 8 kids. The only complication the entire afternoon was the fact that Jax got suckered into giving up my seat to some girl who gave him puppy dog eyes, while I was out in the lobby getting the popcorn for everyone..... NICE. Gotta teach this kid that girls will try to sucker you with cute little smiles and batting little eye lashes. Needless to say, with a sold out show, Justice and I shared a seat and he happily sat on my lap or between Braeden and I the entire movie. He loves Braeden so he was so proud to share his skittles with him!!!!!!!

This was the perfect day off of school together with all the munchies. Next time Daddy is coming too and maybe we will have to take the Beemer. That way we can bring even more friends with us!!!


De Anna