As a parent you should never have to defend what you do. Yet it seems I have to do just that. I have come under fire recently for putting my 4 year old in pageants.
To me this is non-sense. I don't force her to do them. She does them because she likes them. I am not exploiting my child.
Pageants teach my daughter self confidence. She loves the attention she gets while she is on stage. Pageants are no different than softball, football, or any other sport. It takes practice and time.
And honestly of she didn't enjoy it we would not be doing them.
Does this look like a child that isn't having fun???
So today while Tori and I were out and about running errands she was talking NON-STOP!! We were driving through Radford and she told me to hit the students with the car. When I asked why.... She said "I don't freaking know". Everytime I would slowdown for a student in the crosswalk she would scream "GO MOMMY HIT THEM"!!! Needless to say, I had to roll my windows up lol
So my Little has in the NRV pageant the other week where she got 1st runner up!!! In April she has state, and another local pageant..... So excited! Pictures to follow
As a parent of a MI child I know the fears of many other parents like me. We are a club that no one wants to be a part of yet we were somehow invited to join regardless of our wants. Our initiation? Melt downs, threats of suicide or harm to others, sudden burst of violence, our babies seeing and hearing things that we their parents can not see and hear.
We avoid the news like the plague. Instead invest ourselves into our normal, our sanctuary. Imaginary or not, but it keeps us sane. Until a bit a news sneaks past all of our defenses. This time? One name Kelly Thomas.
Although the incident took place in 2011, today's verdict took me back to the fear I felt when it first happened. It could be my daughter in 10 years, or any of my friends children. It's a fear that could easily become a reality as it did for Kelly's father Ron.
The NOT GUILTY verdict not only rattles me but also secures my fear. The fear that those that are supposed to serve and protect us are often the assailants. Instead of helping they are attacking with such force that it causes death.
Kelly was just sitting there.
The police were looking for a fight in my opinion.
They didn't stop beating on him, even after he had calmed down. They didn't have to taze a frightened schizophrenic young man 6 times, yet they did.
I watched the full attack (and I use the word attack because that is exactly what it is) video. It made me physically ill. I was heart broken and angry all at the same time.
How can they not be guilty?
Officer Ramos asked Kelly if he could see if fist, and when Kelly said yes, he said they were about to fuck him up. The police in that town were gunning for a fight. Early in the video you can see Ramos playing with his baton. Slapping it against his hip. I wasn't aware it was a toy to be played with. Perhaps it was to intimidate Kelly. In fact I'm sure it was to.
Things need to change!
We can not sit by and watch out MI children be treated this way.
There needs to be better training in place for the police.
There needs to be punishment for when these things happen!
They murdered a Mentally Ill person and got away with it. How does that make you feel?
Kelly after attack
Full attack video
Witness accounts after attack
No you tell me where that Not Guilty verdict made sense? Does this look like justice to you?
I don't want to live in a world where a person can get beat to death just because they seem different.
It is time for a change my friends, time for a change!
I made a flan!, Yep you read that right, I made a flan. Kaluah Flan to be exact.
This is what I needed to make it.
Melt 4 cups of sugar
Still melting
Still melting
Stop messing with my rug!!
Stop being nosy
Don't look at the cat
STOP fighting
Don't watch me!
We're getting there
Finally all melty...... And guess what? I just made caramel!!!
Pour it into a baking dish
Whisk 4 eggs
Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk, and 1 can of plain ole evaporated milk, and whisk it all together.
Yummy Kaluah
1 shot for me
3 tablespoons for the flan
Mix that shit up!
Pour mixture on top of caramel , and put the dish in a larger baking pan.
Pour hot water halfway up the side of the flan pan
Bake for 50 minutes to a hour
Sprinkle powdered cocoa ( and I put semi-sweet morsels on top )
ENJOY!!!
Full recipe:
Ingredients 3/4 cup sugar 4 large eggs 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk 2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua) Mexican chocolate shavings and cocoa powder, garnish Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt. Lower the heat and cook until caramelized to a golden brown. (Do not stir or touch the sugar, but swirl the pan to melt evenly.)
Pour into a metal flan mold or 9-inch cake pan. Turn the dish and swirl to evenly coat the bottom. Let caramel cool and harden.
Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the condensed and evaporated milks and Kahlua and whisk well to blend. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until set and just firm in the center but still jiggles slightly, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.
To serve, run a thin sharp knife around the rim of the flan. Place a platter or large plate on top of the flan and gently flip over so the plate is on the bottom. Lift away the mold. Garnish with powdered cocoa and top with Mexican chocolate shavings.
I know I know, I haven't wrote anything in a hot minute. Well my dearies that is going to change. I have a metric fuckton of things to write about now. So much is going on, I just have to figure out where to start. And I'm gonna do things different this year. I'm going to start putting recipes up.. only the good stuff. The things I make and the kids hate, yeah not gonna put that shit up. Also we have quite a few pageants coming up and I'm going to blog about them as well. I need to do a write up for the last one we did in November. And there is a very personal issue I'm going to write about. And sooo many other things. So starting Monday, I will be back at it. I promise that I will have at least one decent things for Y'all to read about... and roll your eyes at a week :)
