My Home, My Rules, and My Wayward Daughter

Dear Miss Sierra Belle,

One day, far in the future, perhaps you'll read this. Sometime in your lifetime there will be endless web pages created by parents that will become a written record of the small moments of your life you'd otherwise forget. So here it is, today's record.

I had to punish you today. Not because of a need to be mean or even strict. I really hate to discipline you. However as children often do, you leave your mom and dad no choice.

See today when you left the house without your glasses because you woke up late for school, I thought I'd be a nice mom and bring them to you. I know how you can't see the chalkboard without them, and I don't want your education to suffer just because of your sight.

So as soon as I had someone to watch your brother for a few minutes, I drove to your school and found you in the gymnasium. Your back was turned to me, so at first I just saw your lovely self talking with a group of friends. Then I tapped you on your shoulder and handed you your glasses with a smile and a hello. That is when my heart dropped. I knew, in that moment, I would have to be a mean mom today.

That red lipstick I let you buy with your allowance, the one I specifically told you not to wear outside of the house, was on your lips. You have many other shades of lipstick and lip gloss except weird colors. A light pink would have looked lovely on you. I know the need to feel beautiful and I don't believe a little light makeup at your age (which is 10 btw) is inappropriate. However since you feel the need to disobey me, I must become strict like my mother.

You see at your age, I was not allowed makeup at all. I thought I was being the "cool" parent by allowing a little makeup. It is makeup after all. No big deal right? Wrong. Makeup should be tastefully done, and that bright red is like an advertisement for all men to say "Look at me, I'm more grown than I really am."

I was going to do the discipline myself. However as I sat here throughout the day, I realized I always am the one to discipline you. So I decided, as a daddies girl, perhaps it's better that your father be in charge of carrying out the punishment.

So when you came home, I grabbed your backpack and pulled all makeup out of it. Turns out you had the red lipstick in your pocket which is a sure bet you knew it was forbidden IMO. I also brought the rest of your makeup into the living room. Then your father proceeded to tell you that if you can't follow the rules, you don't get to have any makeup.

Then the order came from him. You must throw away all makeup. Even the lip gloss. Yep, that one I probably wouldn't have made you do, but it's your fathers choice and I stand by his decision.

You cried, you screamed, you probably want to hate us. But in the end, you'll thank us.

We love you darling daughter of mine. You have no idea how much you are like me when I was your age. Except I had to hide all of my makeup, because my mother wasn't "cool" enough to allow light colors.

For my mother, I just had to call you because yes, we have come full circle. I am certainly getting back what I dished out!

Your loving mother,

SWC

I felt the Need to Bake!

So I felt the need to bake something sweet and yummy today. I followed Dancing Barefoot's Snickerdoodle recipe. 

My materials. I wrote down the recipe for quick reference in the back of my BOS.

Mixture without the flour added. Buttery, but still yummy!

With the flour added. Come on who doesn't lick the bowl!

The sugar and Cinnamon mix. I tried to make a little heart for added love. :) I may not be a Kitchen witch but
I think I'm doing a pretty good job. 

Just a dollop of batter. :) 

And all lined up on the cookie sheet.

OK, I don't know why, but they spread out and don't look like cookies anymore. But they certainly
taste like it! 

And like a bloodhound, when DD came home the first thing she asked is,
"What smells so good."

YUM!

The end. I hope you enjoy a cookie today.

DD the Pretender

My lovely, darling, mini me daughter is a pretender. Once in awhile she gets tired of going to school. I think we all get tired of routine. But as a mom, its my job to make sure she goes to school. I remember from her preschool days the nurse advising that she only stay home if she has a fever or is vomiting. I thought that was pretty good advice. But I felt bad when a few days before the fever and vomiting began she felt crappy and didn't want to go to school. So I developed a little system. I'd offer her to stay home when she asked, but it was an automatic you must go to the doctor. I discovered DD does not like to go to the doctor, and if its not that bad, she just chooses to go to school.

This morning DD came in and it went something like this.

*Cough Cough*

DD: "Daddy I don't feel good"

(She always asks daddy first, because he's less likely to say no)

*Cough Cough*

DH: "Whats wrong with you"

*Cough cough*

DD: "My stomach hurts"

*Cough cough*

DH: "Then why are you coughing"

*Cough cough*

DD: "Because my throat hurts too. Can I stay home from school?"

*Cough cough cough*

DH: "I don't know, let me feel your forehead. Hmm. You don't have a temperature."

*Cough cough*

DD: "But I really don't feel good. My stomach hurts and my throat hurts and I have a headache."

*Cough cough, fake cry*

DH: "I don't know, ask mommy"

DD: "Mommy wake up! Daddy said ask you if I could stay home. My throat hurts, I'm coughing, and my head hurts."

*Cough cough cough cough, cry*

ME: "You have two choices, you can stay home and go to the doctor, or you can choose to go to school."

DD: "AHHH. I'll just go to school!" Coughing ends. :)

She would not make a good actress. lol

Pagan Parenting: My Way

I grew up in a "Christian Light" household. By that I mean my mother claimed she was Christian but never preached to us, never went to a church, and the only religious study she encouraged was to throw a children's bible at me on my 13th birthday and tell me to read it.

My grandparents were the opposite. They were very fundamental. You went to church on Sundays. Always had to dress up. Sunday school was suppose to be a weekly event. I remember the one and only time I went. I guess I asked a "dumb" question. I never went back. I don't remember what I asked now, but I remember what they were preaching didn't make much sense to me.


So as my daughter matures I've always let my daughter know that when she wishes to participate and learn about Wicca I will teach her. Similarly, I will help her learn other faiths as well. I feel it is important to learn about all major and some minor religions to have a better understanding of other cultures and people.
Last year my daughter participated in her first Full moon ceremony. I was so proud of her! She said her part when it came time and took her cues from the adults. She enjoyed it a lot. She also has worked with me when doing a spell and kept asking to "do it again". lol. For now she thinks its fun, but knows its not something that is to be played with. I've always told her what I believe in, and in no way do I expect her to follow me. But if that is her wish I would help guide her way.

Over the years I've had to protect her from other people. While I don't mind that she learns about other religions when she is older and doesn't believe everything she hears, in her younger years they are so impressionable. When she was a toddler I didn't speak much about our faith and when I did speak about it, I always reminded her that its what I believe and one day she would learn and make a choice about her faith. While she was young and too impressionable we dropped off the "Pagan radar". Mainly because I didn't want to be carrying around a toddler at festivals, but it served to isolate us from others. I feel that if they are young enough where just mentioning God means the child repeats, "I believe in God" then its too young.

Religion is a choice, not a birth right. I do not want my daughter to be Wiccan because I am. I want her to study and come to that conclusion (Or whatever faith she decides) herself.